NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 14, 2023

by | Jul 14, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 14, 2023

No Patrick Kane signing this summer plus the latest on Cam Atkinson, Tristan Jarry, Nazem Kadri and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

ESPN.COM: Greg Wyshynski reports Patrick Kane intends to take his time recovering from major hip surgery that is expected to sideline him for four to six months. Once he’s ready to return (which could be by December), the 34-year-old right winger will select the suitor he feels will give him the best chance of winning the Stanley Cup.

Free agent winger Patrick Kane (NHL Images).

Wyshynski noted the drawbacks of this strategy. Kane can’t control how general managers will manage their rosters. Desirable clubs might not have the salary-cap flexibility in December that they currently have in the offseason. On the other hand, signing with a team now runs the risk of committing to a club that might not become a contender.

Kane’s agent, Pat Brisson, is unconcerned by this strategy. He noted that teams have called to express interest in his client. “You could offer me a one-year or a two-year deal right now at $7 million or so,” said Brisson. “I don’t even know if I want to entertain it, because it’s not what he needs. We’ll see, at the right time, how he feels, where he’s at, and then we’ll take it from there.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The flattened salary cap for 2023-24 likely means Kane will have to accept a one-year contract when he’s ready to return by December. Most Stanley Cup contenders in the market for a scoring winger with championship experience will have little cap room by that point.

Kane earned an annual average value of $10.5 million on his previous contract. At this stage of his career, he and his agent understand they won’t get anything close to that. Given the cap situation, he might have to accept a significant pay cut that could be well below what they anticipate.

It’s likely more important for Kane to show the hockey world that he’s fully recovered from his surgery and is still capable of being an effective scorer despite his age. A strong showing this season on a low-cost, one-year contract will set him up for a better deal next summer when the cap is projected to rise by at least $4 million.

TSN: After missing all of 2022-23 to an upper-body injury and neck surgery, Cam Atkinson is looking forward to returning to action this season with the Philadelphia Flyers. The 34-year-old winger said he’s fully recovered from his surgery and no longer experiences pain in his neck.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Atkinson’s absence was a contributing factor in the Flyers’ decline last season. A return to form in 2023-24 could help them become a better-than-expected team.

CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: Nazem Kadri believes the Flames’ coaching change will re-energize the roster for 2023-24. He feels the elevation of Ryan Huska as head coach will have them playing more to their style. Kadri also said Huska is a coach who communicates well, adding he thinks that’s what the team needs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Huska’s predecessor, Darryl Sutter, was a taciturn old-school coach who reportedly clashed at times last season with several of the Flames’ roster core. The change of style could help this club unlock its potential.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry said he’s 100 percent healthy after struggling through injuries last season. He indicated that he’s changed his offseason training to get stronger and fitter in a different way. While the precise nature of his injuries last season hasn’t been divulged, Jarry denied that they were chronic issues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins management evidently believes Jarry has put his injury woes behind him, signing the 28-year-old goalie to a five-year contract worth an AAV of nearly $5.4 million. A healthy season by Jarry will be crucial to the club’s hope of returning to playoff contention.

THE ATHLETIC: The Arizona Coyotes placed Alex Galchenyuk on unconditional waivers on Thursday for the purpose of terminating his contract. The 29-year-old winger had signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Coyotes on July 1.

The decision was made after the club became aware of an off-ice issue involving Galchenyuk. It was subsequently reported he was arrested by Scottsdale police on July 9 on a number of charges including private property hit and run, disorderly conduct, failure to obey, resisting arrest and threatening or intimidating. The police indicated the hit and run was “only property damage and no injuries. Galchenyuk was released on his own recognizance and arraigned on Monday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There was no comment from Galchenyuk’s agent or his attorney. We’ll likely learn more details of this story in the coming weeks.

TSN’s Rick Westhead tweeted yesterday that several NHL executives, sponsors and player agents are bracing for the NHL’s possible release of its investigation regarding an alleged sexual assault involving as many as eight players from Canada’s 2018 World Junior team.

If the league names and suspends the players allegedly involved, those players will likely appeal any sanctions with an arbitrator as per the CBA and might pursue defamation lawsuits against the league.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report of the NHL’s investigation was expected to be released sometime in July.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars re-signed forward Ty Dellandrea to a one-year, $900K contract.

TSN: The New York Islanders have promoted Rick Kowalsky as head coach of their AHL affiliate in Bridgeport. He served as Bridgeport’s assistant coach for the past two seasons. He replaces Brent Thompson, who recently joined the Anaheim Ducks’ coaching staff.

BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: The Sabres have signed a two-year affiliation agreement with the ECHL’s Jacksonville Icemen.










Notable NHL Moves For July 1, 2023

by | Jul 1, 2023

Notable NHL Moves For July 1, 2023

Check in regularly for today’s notable player moves during the opening day of the NHL’s annual free-agent market.

New York Islander sign goaltender Semyon Varlamov to a four-year, $11 million contract. 

Detroit Red Wings sign center J.T. Compher to a five-year, $25.5 million contract.

New York Islanders sign Scott Mayfield to a seven-year, $24.5 million contract. 

Seattle Kraken signed Brian Dumoulin to a two-year, $6.3 million contract.

Colorado Avalanche signs Jonathan Drouin to a one-year, $825K contract.

Pittsburgh Penguins sign Lars Eller to a two-year, $4.9 million contract.

New York Islanders sign Pierre Engvall to a seven-year, $21 million contract. 

Colorado Avalanche sign winger Miles Wood to a six-year, $15 million contract. 

Pittsburgh Penguins sign defenseman Ryan Graves to a six-year, $27 million contract. 

Pittsburgh Penguins bring back goaltender Tristan Jarry on a five-year, $28.875 million contract.

Anaheim Ducks sign Alex Killorn to a four-year, $25 million contract. 

Arizona Coyotes sign Jason Zucker to a one-year, $5.3 million contract. 

Detroit Red Wings sign Daniel Sprong to a one-year, $2 million contract.

Dallas Stars sign Matt Duchene to a one-year, $3 million contract

Tampa Bay Lightning sign Conor Sheary to a three-year $6 million contract. 

Boston Bruins sign defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk to a one-year, $1 million contract. 

Nashville Predators sign forward Gustav Nyquist to a two-year, $6.37 million contract. 

Detroit Red Wings sign defenseman Justin Holl to a three-year, $10.20 million contract. 

Washington Capitals sign Max Pacioretty to a one-year, $2 million contract.

Vancouver Canucks sign Carson Soucy to a three-year, $9.75 million contract. 

Nashville Predators sign Ryan O’Reilly to a four-year, $18 million contract. 

Carolina Hurricanes sign defenseman Dmitry Orlov to a two-year. $7.75 million contract. 

Carolina Hurricanes bring back goaltender Frederik Andersen on a two-year, $6.8 million contract. 

Ottawa Senators sign goaltender Joonas Korpisalo to a five-year, $20 million contract.

Buffalo Sabres sign defenseman Erik Johnson to a one-year, $3.25 million contract. 

Edmonton Oilers sign winger Connor Brown to a one-year, $4 million contract. 

Anaheim Ducks sign defenseman Radko Gudas to a three-year, $12 million contract. 

San Jose Sharks sign goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood to a two-year $4.7 million contract. 

New York Rangers sign right wing Blake Wheeler to a one-year, $800K salary plus $300K max bonuses.

Boston Bruins sign left wing James van Riemsdyk to a one-year, $1 million contract. 

Boston Bruins sign winger Milan Lucic to a one-year, $1 million contract. 

Los Angeles Kings sign Cam Talbot to a one-year, $1 million contract.

Montreal Canadiens traded defenseman Joel Edmundson to the Washington Capitals for a third-round pick and a seventh-rounder in the 2024 NHL draft.  The Canadiens are retaining 50 percent of his cap hit.

Nashville Predator sign Luke Schenn to a three-year contract with an AAV of $2.75 million

Florida Panthers sign defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson to a one-year, $2.25 million contract.

Toronto Maple Leafs sign forward Ryan Reaves to a three-year contract with an AAV of $1.3 million.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – June 11, 2023

by | Jun 11, 2023

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – June 11, 2023

Check out the latest on Connor Hellebuyck, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Brett Pesce, Carter Hart, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Noah Hanifin and many more in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup

THE ATHLETIC (subscription required): Insiders Pierre LeBrun, Eric Duhatschek and Michael Russo reported the latest trade rumors on the following:

Connor Hellebuyck will not sign a contract extension with the Winnipeg Jets. “That ship has sailed. His next contract will be with a new team.”

SPECTORS’ NOTE: Hellebuyck, 30, has a year remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $6.166 million and lacks no-trade protection. The Jets could retain him for more shot at a playoff run but it seems more likely that he’ll be moved, perhaps by the upcoming NHL draft on June 28-29 in Nashville.

Speaking of the Jets, agent Pat Brisson reportedly informed management that his client, Pierre-Luc Dubois, isn’t interested in a contract extension. Brisson is willing to work with management to find a suitable trade partner. The Montreal Canadiens have engaged with the Jets but aren’t likely to overpay in return or contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes last week said that Habs captain Nick Suzuki’s $7.875 million cap hit was not the club’s cap ceiling for adding players via trade or free agency.

There was some speculation linking Dubois to the Boston Bruins. However, Boston Hockey Now’s Jimmy Murphy cited an NHL executive saying the Bruins lack the cap space and the tradeable assets to acquire him.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).

Brad Treliving, the new general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, prefers to keep the club’s “core four” (Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and captain John Tavares) intact. Signing Matthews to a contract extension this summer remains his priority. He also hasn’t mentioned Marner’s name when talking with other clubs.

Treliving also wants to sign Nylander, whose agent also represents Johnny Gaudreau. Given that history when Treliving was Flames GM last year, he won’t allow Nylander’s situation to play out all year as he did with Gaudreau.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The trade chatter regarding Matthews, Marner and Nylander has cooled significantly in recent weeks. If Treliving plans to move any of those three, he’ll have to do it before July 1. That’s when the no-movement clauses for Matthews and Marner kick in along with Nylander’s 10-team no-trade clause.

The Carolina Hurricanes hope to re-sign Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce to extensions this summer. It’s possible the Hurricanes trade Pesce (who recently changed agents) if his contract demands aren’t what management has in mind.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pesce’s AAV on his current deal is $4.025 million. The 28-year-old is slated to become a UFA next summer. He could seek between $6 million and $6.5 million annually on his next deal.

Flyers GM Daniel Briere is listening to trade offers for goaltender Carter Hart and forwards Travis Konecny and Scott Laughton.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That doesn’t mean those three are certain to be traded. However, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman also reported many teams spoke with Briere at the draft combine in Buffalo last week about Laughton and Hart.

Friedman also mentioned last week that the Flyers are aggressively shopping defenseman Tony DeAngelo.

Briere showed a willingness last week to make bold moves with that three-team deal that sent Ivan Provorov to Columbus. We can’t rule out the possibility that he’ll move at least one of those guys for the right offer, one heavy with draft picks and quality prospects or young players that accelerates his rebuilding program.

The New Jersey Devils traded the rights of pending UFA defenseman Damon Severson last week to the Columbus Blue Jackets, who promptly signed him to an eight-year contract. The Devils could also peddle the rights of UFAs Ryan Graves and Miles Wood.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As with the Severson deal, the asking price will likely be a draft pick.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reported Calgary Flames GM Craig Conroy is fielding offers for Noah Hanifin. The 26-year-old defenseman is earning an AAV of $4.95 million and is slated to become a UFA next July.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames have shaken up their front office and coaching staff this spring so it’s no surprise the focus is shifting to the roster. It’ll be interesting to see what Conroy has in store this summer. Forwards Elias Lindholm, Mikael Backlund and Tyler Toffoli are also eligible to become UFAs next summer.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Sammi Silber reports the Washington Capitals have let teams know that forwards Evgeny Kuznetsov and Anthony Mantha are on the trade block. Both players are coming off disappointing performances this season. The Capitals hope to shake up their roster and create some salary-cap flexibility.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Moving either guy won’t be easy. Kuznetsov is signed through 2024-25 with an AAV of $7.8 million and a 10-team no-trade clause. Mantha has a year left on his contract and lacks no-trade protection but carries a $5.7 million cap hit.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Nick Horwat recently cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman claiming Tristan Jarry is looking for a six-or seven-year contract. The 28-year-old Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender is eligible for UFA status on July 1 after coming off a three-year deal with an AAV of $3.5 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With Hellebucyk, Hart and the Anaheim Ducks’ John Gibson surfacing in the rumor mill of late, the Penguins could pursue one of those as a replacement for Jarry.










NHL Rumor Mill – April 21, 2023

by | Apr 21, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – April 21, 2023

Could the Ducks’ John Gibson address the goaltending woes of the Penguins or Senators? Could this year’s playoffs be the last for several of the Jets’ key players? Check out the latest in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

COULD GIBSON INTEREST THE PENGUINS OR SENATORS?

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE: Joe Starkey suggests Pittsburgh native John Gibson could address the Penguins’ goaltending woes. The club has come to a crossroads with pending free agent Tristan Jarry. Starkey believes they should move on and pursue a trade for the Anaheim Ducks netminder even if it means shipping Jake Guentzel or Bryan Rust to the Ducks.

Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson (NHL Images).

Starkey would bring back Jarry only if Gibson proves unattainable. He’d only sign him for a year or two at $4 million annually and believes the Penguins would also need a reliable veteran with starter experience to pair with Jarry.

Gibson is a franchise goaltender. While his stats have declined, Starkey believes that’s due to playing for a team that’s fallen to the bottom of the league. He’s been a workhorse who’s averaged 50-60 games per season for the Ducks. Gibson is signed for four more seasons at $6.4 million annually which fits into the Penguins’ perceived window.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gibson also has a 10-team no-trade clause but the Penguins might not be on it. He could jump at the chance to play for his hometown team despite their missing the playoffs this season but I don’t know if the Penguins can make the type of offer that would intrigue the Ducks.

Guentzel or Rust are good fits on playoff contenders but not on a team in the early stages of a rebuild like the Ducks. I think they’ll want a promising young player, a first-round pick or a top prospect as part of the return. If there were willing to acquire Guentzel they’d need assurances he’ll agree to a contract extension and that’s something he might not do.

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports goaltending was the Senators’ Achilles heel over the past four years, one they intend to address in the offseason. He included Gibson among their possible options this summer.

Garrioch noted the Ducks would like to shed Gibson’s contract. There’s talk he’d like to be moved to a contender. Garrioch believes the Senators are on the verge of something special.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gibson could be a great fit with the Senators. They have the depth in promising young players and prospects to make a competitive bid to the Ducks. However, we don’t know if he’d accept a trade to Ottawa or any of the other Canadian franchises.

If Gibson is willing to join the Senators, they’ll have to move some salary in the deal or ask the Ducks to retain part of his cap hit to ensure sufficient cap space to re-sign Alex DeBrincat. If DeBrincat’s not interested in a long-term extension, perhaps he could be offered up in return for Gibson provided he’s willing to sign with the Ducks.

If they can’t re-sign DeBrincat and the Ducks aren’t interested in him, the Senators can ship him somewhere else and perhaps use the savings to take on the remainder of Gibson’s contract in a separate deal.

THE LAST DANCE FOR SOME OF THE JETS CORE PLAYERS?

THE ATHLETIC: Murat Ates recently suggested this year’s playoffs could be the last opportunity for some members of the Winnipeg Jets’ core talent to win a Stanley Cup together.

Since reaching the Western Conference Finals in 2018, the Jets have been in decline, missing the playoffs last season and barely qualifying this season.

Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and forwards Matt Scheifele, Blake Wheeler and Pierre-Luc Dubois are slated to become unrestricted free agents next summer. This postseason could be the last time some of those players could be in a Jets uniform.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets can open contract extension talks with any of those four on July 1. Whether they’ll do that depends on how they perform in the playoffs as well as their interest in sticking with the Jets beyond next season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 14, 2023

by | Apr 14, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 14, 2023

The Golden Knights and Hurricanes clinch division titles as six first-round playoff series matchups are confirmed, Mikko Rantanen and Brayden Point reach goal-scoring milestones, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Vegas Golden Knights finished first overall in the Western Conference and clinched the Pacific Division crown after beating the Seattle Kraken 3-1. Vegas will face off against the Winnipeg Jets in the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs starting on Tuesday, April 18. The Kraken, meanwhile, will face the Colorado Avalanche or Dallas Stars depending on the outcome of Friday’s game between the Avalanche and Nashville Predators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kraken will be playing without winger Andre Burakovsky for at the first two rounds of the playoffs if they make it that far. He underwent surgery on Tuesday for a lower-body injury that has sidelined him since Feb. 7.

Colorado Avalanche winger Mikko Rantanen (NHL Images).

As for the Avalanche, Mikko Rantanen scored to set the club’s single-season record of 55 goals as they doubled up Winnipeg 4-2. They also announced that captain Gabriel Landeskog will miss the entirety of the 2023 playoffs with a knee injury. Meanwhile, Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers missed this game with an upper-body injury. He’s not in concussion protocol and will be reevaluated on Friday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rantanen set the Avalanche single-season record. Michel Goulet still holds the overall franchise record (57) dating back to the club’s days as the Quebec Nordiques. Landeskog, meanwhile, has been sidelined all season by that knee injury, which could also keep him out of the start of next season.

The Carolina Hurricanes clinched the Metropolitan Division title with a 6-4 victory over the Florida Panthers. Brent Burns scored twice for the Hurricanes, who will meet the New York Islanders in their opening-round series starting Monday, April 17. The Panthers will square off against the Boston Bruins starting Monday.

Speaking of the Bruins, they finished their Presidents’ Trophy-winning season with a record-setting 65 wins and 135 points after defeating the Montreal Canadiens 5-4. Boston captain Patrice Bergeron left the game for precautionary reasons with an upper-body injury but is expected to be good to go when the playoffs open on Monday. Bruins goaltenders Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman won the William M. Jennings Trophy for the fewest goals against (177) this season.

For the first time since 2012, there will be a Battle of the Hudson River as the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers will face each other in the first round starting on Tuesday. The Devils clinched second overall in the Metropolitan Division by nipping the Washington Capitals 5-4 while the Rangers fell 3-2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Luke Hughes got the win for the Devils with his first career NHL goal while Leafs forward William Nylander reached the 40-goal plateau for the first time.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs meet the Tampa Bay Lightning in a rematch of last season’s opening-round series commencing Tuesday. For the fourth straight game, the Leafs went the amateur tryout route for a backup goaltender as Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov remain sidelined. Former UNB goalie Samuel Richard backed up Joseph Woll for this contest. Samsonov is expected to be the Leafs starter on Tuesday.

Speaking of the Lightning, Brayden Point scored twice to reach the 50-goal plateau for the first time (51) while Brian Elliott made 32 saves to shut out the Detroit Red Wings 5-0.

For the second straight year, the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings face each other in an opening-round series. The Oilers clinched second place in the Pacific Division with a 5-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks while the Kings got a hat trick from Adrian Kempe to finish third in the division after downing the Anaheim Ducks 5-3. Oilers captain Connor McDavid collected an assist to finish the season with 64 goals and 153 points, winning his first Richard Trophy as the season’s leading goal scorer and his fifth Art Ross Trophy as the leading scorer in points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Only Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Steve Yzerman have collected more points in a single season than McDavid. Speaking of the Ducks, they finished last in the overall standings, giving them the best odds of winning the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery on May 8.

The Dallas Stars shut out the St. Louis Blues 1-0. Jake Oettinger kicked out 25 shots while Wyatt Johnston scored the only goal for the Stars, who will face the Minnesota Wild or the Kraken in the opening round next week. The Wild, meanwhile, dropped a 4-3 overtime decision to the Nashville Predators. Frederick Gaudreau tallied twice for the Wild, who announced before the game that they re-signed him to a five-year, $10.5 million contract extension.

An overtime goal by Ivan Provorov lifted the Philadelphia Flyers to a 5-4 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Travis Konecny scored twice and added two assists while Jonathan Toews scored in his last game with the Blackhawks as they announced yesterday that he will not be re-signing with them.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s the end of an era for the Blackhawks. Following the game, Toews thanked the franchise, its fans and the city of Chicago, receiving a long, heartfelt ovation from the hometown crowd. Meanwhile, Flyers defenseman Justin Braun said this game was likely his last as a player after 13 seasons.

Arizona Coyotes forward Clayton Keller collected an assist to tie Keith Tkachuk’s franchise single-season record of 86 points in a 5-4 loss to the Vancouver Canucks. Conor Garland had a hat trick for the Canucks, including the winning goal.

Buffalo Sabres goaltender Craig Anderson announced his retirement after winning his final start by beating the Ottawa Senators 4-3 on an overtime goal by Casey Mittelstadt. The 41-year-old Anderson’s career lasted 20 seasons, including nine with the Senators as their franchise leader with 435 games played and 202 wins.

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ season ended with a 3-2 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Johnny Gaudreau netted the winning goal while Penguins captain Sidney Crosby collected two assists to finish the season with 93 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry revealed he’d been hampered by an injury throughout the season. That’s raising questions among the Pittsburgh media over why management didn’t attempt to acquire a healthy goaltender before the trade deadline.










NHL Rumor Mill – April 13, 2023

by | Apr 13, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – April 13, 2023

What next for the Penguins after being eliminated from playoff contention? Could this season’s playoffs affect Auston Matthews’ future with the Maple Leafs? Check out the latest in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WHAT NEXT FOR THE PENGUINS?

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE/THE ATHLETIC: Matt Vensel and Rob Rossi looked at the offseason issues facing the Penguins after their streak of 16 consecutive playoff appearances came to an end this week.

Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Ron Hextall (NHL.com).

The new ownership group will have to decide if they’ll bring back general manager Ron Hextall and president of hockey operations Brian Burke or replace one or both men. Rossi observed that Hextall and Burke were hired by the previous ownership.

Vensel noted that Hextall made several savvy trades and signings. However, there were also crippling mistakes, including the blueline being worse than last season and trade deadline acquisition Markus Granlund failing to pan out.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ll be very surprised if Hextall and Burke are back for 2023-24. They seemed like deer in headlights this season when it came to addressing their team’s on-ice woes.

Head coach Mike Sullivan is signed through 2026-27. Rossi doesn’t see them paying Sullivan for the next five seasons not to coach. Vensel observed that ownership thinks highly of him.

Both writers believe Sullivan will return. If so, Vensel believes he must make changes to adapt to his personnel and figure out why a veteran-laden club lacked composure this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sullivan’s contract pretty much ensures he’ll be behind the Penguins’ bench next season. I agree that he must evaluate what he can do to remedy his club’s on-ice issues but management must provide him with a better roster than the one he had to work with this season.

Venzel doesn’t expect the Penguins will trade Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang after re-signing them last summer. He believes pending free-agent goaltender Tristan Jarry should not be re-signed, though the other goalie options in this summer’s unrestricted free-agent market are a bit underwhelming. He suggested the Boston Bruins’ restricted free agent Jeremy Swayman could be worth considering.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Vensel didn’t indicate if the Penguins should attempt to acquire Swayman via trade or offer sheet. The Bruins face more of a cap pinch than the Pens so perhaps an offer sheet might work provided Swayman is willing to sign one.

Along with Jarry, Rossi pointed out that their other notable UFAs included Brian Dumoulin and Jason Zucker. Rossi observed the Penguins have over $63.2 million invested in 15 players for 2023-24. Vensel doesn’t expect Dumoulin and Zucker will be back unless the Penguins can free up some cap space to re-sign the latter.

Vensel speculated the Penguins could attempt to trade away a high-salaried player. It could cost them a draft pick to move Granlund and his $5 million average annual value. Jeff Petry has a partial no-trade clause and the Penguins would have to find a suitable replacement.

Jeff Carter has a full no-trade clause. He’s on a 35-plus contract meaning the Penguins get no cap relief if he retires or is bought out. Short of somehow sending his contract to a team like the Arizona Coyotes, Carter will likely remain on their books next season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: They don’t have many good options here that won’t cost them a draft pick or a prospect as a sweetener in the deal. Teams could prefer they retain some salary.

WILL THE 2023 PLAYOFF AFFECT MATTHEWS’ FUTURE WITH THE LEAFS?

TORONTO STAR: Nick Kypreos observed that the Maple Leafs can open contract extension talks with Auston Matthews on July 1. However, he wondered what impact the coming playoffs will have on Matthews’ future with the Leafs.

Matthews is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July. He’s earning an average annual value of $11.6 million on his current contract.

Kypreos suggests a successful first round by the Leafs could go a long way in convincing Matthews to remain in Toronto for the long term. Another early postseason exit, however, had Kypreos wondering if that will decrease Matthews’ odds of signing a lengthy extension, especially if the Leafs end up replacing general manager Kyle Dubas.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kypreos believes the Leafs will triumph this time over the Tampa Bay Lightning in the rematch of last year’s first-round series. If Matthews isn’t convinced to sign long-term, he envisions the Leafs star inking a three- or four-year deal to take advantage of the salary cap rising over that period.

The Leafs and Matthews have plenty of time to negotiate a new deal regardless of length. Nevertheless, his contract status could dominate this summer’s rumor mill if the Leafs make another first-round departure. The longer Matthews goes without a new deal, the more questions will be asked about his future.