NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 17, 2023

by | Feb 17, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 17, 2023

A hat-trick performance by Seth Jarvis as Hurricanes honor Cam Ward, the NHLPA name Marty Walsh as its new executive director, plus the latest on Thatcher Demko, Jesse Puljujarvi and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Carolina Hurricanes winger Seth Jarvis tallied his first career NHL hat trick in a 6-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Andrei Svechnikov collected three assists as the Hurricanes improved to 36-10-8 to sit second in the overall standings with 80 points. Montreal fell to 23-28-4 on the season. The Canadiens played without Kirby Dach as he was sidelined by a non-COVID-related illness.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Seth Jarvis (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes honored former goaltender Cam Ward by making him their first inductee into their Hall of Fame in a pregame ceremony. He spent 13 of his 14 NHL seasons with the Hurricanes, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy by backstopping them to the 2006 Stanley Cup. He holds the franchise’s single-season record for wins (39) and is their career leader in games played by a goalie (668), wins (318) and shutouts (27).

The Boston Bruins got a 28-save shutout performance by Jeremy Swayman to blank the Nashville Predators 5-0. Patrice Bergeron, Hampus Lindholm and Nick Foligno each had two points as the league-leading Bruins (41-8-5) opened a seven-point lead over the Hurricanes with 87 points. The Predators slipped to 25-21-6 (56 points) and sit five points behind the Minnesota Wild for the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

Vegas Golden Knights forward William Carrier scored with 18 seconds remaining in regulation to lift his club to a 2-1 win over the San Jose Sharks. Adin Hill made 25 saves for the win as the Golden Knights (33-18-4) won four straight and sit in first place in the Pacific Division with 70 points. Kaapo Kahkonen stopped 38 shots for the Sharks as they dropped to 17-28-11.

Two goals and an assist by Yanni Gourde powered the Seattle Kraken over the Philadelphia Flyers by a score of 6-2. Matty Beniers, Jordan Eberle and Justin Schultz each had two points for the 31-18-6 Kraken as they sit two points back of the Golden Knights in second place in the Pacific Division. Travis Konency scored twice for the Flyers as they slipped to 22-24-10.

The St. Louis Blues doubled up the New Jersey Devils 4-2 thanks to a 34-save performance by Jordan Binnington. Jordan Kyrou and Brayden Schenn each had a goal and an assist as the Blues improved to 26-25-3 (55 points) to sit six points out of the final Western wild-card spot. The Devils are 35-14-5 to sit five points behind the Hurricanes in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 75 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Blues placed winger Brandon Saad (upper body) on injured reserve and recalled winger Jake Neighbours from their AHL affiliate in Springfield.

Florida Panthers forward Anton Lundell had a goal and two assists to lead his club over the Washington Capitals 6-3. Washington defenseman Erik Gustafsson collected three assists. The Panthers (28-24-6) and Capitals (28-23-6) each have 62 points but the Capitals hold the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with a game in hand.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Capitals announced winger Carl Hagelin underwent left hip resurfacing and is sidelined indefinitely.

Three-point performances by Dylan Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi gave the Detroit Red Wings a 5-2 win over the Calgary Flames. Dominik Kubalik tallied two goals for the Wings (26-20-8) as they moved two points behind the Capitals for the final Eastern wild-card spot. The Flames slipped to 25-19-11 and fell out of the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 61 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames’ inconsistency this season has raised questions and criticism of the club’s culture under head coach Darryl Sutter. He signed a two-year contract extension last October so he’s unlikely to be going anywhere for the time being.

Before the game, the Red Wings announced defenseman Olli Maatta signed a two-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $3 million.

A 37-save performance by Joonas Korpisalo lifted the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 3-1 upset of the Winnipeg Jets. Patrik Laine had a goal and an assist for the 17-34-4 Jackets while the Jets (34-20-1) remain two points behind the first-place Dallas Stars in the Central Division with 69 points.

HEADLINES

NHLPA.COM: The NHL Players Association announced yesterday that its Executive Board unanimously appointed Martin (Marty) J. Walsh as its new Executive Director. Walsh is the former U.S. Secretary of Labor and the former mayor of Boston.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: You can read my thoughts on this hiring here.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko may have suffered a setback in his efforts to return from a lower-body injury suffered in early December. It’s believed he may have tweaked something during practice on Thursday. He’s slated to return to action on Saturday in a backup role.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Kailer Yamamoto is expected to return to action on Friday against the New York Rangers. He’d been sidelined by an upper-body injury since Jan. 11. To fit him into the lineup, the Oilers will have to make a move that could involve winger Jesse Puljujarvi, who did not practice on Thursday. He was expected to be placed on waivers but that didn’t happen.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Could a much-anticipated trade involving Puljujarvi take place before tonight’s game against the Rangers? We’ll learn more soon enough.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: Islanders center Jean-Gabriel Pageau (lower body) has been placed on injured reserve and Andy Andreoff has been recalled from their AHL affiliate in Bridgeport.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning founder Phil Esposito will join Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis as the inaugural inductees into the franchise’s Hall of Fame during its Alumni Weekend on March 16-18.

TSN: Former NHL defenseman and assistant coach Paul Jerrard died of cancer on Thursday at age 57. Jerrard played five games for the Minnesota North Stars in 1988-89 and spent the remainder of his 11 professional seasons in the minors. He became an assistant coach with the Colorado Avalanche in 2002-03 as well as with the Dallas Stars from 2011 to 2013 and the Calgary Flames from 2016 to 2018. Since 2018-19, he’d been an assistant coach with the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Jerrard’s family, friends, teammates and coaching colleagues.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 18, 2022

by | Dec 18, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 18, 2022

The Bruins are the first team to reach 50 points this season, Alex Pietrangelo returns for the Golden Knights, the once red-hot Devils suffer their fifth straight loss, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Boston Bruins are the first team to reach 50 points this season as they doubled up the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-2, extending their home points streak to 18 games. David Pastrnak tallied his 20th goal of the season while Jeremy Swayman made 31 saves and narrowly missed scoring an empty-net goal. The Bruins (24-4-2) hold a five-point lead over the Vegas Golden Knights for first place in the overall standings. Patrik Laine had a goal and an assist for the 10-18-2 Blue Jackets.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (NHL Images).

Speaking of the Golden Knights (22-10-1), they suffered their fifth straight home loss by dropping a 5-2 decision to the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov made 35 saves for the win despite leaving late in the third period with an undisclosed injury. Zach Parise and Brock Nelson each had a goal and an assist as the Islanders improved to 18-13-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo returned to the lineup for the first time since taking a leave of absence for personal reasons on Nov. 27. He explained that his four-year-old daughter took ill over the American Thanksgiving weekend resulting in a lesion on her brain that required hospitalization. Her condition has since improved and she is expected to make a full recovery.

In other Golden Knights news, Paul Cotter missed this game and is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Vegas sits first overall in the Western Conference with 45 points. Meanwhile, the Islanders played without Cal Clutterbuck and Kyle Palmieri, who are day-to-day with upper-body injuries.

The Florida Panthers dropped the New Jersey Devils 4-2, handing the latter their fifth straight loss. Sam Reinhart scored twice and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 30 shots as the Panthers improved to 15-13-4. John Marino and Erik Haula replied for the 21-8-2 Devils, who sit second overall in the Eastern Conference with 44 points and a game in hand over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a costly win for the Panthers as captain Aleksander Barkov left the game late in the first period with a possible knee injury.

Washington Capitals defenseman Erik Gustafsson tallied his first career hat trick to lead his club to a 5-2 win over the Maple Leafs. Sonny Milano collected three assists and Charlie Lindgren made 34 saves as the Capitals move to 16-13-4 on the season. Auston Matthews had a goal and an assist for the Leafs (19-7-6).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals winger T.J. Oshie left this game with an upper-body injury. The Caps were already shorthanded entering this contest with Nic Dowd (lower body) and Hunter Shepard (upper body) on the sidelines.

An overtime goal by Martin Necas lifted the Carolina Hurricanes over the Dallas Stars 5-4 to extend their points streak to 10 games. Necas, Andrei Svechnikov and Teuvo Teravainen each had a goal and an assist as the Hurricanes (18-6-6) moved to within two points of the Devils in the Metropolitan Division. Jason Robertson collected three assists for the 18-8-6 Stars, who sit atop the Central Division with 42 points.

The Winnipeg Jets (20-9-1) moved to within a point of the Stars in the Central with a 5-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Kyle Connor and Sam Gagner each had a goal and an assist while Pierre-Luc Dubois picked up three assists. Bo Horvat replied for the Canucks as they fell to 13-14-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets played without Blake Wheeler (groin injury) and Nate Schmidt (upper body) as they’re both sidelined for at least a month. Canucks forwards Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser missed this contest with a non-COVID illness.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel scored twice and chipped in an assist as his club dumped the Montreal Canadiens 5-1. Nikita Kucherov had a goal and an assist for the Lightning (20-9-1) as they move to within three points of the Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division. Nick Suzuki replied for the Canadiens (14-15-2) as they fall into the bottom of their division with 30 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson returned to the lineup following a four-game absence with a lower-body injury. Earlier in the day, the Habs moved blueliner David Savard to injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 4.

The New York Rangers extended their winning streak to six games with a 6-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Artemi Panarin and K’Andre Miller each had a goal and an assist as the Rangers (17-10-5) sit fourth in the Metropolitan Division with 39 points. Carter Hart made 29 saves for the 10-15-7 Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Flyers placed winger Cam Atkinson on injured reserve. He’s been sidelined the entire season with an upper-body injury.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar had a goal and an assist in a 3-1 win over the Nashville Predators, handing the latter their sixth straight defeat. Alexandar Georgiev made 25 saves for the win as the Avalanche improved to 16-11-2 and sit fourth in the Central Division with 34 points. Matt Duchene scored for the 12-13-4 Predators.

Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson scored his 25th goal of the season in a 5-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes. Jeff Skinner returned to the Sabres lineup following a three-game suspension and tallied twice. The Sabres (15-14-2) have won three straight. Connor Ingram kicked out 38 shots for the Coyotes as they drop to 10-15-4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Coyotes played without Liam O’Brien as they announced earlier in the day that he’s week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

The Anaheim Ducks got a 46-save performance by Lukas Dostal to upset the Edmonton Oilers 4-3. John Klingberg broke a 3-3 tie for the Ducks (9-20-3) after the Oilers (17-14-1)had overcome a 3-1 deficit to tie the game in the third period. Oilers captain Connor McDavid extended his points streak to 12 games with a goal and an assist.

Special teams made the difference for the Ottawa Senators as they clipped the Detroit Red Wings 6-3, tallying three power-play goals and two short-handed tallies. Alex DeBrincat had three assists as the Senators improved to 14-14-2. Olli Maatta returned to the Red Wings (13-11-6) following a four-game absence due to a non-COVID illness. The Wings have now lost five straight contests.

Shootout goals by Kevin Fiala and Trevor Moore gave the Los Angeles Kings a 3-2 win over the San Jose Sharks. Phillip Danault and Josh Anderson-Dolan scored for the Kings (17-12-5) while Timo Meier and Kevin Labanc replied for the Sharks as they fell to 10-16-6.










NHL Trade Roundup: Lots of Big Names Moving After Busy Week of Dealing

by | Oct 9, 2020

NHL Trade Roundup: Lots of Big Names Moving After Busy Week of Dealing

 










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 5, 2020

by | Oct 5, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 5, 2020

Henrik Lundqvist determined to continue his playing career, the Blackhawks trade Olli Maatta to the Kings, the Stars re-sign Andrej Sekera, and an update on Ryan Strome in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NEW YORK POST: Henrik Lundqvist took to Twitter Sunday expressing his determination to continue his playing career. “I still love to compete. I still love the game and I still want to WIN”, he tweeted. The 38-year-old goaltender was bought out of the final year of his contract last week by the Rangers.

Henrik Lundqvist remains determined to continue his NHL career (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Larry Brooks speculated the Washington Capitals could be a destination for Lundqvist, citing a report Saturday by Sportsnet. Brooks wondered if the former Vezina Trophy winner would accept a full-time backup role, though he might not have much choice given his play has regressed with age. He also suggested the Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights as options.

CHICAGO TRIBUNE/LOS ANGELES TIMES: The Chicago Blackhawks yesterday traded defenseman Olli Maatta to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for minor-league forward Brad Morrison. The Blackhawks retained just over $750K of Maatta’s $4.088-million annual average value for the next two seasons.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This move frees up cap space for the Blackhawks. They now have $11.1 million available to put toward re-signing restricted free agents Dominik Kubalik, Dylan Strome, Drake Caggiula and Slater Koekkoek and re-sign or replace unrestricted free agent goalie Corey Crawford. The Times, meanwhile, indicates Maatta will fill the Kings’ need for an experienced left-side defenseman.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars yesterday re-signed defenseman Andrej Sekera to a two-year contract worth $1.5 million annually.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As the report indicates, this move means the Stars won’t have to go into the trade or free-agent market to find a cheap third-pairing, penalty-killing defenseman. Cap Friendly indicates the move leaves the Stars with $67.5 million invested in 17 players. Anton Khudobin, Corey Perry and Mattias Janmark are unrestricted free agents while Denis Gurianov, Roope Hintz and Radek Faksa are restricted free agents.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers have not yet decided if they tender a qualifying offer to Ryan Strome. The 27-year-old center is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights. The deadline for qualifying offers is 5 pm ET on Tuesday. If Strome doesn’t receive one, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Larry Brooks speculates it could cost $4.75 million to re-sign Strome, which could be too expensive for the Rangers. He’s a year away from UFA eligibility.










NHL Rumor Mill – September 24, 2020

by | Sep 24, 2020

NHL Rumor Mill – September 24, 2020

A look at Sportnet’s list of possible contract buyout candidates in today’s NHL rumor mill.

BUYOUT CANDIDATES

SPORTSNET: Montreal Canadiens defenseman Karl Alzner, Edmonton Oilers winger James Neal and New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist top Luke Fox’s list of 14 players who might be considered for contract buyouts.

Will the New York Rangers buy out Henrik Lundqvist? (NHL Images)

Buying out Neal would free up $3.83 million if the Oilers need room to go shopping in the trade or free-agent markets. The Rangers, meanwhile, don’t intend to carry three goalies as they did this season, making Lundqvist a possible buyout candidate.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Alzner has two years left on his contract with an annual average value of $4.625 million. The Habs have kept him buried in the minors and could afford to do so again for 2020-21. Cap Friendly indicates buying him out would only give them over $666K in cap savings next season, though that increases to $2.66 million in 2021-22.

The first buyout period runs from Sept. 25 to Oct. 8. The New York Post’s Larry Brooks suggests the Rangers could wait until the 24-hour second buyout window following the settlement or award on filings by any one of their arbitration-eligible restricted free agents. That would allow some additional time to determine if there’s a trade partner for Lundqvist once the goalie market carousel slows down.

Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Olli Maatta, Vegas Golden Knights goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, and Vancouver Canucks forwards Loui Eriksson and Sven Baertschi are also on Fox’s list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blackhawks would see substantial savings buying out Maatta, as the annual cap hit over the next four years would be over $680K. I believe the Golden Knights will attempt to trade Fleury if they re-sign Robin Lehner. A buyout could be the option of last resort.

Fox points out an Eriksson buyout wouldn’t provide much cap relief for the Canucks, but they would get $1.7 million in relief by buying out Baertschi. Canucks GM Jim Benning could prefer the trade route for one or both, even if it meant absorbing some salary.

Nashville Predators center Kyle Turris, New York Islanders winger Andrew Ladd, Detroit Red Wings forward Justin Abdelkader and Florida Panthers defenseman Anton Stralman are other possible buyout candidates.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fox points out Turris has four years at $6 million annually on his contract, Ladd has three years with an AAV of $5.5 million, while Abdelkader has three years at $4.25 million annually remaining on his deal.

Because buyouts are at twice the remaining tenure, their respective teams could be reluctant to go that route. The Isles won’t get much immediate cap relief buying out Ladd. Stralman has two years at $5.5 million annually left. A buyout would provide $3 million in cap savings for next season.

Buffalo Sabres winger Kyle Okposo, Anaheim Ducks winger David Backes, and Boston Bruins defenseman John Moore round out Fox’s list. It was subsequently noted the Ducks informed Backes they’ll keep him for next season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Okposo and Moore each have three years remaining on their contracts. The Sabres have gone the buyout route in the past so we can’t dismiss the possibility they’ll do it again. However, an Okposo buyout would count as $4 million against their cap for next season and $5 million in 2021-22.










NHL Rumor Mill – September 8, 2020

by | Sep 8, 2020

NHL Rumor Mill – September 8, 2020

Are the Oilers shopping for a goalie? Will the Blue Jackets get into the market for a center? How could the Blackhawks shed salary? Check out the latest in today’s NHL rumor mill.

OILERS SEEKING A GOALTENDER?

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Jim Matheson reports the Oilers seek a goaltender to share the duties with Mikko Koskinen. While they’ve kicked the tires on Pittsburgh’s Matt Murray, the Oilers would prefer adding a younger version of Mike Smith for around $2.5 million who can play 35-40 games with Koskinen.

Matheson points out the Oilers only have around $9 million in cap space. He also notes it’s a buyer’s market for unrestricted free agent goalies with such notables as Braden Holtby, Jacob Markstrom, Cam Talbot, Anton Khudobin and Thomas Greiss potentially available. Trade options could include Murray, Arizona’s Darcy Kuemper, or maybe Columbus’ Joonas Korpisalo.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bolstering the goaltending should be the Oilers’ priority. Koskinen cannot be relied upon to carry the bulk of the starts and Smith is clearly past his prime and must be replaced.

Kuemper would be the best trade option if available, carrying a reasonable $4.5 million annual average value over the next two seasons. Korpisalo would be even more affordable ($2.8 million AAV for two years) but has a limited body of work as a starter.

The Penguins are trying to cut costs by shopping Murray. The asking price won’t be expensive but his new contract will be, perhaps over $6 million annually. Factor in his injury history and inconsistent play over the last two years, and the Oilers would be wise to look elsewhere.

Perhaps the Oilers will move one of their defensemen to free up cap space for other moves. Matheson’s colleague David Staples suggested shopping veteran defenseman Kris Russell to free up some cap space. He’s got a year left on his contract with a $4 million AAV and a 15-team no-trade list for 2020-21, but his actual salary will be $1.5 million once the Oilers pay his $1 million signing bonus for next season.

WILL THE BLUE JACKETS SHOP FOR A CENTER?

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Brian Hedger reports the 2020 playoffs showed the Blue Jackets need an upgrade at center, specifically on the second line. He indicates there’s a “glaring void” between first-line center Pierre-Luc Dubois and third-liner Boone Jenner.

Hedger lists free agency, the trade market and developing from within as the ways general manager Jarmo Kekalainen can address this issue.

The free-agent market is bleak, with Nashville’s Mikael Granlund topping the list with 30 points this season. Kekalainen will explore the trade market as they can draw upon their blueline depth, young forwards, and a pair of goalies in their mid-20s who performed well this season for trade bait. Hedger suggested the Edmonton Oilers’ Ryan Nugent-Hopkins as a trade target, though he’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent next year.

Options from within could include Alexander Wennberg or Alexandre Texier.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The UFA market is very thin for center. Granlund, Carl Soderberg, Tyler Ennis, Joe Thornton, Jason Spezza, Mikko Koivu and Erik Haula are the best of the bunch. Thornton, Spezza, Koivu and Soderberg are past their prime, Granlund and Ennis are used more as wingers while Haula’s been hampered by injuries in recent years.They could try Wennberg and Texier, but I don’t think that’s going to work. Wennberg is inconsistent while Texier is used mostly on the wing.

The trade market is their best option to address that need, but I don’t think the Oilers intend to part with Nugent-Hopkins. He’s a key versatile part of their forward lines, able to play second-line center or skate at left wing on Connor McDavid’s line.

HOW WILL THE BLACKHAWKS CUT SALARY?

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: Charlie Roumeliotis recently examined how the Blackhawks can free up salary-cap space to re-sign restricted free agents Dominik Kubalik, Dylan Strome and Drake Caggiula and unrestricted free agent goalie Corey Crawford.

The Blackhawks can free up $5.56 million if they buy out Olli Maatta and Zack Smith. A more ideal solution would be moving one or both via trade, but that would involve packaging them with sweeteners.

Trading Brandon Saad would shed $6 million. The 27-year-old left winger is slated to become a UFA next summer. However, Roumeliotis argues that move would subtract a top-six forward merely to shed salary. Given the current economic climate, he doubts a rival club would take on that full cap hit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Buying out Maatta and Smith could also leave the Blackhawks with over $1.7 million in dead cap space for the next two seasons, followed by two more seasons of $680K annually. Nevertheless, that could become their best option to re-sign their key players.

I doubt Smith will have any more trade value. Maatta’s performance in this year’s playoffs might make him enticing for clubs seeking a puck-moving defenseman.