NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 30, 2024

by | Oct 30, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 30, 2024

Alex Ovechkin continues his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s goal record, Penguins fans salute Marc-Andre Fleury in his last game in Pittsburgh, the Red Wings ship Olli Maatta to Utah, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin continued to pursue Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record, tallying twice in a 5-3 victory over the New York Rangers. Aliaksei Protas has a goal and two assists for the Capitals, who improved their record to 6-2-0. Igor Shesterkin made 41 saves for the Rangers, who were outshot 46-19 by the Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury. Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery mentioned a little concern in his postgame press conference but didn’t know the extent of the injury.

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

Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury made 26 saves as his club beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-3 in what is likely his final game in Pittsburgh. Frederick Gaudreau scored twice and collected an assist and Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and two assists for the Wild. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby had three assists and teammate Rickard Rakell scored two goals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fleury began his NHL career in Pittsburgh, playing 13 seasons for the Penguins and helping them win three Stanley Cups. He intends to retire at the end of this season. The fans chanted Fleury’s name following the game as he saluted the crowd to a standing ovation.

Pittsburgh has lost six straight (0-5-1) and sits at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. They also announced winger Bryan Rust is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury suffered during Saturday’s loss to the Vancouver Canucks.

The Seattle Kraken thumped the Montreal Canadiens 8-2. Brandon Montour led the way with his first career hat trick and added an assist while Chandler Stephenson had two helpers for the Kraken. Montreal goaltender Sam Montembeault got the hook after giving up five goals on 10 shots. Canadiens winger Cole Caufield sniped his ninth goal, tying New Jersey’s Nico Hischier for the league goal-scoring lead.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Montour and Stephenson came to Seattle as free agents this summer. Their performance against the Canadiens puts them among the Kraken’s leading scorers.

Ottawa Senators forward Tim Stutzle scored two goals and collected two assists as his club crushed the St. Louis Blues 8-1. Brady Tkachuk and Adam Gaudette each scored twice and Linus Ullmark turned aside 26 shots. Blue goalie Joel Hofer was pulled after giving up five goals on 21 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The start of this game was briefly delayed by a power outage at Canadian Tire Centre due to electrical storms in the area. Blues winger Kasperi Kapanen left this game with an upper-body injury in the second period. There was no postgame word regarding his condition. Before the game, the Blues announced forward Alexey Toropchenko agreed to a one-year contract extension worth $1.7 million. 

Philadelphia Flyers netminder Samuel Ersson made 23 saves to shut out the Boston Bruins 2-0. Tyler Foerster and Joel Farabee were the goal scorers. Joonas Korpisalo stopped 17 shots for the Bruins (4-5-1) as they slipped into last place in the Atlantic Division.

The San Jose Sharks doubled up the Los Angeles Kings 4-2 to pick up their second straight win after starting the season 0-7-2. Jake Walman had a goal and two assists and Vitek Vanecek made 26 saves for Los Tiburones. Akil Thomas and Alex Laferriere replied for the Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kings forward Kevin Fiala was a healthy scratch for missing a team meeting. Meanwhile, the Sharks placed Ty Dellandrea (upper body) on injured reserve. 

Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal kicked out 40 shots, including 17 in the first period, in a 3-1 victory over the New York Islanders. Frank Vatrano and Mason McTavish each had two points for the Ducks. Mathew Barzal scored for the Isles.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov missed his second straight game with an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

HEADLINES

MLIVE.COM: The Detroit Red Wings traded defenseman Olli Maatta to the Utah Hockey Club in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Utah needed to add some experienced depth to their injury-battered blueline with Sean Durzi and John Marino out for months recovering from surgeries. The 30-year-old Maatta has averaged over 18 minutes of ice time per game in his 11 NHL seasons and won two Stanley Cups with the Penguins in 2016 and 2017.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers called up forwards Noah Philp and Drake Caggiula from their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield as they await word on the severity of Connor McDavid’s leg injury. The Oilers captain was sidelined on Monday after falling awkwardly into the boards during the opening shift against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

SPORTSNET: The NHL’s department of player safety fined Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin $5,000 for high-sticking Florida Panthers forward Anton Lundell.

CALGARY SUN: Flames captain Mikael Backlund is scheduled to play in his 1,000th career NHL regular-season game when his club faces Utah HC on Wednesday.

SPORTSNET: The Toronto Maple Leafs sent forward Fraser Minten to their AHL affiliate.

RG.ORG: Hockey Hall-of-Famer Sergei Zubov believes Philadelphia Flyers forward Matvei Michkov and Montreal Canadiens prospect Ivan Demidov represent the future of Russian Hockey. Zubov praised Michkov’s focus on goal scoring and Demidov’s growth playing alongside veterans like former NHL center Evgeny Kuznetsov.

TORONTO SUN: Steve Simmons ponders the mystery of Alexander Mogilny’s exclusion from the Hockey Hall of Fame.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Simmons isn’t the only person wondering why the HHoF continues to snub Mogilny. The Sun scribe says he’s asked several Hall of Fame voters about it but they’re sworn to secrecy about the selection process.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 20, 2024

by | Oct 20, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 20, 2024

Recaps of Saturday’s 13 games, injury updates and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

NHL.COM: Ottawa Senators forward Drake Batherson scored two goals and collected an assist in a 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning, handing the latter their first loss of the season. Jake Guentzel scored his first goal of the season with the Lightning while Nikita Kucherov had a goal and an assist.

Ottawa Senators forward Drake Batherson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning’s special teams were their undoing in this contest, giving up two powerplay goals and a shorthanded goal. Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark (lower-body strain) is close to returning to action but the club opted to err on the side of caution and kept him out of this game.

The Detroit Red Wings tallied three unanswered third-period goals to defeat the Nashville Predators 5-2. Andrew Copp scored twice and Alex Lyon made 37 saves for the Red Wings, including a highlight-reel stop with the knob of his stick on Steven Stamkos, who scored his first with the Predators in this contest.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Predators are still searching for their first win of the season (0-5-0). Stamkos believes their effort has been sporadic in those games.

Dallas Stars forward Matt Duchene scored two goals in a 4-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers. Roope Hintz had a goal and two assists, Jason Robertson had a goal and an assist, and goalie Jake Oettinger stopped 30 shots for the win. Leon Draisaitl replied for the Oilers as their win streak ended at two games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars announced before this game that they placed defenseman Matt Dumba (lower body) on injured reserve.

An overtime goal by Gustav Forsling lifted the Florida Panthers to a 4-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. Sam Reinhart had a goal and two assists and Sam Bennett had a goal and an assist for the Panthers. Ilya Samsonov kicked out 45 shots and Tanner Pearson had a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights.

The New York Rangers got a 34-save performance by Igor Shesterkin to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1. Chris Kreider scored twice and Mika Zibanejad and Reilly Smith each had two assists as the Rangers picked up their third straight victory. Auston Matthews scored for the Maple Leafs.

Washington Capitals winger Tom Wilson scored two goals (including the winner in overtime) and an assist as his club nipped the New Jersey Devils 6-5. Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin netted his first of the season and Dylan Strome had a goal and two assists. Devils captain Nico Hischier tallied twice and picked up an assist and Timo Meier had three helpers.

New York Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson scored in the ninth round of the shootout to give his team a 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Dobson also had two assists in regulation play. Cole Caufield scored twice, including the game-tying tally, and Juraj Slafkovsky had two assists for the Canadiens, who overcame 2-0 and 3-2 deficits.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders winger Anthony Duclair left this game in the third period after injuring his right leg. There was no postgame update on his status.

The Vancouver Canucks got a 26-save shutout from Kevin Lankinen to blank the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0. Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers picked up an assist in his 1,000th career NHL regular-season game. Nils Hoglander, Brock Boeser and Kiefer Sherwood were the goalscorers. The Flyers have lost four straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers captain Sean Couturier played in his 800th career game as a fourth-line left winger as head coach John Tortorella shook up his forward lines.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and an assist in a 3-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Filip Gustavsson got the win with a 23-save performance. Yegor Chinakhov scored for the Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild forward Ryan Hartman missed this contest with an upper-body injury. Before this game, Blue Jackets head coach Dean Evason said the upper-body injury suffered by Kent Johnson on Thursday against Buffalo was not a short-term thing. There is no timeline for Johnson’s return.

The St. Louis Blues defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3. Joel Hofer stopped 37 shots for the win while Mathieu Joseph and Jake Neighbours had a goal and an assist each for the Blues. Andrei Svechnikov had a goal and an assist and Sebastian Aho had two helpers for the Hurricanes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues forward Alexey Toropchenko missed this game and is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

Buffalo Sabres forward JJ Peterka scored his fourth goal in three games as his club doubled up the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 35 saves for the Sabres. Craig Smith scored both goals for Chicago.

Utah Hockey Club’s Michael Kesselring scored in overtime to give his team a 2-1 win over the Boston Bruins. Utah goaltender Connor Ingram became the first goaltender in NHL history with a season-opening five-game points streak for a team in its inaugural campaign.

An overtime goal by Jordan Eberle lifted the Seattle Kraken over the Calgary Flames 2-1, handing the latter their first loss of the season (4-0-1). Chandler Stephenson also scored for the Kraken as they picked up their third straight victory. Blake Coleman tallied for the Flames.

IN OTHER NEWS…

The Los Angeles Kings announced they’ve placed goaltender Darcy Kuemper (lower body) on injured reserve, removed defenseman Joel Edmundson from non-roster designation, and recalled goalie Pheonix Copley from their AHL affiliate.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin has returned to Colorado and is skating on his own. He’s suspended until Nov. 13 as part of Stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program.

Meanwhile, newly acquired Avalanche goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen practiced with his teammates for the first time on Saturday. Kahkonen was claimed off waivers from the Winnipeg Jets on Oct. 11 but had to update his work permit and visa before joining his new team.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins recalled goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic from their AHL affiliate. He will accompany the club during its upcoming four-game road trip through Western Canada.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins will carry three goalies as Nedeljkovic joins Tristan Jarry and Joel Blomqvist.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 18, 2024

by | Oct 18, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 18, 2024

In today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines, a hat-trick performance by Rangers winger Artemi Panarin, the Stars re-sign goaltender Jake Oettinger, Nikita Kucherov lifts the Lightning over the Golden Knights, and more.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin tallied a hat trick and collected an assist in a 5-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Vincent Trocheck had a goal and three assists and Adam Fox collected three helpers for the Rangers. J.T. Compher had a goal and an assist for the Red Wings.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 11 points, Panarin is tied with Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin for the league scoring lead.

Washington Capitals winger Taylor Raddysh snapped a 2-2 tie as his club upset the Dallas Stars 3-2. Tom Wilson scored for the third straight game and Charlie Lindgren made 22 saves for the win. Colin Blackwell and Jason Robertson replied for the Stars.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Stars announced they signed goaltender Jake Oettinger to an eight-year contract extension with an average annual value of $8.25 million. If those numbers sound familiar, it’s because the Boston Bruins inked goalie Jeremy Swayman to a similar deal, though his deal began this season while Oettinger’s starts next season.

Oettinger, 25, will be the league’s fifth-highest-paid goalie. In a statement, Stars general manager Jim Nill said Oettinger “has established himself as one of the elite goaltenders in the NHL.” He’s backstopped the Stars to three straight playoff appearances and back-to-back trips to the Western Conference Final.

The Tampa Bay Lightning nipped the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3. Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov scored twice, including the game-winner with 55 seconds remaining in the third period. Janis Moser had a goal and two assists for the Lightning. Jack Eichel collected two assists for the Golden Knights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Eichel is second among all NHL scorers with 10 points.

An overtime goal by J.T. Miller lifted the Vancouver Canucks to a 3-2 victory over the Florida Panthers. Teddy Blueger and Quinn Hughes also scored for the Canucks while Jesper Boqvist and Anton Lundell scored for the Panthers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers were without center Aleksander Barkov (lower body) and winger Matthew Tkachuk (illness) for the third straight game. Both forwards are expected to return to the lineup next week.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid tallied his first goal of the season as his club doubled up the Nashville Predators 4-2. Brett Kulak scored two goals and Calvin Pickard stopped 25 shots as the Oilers picked up their second straight win. Filip Forsberg and Jonathan Marchessault scored for the Predators, who have lost their first four games of the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Following the game, Marchessault acknowledged this season hasn’t started the way they wanted, admitting the roster is feeling a little fragile right now. The Predators began this season with heightened expectations after signing Marchessault, forward Steven Stamkos and defenseman Brady Skjei.

Predators defenseman Luke Schenn reached a personal milestone, appearing in his 1,000th NHL regular-season game.

The St. Louis Blues got a 34-save shutout from netminder Joel Hofer to blank the New York Islanders 1-0. Jake Neighbours tallied the only goal. Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin turned aside 29 shots.

Los Angeles Kings goalie David Rittich made 26 saves as his club ended a three-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist for the Kings. Justin Barron replied for the Canadiens, who also lost defenseman Mike Matheson in the first period with an upper-body injury, though he’s expected to be ready to play in Saturday’s game against the New York Islanders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis and team captain Nick Suzuki weren’t pleased with their club’s performance against the Kings, with Suzuki calling it “an immature effort.” St. Louis promised to be proactive in addressing the issue after his club’s record sank to 2-3-0.

New Jersey Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom kicked out 30 shots in a 3-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Paul Cotter scored his fifth goal of the season for the Devils while Senators captain Brady Tkachuk netted his first of the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cotter is tied with the Rangers Artemi Panarin and Utah’s Dylan Guenther for second among the league’s goal scorers. Senators backup Anton Forsberg got the start for this game as Linus Ullmark is still recovering from a lower-body strain. He could return for Saturday’s game against the Lightning.

The Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the struggling Buffalo Sabres 6-4. Kirill Marchenko and Mathieu Olivier each had a goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets while Sabres rookie Juri Kulich potted his first career NHL goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The battered Blue Jackets suffered another injury as forward Kent Johnson left the game grasping his left hand and wrist. They did have some news as forward Justin Danforth made his season debut after recovering from wrist surgery.

Meanwhile, Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin said the Blue Jackets “came out hungrier than us.” He believes he and his teammates must be better after opening the season with a 1-4-1 record.

Seattle Kraken winger Jared McCann had a goal and two assists to lead his club to a 6-4 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Kraken forwards Jordan Eberle and Shane Wright each had a goal and an assist. Scott Laughton tallied twice for the Flyers.

The Chicago Blackhawks beat the San Jose Sharks 4-2. Connor Bedard and Teuvo Teravainen each picked up two assists and Tyler Bertuzzi scored his first of the season for the Blackhawks. Tyler Toffoli and Fabian Zetterlund replied for the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blackhawks announced defenseman Alex Martinez (groin strain) was placed on injured reserve before this game.

IN OTHER NEWS…

DAILY FACEOFF: Utah Hockey Club defenseman Sean Durzi (upper-body injury) will undergo surgery and is expected to miss four to five months.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Durzi is one of Utah’s top defensemen. His absence will be a big blow to their blueline depth.

TRIBLIVE.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins activated goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic off injured reserve and have sent him to their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for conditioning.

CALGARY SUN: Flames rookie forward Samuel Honzek is week-to-week with an upper-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 16, 2024

by | Oct 16, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 16, 2024

In today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines, the Blue Jackets honor Johnny Gaudreau in their home opener, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin reaches an assist milestone, the struggling Oilers picked up their first win of the season, and more.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Columbus Blue Jackets honored Johnny Gaudreau before their home opener against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday.

With Gaudreau’s family on the ice, the Jackets raised a banner with his number 13 in a pregame ceremony. During the opening faceoff, the Jackets started without a left winger, which was Gaudreau’s position. Both teams didn’t move following the puck drop, letting the puck come to rest where Gaudreau would’ve stood, and remained in place for 13 seconds.

Once the game resumed, the Panthers held off the Blue Jackets 4-3. Sam Reinhart had a goal and two assists and Spencer Knight made 35 saves for his first win in 21 months. Sean Monahan scored for the Blue Jackets and pointed to Gaudreau’s banner to honor his long-time friend and former Calgary Flames teammate.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blue Jackets defenseman Erik Gudbranson left the game with an upper-body injury after accidentally colliding with Monahan during the second period. Jackets coach Dean Evason described the injury as “not looking good”. That suggests Gudbranson could be sidelined for some time.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin had two assists, including the 700th of his NHL career, as his club doubled up the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2. Logan Thompson made 24 saves for the win over his former team and Jakub Vrana scored on his first shot in his return with the Capitals. Victor Olofsson and Jack Eichel replied for the Golden Knights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin becomes the sixth player in NHL history to score 700 goals and collect 700 assists. He joins Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Jaromir Jagr, Marcel Dionne, and Phil Esposito. He’s also the 60th player to reach the 700-assist plateau.

Ovechkin has three assists in two games but still seeks his first goal of the season and remains at 853 career goals. He remains 41 goals behind Gretzky’s record of 894.

The Golden Knights also lost Olofsson late in the third period when he injured his left leg. Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said it didn’t look good but hopes it’s not severe. Olofsson was seen on crutches after the game.

An overtime goal by Leon Draisaitl lifted the Edmonton Oilers to a 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers, snapping their season-opening three-game losing skid. Draisaitl finished with a goal and an assist and Connor McDavid collected two assists as they were put on the same line for the first time this season. The Flyers opened the scoring with a 2-0 lead as rookie Matvei Michkov tallied the first two goals of his NHL career.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A big comeback win by the Oilers, perhaps signaling that the slumbering Stanley Cup finalist is finally awakening from its season-opening slumber. It was a disappointing finish for the Flyers but their promising rookie Michkov finally breaks through after being limited to an assist in his first two games.

The Dallas Stars extended their season-opening win streak to 4-0-0 by nipping the San Jose Sharks 3-2 on a shootout goal by Wyatt Johnston. Matt Duchene and Roope Hintz scored for the Stars while Tyler Toffoli and former Star Ty Dellandrea replied for the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars played without forward Tyler Seguin and defenseman Matt Dumba. Seguin is day-to-day with a lower-body injury while Dumba (lower body) is week-to-week.

Meanwhile, the Calgary Flames are also 4-0-0 after beating the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1. Matt Coronato had two goals and goaltender Dustin Wolf turned aside 31 shots. Nick Foligno had the only goal for the Blackhawks.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson made 27 saves and tallied an empty-net goal in a 4-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Kirill Kaprizov collected two assists while Jakub Lauko scored the game-winner. Mathieu Joseph replied for the Blues.

The Tampa Bay Lightning won their home opener by beating the Vancouver Canucks 4-1. Brayden Point, Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli each had a goal and an assist for the Lightning. Conor Garland had the lone goal for the Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game was the first professional sports event in Tampa Bay since the second of back-to-back hurricanes in the region.

Four unanswered third-period goals lifted the Seattle Kraken to a 7-3 win over the Nashville Predators. Jaden Schwartz, Jared McCann, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Adam Larsson each had a goal and an assist for the Kraken. Michael McCarron, Tommy Novak and Brady Skjei scored for the Predators, who’ve dropped their first three games of the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Predators may have “won” free agency by signing Skjei, Steven Stamkos, and Jonathan Marchessault but that hasn’t resulted in significant improvement thus far.

Head coach Andrew Brunette said his team deserves to be where it is right now, claiming they’re playing firewagon hockey. “We’re trying to be cute. We’re trying to show how talented we are to everybody. But we’re not really playing with a purpose,” he said.

The Carolina Hurricanes got a 23-save performance from goalie Pyotr Kochetkov in his season debut to double up the New Jersey Devils 4-2. Hurricanes rookie Jackson Blake tallied his first career NHL goal. Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier replied for the Devils.

IN OTHER NEWS…

RG.ORG: James Murphy reports NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said he doesn’t see any reason for concern regarding the next round of collective bargaining with the NHL Players’ Association. Those talks are expected to begin in 2025.

Daly also admitted he’s surprised by the league’s strong and fast comeback from the COVID-19 pandemic. He believes the COVID period created a stronger demand and appreciation from fans for the live product, and feels the game is in better shape than ever before.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Daly also discussed the Utah Hockey Club and the league’s 4 Nations Face-Off in February. Follow the link above for the full interview.

TORONTO STAR: The good news for the Maple Leafs is John Tavares is out of sick bay. The bad news is William Nylander has caught the flu bug and is questionable for Wednesday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Buffalo Sabres hope to have JJ Peterka in the lineup when they face the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday. He’s been sidelined for the last two games after suffering a concussion in Czechia. Peterka was a full participant in practice on Tuesday.

DAILY FACEOFF: Utah Hockey Club defenseman Sean Durzi is out for the foreseeable future with an upper-body injury.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils goaltender Jake Allen set an NHL record with his 3-0 win over Utah on Monday. He’s the first goaltender to secure a win against 33 NHL clubs in his career.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – October 13, 2024

by | Oct 13, 2024

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – October 13, 2024

Check out the latest on the Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin and the Leafs’ Timothy Liljegren plus a look at the Kraken’s goaltending future in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

LATEST SHESTERKIN SPECULATION

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the start of this season was seen as a soft deadline for the New York Rangers to reach an agreement on a new contract with Igor Shesterkin.

The 28-year-old goaltender can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2025. He reportedly rejected an eight-year, $88 million offer last week from the Rangers.

Friedman indicates the Rangers believe they can still get Shesterkin under contract during this season if they can reach a number that will make the goaltender happy. He noted that Shesterkin has positioned himself as the Rangers’ best and most important player.

New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (NHL Images).

It’s near-certain that Shesterkin will not only become the highest-paid Ranger but also the NHL’s highest-paid goaltender.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Shesterkin is said to be seeking an average annual value of $12 million on an eight-year contract. The offer he rejected offer had an AAV of $11 million. Perhaps there’s a number in between that both sides can agree on.

Some fans don’t believe Shesterkin (or any goaltender) is worth that much. As Friedman pointed out, he’s well-positioned to seek that amount.

The Rangers need Shesterskin if they want to keep their Stanley Cup window open beyond this season. No one in their system can wrest the starter’s job away from him nor are there any viable alternatives in this season’s trade market and next summer’s free-agent market.

If the Rangers don’t sign Shesterkin they should start rebuilding their roster, replacing veterans like Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider, and Mika Zibanejad with promising youngsters. That also means finding a future starting goaltender.

UPDATE ON LILJEGREN

SPORTSNET: Luke Fox reports Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving is working the phones trying to trade Timothy Liljegren and his $3 million AAV. However, he believes if it were easy to trade a third-pairing defenseman with a second-pair salary, it would’ve happened by now.

Fox noted there isn’t any urgency to move Liljegren but there could be soon. The Leafs are maxed out in NHL contracts and salary-cap space. Players on long-term injury reserve like Jani Hakanpaa, Calle Jarnkrok and Connor Dewar will eventually return to the lineup. If another Leaf gets injured, that will delay the pressure to trade Liljegren.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fox doesn’t see Liljegren having a long-term future in Toronto. He speculates that a rival club with a banged-up blueline could come calling at some point.

Liljegren must see some playing time and improve his performance to generate interest from rival clubs. Even then, the Leafs might have to retain a portion of his salary to facilitate a deal.

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE IN GOAL FOR THE KRAKEN?

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Kate Shefte believes the Kraken’s goaltending future got interesting after they signed Joey Daccord last week to a five-year contract extension. The 28-year-old netminder will earn an AAV of $5 million starting next season.

The Kraken is also paying Philipp Grubauer $5.9 million annually through 2026-27. They’re investing a lot in two goaltenders.

Shefte cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggesting a possible buyout for Grubauer if Kraken management wished to go that route.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kraken could prefer trading Grubauer at some point. However, that could mean adding a sweetener like a quality draft pick or young player in the deal or retaining part of his average annual value.

A buyout next summer would count as $1.983 million against their cap for 2025-26, rising to $3.083 million for 2026-27 and dropping to $1.683 million annually for the final two years.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 13, 2024

by | Oct 13, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 13, 2024

The Flames pay an emotional pregame tribute to Johnny Gaudreau, Evgeni Malkin reaches another milestone, the Avs and Oilers continue to struggle, Utah HC wins again, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Calgary Flames held an emotional pregame ceremony to honor the late Johnny Gaudreau before skating to a 6-3 home-opening win against the Philadelphia Flyers. Jonathan Huberdeau led the way with two goals and two assists. Nazem Kadri tallied twice and Dustin Wolf got the win with a 37-save performance. Travis Konecny had two goals for the Flyers.

Calgary Flames honor Johnny Gaudreau (NHL.com).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gaudreau spent nine of his 11 NHL seasons with the Flames before signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2022. A drunk driver killed him and his brother Matthew in August.

During the ceremony, Gaudreau’s family shared a heartfelt message to the Flames and the city of Calgary, expressing their “deepest gratitude” to the team and the city for their support.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander scored two goals in a 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Mitch Marner had a goal and an assist for the Leafs. Penguins center Evgeni Malkin collected two assists to reach his 1,300th career NHL point.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs center John Tavares missed this game due to illness. Penguins winger Bryan Rust made his season debut after missing his club’s first two games with a lower-body injury.

The Columbus Blue Jackets upset the Colorado Avalanche 6-4. Sean Monahan, Kirill Marchenko and Yegor Chinakhov each had a goal and two assists for the Blue Jackets. Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev was pulled for the second straight game after giving up three goals on nine shots. His replacement, Justus Annunen, fared little better, allowing two goals on 13 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar defended Georgiev following this game, expressing “full faith” that he’ll bounce back. The 28-year-old netminder has shown he can rebound from some bad performances but his erratic play since last season is becoming a cause for concern among Avalanche followers.

Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard scored his first of the season and picked up two assists in a 5-2 upset of the Edmonton Oilers. Teuvo Teravainen had two goals and two assists, Seth Jones had a goal and two assists, and Petr Mrazek turned aside 36 shots for the Blackhawks. Corey Perry and Leon Draisaitl scored for the Oilers and Calvin Pickard allowed five goals on 20 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A well-deserved win for the rebuilding Blackhawks against a Stanley Cup finalist still searching for its groove two games into this season. The Oilers also got off to a flat start last season before they turned things around but it took a coaching change to wake them out. Current bench boss Kris Knoblauch isn’t in danger of losing his job at this stage in the season but that risk could increase if his players don’t elevate their play over the next few weeks.

The Utah Hockey Club upset the New York Rangers 6-5 on an overtime goal by Clayton Keller, who finished the night with two goals and an assist. Dylan Guenther also scored his fifth of the season for Utah, extending his goal streak to three games. Artemi Panarin tallied twice for the Rangers and Adam Fox had three helpers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Utah is 3-0-0 to start the season.

Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger had a 34-save shutout to blank the New York Islanders 3-0. Tyler Seguin tallied twice and Jamie Benn also scored for the Stars. Semyon Varlamov made 24 saves for the Islanders.

David Pastrnak’s overtime goal lifted the Boston Bruins to a 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. Jeremy Swayman made 33 saves and Elias Lindholm also scored for the Bruins. Trevor Moore opened the scoring for the Kings and Darcy Kuemper stopped 23 shots.

The Buffalo Sabres picked up their first win of the season by dropping the Florida Panthers 5-2. Devon Levi turned aside 23 shots and Alex Tuch had a goal and an assist for the Sabres. The Panthers played without captain Aleksander Barkov (lower-body injury) and winger Matthew Tkachuk (illness).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Barkov injured his leg during the final minutes of the Panthers’ 3-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Thursday. He will be sidelined for two to three weeks.

Detroit Red Wings goaltender Cam Talbot turned in a 42-save performance to shut out the Nashville Predators 3-0. J.T. Compher, Andrew Copp and Dylan Larkin were the goal scorers for the Red Wings as they picked up their first win of the season. Steven Stamkos is still seeking his first point since joining the Predators as a free agent in July.

The Montreal Canadiens got two goals from Cole Caufield to end a nine-game losing skid to the Ottawa Senators with a 4-1 win. Sam Montembeault kicked out 24 shots and rookie defenseman Lane Hutson picked up two assists for the Canadiens. Tim Stutzle scored for the Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Caufield has four goals in his first three games of this season.

New Jersey Devils forward Paul Cotter scored two goals to extend his goal streak to four games in a 5-3 victory over the Washington Capitals. Stefan Noesen and Erik Haula each collected three assists for the Devils. Dylan Strome and John Carlson each had a goal and an assist for the Capitals, who also lost defenseman Matt Roy in the second period with a lower-body injury.

Seattle Kraken captain Jordan Eberle scored two goals, including the 300th of his NHL career and the winner in a shootout, to lead his club to a 5-4 victory over the Minnesota Wild. Joey Daccord stopped 34 shots for the Kraken. Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and two assists while his teammates Mats Zuccarello and Matt Boldy each had a goal and an assist.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek was injured in the second period when he caught an elbow in the nose from Kraken defenseman Adam Larsson. There was no call on the play. He returned for one shift in the third period and didn’t travel with his teammates to Winnipeg for their Sunday game against the Jets.

The Anaheim Ducks blanked the San Jose Sharks 2-0. Lukas Dostal turned in a 30-save shutout while Isac Lundestrom and Trevor Zegras did the scoring. Before this game, the Sharks announced rookie center Macklin Celebrini was placed on injured reserve with a lower-body ailment believed to be a hip injury. There is no word on when he’ll return.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This news came two days after Celebrini scored a goal and collected an assist while logging over 17 minutes of ice time in his first NHL game. It’s uncertain when he suffered the injury during that game.