NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 23, 2024

by | Aug 23, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 23, 2024

The Jets and Penguins swap top prospects McGroarty and Yager plus the latest on Valeri Nichushkin, Travis Konecny, Anthony Duclair and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

WINNIPEG SUN/PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Winnipeg Jets traded prospect winger Rutger McGroarty to the Pittsburgh Penguins for prospect center Brayden Yager.

McGroarty, 20, was the Jets’ first-round pick (14th overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft. He’s spent the past two seasons with the University of Michigan and had hoped to join the Jets this season but that club intended to start him with their AHL affiliate.

Pittsburgh Penguins acquire Rutger McGroarty. (NHL Images).

The disagreement with the Jets over the timeline of McGroarty’s path indicated he’d return to Michigan this season, sparking rumors he’d welcome a trade to a club where he’d have a better opportunity of playing in the NHL. McGroarty signed an entry-level deal with the Penguins following this trade.

Yager was selected 14th overall by the Penguins in the 2023 draft. The 19-year-old center spent the past four seasons with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors. He signed an entry-level contract with the Penguins last month. He was touted as a second-line center and was expected to battle for a roster spot in training camp next month.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McGroarty’s unhappiness over the Jets’ plans for his development forced them to make this move. The Penguins did this deal because he’s a year ahead of Yager, a little larger physically, and believed to be a year closer to reaching the NHL. He could bring a welcome injection of youthful skill and physicality into the retooling Penguins’ roster.

A Saskatchewan native, Yager said he’s thrilled to join a Canadian team close to his family. He has the speed and ability to one day become a scoring center with the Jets.

In the short term, both teams won because they addressed their respective needs by swapping their top prospects. Time will tell how this deal pans out over the long term.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Evan Rawal cites an interview by Russian national team scout Sergey Fedotov with Sports.ru claiming Valeri Nichushkin will return to the Colorado Avalanche in November.

Nichushkin, 29, is currently in stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program and is suspended until November.

Fedotov claims to be close to Nichushkin. He said the winger is training and also working with a psychologist in anticipation of rejoining the Avalanche when his suspension ends in November.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fedotov also claims the Avs owner wanted to get rid of Nichushkin, adding some players and people in management would also prefer if he didn’t return. However, Rawal suggests those comments should be taken with a grain of salt, pointing out that the Avs can’t terminate Nichushkin’s contract, aren’t interested in trading him, and hope to rehabilitate him.

NEW YORK POST/NYI HOCKEY NOW: New Islanders winger Anthony Duclair cut his dreadlocks and shaved his beard to comply with the club’s dress code.

Duclair signed a four-year contract with the Islanders as a free agent last month. Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello has a long-standing policy regarding his players’ hair and facial hair designed to promote team discipline and unity, putting no individual above the team.

Lamoriello’s rules have come under criticism by some observers, considering the policy outdated and unnecessary.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As a military veteran, part of me doesn’t have a problem with Lamoriello’s dress code as part of the job. On the other hand, I can understand why his critics consider his policy archaic and out of touch with today’s NHL.

I’m more interested in Duclair’s opinion. He knew Lamoriello’s dress code for his players before signing with them and doesn’t seem to have an issue with it.

Lamoriello contacted Duclair’s agent hoping to sign the 28-year-old winger to bolster the Isles’ offense. Being wanted by a team willing to invest in him for four years was perhaps more important to Duclair than the club’s hair policy.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Reports indicate a home believed to be owned by Flyers winger Travis Konecny in New Jersey suffered a devastating fire. Konecny and his family weren’t in the residence at the time of the blaze.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report also indicated two firefighters suffered minor burns but didn’t require additional treatment. The cause of the blaze wasn’t disclosed and is under investigation.

TSN: Veteran forward Sammy Blais signed with the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks and will attend the Vancouver Canucks’ training camp on a professional tryout offer (PTO). Blais, 28, had seven points in 53 games with the St. Louis Blues last season.

The Penguins signed defenseman Nikolai Knyzhov to a PTO contract. He appeared in 10 games last season with the San Jose Sharks.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 30, 2023

by | Mar 30, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 30, 2023

The Panthers rally to nip the Leafs, the Wild widen their lead in the Central Division, the Islanders strengthen their hold in the first Eastern wild-card spot, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers overcame a 2-1 deficit to defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 on an overtime goal by Brandon Montour. Alex Lyon got the win with a 38-save performance while Sam Reinhart had a goal and an assist for the 37-31-7 Panthers (81 points), who moved one point behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Auston Matthews tallied his 37th goal of the season for the 44-20-10 Leafs as they sit second in the Atlantic Division with 98 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers rallied thanks to head coach Paul Maurice’s mid-game profanity-laced tirade toward his players on the bench. Lyon got the call in goal as Sergei Bobrovsky was sidelined by illness.

Minnesota Wild forward Frederick Gaudreau scored two shorthanded goals to double up the Colorado Avalanche 4-2. Filip Gustavsson kicked out 42 shots for the Wild (44-22-9) as they hold a three-point lead over the Dallas Stars for first place in the Central Division with 97 points. Bowen Byram and Lars Eller replied for the 44-26-6 Avalanche, who remain in third place in the Central with 94 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild winger Ryan Reaves was unavailable for this game with an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar wasn’t pleased with his club’s performance in this game, claiming there were “some passengers” among his players. In other words, he believes some of them didn’t play up to their expected level of performance.

New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (NHL Images).

New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin picked up his eighth win in 10 starts through March in a 2-1 shootout victory over the Washington Capitals. Bo Horvat and Kyle Palmieri tallied in the shootout as the Islanders improved to 39-28-9 (87 points) to open a five-point lead over Pittsburgh for the first Eastern wild-card spot. The Capitals (34-32-9) are five points behind the Penguins.

HEADLINES

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery dismissed a TSN report claiming Taylor Hall was close to returning to the lineup. “The only thing I can say is that I know he is not cleared. That’s what I know so that report to me is false,” said Montgomery.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report cited sources claiming Hall felt he was ready to return but the Bruins lack the salary-cap space to activate him, speculating they could attempt to stretch it out until the playoffs start when the cap no longer applies.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers yesterday signed Filip Chytil to a four-year, $17.75 million contract beginning in 2023-24. The average annual value is $4.4375 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A reasonable deal for Chytil, who centers the Rangers’ third line between Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko. The 23-year-old was slated to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights who is earning $2.3 million on his current deal. He’s enjoying a career-best performance with 22 goals and 42 points in 66 games.

Cap Friendly indicates this signing leaves the Rangers with a projected $12.3 million in cap space for 2023-24 with 14 roster players under contract. Lafreniere and K’Andre Miller are also eligible for RFA status this summer.

THE SCORE: Ottawa Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot is likely sidelined for a couple of weeks with an upper-body injury.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings goaltender Ville Husso won’t be out of the rest of the season with a lower-body injury after all. He’s not expected to return this week but could get in some games before the season’s end. Winger Robby Fabbri, however, is confirmed to be out for the season following surgery to address a lower-body injury that will take four to six weeks of recovery.

CTV NEWS OTTAWA: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman recently said the league will evaluate its Pride Nights after a handful of players refused to wear Pride-themed jerseys during pregame warmups.

ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports Buffalo Sabres prospect goaltender Devon Levi will make his NHL debut on Friday against the Rangers.

THE MERCURY NEWS: The San Jose Sharks signed forward Nikolai Knyzhov to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $1.25 million.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 14, 2022

by | Aug 14, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 14, 2022

The Hurricanes plan to start the season without Max Pacioretty, Sharks defenseman Nikolai Knyzhov sidelined for six months, making the case for Logan Thompson to replace Golden Knights starter Robin Lehner, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Carolina Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell won’t make any immediate moves to replace Max Pacioretty. Recently acquired in a trade from the Vegas Golden Knights, the 33-year-old winger is sidelined for six months after suffering a torn Achilles’ tendon during training.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Max Pacioretty (NHL Images).

Waddell admitted it’s an unexpected setback but believes the Hurricanes have sufficient depth to offset Pacioretty’s absence until his return later in the upcoming season. The winger is expected to be placed on long-term injury reserve.

The Hurricanes GM said he’s received calls from clubs looking to dump salary. He didn’t rule out such a move if it made sense for his team but he also pointed out that they will need that space when Pacioretty returns.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There was some speculation that Waddell might attempt to buy out Jake Gardiner but he indicated that’s not going to happen. The blueliner missed 2021-22 recovering from hip surgery but he’s resumed training in hope of playing this coming season.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of players suffering a torn Achilles’ tendon, Sharks defenseman Nikolai Knyzhov will be sidelined for approximately six months after undergoing surgery on Aug. 10.

The 24-year-old defenseman was the Sharks’ rookie of the year in 2020-21 by earning a top-four spot alongside Erik Karlsson. However, he missed all of last season to groin injuries and a post-surgery infection.

DAILY FACEOFF: Mike McKenna makes the case for Logan Thompson to fill in for Vegas Golden Knights starter Robin Lehner, who is out for the coming season due to hip surgery.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lehner’s injury prompted speculation that the Golden Knights would attempt to find a short-term replacement via trade or free agency. However, the pickings are slim in both markets. Potential trade partners could also squeeze them to part with a promising young asset as part of the return. My guess is they’ll start the season with Thompson as their starter and see how things unfold.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of the Golden Knights, they signed depth forward Jake Leschyshyn and Paul Cotter to three-year contracts. Leschyshyn’s deal is a one-way contract worth an annual average value of $766K while Cotter’s is a two-way deal in the first year and one-way in the second year earning $775K at the NHL level.

NEW YORK POST: Islanders prospect Aatu Raty is hoping to earn a roster spot with the parent club this season. He spent most of last season in Finland and briefly played for the Isles AHL affiliate.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The 19-year-old forward is among the leading scorers at the ongoing 2022 World Junior Championship in Alberta.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 18, 2021

by | Oct 18, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 18, 2021

​The Senators hold off the Stars, Jimmy Hayes’ family reveals his cause of death, plus the latest on Brady Tkachuk, Auston Matthews, Nathan MacKinnon, Erik Karlsson and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: Chris Tierney scored two power-play goals as the Ottawa Senators held off the Dallas Stars for a 3-2 victory in Sunday’s only game on the NHL schedule. Connor Brown assisted on all three Senators’ goals while Filip Gustavsson made 32 saves for the win. Michael Raffl and Joe Pavelski replied for the Stars.

OTTAWA SUN: Speaking of the Senators, head coach D.J. Smith revealed Brady Tkachuk will make his season debut on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks. The 21-year-old left winger missed training camp and the opening game of the season due to contract negotiations. Signed to a new seven-year deal on Thursday, the Senators felt he needed time to get himself prepared.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In other words, they don’t want to rush Tkachuk into the lineup and risk an injury before he’s in game shape.

THE BOSTON GLOBE: The family of Jimmy Hayes revealed Sunday the former NHL forward died on Aug. 23 with fentanyl and cocaine in his system. They hope telling his story will help save lives.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This story indicates Hayes got addicted to painkillers dealing with an injury. His father noticed a problem 16-17 months ago and spoke to his son. Hayes subsequently received help and seemed on the path to recovery.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

The opioid epidemic doesn’t discriminate. Regardless of age or status, it is destroying lives at an alarming rate.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews makes his season debut tonight against the New York Rangers. He underwent wrist surgery two months ago.

SPORTSNET: Speaking of the Leafs, they’ve recalled goaltender Michael Hutchison on an emergency basis. Salary cap constraints forced them to bring in University of Toronto netminder Alex Bishop on a one-day amateur tryout as Jack Campbell’s backup during Saturday’s 3-1 win over the Senators.

THE DENVER POST: Nathan MacKinnon remains sidelined by COVID protocol and won’t travel with the team to Washington today. Defenseman Jack Johnson will make the trip following a negative COVID test on Saturday.

NBC SPORTS BAY AREA: San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson still considers himself among the best players in the game as he looks to bounce back from a down year last season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Injuries hampered Karlsson in 2018-19 and 2019-20. He missed only four games last season but his production dropped to a career-low 22 points. The Sharks will need a solid effort from a healthy 31-year-old Karlsson if they hope to make the playoffs this season.

THE ATHLETIC: Karlsson’s teammate Nikolai Knyzhov will undergo surgery this week on a lower-body injury. He’s expected to be sidelined eight to 10 weeks.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers winger Kaapo Kakko suffered an upper-body injury Saturday and was placed on injured reserve yesterday.

CALGARY SUN: Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson was fined $5,000.00 by the NHL department of player safety for roughing Edmonton Oilers winger Kailer Yamamoto on Saturday.

TSN: Former Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Mikko Lehtonen signed a four-year contract with the KHL’s SKA St. Petersburg. He recently refused assignment to the AHL and he and the Jackets agreed to terminate his contract.

THE PROVINCE: The son of Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning was hospitalized following an alleged assault outside a local nightspot early Sunday morning. The 25-year-old and his sister were reportedly attacked by four men outside the nightclub. He declined assistance from paramedics for facial injuries and went to the hospital himself. Jim Benning and the Canucks declined to comment.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Here’s hoping Benning’s son is ok. No word yet if anyone has been apprehended.