NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 2, 2025

by | Apr 2, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 2, 2025

Alex Ovechkin within four goals of becoming the all-time goal-scoring leader, the Golden Knights clinch a playoff berth, the Blues pick up their 10th straight win, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin tallied his 891st NHL regular-season goal in a 4-3 win over the Boston Bruins. Third-period goals by Dylan Strome and Tom Wilson enable the Capitals (105 points) to hold off the Bruins, moving to within one point of the first-overall Winnipeg Jets. David Pastrnak scored twice to reach 37 goals on the season for the Bruins, who are 0-8-1 in their last nine games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin needs four more goals to break Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894. The Capitals have eight games remaining in their regular-season schedule.

The Vegas Golden Knights dropped a 3-2 decision to the Edmonton Oilers but became the fourth team to clinch a playoff berth. Second-period goals by Jake Walman, Leon Draisaitl and Viktor Arvidsson gave the Oilers (91 points) the win, moving them two points behind the second-place Los Angeles Kings in the Pacific Division. Nicolas Roy and Pavel Dorofeyev scored for the Golden Knights, who sit atop the Pacific with 98 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights signed top prospect Trevor Connolly yesterday to a three-year entry-level contract.

An overtime goal by Cam Fowler lifted the St. Louis Blues over the Detroit Red Wings 2-1, extending their win streak to 10 games. Fowler also assisted on Jordan Kyrou’s 32nd goal of the season as the Blues moved one point ahead of the Minnesota Wild into the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 89 points. J.T. Compher scored for the Wings (75 points), who sit four points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

Speaking of the final Eastern wild card, the Montreal Canadiens (79 points) opened a two-point lead over the Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Rangers with a 3-2 victory over the Florida Panthers. Nick Suzuki scored the tying goal with nine seconds remaining in the third period and the winning goal 29 seconds into overtime. Lane Hutson collected assists on all three goals for the Canadiens as they swept their season series with the defending Stanley Cup champion. Niko Mikkola and Mackie Samoskevich scored for the Panthers, who sit third in the Atlantic Division with 92 points.

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hutson became the 10th rookie defenseman in league history to reach the 60-point plateau, finishing the game with 62 points. The 21-year-old blueliner leads this season’s rookie class with 57 assists, 62 points, power-play points (25) and ice time per game (22:40).

Blue Jackets winger Kirill Marchenko tallied a hat trick and collected an assist in an 8-4 drubbing of the Nashville Predators. Sean Monahan scored twice and added two assists and Adam Fantilli netted two goals and an assist as the Blues Jackets kept pace with the Canadiens in the Eastern wild-card race. Predators winger Filip Forsberg scored his 29th goal of the season.

The Tampa Bay Lightning beat the New York Islanders 4-1. Nikita Kucherov had two assists to extend his points streak to nine games as the Lightning (93 points) moved one point ahead of the Panthers into second place in the Atlantic Division, one point behind the Toronto Maple Leafs. Bo Horvat replied for the Islanders, who sit five points behind the Canadiens in the wild-card chase.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning’s Ryan McDonagh became the eighth player in NHL history to reach the 2,000 blocked shots milestone. Meanwhile, Islanders coach Patrick Roy singled out winger Anthony Duclair for his poor play, calling him “god awful”.

Los Angeles Kings forwards Anze Kopitar, Andrei Kuzmenko and Adrian Kempe each had a goal and an assist in a 4-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. The Kings sit second in the Pacific Division with 93 points. Cole Perfetti scored for the Jets, who remain first overall with 106 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: They’ll have to call Kopitar, Kuzmenko and Kempe the “AK Line” if they keep producing together at that pace.

Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson scored to extend his goal streak to five games as his club upset the Ottawa Senators 5-2. Rasmus Dahlin and Alex Tuch each had a goal and an assist for the Sabres, who’ve won five of their last six games. Claude Giroux and Jake Sanderson scored for the Senators (84 points), who sit five points ahead of the Canadiens in the first Eastern wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators captain Brady Tkachuk missed this game with an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, the club is close to a deal with Canadian Tire to extend their arena naming rights agreement by another five years.

The Utah Hockey Club dealt a blow to the Calgary Flames’ playoff hopes with a 3-1 victory. Karel Vejmelka stopped 33 shots while Kevin Stenlund, Barrett Hayton, and Clayton Keller scored for Utah. Rasmus Andersson replied for the Flames (82 points), who are six points behind the Wild for the final Western wild-card berth.

A shootout goal by Mason McTavish lifted the Anaheim Ducks over the San Jose Sharks 4-3. McTavish also had three assists in regulation time. Marc-Edouard Vlasic scored his first goal of the season for the Sharks.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel, Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares, and St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington are the league’s Three Stars for March 2025. Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson was named Rookie of the Month.

ROTOWIRE: Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal (lower body) is doubtful for Wednesday’s game against the Capitals.

ESPN.COM: Vancouver Canucks center Filip Chytil might miss the rest of the season as he attempts to recover from another concussion.

TORONTO SUN: Former NHL goaltender Mark Laforest died suddenly on March 31 at 62. He spent six seasons in the NHL between 1985-86 and 1993-94 with the Detroit Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators. He had a record of 25-54-4 in 103 games played with two shutouts, a 4.23 goals-against average and a .868 save percentage.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Laforest’s family, friends, former teammates and coaches.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 21, 2025

by | Jan 21, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 21, 2025

Recapping Monday’s games, Oilers captain Connor McDavid suspended, the Avalanche reveal their Quarter-Century Team, the three stars of the week, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF MONDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby had a goal and an assist to lead his club to a 5-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings, ending the latter’s nine-game home win streak and handing them their fourth loss in their last five games. Kevin Hayes and Anthony Beauvillier also had a goal and an assist each for the Penguins (48 points), who sit four points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Adrian Kempe tallied his 23rd goal of the season for the Kings, who sit third in the Pacific Division with 55 points.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings honored firefighters and first responders during a pregame ceremony in their first game in their downtown arena since wildfires devastated large parts of Los Angeles.

Crosby reached a notable milestone, reaching the 50-point plateau for the 18th time in his NHL career. The Penguins got the win without winger Rickard Rakell, who returned to Pittsburgh for family reasons.

The Utah Hockey Club upset the Winnipeg Jets 5-2. Barrett Hayton had a goal and two assists as his club picked and Logan Cooley scored to extend his goal streak to four games as Utah picked up their second straight win. Nino Niederreiter and Dylan DeMelo replied for the Jets (65 points), who’ve lost two straight and remain two points behind the league-leading Washington Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets head coach Scott Arniel wasn’t happy with his club’s performance, calling the loss their most embarrassing game of the season. Utah forward Clayton Keller took a puck to the face during the second period but returned before the end of the frame after receiving several stitches. “That’s a hockey player, eh?,” said Utah coach Andre Tourigny.

An overtime goal by Sebastian Aho gave the Carolina Hurricanes a 4-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Frederik Andersen made 23 saves in his first game since Oct. 26 when he suffered a knee injury requiring surgery on Nov. 22. Blackhawks goalie Petr Mrazek kicked out 44 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game was also Andersen’s 500th in the NHL. Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal reached a significant milestone as this was his 1,300th NHL regular-season game. Staal scored to reach 700 regular-season points.

The St. Louis Blues blew 3-1 and 4-2 leads before defeating the Vegas Golden Knights 5-4 on a shootout goal by Brayden Schenn. Jordan Binnington stopped 28 shots and Jordan Kyrou collected two assists for the Blues (50 points), who moved within one point of the final Western Conference wild-card spot. Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore collected four assists as his club dropped their fourth straight game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights cling to first place in the Pacific Division with 62 points. Following this game, head coach Bruce Cassidy singled out goaltenders Adin Hill and Ilya Samsonov. “We need better play out of the goaltending position right now,” said Cassidy.

Toronto Maple Leafs forwards Mitch Marner and Matthew Knies each collected three points in a 5-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Leafs captain Auston Matthews scored to extend his goal streak to four games as his club picked up their third straight win and sit in first place in the Atlantic Division with 62 points. Nick Paul tallied twice for the Lightning, who sit third in the Atlantic Division with 53 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marner surpassed Hall-of-Famer Borje Salming for the most multi-assist games in franchise history with 123. Leafs winger Max Pacioretty missed this contest with an upper-body injury

The New York Islanders got two goals from Bo Horvat to down the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1, snapping the latter’s seven-game points streak (6-0-1). Mathew Barzal had two assists for the Islanders. Kent Johnson replied for the Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson left this game early in the third period with an injury to his right leg following a hit from Blue Jackets center Cole Sillinger. There was no post-game update on his status.

Boston Bruins center Charlie Coyle tallied twice in a 6-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Coyle finished with three points while David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand and Elias Lindholm each had a goal and an assist for the Bruins. Will Smith scored and collected an assist for the Sharks, who have lost three straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The win vaulted the Bruins (52 points) one point ahead of the Blue Jackets into the final Eastern wild-card berth. The Ottawa Senators also have 52 points but hold the first wild-card spot with two games in hand over the Bruins.

Third-period goals by Yakov Trenin and Brock Faber lifted the Minnesota Wild over the Colorado Avalanche 3-1. Marc-Andre Fleury turned aside 26 shots as the Wild snapped their three-game losing skid. Nathan MacKinnon replied for the Avalanche.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild sit second in the Central Division with 60 points while the Avalanche hold the first Western wild-card spot with 57 points.

Seattle Kraken forward Jared McCann had a goal and two assists in a 6-4 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Chandler Stephenson and Adam Larsson each had a goal and an assist as the Kraken picked up their fourth win in their last six games. Tage Thompson and Jason Zucker each had a goal and an assist for the Sabres, who’ve dropped three of their last four games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jiri Kulich returned to the Sabres lineup after missing the last two weeks with a lower-body injury.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid received a three-game suspension for cross-checking Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland on Saturday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid’s cross-check resulted from Garland pinning him to the ice for over 10 seconds late in the third period with no call from the on-ice officials. I don’t believe this suspension is justified.

However, McDavid should’ve received a suspension for his sneaky elbow to the head of Minnesota Wild forward Marcus Johansson on Jan. 15, which went unpunished by the officials and the league. Johansson remains on injured reserve.

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers received a three-game suspension for cross-checking Oilers blueliner Evan Bouchard. The incident occurred in the scrum following McDavid’s cross-check on Garland.

The Colorado Avalanche unveiled their Quarter-Century Team on Monday.

Goaltender Patrick Roy, defensemen Adam Foote and Cale Makar, and forwards Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg and Nathan MacKinnon comprised the First Team.

The Second Team featured forwards Mikko Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog and Milan Hejduk, defensemen Rob Blake and Erik Johnson, and goaltender Semyon Varlamov.

Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson, Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg, and Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak are the league’s three stars for the week ending Jan. 19, 2025.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Former NHL winger Marcel Bonin recently passed away at age 93. Bonin played 454 goals with the Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens from 1952-53 to 1961-62, tallying 97 goals and 175 assists for 272 points. He also had 25 points in 50 playoff games, winning a Stanley Cup with Detroit (1954-55) and three more with the Canadiens between 1957-58 and 1959-60.

NHL.COM: Former NHL coach Tom McVie passed away at the age of 89. McVie was a long-time minor-league player from 1956-57 to 1973-74. He coached the Washington Capitals from 1975-76 to 1978-79, the Winnipeg Jets from the 1979 WHA playoffs through 1980-81, and the New Jersey Devils from 1990-91 to 1991-92.

McVie was an assistant coach with the Boston Bruins from 1992-93 to 1994-95. He spent the past 30 years as a Bruins ambassador.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to the families and friends of Bonin and McVie.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 25, 2023

by | Jun 25, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 25, 2023

The Predators trade Ryan Johansen to the Avalanche, the Kings ship Sean Durzi to the Coyotes, the Hurricanes re-sign Jordan Staal, a major trade between the Flyers and Blues is in limbo and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW/NASHVILLE HOCKEY NOW: The Nashville Predators yesterday traded center Ryan Johansen to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for the rights to forward Alex Galchenyuk.

The Predators retained 50 percent of Johansen’s $8 million average annual value (AAV) through 2024-25. That leaves them with just one retained salary slot remaining on their salary-cap payroll as they’re also retaining $250K annually on Mattias Ekholm’s contract.

Nashville Predators trade Ryan Johansen to the Colorado Avalanche (NHL Images).

​SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is a bold move by both clubs. The Avalanche envision Johansen as their second-line center for the next two seasons, which could mean the departure of J.T. Compher via the unrestricted free-agent market on July 1. The Predators free up $4 million in cap space for the next two years to put toward other moves.

Colorado Hockey Now’s Evan Rawal believes there is some risk here for the Avalanche. Johansen isn’t renowned for his speed which raises concern over how well he’ll fit within their up-tempo system, especially after coming off a season-ending cut to his ankle.

It’s unclear where the well-traveled Galchenyuk fits into the Predators’ plans. If they sign the 29-year-old forward he’ll likely end up in the minors. They could also use him as a trade chip or simply let him depart as a UFA on Saturday.

The Predators’ goal was to free up cap space and get younger and faster. Galcheyuk won’t help them with the latter but they can find a player who can with their new-found cap space.

LA HOCKEY NOW: The Los Angeles Kings traded defenseman Sean Durzi to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for a 2024 second-round pick that originally belonged to the Montreal Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Reports indicate Durzi was traded in part to free up salary-cap space (in this case, $1.7 million) and to make room for budding young blueliner Brandt Clarke. This move is also sparking speculation that the Kings are clearing cap room for another move, perhaps the addition of a certain Winnipeg Jets center. I’ll have more in the Rumor Mill.

The Coyotes, meanwhile, bolster their depth on the right side of the blueline. Durzi, 24, is a skilled defenseman who can skate on the right or left side of the blueline. A gritty puck-moving rearguard, he had 38 points in 72 games last season with the Kings. His youth and skills should fit in well with the rebuilding Coyotes.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Carolina Hurricanes have signed captain Jordan Staal to a four-year contract extension with an AAV of $2.9 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Staal, 34, indicated at the end of this season that he wanted to finish his career with the Hurricanes. Acquired from Pittsburgh in 2012, he’s their longest-serving active player.

The cap hit is a considerable drop from the $6 million annually of his previous contract though at this stage of his career isn’t a surprise. The length of the deal, however, raises some eyebrows when one remembers that Staal turns 35 in September and his performance will inevitably decline. However, it’s not a plus-35 contract so the Hurricanes won’t be penalized if he retires before it expires.

THE ATHLETIC: Charlie O’Connor and Jeremy Rutherford report the Philadelphia Flyers were close on Saturday to trading Kevin Hayes to the St. Louis Blues in a multiplayer deal but it’s now in limbo after one of the players in the deal refused to waive their no-trade clause.

The trade would’ve sent Hayes and defenseman Travis Sanheim to the Blues with the Flyers retaining “a significant amount” of Haye’s $7.14 million AAV over the next three years, perhaps up to half of it. In return, the Blues would send a defenseman plus one of their three 2023 first-round picks to the Flyers.

Sanheim is about to start an eight-year, $50 million contract with a full no-trade clause. However, that deal doesn’t go into effect until July 1. The Flyers are rebuilding and the 27-year-old’s age and looming new contract would no longer make him an ideal fit.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Lou Korac reports Torey Krug is believed to be the player tying up this deal. The 32-year-old blueliner has three years remaining on his contract with an AAV of $6.5 million and a full no-trade clause (NTC).

Korac indicates multiple sources say Justin Faulk, Colton Parayko and Nick Leddy were not approached by the Blues to waive their NTCs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It remains to be seen if this trade can be salvaged. There’s talk it could end up being just Hayes heading to St. Louis with 50 percent salary retained.

THE ATHLETIC: Speaking of the Flyers, they’re reportedly closing in on a trade to send Tony DeAngelo back to the Carolina Hurricanes. The deal could be completed on Sunday.

The Flyers previous management acquired DeAngelo from the Hurricanes last summer for three draft picks and signed him to a two-year contract with an AAV of $5 million. Reports indicate they will ship him to the Hurricanes with 50 percent of salary retained in return for a late-round pick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: DeAngelo turned out to be a poor fit within head coach John Tortorella’s system. With the Flyers rebuilding under new general manager Daniel Briere, they apparently just want to wash their hands of DeAngelo and get him off their roster.

DAILY FACEOFF: The St. Louis Blues did make one notable move on Saturday by re-signing defenseman Scott Perunovich to a one-year, $775K contract.

ARIZONA SPORTS: The Coyotes are close to re-signing goaltender Connor Ingram to a three-year contract with an AAV believed to be $1.95 million.










NHL Rumor Mill – June 23, 2023

by | Jun 23, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – June 23, 2023

The latest on the Flames and Panthers plus updates on Blake Wheeler and Jordan Staal in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST ON LINDHOLM, BACKLUND, TOFFOLI AND HANIFIN

TSN: Chris Johnston brought up to date on the latest involving Flames stars Elias Lindholm, Mikael Backlund, Tyler Toffoli and Noah Hanifin. They’re a year away from unrestricted free-agent eligibility.

Johnston said there have been contract extension discussions between the Flames and Lindholm’s camp and it’s believed more talks are planned. He thinks the 28-year-old center is open to staying in Calgary depending on the contract. However, there’s no indication one way or the other.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In today’s Morning Coffee Headlines I cited Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli indicating the general consensus around the league has Lindholm leaning toward leaving. We’ll find out soon enough which way he’ll go as his decision will determine whether the Flames attempt to trade him.

Calgary Flames forward Tyler Toffoli (NHL Images).

Backlund isn’t going to sign on July 1 because he wants to see how things play out. It sounds like the Flames are at least open to exploring Toffoli’s value in the trade market.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Johnston subsequently reported that it sounds like Toffoli would welcome a trade. It’s believed he’s keeping an open mind and isn’t approaching this with a desired destination.

Hanifin has informed the Flames he’s not interested in a contract extension. He’s another who could be traded.

SPORTSNET: Pat Steinberg cites multiple sources reiterating how important it is for the Flames not to rush into trading those players if those moves have to be done. He believes they’ll have to target high draft picks, top prospects and young NHL players if these deals come to pass.

Steinberg also believes how Flames general manager Craig Conroy approaches this situation with those four will determine the fates of others. They include defensemen Nikita Zadorov and Chris Tanev, who are also eligible next summer for UFA status.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Steinberg thinks Conroy will want to take his time to evaluate the trade market to ensure he gets good returns for those players, suggesting it could stretch well into the summer. Nevertheless, we can’t discount the possibility that he gets an enticing offer for at least one of them during the upcoming NHL Draft.

UPDATE ON WHEELER

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the agent for Blake Wheeler is working closely with Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff to find some way to move him along. It could be via a buyout, a trade, or a deal to another club that buys him out.

A decision will have to be made soon as the buyout window closes next Friday at 5 pm ET. One way or another, Wheeler will not be playing for the Jets next season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wheeler has a year left on his contract with a five-team no-trade list, a no-movement clause that prevents his demotion to the minors and a cap hit of $8.25 million. The Jets would prefer a trade that clears his full cap hit from their books but that might be difficult to find for a 36-year-old winger with that contract.

PANTHERS HOPE TO UPGRADE THEIR BLUELINE

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the Florida Panthers will try to bolster their defense core with blueliners Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour expected to miss at least the start of next season recovering from offseason surgeries.

LeBrun noted that some teams have expressed an interest in Anthony Duclair. The Panthers don’t want to trade the 27-year-old winger, who’s signed through next season with an affordable $3 million cap hit. However, they might have to in order to land a top-four defenseman. LeBrun suggested keeping Calgary’s Noah Hanifin in mind.

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli also reported on this topic earlier in the week. He speculated the Panthers could also look toward this summer’s free-agent market toward a defenseman who’s fallen on some hard times to take an affordable short-term contract. Seravalli suggested Matt Dumba, Oliver Ekman-Larsson or John Klingberg.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Perhaps the Panthers employ both options. They could trade Duclair for someone like Hanifin and sign one of those veteran rearguards to a one or two-year deal at a cost-effective rate.

HURRICANES REACH IMPASSE WITH JORDAN STAAL

TSN: Darren Dreger reports contract talks between the Carolina Hurricanes and team captain Jordan Staal have reached an impasse. Staal, 35, is due to become a UFA on July 1.

Dreger said the Staal camp has provided the Hurricanes with a number of options. However, they need team owner Tom Dundon to move from his position.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dundon has proven to be inflexible in contract negotiations with his players. The only reason Sebastian Aho got his current contract was that the Montreal Canadiens attempted to sign him away with an offer sheet in 2019. It’ll be interesting to see how this situation with Staal unfolds.










NHL Rumor Mill – June 1, 2023

by | Jun 1, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – June 1, 2023

The Hurricanes intend to be busy in this summer’s trade market, some proposed targets for the Avalanche to boost their forward lines, and some trade targets for the Blackhawks in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

HURRICANES TO BE BUSY IN THIS SUMMER’S TRADE MARKET

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Luke DeCock reports Carolina Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell intends to go the trade route this summer rather than through free agency to bolster his roster for next season.

“I think the trade route is something we’re going to explore very heavily before free agency,” said Waddell during his end-of-season media availability yesterday. He indicated he’d like to boost the Hurricanes’ scoring but would also like to add some size to his roster.

“We’d like to get a little heavier, if possible,” said Waddell. He’s also hoping for a bounce-back performance from winger Teuvo Teravainen and for young players like Seth Jarvis to continue their improvement.

Waddell indicated there’s still no timeline for when pending free agent Max Pacioretty will return to action following his second torn Achilles. While they’re interested in bringing back the 34-year-old winger, he said they “have to make sure we don’t get caught counting on something that isn’t there.”

Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho (NHL Images)

DeCock also reported that Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon has made re-signing center Sebastian Aho to a long-term contract extension “a top, top priority.” Dundon said he’d like to get Aho signed as soon as possible. Aho is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next July.

Dundon also believes it’s possible to bring back captain Jordan Staal. He anticipates it’ll be done quickly. “We want to keep him here.” The Hurricanes captain is also open to bringing back pending UFA goalies Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta, pointing out that Pyotr Kochetkov remains waiver-exempt next season.

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports Waddell wasted little time reaching out to Aho’s agent to get the ball rolling on contract extension talks. LeBrun also noted there’s little bitterness between the Hurricanes’ front office and Aho over the latter signing that five-year, $42.295 million offer sheet from the Montreal Canadiens that was quickly matched by the Canes.

LeBrun believes Aho wants to stay with the Hurricanes. He speculates they’d like to keep the average annual value of his next contract under $9.5 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes want to keep their roster as intact as possible for another shot at a Cup run next year after finishing this season with the second-best record (111 points) in franchise history. Despite being swept by the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final, they point to how close each game was in that series and how it could’ve gone their way had they caught some puck luck.

The Hurricanes might have to front-load Aho’s contract to keep it around $9.5 million. I anticipate it’ll cost them closer to $10 million annually on a seven- or eight-year deal to keep him in the fold.

It sounds like they’re also going to let Pacioretty go to market on July 1. Given his age and recent injury history, he’d had to accept a one-year deal with a substantial pay cut to stay in Carolina.

The Hurricanes have over $24 million in cap space for 2023-24. They can afford to bring back Staal, Andersen and Raanta and still have sufficient cap room to add a scorer. Waddell could target clubs looking to shed salary without taking too much back in return.

PROPOSED TRADE TARGETS FOR THE AVALANCHE

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Adam Proteau observed the Colorado Avalanche will get $7 million in cap relief with captain Gabriel Landeskog sidelined for next season recovering from knee surgery. With $20.3 million in cap room, he proposed five targets to boost their forward lines.

If the Avs look to free agency, Proteau suggested bringing back Ryan O’Reilly to provide the grit and experience they need for a deep playoff run. He anticipated O’Reilly could cost between $4 million and $5 million annually. He also suggested pending UFA winger Vladimir Tarasenko would be a good fit on their second line. So could Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jason Zucker if he tests the market.

Proteau also suggested the New Jersey Devils’ Timo Meier or the Vancouver Canucks Brock Boeser. Meier is a restricted free agent who might become available via an offer sheet though the Devils could match it. The Canucks, meanwhile, are looking to shed salary but also need help in the blueline. Proteau suggested offering up Samuel Girard in exchange for Boeser.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll be interesting to see how the Avalanche proceed this summer. Their priority remains a second-line center but they could also look at adding a short-term replacement on left wing for the sidelined Landeskog.

O’Reilly or Tarasenko might be possible but it depends on what they’re seeking on their next contracts. There’s been some speculation suggesting O’Reilly might return to the Blues on a short-term deal for around what Proteau was proposing.

Meier will be far too expensive if he becomes available via trade or offer sheet. Boeser for Girard would address the Canucks and Avs’ respective needs. However, Canucks management seems to be leaning toward retaining Boeser while shipping out someone else to garner some cap relief.

PROPOSED TRADE TARGETS FOR THE BLACKHAWKS

THE ATHLETIC: Scott Powers recently listed several trade targets for the Chicago Blackhawks if they wish to weaponize their cap space for 2023-24. They might be able to land some first-round picks or quality prospects by targeting cap-strapped teams carrying unwanted contracts.

Vancouver Canucks winger Conor Garland, defenseman Tyler Myers and winger Brock Boeser topped Powers’ list. Other options include Washington Capitals winger Anthony Mantha and New York Islanders winger Josh Bailey.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Garland or Myers are the most likely to be available. As noted earlier, the Canucks seem to be leaning toward hanging onto Boeser.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 27, 2023

by | May 27, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 27, 2023

The latest on the Golden Knights and Stars ahead of Game 5 of the Western Conference Final plus updates on Jordan Staal, Frederik Andersen and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: The Vegas Golden Knights can advance to the Stanley Cup Final with a victory tonight over the Dallas Stars in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final. The Golden Knights hold a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

LAS VEGAS SUN: The Golden Knights intend to heighten their focus on shutting down Jason Robertson. After scoring just twice through the first two rounders, the 23-year-old Stars winger has four goals in the Conference Final, including two in Game 4 as his club avoided being swept from the series.

Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was the Stars’ best players like Robertson rising to the occasion in Game 4 (other than Jamie Benn, who’s serving a two-game suspension) that sent this series back to Las Vegas for Game 5. They’ll need a similar or better effort to force a Game 6.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars winger Evgenii Dadonov did not travel with his teammates to Las Vegas for Game 5. He suffered a lower-body injury in Game 3 that sidelined him for Game 4. Stars coach Peter DeBoer no longer classified Dadonov as day-to-day but expects that he will return later in the postseason.

TSN: Jordan Staal said he has no plans to play for another NHL club and hopes to return next season with the Carolina Hurricanes. The long-time Hurricanes captain is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 coming off a 10-year, $60 million contract.

NHL.COM Hurricanes reporter Walt Ruff tweeted that Frederik Andersen is also keen to return to Carolina next season. Like Staal, the 33-year-old goaltender is a UFA on July 1. “My priority is to get back here,” said Andersen. “We believe in this group that we can do something special next year.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I think the Hurricanes intend on bringing back Staal and Andersen provided they’re willing to accept pay cuts on short-term deals. We’ll see how things pan out for them in the coming weeks.

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli reports the list of potential general manager candidates to be interviewed by the Toronto Maple Leafs is expected to include Jason Botterill, Marc Bergevin, Brad Treliving and Peter Chiarelli.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs president Brendan Shanahan recently indicated he’s seeking someone with experience for the job. Some pundits consider Treliving to be the front-runner.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman saying that Fenway Sports Group (owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins) is giving former Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas this weekend to mull over whether he wants the job of Penguins GM.

Meanwhile, THE HOCKEY NEWS’ Nick Horwat cited TSN’s Chris Johnston saying Dubas is “98 percent he’s going to be taking a job there”, meaning Pittsburgh.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the Memorial Day long weekend in the United States. That means Dubas’ answer could come on Tuesday at the earliest.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: A strong performance by Canadiens goaltender Samuel Montembeault has carried Canada into the semi-final against Latvia at the 2023 IIHF World Championship. He’s allowed just six goals on 118 shots in the five games he’s played thus far with a 1.19 goals-against average and a .949 save percentage.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That performance could also help Montembeault’s case if he’s looking for a contract extension from the Habs. He will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of 2023-24.