NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 24, 2022

by | Nov 24, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 24, 2022

The Devils, Bruins and Blues’ win streaks come to an end, the Stars’ Jason Robertson moves up in the scoring race and Alex Ovechkin continues his approach to 800 career goals. Details on these stories and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The New Jersey Devils win streak ended at 13 games as they fell 2-1 to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Matt Murray picked up the win with a 34-save performance while John Tavares and Pontus Holmberg scored for the Leafs (11-5-5). Dougie Hamilton replied for the 16-4-0 Devils.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils had three goals overturned, prompting a barrage of beer cans from their unhappy fans. Speaking of the Leafs, they acquired defenseman Conor Timmins from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for minor league forward Curtis Douglas. They made this move because three of their regular blueliners (Morgan Rielly, Jake Muzzin and TJ Brodie) have been sidelined by injuries.

Speaking of teams having their win streaks snapped, the Boston Bruins’ seven-game streak ended in a 5-2 loss to the Florida Panthers. Spencer Knight kicked out 37 shots while Aleksander Barkov and Aaron Ekblad led the way as they each scored a goal and added two assists as the Panthers improve to 10-8-2. David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy scored for the 17-3-0 Bruins.

The St. Louis Blues saw their seven-game win streak come to an end as they were defeated by the Buffalo Sabres 6-2. Jeff Skinner and Jack Hughes each scored twice while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 34 shots for the 9-11-0 Sabres while the Blues drop to 10-9-0.

Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson (NHL Images)

Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson scored twice in a 6-4 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. The Stars scored five unanswered goals in the third period to improve their record to 12-5-3. Max Domi had a goal and an assist for the 6-10-3 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Robertson is now tied with Edmonton’s Connor McDavid and Vancouver’s Bo Horvat for the NHL goal-scoring lead (16) while his 31 points are just three behind the league-leading McDavid.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin’s 790th career NHL goal came in overtime to down the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2, bringing his club’s four-game winless skid to an end. Ovechkin finished the night with two points for the 8-10-3 Capitals while the Flyers (7-8-5) saw their winless skid stretch to eight games.

The Seattle Kraken set a franchise record for most goals in a single game in an 8-5 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Jaden Schwartz tallied twice while Andre Burakovsky and Matty Beniers each had a goal and two assists. The Kraken (11-5-3) are 7-1-1 this month thus far. Timo Meier had a hat trick as the Sharks fell to 7-12-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Sharks activated defenseman Radim Simek from injured reserve but placed forward Nico Sturm on IR.

New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin stopped 49 shots to shut out the Edmonton Oilers 3-0. Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored twice for the Islanders (13-8-0) while the Oilers drop to 10-10-0. Earlier in the day, the Islanders announced that winger Kyle Palmieri is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

The Minnesota Wild romped to a 6-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Marcus Foligno scored twice while Matthew Boldy had a goal and two assists for the Wild (9-8-2), who acquired winger Ryan Reaves earlier in the day from the New York Rangers in exchange for a fifth-round pick in 2025. Kyle Connor replied for the 11-6-1 Jets, who announced earlier in the day that winger Nikolaj Ehlers underwent successful sports hernia surgery and will be sidelined for six-to-eight weeks.

Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry made 33 saves for his 100th career NHL victory to nip the Calgary Flames 2-1 on a shootout goal by Evgeni Malkin, who was honored by the Penguins in a pregame ceremony for reaching the 1,000 career game milestone earlier this week. Jan Rutta scored in regulation for the Penguins (10-7-3) while Dillon Dube replied for the 9-7-3 Flames.

A 36-save shutout by Karel Vejmelka carried the Arizona Coyotes to a 4-0 upset over the Carolina Hurricanes. Lawson Crouse scored two goals for the 7-9-2 Coyotes while the Hurricanes fall to 10-6-4. Earlier in the day, the Hurricanes announced they reached an agreement with goalie Pyotr Kochetkov to a four-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $2 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Coyotes activated winger Zack Kassian off injured reserve. They also announced defenseman Juuso Valimaki was listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

Speaking of shutouts, the Detroit Red Wings blanked the Nashville Predators by a score of 3-0. Ville Husso made 26 saves while Dylan Larkin, Filip Hronek and Michael Rasmussen scored for the Red Wings (10-5-4), who also claimed goalie Magnus Hellberg off waivers from the Seattle Kraken. Kevin Lankinen stopped 26 shots for the Predators as their record drops to 9-9-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This marks the third time Hellberg’s been claimed off waivers. He was claimed from the Kraken last month by the Ottawa Senators and reclaimed earlier this month by the Kraken before being plucked off the wire yesterday by the Red Wings.

Third-period goals by Sheldon Dries and Ethan Bear lifted the Vancouver Canucks to a 4-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche. Bo Horvat scored his 16th goal of the season while Spencer Martin made 33 saves for the win as the Canucks improve to 7-10-3. Mikko Rantanen scored twice for the Avalanche (11-6-1), who also lost winger Evan Rodrigues with an injured right leg in the first period.

The Vegas Golden Knights downed the Ottawa Senator 4-1. Jack Eichel had a goal and an assist as the Golden Knights improved to 16-4-1. Jake Sanderson tallied the only goal for the Senators (6-12-1), who have gone 2-10-1 in their last 13 contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The calls for head coach D.J. Smith to be fired are growing among unhappy Senators fans. Something’s going to have to happen soon if the Sens have any hope at all of salvaging what was supposed to be their much-anticipated breakout campaign.

Anaheim Ducks goalie John Gibson turned in a 41-save performance as his club held off the New York Rangers by a score of 3-2. Troy Terry scored what proved to be the winning goal in the second period as the Ducks (6-13-1) picked up their first regulation win of the season. Artemi Panarin collected his 400th career assists as his Rangers fell to 10-7-4.

The Montreal Canadiens rode a 30-save effort by Sam Montembeault to a 3-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. All the scoring came in the third period with Arber Xhekaj, David Savard, and Sean Monahan tallying for the Canadiens (10-9-1) while Mathieu Olivier replied for the 7-11-1 Blue Jackets.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 23, 2022

by | Nov 23, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 23, 2022

Recaps of Wednesday’s games, the Leafs place Morgan Rielly on LTIR and the Stars’ Jason Robertson is on pace to match a franchise points record. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Buffalo Sabres snapped an eight-game losing skid by thumping the Montreal Canadiens 7-2. They jumped out to an early 3-0 lead within the first 2:13 and finished the night with Jeff Skinner scoring twice and adding three assists, Tage Thompson enjoying a four-point performance while Rasmus Dahlin and Alex Tuch each collected three points. Cole Caufield and Sean Monahan replied for the Canadiens (9-9-1) while the Sabres improve to 8-11-0.

Buffalo Sabres winger Jeff Skinner (NHL Images).

New York Rangers winger Chris Kreider tallied two third-period goals to lead his club to a 5-3 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin picked up the win with a 35-save performance to boost his club’s record to 10-6-4. Kevin Fiala had a goal and two assists for the 11-9-2 Kings.

HEADLINES

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs placed defenseman Morgan Rielly on long-term injured reserve after he suffered a knee injury against the New York Islanders on Monday. He’ll be sidelined for at least 10 games and 24 days.

Rielly joins fellow blueliners Jake Muzzin (neck) and T.J. Brodie (strained oblique) on the sidelines. The Leafs have called up Victor Mete and Mac Hollowell.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rielly’s absence is stoking trade speculation that began when Muzzin went down last month. I’ll have more in today’s Rumor Mill update.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Jason Robertson can tie a Stars franchise record for the longest points streak (13) held by Dave Gagner when his club faces off on Wednesday against the Chicago Blackhawks. Robertson, 23, currently sits third among NHL scorers with 14 goals and 29 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Robertson and Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger are two of the brightest young stars in the league right now. The Stars are currently second overall in the Western Conference in part because of those youngsters but they aren’t getting the recognition they deserve. Hopefully, that changes as the season rolls on.

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Good news for the Blackhawks as defenseman Seth Jones is returning to the lineup after being sidelined for 10 games with a broken thumb.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The Flyers provided an update on sidelined forwards Scott Laughton, Travis Konecny and Wade Allison. Laughton will miss approximately two weeks with a suspected head injury, Konecny is out 10-14 days with an injured right hand while Allison is out for two-to-three weeks with a hip pointer/strained oblique muscle.

Laughton, Konecny and Allison joined Ryan Ellis, Sean Couturier, James van Riemsdyk, Cam Atkinson and Bobby Brink on the sidelines.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s no wonder the Flyers have struggled in recent weeks.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks have called up Aaron Dell as starting goaltender James Reimer is out with a lower-body injury. Forward Nico Sturm is also sidelined as he has an upper-body injury.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins forward Trent Frederic is listed as day-to-day with an apparent shoulder injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 8, 2022

by | Nov 8, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 8, 2022

Recaps of Tuesday’s action, the three stars of the week are revealed, Canucks president Jim Rutherford remains unhappy with his club’s performance, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Four power-play goals enabled the Washington Capitals to hold off the Edmonton Oilers 5-4. Evgeni Kuznetsov scored twice and collected two assists while Dylan Strome scored twice for the Capitals as their record improves to 6-6-2. Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist in his 500th career NHL game while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored twice as the Oilers fell to 7-6-0 after losing three straight games.

Washington Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a milestone game for Capitals coach Peter Laviolette. He picked up his 723rd career victory to move into eighth place on the all-time wins list for NHL head coaches.

The Boston Bruins remain undefeated on home ice by downing the St. Louis Blues 3-1. Linus Ullmark made 25 saves for the win while Brad Marchand collected two assists for the Bruins (11-2-0). Jordan Binnington stopped 34 shots while Brayden Schenn scored for the 3-7-0 Blues, who’ve lost seven straight games.

An overtime goal by Noah Dobson completed a three-goal comeback by the New York Islanders in a 4-3 victory over the Calgary Flames. Two unanswered third-period goals by Anders Lee and Kyle Palmieri set the stage for Dobson’s winner while Ilya Sorokin kicked out 43 shots for the 8-5-0 Islanders. Mikael Backlund scored twice for the Flames as they dropped to 5-4-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a costly win for the Islanders as Cal Clutterbuck left the game in the first period with an undisclosed injury.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Dallas Star winger Jason Robertson, Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon and San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson were the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Nov. 6.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford continues to voice his unhappiness with his club’s performance following a 3-6-3 start to the season. He once again indicated he doesn’t like how the team’s system is set up and the players’ work ethic stretching back to training camp.

Rutherford resisted an opportunity to endorse head coach Bruce Boudreau. He also said he expected more accountability from the players.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Things are getting ugly for the Canucks. Boudreau was hired before Rutherford, who indicated he thought the coach’s contract was only for the end of last season. The deal in fact had a mutual option year which both sides agreed to but Rutherford appears to have regrets about that decision.

I’ll have more about the Canucks in today’s Rumors update.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators center Josh Norris got some good news as it turns out he won’t require surgery on his injured shoulder. There’s no timeline for his return to action but he will be re-evaluated in January.

THE ATHLETIC: Speaking of the Senators, general manager Pierre Dorion gave a vote of confidence to head coach D.J. Smith. The club is mired in a five-game losing skid but Dorion insists he has no plans to replace Smith.

Dorion also indicated there’s nothing new to report regarding contract negotiations with Alex Formenton. The 23-year-old restricted free agent has until Dec. 1 to sign a new contract with the Senators or become ineligible to play for the remainder of this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s been speculation that the reason Formenton remains unsigned is his ties to the 2018 Canadian World Junior team currently being investigated over accusations that several players sexually assaulted a young woman. So far, there is nothing to indicate Formenton had any involvement in this case.

CBS SPORTS: The Chicago Blackhawks have activated goaltender Petr Mrazek off injured reserve and placed recently signed netminder Dylan Wells on waivers. They also moved goalie Alex Stalock (concussion) to IR.

STARTRIBUNE.COM: Minnesota Wild winger Jordan Greenway (shoulder) has been activated off injured reserve and will return to action for Tuesday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings.

THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER: The Flyers will don their classic Cooperalls for warmups as they debut their reverse retro jerseys.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 6, 2022

by | Oct 6, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 6, 2022

Recaps of Wednesday’s preseason games, Hockey Canada faces growing criticism as sponsors distance themselves from the organization, the Stars sign Jason Robertson to a four-year contract, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I underwent surgery on Oct. 5 to repair damaged tendons in my left hand. It was similar to the procedure I had in February. As a result, it could take a little longer to post my daily updates over the next few days. Please bear with me. As always, I appreciate your support.

RECAPS OF PRESEASON GAMES

NHL.COM: A third-period goal by Mike Reilly broke a 4-4 tie as the Boston Bruins nipped the New York Rangers 5-4. Bruins forwards David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha each had a goal and two assists. Mika Zibanejad and Kaapo Kakko both scored twice for the Rangers.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (NHL Images).

The Washington Capitals doubled up the Detroit Red Wings 4-2 on third-period goals by Connor Brown and Alex Ovechkin. It was a costly win for the Capitals as winger T.J. Oshie left the game in the second period with an upper-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: We could hear an update on Oshie’s status later today after he’s been reevaluated by the Capitals’ medical staff.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender David Rittich made 37 saves to backstop his club to a 5-0 shutout of the Calgary Flames. Kyle Connor scored twice and Nikolaj Ehlers had a goal and two assists.

Third-period goals by Logan O’Connor and Mikko Rantanen lifted the Colorado Avalanche over the Dallas Stars 2-1. Alexandar Georgiev got the win with a 32-save performance.

Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson scored two third-period goals (including the game-winner) in a 5-4 win over the Edmonton Oilers. Canucks captain Bo Horvat collected three assists. Oilers captain Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist.

SPONSORS AND TWO PROVINCES WITHDRAW SUPPORT FROM HOCKEY CANADA.

CBC.CA: Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said it “boggles the mind” that Hockey Canada continues to defend its leadership amid ongoing accusations of its mishandling of sexual assault allegations against a number of junior hockey players.

“Parents across the country are losing faith or have lost faith in Hockey Canada,” said Trudeau. “Certainly, politicians here in Ottawa have lost in Hockey Canada.”

Canada’s sports minister Pascale St-Onge believed mass resignations by Hockey Canada’s leadership are necessary to restore trust in the organization. If they continue to dig in its heels, she called upon Hockey Canada’s voting members to clean house.

THE GLOBE AND MAIL: Hockey Quebec and the Ontario Hockey Federation are pulling their support from Hockey Canada and moving to withhold registration fees from the national federation. Meanwhile, Tim Hortons, Telus and Scotiabank announced Wednesday that they will be suspending their sponsorship of men’s hockey for the 2022-23 season.

TSN: Rick Westhead reports a group of Hockey Canada’s sponsors is discussing the possibility of permanently suspending their business relationships with the national sports organization, using the “reputational damage” clauses in their contracts.

THE ATHLETIC: Ken Volden, a senior executive at TSN, acknowledged that the network’s business operations have been affected by its coverage of the Hockey Canada scandal. However, the network will continue to pursue the story.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The ongoing damage to Hockey Canada worsens the longer it continues to keep its head in the sand. Suppose the outcry by politicians and the public won’t force the organization to implement change in its leadership. In that case, the withdrawal of funding by the provinces and major corporate sponsors should do it.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars signed winger Jason Robertson to a four-year, $31 million contract. The average annual value is $7.75 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Robertson gets a hefty raise over his entry-level AAV of $894K. He earned it by becoming one of the Stars’ top players. He was a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy in 2020-21 with 45 points in 51 games and tallied 41 goals and 79 points as a sophomore last season.

This deal also sets up the 23-year-old for a more lucrative payday on a longer-term contract. He’ll earn $9.3 million in actual salary in the final year of this deal, meaning it’ll cost the Stars that much to qualify his rights.

Speaking of the Stars, goaltender Anton Khudobin has a clean bill of health after recovering from off-season hip surgery. He could be showcased for a trade or placed on waivers and demoted to their AHL affiliate Texas.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Scott Wedgewood has nailed down the backup role behind young starter Jake Oettinger.

TSN: Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki and teammates Joel Armia and Emil Heineman are listed as day-to-day with upper-body injuries. The Canadiens also announced the signing of 2021 first-round pick Logan Mailloux to an entry-level contract. He will spend the coming season with his junior team in London, Ontario.

The Columbus Blue Jackets released center Victor Rask from his professional tryout offer.

THE SCORE: Seattle Kraken general manager Ron Francis isn’t ruling out Shane Wright playing the full season in the NHL. The 18-year-old center was considered the top prospect heading into the 2022 draft but was selected fourth overall by the Kraken.

DAILY FACEOFF: The NHL department of player safety fined Arizona Coyotes forward Michael Carone $2,027.23 for roughing Vegas Golden Knights forward Gage Quinney in a preseason game on Tuesday.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 4, 2022

by | Oct 4, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – October 4, 2022

Could the Stars trade Jason Robertson or lose him to an offer sheet? What’s the latest on Jakob Chychrun and Jesse Puljujarvi? Are the Canucks and Penguins considering moves? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST ON ROBERTSON

THE ATHLETIC: While the contract standoff continues between the Dallas Stars and Jason Robertson, Saad Yousef doesn’t believe the 23-year-old winger will receive an offer sheet or be traded.

The Stars can afford to sign him to an average annual value of between $7 million and $8 million. Robertson’s camp could be seeking something comparable to the $9 million AAV being earned by Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov.

Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson (NHL Images)

Yousef points out that only three teams (Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes and Buffalo Sabres) have sufficient salary-cap space to sign Robertson to a lucrative offer sheet. The compensation of two first-round picks, a second and a third would be sacrificing a lot for those rebuilding teams.

The Sabres would have to offer up over $10.5 million AAV because they lack the required compensation as the Vegas Golden Knights own their 2023 third-round pick. The Stars would also have the opportunity to match any offer sheet.

Yousef acknowledged the Stars could trade Robertson but there are few NHL clubs right now that can afford to pay him a better contract. There’s also no indication that contract talks between the two sides have gone that sour.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The longer this drags on and the more playing time Robertson misses, the worse it’ll be for his performance this season. In turn, it could hamper the Stars’ playoff hopes. Yousef also points out that the two sides have until Dec. 1 to hammer out a new contract or he’ll become ineligible to play the remainder of this season.

UPDATE ON CHYCHRUN AND PULJUJARVI

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli reports Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun and Edmonton Oilers winger Jesse Puljujarvi remain in the trade market. However, he doesn’t see anything on the front burner for either player right now.

The Los Angeles Kings and Ottawa Senators stand out for Seravalli in the Chychrun saga. While the Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs have been linked to the Coyotes blueliner, it doesn’t appear either club has their sights set on acquiring him.

As for Puljujarvi, Seravalli doesn’t know if teams are going to get a lot of value out of a player earning $3 million on a one-year contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In other words, no real change for either player. Chychrun will stay in Arizona until a rival club like the Kings or Senators step up to meet the Coyotes’ asking price. Puljujarvi will have to improve this season to bolster his trade value but that could also make him more valuable to the Oilers.

CANUCKS AND PENGUINS COULD BE PLANNING SOME MOVES

DAILY FACEOFF: Seravalli also reported the Vancouver Canucks have been attempting to trade the contract of Micheal Ferland to a team that has already had injuries or is already using long-term injury reserve and could use a boost.

Ferland has a $3.5 million AAV but is earning $2.75 million in actual cash. A potential problem, however, is his contract isn’t insured, meaning whoever picks it up would have to pay the full $2.75 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ferland, 30, is permanently sidelined due to concussion issues. His contract will expire at the end of this season.

Seravalli also reports the Pittsburgh Penguins have informed the other 31 NHL teams that Pierre-Olivier Joseph is available via trade. They have nine defensemen under NHL contracts and risk losing one of them to waivers. Seravalli wonders if they’ll keep Joseph or risk losing Chad Ruhwedel or Mark Friedman to waivers.










Sunday NHL Rumor Mill – October 2, 2022

by | Oct 2, 2022

Sunday NHL Rumor Mill – October 2, 2022

In today’s Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup: a projected big increase in the salary cap could affect some current contract talks, Travis Sanheim could draw some interest in the trade market, and the latest on the Coyotes’ goaltending.

A RISING SALARY CAP COULD AFFECT CURRENT CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS

THE BOSTON GLOBE: Matt Porter noted that a recent NHL memo projected the salary cap could rise by $10 million over the next four seasons. The cap could rise by $1 million next season to $83.5 million, rising to between $87.5 million and $88 million in 2024-25 and reaching $92 million by 2025-26.

He suggested that the anticipated increase could affect current contracts negotiations such as those involving the Bruins’ David Pastrnak and the Dallas Stars’ Jason Robertson.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Porter wondered if Pastrnak’s representatives could seek an eight-year contract extension worth $11.1 million or if Robertson’s camp might ask for an eight-year deal based on a projected cap of $92 million or even $100 million.

It’s not far-fetched to assume the prospect of a big rise in the salary cap will affect contract talks. It will definitely factor into next summer’s unrestricted free agent market.

Superstars slated to become UFAs within the next three years are going to see big raises. Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon will become the NHL’s highest-paid player starting next season at $12.6 million annually after signing an eight-year contract extension last month. I doubt he’ll be holding that honor for long.

COULD SANHEIM BECOME A TRADE CANDIDATE?

SPORTSNET: In a recent episode of their “32 Thoughts” podcast, Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman discussed the possibility of Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim becoming available in the trade market.

Marek observed that Sanheim is in the final year of his contract. He suggested the 26-year-old rearguard might look good alongside Quinn Hughes on the Vancouver Canucks blueline. Friedman speculated there will be plenty of rumors regarding the Flyers if they get off to a rough start to this season. He believes Sanheim would draw plenty of interest.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sanheim carries a $4.675 million cap hit for this season but will earn $5.3 million in actual salary. He lacks no-trade protection and is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

The Canucks are above the cap for this season by $2.75 million. However, they will become cap compliant once they place permanently sidelined winger Micheal Ferland and his $3.5 million cap hit on long-term injury reserve.

That won’t leave enough space to acquire Sanheim. The Canucks would have to ship out some additional salary in the deal, make a separate cost-cutting deal, or ask the Flyers to retain up to half of his cap hit.

LATEST ON THE COYOTES:

GOPHNX.COM’s Craig Morgan tweeted that the Arizona Coyotes intend to get newly-acquired goaltender Jonas Johansson a good look in the club’s final preseason games. General manager Bill Armstrong will continue to watch the goalie trade market and waivers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Coyotes claimed Johansson off waivers last week from the Colorado Avalanche. They are still seeking a reliable backup for starter Karel Vejmelka.