NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 11, 2023

by | Feb 11, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 11, 2023

Penguins star Evgeni Malkin reaches a points milestone, Vladimir Tarasenko scored in his Rangers debut, the latest on Patrick Kane and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin collected two assists to become the third player in franchise history to reach 1,200 career points in a 6-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Pierre-Olivier Joseph scored twice and collected an assist as the Penguins (26-16-9) vaulted over the Washington Capitals into the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 61 points. Mason McTavish had a goal and an assist for the Ducks as they dropped to 17-30-6.

Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Ducks placed winger Troy Terry (upper body) on injured reserve.

Vladimir Tarasenko scored in his debut with the New York Rangers as they picked up their fourth straight win by down the Seattle Kraken 6-3. Vincent Trocheck, Kaapo Kakko and Ryan Lindgren each had a goal and an assist for the Rangers, who improved to 30-14-8 (68 points) and sit four points behind the second-place New Jersey Devils in the Metropolitan Division. Oliver Bjorkstrand and Vince Dunn each had two points for the 29-18-5 Kraken as they dropped their third straight game and slipped to third place in the Pacific Division with 63 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As expected, Tarasenko skated on the Rangers’ top line alongside Mika Zibanejad (who also scored in this contest) and Artemi Panarin (one assist). He indicated that he received no contract offer from the Blues prior to the trade to the Rangers.

Meanwhile, the Kraken and the Edmonton Oilers have identical records. However, the latter moved into second place in the Pacific with 27 regulation wins.

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov turned in a 30-save shutout in a 3-0 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. John Tavares scored twice for the 32-13-8 Leafs (72 points) as they widened their lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning for second place in the Atlantic Division by four points. Joonas Korpisalo stopped 38 shots for the Blue Jackets (15-33-4) as they remain mired at the bottom of the overall standings.

An overtime goal by Caleb Jones lifted the Chicago Blackhawks over the Arizona Coyotes by a score of 4-3. Andreas Athanasiou had a goal and two assists for the 16-29-5 Blackhawks. Coyotes forward Clayton Keller also had a goal and two assists as his club dropped to 17-30-6.

HEADLINES

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane wasn’t pleased when he heard that the Rangers acquired Vladimir Tarasenko on Thursday. “It’s not like the happiest I’ve been to hear about a trade,” he said. Kane indicated the Rangers were a team he was interested in if he was going to be traded.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane’s comments are an indication that he’s leaning toward accepting a trade before the March 3 deadline. He and teammate Jonathan Toews are reportedly supposed to make a decision by mid-February whether they’ll waive their no-movement clauses. It sounds like Kane already has a list of preferred trade destinations with the Rangers probably at the top.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond could miss Saturday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks after suffering a lower-body injury during practice on Friday. Defenseman Jake Walman is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning defenseman Ian Cole was fined $5,000.00 by the NHL department of player safety for kneeing Colorado Avalanche forward Andrew Cogliano during Thursday’s game.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: The Canadiens re-signed defenseman Jordan Harris to a two-year, $2.8 million contract extension. The average annual value is $1.4 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some Canadiens followers went on social media suggesting this was more than what Harris deserved. Perhaps they initially confused that $2.8 million as his new annual cap hit. On his current two-year contract (entry-level), the 22-year-old blueliner is earning an AAV of $842,500 (not counting performance bonuses). $1.4 million is a reasonable raise.

LA HOCKEY NOW: The Kings signed goalie Pheonix Copley to a one-year, $1.5 million contract extension.

TSN: The Florida Panthers signed defenseman Josh Mahura to a one-year, one-way contract extension. Cap Friendly indicates his new deal is worth $925K.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 16, 2022

by | Dec 16, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 16, 2022

Recaps of Thursday’s games, the league could consider changing its schedule next season to encourage more rivalries and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Los Angeles Kings overcame a 2-0 deficit to upset the Boston Bruins 3-2 on a shootout goal by Trevor Moore. Adrian Kempe scored twice in the third period and Pheonix Copley made 33 saves for the Kings, who improved their record to 16-12-5. Taylor Hall and Brad Marchand tallied for the Bruins (23-4-2), who remain first overall with 48 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Kings announced Moore signed a five-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $4.2 million. The 27-year-old winger was eligible to become an unrestricted free agent and is earning $1.875 million on his current deal. He’s turned into a reliable second-line winger for the Kings with 18 points in 33 games this season.

A two-goal performance by Reilly Smith carried the Vegas Golden Knights to a 4-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Logan Thompson made 24 saves for the win as the Golden Knights (22-9-1) moved one point ahead of the New Jersey Devils into second place in the overall standings with 45 points. Blackhawks winger Tyler Johnson reaggravated his left ankle and didn’t play in the third period as his club fell into last overall with a record of 7-17-4 (18 points).

The Devils, meanwhile, dropped a 2-1 decision to the Philadelphia Flyers. Travis Konecny broke a 1-1 tie in the third period while Carter Hart stopped 48 shots as they improved to 10-14-7. Jack Hughes scored for the 21-7-2 Devils. The Flyers played without Tony DeAngelo as he was placed on non-roster status for personal reasons due to the death of his grandmother.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to DeAngelo and his family.

New York Rangers winger Jimmy Vesey scored twice to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1. Vincent Trocheck had two assists while Igor Shesterkin stopped 22 shots to boost the Rangers’ record to 16-10-5. The Leafs (19-6-6) lost in regulation for the first time in 16 games while Mitch Marner’s points streak ended at 23 games.

The Dallas Stars rode a 45-save performance by Jake Oettinger to a 2-1 win over the Washington Capitals. Jamie Benn and Colin Miller scored in the third period as the Stars improved to 18-8-5 on the season. Connor Sheary tallied for the Capitals (15-13-4) while Alex Ovechkin remains at 800 career goals, one back of Hall-of-Famer Gordie Howe.

Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jake Guentzel scored two goals while Kris Letang had a goal and an assist to double up the Florida Panthers 4-2. Sidney Crosby collected two assists for the 18-8-4 Penguins. The Panthers (14-13-4) played without Matthew Tkachuk as the winger was sidelined by a non-COVID-related illness.

St. Louis Blues winger Jordan Kyrou (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins center Evgeni Malkin scored but left the game because the puck deflected in off his right knee, leaving him in considerable pain. However, he’s expected to be okay. Following the game, Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said the preliminary prognosis is positive.

A shootout goal by Jordan Kyrou lifted the St. Louis Blues to a 4-3 comeback win over the Edmonton Oilers. Kyrou scored and collected two assists in regulation as Robert Thomas and Vladimir Tarasenko scored two unanswered goals in the third period for the 14-15-1 Blues. Connor McDavid scored his league-leading 27th goal and become the first NHL player this season to reach 60 points but his Oilers dropped to 17-13-1.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel scored twice and added an assist in a 4-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Nikita Kucherov had three assists for the 19-9-1 Lightning while the Jackets fall to 10-17-2.

An overtime goal by Kyle Connor lifted the Winnipeg Jets over the Nashville Predators 2-1. Dylan DeMelo also scored for the Jets as they improved to 19-9-1. Filip Forsberg replied for the Predators (12-12-4) while teammate Juuse Saros stopped 39 shots. Jets defenseman Nate Schmidt left this game with an upper-body injury.

A 39-save performance by Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen gave the Buffalo Sabres a 4-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche. Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin each had a goal and an assist for the Sabres (14-14-2). Valeri Nichushkin collected two assists for the Avalanche (15-11-2). Colorado winger Evan Rodrigues returned to action for the first time since suffering a leg injury on Nov. 23.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Thompson sits second to McDavid with 24 goals on the season. Meanwhile, Sabres defenseman Owen Power missed this game after suffering a lower-body injury during the pregame warm-up.

The Carolina Hurricanes extended their points streak to nine games as they held off the Seattle Kraken by a score of 3-2. Andrei Svechnikov netted his team-leading 16th goal of the season for the Hurricanes (17-6-6). Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer kicked out 36 shots but his club dropped to 16-10-3.

The Anaheim Ducks blew a 2-0 lead but netted three unanswered third-period goals to beat the Montreal Canadiens 5-2. John Klingberg tallied twice for the Ducks (8-20-3) as they snapped a nine-game road losing streak. Cole Caufield tallied both goals for the 14-14-2 Canadiens.

IN OTHER NEWS…

SPORTICO: The NHL is said to be considering overhauling its schedule for next season to create more games between geographical rivals in the hope of generating more revenue. It could result in those rivals playing as many as eight times in a season.

TSN: Chris Johnston reports he’s told it’s “not accurate” that teams will meet as much as eight games in a season. While some teams would like to face rivals more often, Johnston said there’s only so much that can be done if teams are going to play in all 32 arenas in a season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The league has increased games among rivals with mixed results.

While some rivalries are long-standing and popular among their supporters, it comes at the cost of seeing stars from other clubs less often. For example, increasing the number of regular-season meetings between the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers would mean fans in other NHL cities would see less of a superstar like Connor McDavid, who can be a good box-office draw for struggling clubs.

Another problem with staging more games against rivals is when one of the teams is among the league’s top clubs while the other is rebuilding. Fans want intense, evenly-matched games in those series. It takes the shine off those match-ups if one of the teams is dominating the other.

The New York Islanders have placed sidelined defenseman Adam Pelech (upper body) on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 6.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 13, 2022

by | Dec 13, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 13, 2022

Evgeni Malkin achieves a Penguins franchise milestone, Marc-Andre Fleury and Jordan Binnington reach career milestones, the three stars of the week are announced, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin scored with 35 seconds left in the third period to down the Dallas Stars by a score of 2-1. It was Malkin’s 79th career game-winner, moving him past Jaromir Jagr into second place on the all-time franchise list. Sidney Crosby is the current leader with 83 game-winning goals. Pierre-Olivier Joseph also scored for the Penguins (17-8-4) while Roope Hintz tallied for the 16-8-5 Stars.

Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (NHL Images).

Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 20 shots while Matt Boldy had a goal and an assist in a 2-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Fleury recorded his 18th season with at least 10 wins, making him the fourth goaltender in NHL history to achieve that feat. Zach Hyman replied for the Oilers (16-13-0) as Connor McDavid’s points streak ended at seven games. The Wild improved their record to 15-11-2.

St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington turned in a 25-save shutout for his 100th career victory in a 1-0 win over the Nashville Predators. Brayden Schenn tallied the winner in overtime as the Blues improved to 13-15-1. The Predators have lost three straight and fall to 12-11-3.

An overtime goal by Filip Chytil lifted the New York Rangers over the New Jersey Devils 4-3. Third-period goals by Vincent Trocheck and Kaapo Kakko seven seconds apart rallied the Rangers (15-10-5) and set the stage for Chytil’s game-winner. Dawson Mercer had two points for the Devils (21-5-2), giving them 44 points. They sit one point behind the first-overall Boston Bruins.

Shootout goals by Nick Suzuki and Kirby Dach gave the Montreal Canadiens a 2-1 victory over the Calgary Flames. Josh Anderson scored the game-tying goal for the Canadiens as they move to 14-12-2. Jonathan Huberdeau opened the scoring for the Flames (13-11-5) and also tallied in the shootout.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Injuries took a toll on both teams in this game. Canadiens winger Cole Caufield left this contest in the second period with an upper-body injury following a hit from Calgary’s Trevor Lewis while Flames defenseman Chris Tanev was struck in the head by a Suzuki slap shot while killing a penalty. The Flames were also without forward Elias Lindholm (upper-body injury) and defenseman MacKenzie Weegar (non-COVID-related illness).

Ottawa Senators goaltender Cam Talbot kicked out 32 shots to blank the Anaheim Ducks 3-0. Alex DeBrincat scored twice and Parker Kelly also scored for the Senators (12-14-2). The Ducks fall to 7-19-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ottawa center Tim Stutzle left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury following a collision with the Ducks’ Brett Leason. Senators forward Tyler Motte was also sidelined by an upper-body injury in the first period. Before the game, the Senators formally inducted former defenseman Wade Redden into their Ring of Honour.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren, Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson and Toronto Maple Leafs winger William Nylander are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Dec. 11, 2022.

TSN: The Vegas Golden Knights placed center Jack Eichel on injured reserve with a lower-body injury and placed defenseman Zach Whitecloud (lower body) on long-term injured reserve.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Kraken claimed winger Eeli Tolvanen off waivers from the Nashville Predators.

ESPN.COM: Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis said his team won’t rebuild with Alex Ovechkin on the roster. He said he promised his captain that the club will remain competitive while the winger chases Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record of 894. Ovechkin currently has 797 career goals. The Capitals have just 10 players under contract for 2023-24 with John Carlsson as the only defenseman signed beyond this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No surprise there. Leonsis wants to ensure Ovechkin has the roster support to help him reach the record. The Capitals captain’s contract expires in 2026, after which he’ll likely retire. The club could then commence a rebuild depending on the caliber of younger players they bring into the roster through trades and the draft.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks activated goaltender James Reimer off injured reserve. He’d been sidelined since Nov. 25.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: Blackhawks defenseman Jarred Tinordi received 50-100 stitches after being struck in the face by the skate of Winnipeg Jets forward Michael Eyssimont on Friday. He returned to that game in the second period wearing a face shield.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators settled a lawsuit launched by Capitals Sports Management Inc against former partners in the LeBreton Flats arena project. League sources said the lawsuit would not affect the sale of the Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Recent reports indicate there is considerable interest among several groups in purchasing the club.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 21, 2022

by | Nov 21, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 21, 2022

Evgeni Malkin scores in his milestone game, the Blackhawks honor Marian Hossa, the Kraken send Shane Wright to their AHL affiliate and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin scored in his 1,000th career NHL game as his club defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 5-3. Sidney Crosby scored and collected three assists as the Penguins improved to 9-7-3. Patrick Kane scored for the 6-9-3 Blackhawks, who honored Marian Hossa by retiring his No. 81 in a pregame ceremony.

Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Malkin joins Crosby as the only two players to play 1,000 games in a Penguins uniform. He has 20 points in 19 games this season and sits third all-time among Penguins scorers with 452 goals, 714 assists and 1,166 points.

Hossa spent seven of his 19 NHL seasons with the Blackhawks, helping them win three Stanley Cups. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020.

Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Daniil Tarasov made 47 saves as he carried his club to a 5-3 upset of the Florida Panthers. Johnny Gaudreau had a goal and two assists for the Blue Jackets (7-10-1) while the Panthers dropped to 9-8-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Blue Jackets placed goaltender Elvis Merzlikins on injured reserve retroactive to Nov. 15. He’s expected to miss one-to-two weeks with a hip injury.

HEADLINES

THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Kraken have sent Shane Wright to their AHL affiliate in Coachella Valley on a one-time conditioning stint of five to 14 days. It is then expected he’ll be sent to play for Canada at next month’s IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships following his AHL stint. However, Kraken general manager Ron Francis indicated the club intends to recall him for a game or two before making that decision.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report also indicates the Kraken used a loophole in NHL rules to send Wright to the AHL. As a teenager drafted from major junior last summer, he wouldn’t ordinarily be eligible to be sent to the minors. However, it’s allowed if the player is a healthy scratch for five consecutive games, which is what happened in Wright’s case.

Wright, 18, was projected as the top prospect entering the 2022 NHL Draft but he slipped to fourth overall when he was chosen by the Kraken. He’s seen limited playing time in just seven games this season. He can play two more NHL games before the Kraken must decide if they’ll keep him for the remainder of the season or send him back to junior, thus avoiding using up the first year of his entry-level contract.

SPORTSNET: The Capitals have loaned Connor McMichael to their AHL affiliate in Hershey. After tallying 18 points in 68 games as a rookie last season, the 21-year-old center has been held scoreless in six games. He was chosen 25th overall by the Capitals in the 2019 draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals hoped McMichael would make a significant step forward in his sophomore campaign, especially as injuries began to deplete the lineup. His struggles have resulted in his name surfacing in recent trade rumors as the Capitals try to avoid sinking further in the standings.

TWINCITIES.COM: Speaking of promising players struggling at the NHL level, Minnesota Wild center Marco Rossi was a healthy scratch on Saturday after being held to an assist in 16 games. It’s raising questions about whether it would be worthwhile to send the 21-year-old to their AHL affiliate to help him find his game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rossi was chosen ninth overall by the Wild in the 2020 NHL Draft. He missed the entire 2020-21 season to COVID-related complications but put up a respectable 53 points in 63 games last season with the Wild’s AHL affiliate in Iowa.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker will miss at least a month with a high-ankle sprain. Meanwhile, blueliner Thomas Chabot remains day-to-day with a concussion but has resumed skating again.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 12, 2022

by | Nov 12, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 12, 2022

A milestone night for the Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin and the Capitals’ John Carlson, an update on the Oiler’s Evander Kane and the Blue Jackets’ blueline suffers a major blow. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin scored his 450th career NHL goal in a 4-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Brock McGinn and Jake Guentzel tallied in the third period for the Penguins, who improved to 6-6-2. Zach Aston-Reese and William Nylander replied for the 7-5-3 Maple Leafs.

Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Former Maple Leafs star and Hall-of-Famer Borje Salming received an emotional standing ovation from Toronto fans during a pregame ceremony honoring this year’s Hockey Hall of Fame inductees. Salming, who is battling ALS (Lou Gerhig’s disease), was assisted by his former teammate and fellow Hall-of-Famer Darryl Sittler as he waved to the crowd to acknowledge the cheers.

Salming was one of the greatest defensemen in NHL history and a trailblazer for European players. I don’t know about the rest of you, but seeing a tearful Sittler helping Salming wave to the fans left me choked up too.

The Washington Capitals got two goals from Sonny Milano to defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-1. John Carlson picked up an assist to become the first defenseman in Capitals history to reach 600 career points and sits fifth on their all-time points list. The Capitals improved to 7-7-2 while the Lightning sit at 7-6-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette missed this game after being diagnosed with COVID-19. He is expected to miss Sunday’s rematch with the Lightning.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury kicked out 28 shots to shut out the Seattle Kraken 1-0. Mats Zuccarello scored for the Wild (7-6-1) while the Kraken sit at 8-5-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Kraken placed sidelined goaltender Philipp Grubauer (lower body) on long-term injured reserve.

The San Jose Sharks held off the Dallas Stars 5-4 to improve their record to 4-9-3. The Sharks got two-point performances from Timo Meier, Tomas Hertl, Logan Couture and Alexander Barabanov. Jamie Benn scored two goals for the 8-5-1 Stars.

HEADLINES

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers winger Evander Kane was in good spirits as he spoke with the media on Friday for the first time since suffering a gruesome injury to his left wrist on Tuesday.

Kane’s wrist was sliced down to the bone when Tampa Bay Lightning forward Pat Maroon accidentally skated over it. He was rushed to a hospital and underwent surgery. “I was really lucky that they were able to reattach everything,” said Kane, who will be sidelined for up to four months. “I’m thankful that I’m going to be able to make a full recovery.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Kane in his recovery.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski is out for the season after suffering a separated shoulder and a torn labrum during Thursday’s 5-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Another Jackets defenseman, Nick Blankenburg, suffered a fractured ankle and a high ankle sprain and will miss six-to-eight weeks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is terrible news for a Blue Jackets squad struggling to overcome a poor start to this season. Losing their best defenseman in Werenski could spell the end of their playoff hopes.

TSN: The Carolina Hurricanes placed goaltender Frederik Andersen on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury retroactive to Nov. 6.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche forward Darren Helm underwent abductor surgery last week and was placed on long-term injured reserve.

NHL.COM: The NHL and NHL Players Association released a joint statement indicating the World Cup of Hockey will not be played in February 2024. “Unfortunately, in the current environment, it is not feasible to hold the World Cup of Hockey at that time.” They hope to stage the tournament in February 2025.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: “Current environment”, in this case, is Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 13, 2022

by | Jul 13, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 13, 2022

Johnny Gaudreau heads to the free-agent market, Evgeni Malkin re-signs with the Penguins, Evander Kane stays with the Oilers, Patrice Bergeron to return with the Bruins, the Wild trade Cam Talbot to the Senators, and much more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: Johnny Gaudreau has played his final game with the Flames. He reportedly rejected an offer worth over $10 million annually on an eight-year deal. Flames general manager Brad Treliving indicated the 28-year-old winger’s decision was based on family reasons and not money.

Calgary Flames winger Johnny Gaudreau (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s a disappointing outcome for the Flames. Gaudreau’s decision could also affect the club’s efforts to re-sign restricted winger Matthew Tkachuk to a long-term deal. Gaudreau is now the top player available in the unrestricted free-agent market when it opens at noon ET today. He’s been linked to the Philadelphia Flyers, New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Evgeni Malkin has agreed to a four-year, $24.4 million contract with the Penguins. The annual average value is $6.1 million and comes with a full no-movement clause.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Malkin was reportedly planning to test the market due to his frustration over negotiations with the Penguins. It appears his desire to stick with the only NHL team he’s ever played for led to his change of heart. The cap hit is identical to teammate Kris Letang’s but for two years less than Letang’s contract.

Speaking of the Penguins, they signed pending restricted free agent defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph to a two-year, one-way contract worth an annual average value of $825K.

SPORTSNET: Evander Kane is staying with the Edmonton Oilers after agreeing to a four-year, $20.5 million contract. The annual average value is $5.125 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers agreed to let Kane’s agent speak to other clubs but it appears whatever those teams were offering didn’t measure up to this deal. The 30-year-old winger had terrific chemistry with Edmonton superstar Connor McDavid last season. It’s a good bargain for the Oilers if Kane and McDavid continue playing well together.

Meanwhile, Kane is still waiting for his grievance to be heard over his contract termination last January by the San Jose Sharks. There’s no indication he and the Sharks are going to work out a settlement before then.

RDS.CA: Francois Gagnon reports Patrice Bergeron will be returning with the Boston Bruins. Details of the agreement are expected to be revealed later today.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There was concern among Bruins followers that Bergeron would retire, leaving the club without an established first-line center. It’ll be interesting to see what this new contract looks like.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators have acquired goaltender Cam Talbot from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for backup goalie Filip Gustavsson. Talbot, 35, has a year remaining on his contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Talbot was reportedly unhappy over the Wild bringing back Marc-Andre Fleury on a two-year contract. Wild general manager Bill Guerin said he respected the veteran netminder but didn’t want this situation to become a distraction.

In the short term, Talbot should provide a much-needed boost to the Senators’ goaltending. Gustavsson, meanwhile, will serve in a backup role to Fleury.

TSN: Speaking of the Senators, they placed defenseman Michael Del Zotto on unconditional waivers yesterday for the purpose of buying out his contract. Del Zotto joined Philadelphia Flyers forward Oskar Lindblom, San Jose Sharks forward Rudolfs Balcers and New Jersey Devils forward Janne Kuokkanen on the contract buyout list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lindblom’s buyout isn’t going down well with Flyers followers. The 25-year-old winger became a fan favorite after overcoming a rare bone cancer in 2020. The move is seen as GM Chuck Fletcher’s attempt to clear cap space to pursue a big-ticket free agent such as Johnny Gaudreau.

THE ATHLETIC: Tampa Bay Lightning winger Ondrej Palat intends to test the market today. Speaking of the Lightning, TSN reports they’ve hired former Detroit Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill as an assistant coach.

TSN: The Los Angeles Kings signed defenseman Alexander Edler to a one-year contract worth $750K.

WGR550: The Buffalo Sabres are bringing back goaltender Malcolm Subban on a one-year, $850K contract.

NHL.COM: The Kraken re-signed forward Alexander True on a one-year, two-way contract.

TSN: Scotty Bowman is stepping down as senior hockey operations advisor for the Chicago Blackhawks.

NHL.COM: Duncan Keith officially announced his retirement yesterday as an NHL player after 17 seasons with the Blackhawks and Oilers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I summarize the future Hall-of-Famer’s career on Saturday when news first broke of his impending retirement. Best wishes to Keith and his family in their future endeavors.