NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 4, 2023

by | Aug 4, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 4, 2023

The Oilers put Connor McDavid’s former agent in charge of hockey operations, Kyle Dubas will remain the Penguins’ general manager, Mike Babcock admits to making mistakes with the Leafs, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Edmonton Oilers announced Jeff Jackson has been named as their new CEO of Hockey operations. Jackson is a former NHL player and the former agent of Oilers captain Connor McDavid.

Jackson will report directly to Oilers owner Darryl Katz and will serve as the club’s alternate governor. He will be assisted in his role by Paul Coffey, who’s been with the Oilers for over a year as a special advisor to Katz. Ken Holland remains as general manager and will report directly to Jackson.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This hiring is also being seen as the Oilers m a step closer to solidifying McDavid’s future with the club. His contract expires at the end of the 2025-26 season.

Jackson acknowledged his close relationship with McDavid but stressed that it will be different now. He feels the goal is to ensure they keep the Oilers’ core group together. That will include Leon Draisaitl, whose contract expires in 2025.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins have made Kyle Dubas their general manager on a full-time basis. Dubas was hired as president of hockey operations in June and was serving as interim general manager. Trevor Daley and Amanda Kessel were named special assistants to Dubas in a series of promotions announced yesterday.

Pittsburgh Penguins hockey ops president and GM Kyle Dubas (NHL.com).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dubas said he believed it was in the interest of continuity that he remain in both roles for now. He didn’t rule out finding a new general manager in future off-seasons.

SPORTSNET: Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Mike Babcock admitted to making mistakes during his tenure as coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs during an interview with the FAN Morning Show.

“Do I like how I was talked about after I left? No,” said Babcock. “Do I think I did anything wrong? Absolutely.” He added that he wasn’t trying to hide from anything he’s done and will own up to any mistakes and learn from them.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Babcock didn’t get into specifics about his mistakes. He faced allegations of bullying players during his tenure with the Leafs and during his time behind the Detroit Red Wings bench.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev wasn’t happy about how recent comments he made during a recent interview with a Russian news outlet were mistranslated and posted to Instagram by @nhlbreakers.

In the now-deleted post, Sergachev is quoted as saying, “Wow, Toronto wins one series in 19 years then immediately loses, they deserve no credit, no other team would celebrate such a thing.”

In a post on his Instagram account, Sergachev insisted he said no such thing. He said he was asked if Toronto’s physical play during their first-round series accounted for a couple of Lightning defensemen getting injured. He said he replied, “No, it just happens sometimes people get hurt by accident, and I don’t want to give them credit.”

When asked why not, Sergachev said he didn’t think they deserve credit. When the reporter noted it was the first time in 19 years the Leafs got past the first round, the blueliner said that he replied, “Here true, good on them! But didn’t go thru the second round, I don’t see a reason to celebrate.”

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of the Leafs, Milan Lucic said they and the Chicago Blackhawks were interested in signing him when he became an unrestricted free agent on July 1. The 35-year-old winger signed with the Boston Bruins, returning to the club where he began his NHL career and enjoyed his biggest successes.

THE PROVINCE: Former Vancouver Canucks defenseman Ethan Bear said he’s recovering well from his recent shoulder surgery. An unrestricted free agent, he’s received inquiries from other clubs but would love to return to the Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bear will be sidelined until December. He’ll likely get a new contract with a club around then as injuries start to take their toll on defense corps around the league.

THE ATHLETIC: Ian Mendes did a feature on Taylor Dixon, the creator of the Puckdoku puzzle game that’s taken hockey fans by storm this summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I recently became a fan of Puckdoku and usually start my day solving the latest puzzle before going to work. It’s a lot of fun and a great way to test your knowledge of NHL players past and present. Go to puckdoku.com to check it out!










Notable NHL Moves For July 1, 2023

by | Jul 1, 2023

Notable NHL Moves For July 1, 2023

Check in regularly for today’s notable player moves during the opening day of the NHL’s annual free-agent market.

New York Islander sign goaltender Semyon Varlamov to a four-year, $11 million contract. 

Detroit Red Wings sign center J.T. Compher to a five-year, $25.5 million contract.

New York Islanders sign Scott Mayfield to a seven-year, $24.5 million contract. 

Seattle Kraken signed Brian Dumoulin to a two-year, $6.3 million contract.

Colorado Avalanche signs Jonathan Drouin to a one-year, $825K contract.

Pittsburgh Penguins sign Lars Eller to a two-year, $4.9 million contract.

New York Islanders sign Pierre Engvall to a seven-year, $21 million contract. 

Colorado Avalanche sign winger Miles Wood to a six-year, $15 million contract. 

Pittsburgh Penguins sign defenseman Ryan Graves to a six-year, $27 million contract. 

Pittsburgh Penguins bring back goaltender Tristan Jarry on a five-year, $28.875 million contract.

Anaheim Ducks sign Alex Killorn to a four-year, $25 million contract. 

Arizona Coyotes sign Jason Zucker to a one-year, $5.3 million contract. 

Detroit Red Wings sign Daniel Sprong to a one-year, $2 million contract.

Dallas Stars sign Matt Duchene to a one-year, $3 million contract

Tampa Bay Lightning sign Conor Sheary to a three-year $6 million contract. 

Boston Bruins sign defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk to a one-year, $1 million contract. 

Nashville Predators sign forward Gustav Nyquist to a two-year, $6.37 million contract. 

Detroit Red Wings sign defenseman Justin Holl to a three-year, $10.20 million contract. 

Washington Capitals sign Max Pacioretty to a one-year, $2 million contract.

Vancouver Canucks sign Carson Soucy to a three-year, $9.75 million contract. 

Nashville Predators sign Ryan O’Reilly to a four-year, $18 million contract. 

Carolina Hurricanes sign defenseman Dmitry Orlov to a two-year. $7.75 million contract. 

Carolina Hurricanes bring back goaltender Frederik Andersen on a two-year, $6.8 million contract. 

Ottawa Senators sign goaltender Joonas Korpisalo to a five-year, $20 million contract.

Buffalo Sabres sign defenseman Erik Johnson to a one-year, $3.25 million contract. 

Edmonton Oilers sign winger Connor Brown to a one-year, $4 million contract. 

Anaheim Ducks sign defenseman Radko Gudas to a three-year, $12 million contract. 

San Jose Sharks sign goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood to a two-year $4.7 million contract. 

New York Rangers sign right wing Blake Wheeler to a one-year, $800K salary plus $300K max bonuses.

Boston Bruins sign left wing James van Riemsdyk to a one-year, $1 million contract. 

Boston Bruins sign winger Milan Lucic to a one-year, $1 million contract. 

Los Angeles Kings sign Cam Talbot to a one-year, $1 million contract.

Montreal Canadiens traded defenseman Joel Edmundson to the Washington Capitals for a third-round pick and a seventh-rounder in the 2024 NHL draft.  The Canadiens are retaining 50 percent of his cap hit.

Nashville Predator sign Luke Schenn to a three-year contract with an AAV of $2.75 million

Florida Panthers sign defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson to a one-year, $2.25 million contract.

Toronto Maple Leafs sign forward Ryan Reaves to a three-year contract with an AAV of $1.3 million.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 21, 2023

by | Jun 21, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 21, 2023

The Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2023 will be announced today, the Canadiens re-sign Sean Monahan, an update on Carey Price, the Flames allow Milan Lucic to speak with other teams, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.com: The Hockey Hall of Fame will vote on its Class of 2023 inductees today. They will be announced at 3 pm ET.

Former New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist (NHL.com)

Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist is expected to be among that group. This is his first year of eligibility.

Other former NHL stars among the candidates include Tom Barrasso, Rod Brind’Amour, Corey Crawford, Patrik Elias, Theo Fleury, Sergei Gonchar, Curtis Joseph, Reggie Leach, Alexander Mogilny, Chris Osgood, Jeremy Roenick, Keith Tkachuk, Pierre Turgeon, Mike Vernon, Justin Williams and Henrik Zetterberg.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I will continue stumping for Butch Goring until he’s inducted or I shuffle off this mortal coil, whichever comes first.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: The Canadiens yesterday re-signed Sean Monahan to a one-year, $1.985 million contract extension. The 28-year-old center was slated to become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) on July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: After several injury-plagued years in Calgary, Monahan was enjoying a bounce-back performance this season until suffering a season-ending lower-body injury in December. He was a good addition to the rebuilding Canadiens, acting as a mentor to their young players while providing experienced depth at center.

This signing allows Monahan to continue playing a prominent role with the Canadiens and perhaps improve his stock in next summer’s free-agent market. He could also become a valuable asset for the Habs at next year’s trade deadline if he has a healthy and productive season.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Speaking of the Canadiens, long-time goalie Carey Price and his family have put their Montreal-area home up for sale and are moving to Kelowna, BC. Price, 35, has three years remaining on his contract but is unofficially retired because of a knee injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Price carries an average annual value of $10.5 million. It’s expected the Canadiens will place him on long-term injury reserve, providing them with additional cap space to spend on other players this summer. There’s also speculation that Price could take up a player development role with the Habs.

CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: The Flames are allowing Milan Lucic to speak with other clubs about a new contract. The 35-year-old winger is slated to become a UFA on July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lucic is no longer the dominating power forward of his youth but he played a significant leadership for Canada during their gold-medal run at the 2023 IIHF World Championships. That could entice playoff contenders seeking veteran leadership and toughness to sign him to an affordable one-year contract.

TORONTO SUN: Terry Koshan cites a “well-placed source” dismissing rumors of the Maple Leafs buying out defenseman T.J. Brodie. He has one season left on his contract with an AAV of $5 million and a full no-trade clause until July 1 when it becomes a 10-team no-trade clause for 2023-24.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Someone in the media was likely musing over how the Leafs could garner some cap relief and suggested buying out Brodie. It got shared on social media and twisted around into the Leafs buying him out.

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports it will take until September before the sale of the Senators to incoming owner Michael Andlauer is completed. Until then, he cannot make any changes to the club. That means he will have no say over possible offseason roster moves by general manager Pierre Dorion.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dorion’s biggest potential move is his anticipated trade of Alex DeBrincat. Garrioch reports the Senators would like a first-round pick as part of the return for the 25-year-old winger, who refuses to ink a long-term extension with the club.

BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: The Sabres have signed forward Zemgus Girgensons to a one-year contract extension worth $2.5 million. This move was made to preserve the club’s leadership group.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Girgensons is the longest-serving active member on the Sabres roster, having played nine seasons.

ARIZONA SPORTS: The Coyotes yesterday placed forward Zack Kassian and defenseman Patrik Nemeth on waivers for the purpose of buying out their contracts.

TSN: Player agent Ray Petkau confirmed clients James Reimer of the San Jose Sharks and Thomas Greiss of the St. Louis Blues will be hitting the UFA market on July 1.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman doesn’t anticipate trading his two first-round picks in the upcoming 2023 NHL Draft (June 28-29) in Nashville. The Red Wings hold picks No. 9 and No. 17.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Yzerman could change his mind if a rival GM makes a tempting offer but it doesn’t appear as though he’s actively shopping those picks.

NEW YORK POST: The Islanders signed restricted free agent defenseman Samuel Bolduc to a two-year, one-way contract worth an AAV of $800K.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 30, 2023

by | May 30, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 30, 2023

The Golden Knights advance to the Stanley Cup Final, the schedule for the Final is released, plus the latest on Milan Lucic, Oliver Wahlstrom and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Vegas Golden Knights are heading to the Stanley Cup Final after blanking the Dallas Stars 6-0 in Game 6 of the Western Conference Final to win the series four games to two. It’s the second time in the Golden Knights’ six-season history that they’ve gone to the Cup Final.

Vegas Golden Knights pose with Clarence Campbell Bowl as the 2023 Western Conference champions (NHL.com).

Adin Hill stopped 23 shots for his second career playoff shutout while William Karlsson scored twice and collected an assist. William Carrier, Keegan Kolesar and Michael Amadio each had a goal and an assist.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As in the Golden Knights’ lopsided victory in Game 3, they jumped out to an insurmountable 3-0 lead in the first period and never looked back. They dominated the Stars with their aggressive forecheck and exploited the Stars’ defensive breakdowns.

Vegas’ quick start was powered by the fourth line of Carrier, Kolesar and Nicolas Roy. They started the game on the opening faceoff and were key to their club’s quick start with Carrier and Kolesar tallying two of the Golden Knights’ three first-period goals.

It was another tough night for Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger as he gave up all six goals. However, Stars head coach Peter DeBoer pointed out that his club left Oettinger hung out to dry. “We put him in some tough spots,” said DeBoer. “We can’t ask him to win that game all by himself.”

Stars captain Jamie Benn returned to the lineup after serving a two-game suspension for cross-checking Vegas captain Mark Stone in Game 3. However, he was a non-factor in this game.

The Golden Knights will face off against the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final with Game 1 in Las Vegas on Saturday, June 3 at 8 pm ET.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers will have had a 10-day break from the end of the Eastern Conference Final to Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. They intend on making the most of it to prepare for the Golden Knights and allow time for banged-up players to recuperate.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The downside of such a lengthy break is the Panthers could be rusty when they face off against the Golden Knights on Saturday. Practice helps but is no substitute for game action.

TSN: Milan Lucic is mulling his future after helping Canada win gold at the 2023 IIHF World Championship. The 34-year-old winger is slated to become an unrestricted free agent after spending the past four seasons with the Calgary Flames. He said he’ll spend the next month thinking about the next step in his career and the best fit moving forward.

NEW YORK POST: Oliver Wahlstrom’s role with the Islanders remains unclear heading into the offseason. The 22-year-old restricted free-agent winger is expected to be back with the Isles next season.

Because it’s unclear whether veteran wingers like Pierre Engvall, Zack Parise and Josh Bailey will return next season, it’s unclear whether Wahlstrom will move into a top-six role with the Isles next season.

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports NHL sources claimed the sale of the Senators has reached its final pivotal stages. One of the sources believes Toronto billionaire Steve Apostopoulos had the highest bid at $1 billion USD. “It’s getting there,” said one source, adding it’s hoped there will be something announced later this week.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 19, 2023

by | Mar 19, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 19, 2023

The Oilers’ Connor McDavid reaches another scoring milestone, the Blackhawks’ Jonathan Toews reportedly considering retirement, the Capitals’ John Carlson talks about his gruesome head injury and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid had his fourth straight multi-point game (1 goal, two assists) in a 6-4 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Evander Kane tallied a hat trick while Leon Draisaitl and Mattias Ekholm each collected three assists for the 39-23-8 Oilers as they hold third place in the Pacific Division with 86 points. Jamie Oleksiak collected two assists for the Kraken (38-24-7) as they hold the first wild-card berth in the Western Conference with 83 points.

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was McDavid’s 40th multi-point game, making him the sixth player in NHL history to reach that plateau. Meanwhile, Kraken goaltender Philipp Grubauer left the game with a non-COVID illness.

The Boston Bruins defeated the Minnesota Wild 5-2 to snap the latter’s 14-game points streak. Brad Marchand collected three assists, David Pastrnak scored his 47th goal of the season and Linus Ullmark stopped 29 shots for the Bruins (52-11-5) as they sit atop the overall standings with 109 points. Marcus Johansson has a goal and an assist for the 39-22-8 Wild as they slipped to third place in the Central Division with 86 points.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and two assists and defenseman Cale Makar collected three points in a 5-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Mikko Rantanen tallied his 46th goal of the season for the Avalanche (40-22-6) as they won their fifth straight game to move ahead of the Wild into second place in the Central with 86 points. Pius Suter replied for the 30-29-9 Red Wings.

The New York Rangers got a 33-save shutout by Igor Shesterkin as they thumped the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-0. Mika Zibanejad had a goal and two assists while Artemi Panarin tallied twice for the 40-19-10 Rangers as they sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 90 points. The Penguins (34-25-10) dropped their third straight game and slipped into the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 78 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins defensemen Jeff Petry and Jan Rutta missed this game with injuries.

New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin stopped 29 shots in a 4-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Jean-Gabriel Pageau had a goal and an assist for the 36-27-8 Islanders as they hold the first Eastern wild-card berth with 80 points. The Sharks fell to 19-37-14.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: San Jose goalie James Reimer became the latest NHL player to refuse to wear a Pride jersey during pregame warmups for his club’s Pride Night event. The Sharks also sent rookie winger William Eklund back to their AHL affiliate.

An overtime goal by Neal Pionk lifted the Winnipeg Jets over the Nashville Predators 3-2. Nikolaj Ehlers and Josh Morrissey each had two points as the Jets improved to 39-28-3 (81 points) to hold the final Western Conference wild-card spot, sitting two points behind the Kraken. Juuse Saros made 31 saves for the Predators (34-25-8) as they sit five points back of the Jets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Predators captain Roman Josi left the game in the first period with an undisclosed injury. There was no post-game update regarding his condition.

A four-goal third period rallied the Florida Panthers to a 4-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Sam Reinhart scored twice while Aleksander Barkov, Carter Verhaeghe and Brandon Montour each collected two points as the 35-27-7 Panthers (77 points) moved within one point of the Penguins. Akira Schmid made 37 saves for the Devils (44-18-7) as they sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 95 points.

Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho scored in overtime to complete his hat trick and nip the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4. Martin Necas had two points as the Hurricanes moved to 45-15-8 and widen their lead over the Devils atop the Metropolitan Division with 98 points. Noah Cates, Tyson Foerster and Brendan Lemieux each had a goal and an assist for the 25-32-12 Flyers.

The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Ottawa Senators 5-4 on a shootout goal by Alex Kerfoot. Matt Murray kicked out 48 shots, Calle Jarnkrok tallied twice while Mitch Marner and John Tavares each had two points for the 42-18-9 Maple Leafs as they sit second in the Atlantic Division with 93 points. Brady Tkachuk scored two goals for the 33-31-5 Senators as they sit seven points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel had a hat trick in a 5-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Nikita Kucherov and Mikhail Sergachev each had two assists for the Lightning (42-22-6) as they remain three points back of the Leafs with 90 points. Nick Suzuki had two assists for the 27-37-6 Canadiens, who played without defenseman Kaiden Guhle (lower-body injury) for this game.

Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson scored twice (including the winning goal) and collected an assist in a 6-5 overtime victory over the Calgary Flames. Jamie Benn had two assists for the 38-19-13 Stars as they sit in first place in the Central Division with 89 points. Rasmus Andersson had a goal and two assists for the Flames (31-24-15) as they sit four points behind the Jets for the final Western wild-card spot with 77 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames made Milan Lucic a healthy scratch for this game.

Shootout goals by Andrei Kuzmenko and J.T. Miller gave the Vancouver Canucks a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Elias Pettersson scored in the third period to tie the game for the 30-33-5 Canucks as they extend their points streak to nine games. The Kings (40-20-10) sit in second place in the Pacific Division with 90 points.

The Arizona Coyotes doubled up the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2. Clayton Keller and Juuso Valimaki each had three points for the 27-31-11 Coyotes as they extended their points streak to eight games. The Blackhawks fell to 24-39-6.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A report out of Chicago cited sources claiming Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews is seriously considering retirement after dealing with long-COVID symptoms and chronic immune response syndrome. He’s been out of the lineup dealing with those ailments since Jan. 28. The club still publicly remains hopeful that he’ll return to the lineup before the end of the season.

WASHINGTON HOCKEY NOW: Sidelined Capitals defenseman John Carlson revealed that he suffered a fractured skull and a severed temporal artery when he was struck in the head by a slapshot during a Dec. 23 game against the Winnipeg Jets. The 33-year-old defenseman has only recently returned to skating with his teammates with a non-contact jersey. There is no exact date yet for his return.










NHL Rumor Mill – December 1, 2022

by | Dec 1, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – December 1, 2022

Check out the latest on Patrick Kane, Erik Karlsson, Jakob Chychrun and more in today’s NHL Rumor Mill

RUMOR TIDBITS FROM FRIEDMAN’S LATEST “32 THOUGHTS” COLUMN

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports there were rumors that Patrick Kane would prefer to play out this season with the Chicago Blackhawks and decide his future in next summer’s free-agent market. However, sources told him that’s not the case.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As Friedman noted, we can expect more clarity on what Kane and fellow UFA Jonathan Toews want in the New Year. It’s believed Blackhawks management will meet with both players at some point this month to discuss their futures.

San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson (NHL Images).

Friedman believes the Florida Panthers have an interest in San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson. However, he’s not sure how they’ll pull it off.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Karlsson carries a no-movement clause. Assuming he’d agree to be traded to the Panthers, they can’t afford his $11.5 million cap hit through 2026-27 without shedding salary and having the Sharks retain a healthy chunk of it.

The cost in terms of return would also be high, including at least one first-round pick. That’s something the Panthers don’t have, having traded away their first-rounders for 2023, 2024 and 2025.

The Philadelphia Flyers are at the 50-contract limit and thus cannot promote Artem Anisimov from their AHL affiliate. Friedman wonders if they might make a move to address that issue.

LATEST ON CHYCHRUN

SPORTSNET: Adam Vingan took note of Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun’s recent return to action following off-season wrist surgery. The 24-year-old blueliner’s youth, size and affordable $4.6 million salary-cap hit combined with his puck-moving abilities continue to make him enticing for teams seeking a rearguard with his skills.

The Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Islanders, Los Angeles Kings and Buffalo Sabres have been linked to Chychrun. So have the Ottawa Senators. Vingan also pointed out that the injury-ravaged Toronto Maple Leafs need some help on defense.

Vingan also cited Chychrun’s injury history and is prone to turnovers. Nevertheless, he considers him to be a “well-rounded defenseman” who can lead a breakout, control a power play and hold his own against tough competition.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those interested clubs will want to see Chychrun play some games this season before bidding for his services. The asking price is heavy on futures (draft picks, especially first-rounders, plus prospects and/or a good young NHL player) which is why teams will be cautious given his injury history.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said the Kings seek a left-hand shot on their blueline. While linked to Chychrun and carrying the type of assets the Coyotes would want, he believes there’s no guarantee it happens. Friedman also thinks Chychrun has let management know that he prefers getting moved to a contender.

Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong could push to move Chychrun this season. The blueliner’s 10-team no-trade clause kicks in next July, giving him more control over where he could be dealt.

SENATORS FACE DEADLINE TO SIGN FORMENTON

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports the Senators have until 5 pm ET on Dec. 1 to sign Alex Formenton. The 23-year-old winger is a restricted free agent. If he’s unsigned by that deadline, he’ll be ineligible to play in the NHL this season. Garrioch doesn’t anticipate a rival club tending Formenton an offer sheet.

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli wonders if the Senators will attempt to trade Formenton to a club willing to sign him before that deadline. There’s speculation the winger could face discipline for his potential involvement in the Team Canada 2018 World Junior team’s sexual assault case. He’s among the few players who have not responded to the allegations directly or indirectly.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The results from the investigation are expected soon but probably not in time for the deadline. It could be that the Senators or clubs potentially interested in Formenton are leery of signing or acquiring him because of this situation. We’ll find out soon enough. 

CAN THE PENGUINS FIND A TRADE PARTNER FOR KAPANEN?

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Dan Kingerski recently wondered if the Pittsburgh Penguins can find a trade partner for Kasperi Kapanen by swapping him with another player with a comparably bad contract. The 26-year-old winger is in the first season of a two-year deal with a $3.2 million average annual value.

Kingerski suggested the Edmonton Oilers’ Jesse Puljujarvi, Calgary Flames Milan Lucic and San Jose Sharks Kevin Labanc as trade targets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I doubt there’s any market for Kapanen after being a healthy scratch through most of November. Pujujarvi was the subject of trade rumors for months but nothing’s come of it. Lucic is aging and slowing down but he remains a popular dressing-room leader for the Flames.

Labanc is the more productive of that group with 13 points in 25 games. If the Sharks were to shop him I don’t see them wanting Kapanen in return.