NHL Rumor Mill – March 8, 2023

by | Mar 8, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – March 8, 2023

Were the Sharks close to moving Erik Karlsson at the trade deadline? Will the Blue Jackets have another busy off-season? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WERE THE SHARKS CLOSE TO TRADING ERIK KARLSSON?

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sheng Peng recently reported Sharks general manager Mike Grier said there were various times throughout this season when he’d had trade talks with different teams regarding Erik Karlsson.

San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson (NHL Images).

Grier indicated that there was lots of interest in the 32-year-old defenseman. However, he said the discussions never got to the point where he felt they were close to getting something for Karlsson.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Grier was referring to what he felt would be a worthwhile return for Karlsson, who has matched his career-high of 82 points and leads all defensemen this season in scoring.

The Karlsson trade rumors have faded away now that the trade deadline has passed. However, I expect they’ll resurface in the offseason, especially in late June heading toward the draft. That’s typically when players of his magnitude get traded.

Karlsson’s $11.5 million cap hit through 2026-27 and full no-movement clause still won’t be easy to move, especially if the salary cap only rises by $1 million for next season. Nevertheless, I’m not dismissing the possibility given the high level of interest in him this season.

Grier also mentioned he would spend the remainder of this season evaluating his goaltending. He wants to see if Kaapo Kahkonen or James Reimer can show they’re capable of being the Sharks’ full-time starter.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The focus will be on the 26-year-old Kahkonen. He was acquired from the Minnesota Wild by Grier’s predecessor at last year’s trade deadline.

Reimer, 34, is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Grier attempted to trade him at Friday’s deadline but couldn’t find a suitable destination for him once Joonas Korpisalo and Jonathan Quick were traded.

BLUE JACKETS COULD FACE ANOTHER BUSY OFFSEASON

THE ATHLETIC: Aaron Portzline pointed out that the Columbus Blue Jackets have one of the youngest rosters in the NHL. He believes they could benefit from veteran leadership that knows how to win and would hold players accountable, pointing out the departure in recent years of veterans such as Nick Foligno, David Savard, Seth Jones, Jakub Voracek and Cam Atkinson.

Portzline also believes the Blue Jackets need to make a trade or a free-agent signing this summer to bolster their blueline after trading Vladislav Gavrikov last week. GM Jarmo Kekalainen anticipates being able to add to his roster this summer as cap-strapped clubs are forced to shed salary through trades or letting players depart via free agency.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kekalainen will be shopping around to improve his defense and leadership core this summer. Finding the right players for the right deal is crucial. They got a superstar in winger Johnny Gaudreau below market value last summer but also garnered criticism for signing defenseman Erik Gudbranson to a four-year, $16-million deal.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 13, 2023

by | Feb 13, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 13, 2023

The Golden Knights match a franchise record in a win over the Ducks, the Canadiens upset the Oilers, plus injury updates on Filip Forsberg, Logan Thompson and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Vegas Golden Knights matched a franchise record for most goals in a single period in a 7-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Vegas scored five times in the third period with Jack Eichel, Phil Kessel and Shea Theodore among five Golden Knights to finish with a goal and an assist. With the win, Vegas improved to 32-18-4 to sit atop the Pacific Division with 68 points. The Ducks sank to 17-31-6 on the season. They also played without John Klingberg, who missed this game due to illness.

Seattle Kraken winger Jaden Schwartz tallied twice as his club held off the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 to snap a three-game losing streak. With a record of 30-18-5, the Kraken remain three points behind the Golden Knights in second place in the Pacific Division. Rasmus Ristolainen collected two assists for the 22-23-10 Flyers (54 points) as they remain seven points out of the final wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference.

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Jordan Harris (NHL Images)

The Montreal Canadiens upset the Edmonton Oilers 6-2, ending a 15-game points streak by Oilers captain Connor McDavid. Jordan Harris scored twice to become the first Canadiens rookie defenseman to have a multi-goal game since P.K. Subban in March 2011. Jake Allen stopped 32 shots for the 22-27-4 Canadiens. Leon Draisaitl and Evander Kane replied for the Oilers (30-19-5) as they remain in third place in the Pacific Division with 65 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a costly win for the Canadiens as rugged rookie blueliner Arber Xhekaj left the game with an apparent shoulder injury following a fight with Oilers defenseman Vincent Desharnais. An update on his condition could be made on Monday.

San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson collected three points in a 4-1 upset of the Washington Capitals. The Sharks (17-26-11) lost goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen in the second period following incidental contact with Washington center Evgeny Kuznetsov. Aaron Dell finished the game for the Sharks. Kuznetsov scored for the Capitals (28-21-6) as they remain in the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 62 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No word as to the severity of Kahkonen’s injury. The Sharks were playing without goalie James Reimer (illness) but he could return to action on Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

HEADLINES

THE TENNESSEAN: Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury suffered during Saturday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Forsberg is fortunate that it’s only day-to-day. He was left woozy after hitting his head on the ice following a check by Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen and had to be helped from the ice.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: On Saturday, the Golden Knights announced that goaltender Logan Thompson is week-to-week with a lower-body injury suffered during Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Wild. They recalled Laurent Brossoit from their AHL affiliate.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A lengthy absence by Thompson could have implications for the Golden Knights’ playoff hopes. They’re in a tight race right now in the Pacific Division. Adin Hill got the win for them on Sunday and will be relied on to carry the bulk of the load in Thompson’s absence.

DAILY FACEOFF: Ottawa Senators goaltender Anton Forsberg is out indefinitely with left and right knee MCL injuries. Meanwhile, Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson will be sidelined for at least two weeks with an upper-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This could be the final nail in the coffin for the Senators’ slim playoff hopes.

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH: Blues defenseman Scott Perunovich is one step closer to making his season debut. Sidelined by a preseason shoulder injury, he’s been sent to the Blues’ AHL affiliate in Springfield on a conditioning assignment.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 19, 2022

by | Jul 19, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 19, 2022

The Flames take Matthew Tkachuk to arbitration, the latest noteworthy contract signings, the Ducks aren’t done making off-season moves, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: The Flames are taking winger Matthew Tkachuk to arbitration after the 24-year-old winger opted not to file for player-elected arbitration by Sunday’s deadline.

Calgary Flames winger Matthew Tkachuk (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The move sets a deadline for the two sides to hammer out an agreement on a new contract. It also prevents Tkachuk from receiving offer sheets from rival clubs.

This decision by the Flames will likely raise concerns among the fanbase that he could end up with just a one-year deal taking him up to unrestricted free agent status next summer. It could also lead to his name popping up in trade rumors.

The arbitration period begins on July 27 and ends on Aug. 11. The schedule for those hearings has yet to be released.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: The Canadiens signed restricted free agent goaltender Samuel Montembeault to a two-year, one-way contract worth an average annual value of $1 million. The signing leaves the Canadiens with $1.2 million in cap space with 22 roster players signed for 2022-23.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is likely an insurance move by the Canadiens given the ongoing uncertainty over the status of starting goalie Carey Price as he continues to deal with the effects of last summer’s knee surgery. Center Kirby Dach is their sole remaining free agent among their roster players.

NBC SPORTS BAY AREA: The San Jose Sharks re-signed restricted free agent forward Luke Kunin and goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen to two-year contracts with an average annual value of $2.75 million.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: Anaheim Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek continues to work on his off-season roster makeover. He’d like to sign a free-agent forward and a defenseman but didn’t indicate which players he’s targeted in the UFA market.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Verbeek made two notable free-agent additions last week, bringing in forwards Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano.

TSN: Arizona Coyotes defenseman Conor Timmins released a statement on Monday indicating he was not involved in an alleged sexual assault involving members of Canada’s 2018 world junior team. His statement comes a week after Hockey Canada announced it was reopening its investigation into the alleged assault.

Timmins joins Toronto Maple Leafs blueliner Victor Mete in publicly declaring their innocence. The agent for Colorado Avalanche rearguard Cale Makar said his client wasn’t involved in the incident and had cooperated in the initial investigation.

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Ed Olczyk is leaving the Blackhawks broadcast teams after the two sides failed to reach an agreement on a new contract. He’ll be joining the Seattle Kraken broadcast booth and continuing as a hockey analyst for TNT.

TSN: Jake Virtanen’s sexual assault trial is underway in British Columbus. The alleged incident took place in Sept. 2017 when he was a member of the Vancouver Canucks.

NHL.COM: Defenseman Andrej Sekera has retired after 16 NHL seasons. He had 253 points in 842 regular-season games with the Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, Carolina Hurricanes and Buffalo Sabres between 2006-07 to 2021-22.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Sekera and his family in their future endeavors.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The Flyers are reportedly replacing their trainers as well as long-time equipment manager Harry Bricker.

THE PROVINCE: Former Canucks general manager Jack Gordon passed away last month in Minnesota at age 94. He was GM of the clubs from 1985 to 1987, during which he’s remembered for trading a young Cam Neely to the Boston Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Gordon’s family, friends and the Canucks organization.










Several NHL Teams Going With Unproven Playoff Goalies

by | May 15, 2021

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Top 10 NHL 2020-21 Calder Trophy Candidates

by | Jan 14, 2021

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NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 13, 2020

by | Oct 13, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 13, 2020

The latest on Marc-Andre Fleury and Robin Lehner, Canucks acquire Nate Schmidt, the Islanders sign Cory Schneider and trade Devon Toews to the Avalanche, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

SPORTSNET: Vegas Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon said he will be keeping his goaltending tandem intact for next season and won’t be trading Marc-Andre Fleury. He also indicated Robin Lehner will undergo shoulder surgery but will recover in time for training camp.

Marc-Andre Fleury is staying with the Vegas Golden Knights (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fleury was the subject of trade speculation after Lehner got the bulk of the starts in the playoffs and signed a contract extension earlier this month. There was talk they were trying to move Fleury by getting a third team involved who would absorb part of his $7 million salary-cap hit. It was assumed he’d be moved to clear salary-cap space to sign Alex Pietrangelo, but the Golden Knights made another move (see below) to address that issue.

The coming season could be Fleury’s last in Vegas. He lacks a full no-movement clause and will likely be left unprotected in next year’s expansion draft.

THE PROVINCE: The Golden Knights found another way to shed some cap payroll after signing Pietrangelo yesterday, trading Nate Schmidt to the Vancouver Canucks for a third-round pick in 2022.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights shed Schmidt’s $5.95 million cap hit. They’re still above the $81.5 million salary cap by over $974K but that’s within the 10 percent allowable offseason cap overage.

The Canucks, meanwhile, find a suitable replacement for Chris Tanev, who signed with Calgary as a free agent. Schmidt is a good puck-moving defenseman who can log over 21 minutes per game and skate on the left or right side of the blueline. He’s got five years remaining on his contract, which could become a cap headache in the latter years, but he should be a welcome addition to the Canucks defense corps in the short term.

TSN: The New York Islanders signed goaltender Cory Schneider to a one-year, $700K contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Isles are expected to go with Semyon Varlamov and promising Ilya Sorokin as their goalie tandem next season. Schneider is an affordable insurance move in case Sorokin struggles to adjust at the NHL level.

THE DENVER POST: The Colorado Avalanche acquired defenseman Devon Toews from the Islanders in exchange for a second-round pick in 2021 and a second-rounder in 2022. They also re-signed defenseman Ryan Graves to a three-year, $9.5 million contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avs were looking for a defenseman after shipping Nikita Zadorov to Chicago for Brandon Saad over the weekend. Toews, 26, is a fine replacement. Colorado GM Joe Sakic sang his praises as “a smart, two-way puck-moving defenseman” who logs over 20 minutes per game and is “excellent in transition”.

Graves’ new contract is worth an annual average value of $3.16 million. That’s a considerable raise over the $735K of his previous deal. He earned it with a career-best 26-point performance and a league-leading plus-minus of plus-40.

Speaking of the Avalanche, The Athletic’s Ryan S. Clark took to Twitter reporting preliminary contract talks have begun with captain Gabriel Landeskog. He’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: The Flyers signed defenseman Erik Gustafsson to a one-year, $3-million contract.

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: The Blackhawks signed center Mattias Janmark to a one-year, $2.25-million contract and center Lucas Wallmark to a one-year deal worth $950K.

TWINCITIES.COM: The Minnesota Wild re-signed goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen to a two-year, $1.45-million contract.

NEW YORK POST: Alexis Lafreniere signed a three-year entry-level contract with the New York Rangers. The 19-year-old left-winger was the first-overall pick in this year’s NHL Draft.

THE ATHLETIC: Bill Shea reports talks are ongoing to extend the NHL’s 10-year, $2-billion broadcast rights contract with NBC Sports that expires at the end of next season. While the league’s playoff ratings were down due to the pandemic, it still helped NBCSN have one of its best-ever third quarters. ESPN, Fox Sports and Turner Sports are also interested in the NHL’s TV and streaming business.