NHL Rumor Mill – April 22, 2025

by | Apr 22, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – April 22, 2025

Could Quinn Hughes reunite with his brothers in Vancouver or New Jersey this summer? What’s next for the Kraken after making changes behind the bench and in the front office? What’s the latest on the Bruins? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

COULD THE HUGHES BROTHERS REUNITE IN VANCOUVER OR NEW JERSEY?

SPORTSNET: Iain MacIntyre thinks Vancouver Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford was joking when he spoke about reuniting team captain Quinn Hughes with brothers Jack and Luke, who play for the New Jersey Devils.

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes (NHL Images).

Rutherford mentioned that Quinn had spoken of playing with his brothers one day. He said that was partly out of the club’s control, but it would be within the team’s control to bring Jack and Luke to Vancouver.

“We’ve got to be careful with tampering here, so we’ll just leave it at that,” said Rutherford. “I probably crossed the line anyways.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rutherford was speaking about the importance of ensuring sufficient cap space to re-sign Quinn when his contract expires in two years. He suggested money might not be what matters most to him, mentioning the blueliner’s brothers.

Rutherford’s remarks raised eyebrows and will undoubtedly spark speculation about how such a reunion might happen. However, there is no indication Quinn intends to leave the Canucks, while the Devils aren’t parting with Jack and Luke.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: James Nichols believes it would be easier for Quinn to head to New Jersey than for Jack and Luke to go to Vancouver.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The path of least resistance is to wait for Quinn to become a UFA in 2027. It will only cost the Devils money to sign him rather than money plus a package of player assets to acquire him through a trade with the Canucks.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Adam Proteau believes the Canucks must come up with a plan to ensure they keep Quinn in the lineup for a long time. One way would be getting aggressive in the trade and free-agent markets over the next two years to make the Canucks the best competitive option.

Another would be acquiring Jack and Luke. However, that would be very difficult to accomplish given their lack of trade assets to make such a blockbuster occur.

The Canucks could also trade Quinn if it appears unlikely that he’ll sign a long-term extension next summer. However, they would get equal value for Hughes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The best way is for the Canucks to convince Quinn that they want to build a winner around him. That means trying to stock up their roster over the next two years through trades and free agency. Their moves this summer will determine if Hughes has a long-term future in Vancouver.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE KRAKEN?

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Matt Calkins recently looked at what the Kraken must do this summer to regain relevance after missing the playoffs for the second straight season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Calkins wrote this column on Apr. 17, before the Kraken fired head coach Dan Bylsma and replaced Ron Francis as general manager with Jason Botterill.

Team CEO Tod Leiweke said last week that Kraken fans should expect this offseason to be one of the most active and busy in the club’s short history.

Calkins believes the Kraken should leverage their draft capital to land one or two true scorers. He pointed out that they have five first-round picks and four second-rounders over the next three drafts. That’s ample ammunition to make some moves.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A lack of scoring punch has been the Kraken’s weakness. They’ve never had a true scoring star on their roster. Landing one won’t be easy, even with that draft capital. It’ll be interesting to see what approach Botterill takes this summer to address that need.

Calkin’s colleague Kate Schefte listed several possible coaching candidates to replace Dan Bylsma.

Former Rangers coach Peter Laviolette, Canucks bench boss Rick Tocchet, and former NHL coaches Bruce Boudreau and John Tortorella were among the notables.

RECENT BRUINS SPECULATION

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: Nick Goss recently looked at what the Bruins might do to fix their roster and bounce back as a playoff contender next season.

Finding a legitimate top-six center is one issue to be addressed. The best potential free-agent option would be Sam Bennett of the Florida Panthers. However, he’s not one the Bruins should spend major money on, especially if they want to take a crack at signing Mitch Marner if he parts ways with the Toronto Maple Leafs as a free agent on July 1.

Goss believes the trade market is the best way for the Bruins to find a suitable top-six center. He points out they’ve got four first-round picks and five second-rounders over the next three drafts to draw on for trade bait.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Finding suitable centers in the trade market won’t be easy. The Bruins could target cash-strapped clubs to address that need.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 3, 2025

by | Apr 3, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 3, 2025

Alex Ovechkin is within a hat trick of becoming the all-time goals leader while the Maple Leafs and Hurricanes clinch postseason berths. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin netted his 892nd regular-season goal but his club fell 5-1 to the Carolina Hurricanes. Ovechkin is only three goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894 goals. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes clinched a playoff berth for the seventh straight season as Jackson Blake scored twice and Seth Jarvis tallied his 30th goal of the season.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Washington sits first in the Eastern Conference with 105 points but only one win in their last five games (1-3-1). They remain a point back of the Winnipeg Jets, who sit atop the overall standings. Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson left this game with an upper-body injury. There was no postgame update on his condition.

The Hurricanes are on a roll, winning 12 of their last 14 games. They sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 96 points.

The Toronto Maple Leafs got goals from John Tavares, Mitch Marner and Matthew Knies as they held off the Florida Panthers 3-2 to clinch a playoff spot. Anthony Stolarz made 29 saves as the Leafs sit first in the Atlantic Division with 96 points. Gustav Forsling and Sam Reinhart replied for the Panthers, who are four points behind the Leafs in third place in the division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Toronto has the longest active postseason streak (nine seasons) but has only one playoff series win thus far. Leafs forward David Kampf left this game with an upper-body injury.

Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov (upper-body injury) and center Nico Sturm (undisclosed) missed this game and are listed as day-to-day. The Panthers are 0-2-1 in their last three contests.

An overtime goal by Vincent Trocheck lifted the New York Rangers over the Minnesota Wild 5-4. Artemi Panarin had a goal and two assists for the Rangers, who are tied with the Montreal Canadiens with 79 points. Marcus Johansson had a goal and two assists for the Wild to regain the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 89 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens hold the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with a game in hand over the Rangers. The Wild are tied in points with the St. Louis Blues but have 33 regulation wins to the Blues’ 30, putting the latter into the final Western wild card.

Shootout goals by Nathan MacKinnon and Artturi Lehkonen gave the Colorado Avalanche a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Martin Necas tied the game for Colorado with 11 seconds remaining in the third period. The Avalanche hold third place in the Central Division with 96 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche forward Jonathan Drouin left this game after the first period with a lower-body injury. There was no postgame update about his condition.

Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord made 24 saves to shut out the Vancouver Canucks 5-0. Jared McCann collected three assists and Andre Burakovsky had a goal and an assist.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was another blow for the Canucks’ fading playoff hopes, leaving them eight points out of the final Western wild card.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars head coach Pete DeBoer said there’s a chance sidelined forward Tyler Seguin and defenseman Miro Heiskanen could return to the lineup for the start of the postseason, which begins on April 19.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: With Dougie Hamilton and Jonas Siegenthaler sidelined, Luke Hughes has stepped up as the Devils’ No. 1 defenseman.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was only a matter of time until Hughes moved into that role. The injuries to Hamilton and Siegenthaler opened that pathway earlier than expected. The 21-year-old blueliner has seized the opportunity with 41 points in 66 games, putting him six shy of last season’s career-best of 47.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Edmonton sportswriter Bruce McCurdy passed away on Wednesday. He wrote for the now-defunct blog “Copper and Blue” and was co-writer of the Journal’s “The Cult of Hockey” and co-host of the eponymous podcast.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My sincere condolences to Bruce’s family, friends, and staff of the Journal, especially David Staples, his co-host on “The Cult of Hockey” podcast. I started following Bruce’s work during his “Copper and Blue” days, occasionally interacted with him, and cited his work on this site from time to time. He was a passionate follower of the Oilers and I will miss his insight.










NHL Rumor Mill – March 22, 2025

by | Mar 22, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – March 22, 2025

The latest speculation on this summer’s top restricted free agents in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SPORTSNET: Luke Fox recently looked at the latest rumors and reports regarding this summer’s top 12 NHL restricted free agents.

It could cost the Edmonton Oilers around $10 million annually to re-sign defenseman Evan Bouchard. Fox wonders if the decline in his production this season might knock that average annual value down a tad.

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It could but not by much. Bouchard’s agent will point to his client’s career-best 82-point performance last season as justification for $10 million or close to it. His 54 points this season currently puts him fourth among NHL defensemen. Finishing with over 60 points could get him something between $9 million and $9.5 million.

In January, New Jersey Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald said he would begin contract negotiations with Luke Hughes, but so far there’s no indication they’ve started. Bridging the young defenseman at $5.1 million annually would save money now but would mean a monster contract when Hughes approaches UFA eligibility and the salary cap has gone through the roof.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fitzgerald could attempt a long-term extension, but Hughes’ camp might take a page from the Auston Matthews playbook and go for a four or five-year contract, setting him up for a much bigger payday down the road while he’s in his playing prime.

Fox believes another cautious bridge deal for Noah Dobson would push the New York Islanders defenseman straight into unrestricted free-agent territory. He speculates an eight-year deal would cost $8 million annually, making Dobson the highest-paid defenseman on the Isles’ blueline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It could depend on who’s handling the negotiations for the Islanders. It’s rumored GM Lou Lamoriello could retire or move on to a different position within the organization where he’s less hands-on.

Another two-year bridge deal for Winnipeg Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi would walk him straight to unrestricted free agency. Fox suspects Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff will push for term here.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Vilardi is 25, completing a career-best performance (61 points and counting), and has arbitration rights this summer. Cheveldayoff could push for at least five years.

Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving rebuffed offers for Matthew Knies at the trade deadline. The Leafs have big decisions to make regarding UFA-eligible forwards Mitch Marner and John Tavares, but with Knies’ stock rising along with the salary cap, Fox believes they’ll try to lock him up for as long as possible.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Agreed, the longer the better.

Buffalo Sabres GM Kevyn Adams recently denied winger JJ Peterka was part of any discussions leading up to the March 7 trade deadline. He remains open to signing Peterka to term.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fox observed that Adams tends to sign players who show promise to long-term contracts. Peterka could be next in line.

A qualifying offer for K’Andre Miller will cost the New York Rangers $4.65 million to retain his rights this summer. A long-term deal could push him to between $6 million and $6.5 million

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Miller’s struggles this season made him the subject of frequent trade speculation. Rangers GM Chris Drury has been shaking up his roster since December with more changes expected this summer. Miller could become an offseason trade candidate.

The Anaheim Ducks’ recent acquisition of goaltender Ville Husso suggests they could move out John Gibson this summer. That would free up more cap space to re-sign netminder Lukas Dostal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Yes, it could, although the Ducks shouldn’t have any issue re-signing Dostal if Gibson’s $6.4 million remains on their books for next season. They have a projected $39 million of cap space and 15 active roster players under contract.

Minnesota Wild forward Marco Rossi’s next contract could be affected by the club’s need to sign superstar Kirill Kaprizov to a contract extension before his UFA eligibility next summer. Things could get tricky here because of their tight budget and with promising prospects like Danila Yurov and Riley Heidt waiting in the wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fox suggests a short-term bridge deal for Rossi until the more immediate cap issues are resolved. However, that would risk paying him much more when this contract expires, which could make him a trade candidate.

Fox doesn’t expect the Columbus Blue Jackets to have any issue re-signing forward Dmitri Voronkov. They’re flush with cap space and Voronkov, at 23, is the perfect age to grow with their flourishing young core.

The Ducks could attempt to sign Mason McTavish to a deal similar to the five-year extension that Quinton Byfield received from the Los Angeles Kings, which carries a $6.25 million AAV.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks GM Pat Verbeek is a tough negotiator. He holds the hammer here given McTavish’s lack of arbitration rights.

A strong postseason performance could help Fabian Zetterlund in contract talks with the Ottawa Senators, who acquired him from the San Jose Sharks before the recent trade deadline.










NHL Rumor Mill – November 11, 2024

by | Nov 11, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – November 11, 2024

In today’s NHL Rumor Mill, a look at the latest speculation involving several notable pending restricted free agents.

SPORTSNET: Luke Fox recently looked at the latest speculation regarding this season’s top-12 restricted free agents. Here’s a look at several of the notables.

Fox believes the Edmonton Oilers could end up paying defenseman Evan Bouchard an average annual value of “somewhere in the $10.5 million range” on his next contract.

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bouchard’s production this season (seven points in 15 games) is below last season’s pace (82 points in 81 games). He’s on pace to barely reach 40 points, something he did in 2022-23 (42) and 2023-24 (40).

Bouchard’s earning an AAV of $3.9 million on his current deal. He’ll still get a substantial raise if he finishes with 40 points but not the $10.5 million that he’d be in line for if he reached 80 points.

New York Islanders blueliner Noah Dobson could get something nearing $8 million annually on an eight-year contract if general manager Lou Lamoriello wants to go long-term.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dobson carries an AAV of $4 million on his current contract. He’s the Isles’ best puck-moving rearguard, netting 51 points in 2021-22, 49 points in 2022-23, and a career-high 70 last season. He’s been a bargain for them thus far but could seek between $7 million and $8 million on his next deal.

Fox suggests Dallas Stars center Wyatt Johnston could get something comparable to the seven-year, $7.14 million AAV signed by Matty Beniers with the Seattle Kraken. He also speculated a mid-term bridge deal as a possibility given teammates Jason Robertson, Thomas Harley and Logan Stankoven are in line for raises after 2025-26.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Johnston will be coming off his entry-level contract and will lack arbitration rights next summer. Stars management will hold all the leverage here.

A long-term comparable for New Jersey Devils blueliner Luke Hughes would be Brock Faber’s eight-year, $8.5 million AAV with the Minnesota Wild. That would elevate his annual salary over brother Jack’s $8 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Like Johnston, Luke will be completing his ELC and will have little leverage in negotiations. Management could be reluctant to pay him more than Jack at this stage of his career. A bridge deal could be an option here.

Buffalo Sabres forward JJ Peterka could seek something north of $7 million on a long-term deal if GM Kevyn Adams wants to use up some of his UFA years. A bridge contract could be the easier route.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Peterka is also on his ELC. He reached a career-high 50 points last season but is now on a point-per-game pace. He’ll be in line for over $7 million annually if he maintains that production throughout this season.

Re-signing forward Fabian Zetterlund could be a priority for San Jose Sharks GM Mike Grier. He’s off to a good start and is tight with teammate William Eklund. The rebuilding Sharks have plenty of cap space so a long-term deal is possible.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Zetterlund was among the few bright spots in an otherwise miserable 2023-24 campaign for the Sharks, finishing with 20 goals and 44 points. The 25-year-old winger carries an AAV of $1.45 million and has 10 points in 16 games this season, putting him on track for over 50 points. That could put him in line for around $5 million annually.

A comparable contract for Anaheim Ducks center Mason McTavish is the five-year, $6.25 million extension signed by Quinton Byfield with the Los Angeles Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McTavish is in the final season of his ELC. He had 43 points in 80 games during his rookie season (2022-23) and 42 points in 64 games last season. He’s on pace to exceed 50 points this season. Byfield got his deal after hitting 55 points last season.

Limited cap space could affect the New York Rangers’ efforts to re-sign K’Andre Miller. It’ll cost them $4.65 million to qualify his rights. Fox speculates a long-term deal could cost between $6 million and $6.5 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The salary cap is projected to rise to $92 million for 2025-26, giving the Rangers over $25 million in cap space.

$12 million of that could go toward re-signing Igor Shesterkin. It’s believed they’ll try to trade Jacob Trouba and his $8 million cap hit next summer. That could give them enough to re-sign Miller and perhaps Kaapo Kakko and Ryan Lindgren. However, the long-term cap hit could make it difficult to retain Artemi Panarin before his UFA eligibility in 2026.

The Minnesota Wild’s tight budget and the rise of promising center prospects (Danila Yurov, Riely Heidt) could make it tricky to sign Marco Rossi to a long-term deal. GM Bill Guerin must keep an eye down the road when superstar Kirill Kaprizov is due for a new contract. Fox speculates a two-year bridge deal at $6.25 million annually could be an option.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rossi had 21 goals and 40 points as a rookie last season. He has 13 points in 14 games, putting him on track for around 80 points. However, Guerin will hold the leveral with Rossi coming off his ELC.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 13, 2024

by | Sep 13, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 13, 2024

More concern about the league’s “no-tax” states, the Lightning’s Victor Hedman talks about Steven Stamkos’ departure, the latest on Jonathan Marchessault leaving Las Vegas, an update on Luke Hughes, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE ATHLETIC: Michael Russo reports NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said the league continues to monitor the issue of teams in “no-tax” states having an advantage over other clubs who must pay more to sign players. However, he indicated there are no easy solutions, pointing out that players make decisions on where to play for a variety of reasons.

Daly said Thursday that it’s still too early to determine if this is an issue to be addressed. He added that he’s spoken to the NHL Players Association about the matter and the mutual feeling is that addressing it would prove complicated.

If the league adjusted the salary cap for no-tax teams, it raises questions about what happens to a player who subsequently gets traded or demoted to the minors. It would also be difficult to determine how much of a “hometown discount” a player took to sign with one of those clubs.

NHLPA Executive Director Marty Walsh doesn’t see this situation as much of a problem, agreeing with Daly that it would be complicated to address. He also noted that there hasn’t been a similar debate about this issue in other sports leagues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This became an issue because the Florida Panthers, once a league laughingstock, won the Stanley Cup this year.

Last season, folks were complaining about the Vegas Golden Knights using long-term injury reserve to their advantage to win the Stanley Cup, even though every team in the league has the same opportunity to avail themselves of LTIR (and have done so) in similar circumstances. The same complaint was raised about the Lightning in 2021.

By the way, the Lightning and Golden Knights also play in no-tax states. Scarcely a peep was raised about that.

The Panthers, Lightning, Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators have been around for decades. Their supposed advantage was never an issue when they spent years as also-rans or first-round-and-out clubs. Once they become champions or contenders, suddenly, it’s a problem. Heck, no one mentioned it when the Stars won the Cup in 1999 and the Predators reached the 2017 Cup Final.

The Golden Knights have been a perennial playoff club since their inception, in part because they fleeced several teams with savvy trades to land quality players before their expansion draft.

The Seattle Kraken haven’t been as successful in their brief history as their non-tax peers. Nevertheless, it’s only a matter of time until someone starts attributing any of the Kraken’s future achievements to playing in a no-tax state.

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (NHL Images).

Good management is the real reason behind the varying degrees of success most of those clubs have enjoyed.

SPORTSNET: Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman said his team will miss former captain Steven Stamkos, who signed with the Nashville Predators this summer. Hedman also said he’ll miss Stamkos more as a friend.

Hedman praised Stamkos’ legacy with the Lightning, which includes leading the club to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. He also said there will be plenty of focus on how the Bolts handle the departure of their long-time captain.

The 33-year-old defenseman is also considered Stamkos’ likely successor as team captain. “We’ll cross that bridge when it comes to that” he said.

THE SCORE: Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon explained his reluctance to sign Jonathan Marchessault to a five-year contract was why the 33-year-old winger departed to Nashville as a free agent.

“We emotionally are attached to the players that have helped us have success, and yet there’s just no supporting data that justify, or in our minds, demonstrate a reason to have wingers that age like that at the end of their career.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This comes within a couple of days of Marchessault saying his departure was over the length of a contract extension, suggesting the Golden Knights lack loyalty to their players in pursuit of the Stanley Cup.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils defenseman Luke Hughes suffered a left shoulder injury during offseason training. His expected recovery timeline is six to eight weeks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Injuries were a key reason why the Devils missed the playoffs last season. Hughes was among the few highlights in a disappointing 2023-24 campaign, finishing third among rookie scorers with 47 points. They will feel his absence during the opening weeks of this season.

NEW YORK POST: The Islanders claiming Ilya Sorokin’s absence from an informal veterans skate on Thursday has nothing to do with an off-ice issue. Last week, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman speculated was “battling something” but didn’t elaborate.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Isles signed veteran goalie Keith Kinkaid to a professional tryout offer (PTO) yesterday, raising more questions about Sorokin’s status as training camp approaches.

SPORTSNET: Calgary Flames goaltender Dan Vladar said he’s pain-free following season-ending hip surgery in March. He intends to challenge the promising Dustin Wolf for the vacant starter’s job.

CALGARY SUN: Speaking of the Flames, they signed forward Jakob Pelletier to a one-year, two-way contract worth $800K at the NHL level.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs prospect Ben Danford left a rookie scrimmage yesterday after suffering a head injury when he was knocked head-first into the boards. He was being evaluated but there was no further word about his condition.

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: A new naming rights agreement has changed the name of the Carolina Hurricanes’ home venue from PNC Arena to the Lenovo Center.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Former San Jose Sharks goaltender Alex Stalock has retired and will begin a career in broadcasting with the Sharks Audio Network.

Stalock, 37, played 179 games in the NHL, 63 with the Sharks from 2010-11 to 2015-16 and 2021-22. He also played with the Minnesota Wild and Chicago Blackhawks. He finished with a record of 70 wins, 65 losses and 20 overtime losses, with a 2.70 goals-against average, a save percentage of .908, and 11 shutouts.

THE PROVINCE: Former NHL winger Stephen Peat passed away on Sep. 12 from injuries suffered when he was struck by a car over two weeks ago in Langley, BC. He was 44 years old.

Peat played 130 NHL games with the Washington Capitals from 2001-02 to 2005-06, amassing 10 points and 234 penalty minutes as an enforcer. He struggled with addiction and homelessness following his playing career.

His friends believe those issues were the result of CTE suffered during his playing career, but that can only be confirmed by posthumous examination of the brain.

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










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 14, 2023

by | Aug 14, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 14, 2023

Johnny Gaudreau expresses optimism over the Blue Jackets’ upcoming season, the latest on the Rangers, and the NHL Network’s top 50 prospects in today’s morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: Johnny Gaudreau feels a lot more comfortable entering his second season with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He now knows the team and the city better, saying it’s starting to feel more like home.

Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Johnny Gaudreau (NHL Images).

Gaudreau joined the Blue Jackets last summer as a free agent but he and the club went through a difficult season, in part due to injuries to key players like Zach Werenski. His production dropped from a career-best 115 points in 2021-22 with the Calgary Flames to 74 points in 80 games.

Nevertheless, Gaudreau is optimistic about the club’s chances this season. “The amount of skill we have on our team with some of the young guys, it’s pretty fun to watch every day in practice and in games,” he said, adding that he hopes teams continue to underestimate the Jackets.

Gaudreau also believes the club’s hiring of Mike Babcock as head coach will improve their performance. “We need that hard-nosed coach that’s going to push us in practices and in games,” he said.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A return to form by Gaudreau will be crucial to the Blue Jackets’ hope for improvement this season. How well they adjust to Babcock’s coaching and the overall health of the roster will also be important.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers are hoping that veteran additions Blake Wheeler and Jonathan Quick will have a positive effect on the roster this season.

Both players signed bargain contracts with the Rangers. Wheeler inked a one-year, $1.1 million deal after being bought out by the Winnipeg Jets. Quick accepted a one-year, $925K contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Both players are past their prime but their experience and leadership could be helpful to the Rangers in their quest to win the Stanley Cup this season. Wheeler still has effective playmaking skills and might benefit from skating as a right wing on the Blueshirts’ top-two forward lines.

Quick could be useful in a backup role to spell off starter Igor Shesterkin. If he sees around 25-30 games of action it would ensure Shesterkin isn’t overworked before the playoffs begin.

LA PRESSE: Speaking of the Rangers, Alexis Lafreniere shed some light on his contract negotiations. The 21-year-old left winger is a restricted free agent without arbitration rights.

Lafreniere said talks are ongoing between his agent and Rangers management. He’s hopeful that an agreement will be reached within the next several weeks. “You have to be patient, sometimes it takes longer,” he said.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lafreniere has been occasionally mentioned in the rumor mill as a potential offer sheet candidate. Based on his comments, however, that appears to be a remote possibility. He’s likely to be signed before training camp opens in late September.

Lafreniere’s lack of arbitration rights gives him little leverage with the Rangers. The threat of an offer sheet would be his most effective weapon. Given the high number of teams with less than $5 million in cap space for the coming season, it’s unlikely he’s going to get one, assuming he’s willing to entertain that option.

NHL NETWORK: Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard sits atop the NHL Network’s recent ranking of the league’s top 50 prospects.

Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli, Anaheim Ducks forward Leo Carlsson, Philadelphia Flyers winger Matvei Michkov and New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes round out the top five.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As expected, this generated plenty of responses from hockey fans. Check out the full list and feel free to respond in the comments below.