NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 9, 2024

by | Jul 9, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 9, 2024

A look at the most interesting salary arbitration cases, the Capitals make a notable front-office change, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

SPORTSNET: Ryan Dixon looked at some of the more interesting potential salary arbitration cases worth watching. Fourteen players filed for arbitration by the July 5 deadline. There were no club-elected arbitration cases.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas (NHL Images).

Topping the list is Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas. The 25-year-old has featured prominently in the rumor mill as reports emerged about his unhappiness skating as a third-line winger. There’s also been a management change as Eric Tulsky took over as general manager from Don Waddell.

Other notable cases that could be worth monitoring include New York Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren, Buffalo Sabres starting goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Tampa Bay Lightning blueliner J.J. Moser, and Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kirill Marchenko.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Moser’s could be interesting because he was recently acquired from the Utah Hockey Club. The Lightning sees him as a replacement for Mikhail Sergachev, who was swapped for Moser, prospect center Conor Geekie, and two draft picks.

The Bolts won’t pay Moser as much as Sergachev ($8.5 million annually) but the 24-year-old Swiss blueliner will seek a significant raise coming off his entry-level contract.

Most of these cases are settled well before their scheduled arbitration hearings between July 20 and Aug. 4. Sometimes, one or two end up going before an arbitrator. 

TSN: The Washington Capitals named Chris Patrick as their new general manager while long-time GM Brian MacLellan remains as president of hockey operations. Patrick, 48, has worked in various roles with the Capitals, spending the past three seasons as assistant GM.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report indicates this follows a recent trend around the league where an established general manager moves upstairs and cedes day-to-day operations. MacLellan will still maintain oversight over any significant roster decisions. He’d served as GM since 2014 and helped them win their first Stanley Cup in 2018.

MacLellan improved the Capitals roster in recent weeks, swapping goalie Darcy Kuemper for center Pierre-Luc Dubois, acquiring defenseman Jakob Chychrun from the Ottawa Senators, winger Andrew Mangiapane from the Calgary Flames, and netminder Logan Thompson from the Vegas Golden Knights. He also signed top-four defenseman Matt Roy.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin discussed the “Seattle Incident” during the 2023 playoffs with a Russian interviewer. His comments were made before he was placed in stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program on May 14 and suspended for six months.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nichushkin left the Avalanche during their 2023 first-round series with the Seattle Kraken after a team doctor discovered an intoxicated woman in the winger’s Seattle hotel room, and called an ambulance to take her to a hospital. The club did not acknowledge the police report or indicate if Nichushkin was punished. The league indicated it was satisfied with how the situation was handled.

Nichushkin said he was receiving treatments for a shoulder injury at the time that required injections. He claimed he wasn’t scheduled to play for the remainder of the series against the Kraken, saying he hung out with some friends that night and then flew back to Denver. Nichushkin stated the girl in his hotel room had nothing to do with him. He also said the team told him not to comment about the incident at the time, something he now claims was a mistake.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It remains to be seen if Nichushkin faces any repercussions for these comments.

TSN: The Utah Hockey Club re-signed forward Barrett Hayton to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $2.65 million.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Former Flyers goaltender Carter Hart could sign with a KHL team. He is among five players charged in the 2018 Hockey Canada sexual assault case and is currently awaiting trial. The Flyers opted not to qualify Hart’s rights on July 1, making him an unrestricted free agent.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Former Calgary Flames winger Dillon Dube is among those five players. He signed a one-year contract with KHL club HC Dinamo Minsk. The report stated it’s unclear if extraneous circumstances allowed Dube to leave Canada before facing trial.

BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: The Sabres signed 2024 first-round pick Konsta Helenius to a three-year entry-level contract. The 18-year-old center was chosen 14th overall.

KUKLA’S KORNER: The Dallas Stars entered into a seven-year agreement with A Parent Media Co. Inc. (APMC) to stream all their regional games free of charge. Starting this season, the games will be broadcast on the newly formed VICTORY+, a free direct-to-consumer streaming service created for fans by APMC with the Dallas Stars.

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: The Carolina Hurricanes named Doug Warf their new team president. He will oversee the club’s business operations and the operation of PNC Arena. He succeeds Don Waddell, who recently stepped down to join the Columbus Blue Jackets.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 29, 2023

by | Aug 29, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 29, 2023

The Bruins’ plan to fill their top-two center roles this season, front office changes for the Sabres and Capitals, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery is very confident that Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle can fill the club’s top-two center positions. Those roles became areas of concern following the recent retirements of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci.

Boston Bruins center Pavel Zacha. (NHL Images)

Montgomery believes Zacha is ready to handle the first-line center role, saying the 26-year-old still has a high ceiling after his career-best performance (21 goals, 57 points) last season.

The Bruins were rumored to be interested in Calgary Flames center Elias Lindholm and Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele earlier in the offseason. One NHL source claimed they would circle back on Lindholm if he became available before the start of this season.

They were also said to be prepared to move Linus Ullmark. However, it appears the asking price for the desired center was too high and the return too low for Ullmark.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins probably have no choice but to go with Zacha and Coyle to start this season. It’s believed they lack sufficient trade capital to outbid other clubs that could have an interest in Lindholm. That probably holds true as well for Scheifele.

BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: Terry Pegula has taken over as the Sabres team president. Pegula Sports & Entertainment, which also owns the NFL’s Buffalo Bills, is being dissolved and separating resources, with each club focusing on their respective efforts.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Washington Capitals also made some front-office changes, naming general manager Brian MacLellan as president of hockey operations. They also promoted Chris Patrick to assistant general manager.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some observers suggest this move lays the groundwork for Patrick to eventually take over as general manager, allowing MacLellan to focus solely on his role as hockey ops president.

NHL.COM: The Edmonton Oilers formally announced they’ve signed forwards Sam Gagner and Brandon Sutter to professional tryout agreements.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No surprise here. It was previously reported in the Edmonton media that Gagner and Sutter would get professional tryout offers.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of PTOs, the Avalanche signed former Dallas Stars forward Joel Kiviranta.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs added some size to their blueline yesterday, signing former Simon Benoit to a one-year, $775K contract. The 6’3”, 203-pound defenseman spent the past three seasons with the Anaheim Ducks.










NHL Rumor Mill – March 11, 2023

by | Mar 11, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – March 11, 2023

Check out the latest on the Capitals and Sharks in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WASHINGTON HOCKEY NOW: Sammi Silber recently cited Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan telling a local radio show that one of his off-season goals will be to bring in a top-six winger.

Washington Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan (NHL.com).

Silber noted that Alex Ovechkin is the only Capital to reach the 20-goal plateau with a team-leading 36. T.J. Oshie is second with 16 goals. MacLellan intends to use some of the draft picks acquired before the trade deadline to potentially make some moves in the offseason. Free agency could also provide some options.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cap Friendly indicates the Capitals have over $10 million in projected cap space for 2023-24 with 15 roster players under contract. All of their core players are under contract but adding a top-six winger could eat up a big chunk of that cap space. MacLellan could include a salaried player in a trade packaged with a draft pick to bring in that scoring winger.

Silber also reported that Conor Sheary was relieved that he wasn’t moved at last Friday’s trade deadline. An unrestricted free agent on July 1, Sheary hopes to re-sign with the Capitals but said there hasn’t been much progress on a deal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sheary is completing a two-year deal with an AAV of $1.5 million. He should be an affordable re-signing but that could depend on how much cap space the Capitals have if they find that aforementioned top-six winger.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sheng Peng cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman recently indicated that an unnamed team made a “real, legit offer” for Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro. Despite struggling at times this season, the 24-year-old remains a talented and competitive blueliner. Sharks GM Mike Grier is said to have set a high asking price for Ferraro.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ferraro is also in the first season of a four-year contract with a cost-effective $3.25 million AAV. He would be a valuable trade chip if the Sharks intend to engage in a complete roster rebuild. Then again, Grier could see him as a valuable part of a rebuilding roster.










NHL Free Agents & Trade Candidates – Washington Capitals

by | May 25, 2020

NHL Free Agents & Trade Candidates – Washington Capitals

 










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 8, 2020

by | May 8, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 8, 2020

Potential playoff formats are under consideration, plans for the 2020 Draft remain uncertain and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

LATEST NHL SCHEDULE AND DRAFT NEWS

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the NHL/NHLPA “Return to Play” committee discussed returning with 16, 20, or 24-team playoff formats. Of the three, the 24-team format appears to be garnering some traction. That format would see non-playoff clubs like Montreal and Chicago getting postseason berths. “But again, let me stress. Nothing is decided. These are just the conversations that are being had between both sides this week,” said LeBrun.

Darren Dreger suggests a “play-in” format that trims those 24 teams down to the traditional 16 playoff clubs, rather than playing out the remainder of the regular season. This format would allow the league to get through the process quickly in case there’s a second COVID-19 wave in the fall. “If the NHL once again has to shut down in September, maybe October, maybe drift into November, there’s a built-in break, and then they reset and get going on the 2020-21 season again as late as December,” he said.

Frank Seravalli said the cost of COVID-19 testing and sterilizing dressing rooms and the rest of the facility could reach tens of millions of dollars. “So far, to this point, the NHL has determined that the juice would be worth the squeeze but we’ll see as these continue to add up,” said Seravalli.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The league and the PA had considered resuming the remainder of the 2019-20 schedule and the playoffs. The New York Post’s Larry Brooks reports one reason they’re exploring other options is it would avoid bringing back teams with no chance of reaching the playoffs and having them play a month’s worth of meaningless games.

He also said it would reduce how long players would have to spend in hub cities, especially those that go deep into the postseason. Minnesota Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk recently said he and his fellow players with families aren’t keen to spend up to four months separated from their families. “Nobody with kids is going to want to be away for three or four months at a time. I think that’s a lot to ask out of guys.” Dubnyk missed part of this season to be with his wife while she was dealing with a serious medical condition, so he has an additional reason not to be away from his family for a long period.

Brooks added going directly to a playoff tournament would allow for a draft lottery in which the seven clubs that don’t make the playoff cut could be eligible for the first-overall pick in this year’s draft.

While I understand the league’s desire to recoup some of its losses by completing the regular season, returning immediately with a postseason format makes the most sense. Nevertheless, we still await a final decision. With the pandemic still ongoing, cancellation of the season and playoffs remains a real possibility.

SPORTSNET: Chris Johnston reports debate continues over the format of the 2020 NHL Draft. It appeared an early-June draft was a foregone conclusion, but deputy commissioner Bill Daly said everything is still on the table.

June 5 was believed the target date, though options later in the month are also under consideration. Some NHL teams are uncomfortable with staging the draft before resuming the season, while some general managers aren’t happy over being prevented from making trades involving active players while the schedule is paused.

TSN: Washington Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said he’s among the majority of GMs who prefer staging the draft after the season is completed. “I think most of the managers would like it to happen in a natural order,” he said.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Johnston’s colleague Elliotte Friedman believes no decision this week would mean the date to stage the draft would be pushed later than the June 5-6 timeframe originally proposed by the league. The fact there hasn’t been a decision yet suggests the league may have encountered more pushback from team owners and general managers or perhaps unforeseen issues arose that require more time to address.

WINNIPEG SUN: Ted Wyman cites an Angus Reid poll indicating one-quarter of hardcore Canadian sports fans polled indicate they wouldn’t attend a sports event in October or November until a COVID-19 vaccine is developed. “Another 40% said they would have to do some deliberating before making up their minds and 35% said they would attend with no reservations.” Wyman suggests this underlines the difficulty for pro sports in returning to normal following the pandemic.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: NHL revenue will likely feel the effects of this pandemic beyond 2020. That could take a toll on the salary cap for 2021-22. 

IN OTHER NEWS…

TSN: Montreal Canadiens star Carey Price reached out to give support to two boys who lost their parents during last month’s mass shooting in Nova Scotia.

THE SCORE: The New Jersey Devils interviewed Dallas Stars assistant coach John Stevens for their head-coaching job.

TORONTO STAR: Maple Leafs center Alex Kerfoot’s family rink gives him a training advantage over his fellow players during their self-quarantine period.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Ken Campbell believes Brendan Leipsic’s recent offensive comments on Instagram could cost the winger his NHL career.

SPORTSNET: The Kontinental Hockey League will not name a champion after stopping its season part-way through the playoffs because of the coronavirus pandemic.