NHL Rumor Mill – April 6, 2023

by | Apr 6, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – April 6, 2023

Could the Canucks and Penguins revisit their trade talks regarding J.T. Miller? Could the Leafs face another summer goalie change? Check out the latest in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

COULD THE CANUCKS AND PENGUINS RESUME THEIR J.T. MILLER TRADE TALK?

THE ATHLETIC: Thomas Drance considers the clarification of J.T. Miller’s future should be on the Vancouver Canucks’ offseason “to-do” list.

Vancouver Canucks center J.T. Miller (NHL Images).

Miller’s seven-year contract extension with its full no-trade clause begins on July 1. Drance wondered if the Canucks could revisit trading the 30-year-old forward based on the rumors that swirled about him leading up to the March 3 trade deadline.

A number of sources reported the Canucks had substantive talks with the Pittsburgh Penguins about Miller. It’s believed they initiated those discussions with the Penguins.

Drance believes the Miller trade speculation could increase during the lead-up to the 2023 NHL Draft in late June. However, he’s skeptical about his trade value given the $56 million contract attached to him.

SPORTSNET 650: Mike Halford and Jason Brough also discussed Miller’s uncertain future in Vancouver and the rumors linking him to the Penguins. They believe the speculation linking Miller to Pittsburgh made perfect sense given that club’s inevitable decline and their need to eventually replace Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins could retool their roster this summer to build up the supporting cast around Crosby, Malkin and Letang. Cap Friendly shows them with over $20 million in projected cap space for 2023-24 with 14 roster players under contract. They must also address their goaltending situation with Tristan Jarry eligible for unrestricted free-agent status.

The Penguins could afford to take on Miller’s $8 million cap hit but I think they’ll want the Canucks to take back a contract as well. Maybe they try to get them to take on Mikael Granlund’s $5 million cap hit through 2024-25.

Granlund lacks no-trade protection and has struggled to adjust to the Penguins system since joining them at the trade deadline. Maybe the Canucks take him on simply because he’s only got two years left on his contract and would cost $3 million less per season than Miller.

Jake Guentzel, Bryan Rust, and Rikard Rakell have been mentioned as trade candidates. I don’t see them parting with Guentzel and Rikard while Rust has a full no-movement clause.

ANOTHER SUMMER OF GOALIE CHANGE FOR THE LEAFS?

SPORTSNET: In a recent mailbag segment, Luke Fox was asked if the Toronto Maple Leafs might attempt to move Matt Murray and go with a goaltending tandem of Ilya Samsonov and Joseph Woll for next season.

Fox believes they could depending on how their current goalies perform in the playoffs. He pointed out that the Leafs aren’t afraid to pay to correct a mistake as they did last summer bundling a first-round pick with Petr Mrazek to ship him to the Chicago Blackhawks.

Murray could be traded to a team needing to reach next season’s salary-cap minimum. The Leafs could also buy out the final season of his contract, which would be more affordable thanks to the Ottawa Senators retaining part of his annual average value. A buyout would cost the Leafs just $687,500 for 2023-24 and $2 million in 2024-25 when the salary cap is expected to spike.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Murray’s frequent absences due to injuries could make him difficult to move this summer even to a budget club looking to stay close to the cap floor. A buyout could be the easiest route provided he’s not on long-term injury reserve when the first buyout window opens on June 15.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 5, 2023

by | Apr 5, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 5, 2023

The Avalanche clinch a playoff berth as Nathan MacKinnon reaches 100 points, the Panthers vault into the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth, the Hurricanes reach the 50-win plateau, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Nathan MacKinnon gave the Colorado Avalanche a 4-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks and clinched a berth in the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs. MacKinnon scored twice and added an assist to reach the 100-point plateau in a season for the first time in his career. The Avs (46-24-6) sit atop the Central Division with 98 points with a game in hand over the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild, who each also have 98 points. Kevin Labanc scored twice for the 22-39-16 Sharks.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson collected an assist and has 96 points on the season with five games left in the schedule. He has an opportunity to become the first NHL blueliner to reach 100 points in a season since Brian Leetch in 1991-92. Karlsson’s teammate, Tomas Hertl, left his game following the second period with an undisclosed injury.

The Florida Panthers (40-31-7) nipped the Buffalo Sabres 2-1 to vault over the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins into the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 87 points on the basis of wins. Matthew Tkachuk broke a 1-1 tie in the third period while Alex Lyon made 39 saves for the Panthers. Devon Levi stopped 34 shots for the 37-32-7 Sabres (81 points) as they remain six points behind the Islanders.

Speaking of the Penguins, they were thumped 5-1 by the New Jersey Devils as Dawson Mercer collected his first career NHL hat trick. With a record of 49-21-8, the Devils (106 points) remain three points behind the Metropolitan Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes. The Penguins (38-30-10) slipped one point out of the final Eastern wild-card spot with 86 points.

The Hurricanes, meanwhile, blew a 2-0 lead over the Ottawa Senators but won the game 3-2 on an overtime goal by Martin Necas. Jesperi Kotkaniemi had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes (109 points), who became the second team to reach the 50-win plateau (50-18-9) this season. Claude Giroux and Brady Tkachuk scored for the 37-34-7 Senators (81 points), who remain six points out of the final Eastern wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes reached the 50-win mark for the second straight season and the third time in franchise history.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl had a goal and two assists to lead his club to a 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a goal and an assist to sit one point away from a career-high 100-point season as the Oilers (46-23-9) hold second place in the Pacific Division with 101 points. Viktor Arvidsson replied for the 45-23-10 Kings as they sit one point behind the Oilers in third place in the Pacific.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s the second straight season the Oilers have reached the 100-point plateau.

The Seattle Kraken widened their lead over the idle Winnipeg Jets for the first Western Conference wild-card berth by dropping the Vancouver Canucks 5-2. The Kraken overcame a 2-0 deficit with Jordan Eberle leading the way with a goal and an assist. With a record of 43-26-8, the Kraken (94 points) sit five points ahead of the Jets. Elias Pettersson and Anthony Beauvillier replied for the 34-36-7 Canucks.

Chicago Blackhawks winger Andreas Athanasiou tallied twice as his club snapped an eight-game losing skid with a 4-3 upset of the Calgary Flames. Petr Mrazek kicked out 33 shots for the 25-46-6 Blackhawks. Noah Hanifin had a goal and an assist for the 36-27-15 Flames (87 points) as they missed a golden opportunity to tie the Jets (89 points) for the final Western wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames will get another chance tonight when they face off against the Jets in Winnipeg. However, the Jets will still hold that berth if the Flames win on the basis of a game in hand and total wins.

The Nashville Predators kept their playoff hopes alive by nipping the Vegas Golden Knight 3-2 on an overtime goal by Cody Glass. Tommy Novak scored twice for the 39-30-8 Predators as they sit one point back of the Flames and two behind the Jets. Alex Pietrangelo tallied two goals for the Golden Knights (48-22-8) as they hold first overall in the Western Conference with 104 points.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Zach Aston-Reese tallied twice as his club doubled up the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-2. The Leafs (46-21-10) sit in second place in the Atlantic Division with 102 points. Blue Jackets goaltender Jet Greaves stopped 46 shots in his NHL debut as his club dropped to 24-45-8 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe indicated goaltender Matt Murray was day-to-day with a head injury. The Blue Jackets, meanwhile, announced the signing of forward Yegor Chinakhov to a one-year, $800,000 contract extension.

The Detroit Red Wings blanked the Montreal Canadiens 5-0 as Ville Husso turned in a 24-save shutout. David Perron had two goals and an assist for the 35-33-9 Red Wings while the injury-depleted Canadiens sank to 30-42-6.

St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington made 32 saves in a 4-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Jordan Kyrou netted his 37th goal of the season for the 36-35-7 Blues while the Flyers dropped to 29-35-13.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, Blues coach Craig Berube announced that defenseman Marco Scandella will miss the remainder of the season with a lower-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 3, 2023

by | Apr 3, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 3, 2023

The Bruins reach the 60-win milestone, the Kings clinch a playoff berth, the Rangers reach 100 points for the second straight season and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Boston Bruins became the fourth team in NHL history to win 60 games in a season with a 4-3 victory over the St. Louis Blues on a shootout goal by Charlie Coyle. Linus Ullmark made 35 saves for the Bruins as they sit first overall (60-12-5) with 125 points. Jordan Kyrou scored two goals and Tory Krug another as the Blues (35-35-7) overcame a 3-0 deficit but the loss officially eliminated them from playoff contention.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins join the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens, the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings and the 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning as the only clubs to reach the 60-point plateau. With five games remaining in their schedule, they could break the record of 62 wins held by the Wings and Lightning.

Los Angeles Kings forward Alex Iafallo scored twice in a 4-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks to clinch a playoff berth. Anze Kopitar collected two assists for the 45-22-10 Kings as they vaulted over the Edmonton Oilers into second place in the Pacific Division with 100 points. Brock Boeser replied for the 34-35-7 Canucks.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin (NHL Images).

The New York Rangers defeated the Washington Capitals 5-2 to earn consecutive 100-point seasons for the third time in franchise history. Artemi Panarin collected three assists for the 45-21-11 Rangers (101 points) as they sit third in the Metropolitan Division. The Capitals fell to 34-34-9 and have dropped seven of their last eight games. They also played without Trevor van Riemsdyk and T.J. Oshie as both were sidelined by upper-body injuries.

Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers scored two goals in a 6-1 trouncing of the New Jersey Devils. Connor Hellebuyck made 31 saves for the 43-31-3 Jets (89 points) as they remain two points ahead of the Calgary Flames for the final Western Conference wild-card berth. Nico Hischier replied for the 48-21-8 Devils as they remain three points behind the Metro Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes with 104 points.

Speaking of the Hurricanes, they got goals from Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Jordan Martinook to nip the New York Islanders 2-1. Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored for the Islanders while teammate Ilya Sorokin stopped 33 shots. The Hurricanes (49-18-9) have 107 points on the season while the 39-30-9 Islanders (87 points) cling to the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang skated in his 1,000th career NHL game as he and his teammates doubled up the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2. Rickard Rakell scored twice while Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin collected two assists each as the 38-29-10 Penguins (86 points) moved one point ahead of the Florida Panther into the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth. The Flyers fell to 29-34-13.

The Calgary Flames kept pace with the Jets by overcoming 2-0 and 4-3 deficits for a 5-4 win over the Anaheim Ducks on third-period goals by Milan Lucic and Michael Stone. Dan Vlader got the win with 11 saves after replacing Jacob Markstrom to start the second period. The 36-26-15 Flames are two back of the Jets with 87 points. The Ducks sank to 23-44-10 on the season.

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin tallied a hat trick to upset the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2. Alex Nedeljkovic kicked out 43 shots for the 34-33-9 Red Wings. John Tavares and Calle Jarnkrok replied for the Leafs, who also lost goalie Matt Murray to injury following an accidental collision with Wings forward Lucas Raymond in the first period. The Leafs (45-21-10) hold second place in the Atlantic Division with 100 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs also rested winger Mitch Marner and defensemen Mark Giordano and Jake McCabe from this game as they prepare for the upcoming playoffs. They will be facing the Tampa Bay Lightning in the opening round.

An overtime goal by Kirill Marchenko lifted the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 4-3 upset of the Ottawa Senators. Marchenko and Johnny Gaudreau each finished with two points for the 24-44-8 Blue Jackets. Dylan Gambrell, Mark Kastelic and Alex DeBrincat replied for the 37-34-6 Senators, who sit six points behind the Penguins for the final Eastern wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators, Penguins and Panthers each have five games remaining in their respective schedules. The Sens must run the table while hoping the Penguins and Panthers stall out in their remaining contests.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 2, 2023

by | Apr 2, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 2, 2023

The Oilers and Lightning clinch playoff berths, the first 2023 playoff matchup is set, the Panthers overtake the Penguins in the Eastern wild-card race, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl tallied a hat trick to reach 50 goals for the third time in his career as his club clinched a playoff berth by blanking the Anaheim Ducks 6-0. Jack Campbell made 36 saves for his first shutout with the Oilers while Connor McDavid, Zach Hyman and Mattias Ekholm each had a goal and an assist. With a record of 45-23-9, the Oilers hold second place in the Pacific Division with 99 points. Ducks goaltender John Gibson left the game with a lower-body injury as his club fell to 23-42-10 on the season.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a big day for the Oilers. McDavid and Draisaitl were named the first and second stars of the month for March (Arizona Coyotes center Clayton Keller was the third star) while goaltender Stuart Skinner was named rookie of the month.

Speaking of Draisaitl, he has 30 power-play goals this season, putting him within reach of Tim Kerr’s single-season record of 34.

The Tampa Bay Lightning secured a playoff spot thanks to Andrei Vasilevskiy’s 38-save shutout of the New York Islanders. Brayden Point had a goal and two assists for the Lightning (45-26-6) as they hold third place in the Atlantic Division with 96 points. The Islanders, meanwhile, dropped to 39-29-9 and hold the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 87 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Point now has 48 goals on the season. Before the game, the Islanders announced that winger Oliver Wahlstrom is officially out for the season with a lower-body injury suffered on Dec. 27.

Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Ilya Samsonov kicked out 31 shots to shut out the Ottawa Senators 3-0. Michael Bunting, William Nylander and Radim Zohorna scored for the 45-20-10 Leafs as they sit in second place in the Atlantic with 100 points. With a record of 37-34-5, the Senators (79 points) are six points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot. Before the game, they announced center Derick Brassard is out for the season following surgery for a broken fibula.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With the Lightning and Leafs winning last night, they have officially become the first confirmed playoff match-up in the opening round of the 2023 playoffs, which begins on April 17. They faced each other in the first round last season with the Lightning winning the best-of-seven series in seven games.

A four-goal performance by Carter Verhaeghe powered the Florida Panthers to a 7-0 drubbing of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Alex Lyon got the shutout with 21 saves while Sam Reinhart and Anthony Duclair each had three points for the 39-31-17 Panthers, who vaulted over the Pittsburgh Penguins into the final Eastern wild-card berth with 85 points. The Blue Jackets dropped to 23-44-8 on the season.

Speaking of the Penguins, they dropped a 4-3 decision to the league-leading Boston Bruins. David Pastrnak tallied a hat trick to reach 102 points on the season while Pavel Zacha had three assists for the 59-12-5 Bruins (123 points). Bryan Rust scored twice for the Penguins (37-29-10) as they sit one point behind the Panthers.

The Vegas Golden Knights became the first Western Conference team to reach 100 points this season (101) by taming the Minnesota Wild 4-1. Jack Eichel and Chandler Stephenson each had two points as the conference-leading Golden Knights (47-22-7) sit two points ahead of the Oilers in the Western standings. Matt Boldy tallied his 29th goal of the season for the 44-23-9 Wild as they sit atop the Central Division with 97 points.

Colorado Avalanche winger Mikko Rantanen scored and added three assists in a 5-2 victory over the Dallas Stars. Nathan MacKinnon tallied two goals for the 45-24-6 Avalanche as they sit one point behind the Wild in second place in the Central with 96 points. Tyler Seguin and Joe Pavelski replied for the Stars (41-21-14), who also have 96 points but sit third in the Central as the Avs have a game in hand and four more wins.

The Nashville Predators thumped the St. Louis Blues 6-1 to remain in the race for the final Western Conference wild-card berth. Tommy Novak had a goal and three assists and Luke Evangelista had three points for the Predators (38-29-8) as they sit three points behind the Winnipeg Jets with 84 points. Calle Rosen replied for the 35-35-6 Blues, who also lost defenseman Marco Scandella in the second period with a lower-body injury.

A hat trick by Alex Tuch carried the Buffalo Sabres to a 6-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Casey Mittelstadt collected three assists while Ukka-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 39 shots for the Sabres (37-31-7) as they sit four points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot with 81 points. Morgan Frost scored twice and Travis Konecny scored in his first game since being sidelined for 16 games by an upper-body injury as the Flyers fell to 29-33-13.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, Flyers head coach John Tortorella said center Sean Couturier (back) won’t return this season.

The Carolina Hurricanes maintained their lead in the Metropolitan Division by blanking the Montreal Canadiens 3-0. Antti Raanta had a 14-save shutout while Brady Skjei, Paul Stastny and Sebastian Aho scored for the 48-18-9 Hurricanes (105 points) to hold a one-point lead over the New Jersey Devils. Sam Montembeault made 47 saves for the 30-41-6 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Canadiens announced defenseman David Savard is out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury while winger Rafael Harvey-Pinard (day-to-day) was being rested due to minor injuries.

Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton reached the 20-goal plateau for the first time in a 6-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Hamilton, Timo Meier, Erik Haula and Jesper Boqvist each had a goal and an assist for the 48-20-8 Devils. Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews collected an assist in his first game since being sidelined by long COVID and chronic immune response syndrome on Jan. 28 as his club fell to 24-46-6.

Los Angeles Kings winger Kevin Fiala had a goal and an assist as his club held off the Seattle Kraken 3-1. Alex Iafallo collected two assists and Pheonix Copley made 25 saves as the Kings (44-22-10) sit one point behind the Oilers in third place in the Pacific Division with 98 points. Oliver Bjorkstand replied for the 41-26-8 Kraken as they remain three points ahead of the Winnipeg Jets in the first Western wild-card position with 90 points.

The San Jose Sharks crushed the Arizona Coyotes 7-2. Noah Gregor scored his first career NHL hat trick while Erik Karlsson had four assists for the 22-39-15 Sharks while the Coyotes dropped to 27-37-13.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 95 points in 76 games, Karlsson could become the first NHL defenseman to score 100 points in a season since Brian Leetch in 1991-92.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 28, 2023

by | Mar 28, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 28, 2023

Oilers Stars Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid reach scoring milestones, Matt Boldy nets his second hat trick of the month, the three stars of the week are revealed, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Edmonton Oilers nipped the Arizona Coyotes 5-4 as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins snapped a 4-4 tie in the third period. Nugent-Hopkins, Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard each had a goal and an assist for the 42-23-9 Oilers as they hold third place in the Pacific Division with 93 points. Barrett Hayton and Mattias Macelli each scored two goals while Lawson Crouse collected three assists for the 27-36-13 Coyotes.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Draisaitl became the fourth-fastest active player to reach 300 career goals. Teammate Connor McDavid collected his career-best 80th assist of the season and is the first player to reach 140 points in a season since Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr in 1995-96.

Minnesota Wild winger Matt Boldy collected his second hat trick of the month and his first natural one of his career in a 5-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 35 shots as the Wild (43-22-9) hold a one-point lead over the Colorado Avalanche for first place in the Central Division with 95 points. Jaden Schwartz tallied for the Kraken as they hold the first Western Conference wild-card spot with 88 points.

The Colorado Avalanche remained one point back of the Wild by defeating the Anaheim Ducks 5-1. Nathan MacKinnon and Bowen Byram each had a goal and an assist for the 44-23-6 Avalanche. Doug Grant replied for the 23-41-10 Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks center Trevor Zegras left this game with a lower-body injury in the second period. The Ducks were already playing without Troy Terry as he was out of this contest for personal reasons.

New York Islanders winger Kyle Palmieri tallied twice and collected an assist in a 5-1 win over the New Jersey Devils. Ilya Sorokin stopped 30 shots as the Islanders improved to 38-28-9 and hold a three-point lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 85 points. Erik Haula replied for the Devils (46-20-8) as they remain three points back of the first-place Carolina Hurricanes in the Metropolitan Division with 100 points.

The Ottawa Senators kept their playoff hopes alive while dealing a blow to the Florida Panthers with a 5-2 victory. Brady Tkachuk had a goal and an assist while Mads Sogaard turned aside 32 shots as the Senators (36-33-5) sit five points behind Pittsburgh with 77 points. Gustav Forsling scored both goals for the 36-31-7 Panthers as they remain three points behind the Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers forward Sam Bennett missed his fourth straight game with an undisclosed injury.

A shootout goal by Michael Pezzetta lifted the Montreal Canadiens to a 4-3 upset of the Buffalo Sabres. Brendan Gallagher’s game-tying goal was also the 200th goal of his career for the 30-38-6 Canadiens. Rookie Lukas Rousek scored his first goal and collected his first assist in his first NHL game for the 35-31-7 Sabres, who set five points behind the Penguins for that final Eastern wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pezzetta delighted Canadiens fans by riding his stick “Tiger Williams style” to celebrate his game-winner. The Sabres played without Tage Thompson as he’s listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Ilya Lybushkin was the only Sabre who declined to take part in the club’s Pride Night warmups.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: The New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs didn’t play on Monday night but both clubs clinched playoff berths. The Rangers secured their spot due to Monday’s losses by the Panthers and Sabres while the Leafs are in due to the Panthers’ loss.

Los Angeles Kings winger Viktor Arvidsson, Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki, and Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending March 26.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: The Golden Knights set an NHL record following their win against the Edmonton Oilers by becoming the first team to win four straight games with four different goaltenders. Jiri Patera, Jonathan Quick, Logan Thompson and Laurent Brossoit gained those respective wins.

DETROIT FREE PRESS: Red Wings goaltender Ville Husso and forward Robby Fabbri are sidelined by injuries for the rest of the season.

TSN: Columbus Blue Jackets defensemen Nick Blankenburg and Erik Gudbranson and forward Mathieu Olivier are also done for the season due to injuries.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The front office changes continue for the Flyers as Dave Scott is stepping down as chairman of the club’s parent company (Comcast Spectacor) and governor of the franchise. Dan Hilferty will take over as Scott’s successor.

OTTAWA SUN: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said he’ll leave it up to the Senators’ new owner where, and if, they’ll build a new arena for the franchise. He stressed that the club won’t be leaving Ottawa. “If this team is going to move, the only move that will be permitted is to downtown,” he said. Bettman doesn’t want to back the new owner into a corner regarding a new arena.

The Senators signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Capital Commission to build a new arena at LeBreton Flats which is as close to the downtown core. However, Ottawa mayor Mark Sutcliffe last week said it wasn’t the only possible site for an arena.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bettman also said there are six ownership groups bidding for the Senators. The new owner could be announced by late April at the earliest.

SPORTSNET: Hockey Hall of Famer Igor Larionov suggests Russia should withdraw from the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) in order to negotiate directly with the NHL for the release of its players to represent their country in international tournaments. The IIHF has suspended Russia over its ongoing war with Ukraine.

TSN: Speaking of international competition, Hockey Canada has deemed all players from Canada’s 2018 World Junior Team will be ineligible to participate in the 2023 World Hockey Championship until an investigation into an alleged group sexual assault is completed.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 27, 2023

by | Mar 27, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 27, 2023

A milestone game for the Bruins’ David Pastrnak, the Kings set a franchise record, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak scored his 50th and 51st goals of the season in a 4-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes overcame a 3-1 deficit to tie the game but the Bruins took it in a shootout on goals by Charlie Coyle and Jake DeBrusk. The Bruins tied a franchise record with their 57th win of the season and sit first overall with 119 points. Sebastian Aho tallied his 33rd goal of the season for the Hurricanes (47-16-9) as they sit second overall with 103 points.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the first time Pastrnak has reached the 50-goal plateau. He’s the first Bruin to do so since Cam Neely in 1993-94 and the first player drafted and developed by the club to reach the milestone. Pastrnak also reached 600 career points.

The Los Angeles Kings extended their points streak to a franchise-record 12 games (10-0-2) with a five-goal first period to hold off the St. Louis Blues 7-6. Viktor Arvidsson and Adrian Kempe each scored twice while Drew Doughty netted a franchise record for defensemen with his 30th career game-winning goal for the Kings (43-20-10), who sit two points behind the Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights with 96 points. Jordan Kyrou tallied twice for the 33-34-6 Blues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kings forward Blake Lizotte missed this game as he received a one-game suspension from the NHL department of player safety for cross-checking Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey in the face on Saturday. Morrissey received multiple stitches to his chin and lip.

Bruins forward A.J. Greer received a similar suspension for a similar infraction involving Montreal Canadiens forward Mike Hoffman, who also required stitches to close a gruesome cut on his chin.

One would assume the suspension in both incidents would’ve landed the offender more than one game for such a dangerous play. After all, hits to the head are supposed to be forbidden in today’s NHL, especially using the stick. It makes one wonder how seriously the NHL regards player safety when it hands down the equivalent of a slap on the wrist in these two cases.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares scored two goals in a 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators. Joseph Woll made 23 saves for the win as the 44-20-9 Leafs sit in second place in the Atlantic Division with 97 points. Tyson Barrie had a goal and an assist for the Predators (36-28-8) as they remain five points out of the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 80 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Predators forward Matt Duchene left this game with a lower-body injury and is listed as week-to-week. This comes at a bad time for Nashville as they’ve dropped five of their last seven games. They’re already missing captain Roman Josi, who’s been sidelined for the past five games.

The Colorado Avalanche blew 2-0 and 3-2 leads before defeating the Arizona Coyotes 4-3 on a shootout goal by Valeri Nichushkin. Mikko Rantanen had a goal and an assist for the 43-23-6 Avalanche (92 points) as they sit one point behind the first-place Minnesota Wild in the Central Division. Clayton Keller scored the tying goal for the 27-34-13 Coyotes.

Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson scored two third-period goals to double up the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2. Brock Boeser had a goal and an assist for the 34-34-5 Canucks, who’ve won 10 of their last 12 games. Lukas Reichel and Connor Murphy replied for the 24-43-6 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews has resumed skating after being sidelined since Jan. 28 battling long-COVID symptoms. He could rejoin his teammates in practice soon with an eye on getting in some games before the end of the season. Meanwhile, Blackhawks defenseman Jarred Tinordi left this game with a hip injury that’s been nagging him for most of this season.

HEADLINES

MONTREAL GAZETTE: The Canadiens signed Harvard University winger Sean Farrell to a three-year entry-level contract. Chosen in the fourth round of the 2020 draft by the Canadiens, he’ll be joining the club for the remainder of this season.

CALGARY SUN: The Flames signed Harvard University winger Matt Coronato to a three-year entry-level deal. He’ll be joining the Flames for the rest of this season. They chose Coronato 13th overall in the 2021 draft by the Flames.

DAILY FACEOFF: Another Harvard University forward is making the leap to the NHL as Alex Laferriere is expected to sign an entry-level contract with the Los Angeles Kings and skate with them for the rest of this season. The Kings chose him in the third round of the 2020 draft.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Henry Thrun is another Harvard player heading to the big league as the defenseman signed a two-year entry-level deal with the Sharks. Chosen in the fourth round of the 2019 draft by the Anaheim Ducks, the Sharks acquired Thrun’s rights on Feb. 28 for a third-round pick in 2024.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If you’re wondering why so many Harvard University players are joining their NHL teams so quickly, it’s because their season ended when they were eliminated in the NCAA tournament on Friday.

Those players joined several others US college players who’ve recently joined their NHL teams. The Hockey News’ Tony Ferrari has a list of 10 intriguing entry-level signings.