NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 15, 2023

by | Sep 15, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 15, 2023

The league and the NHLPA will discuss the Mike Babcock photo investigation, the Bruins will name a captain before the season begins, plus the latest on Jake DeBrusk, Pavel Francouz and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the NHL and NHL Players Association will discuss the next steps in an investigation regarding Columbus Blue Jackets coach Mike Babcock requesting his players share personal photos from their cell phones.

Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Mike Babcock (NHL Images).

The discussion will be taking place as part of a previously scheduled meeting between the two sides.

The league and the PA were initially satisfied with the explanations of Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner and star winger Johnny Gaudreau regarding Babcock’s request. However, it subsequently came to light that several younger Jackets players were uncomfortable with what took place.

On Thursday, PA executive director Marty Walsh and assistant executive director Ron Hainsey traveled to Columbus to meet with Blue Jackets players. Sources said the meeting was “intense.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Babcock defended his actions in a statement earlier this week by claiming he merely wanted to get to know his players better, saying that he also shared his family photos with them. Jenner and Gaudreau said they had no problem with doing so. Nevertheless, it’s understandable why some players might consider it an invasion of privacy.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery confirmed that his club will name a new captain before the start of the upcoming season. Former captain Patrice Bergeron announced his retirement in July, sparking speculation over how the Bruins will choose his potential replacement and which players might be tapped to fill that role.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Montgomery’s remarks dispel recent speculation suggesting the Bruins could have a “captain by committee” consisting of four alternate captains with each taking a turn as captain for a month.

BOSTON HERALD: Speaking of the Bruins, Jake DeBrusk said he’s focusing on the coming season rather than on negotiations for the contract extension. The 26-year-old winger is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July.

“When it comes to contract talks, it’s one of those things where you need two sides to tango and whenever that happens, it’s happens,” said DeBrusk.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It sounds like the Bruins haven’t opened contract extension discussions yet with the DeBrusk camp. They could prefer conducting those talks over the course of the season. DeBrusk signed his current contract in March 2022 following the 2021-22 trade deadline.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: cited Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reporting Avalanche goaltender Pavel Francouz is unlikely to be ready for the start of training camp or the upcoming season. Francouz, 33, is still recovering from offseason adductor surgery.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Seravalli reported the Avalanche are examining the trade market for a potential replacement. I’ll have more in today’s Rumor Mill.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators have brought in winger Josh Bailey to training camp on a professional tryout offer (PTO).

DAILY FACEOFF: Forward Zach Aston-Reese signed a PTO with the Carolina Hurricanes.

TSN: The St. Louis Blues signed winger Nick Ritchie to a PTO contract.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers invited Nick’s brother Brett to a PTO.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Pittsburgh Penguins named Jon Elkin as their new director of goaltending. He’s the former head of goaltending development for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The Flyers will induct Mark Recchi into their Hall of Fame during a pregame ceremony on Jan. 27 against the Boston Bruins. Recchi played for both clubs during his 22-year NHL career.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 14, 2023

by | Sep 14, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 14, 2023

Matthew Tkachuk is ready to start the season, Josh Bailey bids farewell to the Islanders and their fans, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk has recovered from the fractured sternum suffered during the 2023 Stanley Cup Final and is looking forward to the start of training camp. “I am feeling great,” said Tkachuk.

Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s good news for the Panthers, who will be starting the season with top two defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour sidelined by offseason shoulder surgeries. Tkachuk can’t help them defensively but the two-time 100-point winger and 2023 playoff hero will be a key cog in their offensive attack.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: Former long-time Islanders winger Josh Bailey bid farewell to the club and its fans in a letter posted on The Players’ Tribune.

“I want to thank not just this great fan base, but the people of Long Island as a whole,” wrote Bailey. He indicated that Long Island will always be home for himself and his family.

A first-round pick (ninth overall) by the Islanders in the 2008 NHL Draft, the 33-year-old Bailey spent 15 seasons with the club. He was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in June, who bought out the final season of his contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The recent decline in Bailey’s production led to his trade and contract buyout. The unrestricted free agent faces an uncertain future as he’s yet to land with another NHL club as training camp approaches.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The paint job on Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov’s new mask resembles that of former Leafs netminder Curtis Joseph.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If Samsonov can channel prime “CuJo” the Leafs will be in good shape between the pipes this season.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of goaltending, the Devils brought back Keith Kinkaid on a one-year, two-way contract worth $775K at the NHL level.

ESPN.COM: The NHL is considering making changes to their digital ad boards following complaints from fans regarding technical glitches and other issues that were found distracting to ongoing play. The league considers the criticism as coming from a “vocal minority”.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The ads haven’t bothered me but I have noticed some glitches at times. That’s to be expected from this type of technology and will likely be corrected over time. Some critics on social media want the ads to be removed. Judging by the league’s tone, that’s not going to happen.

ARIZONA SPORTS: Coyotes majority owner Alex Meruelo is looking to buy out the minority stake in the club from Andrew Barroway, who owns five percent of the club. Barroway took over majority ownership of the club in 2014 until Meruelo acquired the controlling interest in the club in 2019.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 30, 2023

by | Jun 30, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 30, 2023

The 2023 Draft is completed, the Blackhawks acquire Corey Perry and Josh Bailey, the Red Wings acquire Klim Kostin and Kailer Yamamoto, plus updates on David Krejci, Tyler Bertuzzi, Jesse Puljujarvi and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

2023 NHL DRAFT NEWS

NHL.COM: The 2023 NHL Draft finished up yesterday with the completion of Rounds 2 through 7. You can see the complete list of each player selected (including Round 1) by following this link.

Among the notable numbers emerging from this year’s draft:

PICKS BY POSITION

Defense: 69
Center: 63
Right Wing: 34

Left Wing: 32

Goaltender: 26

PICKS BY BIRTH COUNTRY

Canada: 86
United States: 50
Sweden: 24
Russia: 19
Finland: 15
Czechia: 7
Slovakia: 7

Belarus: 5
Germany: 4
Kazakhstan: 1

France: 1
Switzerland: 1
Norway: 1
Italy: 1
Denmark: 1

Austria: 1

PICKS BY AMATEUR LEAGUE

USHL: 39 (includes NTDP)
OHL: 35 

WHL: 33 

SWEDEN-JR: 22 

RUSSIA-JR: 15 

QMJHL: 12 

FINLAND-JR: 11 

BCHL: 4 

BIG 10: 4 

FINLAND: 4 

HIGH-MN: 4 

RUSSIA: 4 

SWEDEN: 4 

AJHL: 3 

CZECHIA: 2 

ECAC: 2 

GERMANY-JR: 2 

HOCKEY EAST: 2 

RUSSIA-2: 2 

SLOVAKIA: 2 

SWEDEN U-18: 2 

SWEDEN-2: 2 

SWISS-JR: 2 

GERMANY: 1 

GOJHL: 1 

HIGH-CT: 1 

HIGH-IN: 1 

HIGH-MA: 1 

HIGH-ON: 1 

KAZAKHSTAN U-20: 1 

MJHL: 1 

NAHL: 1 

NCHC: 1 

SWISS: 1 

USMAAAE: 1 

Chicago Blackhawks acquire Corey Perry (NHL Images).

The second day of the draft also saw three trades involving NHL veterans:

The Chicago Blackhawks acquired winger Corey Perry from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for a 2024 seventh-round draft pick. The Blackhawks subsequently signed Perry to a one-year, $4 million contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning couldn’t afford to re-sign Perry so they shipped out his rights for a draft pick. As for why the 35-year-old winger signed with the rebuilding Blackhawks, the $4 million salary was one reason but the opportunity to play with a potential generational talent like Connor Bedard also likely appealed to him. If Perry plays well, the Blackhawks can peddle him to a playoff contender before next season’s trade deadline.

Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson was reportedly a big fan of Perry’s going back to when he coached the winger in Montreal two years ago. His experience and leadership will be invaluable to this team.

The Blackhawks also acquired winger Josh Bailey and a 2026 second-round pick from the New York Islanders in exchange for future considerations. They placed him on waivers for the purpose of buying out the final year of his contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a straightforward salary dump by the Islanders. Bailey was their longest-serving active player but the cap-strapped club had to offload his $5 million cap hit for 2023-24 to free up space for other moves.

The Blackhawks can afford the buyout, which will count as $2.66 million against their salary cap for 2023-24 and $1.166 million for 2024-25. With 16 active roster players under contract, they’ll be roughly $3.2 million within range of the $61.7 million cap minimum for 2023-24.

Bailey, meanwhile, becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

The Detroit Red Wings acquired forwards Klim Kostin and Kailer Yamamoto from the Edmonton Oilers for future considerations.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was also a cost-cutting move as shipping out Yamamoto clears $3.1 million from the Oilers’ books. Kostin, meanwhile, is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights whom the Oilers evidently believed they couldn’t afford to re-sign. Part of that cap space could be spent on signing UFA Connor Brown on July 1 as well as re-signing RFA defenseman Evan Bouchard.

Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff believes Kostin was the main prize for the Red Wings while Yamamoto could be a buyout candidate. If so, the Wings have until 5 pm ET today to do so.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TORONTO STAR: The Maple Leafs have confirmed that Sheldon Keefe will return as their head coach next season. He has a year remaining on his contract but general manager Brad Treliving indicates that an extension will be discussed during this summer.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: cites a report out of Czechia indicating that Bruins center David Krejci remains undecided whether he’ll return to the club for another season. There was speculation he will retire or return to play in Czechia.

SPORTSNET: Speaking of the Bruins, winger Tyler Bertuzzi is expected to head to free agency when the market opens at noon ET on Saturday (July 1).

TSN: Jesse Puljujarvi will become a UFA as the Carolina Hurricanes will not issue him a qualifying offer. The 25-year-old winger recently underwent double hip surgery and could be sidelined for some time.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This could also spell the end of Puljujarvi’s NHL career. The fourth overall pick by the Oilers in the 2016 draft struggled to play up to expectations as a scoring winger.

DAILY FACEOFF: Buffalo Sabres rookie forward Jack Quinn will be sidelined for four to six months following surgery to repair his Achilles tendon. The 21-year-old winger suffered the injury during training this week.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Patric Hornqvist’s NHL playing career appears to be over following two concussion injuries this season. However, the Florida Panthers are hoping to bring him back in another role.










NHL Rumor Mill – June 28, 2023

by | Jun 28, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – June 28, 2023

Check out the latest on Erik Karlsson, Alex DeBrincat, Connor Hellebuyck and more heading into the first round of the 2023 Draft in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LEAFS INTERESTED IN KARLSSON

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the Toronto Maple Leafs have spoken to the San Jose Sharks about defenseman Erik Karlsson. However, general manager Brad Treliving cannot attempt to get serious about acquiring the 33-year-old Norris Trophy winner until he’s got clarity about players that he’s trying to sign to contract extensions such as Auston Matthews and William Nylander.

San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson (NHL Images).

Referencing the recent Kevin Hayes and Taylor Hall trades, LeBrun said Sharks general manager Mike Grier is not giving away a future Hall-of-Famer like Karlsson away for free. Grier is willing to retain part of Karlsson’s $11.5 million average annual value through 2026-27 but not half of it. The Seattle Kraken and Carolina Hurricanes are among a number of others who’ve expressed interest.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: LeBrun noted how the Philadelphia Flyers traded away Hayes to the St. Louis Blues for nothing. Ditto the Boston Bruins shipping Hall to the Chicago Blackhawks. Karlsson, however, is a different level of player. He remains an elite talent who should fetch a quality return for the rebuilding Sharks.

How much of Karlsson’s cap hit Grier is willing to retain will determine what type of return he could get. As LeBrun pointed out in his recent column in The Athletic, interested teams will be more receptive to getting Karlsson at $7.5 million to $8 million annually than at $9 million to $9.5 million.

DEBRINCAT TO DETROIT?

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports Senators GM Pierre Dorion is prepared to move winger Alex DeBrincat if they can get the right deal in place. The 25-year-old winger is a restricted free agent who is a year away from unrestricted free-agent eligibility.

DeBrincat’s camp has informed the Senators that he’s not interested in a long-term contract extension. The club has filed for arbitration to ensure he doesn’t receive an offer sheet while they try to trade him.

While DeBrincat lacks no-trade protection, his agent has presented the Senators with a list of preferred trade destinations. It’s believed the Dallas Stars, Nashville Predators, Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights and Detroit Red Wings are on that list. Garrioch suggested the Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Capitals, Seattle Kraken and St. Louis Blues could be looking for scoring.

There’s speculation the Red Wings might send its No. 17 selection in this year’s draft to the Senators as part of a package offer for DeBrincat.

MLIVE.COM: Ansar Khan noted that Wings GM Steve Yzerman’s priority is landing a scoring forward who is fairly young and will be with the club for several years.

Khan suggested DeBrincat as one option along with Philadelphia’s Travis Konecny. When it comes to the Senators winger, he believes Yzerman is unlikely to pull the trigger unless he can get an extension with the player first.

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun noted that the Red Wings seem like a logical landing spot for DeBrincat. However, he got the sense that they aren’t close to a deal to land the Michigan native.

LeBrun also noted the Stars’ interest in DeBrincat but they lack the cap space unless they ship out some salary. He also indicated that Dorion is fine with getting a 2024 first-rounder in return so this week isn’t a deadline for moving the winger.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators could wait until the date of their arbitration hearing with DeBrincat (sometime between late July and early August) to trade him. While Dorion will be patient with his handling of this situation, I doubt that he wants it to drag on for too long. He’s got a valuable trade chip that is drawing interest from clubs in need of scoring.

LATEST ON HELLEBUYCK

SPORTSNET’s Elliotte Friedman yesterday reported hearing that a trade involving Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck isn’t on the front burner right now. He said there are a lot of goalies available right now and teams are trying to determine who’s available at what price via trade or free agency.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The free-agent market is thin on quality starters this year. Hellebuyck, Boston’s Linus Ullmark and Anaheim’s John Gibson are believed to be trade candidates. Of that group, Hellebuyck has the better resume.

Ullmark won the Vezina this season and it was well-deserved but he doesn’t have the same body of work as Hellebuyck, a former Vezina winner who was a finalist for the award this year. The Bruins netminder also has a full no-movement clause until July 1 when it becomes a 16-team no-trade. Hellebuyck has a slightly more expensive cap hit but lacks no-trade protection.

WILL THE ISLANDERS MOVE JOSH BAILEY?

NEW YORK POST: Ethan Sears believes the Islanders will attempt to move winger Josh Bailey in a cost-cutting trade. Failing that, they could buy him out before the 5 pm deadline on June 30.

SABRES STILL TRYING TO MOVE OLOFSSON

THE ATHLETIC: Matthew Fairburn reports the Buffalo Sabres are exploring a trade of winger Victor Olofsson. He wonders if there’s a market for a one-dimensional winger carrying a cap hit of $4.75 million.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 22, 2023

by | Jun 22, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 22, 2023

The 2023 Hockey Hall of Fame inductees are announced, salary cap only rising by $1 million for 2023-24, plus updates on Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Josh Bailey and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

2023 HOCKEY HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES ANNOUNCED

NHL.COM: Henrik Lundqvist, Tom Barrasso, Pierre Turgeon and Mike Vernon were the former NHL players among the inductees in the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023. Canadian women’s star Caroline Ouellette, former NHL coach Ken Hitchcock and former Colorado Avalanche general manager Pierre Lacroix were also among the seven inductees. The formal induction ceremony will be held in Toronto at the Hockey Hall of Fame on Nov. 13.

Tom Barrasso is among the seven inductees into the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023 (NHL.com).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to all the inductees for this well-deserved honor.

It was long-overdue recognition for Barrasso, Turgeon and Vernon after being passed over for years. None of them say it coming. When Vernon got the call from Hall of Fame chairman Lanny McDonald, he joked that he thought McDonald was inviting him for a golf game. Barrasso, meanwhile, admitted he wasn’t sitting by the phone awaiting the call.

Once again, deserving former NHL stars such as Alexander Mogilny, Butch Goring, Patrik Elias, Rod Brind’Amour and Keith Tkachuk were passed over. Perhaps one of them will get their due next year.

TSN: As expected, the NHL salary cap for 2023-24 is going to rise by just $1 million to $83.5 million. The cap has been flattened since 2020-21 as part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for extending the collective bargaining agreement.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As per the MOU, the cap remained at $81.5 million in 2020-21 and 2021-22, rising to $82.5 million in 2022-23 and $83.5 million in 2023-24. There was some hope that the cap would increase by more than the projected $1 million if the players had fully repaid the escrow owed to the team owners resulting from the pandemic-shortened seasons of 2019-20 and 2020-21.

Following the 2023-24 season, the salary cap is projected to significantly increase by at least $4 million. It could rise even higher given the boost to hockey-related revenue over the past two years arising from new broadcasting deals and the addition of the Seattle Kraken.

NHL.COM: The Buffalo Sabres hope to re-sign Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power to contract extensions and the feeling is mutual. Both defensemen have a year remaining on their respective contracts and can re-sign on July 1.

Dahlin is slated to become a restricted free agent next July with arbitration rights coming off his three-year bridge contract. At the same time, Power will be completing his entry-level contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Coming off their best season in years, this is a heady time for the Sabres and their fans. After years of often painful rebuilding, the club is on the cusp of becoming a playoff contender thanks to exciting young talent like Dahlin and Power.

The Sabres already have forwards Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens under reasonable long-term contracts. Getting Dahlin and Power locked up to lengthy new deals will ensure this team has a solid base of core talent to build on going forward.

GOPHNX.COM’s Craig Morgan tweeted that sources said there is no truth to reports suggesting the Arizona Coyotes have an interest in New York Islanders winger Josh Bailey.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Coyotes have a history of taking troublesome contracts from cap-strapped teams packaged with draft picks which they’ve stockpiled to build up their prospect pipeline. However, the Bailey rumor sounds like some folks were spitballing for ways that the Islanders can free up cap space for next season.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Vancouver Canucks GM Patrik Allvin said Tanner Pearson is making progress in his recovery from a hand injury that sidelined him for most of last season. He indicated that the 30-year-old winger is preparing himself for training camp in September.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pearson’s playing career was thought to be in jeopardy after an infection set in requiring another surgical procedure.

DAILY FACEOFF: Florida Panthers GM Bill Zito said he’s spoken with Spencer Knight and expects the promising 22-year-old goaltender to be back with the club next season. Knight played 21 games this season before entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program in February and remained there for the remainder of the regular season and the playoffs.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers have hired Phil Housley and Dan Muse to their coaching staff. A Hall-of-Fame defenseman Housley is the former head coach of the Buffalo Sabres.

DAILY FACEOFF: Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment chairman Larry Tannebaum is set to sell 25 percent of his stake in the company to OMERS, a pension plan for Ontario municipal employees.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: The Blue Jackets signed forward Mathieu Olivier to a two-year, $2.2 million contract extension.

NHL.COM: The Hershey Bears are the 2023 AHL champions following a thrilling 3-2 overtime win over the Coachella Valley Firebirds in Game 7 of the Calder Cup Final.

Mike Vecchione tallied the winner for the Bears, who are the affiliate of the Washington Capitals. Connor McMichael and Hendrix Lapierre also scored for the Bears.

Bears goaltender Hunter Shepard was awarded the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the most valuable player.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to the Bears on winning their 12th Calder Cup in franchise history. The Firebirds deserve a round of applause for reaching the Final in just their first season of operation. They’re the affiliate of the Seattle Kraken.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 7, 2023

by | Jun 7, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 7, 2023

Reaction to the three-team trade that sent Ivan Provorov to the Blue Jackets, the latest Stanley Cup Final news, an update on Timo Meier and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

REACTION TO THE PROVOROV TRADE

THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER: Flyers general manager Daniel Briere thanked Ivan Provorov for his years of service to the club after trading the defenseman on Tuesday to the Columbus Blue Jackets in a three-team deal involving the Los Angeles Kings.

Philadelphia Flyers general manager Daniel Briere (NHL.com).

Briere indicated that the deal was “really enticing” based on the draft picks the Flyers received and the direction the club is going as it rebuilds. “For us, what we were looking at is young guys and picks. We’ve said it from the beginning, so that was the major reason behind it,” said Briere.

“In exchange for Provorov and veteran minor leaguers Kevin Connauton and Hayden Hodgson, the Flyers will receive a first-round draft pick from Columbus (No. 22 overall), veteran goaltender Cal Petersen, defenseman Sean Walker, defensive prospect Helge Grans, a conditional second-round pick from Columbus, and a 2024 second-rounder from Los Angeles. Provorov heads to Columbus, while Hodgson and Connauton go to L.A. The Kings will pay for 30% of Provorov’s contract for Columbus.”

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen considers Provorov “a defenseman who slots in perfectly with our group.” He believes his club now has “two really strong defensemen on the left side of our top four with Zach Werenski and Ivan Provorov”.

Meanwhile, some LGBTQ+ Blue Jackets fans and community members are disappointed about the club’s addition of Provorov, citing his refusal in January to wear a Pride Night jersey when he was a member of the Flyers. Provorov cited his Russian Orthodox beliefs for declining to take part in the pregame formality.

Kekalainen defended the acquisition of Provorov. “We’ve always been an organization that promotes inclusion and diversity and all those things,” he said. “Hockey is for everyone, but we also respect freedom of opinion and freedom of choice.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: You can read my take on the Provorov trade here.

Speculation abounds in the aftermath of the Provorov trade over whether Briere has other offseason moves in the works and how it affects the Kings’ efforts to re-sign a couple of key free agents. I’ll have more on that in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

STANLEY CUP FINAL NEWS

NHL.COM: Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and Vegas Golden Knights averaged 2.8 million viewers in the United States across TNT, TBS and truTV. It was the second-most watched Cup Final game ever on US cable. Viewership peaked at 3.3 million viewers between 10:45 – 11 PM ET.

Game 3 goes Thursday night in Florida at 8 pm ET. The Golden Knights hold a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. 

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Golden Knights winger Jonathan Marchessault’s play since the middle of the second round has pushed him into the Conn Smythe Trophy conversation.

The 32-year-old has scored nine goals in his last nine games and leads the Golden Knights in this postseason with 12 goals in 19 games. He also has the best plus-minus (plus-16) among postseason players.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: At this stage, I’d say it’s between Marchessault and Jack Eichel as the favorites among the Golden Knights as this postseason’s MVP. Nevertheless, there’s no question he’s played a big role in his club’s playoff run thus far.

THE SCORE: Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said he has “complete faith” in Sergei Bobrovsky, who was pulled in Game 2 after giving up four goals on 13 shots in the Panthers’ 7-2 loss. He dismissed any talk of Bobrovsky wearing down from the grueling playoff run.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bobrovsky’s teammates also defended the goaltender. They cited their own poor defensive play and vowed to play better in front of him. 

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: New Jersey Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald said his club will begin serious contract discussions with Timo Meier’s agent to sign the winger to a long-term contract. The 26-year-old winger is a restricted free agent on July 1 and is also a year away from unrestricted free-agent eligibility.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A sticking point is Meier’s salary. He’s coming off a four-year contract with an average annual value of $6 million but earned $10 million in actual salary this season. That’s how much it’ll cost the Devils to qualify his rights unless he and the club reach an agreement on a new contract before July 1.

NEW YORK POST: The Islanders will maintain its status quo in the front office and behind the bench for 2023-24. Lou Lamoriello will be back as general manager while Lane Lambert remains their head coach.

Lamoriello said he intends to prioritize signing key free agents such as Zach Parise, Scott Mayfield, Pierre Engvall and Semyon Varlamov. However, he suggested winger Josh Bailey’s 15-year tenure with the club may be coming to an end. Bailey, 33, has a year left on his contract with a cap hit of $5 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It appears that Lamoriello will attempt to trade Bailey, who lacks no-trade protection. Failing that, the Isles GM could buy out that remaining year before the buyout period ends on June 30.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Nashville Predators have announced their new ECHL partnership with the Atlanta Gladiators.

THE ATHLETIC: Speaking of Atlanta, there’s some talk that the NHL could one day try again to establish a franchise in that city. Two previous teams, the Flames and Thrashers, relocated to Calgary and Winnipeg respectively.

Bad rosters, poor ownership and an arena in a bad location were cited as reasons why the Thrashers failed during their 11-year tenure there. However, if those issues are addressed and accounted for, there could be another opportunity to put an NHL franchise there.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly acknowledged the two previous failed attempts in Atlanta. However, he didn’t rule out the possibility of a third effort at making it work there. However, he indicated the issue of expansion will not be on the table during the league’s upcoming board of governors meeting.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The size of the Atlanta market and the potential money it could generate explains why the league won’t shut the door on returning there. It’s the same reason behind the NHL’s stubborn efforts to keep the Coyotes in Arizona.