NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 30, 2022

by | Dec 30, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 30, 2022

Thursday’s games saw Aleksander Barkov, Mark Scheifele and Kyle Okposo enjoy hat-trick performances while Erik Karlsson becomes the first defenseman to reach 50 points this season. Details and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov had a five-point performance (including a first-period hat trick) in a 7-2 drubbing of the Montreal Canadiens. Barkov had missed three games with a lower-body injury. Matthew Tkachuk scored twice for the Panthers as they improved to 16-16-4. The Canadiens (15-18-3) have dropped four straight games.

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens welcomed back Brendan Gallagher after he was sidelined for 13 games by a lower-body injury. Habs defenseman Kaiden Guhle left this contest late in the third period with an apparent leg injury. There was no post-game update regarding his condition.

A hat trick by Mark Scheifele carried the Winnipeg Jets (22-13-1)over the Vancouver Canucks by a score of 4-2. Jets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois scored on a penalty shot while teammate Sam Gagner skated in his 1,000th career NHL game. Collin Delia made 35 saves for the Canucks, who drop to 16-16-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a costly victory for the Jets as defenseman Josh Morrissey left the game in the third period following a hit by Canucks blueliner Tyler Myers. Head coach Rick Bowness claimed Morrissey had a “little bit of a lower-body injury” but anticipates he’ll be able to play on Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers.

Buffalo Sabres captain Kyle Okposo also had a hat trick while Casey Mittlestadt tallied twice in a 6-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. The Sabres (17-14-2) have won five straight games. Dominik Kubalik scored two goals for the Red Wings as they dropped to 15-12-7.

The San Jose Sharks’ Erik Karlsson became the first defenseman to reach 50 points this season but his club fell 4-3 to the Philadelphia Flyers (12-17-7) on an overtime goal by Tony DeAngelo. Karlsson collected two assists to extend his points streak to 11 games while teammate Tomas Hertl scored twice for the 11-19-7 Sharks. Travis Konecny tallied twice for the Flyers as they overcame a 3-1 deficit to force overtime.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Karlsson is having what could become a career-best performance. With 50 points in just 37 games, he’s on pace to exceed his previous high of 82 points and could become the first blueliner to reach 100 points since Brian Leetch in 1991-92.

The Dallas Stars (22-9-6) moved into first place in the Western Conference by beating the Minnesota Wild 4-1. Tyler Seguin scored two goals and Jake Oettinger kicked out 23 shots as the Stars are tied with the Vegas Golden Knights with 50 points but hold first place with a game in hand. Kirill Kaprizov tallied his 20th goal of the season for the 20-13-2 Wild.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point scored his 20th goal of the season as his club downed the New York Rangers 2-1 on a shootout goal by Alex Killorn. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 45 saves through regulation and the shootout as the Lightning rose to 22-11-1. Mika Zibanejad scored for the Rangers (19-12-6) in regulation while Igor Shesterkin made 39 stops.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Point became the fifth player in Lightning history to reach the 20-goal plateau in at least six straight seasons. Meanwhile, there were some raised eyebrows when the Rangers announced former first-overall pick Alexis Lafreniere was a healthy scratch for this game.

The Arizona Coyotes scored four unanswered goals (two by Jack McBain) to upset the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3. Barrett Hayton had a three-point performance for the 13-16-5 Coyotes while Conor Timmins collected two assists for the 22-8-6 Maple Leafs.

A shootout goal by Viktor Arvidsson lifted the Los Angeles Kings to a 5-4 win over the Colorado Avalanche. Arvidsson also collected two assists in regulation as the Kings (21-12-6) extended their points streak to seven games (6-0-1). With 48 points, they’re now two behind the Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights.

Ottawa Senators winger Alex DeBrincat scored the game-tying and winning goals to defeat the Washington Capitals 4-3. Claude Giroux picked up two assists as the Senators improved to 16-16-3. Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov scored for the 20-13-5 Capitals.

The New York Islanders topped the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1 on goals by Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Mathew Barzal. The Islanders improved to 21-14-2 with their third straight victory while the Blue Jackets (10-22-4) suffered their seventh straight defeat.

Goals by Calle Rosen and Brandon Saad gave the St. Louis Blues (17-16-3) a 3-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks to snap a three-game losing skid. Patrick Kane scored for the Blackhawks (8-22-4), who have lost 18 of their last 20 contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko sat out this game with a non-COVID-related illness.

IN OTHER NEWS…

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins captain Sidney Crosby received an appointment for the Order of Canada for “being one of the greatest hockey players of all time and for supporting community service initiatives for youth.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to Crosby on receiving one of Canada’s highest honors.

Speaking of the Penguins, defenseman Kris Letang missed practice on Thursday with a lower-body injury. His status for Friday’s game again the New Jersey Devils remains uncertain.

TSN: Speaking of the Devils, winger Andreas Johnsson cleared waivers yesterday and was assigned to their AHL affiliate in Utica.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Former NHL winger Barry Cullen passed away on Dec. 16 at the age of 87. He spent five seasons in the league between 1955-56 and 1959-60 with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Red Wings, finishing with 32 goals and 84 points in 219 games. Cullen’s brothers, Brian and Raymond, also played in the NHL. In his post-playing career, he owned a successful car dealership in Guelph, Ontario.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cullen’s son, John, spent 10 seasons in the NHL from 1988-89 to 1998-99. My condolences to the Cullen family as well as Barry’s friends and former teammates.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 11, 2022

by | Dec 11, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 11, 2022

Kris Letang returns to the Penguins following a stroke, the Leafs and Mitch Marner continue their streaks, the Lightning’s Steven Stamkos extends his points streak, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Buffalo Sabres 3-1 as defenseman Kris Letang returned to their lineup for the first time since suffering a minor stroke 12 days ago. Letang was held pointless but played a team-leading 22:14 of ice time while Sidney Crosby scored two goals and collected an assist for the Penguins, who’ve won five straight and improved their record to 16-8-4. Peyton Krebs replied for the Sabres as they dropped to 12-14-2.

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres played without winger Jeff Skinner. He’s serving a three-game suspension for cross-checking Penguins winger Jake Guentzel in the face during their game on Friday.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner extended his franchise-record points streak to 22 games in a 5-4 overtime victory over the Calgary Flames. Marner scored the game-winner and collected an assist on one of William Nylander’s two goals as the latter reached a single-game personal best of five points. The Leafs (18-5-6) are unbeaten in their last 14 games (11-0-3). Noah Hanifin tallied twice for the Flames as they slipped to 13-11-4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs (42 points) are one point behind the league-leading Boston Bruins. Before the game, Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said forward Nick Robertson could miss six-to-eight weeks with a shoulder injury. He is not expected to undergo surgery.

Three unanswered third-period goals by Brayden Point, Mikhail Sergachev and Steven Stamkos lifted the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Florida Panthers 4-1. Stamkos extended his points streak to 13 games while the Lightning boosted their record to 17-9-1. The Panthers dropped to 13-11-4.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson made 35 saves to shut out the Vancouver Canucks by a score of 3-0. Matt Boldy, Connor Dewar and Sam Steel were the goal scorers as Minnesota sits at 14-11-2. Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov was held scoreless, bringing his 14-game points streak to an end. The Canucks dropped to 12-13-3.

Detroit Red Wings forward David Perron scored in his 1,000th career NHL game but his club dropped a 3-2 decision to the Dallas Stars. Nils Lundkvist got the winner in overtime as the Stars improved to 16-7-5 while the Wings sit at 13-8-6.

The Carolina Hurricanes blanked the New York Islanders 3-0 on a 16-save shutout by Pyotr Kochetkov. Paul Stastny, Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Jordan Staal scored for the Hurricanes (15-6-6) while the Islanders are 17-12-0 on the season.

First-period goals by Anze Kopitar and Viktor Arvidsson 19 seconds apart enabled the Los Angeles Kings to double up the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 and improve their record to 15-11-4. Cole Caufield tallied his 16th goal of the season for the Canadiens (13-12-2) as they’ve dropped three of their last four contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Canadiens moved sidelined winger Brendan Gallagher to injured reserve. Winger Mike Hoffman returned to the Habs lineup after missing eight games with a lower-body injury.

The Ottawa Senators got third-period goals by Alex DeBrincat and Drake Batherson to hold off the Nashville Predators by a score of 3-2. The Senators improve to 11-14-2 while the Predators slide to 12-11-2.

HEADLINES

SPORTSNET: Former Vancouver Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa still had more to say about former Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara claiming the Canucks were practicing passing around the Stanley Cup before Game 3 of the 2011 Cup Final between the two clubs. Chara made that claim recently on the “Games with Names” podcast.

Now a Hockey Night in Canada analyst, Bieksa previously told colleague Jeff Marek that the incident never happened nor did the Canucks contact the league to ask how many family members would be allowed on the ice when they won the Cup.

During Saturday’s HNiC telecast, Bieksa called Chara’s comments “one of the dumbest things we’ve ever heard.” He pointed to the fact that there was no record of this supposed incident despite the plethora of media coverage of that series.

Bieksa also noted that Chara seemed to walk back his comments during the podcast. He believed the former Bruins captain was showing a lack of respect toward the Canucks and their leaders at the time.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bieska made a valid point about the lack of substantiation of Chara’s claims. So far, there’s been no response from the former Bruins star.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Kraken defenseman Jamie Oleksiak received a three-game suspension by the NHL department of player safety for a hit to the head of Washington Capitals defenseman Alexander Alexeyev.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: Blackhawks goaltender Petr Mrazek hopes to return to the lineup on Tuesday to face the Capitals. He’s missed the last three games with a minor groin injury.

THE SCORE: The Edmonton Oilers will host the Calgary Flames at the 2023 Heritage Classic.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Former NHL player Chris Therien has released a book chronicling his life and career, including his struggle with alcoholism and his subsequent decade of sobriety.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 7, 2022

by | Dec 7, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 7, 2022

The Leafs’ Mitch Marner extends his points streak while the Stars’ Jason Robertson’s comes to an end, the Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon is sidelined for a lengthy period, an update on the Penguins’ Kris Letang, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner collected an assist to extend his points streak to 20 games in a 4-0 victory over the Dallas Stars. Matt Murray turned in a 44-save shutout while Auston Matthews had a goal and an assist as the Leafs improved their record to 16-5-6. The Stars’ Jason Robertson had his points streak end at 18 games as his club’s record falls to 14-7-5.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs defenseman Victor Mete left this game in the first period with a lower-body injury.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby scored twice and Tristan Jarry kicked out 38 shots to defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-1. Bryan Rust had a goal and an assist for the 14-8-4 Penguins. Johnny Gaudreau scored for the Blue Jackets, who fall to 8-14-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some good news for the Penguins as defenseman Kris Letang skated yesterday morning in full gear for the first time since suffering a minor stroke last week. There’s still no timetable for his return.

The New Jersey Devils picked up their 10th home win of the season by blanking the Chicago Blackhawks 3-0. Vitek Vanecek got the shutout by stopping 24 saves while Dougie Hamilton led the way with a goal and two assists as the Devils (21-4-1) vaulted into first place in the overall standings with 43 points. The Blackhawks (7-14-4) sink to second-last in the overall standings with 18 points.

Detroit Red Wings goaltender Ville Husso made 44 saves, including 28 in the third period, as his club doubled up the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2. Andrew Copp and Filip Hronek each had two assists as the Wings improved to 13-7-5 while the Lightning (15-9-1) got goals from Steven Stamkos and Brayden Point.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the first game in Tampa Bay for former Lightning assistant coach Derek Lalonde, who was hired by the Wings as head coach during the offseason.

Winnipeg Jets forwards Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor each scored twice to down the Florida Panthers by a score of 5-2. Connor Hellebuyck picked up the win for the Jets (16-7-1) with a 39-save performance. The Panthers fell to 12-10-4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets spoiled the homecoming of Panthers head coach Paul Maurice, who was returning to Winnipeg for the first time since stepping down as the Jets bench boss a year ago.

The St. Louis Blues ended a four-game losing skid with a 7-4 win over the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss made 36 saves and Noel Acciari scored twice as the Blues improved to 12-14-0. Zach Parise and Noah Dobson each had a goal and an assist for the 16-11-0 Islanders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blues went into this game without Torey Krug and Pavel Buchnevich. Krug has an upper-body ailment while Buchnevich has a lower-body injury. No word yet as to how long they could be sidelined.

Two goals within seven seconds by Cole Caufield and Josh Anderson in the second period powered the Montreal Canadiens to a 4-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Jake Allen stopped 31 shots as the Canadiens improved to 13-11-2. Rookie Shane Wright tallied his first career NHL goal for the 15-7-3 Kraken.

Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar collected three assists and winger Viktor Arvidsson tallied twice to down the Ottawa Senators 5-2. Kings goalie Pheonix Copley stopped 31 shots for his first NHL win since 2019 as his club improved to 14-10-4. Tim Stutzle had two assists for the 10-14-1 Senators.

An overtime goal by Ryan Strome lifted the Anaheim Ducks over the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3. John Gibson made 34 saves for the Ducks (7-17-3) while Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 26 shots for the 14-6-6- Hurricanes.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE DENVER POST: The injury-depleted Colorado Avalanche got more bad news yesterday as center Nathan MacKinnon will be sidelined for four weeks with an upper-body injury. The Avs are already missing Gabriel Landeskog, Valeri Nichushkin, Evan Rodrigues, Artturi Lehkonen, Josh Manson, Bo Byram, Darren Helm, Kurtis MacDermid, Jean-Luc Foudy and Shane Bowers.

CBC NEWS: Carey Price issued a statement yesterday saying he was aware of the anniversary of the 1989 Polytechnique Massacre in Montreal after the Canadiens claimed he was unaware of it. Price and the Canadiens were responding on Monday to a social media post by the goaltender supporting a guns rights group that recently used “POLY” as a promotional discount code.

Price’s initial social media post was in support of the group’s opposition to an upcoming Canadian government bill that could put restrictions on hunting rifles. He said he was unaware of the group’s use of the offensive promo code and didn’t support it.

On Tuesday, Price apologized for the timing of his original post. He said that he would never cause any intentional pain to victims of gun violence.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens really aren’t very good at handling controversial issues that arise involving one of their players. Rather than face the issue and address it honestly, they tried to give Price an out by denying his awareness of the Polytechnique Massacre and its upcoming anniversary. Not a good look for the storied franchise.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 2, 2022

by | Dec 2, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 2, 2022

The Lightning’s Steve Stamkos reaches a scoring milestone, the Stars’ Jason Robertson extends his points streak, the three stars and the rookie of the month for November are revealed, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos became the first player in franchise history to reach the 1,000-point plateau in a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Stamkos assisted on the second of Nick Paul’s two goals to reach the milestone while Andrei Vasilevskiy made 21 saves as the Lightning improved their record to 14-8-1. Travis Konecny replied for the Flyers as they fall to 8-11-5.

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stamkos’ teammates poured off the bench to congratulate their captain on his achievement. The 32-year-old forward shows no signs of slowing down, leading his club with 13 goals and sitting second in points with 28.

Konecny and Tony DeAngelo returned to the Flyers’ lineup after being briefly sidelined by injuries. Earlier in the day, general manager Chuck Fletcher said Ryan Ellis will not play this season. He’s been sidelined since last November by what could be a career-threatening back injury.

Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson extended his points streak to 17 games by tallying a hat trick as his club blanked the Anaheim Ducks 5-0. Jake Oettinger made 31 saves for the shutout while Miro Heiskanen collected three assists. The Stars (14-6-4) have 32 points and hold a three-point lead over the Winnipeg Jets for first place in the Central Division. The Ducks (6-16-2) sit dead last in the overall standings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Robertson is the first player to score 20 goals this season.

Colorado Avalanche center scored two goals and set up three others in a 6-4 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. J.T. Compher scored twice and collected two assists as the Avalanche improved to 13-7-1. Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens each had a goal and two assists for the 10-13-1 Sabres.

The Nashville Predators blew a 2-0 lead but rallied to down the league-leading New Jersey Devils 4-3 in overtime. Ryan Johansen tallied twice, including the game-winner as the Predators improved to 11-9-2. Jack Hughes and Erik Haula each collected two assists for the Devils (19-4-1) as their 39 points put them one up on the Boston Bruins in the overall standings.

Third-period goals by Jake Guentzel and Kasperi Kapanen lifted the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Vegas Golden Knights by a score of 4-3. Guentzel, Kapanen and Brock McGinn each had a goal and an assist for the Penguins (12-8-4). Logan Thompson made 43 saves and Jack Eichel had a goal and an assist for the 17-7-1 Golden Knights as they sit atop the Western Conference with 35 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins captain Sidney Crosby credited sidelined teammate Kris Letang as inspiration for his club’s win. Letang is sidelined indefinitely after suffering a minor stroke on Monday. Letang went for a brief skate on his own yesterday morning but it was more for his mental health than anything else. His condition is not considered career-threatening but there’s no timetable for his return.

The Seattle Kraken improved to 15-5-3 and moved to within two points of the Golden Knights with a 3-2 overtime victory over the Washington Capitals. Matty Beniers scored the winner as the Kraken overcame a 2-0 deficit while Andre Burakovsky and Vince Dunn each picked up two assists. Alex Ovechkin collected two assists as the Capitals fell to 10-11-4.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Jordan Martinook tallied a hat trick in a 6-4 win over the St. Louis Blues. Brent Burns picked up two assists for the 13-6-5 Hurricanes while Vladimir Tarasenko and Pavel Buchnevich each had two points for the Blues, who drop to 11-12-0.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and two assists to lead his club over the Edmonton Oilers 5-3. Kaprizov set a franchise record for consecutive games with assists (nine) while extending his points streak to 10 games while the Wild improve to 11-9-2. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl each had a goal and an assist for the 13-11-0 Oilers. McDavid leads all NHL scorers with 43 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Wild recalled defenseman Andrej Sustr to replace Jonas Brodin, who’s out indefinitely with a lower-body injury.

Montreal Canadiens center Sean Monahan collected two assists while Jake Allen kicked out 45 shots in a 2-1 win over the Calgary Flames. Juraj Slafkovsky and Cole Caufield scored for the Canadiens (12-10-1) while Elias Lindholm replied for the 10-10-3 Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was Monahan’s first game in Calgary against the Flames since he was traded to the Canadiens in the offseason. He received a video tribute from his former club and a standing ovation from Flames fans. Earlier in the day, the Canadiens announced that winger Brendan Gallagher would miss the game with a lower-body injury while winger Mike Hoffman (lower body) was placed on injured reserve.

The Florida Panthers got two goals from Sam Bennett and three points from Matthew Tkachuk to beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-1 and improve their record to 11-9-4. Dakota Joshua replied for the Canucks (9-12-3), who also lost goaltender Thatcher Demko in the first period with an apparent injury to his right leg. No word as to the severity of Demko’s injury.

Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar scored twice, including the winning goal in the third period, to lead his club over the Arizona Coyotes 5-3. Kevin Fiala had a goal and an assist for the Kings (13-9-4). Rookies Dylan Guenther and Matias Macelli each collected two assists for the Coyotes, who fell to 7-11-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kings goaltender Cal Petersen cleared waivers yesterday and was sent to the Kings’ AHL affiliate.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Stars winger Jason Robertson, Devils goalie Vitek Vanecek and Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner are the NHL’s three stars for November 2022. Golden Knights goalie Logan Thompson is the rookie of the month for November.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings placed forward Tyler Bertuzzi on injured reserve with a hand injury.

OTTAWA SUN: The deadline for the Senators to reach an agreement on a new contract with restricted free-agent winger Alex Formenton passed yesterday without a deal. Formenton, 23, is now ineligible to play in the NHL for the remainder of this season but his rights are still held by the Senators.

TSN: Maple Leafs forward Calle Jarnkrok is expected to miss some time after leaving Wednesday’s game against the San Jose Sharks with a groin injury.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: The Blackhawks placed defenseman Jarred Tinordi (hip) on injured reserve retroactive to Nov. 27 and recalled blueliner Ian Mitchell from their AHL affiliate in Rockford.

Former Buffalo Sabres center Riley Sheahan has signed with EHC Biel in Switzerland. Sheahan and the Sabres mutually agreed to terminate his contract earlier this week after he decline demotion to their AHL affiliate.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 1, 2022

by | Dec 1, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 1, 2022

Mitch Marner ties a Leafs points-streak record, Penguins defenseman Kris Letang is sidelined indefinitely following a minor stroke, Canucks to honor Roberto Luongo and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner scored an empty-net goal to tie the franchise record for consecutive points (18) in a 3-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Pierre Engvall snapped a 1-1 tie in the third period while Ilya Samsonov made 23 saves in his first game since being sidelined by a knee injury on Nov. 5. The Leafs improve to 15-5-5 (35 points) to sit three points behind the league-leading Boston Bruins while the Sharks fall to 8-14-4.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs forward Calle Jarnkrok left this game in the second period with a groin injury.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist to become the first player to reach 40 points as his club held off the Chicago Blackhawks by a score of 5-4. Leon Draisaitl scored twice, including what proved to be the game-winner for the Oilers (13-10-0) while Max Domi tallied twice for the 6-12-4 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Domi’s been among the few bright spots in what’s becoming a difficult season for the rebuilding Blackhawks. He’s second in points with 16 in 22 games and could become a valuable trade chip for them if he’s still playing well leading up to the March 3 trade deadline.

The Buffalo Sabres blew a three-goal third-period lead but defeated the Detroit Red Wings 5-4 on a shootout goal by Jack Quinn. Dylan Cozen scored twice while Craig Anderson made 41 saves for the win as the Sabres improved to 10-12-1. Oskar Sundqvist tallied twice for the 11-6-5 Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings winger Tyler Bertuzzi left this game after being struck on the left hand by a shot from teammate Ben Chiarot. Wings head coach Derek Lalonde had no update on Bertuzzi’s condition following the game.

New York Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren collected three assists as his club defeated the Ottawa Senators 3-1. Jaroslav Halak stopped 34 shots for his first win with the Rangers (11-9-4) as they snapped a three-game winless skid. Shane Pinto scored for the 8-13-1 Senators.

HEADLINES

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins defenseman Kris Letang is sidelined indefinitely after suffering a minor stroke on Monday. General manager Ron Hextall said Letang’s stroke is “much less severe” than the one he suffered in 2014 that sidelined him for several months.

Letang visited his teammates following their game against the Carolina Hurricanes to reassure them about his condition. He’s undergoing further testing but so far he’s doing okay. However, there is no timetable for his return.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Letang for a swift recovery and his return to the Penguins lineup. Thankfully, his condition isn’t considered career-threatening.

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks intend to honor former goaltender Roberto Luongo by inducting him into the club’s Ring of Honour next season. The newly-inducted member of the Hockey Hall of Fame is the franchise leader in single-season wins (47), games played (76) and shutouts (nine) as well as their leader in career wins (252) and shutouts (38).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’m surprised they’re not retiring Luongo’s number but at least they’re recognizing the achievements of his eight seasons in Vancouver.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: After Boston Bruins’ NESN broadcaster Jack Edwards mocked Pat Maroon’s weight during a recent game, the Lightning winger took the high road by donating $2,000.00 in Edwards’ name to a local non-profit that helps people struggling with mental health and substance abuse issues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Boston Hockey Now’s Jimmy Murphy observed that Edwards’ bizarre comments didn’t go down well with fans and pundits around the NHL. However, he doesn’t anticipate an apology from Edwards or NESN, who have supported their sometimes controversial play-by-play man for his flippant comments in the past.

 

DAILY FACEOFF: The Los Angeles Kings placed goaltender Cal Petersen on waivers yesterday. The 28-year-old has struggled since signing a three-year, $15-million contract last season. He has a 5-3-2 record thus far this season with a .868 save percentage and a 3.78 goals-against average. The club had no comment yesterday about the move.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a surprising move. It wasn’t that long ago that Petersen was considered the heir apparent to Kings starter Jonathan Quick. I doubt any club will claim him given his $5 million average annual value. If he clears waivers as expected he could be sent to the Kings’ AHL affiliate to work on his game.










Notable NHL Trades and Free Agent Signings – July 7, 2022

by | Jul 7, 2022

Notable NHL Trades and Free Agent Signings – July 7, 2022

Check out my take on the notable trades and free-agent signings leading up to and including the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft. This list will be updated as new trades and signings occur.

Edmonton Oilers trade winger Zack Kassian, the 29th overall pick in this year’s draft, a second-round pick in 2025 and a third-round pick in 2024 to the Arizona Coyotes for the 32nd overall pick in this year’s draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers need to shed salary to acquire a starting goaltender and have enough space to re-sign or replace winger Evander Kane. It cost them two draft picks and dropped them down three places in the remainder of the first round but it sheds Kassian’s $3.2 million annual salary-cap hit through 2023-24.

The Toronto Maple Leafs traded goaltender Petr Mrazek and their first-round pick (25th overall) in this year’s draft to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for the 38th overall pick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Such is the price necessary for the Leafs to ship out Mrazek and free up his $3.8 million annual average value through 2023-24. They’ll put those savings toward finding a suitable replacement for starting goalie Jack Campbell if they fail to re-sign him before the free-agent market opens next week.

As for the Blackhawks, GM Kyle Davidson is once again making moves to garner more first-round picks for his rebuilding club. He started the day without a pick in this round. He finished the night with three. He also takes on a goaltender in Mrazek but will need to find another if he doesn’t re-sign Kevin Lankinen or Colin Delia.

Montreal Canadiens trade defenseman Alexander Romanov and a fourth-round pick in 2022 to the New York Islanders in exchange for the 13th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.

The Canadiens flip that pick and a third-rounder in this year’s draft to the Chicago Blackhawks for center Kirby Dach.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: According to reports, the Canadiens wanted more size up front. After selecting big Slovakian winger Juraj Slafkovsky with the first-overall pick, they acquired the 6’4”, 197-pound Dach, who was chosen third overall in 2019 by the Blackhawks.

To get Dach, however, the Canadiens needed another first-round pick, which is why they sent Romanov to the Islanders. This move leaves a gap on their blueline that they’ll have to fill at some point in the offseason. It could come from within by promoting one of their promising young defenseman like Kaiden Guhle or Justin Barron or from another trade or a free-agent signing if they’re looking for experience.

The Canadiens have added more size to their forward lines but they need to address that gap left by Romanov’s absence. The 22-year-old Russian moves the puck well and doesn’t shy away from making big hits. However, he’s had difficulties adjusting to the NHL game. The Isles gave up quite a bit to get him but it could be worth it if he plays up to his potential with his new club.

Dach showed flashes of promise during his three seasons in Chicago but was plagued by injuries and inconsistency. Still, he had time on his side to find his game. Perhaps a change of scenery will benefit him.

For the Blackhawks, it’s their second significant trade today, having shipped Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators this afternoon. These moves gave the rebuilding club two picks within the top 15 in this year’s draft, which they used to select defenseman Kevin Korchinski (sixth overall) and center Frank Nazar (13th overall). However, it came at the cost of shipping out their best goal scorer in DeBrincat and a promising center in Dach from their lineup.

Bold moves by the Canadiens and Blackhawks today. Time will tell if they pan out.

Minnesota Wild signed goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to a two-year contract with an annual average value of $3.5 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s quite a pay cut for the 37-year-old Fleury from the $7 million annual average value of his previous contract. At this stage of his career, however, that should be expected. Earlier reports had the Wild trying to sign him to a one-year deal so he managed to squeeze an extra year out of the. With Cam Talbot under contract for $3.6 million next season, the Wild return with their tandem from the 2022 postseason.

The Chicago Blackhawks trade winger Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for the seventh and 39th overall picks in the 2022 NHL draft plus the Senators’ third-round pick in 2024.

Chicago Blackhawks trade winger Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators wanted a top-six winger to skate alongside Tim Stuetzle on the second line. DeBrincat should provide a big boost to their offense, coming off his second 41-goal season within the past five years.

The question now is whether the Senators can sign the 24-year-old DeBrincat to a contract extension. He’s a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next summer with a $6.4 million cap hit but will earn $9 million in actual salary. That’s also how much it’ll cost the Senators to qualify his rights because he signed his current contract in 2019 before the changes to the rate for qualifying offers. He’ll also be a year away from UFA eligibility next summer.

The Blackhawks wanted to get a top-10 pick after former general manager Stan Bowman traded away their pick last summer to Columbus in the Seth Jones trades. Some observers expected they’d get a bigger return than a first and a second in this year’s draft and a third in two years’ time. Nevertheless, if current GM Kyle Davidson can secure at least one future star out of those picks it could prove worthwhile for the rebuilding Hawks over the long term.

Pittsburgh Penguins sign Kris Letang to a six-year, $36.6-million contract extension. The 35-year-old defenseman was slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: On the one hand, this isn’t the five-year deal between $8 million and $9 million annually that some sources had speculated. On the other, the Pens are paying an average of $6.1 million per season for a blueliner approaching his late-30s.

It’s a gamble by general manager Ron Hextall. Letang is coming off a career-best 68-point performance and should have around three more good seasons left. It’s those final three years that could make this contract burdensome down the road.

Hextall’s focus will shift toward Evgeni Malkin, who’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 13. Recent speculation had the two sides discussing a three-year contract but they’re apparently far apart on the dollars.

New York Rangers trade goaltender Alexandar Georgiev to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for a third and a fifth-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft plus a third-rounder in 2023.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This means Darcy Kuemper will be departing the Avalanche as a free agent on July 13. Georgiev struggled at times during his tenure with the Rangers. However, he did play well filling in for starter Igor Shesterkin this season when he missed 11 games with a lower-body injury and a bout with COVID-19. Maybe he’ll have better luck in Colorado establishing himself as a starter than he did in New York.