NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 17, 2023

by | Jul 17, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 17, 2023

A roundup of the weekend’s notable headlines including the latest on Evander Kane, Tony DeAngelo and Alex Galchenyuk plus the recent contract signings and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

DAILY FACEOFF: Evander Kane is leaving the Hockey Diversity Alliance, an organization he helped to create. In a statement, the Edmonton Oilers winger indicated that he believes the HDA is being led and influenced by members with individual agendas along with a combative approach with other organizations pursuing similar goals.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The Flyers placed Tony DeAngelo on waivers on Friday for the purpose of buying out the final season of his contract, which they did on Saturday.

Philadelphia Flyers bought out defenseman Tony DeAngelo (NHL Images).

The club believed they had a trade in place earlier this month that would send DeAngelo back to the Carolina Hurricanes. After it fell through due to a CBA clause, general manager Daniel Briere opted to buy out the final year of the 27-year-old defenseman’s contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The trade with the Hurricanes would’ve seen the Flyer retain 50 percent of DeAngelo’s $5 million average annual value. The buyout counts as $1.666 million against their cap for 2023-24 and 2024-25. He is now an unrestricted free agent.

SPORTSNET: The Arizona Coyotes terminated the contract of Alex Galchenyuk over a material breach of his deal following a report of the 29-year-old winger being arrested in Scottsdale, Arizona, on a number of different charges, including private property hit and run, disorderly conduct, failure to obey, resisting arrest and threatening or intimidating.

ARIZONA SPORTS: Details were released on Friday on what led the Coyotes to terminate Galchenyuk’s contract. The winger was heavily intoxicated when apprehended and made a series of threats and racial slurs toward the arresting officer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The NHL Players’ Association is reportedly reviewing the matter. Galchenyuk could receive treatment and counseling via the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. Whatever the outcome, this is likely the end of Galchenyuk’s playing career.

DAILY FACEOFF: Speaking of the Coyotes, they have signed winger Matias Maccelli to a three-year contract with an average annual value of $3.425 million. When it expires, he’ll be 25 years old, eligible for arbitration and two years away from UFA eligibility.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maccelli had a solid rookie performance in 2022-23, netting 49 points in 64 games to finish fourth in voting for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s rookie of the year.

ARIZONA SPORTS: The Coyotes signed forward Zach Sanford to a one-year, two-way contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sanford replaces Galchenyuk on the Coyotes roster.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: The Lightning avoided arbitration with winger Tanner Jeannot, signing him to a two-year contract with an annual average value of $2.665 million.

SPORTSNET: The St. Louis Blues avoided arbitration with Alexey Toropchenko by reaching an agreement on a two-year, $2.5 million contract. They also signed 2023 first-round pick (10th overall) Dalibor Dvorsky to a three-year entry-level contract.

TWINCITIES.COM: The Minnesota Wild avoided arbitration with winger Brandon Duhaime by signing him to a one-year, $1.1 million contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The signings of Jeannot, Toropchenko and Duhaime bring the number of players who re-signed with their clubs before their scheduled arbitration hearings to eight.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: New York Islanders winger Oliver Wahlstrom and goaltender Jakub Skarek elected not to accept the club’s qualifying offers. They both have until Dec. 1 to sign contracts with the Isles or face missing the remainder of the 2023-24 season.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Devils signed forward Chris Tierney to a one-year, two-way contract.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins re-signed defenseman Ty Smith to a one-year, one-way contract worth $775K.

SEATTLE HOCKEY INSIDER: The Kraken signed 2023 first-round pick (20th overall) Eduard Sale to a three-year entry-level deal.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Anaheim Ducks re-signed goaltender Lukas Dostal to a two-year contract. It’s a two-way deal for 2023-24 with an AAV of $775K at the NHL level, becoming a one-way agreement for 2024-25 with an AAV of $850K.

CBC NEWS: Former NHL player and coach Billy MacMillan passed away on Friday at age 80. The Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island native had 151 points in 446 NHL games with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Atlanta Flames and New York Islanders from 1970-71 to 1976-77. He also won a Memorial Cup in 1961 and was a bronze medalist for Canada in 1968.

MacMillan won a Stanley Cup with the New York Islanders as an assistant coach in 1979-80. He was also coach of the Colorado Rockies in 1980-81 and was the first head coach in New Jersey Devils history from 1982 to 1984. He also coached the Fort Worth Texans to a CHL championship in 1977-78.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacMillan had a successful, well-rounded career as a player and coach. Inducted into the PEI Sports Hall of Fame in 1985, he was an inspiration for young Islanders pursuing their hockey dreams. My condolences to MacMillan’s family, friends, former teammates, and those who played for him during his coaching days.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 18, 2023

by | Apr 18, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 18, 2023

Recaps from the opening night of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Brad Treliving departs as the Flames GM, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Los Angeles Kings overcame 2-0 and 3-1 deficits to defeat the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 on an overtime goal by Alex Iafallo. Anze Kopitar scored the game-tying goal in the dying seconds of the third and Adrian Kempe tallied two goals as the Kings take a 1-0 lead in this best-of-seven first-round series. Leon Draisaitl scored twice for the Oilers.

Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kopitar finished with a goal and three assists to take the early lead among playoff scorers. Penalties proved costly in the third period for the Oilers. The game-tying and winning goals by the Kings came on the power play.

Minnesota Wild center Ryan Hartman scored in double overtime in a 3-2 victory over the Dallas Stars in Game 1 of their first-round series. Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson kicked out 52 shots for the win while Sam Steel had a goal and an assist. Jake Oettinger made 45 saves for the Stars.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars also lost winger Joe Pavelski following a late hit from Wild defenseman Matt Dumba in the second period. Pavelski was helped from the ice and Stars coach Pete DeBoer said he wasn’t confident about the winger’s return for Game 2.

Dumba initially received a five-minute major for roughing but it was reduced to a minor penalty. Stars winger Max Domi received two minutes for roughing and a 10-minute misconduct when he confronted Dumba and threw several punches at the Wild blueliner.

The Boston Bruins drew first blood in their series with the Florida Panthers with a 3-1 victory in Game 1. Brad Marchand scored what proved to be the winning goal and Linus Ullmark stopped 31 shots for his first NHL playoff win. Matthew Tkachuk scored for the Panthers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins played without captain Patrice Bergeron as he was battling stomach flu. Nick Foligno returned to the Bruins lineup for his first game since being sidelined on Feb. 27.

The Carolina Hurricanes nipped the New York Islanders 2-1 to take Game 1 of their opening-round series. Sebastian Aho and Stefan Noesen scored for the Hurricanes. Ryan Pulock replied for the Islanders, who got a 35-save performance from Ilya Sorokin.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game wasn’t as close as the score suggests. The Islanders were outplayed by the Hurricanes, whose margin of victory would’ve been wider if not for Sorokin’s solid goaltending.

HEADLINES

CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: The Flames and general manager Brad Treliving announced they have agreed to part ways. He had turned down a contract extension last year. Don Maloney was promoted to president of hockey operations and holds the role of interim general manager until a permanent replacement is found.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports a deteriorating relationship with head coach Darryl Sutter is believed to have played a role in Treliving’s departure. Sources believe Sutter, who has two years remaining on his contract, will return as head coach.

CALGARY SUN: John Bean, the president and CEO of Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corp., rejected the notion that there’s something bigger going on behind the scenes that led to three notable names departing the Flames.

Treliving’s announcement comes nine months after winger Johnny Gaudreau’s departure as a free agent and Matthew Tkachuk forcing a trade to Florida when he declined to sign a long-term contract extension. On Friday, centers Elias Lindholm and Mikael Backlund were non-committal about signing contract extensions before their UFA eligibility next summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those departures may be merely coincidental but that’s not going to dispel speculation of bigger issues going on that are forcing some key people to leave. Lindholm’s and Backlund’s comments only stoke concerns among Flames followers regarding the uncertainty swirling around this team following this season’s disappointing performance.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar participated in full practice yesterday and declared himself ready to go for Game 1 of his club’s first-round series tonight against the Seattle Kraken. Blueliner Josh Manson is also expected to play tonight for the Avs.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Golden Knights captain Mark Stone will return to action for his club’s opening-round series tonight against the Winnipeg Jets. He’d been sidelined for the past three months by back surgery.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning winger Tanner Jeannot returned to practice yesterday for the first time since suffering a leg injury two weeks ago. He won’t be suiting up for Game 1 of his club’s first-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs but is now listed as day-to-day.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin is very optimistic about signing Elias Pettersson to a long-term contract extension. Pettersson, 24, has a year remaining on his three-year bridge deal with an average annual value of $7.35 million. He finished 10th among NHL scorers with a career-best 102 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll likely cost the Canucks well over $10 million annually to re-sign Pettersson. 100-point forwards entering their playing prime don’t come cheap. And no, he won’t accept a hometown discount.

OTTAWA SUN: Winger Alex DeBrincat will let the Senators know before the NHL Draft in June if he’s willing to sign a long-term extension. If he’s not, it will provide the Senators with time to shop him in the trade market leading up to the opening round of the draft.

The 25-year-old winger is a restricted free agent who’s a year away from UFA status. Senators GM Pierre Dorion has stated his club will make a qualifying offer of $9 million to DeBrincat if there is no contract in place.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Don’t be surprised if Dorion starts quietly laying the groundwork for a potential trade in the coming weeks. He’ll have to work fast to find a suitable trade if DeBrincat declines a long-term extension.

TSN: Speaking of the Senators, Dorion confirmed they won’t offer a new contract to pending UFA goalie Cam Talbot.

NBC SPORTS WASHINGTON: There’s mutual interest between Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan and winger Tom Wilson in a long-term extension. Wilson, 29, has a year remaining on his current six-year, $31 million contract. He prefers to spend the remainder of his career with the Capitals.

In other Capitals news, they’ve parted ways with assistant coaches Kevin McCarthy and Blaine Forsythe.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson revealed he played with multiple broken bones in his left hand trying to help his club reach the playoffs. A sprained MCL factored into the decision to end his season when the Sabres were officially eliminated from contention in the 80th game of their schedule.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings forward Michael Rasmussen is on pace for a full recovery after suffering a season-ending knee injury on Feb. 25.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 11, 2023

by | Apr 11, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 11, 2023

The Sharks’ Erik Karlsson reaches the 100-point milestone, the Flames are eliminated from playoff contention, the Stars’ Joe Pavelski and the Senators’ Claude Giroux reach 1,000 career points, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The San Jose Sharks’ Erik Karlsson became the first defenseman in 31 years to net 100 points in a season in a 6-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets. Karlsson scored twice to reach the milestone last achieved by Brian Leetch in 1991-92. Meanwhile, Jets blueliner Josh Morrisey had a goal and two assists as his club moved closer to clinching the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 93 points.

San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The 32-year-old Karlsson is only the sixth NHL defenseman to reach the 100-point plateau and the oldest to do so. He’s considered the front-runner to win the Norris Trophy. Meanwhile, the Sharks revealed that Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Alexander Barabanov, Andreas Johnsson and Oskar Lindblom are out with season-ending injuries.

Shootout goals by Cody Glass and Tommy Novak lifted the Nashville Predators to a 3-2 win over the Calgary Flames, officially eliminating the latter from playoff contention. Juuse Saros made 44 saves in regulation and overtime for the 41-31-8 Predators, who kept their slim playoff hopes alive with 90 points. Jacob Markstrom stopped 27 shots for the Flames (37-27-17) as they sit one point ahead of the Predators and two back of the Jets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Predators and Jets have two games remaining while the Flames have only one. The Jets can clinch that wild-card spot with a win tonight over the Minnesota Wild.

The New York Islanders’ chances of securing a wild-card spot got slimmer as they were upset 5-2 by the Washington Capitals. Dylan Strome tallied twice and Darcy Kuemper stopped 38 shots for the Capitals while Hudson Fasching and Casey Cizikas replied for the 41-31-9 Islanders as they held the final Eastern wild-card berth with 91 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders sit one game up on the Pittsburgh Penguins, who hold a game in hand and now control their own fate. Speaking of the Isles, center Bo Horvat said his recent comments praising the fan support his club is receiving weren’t meant as a slight against the Vancouver Canucks or their fans. Horvat was the Canucks’ captain until traded to the Islanders in January.

Meanwhile, the Capitals announced winger T.J. Oshie had been shut down for the remainder of the season with an upper-body injury.

An overtime goal by John Tavares gave the Toronto Maple Leafs a 2-1 victory over the Florida Panthers. Auston Matthews netted his 40th goal of the season for the Leafs as they sit second in the Atlantic Division with 107 points. Brandon Montour replied for the 42-31-8 Panthers (92 points) as they failed to clinch the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers have one game remaining in their schedule. They could still be overtaken by the Islanders or Penguins.

Matthews set two Leafs records with the most consecutive 40-goal seasons (four) and the most in franchise history with five. Things also got interesting for the Leafs in goal as they were forced to bring in an emergency backup on an amateur tryout contract when they were denied a goaltending salary-cap exemption. It’s believed this may have been an emergency of their own making by signing prospect forward Matthew Knies to his three-year entry-level contract over the weekend.

Speaking of the Eastern wild card race, the Buffalo Sabres kept their playoff hopes alive by nipping the New York Rangers 3-2 on a shootout goal by Casey Mittelstadt, who also tied the game in the third period. Devon Levi made 26 saves to pick up his fourth win in five games for the 40-32-7 Sabres (87 points) as they sit four points behind the Islanders with three games remaining in their schedule.

Dallas Stars winger Joe Pavelski scored to reach the 1,000-point plateau as his club dropped the Detroit Red Wings 6-1. Jason Robertson had a goal and two assists as the Stars sit in second place in the Central Divison with 104 points. David Perron replied for the Red Wings.

Ottawa Senators forward Claude Giroux also reached 1,000 career points with two goals and an assist in a 3-2 upset of the Carolina Hurricanes. Martin Necas collected two assists for the Hurricanes (109 points) as they remain one point ahead of the New Jersey Devils in first place in the Metropolitan Division.

The Los Angeles Kings blanked the Vancouver Canucks 3-0 on a 20-save shutout by Joonas Korpisalo. Arthur Kaliyev, Vladislav Gavrikov and Drew Doughty scored for the Kings, who sit third in the Pacific Division with 102 points. Collin Delia stopped 25 shots for the Canucks.

Two third-period goals by Marcus Johansson gave the Minnesota Wild a 4-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Filip Gustavsson kicked out 40 shots for the Wild as they’re sitting third in the Central with 102 points. Joey Anderson and Anders Bjork replied for the Blackhawks.

The Seattle Kraken picked up their fifth straight win by beating the Arizona Coyotes 4-1. Jared McCann and Justin Schultz each had a goal and an assist for the Kraken as they reached the 100-point plateau for the first time in franchise history and hold the first Western wild-card spot. Jack McBain scored for the Coyotes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speaking of the Kraken, they signed prospect David Goyette on Monday to a three-year entry-level contract. He’s been assigned to their AHL affiliate in Coachella Valley along with center Shane Wright, whose junior season recently ended when his Windsor Spitfires were eliminated from the opening round of the 2023 OHL playoffs.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, Seattle Kraken winger Jordan Eberle, and Florida Panthers goaltender Alex Lyon are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending April 9.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Professional Hockey Writers Association unveiled each team’s nominees for the 2023 Bill Masterton Trophy. They included Dallas Stars winger Jamie Benn, New Jersey Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton, New York Islanders winger Zach Parise, Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang, Toronto Maple Leafs blueliner Mark Giordano, Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser, Vegas Golden Knights winger Phil Kessel and Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlsson are among the notable players nominated for this award.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Click the link above for the full list, which will be whittled down to three finalists and will be handed out during the 2023 NHL Awards on June 26 in Nashville.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning winger Tanner Jeannot (injured leg) is expected to miss the early part of his club’s opening-round series against the Maple Leafs next week. However, he could return to action at some point in that series.

NHL.COM: Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Strome was fined $5,000.00 by the department of player safety for unsportsmanlike conduct during his club’s overtime loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday.

SEATTLE HOCKEY INSIDER: The Kraken signed prospect David Goyette on Monday to a three-year entry-level contract. He’s been assigned to their AHL affiliate in Coachella Valley along with center Shane Wright, whose junior season recently ended when his Windsor Spitfires were eliminated from the opening round of the 2023 OHL playoffs.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 27, 2023

by | Feb 27, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 27, 2023

Recaps of Sunday’s games, Barry Trotz to replace David Poile as Predators GM, Tanner Jeannot to the Lightning, Ivan Barbashev to the Golden Knights, Evgenii Dadonov to the Stars, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov tallied a hat trick (including the game-winner in overtime) to defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2. The win propelled the Wild (33-21-6) into second place in the Central Division with 72 points, one point up on the Colorado Avalanche. Elvis Merzlikins stopped 41 shots as the Blues Jackets fell to 19-35-6 on the season.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov (NHL Images).

A five-goal second period lifted the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 7-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Brian Dumoulin each had a goal and an assist as the Penguins as they improved to 29-21-9 and hold the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 67 points. Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point also had a goal and an assist each for the 37-18-4 Lightning as they’ve dropped four of their last six and sit in third place in the Atlantic Division with 78 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kucherov reached 700 career points and sits fourth all-time among Lightning scorers with 701.

The Buffalo Sabres dumped the Washington Capitals 7-4 as Dylan Cozens tallied his first NHL hat trick while Tage Thompson netted his 40th goal of the season. The Sabres (31-23-4) sit one point back of the Penguins. Dylan Strome collected two points and Alex Ovechin scored his 33rd of the season for the Capitals as they’ve slipped to 29-27-6 and sit three points behind the Penguins and two points behind the Sabres.

New York Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov made 23 saves to shut out the Winnipeg Jets 4-0. Bo Horvat, Alexander Romanov, Brock Nelson and Adam Pelech were the goal scorers as the Islanders rose to 31-25-7 and hold the first Eastern wild-card spot with 69 points. The Jets (35-24-1) have dropped four straight games and fell into the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 71 points.

The New York Rangers got two goals and an assist from Vincent Trocheck in a 5-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. Igor Shesterkin turned aside 26 shots as the Rangers (34-17-9) snapped a four-game losing skid and sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 77 points. Phillip Danault collected two assists for the Kings as they fell to 33-20-8 and remain in second place in the Pacific Division with 74 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers defenseman K’Andre Miller was ejected in the first period for spitting on Kings defenseman Drew Doughty. Miller reached out to Doughty following the game claiming it wasn’t on purpose and he felt bad about it.

The Rangers also sat Ryan Carpenter and Braden Schneider for salary-cap purposes as they continue to work toward an expected trade for Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews scored two goals to defeat the Seattle Kraken 5-1. Mitch Marner had three assists while Ilya Samsonov kicked out 26 shots as the Leafs improved to 37-15-8 as they moved to within one point of the third overall New Jersey Devils with 82 points. Vince Dunn scored the only goal for the Kraken (32-21-6) as they dropped into the final Western wild-card berth with 70 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kraken were jockeying for first place in the Pacific Division not too long ago. They’ve dropped seven of their last 10 games which could prompt general manager Ron Francis into making a move before the March 3 trade deadline to bolster his roster.

The Nashville Predators got two goals by Roman Josi in a 6-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes. Josi finished with three points as did Matt Duchene and Tommy Novak as the Predators (29-22-6) sit six points behind the Kraken with 64 points. The Coyotes are 20-30-9 on the season.

HEADLINES

THE TENNESSEAN: A source said Nashville Predators general manager David Poile intends to retire at the end of this season. He’s been their GM since the club’s inception in 1997 and sits third all-time in wins (1,519) among NHL general managers. His replacement is expected to be Barry Trotz, who was the club’s first head coach during its first 15 seasons.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It will be the end of an era for the Predators. Poile’s tenure was mostly a successful one, qualifying for the playoffs 15 times since their inaugural season in 1998-99. They reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2017 and won the Presidents’ Trophy in 2018. Since then, however, the Predators have been in a slow but steady decline. They risk missing the playoffs this season for the first time since 2014.

THE TENNESSEAN/TAMPA BAY TIMES: Speaking of the Predators, they traded forward Tanner Jeannot to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for a first-round pick in 2025, a second-round pick in 2024, a third, fourth and fifth-rounder in 2023 and defenseman Cal Foote.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s one helluva haul for Jeannot, a middle-six power forward who had 24 goals and 41 points as a rookie last season but slumped to five goals and 14 points in 56 games this season. The 25-year-old winger is a restricted free agent this summer.

The Lightning appear to have overpaid for Jeannot. However, Daily Faceoff’s Matt Larkin points out that they could see something awesome in him just like they did with Brandon Hagel, Nick Paul, Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow at previous trade deadlines. If he helps the Lightning return to the Stanley Cup Final it will be considered a wise investment, especially if they re-sign him to an affordable extension.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW/STLTODAY.COM: The Vegas Golden Knights acquired winger Ivan Barbashev from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for prospect Zach Dean.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A versatile forward who can play center or wing, Barbashev should provide a boost to the Golden Knights’ middle-six lines. Dean, 20, is a 2021 first-round pick who was ranked third among Vegas’ top prospects in The Athletic’s midseason prospect pool rankings.

The Golden Knights might not be done dealing as they still have over $7 million in projected deadline cap space. However, their lack of sufficient draft and prospect capital to use as trade bait could hamper efforts to acquire a more notable talent.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS/MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: The Stars traded winger Denis Gurianov to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for winger Evgenii Dadonov. The Canadiens also retain half of Dadonov’s $5 million cap hit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gurianov is a former 20-goal scorer who struggled over the last two seasons with the Stars. If he regains his form in Montreal, the rebuilding Canadiens could re-sign him or use him as a trade chip in the offseason.

Dadonov has only 18 points in 50 games but enjoyed a 20-goal, 43-point performance last season with Vegas. He could rediscover his scoring touch with the playoff-bound Stars.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW/NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: The Blackhawks traded defenseman Jack Johnson to the Colorado Avalanche for blueliner Andreas Englund. Johnson played for the Avalanche last season and helped them win the Stanley Cup.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings forward Michael Rasmussen is sidelined indefinitely with an injured kneecap.

TSN: The Vancouver Canucks placed defenseman Ethan Bear (upper body) on injured reserve.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – February 26, 2023

by | Feb 26, 2023

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – February 26, 2023

The Blackhawks and Rangers are believed working on a Patrick Kane deal, the latest on Timo Meier, what’s next for the Jets and Predators, the Flyers are shopping James van Riemsdyk, plus the latest on the Oilers, Blue Jackets, Senators and Leafs in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

BLACKHAWKS & RANGERS WORKING ON PATRICK KANE TRADE

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the New York Rangers have started moves to clear cap space in anticipation of acquiring Patrick Kane from the Chicago Blackhawks. They traded winger Vitali Kravtsov to the Vancouver Canucks and placed forward Jake Leschyshyn on waivers. However, there’s nothing official yet regarding Kane and the Rangers.

Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane (NHL Images).

He believes the earliest the Rangers could acquire Kane would be Tuesday when they would’ve accrued sufficient cap space. However, that could become as early as Sunday if Ryan Lindgren ends up on long-term injury reserve after he was injured during Saturday’s game against Washington.

TSN: Chris Johnston reported Kane would not play in Saturday’s game against the San Jose Sharks as he returned home to Chicago. His agent said the decision was a collective one based on the situation.

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks reports Rangers general manager Chris Drury still has to find a third team to broker this deal and spread around Kane’s $10.5 million cap hit after the Blackhawks retain half of it. Brooks feels this deal could be inevitable with Kane perhaps joining the Rangers lineup by Wednesday.

THE ATHLETIC: Scott Powers and Mark Lazerus report Drury remains stuck to his position of not parting with a first-round pick in June’s draft or any upcoming year or surrendering prime prospect Brennan Othmann. They also suspect the Rangers GM could be unwilling to part with prospects Matthew Robertson, Will Cuylle, Dylan Garand or perhaps even Adam Sykora.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It doesn’t sound like the Blackhawks will get much of a return for the Rangers for Kane. At this stage, a second-round pick and defenseman Zac Jones could be the main pieces of a return based on recent speculations.

LATEST ON TIMO MEIER

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the leading contenders for Timo Meier (New Jersey, Carolina, Vegas) want to get an answer from the San Jose Sharks. As of Saturday, the Devils remain the lead contenders while the Hurricanes don’t sound as likely though Friedman cautioned that could always change. Some teams wanted to make a contract extension for Meier as part of the deal but that doesn’t sound as likely now.

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reported things seemed to be heating up on the Meier trade front. The list of suitors is shrinking as the Sharks zero in on what they want to do.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sheng Peng cited a source claiming the Golden Knights are “in hard for Meier.” Peng remains doubtful they can win a bidding war citing the lack of depth in Grade-A prospects within their system. One option could be for the Golden Knights to become a middle-man team that re-routes Meier to another club. There is the possibility of Vegas offering up their 2023 first-rounder plus a future unprotected first-rounder in a package offer.

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Luke DeCock reports the Hurricanes have the cap space to spare, the prospects to dangle and could perhaps part with their 2023 first-rounder for a roster upgrade. Meier would make sense as the pending restricted free agent would be a “sort-of” rental but the asking price would be expensive. DeCock believes the Hurricanes would be willing to move a prospect such as Jack Drury or Scott Morrow but not both while Alexander Nikishin is untouchable.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It sounds like Meier could be moved well before Friday’s 3 PM ET deadline. The Devils remain the favorite but I don’t rule out the Hurricanes. The St. Louis Blues are reportedly willing to offer up two of their three first-rounders in this year’s draft but not their own pick, which could be a deal-breaker for the Sharks. I don’t see the Golden Knights having a realistic chance unless the Devils, Hurricanes and Blues drop out.

PREDATORS ARE SELLERS

THE TENNESSEAN: Paul Skrbina reports Nashville Predators GM David Poile confirms his club is a seller after shipping winger Nino Niederreiter to the Winnipeg Jets. Poile isn’t going to forecast anything and won’t just make a trade for the sake of doing so. However, he adds that most teams know he’s willing to listen to offers.

SPORTSNET: Jeff Marek believes captain Roman Josi, goaltender Juuse Saros and winger Filip Forsberg are the only untouchables. He anticipates defenseman Dante Fabbro could be moved this week with the San Jose Sharks as a leading contender for his services. Teams have been calling about power forward Tanner Jeannot. Marek wondered if the Dallas Stars could pursue him though the asking price is high.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jeannot might be drawing interest from contenders but he might not be available. Poile opened contract extension talks recently with his agent. Unless those discussions have gone south, Jeannot could also be untouchable.

WHAT NEXT FOR THE JETS

SPORTSNET: Ken Wiebe expects the Winnipeg Jets will have a busy week leading up to deadline day after acquiring Nino Niederreiter on Saturday. They could have up to $5.5 million in accrued cap space by Friday to add one or two more players, though Timo Meier isn’t expected to be one of them given the Sharks’ high asking price and the difficulty of working out a contract extension. A middle-six forward like St. Louis’ Ivan Barbashev or Arizona’s Nick Bjugstad could make sense.

THE ATHLETIC: Murat Ates also believes the Jets aren’t done shopping before Friday’s deadline. He also sees them looking at rental players like Barbashev, Bjugstad or Vancouver’s Luke Schenn. James van Riemsdyk would be worthwhile if the Flyers agree to retain half of his $7 million cap hit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I don’t believe the Jets are done here. They’ve got sufficient cap space and wouldn’t have to give up a lot to land that middle-six forward.

COULD THE OILERS AND BLUE JACKETS BECOME TRADE PARTNERS?

THE ATHLETIC: Daniel Nugent-Bowman believes the Edmonton Oilers must do something to improve their defense after watching their dispiriting 6-5 loss on Saturday to the Columbus Blue Jackets. He feels they can’t just stand pat or pick around the edges at the trade deadline.

The odds of acquiring Erik Karlsson from the San Jose Sharks seem minuscule while it’s unlikely they can pry Jakob Chychrun away from the Arizona Coyotes.

Aaron Portzline, meanwhile, wondered if the Oilers could become a destination for Blue Jackets defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov now that the deal with the Boston Bruins has fallen by the wayside. He wondered if packaging Gavrikov with goaltender Joonas Korpisalo might convince Oilers GM Ken Holland to part with his 2023 first-round pick along with picks and prospects. The Jackets would also have to acquire winger Jesse Puljujarvi and his $3 million cap hit to make the dollars work for the cap-strapped Oilers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers clearly have to do something to improve their defense. I don’t see how Karlsson is possible given his expensive contract and the high asking price that the Sharks would set for him. The Coyotes remain steadfast in their demand for two first-rounders plus a top prospect for Chychrun.

Gavrikov could help the Oilers. He has his critics but I don’t believe he could do any worse than what they’ve already got playing left-side defense on their second pairing. They can’t afford Korpisalo what with Jack Campbell and his $5 million cap hit already on their books.

FLYERS SHOPPING JAMES VAN RIEMSDYK

SPORTSNET: Jeff Marek reports the Philadelphia Flyers have let teams know that James van Riemsdyk is available. Teams like the Vegas Golden Knights, Minnesota Wild, Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets have been lined to the 33-year-old winger, though Marek isn’t certain if the Jets’ acquisition of Nino Niederreiter changes things for them.

SENATORS, LEAFS SHOPPING FOR DEFENSEMEN

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the Ottawa Senators are in the market for a right-side defenseman. He believes they have a little bit of flexibility to add a blueliner with some term remaining on his contract.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are committed to seeing what the trade market is for defensemen. There’s a surplus of blueliners in the market right now and cap-strapped teams like the Leafs could be hoping the prices come down as sellers get squeezed.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel and James Mirtle believe the Leafs must shore up their defense for a matchup with the Boston Bruins or Tampa Bay Lightning in the playoffs. They indicated that Canucks blueliner (and former Leafs) Luke Schenn is among their targets. Another enticing option would be Nashville’s Mattias Ekholm if the Predators are willing to move him and retain some salary.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – February 19, 2023

by | Feb 19, 2023

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – February 19, 2023

Are the Canucks getting calls on J.T. Miller? Are the Red Wings shopping Tyler Bertuzzi? Could the Bruins pursue Jakob Chychrun or Vladislav Gavrikov? What’s the latest on the Canadiens, Predators and Blue Jackets? Find out in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

TEAMS CALLING ABOUT J.T. MILLER

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman thinks teams have called the Vancouver Canucks about J.T. Miller. He doesn’t know if those discussions will go anywhere but the teams may be asking the Canucks whether they’d think about it.

Vancouver Canucks center J.T. Miller (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Just when we thought the Miller trade rumors were behind us…I suppose we can never say never and there’s always a chance the Canucks could decide to move him and his new contract. Nevertheless, it would take a substantial offer to tempt them.

Miller’s in the final season of his current deal with a $5.25 million cap hit and lacks no-trade protection. Moving him now would be easier than this summer when his new seven-year deal with its $8 million annual cap hit and no-trade clause kicks in on July 1.

TYLER BERTUZZI NOT ON THE MARKET?

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports it’s believed Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi doesn’t appear to be on the trade market for the time being. They apparently wish to retain the 27-year-old winger as long as they’re still in playoff contention leading up to the March 3 trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That could change, of course, if the Wings fail to gain ground in the standings over the next 10 days. Still, their odds of reaching the postseason could be better with Bertuzzi in the lineup, especially if there’s no suitable replacement for him in the lineup or via the trade market. They’ll risk losing him for nothing to this summer’s free-agent market but it could be the price they’re willing to pay to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

LATEST ON THE BRUINS

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the Boston Bruins could be looking at the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Vladislav Gavrikov to bolster the left side of their blueline. He thinks that’s the reason the Jackets have sat out Gavrikov for “trade-related reasons.” Friedman also said they’re looking at Jakob Chychrun of the Arizona Coyotes.

Limited cap space is an issue for the Bruins. Friedman said the Bruins “have to do some things to make this work.”

THE ATHLETIC: Fluto Shinzawa believes the St. Louis Blues’ Ivan Barbashev would “check multiple boxes for the Bruins” as a multiple-position forward. One limitation in acquiring him is the Bruins lack second-round picks in 2023 and 2024. They’d also need cap help to accommodate his $2.25 million cap hit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With Tomas Novek on long-term injured reserve, Cap Friendly indicates the Bruins have $1 million in projected trade deadline cap space. They’ll have to get creative to make room for Barbashev, Gavrikov ($2.8 million cap hit) or Chychrun ($4.6 million). The Jackets are believed seeking a first and a third-round pick for Gavrikov while the Coyotes want two first-round picks and a high-end prospect for Chychrun.

CANADIENS COULD FACE A QUIET TRADE DEADLINE

SPORTSNET: Jeff Marek reports the Montreal Canadiens could have a quiet trade deadline compared to last season’s. He said general manager Kent Hughes is taking calls on a lot of his veteran players but he’s like to keep them around his abundance of youth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hughes might like the veterans he currently has on his roster but let’s be honest: he’d trade a guy like Sean Monahan, Joel Edmundson, Mike Hoffman, Jonathan Drouin or Evgeni Dadonov if a rival club made an offer that included a first-round pick, a high-quality prospect or a promising young NHL player.

Monahan and Edmundson are hampered by injuries. There isn’t the kind of market for Hoffman, Drouin and Dadonov that there was last season for Tyler Toffoli and Ben Chiarot.

Drouin and Dadonov will leave as free agents in July. Monahan could also depart as a free agent but there’s talk the Canadiens could re-sign him to an affordable one-year deal. With a year remaining on their respective contracts, Edmundson and Hoffman could become trade candidates this summer or next season.

WILL THE PREDATORS SIGN OR TRADE TANNER JEANNOT

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks reports being told the Nashville Predators are attempting to negotiate a new contract for winger Tanner Jeannot once they determine if they’re buyers or sellers by the trade deadline. If those discussions fail to reach fruition, general manager David Poile could entertain trade offers from clubs (like the Rangers) who’ve expressed interest in the hard-edged winger.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jeannot, 25, is slated to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights on July 1. He’s completing a two-year contract with an average annual value of $800K.

UPDATE ON THE BLUE JACKETS

SPORTSNET: Jeff Marek suggested the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Joonas Korpisalo could be an option for playoff contenders seeking goaltending depth. His adjusted save percentage going back to early December of 1.9 percent saves above expected, putting him above netminders like the New York Islanders’ Ilya Sorokin, the Dallas Stars’ Jake Oettinger and the New York Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin. Korpisalo carries a $1.3 million cap hit on an expiring contract.

Marek also believes teams that fail to land Gavrikov could shift their focus toward the Anaheim Ducks’ Dmitry Kulikov.