NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 27, 2025

by | Feb 27, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 27, 2025

The Jets extend their win streak to 11 games, Nathan MacKinnon regains the lead in the scoring race, and updates on Roman Josi, Miro Heiskanen, Adam Fox and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Winnipeg Jets extended their franchise-record win streak to 11 games by defeating the Ottawa Senators 4-1. Kyle Connor had a goal and an assist, Mark Scheifele tallied his team-leading 33rd of the season, and Connor Hellebucyk made 24 saves for his league-leading 36th win. The Jets opened a three-point lead over the Washington Capitals in the overall standings with 87 points. Thomas Chabot scored and Linus Ullmark made 36 saves for the Senators as their losing skid reached five games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 62 points, the Senators remain two points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. They’re feeling the absence of forwards Brady Tkachuk, Josh Norris and Shane Pinto, who remain sidelined by injuries.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images).

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon scored twice in the third period in a 5-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils. MacKinnon also collected an assist to finish with three points, regaining the lead in the NHL scoring race with 90 points. Martin Necas had three assists and Cale Makar collected two as the Avalanche snapped a two-game losing skid. They hold the first Western Conference wild-card spot with 70 points. Jack Hughes replied for the Devils as they remain in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 70 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon holds a three-point lead over Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl. Necas has quickly developed a strong offensive chemistry with MacKinnon since being acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes on Jan. 24, collecting 12 points in 11 games since the trade. The Avs also welcomed back Valeri Nichushkin. He’d been sidelined with a lower-body injury since Dec. 31.

The Vancouver Canucks nipped the Los Angeles Kings 3-2. Forward Conor Garland tallied twice, including the winner in overtime. Nils Hoglander also scored, Filip Chytil had two assists and Quinn Hughes picked up an assist in his return to the Canucks lineup after missing six games with an undisclosed injury. Adrian Kempe and Warren Foegele scored as the Kings overcame a 2-0 deficit to force the extra period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The win vaulted the Canucks over the Calgary Flames into the final Western wild-card spot with 65 points, while the Kings are third in the Pacific Division with 70 points. Meanwhile, Vancouver winger Brock Boeser is frustrated over the lack of progress in contract extension talks with management, prompting speculation that he could be traded if the Canucks stumble in the playoff race.

HEADLINES

THE TENNESSEAN: Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi is listed as day-to-day as he continues to be evaluated for an upper-body injury suffered during Tuesday’s 4-1 loss to the Florida Panthers.

TSN: The Predators made a minor trade on Wednesday, acquiring forward Jesse Ylonen from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for forward Anthony Angello. Both are playing in the American Hockey League (AHL).

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars general manager Jim Nill said his club will probably get a clearer timeline on defenseman Miro Heiskanen’s recovery from knee surgery by mid-to-late March. Heiskanen underwent surgery on Feb. 4 and was listed as month-to-month.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s assumed the Stars could place Heiskanen on long-term injury reserve, freeing up his $8.45 million cap hit to put toward adding players before the March 7 trade deadline. However, that only works if they know for certain that he’ll be sidelined for the rest of the regular season. Otherwise, they would have to free up space to be cap-compliant when he returned to action.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers defenseman Adam Fox (upper body) was placed on injured reserve. He’ll be out for at least seven days but is expected to return before the end of the regular season.

Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson will return to action on Thursday against the Boston Bruins. He’s been out since Jan. 20 with a lower-body injury.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. He will remain with the team but isn’t expected to suit up for Friday’s game against the Rangers.

TSN: The Edmonton Oilers reclaimed defenseman Travis Dermott off waivers from the Minnesota Wild, who claimed him from the Oilers on Dec. 13.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Wild acquired forward Tyler Madden from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for defenseman Joseph Cecconi. Both players will report to their new teams’ respective AHL affiliates.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins placed forward Matt Nieto on waivers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 4, 2025

by | Feb 4, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 4, 2025

The Senators pick up their fifth straight win, the three stars of the week, Wild center Ryan Hartman suspended, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Ottawa Senators collected their fifth straight win by downing the Nashville Predators 5-2. Three unanswered third-period goals by Shane Pinto, David Perron and Ridly Greig carried the Senators (62 points) to victory, opening a three-point lead over the Detroit Red Wings for third in the Atlantic Division. Predators goalie Juuse Saros stopped 34 shots while teammate Filip Forsberg had a goal and an assist.

Ottawa Senators center Tim Stutzle (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Predators captain Roman Josi set the franchise record for games played with 957. Senators center Tim Stutzle became the youngest player in franchise history to reach the 300-point milestone (23 years, 19 days) and the third fastest to do so (338 games played), sitting behind Jason Spezza (277 games) and Alexei Yashin (332).

Senators forward Josh Norris missed this game as he’s sidelined for several weeks with a mid-body injury. Predators forward Luke Evangelista didn’t play as he’s listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin, Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson, and Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson are the league’s three stars for the week ending Feb. 2, 2025.

Minnesota Wild center Ryan Hartman received a 10-game suspension from the department of player safety for roughing Senators center Tim Stutzle on Saturday, driving Stutzle’s head into the ice following a faceoff draw.

DAILY FACEOFF: New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal is sidelined indefinitely with a lower-body injury and defenseman Scott Mayfield is day-to-day (lower body).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Barzal and Mayfield join injured teammates Noah Dobson, Ryan Pulock, Semyon Varlamov, Mike Reilly, and Marcus Hogberg. Those lengthy absences threaten to derail the Islanders’ efforts to secure a playoff spot.

NHL.COM: Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kirill Marchenko is sidelined indefinitely with a broken jaw.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jackets are already missing Sean Monahan, Yegor Chinakhov, Erik Gudbranson and captain Boone Jenner, though the latter is expected to return to the lineup later this month. Marchenko’s absence is a significant blow. The 24-year-old winger is the Jackets’ leading goal scorer (21) and is second in points with 55.

CBS SPORTS: Colorado Avalanche winger Valeri Nichuskin (lower body) was placed on injured reserve.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The White House honored the defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers in a ceremony yesterday.

THE TENNESSEAN: Former Nashville Predators forward Martin Erat was charged with DUI and leaving the scene of an accident in Nolensville, Tennessee on Saturday. No injuries were reported during the incident.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 20, 2024

by | Dec 20, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 20, 2024

Recaps of Thursday’s games, Rangers GM Chris Drury meets with his team to clear the air following two recent trades, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins forwards Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust each had four points in a 5-4 win over the Nashville Predators. Rust scored twice (including the winner in overtime) and Crosby snapped a 10-game goal drought as the Penguins (35 points) remain one point behind the Ottawa Senators for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot. Filip Forsberg and Brady Skjei each had two points for the Predators, who remain at the bottom of the overall standings with 25 points.

Pittsburgh Penguins winger Bryan Rust (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Predators placed captain Roman Josi on injured reserve and activated blueliner Jeremy Lauzon for this game. Josi is expected to be sidelined for at least one week.

Meanwhile, the Senators got an overtime goal by Brady Tkachuk to defeat the Calgary Flames 3-2. Goaltender Linus Ullmark turned aside 29 shots for his seventh straight win as the Senators have won five straight games. Blake Coleman and Jonathan Huberdeau scored for the Flames (37 points) as they remain one point behind the Colorado Avalanche for the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

The Avalanche netted three unanswered third-period goals to double up the San Jose Sharks 4-2. Joel Kiviranta tallied the winning and insurance goals and Mackenzie Blackwood made 32 saves in his first game against his former club. Luke Kunin had two assists for the Sharks.

Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins kicked out 40 shots to backstop his club over the New Jersey Devils 4-2, ending the latter’s three-game win streak. Sean Monahan had two goals and an assist for the Jackets as they snapped a five-game losing skid. Luke Hughes and Timo Meier replied for the Devils, who remain in first place in the Eastern Conference with 45 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils forward Jack Hughes fired a career-high 13 shots on Merzlikins, who robbed him of two sure goals with spectacular saves. That effort earned Hughes the praise of Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe, calling his effort “outstanding”.

Los Angeles Kings forwards Anze Kopitar and Kevin Fiala each tallied twice in a 7-3 romp over the Philadelphia Flyers. The Kings (42 points) have won eight of their last 10 games (8-1-1) and sit three points behind the first-place Vegas Golden Knights in the Pacific Division. Tyson Foerster scored two goals and collected an assist for the slumping Flyers as they’ve dropped three straight.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers head coach John Tortorella made Cam York a healthy scratch, saying the 23-year-old defenseman has struggled in his last 12 games since returning from an upper-body injury on Nov. 23.

Speaking of the Golden Knights, William Karlsson snapped a 1-1 tie in the third period as they defeated the Vancouver Canucks 3-1. Brett Howden had a goal and an assist as Vegas has won six of their last seven contests. Teddy Blueger replied for the Canucks, who’ve won two of their last seven games (2-3-2).

The Edmonton Oilers overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Boston Bruins 3-2 on an overtime goal by Mattias Ekholm. Zach Hyman and Connor McDavid scored in the third period to set the stage for Ekholm’s heroics in OT as the Oilers have won six of their last seven games and 10 of their last 13. Elias Lindholm and Mark Kastelic tallied for the Bruins, who hold the first Eastern wild-card spot with 38 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers winger Viktor Arvidsson returned to the lineup after missing 15 games with an undisclosed injury. Meanwhile, the Bruins placed forward Tyler Johnson on unconditional waivers to terminate his contract. The 34-year-old center signed a one-year contract on Nov. 3 but appeared in nine games, collecting two points.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov collected two assists to extend his points streak to nine games in a 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 31 shots and Gage Goncalves tallied his first NHL goal as the Lightning won their fourth straight game. Pavel Buchnevich replied for the Blues as they’ve dropped four of their last five (1-3-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning played without defenseman J.J. Moser as he’ll be sidelined for eight to 10 weeks with a lower-body injury. An illness forced Blues rearguard Philip Broberg to be sidelined for this game.

The Chicago Blackhawks picked up their third straight win by downing the Seattle Kraken 3-1. Ilya Mikheyev scored twice and Nolan Allan got his first-ever NHL goal. Ryker Evans replied for the Kraken.

HEADLINES

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The NHL holiday roster freeze is in effect from Dec.20 to 12:01 am on Dec. 28.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury addressed the entire team for the first time before their practice on Thursday. Afterward, the club engaged in a fun, energetic session that concluded with a full-team shootout game.

Following practice, Rangers forward Vincent Trocheck met with the media to deny a report claiming a recent players-only meeting was to criticize Drury. “That could not be further from the truth,” he said. “When we have closed-door meetings in here, it’s about us. It’s about what we can do.”

The Rangers have been the hot topic of speculation among pundits and fans in recent weeks following their slide in the standings and Drury’s league-wide memo last month indicating he was willing to entertain trade offers for certain players.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jacob Trouba was on Drury’s list and was shipped to the Anaheim Ducks on Dec. 6. Winger Kaapo Kakko was traded to Seattle on Wednesday but it’s not known if he was also on that list.

The report indicated a lighthearted mood among the players during practice following their meeting with Drury. Whether this marks the moment the Rangers snap out of their funk remains to be seen.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: The Islanders placed goaltender Semyon Varlamov on long-term injury reserve, potentially clearing the way for sidelined winger Anthony Duclair’s return on Saturday.

SPORTSNET: Buffalo Sabres winger Jordan Greenway will be sidelined long-term following surgery for a middle-body injury. There is no timetable for his return but head coach Lindy Ruff expects he’ll be back later this season.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings sent goaltender Ville Husso to their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids. The move suggests sidelined netminder Cam Talbot will soon return to action.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Minnesota Wild placed forward Yakov Trenin (upper body) on injured reserve.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 13, 2024

by | Dec 13, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 13, 2024

A four-goal performance for Scott Laughton, a six-point game for Nikita Kucherov, and much more as we recap a busy Thursday night in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Scott Laughton tied a Philadelphia Flyers record with a four-goal performance to defeat the Detroit Red Wings 4-1. Travis Konecny collected two assists for the Flyers, who hold the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 32 points). Ben Chiarot replied for the Red Wings, who’ve dropped six of their last seven games (1-4-2).

Philadelphia Flyers forward Scott Laughton (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Laughton became the 17th player in Flyers history to score four times in a game and the first to do so since John LeClair in 2002-03. He also passed the 100-goal milestone.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov had a six-point performance (one goal, five assists) in an 8-3 victory over the Calgary Flames. Jake Guentzel tallied a hat trick, Anthony Cirelli had a goal and two assists, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 19 saves as he became the first Lightning goaltender to play 500 regular-season games. Jonathan Huberdeau had a goal and an assist and Nazem Kadri got his 10th of the season for the Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning captain Victor Hedman missed this game with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. The Bolts hold the first Eastern wild-card berth with 32 points while the Flames (33 points) sit one point behind the Colorado Avalanche for the final Western wild-card spot.

Six unanswered third-period goals powered the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Montreal Canadiens 9-2. Bryan Rust had a hat trick and picked up an assist while Rickard Rakell scored twice and collected two helpers. Nick Suzuki and Joel Armia scored for the Canadiens as they remain in last place in the Eastern Conference with 25 points.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl had a goal and three assists as his club thumped the Minnesota Wild 7-1. Connor McDavid, Evan Bouchard, Darnell Nurse and Vasily Podkolzin each had two assists for the Oilers and Calvin Pickard made 20 saves for the win. Frederick Gaudreau replied for the Wild.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bouchard left the game late in the third period after being knocked into the goal post by a dirty hit from Wild forward Ryan Hartman. Earlier in the day, the Oilers placed defenseman Travis Dermott on waivers. Meanwhile, Wild defenseman Jake Middleton left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury.

The Vancouver Canucks blanked the Florida Panthers 4-0 on a 27-save shutout performance by Kevin Lankinen. J.T. Miller collected two assists as he returned to the Canucks following a leave of absence. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 15 shots for the Panthers as their three-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks forward Teddy Blueger’s mother Jana was also a winner, taking home over $100K as she won the Canucks nightly 50-50 draw. She’s visiting from Latvia and attended last night’s game to watch her son.

San Jose Sharks rookie center Macklin Celebrini scored two goals and an assist in a 4-3 win over the St. Louis Blues. Goaltender Alexandar Georgiev stopped 17 shots and Nikolai Kovalenko collected three assists in their Sharks debut as their new club snapped a three-game losing skid. Blues forward Jake Neighbours had a goal and an assist.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks forward Klim Kostin left the game with an undisclosed injury. Blues forward Radek Faksa missed this contest with a groin injury.

The Toronto Maple Leafs nipped the Anaheim Ducks 3-2. Max Pacioretty led the way with two goals and an assist and Joseph Woll turned aside 19 shots for the win. Jackson Lacombe had a goal and an assist for the Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Woll replaced Anthony Stolarz as he left the game after the first period with a lower-body injury. He’ll be reevaluated on Friday. Before this game, the Leafs activated defenseman Jake McCabe (upper body) from injured reserve. Meanwhile, the Ducks announced that sidelined forward Trevor Zegras will miss six weeks following knee surgery. They also activated forward Robby Fabbri (knee surgery) off injured reserve.

New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes had a goal and two assists in a 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings, snapping the latter’s six-game win streak. Ondrej Palat had a goal and an assist for the Devils, who sit second overall in the Eastern Conference with 41 points. Jordan Spence replied for the Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils scratched forward Tomas Tatar in favor of getting Kurtis MacDermid into the lineup.

Washington Capitals forward Aliaksei Protas tallied twice, including the winner in overtime, to lead his team over the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1. Jakob Chychrun had two assists and Charlie Lindgren kicked out 32 shots as the Capitals (42 points) hold first place in the Eastern Conference. Zach Werenski scored for the Blue Jackets as they’ve dropped five of their last six.

New York Islanders forward Simon Holmstrom had a goal and two assists as his club held on for a 5-4 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Ilya Sorokin made 26 saves and Jean-Gabriel Pageau had three assists for the Islanders. Tyler Bertuzzi tallied twice and Connor Bedard had a goal and two assists for the Blackhawks, who’ve dropped seven of their last 10 contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Isles head coach Patrick Roy was fuming over his club’s performance in the final eight minutes of the third period as the Blackhawks scored three goals to make it interesting. “In my day, if my team would have done that to me, I would break a stick in that room,” said Roy. “Our goalie (Sorokin) deserved more respect than this from ourselves.”

The Nashville Predators got two goals and an assist from Ryan O’Reilly in a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars. Justus Annunen made 35 saves for his first win with the Predators as they snapped an eight-game winless skid (0-5-3). Stars rookie Lian Bichsel tallied his first NHL goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Predators played without defensemen Alexandre Carrier and Roman Josi. Carrier is week-to-week with an upper-body injury while team captain Josi (lower body) is day-to-day. Stars defenseman Matt Dumba missed this game with an upper-body injury.

An overtime goal by Ivan Barbashev lifted the Vegas Golden Knights over the Winnipeg Jets 3-2. Victor Olofsson tied the game late in the third for Vegas while teammate Shea Theodore collected two assists. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 33 shots for the Jets, who hold first place in the Central Division with 43 points.

The Utah Hockey Club rolled to a 4-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche. Dylan Guenther had two goals and an assist and Karel Vejmelka stopped 23 shots for his club’s fifth straight road win. Nathan MacKinnon scored for the Avalanche as their three-game win streak ended. They’re clinging to the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 34 points.

Seattle Kraken forward Oliver Bjorkstrand scored twice to beat the Boston Bruins 5-1. Philipp Grubauer stopped 33 shots as the Kraken are 4-1-1 in their last six games. Bruins captain Brad Marchand scored on a penalty shot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins center Elias Lindholm left this game with an upper-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 11, 2024

by | Dec 11, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 11, 2024

Five-point performances by Avalanche stars Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon, Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl is the first to reach 20 goals this season, the latest from the Board of Governors meetings, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF TUESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche stars Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon each collected five points in a milestone game for both players, leading their club to a 6-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Rantanen had a hat trick and two assists in his 600th regular-season NHL game while MacKinnon scored a goal and picked up four assists to reach 600 career NHL assists. Cody Glass and Michael Bunting replied for the Penguins.

Colorado Avalanche winger Mikko Rantanen (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche picked up their third straight victory as Scott Wedgewood stopped 25 shots. Penguins backup Alex Nedeljkovic briefly left the bench after being struck in the face by an errant puck in the first period but returned early in the second.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl became the first player this season to reach the 20-goal plateau, scoring the game-winner to defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1. Draisaitl also collected an assist on Connor McDavid’s 14th goal of the season. Jake Guentzel tallied his club’s only goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers have put their slow start to this season behind them, winning seven of their last nine games. Lightning center Anthony Cirelli and defenseman Erik Cernak missed this game due to injuries suffered on Dec. 8 against the Vancouver Canucks.

Speaking of the Canucks, they dropped a 4-3 decision to the St. Louis Blues. Dylan Holloway scored the winner in overtime and Robert Thomas had a goal and two assists as the Blues have won six of their last nine contests. Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser and Conor Garland each had two points for the Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko made 21 saves in his season debut. He’d been recovering from a knee injury since the opening round of the 2024 playoffs.

The Calgary Flames nipped the Nashville Predators 4-3, handing the latter their eighth straight loss (0-5-3). Jonathan Huberdeau and Kevin Rooney each had a goal and an assist as the Flames collected their second win in their last eight contests (2-4-2). Predators winger Jonathan Marchessault tallied two goals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Predators also lost captain Roman Josi as he left the game after the first period with a lower-body injury. There was no post-game update on his condition.

An overtime goal by Auston Matthews gave the Toronto Maple Leafs a 2-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Pontus Holmberg also scored and Anthony Stolarz kicked out 38 shots for the win. Ondrej Palat scored for the Devils.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Maple Leafs activated Max Domi from injured reserve for this game and assigned Nikita Grebenkin to their AHL affiliate.

The Carolina Hurricanes got a late goal from defenseman Jalen Chatfield to down the San Jose Sharks 3-2. Fellow blueliners Shayne Gostisbehere and Brent Burns also scored for the Hurricanes. Luke Kunin scored both of the Sharks goals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Carolina forward Jack Drury left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury. Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour said Drury’s injury didn’t look good and he could be sidelined for a while. Before the game, the Sharks placed center Will Smith (upper body) on injured reserve and activated forward Barclay Goodrow (upper body) from IR.

A two-goal performance by Travis Konecny carried the Philadelphia Flyers to a 5-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Morgan Frost had a goal and an assist and rookie winger Matvei Michkov collected two helpers. Blue Jackets forward Kent Johnson had a goal and an assist as his club lost for the fourth time in five games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Michkov leads this season’s rookie scorers with 11 goals and 27 points. Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson is second with 19 points, all of those assists. Sharks center (and 2024 first-overall pick) Macklin Celebrini is third with 16 points in 19 games.

The Los Angeles Kings picked up their sixth straight win by holding off the New York Islanders 3-1. Kings forward Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist while teammate Kevin Fiala netted his 10th goal of the season. Islanders captain Anders Lee scored while goalie Ilya Sorokin turned aside 27 shots.

Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele scored twice and collected an assist in an 8-1 drubbing of the Boston Bruins. Kyle Connor had a goal and two assists as the Jets have won three of their last four contests. David Pastrnak tallied the Bruins’ only goal.

The Minnesota Wild nipped the Utah Hockey Club 5-4 on a shootout goal by Matt Boldy. Marcus Johansson had a goal and two assists while teammate Kirill Kaprizov potted his 18th goal of the season as the Wild have won six of their last seven games. Clayton Keller tallied twice and Karel Vejmelka stopped 34 shots for Utah HC.

Shootout goals by Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart gave the Florida Panthers a 2-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Barkov also scored in regulation as the Panthers have won three straight. Chandler Stephenson tallied for the Kraken.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Commissioner Gary Bettman said the salary cap for next season is projected to rise by five percent to $92.4 million under the current guidelines of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA). However, he also indicated that there will be negotiations with the NHL Players’ Association in the New Year to discuss the possibility of raising the cap by more than five percent.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Teams with limited cap space for next season or clubs with players due for significant raises in the next couple of years could be stumping for a higher cap ceiling in 2025-26.

It will be based on hockey-related revenue by the end of this regular season. Bettman projected it will be $6.6 billion but it could be close to $7 billion.

TSN: Bettman also said CBA talks with the NHLPA will begin in February. The current agreement expires in September 2026.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bettman has expressed confidence that an agreement with the PA can be reached well before that expiration date. Having covered the last two lockouts I hope we don’t have to endure another.

THE ATHLETIC: Bettman said the league has no active tampering investigations. Ottawa Senators owner Michael Andlauer raised the issue of “soft tampering” following a recent report in the New York Post claiming the Rangers made Senators captain Brady Tkachuk a trade target.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators vehemently denied Tkachuk was available and have assured their captain he’s not on the trade block.

The Florida Panthers could stage an outdoor game at the Miami Marlins ballpark (LoanDepot Park) as soon as next season.

DAILY FACEOFF: Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras is seeking a second opinion to treat the knee injury he suffered on Dec. 4.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson is expected to return to action against the Rangers on Wednesday. He’s missed 12 games with a lower-body injury.

SI.COM: The Los Angeles Kings sent forward Arthur Kaliyev to their AHL affiliate on a conditioning stint. He’s been on injured reserve this season with a fractured collarbone.

TSN: Kevin Shattenkirk announced his retirement on Tuesday. The 35-year-old defenseman played 14 NHL seasons with the Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis Blues, Washington Capitals, New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Anaheim Ducks and Boston Bruins.

Shattenkirk had 103 goals and 381 assists for 484 regular-season points and 48 points in 91 playoff contests, winning the Stanley Cup with the Lightning in 2019-20.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 30, 2024

by | Mar 30, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 30, 2024

A four-goal game for Sabres center Tage Thompson, the Wild’s Marc-Andre Fleury talks about his future, a milestone for Predators captain Roman Josi, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Buffalo Sabres captain Tage Thompson scored four goals in a 5-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Alex Tuch collected two assists and Devon Levi stopped 28 shots for the 35-34-5 Sabres (75 points)as they kept their faint playoff hopes alive, sitting six points out of the final Eastern Conference wildcard berth. Jesper Bratt and Max Willman scored for the Devils (36-34-4), who remain five points out of that wildcard spot.

NHL.COM: Marc-Andre Fleury is willing to return for another season. However, the 39-year-old goaltender indicated it will only be with the Minnesota Wild. “Yeah, it’s probably Minnesota or retirement. I wouldn’t want to move and take my three kids out of their environment. They’ve moved enough already.”

Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (NHL Images).

Fleury said he’ll sit down with Wild general manager Bill Guerin to discuss the club’s plans for next season and whether there’s a place for him.

NASHVILLE HOCKEY NOW: Predators captain Roman Josi reached a milestone during his club’s 8-4 loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday. He collected three assists in that game to become the first Swiss-born NHL player to reach the 500-assist plateau.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Russian goaltender Ivan Fedotov’s long journey to join the Flyers ended Friday when he arrived in Philadelphia and was introduced to reporters by general manager Daniel Briere.

Fedotov signed his one-year, entry-level contract in May 2022. However, he was detained by his home country of Russia for allegedly evading military service. Following his service, he signed a two-year contract with KHL club CSKA Moscow despite his valid contract with the Flyers. The contract was tolled ahead to this season.

On Thursday, CSKA Moscow terminated Fedotov’s contract and wished him well.

“I’m so excited and happy to be here,” said Fedotov. “Great feelings because it was a really difficult two years.”

Fedotov is available to play for the Flyers as early as Saturday. However, it’s uncertain when he’ll debut with the club.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram was recently fined $5,000.00 by the NHL department of player safety for his blindside hit on Wednesday on Ottawa Senators forward Angus Crookshank.

NHL.COM: Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan Strome was fined $5,000.00 for cross-checking Seattle Kraken forward Tye Kartye Thursday.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle received a one-game suspension for slashing Philadelphia Flyers winger Travis Konecny on Thursday.

NHL.COM: Philadelphia Flyers forward Garnet Hathaway was fined $2,000.00 for embellishment during a March 23 game against the Boston Bruins.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins defenseman Ryan Graves has been diagnosed with a concussion. There is no timeline for his return.

CBS SPORTS: Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (illness) has joined the club on its current road trip. He could return to the lineup for the first time since March 17.

TORONTO STAR: The Maple Leafs signed defenseman Simon Benoit to a three-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $1.35 million.

CALGARY SUN: The family of former NHL defenseman Bob Murdoch said the two-time Stanley Cup champion suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive and fatal disease associated with repeated traumatic brain injuries.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Murdoch is among 18 NHL players to be posthumously diagnosed with CTE.

The others include Hall-of-Famers Henri Richard and Stan Mikita, six-time Stanley Cup champion Ralph Backstrom, two-time 52-goal scorer Rick Martin, defensemen Steve Montador and Zarley Zalapski, wingers Dan Maloney, Marek Svatos and Jeff Parker, and enforcers Bob Probert, Reg Fleming, Derek Boogard, Wade Belak, Todd Ewen, Gino Odjick, Rick Rypien and Larry Zeidel.

The family of former NHL enforcer Chris Simon believe he suffered from CTE that contributed to his death by suicide last week at age 52.

To date, the NHL maintains the link between CTE and repeated head trauma suffered in hockey is inconclusive.