NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 18, 2025

by | Mar 18, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 18, 2025

Recaps of Monday’s games, the three stars of the week are revealed, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews scored two goals and collected an assist to lead his team over the Calgary Flames 6-2. William Nylander had a goal and two assists for the Leafs (83 points) as they moved within two points of the Atlantic Division-leading Florida Panthers. Rasmus Andersson and Kevin Bahl replied for the Flames (71 points), who remain two points behind the Vancouver Canucks for the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthews set an NHL record among American-born players with 36 multi-goal periods, surpassing Hall-of-Famer Jeremy Roenick (35). The Leafs are tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning but the latter holds second place in the division with 34 regulation wins. Meanwhile, the Flames have lost seven of their last nine games.

Speaking of the Lightning, they got a 21-save shutout from Andrei Vasilevskiy to blank the Philadelphia Flyers 2-0. Nikita Kucherov and Jake Guentzel scored for the Lightning as they pulled within two points of the division-leading Panthers. The Flyers have dropped eight of their last 10 games.

New Jersey Devils goaltender Jake Allen kicked out 45 shots in a 2-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets, handing the latter their fourth straight loss. Timo Meier and Jesper Bratt each tallied their 20th goals of the season. Mathieu Olivier scored for the Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils are third in the Metropolitan Division with 80 points. The Blue Jackets (70 points) remain two points behind the New York Rangers for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

Third-period goals by Mats Zuccarello and Marcus Johansson gave the Minnesota Wild a 3-1 win against the Los Angeles Kings, snapping the latter’s five-game win streak. Adrian Kempe scored for the Kings (81 points), who remain one point behind the second-place Edmonton Oilers in the Pacific Division. The Wild hold the first Western wild card with 81 points.

An overtime goal by Alex Tuch lifted the Buffalo Sabres over the Boston Bruins 3-2. Owen Power had a goal and two assists for the Sabres, who won two of their last three games. Morgan Geekie had a goal and an assist for the Bruins (69 points), who’ve lost six of their last eight and remain three points out of the final Eastern wild card.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres forwards JJ Peterka, Josh Norris and Jiri Kulich missed this game due to injuries. Peterka and Norris are expected to return to action later this week.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Los Angeles Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper, New Jersey Devils winger Jesper Bratt, and Seattle Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour are the league’s three stars for the week ending March 16, 2025.

The San Jose Sharks have been officially eliminated from the 2025 playoff race. A lack of secondary scoring doomed the rebuilding club’s postseason hopes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks’ postseason drought has reached six seasons. Before 2019-20, their longest stretch without playoff appearances was two years (1991-92 to 1992-93, 1995-96 to 1996-97).

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog joined his teammates for a full practice on Monday, though he’s still not cleared for contact. It marks the first time this season Landeskog has participated in a full practice as he attempts a comeback since undergoing knee surgeries nearly three years ago.

ROTOWIRE: Speaking of the Avalanche, defenseman Josh Manson will likely be sidelined week-to-week with an upper-body injury suffered during Friday’s game against the Calgary Flames.

NEW YORK POST: The Islanders will continue to rely heavily on goaltender Ilya Sorokin as they attempt to remain in the Eastern Conference wild-card race.

TSN: Clarification on goaltender interference and other coach’s challenges were the main topics on Monday during the league’s annual spring general managers’ meeting.

NHL.COM: Former NHL defenseman Tomas Kloucek sided Sunday following a skiing accident in Czechia. He was 45 years old.

Kloucek appeared in 141 NHL regular-season games with the New York Rangers, Nashville Predators and Atlanta Thrashers from 2000-01 to 2005-06, tallying two goals and eight assists for 10 points and 250 PIMs. He spent the remainder of his playing career in Europe, retiring in 2017.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Kloucek’s family, friends, former teammates and coaches.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 16, 2024

by | Nov 16, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 16, 2024

Recaps of Friday’s games plus the latest on Auston Matthews, David Perron, Mats Zuccarello, Frederik Andersen and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals forward Connor McMichael scored twice to lead his club over the Colorado Avalanche 5-2. Pierre-Luc Dubois collected two assists for the Capitals while Parker Kelly had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche, who pulled goaltender Justus Annunen after he gave up three goals on six shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Valeri Nichushkin, Jonathan Drouin and Miles Wood returned to the Avalanche lineup following long absences. Wood was the only one to collect a point, getting an assist on a goal by Nikolai Kovalenko. Avalanche netminder Alexandar Georgiev missed this game with an upper-body injury

Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf (NHL Images).

Calgary Flames rookie goalie Dustin Wolf stopped 29 shots for his first career NHL shutout in a 2-0 victory over the Nashville Predators. Daniil Miromanov and Blake Coleman were the goalscorers for the Flames. Juuse Saros turned aside 31 shots in a losing cause as the Predators have dropped six of their last seven contests.

The Vegas Golden Knights overcame a 2-0 deficit to double up the Utah Hockey Club 4-2. Golden Knights forwards Tomas Hertl and William Karlsson each scored two goals and Adin Hill made 32 saves for the win. Logan Cooley and Mikhael Sergachev were the goalscorers for Utah.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before puck drop, the Golden Knights announced they signed defenseman Brayden McNabb to a three-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $3.65 million. The deal includes a full no-trade clause in the first year, followed by a 10-team no-trade list in year two and a five-team list in the final season.

Anaheim Ducks rookie forward Cutter Gauthier scored his first NHL goal in a 6-4 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Olen Zellweger had a goal and two assists for the Ducks, who were down 3-1 at one point in this contest. Marco Kasper, Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat each had a goal and an assist as the Red Wings dropped three of their last four.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Ducks announced forward Robby Fabbri underwent arthroscopic knee surgery and will miss six to eight weeks.

The Columbus Blue Jackets snapped a six-game losing skid by thumping the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-2. Zach Werenski and Dmitri Voronkov each had a goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets. Anthony Beauvillier and Michael Bunting replied for the Penguins, who have only one victory in their last six games (1-3-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pittsburgh goaltender Tristan Jarry gave up five goals on 38 shots in his first game since Oct. 16. Penguins defenseman Kris Letang missed this contest with an illness while teammate Blake Lizotte (concussion) was placed on injured reserve, resulting in the Penguins activating forward Matt Nieto (knee) off IR.

HEADLINES

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews will not be in the lineup when his club faces off against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday evening. Matthews missed their last five games with an upper-body injury. Leafs coach Craig Berube said his captain has not suffered any setback as the club wants to give him time to recover fully.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators forward David Perron could suit up for Saturday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes. He’s missed the last 11 games after his infant daughter underwent surgery to remove a mass on her right lung. “We’re not fully out of the woods, but we’re getting there,” said Perron.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Perron and his family during this difficult time. Here’s hoping his daughter makes a complete recovery.

SPORTSNET: Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen will remain sidelined for the foreseeable future with a lower-body injury. His recovery period was originally listed as week-to-week but Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour indicated he’ll be out “way longer” than that. Meanwhile, netminder Pyotr Kochetkov is doubtful for Saturday’s game against the Senators. He’s dealing with an undisclosed injury but isn’t expected to be sidelined for long.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Minnesota Wild placed winger Mats Zuccarello (lower body) on IR for three to four weeks.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Kraken captain Jordan Eberle will be sidelined for at least two games with a middle-body injury requiring further evaluation.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Los Angeles Kings placed netminder Darcy Kuemper and defenseman Caleb Jones on injured reserve.

RG.ORG: Size is becoming less of a priority when drafting NHL players. From 2005 to 2009, 34 percent of first-rounders were 205 pounds or heavier, but only 11.4 percent met those criteria in the last five NHL drafts. Height, however, has remained roughly the same, suggesting bulk has been deprioritized.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Teams favor skill over bulk as the speed of the game increases and individual abilities such as puckhandling and playmaking improve.

DAILY FACEOFF: Matt Larkin examines why this season’s NHL average save percentage has dropped to .900, which, if it holds, would be the league’s lowest mark in 29 years.

Larkin attributes the decline not to changes in goalie equipment or a simple matter as offense is rising while goaltending is getting worse. He believes changes such as a crackdown on slashing have resulted in more east-west puck movement, a deemphasis on defense, an increase in power-play efficiency, and a lack of true standout goaltending stars are the main factors.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 25, 2024

by | Oct 25, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 25, 2024

Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky reaches a significant milestone, the Jets remain unbeaten, the Golden Knights re-sign Shea Theodore, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Sergei Bobrovsky became the fastest goaltender to reach 400 career wins (707 games), stopping 24 shots in a 3-1 victory over the New York Rangers, handing the latter their first regulation loss of the season. Anton Lundell, Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett scored for the Panthers while Alexis Lafreniere replied for the Rangers.

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bobrovsky is the 14th goaltender to reach the 400-win milestone. He’ll soon move past Chris Osgood (401), Grant Fuhr (403) and Glenn Hall (407) and should overtake Tony Esposito (423) later this season to move into 10th overall as he burnishes his case for induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Earlier in the day, the Rangers demoted popular enforcer Matt Rempe to their AHL affiliate in Hartford as he struggled to secure a full-time roster spot. They also placed defenseman Chad Ruhwedel on waivers.

The Winnipeg Jets extended their season-opening win streak to seven games as Nikolaj Ehlers scored in overtime to give his club a 4-3 win over the Seattle Kraken. The Jets held a 3-1 lead early in the third period but the Kraken battled back to force overtime. Nino Niederreiter scored two goals for the Jets as did Kraken center Matty Beniers, whose second goal tied the game late in the third.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets are the only team that hasn’t suffered a loss this season.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov had his fourth straight multi-point game (2 goals, one assist) as his club doubled up the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2. Marc-Andre Fleury made 23 saves for his first win of the season as the Wild extended their points streak to seven games (5-0-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The sale of the Lightning to a pair of Wall Street investors was made official on Thursday. Former majority owner Jeff Vinik will retain a minority stake in the franchise and will continue to run the team until 2027.

The Detroit Red Wings got third-period goals from Patrick Kane and Michael Rasmussen in a 5-3 win over the New Jersey Devils. Cam Talbot kicked out 37 shots for the win. Nico Hischier tallied twice for the Devils.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane’s game-winner was the 77th of his career, tying him with Bill Guerin for fourth all-time among American-born skaters and tying him with Boston Bruins winger Brad Marchand for fifth among active skaters.

Colorado Avalanche stars Nathan MacKinnon (one assist) and Cale Makar (one goal) extended their points streaks to eight games as their club defeated the Utah Hockey Club 5-1. Casey Mittelstadt had a goal and two assists and Ross Colton tallied his seventh of the season. Lawson Crouse had the only goal for Utah.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Colton left the game in the second period after being slashed on the hand. There was no postgame update on his condition.

The Dallas Stars defeated the Boston Bruins 5-2, handing the latter their fourth loss in their last five games (1-3-1). Matt Duchene and Tyler Seguin each had a goal and two assists for the Stars, who sit third overall in the Western Conference (6-2-0). David Pastrnak and Justin Brazeau replied for the Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penalties were costly for the Bruins. The Stars blew the game open with three straight power-play goals in the second period.

St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington made 40 saves in a 5-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Dylan Holloway scored two goals and Jordan Kyrou picked up two assists for the Blues. Oliver Ekman-Larsson had the Leafs’ only goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This lopsided loss came after Toronto dropped a 6-2 decision to the Columbus Blue Jackets in their previous contest. This was Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube’s first game against his former club. Leafs winger Max Pacioretty missed this game as he’s day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

The Carolina Hurricanes got a goal and an assist from Martin Necas as they held off the Calgary Flames 4-2, ending the latter’s six-game season-opening points streak. Dan Vladar stopped 39 shots for the Flames.

Los Angeles Kings winger Warren Foegele tallied twice in the first period as his club nipped the San Jose Sharks 3-2, handing the latter their eighth straight loss (0-6-2) as they remain the only winless team in the league. Mikael Granlund scored two goals for the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings activated goaltender Darcy Kuemper from injured reserve before this game. He’s expected to return to action against Utah on Saturday.

HEADLINES

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: The Golden Knights signed defenseman Shea Theodore to a seven-year contract extension with an average annual value of $7.425 million. Theodore, 29, was slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Theodore’s future in Vegas seemed in doubt after they acquired and signed defenseman Noah Hanifin last season. The departure of winger Jonathan Marchessault stoked speculation that Theodore would be next out the door due to salary-cap constraints.

Theodore is an important part of the Golden Knights’ roster core, providing them with a reliable source of offense from the blueline. He is also one of only three original members still with the Golden Knights, along with William Karlsson and Brayden McNabb.

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid believes Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby should captain Canada’s team at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February.

“It’s just how it should be,” said McDavid. “He’s Sidney Crosby and he’s been there so many times and he’s the guy. It’s not like I thought about it a lot, it’s just such a no-brainer.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby’s international record speaks for itself. He’s a member of the elite Triple Gold Club, winning gold in the World Juniors (2005), the World Championships (2015), and the Olympics (2010, 2014). He also captained Canada as they won the World Cup of Hockey in 2016. Crosby was named to the IIHF All-Decade Team for 2010-2020.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins sent goaltender Tristan Jarry back to Pittsburgh to work with one of the club’s goalie coaches on an individual level. Jarry has struggled this season, prompting the Penguins to go with Alex Nedeljkovic and Joel Blomqvist as their current tandem.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jarry’s struggles have made him the subject of trade speculation. However, his performance and contract ($5.375 million AAV through 2027-28) make it unlikely he’ll change teams.

NEW YORK POST: Islanders winger Anthony Duclair is expected to miss four to six weeks with a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s a relief for the Isles and Duclair. It was feared he would be laid up for months recovering from that injury.

RG.ORG: James Murphy reports NHL Players’ Association Executive Director Marty Walsh hopes to discuss expansion fees with the league during the next round of collective bargaining.

Expansion fees have been split among existing NHL owners. Walsh wants to discuss the possibility of the players receiving a cut of future expansion monies.

Walsh has yet to discuss this topic with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. He’s also under no illusions that the 32 club owners could willingly share any of the profits stemming from future expansion. Nevertheless, he’s hoping to have that conversation with the league.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That proposal could receive a hard no from the NHL owners. However, Bettman could also use that subject as leverage to gain something else for the owners.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 1, 2024

by | Oct 1, 2024

Recapping Monday’s preseason action, the Canadiens awaiting word on Laine and Reinbacher, the Bruins indicate who their starting goalie will be in their season-opener, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: We are experiencing technical difficulties today affecting the site’s layout and comments section. We hope to have these issues rectified today and appreciate your patience as we deal with this matter. 

GAME RECAPS (PRESEASON EDITION)

NHL.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Detroit Red Wings 5-1 in split-squad action for the Wings. Penguins goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic left the game in the first period with a lower-body injury and will be re-evaluated on Tuesday. Joel Blomqvist stopped 20 of 21 shots for the Penguins.

An overtime goal by Konsta Helenius gave the Buffalo Sabres a 4-3 victory over the Red Wings in split-squad action.

New Jersey Devils goaltender Jeremy Brodeur made 29 saves in a 3-1 victory over the New York Rangers. Brodeur is the son of Hall-of-Fame netminder Martin Brodeur.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Rangers announced that forward Jimmy Vesey is expected to be sidelined for several weeks with a lower-body injury suffered during practice on Sunday.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid collected two assists as his club nipped the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 in a shootout.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers released winger Mike Hoffman from his professional tryout offer (PTO) earlier in the day. He had a goal and four points in four preseason contests. Meanwhile, the Canucks released forward Sammy Blais from his PTO contract.

The New York Islanders beat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 as Kyle Palmieri scored the tiebreaker with 51 seconds remaining in the third period.

Pierre-Luc Dubois scored his first preseason goal with the Washington Capitals in a 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Dubois and Tom Wilson each had a goal and an assist and Logan Thompson turned aside 24 shots for the Capitals.

The Tampa Bay Lightning got a 26-save performance by goalie Jonas Johansson to beat the Florida Panthers 3-1.

An overtime goal by Nazem Kadri lifted the Calgary Flames to a 4-3 win over the Seattle Kraken. Tyson Barrie had two assists and Dan Vladar kicked out 30 shots for the Flames.

Los Angeles Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper turned in a 23-save shutout to blank the Anaheim Ducks 4-0. Tanner Jeannot and Akil Thomas each had a goal and an assist.

HEADLINES

TSN: The Montreal Canadiens were still awaiting word on Monday of the severity of the lower-body injuries Patrik Laine and David Reinbacher suffered during Saturday’s preseason game against Toronto.

Laine was injured following a knee-on-knee collision with Maple Leafs forward Cedric Pare. Reinbacher left the same game in the opening seconds following a check from Leafs forward Marshall Rifai.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Laine watched practice on crutches from the Canadiens’ bench yesterday. The Montreal Gazette’s Stu Cowan reports hearing Laine could be sidelined for four-to-six months. There was no confirmation from the team. An update could be made on Tuesday.

DAILY FACEOFF: Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery said Joonas Korpisalo will be the club’s starter for their season-opener on Oct. 8. The news comes amid the ongoing contract standoff between Bruins management and goalie Jeremy Swayman.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Swayman’s stalled negotiations got spicy yesterday when Bruins president Cam Neely seemed to reveal how much the club offered the 25-year-old netminder. I’ll have more details in today’s Rumor update.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: The NHL will honor Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau with helmet stickers displaying their uniform numbers worn by all NHL players starting with games on Friday and Saturday in Czechia during the league’s Global Series.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning captain Victor Hedman and his wife, Sanna, have pledged to donate $150, 000 to charities helping those affected by Hurricane Helene in the Tampa community.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators released forward Nikolay Kulemin from his PTO contract.

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 20, 2024

by | Jun 20, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 20, 2024

The latest on the Oilers and Panthers, the fallout from the Dubois-for-Kuemper trade, Barclay Goodrow reportedly unhappy about being claimed off waivers by the Sharks, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

STANLEY CUP NOTEBOOK

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers captain Connor McDavid has put his team on his back in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. McDavid’s back-to-back four-point games rallied his club from a 3-0 series deficit against the Florida Panthers to Game 6 in Edmonton on Friday and a chance to tie the series.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid has risen to the occasion with his club on the brink of elimination. The Oilers aren’t out of the woods yet as the Panthers still hold a 3-2 series lead and can win the Stanley Cup in Game 6. Nevertheless, this series would’ve ended by now if not for McDavid’s impressive play.

If the Oilers beat the odds it’ll be the biggest comeback in Stanley Cup Final history. All due respect to the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, who were the first and (to date) the only team to overcome a 3-0 deficit to win hockey’s holy grail, but they weren’t led by a superstar like McDavid.

Be prepared to pay a lot for tickets to Game 6 at Rogers Place in Edmonton. Prices have jumped 97 percent with the average price (according to SeatGeek) costing over $9,200.00. The most expensive is $87, 452 while the cheapest start at $1,896.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers have raised prices for their Game 6 watch party at Amerant Bank Arena.

Tickets for the first two watch parties were $10 each and seating was first come, first served. It now costs $40.00 for reserved seating in the lower bowl and $10 for reserved seating in the upper bowl.

Meanwhile, the pressure to win has shifted onto the Panthers even if head coach Paul Maurice won’t say it. They still hold a 3-2 series lead but the Oilers’ back-to-back wins may have shifted the momentum.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: History still favors the Panthers heading into Game 6 and the odds remain in their favor to win the Cup. However, it’s no longer the certainty it appeared to be heading into Games 4 and 5. There will be no denying that the pressure is getting to them if they lose Game 6.

HEADLINES

LOS ANGELES TIMES: Kings general manager Rob Blake took responsibility for Pierre-Luc Dubois’ disappointing performance this season. He acquired and signed the 25-year-old center last June but traded him yesterday to the Washington Capitals for goaltender Darcy Kuemper.

Los Angeles Kings tradedcenter Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Washington Capitals(NHL Images)

“I don’t think I did a good enough job integrating (Dubois) in the right roles for the team,” said Blake. “It wasn’t a great fit in that aspect for us and we take responsibility for that.”

Blake didn’t hold Dubois responsible for the Kings being eliminated from the first round of the playoffs by the Oilers for the third straight year. “I put it on us,” he said. “We’ve got to work better as a group within this organization to make that fit.”

THE ATHLETIC: Blake admitted his mistake with Dubois, shored up his goalie depth by acquiring Kuemper, and freed up $3.25 million in salary-cap space. However, history won’t be kind to Blake for acquiring Dubois, giving up forwards Gabriel Vilardi and Alex Iafallo as part of the return to the Winnipeg Jets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As one reader put in the comments section yesterday, Blake has traded Dubois, Vilardi, Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari and a second-round pick for an aging starting goalie who struggled last season in Washington.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Capitals GM Brian MacLellan believes the addition of Dubois gives his club “a talented 25-year-old with immense potential to become a top-tier center in the NHL.”

MacLellan praised Dubois’ size, skating and high hockey IQ. He believes the big center will thrive with increased responsibility and opportunity.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals beat writer Sammi Silber acknowledged Dubois’ baggage but suggests the gamble could work in the Capitals’ favor if he blossoms as hoped into a reliable first-line center. He’s shown tantalizing glimpses of his capabilities during his tenures with the Jets and Columbus Blue Jackets.

This could turn into a steal for the Capitals. On the other hand, they could end up stuck with an underachieving center carrying a burdensome contract.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks claimed Barclay Goodrow off waivers yesterday from the New York Rangers. However, a report in the New York Post claimed the 31-year-old forward wasn’t pleased with how this went down. The report claimed the Sharks were on Goodrow’s 15-team no-trade list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Putting Goodrow on waivers was a gamble that paid off for the Rangers. This could become a problem for the Sharks if he remains unhappy.

The Sharks also made a trade yesterday, acquiring forward Ty Dellandrea from the Dallas Stars in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round pick.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Dellandrea was selected 13th overall by the Stars in the 2018 NHL Draft. The 23-year-old forward saw a reduced role with the Stars this season, appearing in 42 games. With youngsters Logan Stankoven and Mavrik Bourque proving they were NHL-ready, Delladrea couldn’t claim a regular roster spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dellandrea will get more opportunities with the rebuilding Sharks. This could turn into a good move for his NHL career.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: The Islanders signed center Kyle MacLean to a three-year contract with an average annual value of $775K. He was slated to become a restricted free agent on July 1.

TSN: The Vancouver Canucks re-signed defenseman Mark Friedman to a one-year, $775K contract.

TSN: Forward Lias Andersson has signed a two-year contract in Switzerland with EHC Biel-Bienne. Chosen seventh overall by the New York Rangers in 2017, Andersson has 17 points in 110 NHL games since 2017-18 with the Rangers and Los Angeles Kings.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins named Kirk MacDonald as the new head coach of their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.










Kings Trade Pierre-Luc Dubois To Capitals for Darcy Kuemper

by | Jun 19, 2024

Kings Trade Pierre-Luc Dubois To Capitals for Darcy Kuemper

The Los Angeles Kings traded center Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Washington Capitals in exchange for goaltender Darcy Kuemper.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is a stunning move by both clubs involving two players thought to be untradeable because of their contracts and performance in 2023-24. Cap Friendly and PuckPedia indicate that no salary was retained in this deal.

Los Angeles Kings trade  Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Washington Capitas (NHL Images)

The Kings acquired Dubois from the Winnipeg Jets last June and signed him to an eight-year, $68 million contract with an average annual value of $8.5 million. His contract contains a no-movement clause that begins on July 1. It’ll be interesting to find out if Dubois knew of this deal beforehand or was asked if he didn’t mind getting traded to Washington.

Dubois was expected to fill the second-line center role for the Kings. However, he struggled this season, managing 16 goals and 40 points in 82 games. He was held to one goal in five games during their first-round series against the Edmonton Oilers.

Kuemper signed a five-year, $26.5 million contract with the Capitals in July 2022 after backstopping the Colorado Avalanche to the Stanley Cup. Like Dubois, he struggled with his new team, finishing last season with a 3.31 goals-against average and a save percentage of .890, losing the starter’s job to Charlie Lindgren. He had a 10-team no-trade list and it appears the Kings weren’t on it.

Both teams hope this change of scenery helps these players rediscover their game. However, the Capitals are taking the biggest gamble. Dubois has seven seasons left on his contract with a more expensive cap hit while Kuemper only has three years left.