NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 28, 2023

by | Feb 28, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 28, 2023

Connor McDavid reaches 50 goals and leads the three stars of the week, the Leafs acquire two players from the Blackhawks, an update on Erik Karlsson and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid scored twice to reach the 50-goal plateau for the first time but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Boston Bruins from winning the game 3-2. Pavel Zacha snapped a 2-2 tie with 30 seconds remaining in the third period as the Bruins picked up their seventh straight win and improved to 46-8-5 to open a nine-point lead atop the overall standings with 97 points. The Oilers (32-21-8) remain in third place in the Pacific Division with 72 points.

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid is the first player to reach 50 goals this season and holds an eight-goal lead over Boston’s David Pastrnak. He also remains the points leader with 115, sitting well ahead of teammate Leon Draisaitl, who sits in second place with 89 points.

Bruins winger and former Oiler Taylor Hall missed this game as he’s returned to Boston with a lower-body injury. He’s listed as day-to-day.

The Colorado Avalanche collected their sixth straight victory by blanking the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 with a 31-save shutout by Alexandar Georgiev. Mikko Rantanen scored twice to reach the 40-goal plateau for the first time in his career as the Avalanche (34-19-5) sit in second place in the Central Division with 72 points, three back of the division-leading Dallas Stars. The Golden Knights (35-19-6) hold a two-point lead over the Los Angeles Kings for first place in the Pacific Division with 76 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights goalie Laurent Brossoit missed this game with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. Meanwhile, Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon said it’s too early to determine whether captain Mark Stone will return to action this season. He’s been sidelined indefinitely since undergoing back surgery on Jan. 31.

Speaking of the Stars, they dropped a 5-4 decision to the Vancouver Canucks on an overtime goal by Andrei Kuzmenko. The Stars (31-16-13) had rallied back from a 4-2 deficit to force the extra frame on goals by Roope Hintz and Nils Lundkvist. Anthony Beauvillier and Quinn Hughes each had three points for the 24-31-5 Canucks, who got a 34-save performance from Thatcher Demko in his first game since being sidelined by a lower-body injury on Dec. 1.

Ottawa Senators forward Claude Giroux had a goal and three assists to lead his club to a 6-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Thomas Chabot had three points and Brady Tkachuk tallied his 25th goal of the season for the 29-26-5 Senators (62 points) as they sit five points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Tyler Bertuzzi and David Perron replied for the Red Wings (28-23-8) as they remain three points behind the Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings activated winger Lucas Raymond off injured reserve for this game but placed defenseman Jordan Oesterle on IR.

The Anaheim Ducks doubled up the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2, snapping the latter’s five-game win streak. Troy Terry had a goal and an assist for the 20-34-7 Ducks as they stretched their win streak to three games. Max Domi and Tyler Johnson each had two points for the 21-33-5 Blackhawks.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark and Anaheim Ducks goalie John Gibson are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Feb. 26.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs acquired defenseman Jake McCabe, forward Sam Lafferty, a conditional fifth-round pick in 2024 and a conditional fifth-rounder in 2025 from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for a conditional first-round pick in 2025 (top-10 protected), a second-round pick in 2026 and forwards Joey Anderson and Pavel Gogolev. The Blackhawks also retained 50 percent of McCabe’s $4 million cap hit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas continues shoring up his roster with this move coming on the heels of his acquisition of Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari from the St. Louis Blues. Unlike those two, McCabe has two years left on his contract while Lafferty is signed through next season.

Some observers have criticized Dubas for trading away too much of his club’s future in his recent moves. For the Leafs GM, however, the future is now. In the final year of his contract, he has to deliver if he hopes to garner an extension. He’ll be out of a job if the Leafs fail once again to get out of the first round. The further the Leafs go in this year’s postseason, the better his chances of staying in his job.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson acknowledged the recent trade of winger Timo Meier to New Jersey indicate there’s no quick turnaround coming for his club’s fortunes.

“I’ve been around the game long enough to understand what needs to be done from an organizational perspective, and it just sucks that it happened to be where I’m at in this stage of my career.”

Karlsson said he hasn’t been approached by management about waiving his no-movement clause. General manager Mike Grier admitted it would be difficult to move the 32-year-old defenseman’s hefty contract before the approaching trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Karlsson’s on pace for a career-high 105-point season. There’s plenty of interest in him, especially from the Edmonton Oilers. However, his $11.5 million annually through 2026-27 remains a significant obstacle in the path to a trade.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Flyers winger Travis Konecny will be out for an extended period of time with an upper-body injury.

TSN: Florida Panthers forwards Aleksander Barkov and Sam Bennett will be sidelined until this weekend with minor injuries.

TSN: The New Jersey Devils placed goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood (lower body) on injured reserve.

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks traded defenseman Riley Stillman to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for prospect forward Josh Bloom.










NHL Rumor Mill – December 28, 2022

by | Dec 28, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – December 28, 2022

The Blackhawks dominate today’s NHL Rumor Mill as we look at the latest trade speculation involving Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Max Domi and more.

THE ATHLETIC: Sean Gentille, Hailey Salvian and Jesse Granger believe Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane could end up with the New York Rangers by the March 3 trade deadline.

Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane (NHL Images).

Salvian believes the Blackhawks’ constant losing with a rebuild underway makes it harder to imagine Kane staying in Chicago after deadline day. His no-movement clause gives him complete control over where he could go. She believes a reunion with former Blackhawks teammate Artemi Panarin in New York could make a lot of sense.

Gentille observed the Rangers have over $7 million in trade-deadline cap space with no one on long-term injury reserve. He suggests it could work if the Blackhawks retain a portion of Kane’s salary. Granger didn’t rule out the possibility of Kane landing with the Colorado Avalanche given the number of injuries they’ve had this season.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Joe Haggerty noted rumors linking Kane to the Bruins. Given how well they’re playing, he wondered whether they need a rental player like the Blackhawks winger, pointing out Kane is on pace for a paltry 13 goals this season.

Haggerty linked to Spittin’ Chiclets co-host Ryan Whitney suggesting the possibility of Kane joining the Bruins. “Get rid of (Mike) Reilly, get rid of (Craig) Smith and Chicago retains half salary and boom (Kane) is a Bruin,” tweeted Whitney.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers appear to be in a better position to acquire Kane if the pending free agent agrees to waive his no-movement clause. Along with the Panarin connection and their cap space, the Blueshirts are loaded with promising young players such as Kaapo Kakko, Alexis Lafreniere or Filip Chytil to tempt the Blackhawks.

Getting rid of Reilly and Smith is easier said than done considering the Bruins’ failed efforts to do so thus far. Of course, that could change as the trade deadline approaches but it’s not a certainty. If the Bruins can’t shed those salaries, they’ll have no chance of landing Kane.

Even if Kane is willing to go to Boston, the Bruins lack the depth in youngsters within their system to outbid a club like the Rangers. The Blackhawks will likely ask for top prospect Fabian Lysell and the Bruins’ first-round pick in 2023 as part of the return along with probably two or three other pieces going to Chicago.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: Charlie Roumeliotis doesn’t believe Kane has made a decision on whether he’ll stay or go. His representatives are scheduled to meet with Blackhawks management after the calendar flips to 2023.

Roumeliotis observed that Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews is on pace to reach 30 goals for just the fourth time in his career. Like Kane, he’d a pending free agent carrying a full no-movement clause. He believes Toews could be a good second or third-line center with a club like the Colorado Avalanche or Winnipeg Jets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Like Kane, the Blackhawks will likely have to retain up to half of Toews’ remaining cap hit to make him affordable to clubs like the Avalanche and Jets given their limited cap space. The ‘Hawks won’t get as much of a return as they could with Kane but they’ll still want draft picks and promising young players as part of the deal.

Max Domi is on a one-year contract and could draw interest in the trade market. He’s second among Blackhawks scorers with 11 goals and 23 points. Domi’s also been strong in the faceoff circle this season, which could also prove useful for playoff clubs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Domi’s production and 56.1 faceoff win percentage could indeed prove enticing for postseason contenders seeking depth at center. His affordable $3 million contract will also be attractive for clubs with limited cap space.

Roumeliotis wouldn’t be surprised if bottom-six sparkplug forward Sam Lafferty draws interest in the trade market. His $1.15 million average annual value through 2023-24 will also be appealing.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 9, 2022

by | Dec 9, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 9, 2022

Mitch Marner extends his points streak in the latest Leafs win, Johnny Gaudreau talks about his decision to leave Calgary for Columbus, the latest salary cap update for 2023-24 and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner extended his franchise-best points streak to 21 games as his club blanked the Los Angeles Kings 5-0. Marner scored his 11th goal of the season while Ilya Samsonov made 29 saves for the shutout as the Leafs (17-5-6) sit three points behind the league-leading Boston Bruins with 40 points. The Kings dropped to 14-11-4.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Toronto defenseman T.J. Brodie returned to the lineup after missing 12 games with a strained oblique. However, forward Nick Robertson is expected to miss significant time after suffering a shoulder injury in the first period. The Leafs are on a roll, going 10-0-3 since dropping a 4-2 decision to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Nov. 11.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point scored twice and Steven Stamkos picked up two assists in a 5-2 victory over the Nashville Predators. Stamkos extended his points streak to 12 games while Brian Elliott kicked out 34 shots. The Lightning improved to 16-9-1 while the Predators fall to 12-10-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning honored defenseman Ryan McDonagh with a video tribute. He spent five seasons with the Bolts before being traded to the Predators in the offseason.

Winnipeg Jets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois scored two goals and picked up an assist to defeat the St. Louis Blues by a score of 5-2. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 29 shots for the Jets (17-7-1) as they’ve won seven of their last 10 games. The Blues (12-15-0) have dropped seven of their last 10.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets sit in fifth place in the overall standings with 35 points. Defenseman Logan Stanley returned to action after being sidelined since Oct. 24 with a fractured foot. Jets forward Saku Maenalanen left this game with an upper-body injury.

An overtime goal by Tyler Seguin lifted the Dallas Stars to a 4-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Miro Heiskanen tallied twice for the Stars (15-7-5), who sit in second place in the Central Division behind the Jets. The Senators sit in last place in the Atlantic Division with a record of 10-14-2.

The Florida Panthers defeated the Detroit Red Wings 5-1. Matthew Tkachuk had a goal and an assist while Sergei Bobrovsky made 19 saves as the Panthers improved to 13-10-4. The Red Wings sit at 13-8-5.

HEADLINES

THE SCORE: Johnny Gaudreau wants Calgary Flames fans to know that he didn’t string them or the team along before signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets. “It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make,” said the former Flames winger. He said it ultimately came down to being able to play closer to home and spend more time with his family.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames were offering more money on a long-term team deal but Gaudreau left that cash on the table to accept a slightly lesser offer with the Blue Jackets.

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the salary cap for 2023-24 will be the prime topic at next week’s NHL Board of Governors meetings. The cap could rise by $3.5 million or more over the current $82.5 million if the players repay their remaining cap debt from the pandemic to the owners by the season’s end. If they don’t finish paying it off, and a lot of observers believe they won’t, the cap will only rise by $1 million.

LeBrun and Darren Dreger said there could be a third option whereby the NHL Players Association ask the players if they want the cap to rise by between $2 million and $3 million for next season. From a player’s perspective, it must not impact escrow. So far, there’s been no discussions on that issue between the league and the PA but they’ll have to have that conversation before early summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll be interesting to see how they would work that out if the players are willing to find a way for a bigger bump in next season’s cap. LeBrun and Dreger didn’t indicate how the league and the PA could “massage the cap” in a way that won’t affect escrow payments.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Some good news for the injury-ravaged Avalanche as winger Valeri Nichushkin could return from ankle surgery for Friday’s game against the New York Rangers.

CBS SPORTS: John Klingberg will return to the Anaheim Ducks lineup Friday against the San Jose Sharks. He’s missed the last seven games with a lower-body injury.

AM NY: New York Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech is considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: Blackhawks forward Sam Lafferty is ready to return to action after missing the last six games with a back injury.

GOPHNX.COM: The Arizona Coyotes have loaned forward Dylan Guenther to Team Canada for the upcoming World Junior Championships.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 26, 2022

by | Nov 26, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 26, 2022

The Bruins set a season-opening wins record, the Kraken continues to win through November, the Stars’ Jason Robertson takes over the goal-scoring lead, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Boston Bruins became the first team in league history to open the season with 12 straight home victories by overcoming a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 on an overtime goal by David Pastrnak. David Krejci scored twice as the Bruins (18-3-0) sit in first place in the overall standings with 36 points. Stefen Noesen and Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored for the Hurricanes, who drop to 10-6-5.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a costly win for the Bruins as goaltender Linus Ullmark left the game in the third period with an apparent injury to his right arm. Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said the goalie had full range of motion in his arm and is “pretty confident” Ullmark is ok. For now, he’s considered day-to-day.

Seattle Kraken winger Andre Burakovsky scored twice as his club doubled up the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2. Adam Larsson collected two assists for the Kraken (12-5-3), who’ve won eight of their last 10 games to sit third overall in the Western Conference with 27 points. Nicolas Roy and Phil Kessel replied for the Golden Knights, who sit atop the west with a record of 16-5-1 and 33 points. Vegas center Brett Howden missed this game with a lower-body injury.

An overtime goal by Josh Morrissey lifted the Winnipeg Jets over the Dallas Stars by a score of 5-4. The Stars rallied to tie the game on two straight third-period goals by Jason Robertson, who takes over the NHL goals-scoring lead with 18. The Stars (12-5-4) sit second in the West with 28 points while the 12-6-1 Jets are fifth overall with 25 points.

The New Jersey Devils picked up their ninth straight road victory with a 3-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres. All the scoring took place in the second period with Jack Hughes, Jesper Boqvist and Tomas Tatar tallying for the Devils (17-4-0) while Victor Olofsson replied for the 9-12-0 Sabres. With 34 points, the Devils are two behind the first-place Bruins in the Eastern Conference.

William Nylander scored what proved to be the game-winner as the Toronto Maple Leafs held off the Minnesota Wild 4-3. John Tavares collected two assists for the 12-5-5 Leafs while Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello each had a goal and an assist for the Wild as they drop to 9-9-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs wore shoulder patches on their sweaters to honor Borje Salming, who passed away on Thursday from ALS. Nylander dedicated his winning goal to his late countryman.

The Tampa Bay Lightning got two goals from Brayden Point and three assists from Nikita Kucherov to down the St. Louis Blues by a score of 5-2. The Lightning (12-7-1) has won five of their last six contests. Pavel Buchenich and Jordan Kyrou were the goal scorers for the Blues as they fall to 10-10-0.

A two-goal performance by Ryan Poehling powered the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Teddy Blueger collected three helpers while Sidney Crosby also scored for the Penguins (11-7-3). Kevin Hayes had the lone goal for the Flyers (7-9-5), who are now winless in their last nine contests.

Washington Capitals goaltender Darcy Kuemper made 32 saves to shut out the Calgary Flames 3-0. Alex Ovechkin and TJ Oshie each had a goal and an assist, Sonny Milano picked up two assists and Evgeny Kuznetsov scored for the Capitals, who improve to 9-10-3 while the Flames drop to 9-8-3.

A third-period goal by Brock Nelson lifted the New York Islanders to a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Mathew Barzal collected two assists for the Isles (14-8-0) as they’ve won three straight games. Johnny Gaudreau and Kent Johnson each had two points for the 7-12-1 Blue Jackets.

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Filip Hronek extended his goal streak to four games as his club defeated the Arizona Coyotes 4-3 on a shootout goal by Dylan Larkin. Lucas Raymond and Tyler Bertuzzi each had two assists for the Wings (11-5-4). Jakob Chychun scored his first of the season for the 7-9-3 Coyotes.

The Los Angeles Kings got a goal and an assist from Viktor Arvidsson and Jaret Anderson-Dolan in a 5-2 win over the San Jose Sharks. Jonathan Quick made 29 saves and Phillip Danault tallied his seventh goal of the season for the 12-9-2 Kings. James Riemer stopped 24 shots for the Sharks as they fall to 7-13-3.

Montreal Canadiens winger Kirby Dach scored the winning goal in a shootout over his former club in a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Nick Suzuki and Joel Edmundson had two goals and Sean Monahan collected two assists for the Canadiens as they improve to 11-9-1 while Caleb Jones and Taylor Raddysh replied for the 6-10-4 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens rookie Juraj Slafkovsky left the game in the third period following a high hit by Jason Dickinson. He would later return to the bench but didn’t see any further action in this game. As for the Blackhawks, they announced earlier in the day that forward Sam Lafferty will miss several games with an upper-body injury.

The Ottawa Senators snapped a three-game losing skid with a 5-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Derick Brassard and Mathieu Joseph led the way as they each had a goal and two assists for the Senators (7-12-1). Max Jones had the lone goal for the 6-14-1 Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators goalie Anton Forsberg didn’t dress for this game as he’s listed as day-to-day with a minor lower-body injury.

THE TENNESSEAN: The Colorado Avalanche-Nashville Predators game scheduled for yesterday was postponed due to a water main break at Bridgestone Arena. The game will be rescheduled for a later date.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 6, 2022

by | Jan 6, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 6, 2022

​The Penguins get their ninth straight win after making a minor trade, the Leafs hand the slumping Oilers another loss, plus the latest COVID updates and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAMES RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins picked up their ninth straight win by overcoming a 3-1 deficit to defeat the St. Louis Blues 5-3. Bryan Rust scored twice and set up another while Sidney Crosby and Evan Rodrigues each had a goal and an assist. Brayden Schenn also had a goal and an assist for the Blues. Earlier in the day, the Penguins made a minor trade by shipping Sam Lafferty to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Alex Nylander.

Pittsburgh Penguins winger Bryan Rust (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins were apparently concerned about losing Lafferty via waivers as they attempt to make room for Evgeni Malkin’s return. By trading him to the Blackhawks they get an asset in return who is exempt from waivers this season.

Nylander, 23, is the younger brother of Toronto Maple Leafs winger Wiliam Nylander. A former first-round pick (eighth overall) with the Buffalo Sabres in 2016, he’s struggled to play up to lofty expectations. He missed all of last season with a knee injury and has spent this season in the minors. He’s expected to be sent to the Penguins’ AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Speaking of the Maple Leafs, they doubled up the Edmonton Oilers 4-2, handing the latter their fifth straight loss. Ilya Mikheyev broke a 2-2 tie in the third period and Alex Kerfoot put the game away with an empty-netter. The Oilers played without Connor McDavid, who entered COVID protocol yesterday.

HEADLINES

SPORTSNET: McDavid, teammate Tyson Barrie and Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson were among the latest players to enter COVID protocol.

NHL.COM: The league has postponed three more home games involving Canadian clubs. Those games are the Jan. 15 contest between the New Jersey Devils and Montreal Canadiens, the Jan. 17 matchup between the Devils and Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Jan. 18 games between the Chicago Blackhawks and Edmonton Oilers.

TSN: The NHL and 20 of its teams are suing five of their insurance providers over rejected COVID-19 claims citing losses of $1 billion. The suit was filed in California last June.

THE SCORE: Edmonton Oilers goaltender Mikko Koskinen doesn’t appreciate bearing the brunt of the criticism from head coach Dave Tippett and the media for the club’s struggles. “It’s not nice being thrown under the bus,” he told a Finnish media outlet. “I have to be better, but at the same time, we scored seven goals in my last six losses. I can’t score goals.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Koskinen’s shaky goaltending is a factor in the Oilers’ recent swoon but he has a good point about the lack of goal production he’s received of late.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: The Canadiens yesterday announced the hiring of Chantal Machabee as their new vice-president of communications. She’s spent the past 32 years with the Quebec-based sports network RDS covering the Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Machabee’s hiring was met with universal acclaim by her peers throughout the NHL media. She was a pioneer for women hoping to break into sports media.

TVA SPORTS: Speaking of the Canadiens, they’re currently meeting with potential candidates for the role of general manager. Among them is Patrick Roy and they’re expected to meet with him at the end of this week.

SPORTSNET: Eric Staal’s agent said his client is interested in playing for Team Canada at the Beijing Winter Olympics next month.

ARIZONA SPORTS: The Arizona Coyotes announced a sports betting partnership with SaharaBets.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 9, 2020

by | Oct 9, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 9, 2020

The Jets are reportedly close to acquiring Paul Stastny, Justin Williams retires, the Canadiens re-sign Josh Anderson, the Devils buy out Cory Schneider, and much more in the NHL morning coffee headlines.

WINNIPEG SUN: Scott Billeck cites sources claiming the Jets are working on a trade that would bring Paul Stastny back to Winnipeg. Stastny was briefly part of the Jets in 2017-18, helping them reach the Western Conference Final before signing with the Vegas Golden Knights as a free agent. It’s believed the Jets will take on his full $6.5 million salary-cap hit on the final year of his three-year contract, with the two clubs also swapping draft picks.

**UPDATE** TSN’s Darren Dreger reports Stastny to Winnipeg for a 2022 fourth rounder and defenseman Carl Dahlstrom

Vegas Golden Knights center Paul Stastny could return to the Winnipeg Jets (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bringing back Stastny could address the Jets’ need for a second-line center. That suggests sidelined center Bryan Little’s status for next season remains in doubt while putting to rest the trade speculation swirling about winger Patrik Laine.

It will also signal the Golden Knights are shedding salary to be busy in the free-agent market, which opens at noon ET today. The move could also be an indicator of the difficulty the Golden Knights are having trying to move goalie Marc-Andre Fleury in a cost-cutting deal.

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Carolina Hurricanes winger Justin Williams announced his retirement yesterday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Williams and his family in his future endeavors. He spent 19 seasons in the NHL with the Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings and Washington Capitals, winning the Stanley Cup with the Canes in 2006 and two Cups with the Kings in 2012 and 2014. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy during the latter run, earning the nickname “Mr. Game 7” by holding the record for most points (15) in Game 7 situations. In 1,264 games, Williams tallied 320 goals and 797 points. He also had 41 goals and 102 points in 162 playoff games.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Two days after acquiring winger Josh Anderson, the Canadiens re-signed him to a seven-year, $38.5-million contract. The annual average value is $5.5 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s a hefty new contract for a 26-year-old winger who’s yet to suit up for the Canadiens,  has one good season (27 goals, 47 points in 2018-19) and missed most of last season to a shoulder injury that required surgery to repair.

General manager Marc Bergevin envisions the 6’3”, 222-pounder as a power forward. This will be seen as a worthwhile investment if Anderson has fully recovered from his surgery and plays up to expectation. Otherwise, it’ll provide additional fodder for Bergevin critics and turn up the pressure on Habs ownership to fire their GM.

NORTHJERSEY.COM: The New Jersey Devils placed goaltender Cory Schneider on unconditional waivers yesterday for the purpose of buying out his contract. Schneider, 34, lost the starter’s job to Mackenzie Blackwood. He has two years left on his contract worth $6 million annually.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Schneider was among the NHL’s top goalies from 2013-14 to 2015-16. Injuries, however, hampered his performance in recent years. His buyout will count as $2 million annually against the Devils’ cap through 2023-24.

NJ.COM: The Devils also acquired defenseman Ryan Murray from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for a 2021 fifth-round pick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Murray is a skilled defenseman plagued by injuries for most of his career. He has a year remaining on his contract worth $4.6 million. If he stays healthy he could be a worthwhile addition to the Devils’ blueline. They still have over $25 million in salary-cap space and could use some of it in the upcoming free-agent market.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: The Blue Jackets also traded defenseman Markus Nutivaara to the Florida Panthers for minor-league forward Cliff Pu. Nutivaara, 26, has two years remaining on his contract worth an annual average value of $2.7 million.

THE SCORE: The Jackets also placed center Alexander Wennberg on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract buyout. The 26-year-old has three years left on his contract worth $4.9 million AAV. For buyout purposes, however, he’ll be considered 25 as that’s what his age would’ve been during a normal regular season when the buyout period would be in June. That means his buyout will be calculated at one-third the remaining value, rather than two-thirds.

NHL.COM: The Jackets also re-signed goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks to a two-year, two-way contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The moves leave the Jackets with $14.2 million in cap space, more than enough to re-sign Pierre-Luc Dubois and perhaps leave enough for an addition or two via trade or free agency.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: Long time Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford is heading to the free-agent market.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crawford spent 13 seasons with the Blackhawks, 10 of those as their starting goalie. He backstopped them to two Stanley Cups (2013, 2015) but has been plagued by injuries over the past three seasons. Expect the Blackhawks to seek his replacement via trade or free agency.

SPORTSNET: The Ottawa Senators acquired defenseman Erik Gudbranson from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a 2021 fifth-round pick. He has a year remaining on his contract with an AAV of $4 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Another short-term pickup by the Senators to take some pressure off their developing young defensemen. The Ducks, meanwhile, have $4.47 million in cap space and will get an additional $6.875 million in wiggle room should Ryan Kesler remain on long-term injury reserve.

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: Goaltender Tuukka Rask said he doesn’t want to play for anyone but the Bruins. Rask’s name recently surfaced in trade rumors, prompting GM Don Sweeney to claim the goalie is a “big part of the roster going forward.” Rask is a year away from unrestricted free agent eligibility.

TSN: The Dallas Stars lifted the interim tag from head coach Rick Bowness, who is expected to sign a new contract with the club.

SPORTSNET: The Stars also released a lengthy list of their injured players following the Stanley Cup playoffs. Among the notables was Jamie Benn (shoulder surgery before the schedule was paused), Tyler Seguin (knee, torn labrum), Ben Bishop (knee surgery in May), Roope Hintz (fractured ankle) and Anton Khudobin (arm surgery).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Seguin received criticism for his offensive struggles during the postseason. This is yet another reminder that an NHL player failing to play up to expectations in playoff action is usually nursing an injury that would sideline athletes in other sports.

WGR 550: The Buffalo Sabres are close to re-signing forward Zemgus Girgensons to a three-year contract worth around $2 million per season.

TRIBLIVE.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins re-signed forward Sam Lafferty to a two-year contract with an AAV of $750K.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: The Canadiens re-signed defenseman Noah Juulsen to a one-year, two-way contract.