NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 28, 2024

by | Jun 28, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 28, 2024

The remaining 2024 NHL Awards are handed out, the Predators and Juuse Saros agree to a new contract, the Stars will buy out Ryan Suter, the Flames trade Andrew Mangiapane to the Capitals, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The major remaining NHL Awards were handed out on Thursday.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images)

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon took home the Hart Memorial Trophy as the most valuable player to his team and the Ted Lindsay Award as MVP as voted by the NHLPA membership. It’s the first time MacKinnon won those awards.

Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goaltender. He previously took home that award in 2018-19.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hellebuyck and Sergei Bobrovsky of the Florida Panthers are the only active NHL goalies to win the Vezina twice.

Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman. It’s the first time Hughes has won this trophy.

Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard won the Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to this year’s winners of the NHL Awards.

MacKinnon, Hellebuyck and Hughes were part of the 2023-24 First All-Star Team along with Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin and Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi.

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid leads the 2023-24 Second All-Star Team. David Pastrnak and Filip Forsberg of the Nashville Predators are the wingers, Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche and Adam Fox of the New York Rangers are the defenseman, with Thatcher Demko of the Vancouver Canucks filling the goaltender’s spot.

Bedard headed the All-Rookie Team. The Minnesota Wild’s Brock Faber and New Jersey Devils’ Luke Hughes are the defensemen, Logan Cooley of the Arizona Coyotes (now Utah Hockey Club) and Faber’s teammate Marco Rossi are the forwards, with Pyotr Kochetkov as the goaltender. 

TSN: The Nashville Predators have reached an agreement with goaltender Juuse Saros on an eight-year contract extension with an average annual value of $7.74 million. He is eligible to sign the extension on July 1, the opening day of free agency.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Saros, 29, is coming off a four-year deal with an AAV of $5 million. He was the frequent subject of trade speculation this season, especially with promising Yaroslav Askarov expected to join their roster in 2024-25. How this affects Askarov’s future with the Predators remains to be seen.

At the very least, this ends the baseless speculation suggesting Saros would be part of a trade offer to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Mitch Marner.

SPORTSNET: Jeff Marek reported the Dallas Stars will buy out Ryan Suter’s contract. The 39-year-old defenseman had a year remaining on his deal with a cap hit of $4.3 million. The buyout will count as over $783K against the Stars’ cap for 2024-25 and $1.433 million for 2025-26.

Suter is a plus-35 player but is exempt from the 35-plus buyout rules because his contract was not frontloaded and doesn’t contain a signing bonus beyond the first year of the deal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the second time Suter has been bought out of a contract. The Minnesota Wild bought out the remaining four years of his deal with them in 2021.

CALGARY SUN: The Flames traded winger Andrew Mangiapane to the Washington Capitals on Thursday evening for a second-round pick in 2025. Mangiapane, 28, spent the past seven seasons with the Flames. He has a year remaining on his contract with an average annual value of $5.85 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The rebuild continues in Calgary as Mangiapane joins Jacob Markstrom, Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev and Elias Lindholm among the players traded by the Flames in 2024. Meanwhile, the Capitals continue to bolster their scoring depth, acquiring Pierre-Luc Dubois last week from the Los Angeles Kings.

TVA SPORTS: Former Montreal Canadiens captain Shea Weber shed light on the left foot and ankle injuries that ended his career.

“There were days when I couldn’t get out of bed, when I couldn’t walk. I don’t walk to talk about the amount of medication I took because it was adding up,” said Weber. He knew halfway through the 2020-21 season that it would be his last. Team doctors confirmed it following the end of the 2021 Stanley Cup Final.

Weber admitted he initially struggled mentally with the premature end of his playing career. He said getting involved in his children’s sports helped him out of his depression.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Weber was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2024 earlier this week.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Washington Capitals GM Brian MacLellan said winger T.J. Oshie is still weighing his options regarding treatment for his chronic back issues. “He’s still in search of a permanent solution, talking to doctors, training staff,” said MacLellan.

Oshie, 37, was limited to 52 games in 2023-24 by recurring injuries, managing 12 goals and 25 points. Over the past several seasons, he was also plagued by back problems.

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks signed forward Dakota Joshua to a four-year contract extension with an average annual value of $3.25 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No surprise here. Joshua, 28, tallied a career-high 18 goals last season on the Canucks’ third line and provided a physical presence to the lineup. He thrived under head coach Rick Tocchet.

The Canucks also re-signed Tyler Myers to a three-year contract with an AAV of $3 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Entering this season, it was expected the Canucks would let Myers depart this summer as a free agent. Like Joshua, however, Myers performed well under Tocchet and became a valuable part of their defense corps.

It’s also believed the Canucks are considering bringing back Casey DeSmith to back up starter Thatcher Demko. While Arturs Silovs battled hard during the playoffs replacing both sidelined netminders, he still has some weaknesses in his game to sort out.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The San Jose Sharks have moved up in the order of the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft. They traded the No. 14 pick (acquired from Pittsburgh last summer in the Erik Karlsson deal) and No. 42 pick to the Buffalo Sabres for the No. 11 pick.

The Sharks also acquired forechecking winger Carl Grundstrom from the Los Angeles Kings for defenseman Kyle Burroughs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks general manager Mike Grier is wasting no time making moves in this offseason. He’s facing another busy summer as he continues rebuilding his roster.

STLTODAY.COM: The St. Louis Blues hired Claude Julien as an assistant coach and promoted Steve Ott to associate head coach.

TSN: Former NHL forward Daniel Winnik announced his retirement. He spent 11 seasons in the NHL from 2007-08 to 2017-18 with the Arizona Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche, San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals and Minnesota Wild. He had 251 points in 798 games.

Winnik spent the past six seasons playing for Geneve Servette in Switzerland.










NHL Rumor Mill – April 8, 2024

by | Apr 8, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – April 8, 2024

More speculation about Sidney Crosby’s future plus the latest on the Flames and Blue Jackets in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE LATEST SIDNEY CROSBY SPECULATION

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks noted there is some trepidation that Sidney Crosby might leave the Pittsburgh Penguins. He indicated that next season will be Crosby’s 20th with the Penguins. He cited Martin Brodeur and Mike Modano as two stars who changed teams after 20 years.

If Crosby wants out, Brooks speculates he’ll let Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas know at the end of this season. That would allow Dubas time during the summer to trade Crosby to a contender like Colorado, Tampa Bay or perhaps Vegas.

However, the majority opinion expects the 36-year-old Penguins captain will sign a contract extension early this summer ahead of an attempted accelerated roster reconstruction.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That is the overall consensus among the pundits but it hasn’t stopped some folks from playing “What If”?

Everything I’ve read and heard coming out of Pittsburgh has Crosby signing an extension before the start of next season to finish his career as a Penguin. Crosby could decide to chase a fourth Stanley Cup ring somewhere else but I think he’s staying put.

WHAT NEXT FOR THE FLAMES?

THE SCORE: Josh Wegman looked at what could be in store for the Calgary Flames after missing the playoffs for the second straight season.

Wegman doesn’t advocate for Flames GM Craig Conroy to tear down his roster. Nevertheless, he must avoid handing out long-term contracts to aging players and focus on bringing more youth into the lineup.

Trade candidates could include goaltender Jacob Markstrom and 2025 pending UFAs Andrew Mangiapane and Andrei Kuzmenko. Wegman noted the New Jersey Devils’ interest in Markstrom and how it became a prominent distraction this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Conroy signaled his intentions when he traded pending UFAs Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev. It will likely be more of a retool than a rebuild.

Markstrom’s no-movement clause gives him full control over his situation. Depending on which story you believe, Flames ownership spiked a potential trade to the Devils because the Flames were still in wildcard contention. It’s anticipated Markstrom could agree to go to a contender this summer. Whether it’s the Devils or somewhere else remains to be seen.

Mangiapane and Kuzmenko could hit the trade block this summer.

Wegman recommends extending Yegor Sharangovich. He’s eligible next summer for UFA status but the 25-year-old forward could still be part of the solution when the Flames turn the corner in a few years.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharangovich was among the bright spots for the Flames this season, reaching 30 goals for the first time in his career. Maybe Conroy will extend him this summer on a five-year deal worth around $5.5 million.

The Flames could also weaponize their cap space by targeting teams looking to clear space and are willing to include draft picks and prospects in the deal. They could sign playoff-type UFAs to one-year contracts and flip them at next year’s deadline for draft picks.

WHAT WILL THE BLUE JACKETS DO THIS SUMMER?

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli and Tyler Yaremchuk recently discussed what could be in store this summer for the Columbus Blue Jackets under a new general manager.

Seravalli thinks the Jackets should look at moving on from some of their veteran players to make room for their younger talent. He pointed out that they haven’t won anything with their current group. Apart from Zach Werenski and perhaps Boone Jenner, none of their veterans should be safe.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Easier said than done for some of those veterans.

Forwards Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine carry expensive contracts and haven’t played as well as expected.

Goaltender Elvis Merzlikins made headlines in January regarding an on-again, off-again trade request. However, he’s had his struggles and carries a $5.4 million AAV through 2026-27.

Defenseman Damon Severson carries a $6.25 million AAV through 2030-31 and has a full no-trade clause.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 6, 2023

by | Nov 6, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 6, 2023

The Ducks upset the Golden Knights, the Devils defeated the Blackhawks, plus the latest on Jack Hughes, Igor Shesterkin, Mathew Barzal and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Anaheim Ducks tallied four unanswered third-period goals to upset the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2, ending the latter’s points streak at 12 games. Sam Carrick scored twice while John Gibson made 30 saves as the Ducks improved to 7-4-0. Jack Eichel had a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights (11-1-1), who sit atop the Western Conference with 23 points.

Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Offseason acquisition Alex Killorn made his season debut with the Ducks but was held scoreless in this contest. He’d been sidelined with a fractured finger through their first 10 games of this season.

New Jersey Devils goalie Vitek Vanecek stopped 32 shots as his club doubled up the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2. Dawson Mercer scored his first goal of the season while Curtis Lazar netted what proved to be the game-winner for the 7-3-1 Devils. Taylor Hall and Ryan Donato replied for the Blackhawks (4-7-0), who got a 36-save effort from Arvid Soderblom.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the Devils’ first game without leading scorer Jack Hughes. He is listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury suffered during Friday’s game against the St. Louis Blues.

HEADLINES

NEW YORK POST: Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin is reportedly day-to-day with “minor soreness.” He could miss Tuesday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings.

DAILY FACEOFF: New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal was fined $5,000.00 for high-sticking Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Tony DeAngelo on Saturday.

CALGARY SUN: Flames forward Andrew Mangiapane received a one-game suspension for a “reckless cross-check” on Seattle Kraken forward Jared McCann on Saturday.

THE ATHLETIC: The Toronto Maple Leafs recently held a team meeting to address what was considered their meek response to Timothy Liljegren suffering an ankle injury after being tripped by Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand on Thursday.

“I hated everything about it,” said head coach Sheldon Keefe. He and general manager Brad Treliving addressed the players about the issue before their 6-4 loss on Saturday to the Buffalo Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Treliving added Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi and Ryan Reaves during the offseason in the hope they would bring more toughness and character to the Leafs lineup. So far, however, the results have been disappointing.

Bertuzzi and Domi are struggling to score and haven’t had much of a physical impact. Reaves, meanwhile, is a first-class chirper but he hasn’t backed up his words with actions. Indeed, he’s been a non-factor since getting roughed up by Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj during the season-opener for both clubs last month.

THE SCORE: Kent Johnson is adjusting to his recent demotion from the Columbus Blue Jackets to their AHL affiliate in Cleveland. The fifth-overall pick in the 2021 draft, Johnson had three points in eight games to start the season with the Jackets before his demotion.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Johnson is taking his situation in stride and understands that he remains part of the Jackets’ plans. Nevertheless, his demotion and his recent change of agents sparked some speculation about his future. I’ll have more about that in today’s Rumor Mill.

SPORTSNET: A former Chicago Blackhawks player is suing the club alleging former video coach Bradley Aldrich “groomed, harassed, threatened and assaulted him” and the club hushed up his complaint during their 2010 Stanley Cup run.

The player is listed as “John Doe” and was a teammate of Kyle Beach. Both were call-ups from the Blackhawks’ AHL affiliate in Rockford who practiced with the team during their Stanley Cup run in case someone got injured.

A review from an outside law firm hired by the Blackhawks in response to two lawsuits in 2021 found the club mishandled Beach’s allegations that he was assaulted by Aldrich. The club reached a confidential settlement with Beach.

General manager Stan Bowman and former coach Joel Quenneville resigned following the release of the report. Quenneville was the head coach of the Florida Panthers at the time.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 5, 2023

by | Nov 5, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 5, 2023

The Golden Knights extend their season-opening points streak, the Sharks give up 10 goals again, and much more as we recap a busy Saturday in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Vegas Golden Knights extended their season-opening points streak to 12 games by blanking the Colorado Avalanche 7-0. Golden Knights captain Mark Stone scored two shorthanded goals and collected two assists, Jack Eichel and William Karlsson each tallied twice while Adin Hill kicked out 41 shots for the shutout. Alexandar Georgiev made 27 saves for the 7-3-0 Avalanche while the league-leading Golden Knights sit at 11-0-1.

Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No sign of any Stanley Cup hangover yet for the Golden Knights thus far. Some of those victories came against lesser opponents like the San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks and Chicago Blackhawks but they’ve also played well against good clubs like the Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Los Angeles Kings, and Winnipeg Jets.

Four-point performances from Jake Guentzel, Reilly Smith and Bryan Rust powered the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 10-2 drubbing of the San Jose Sharks. Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson collected two assists against his former club, Evgeni Malkin tallied twice and Sidney Crosby collected an assist in his 1,200th career NHL regular-season game. Tomas Hertl, Anthony Duclair and Jacob MacDonald each had two points for the Sharks as they sank to 0-10-1 on the season while the Penguins are 4-6-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks became the first team since the 1965-66 Boston Bruins to give up 10 goals in consecutive games as they also lost 10-1 to the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday.

Buffalo Sabres winger Alex Tuch scored twice in the third period to lift his club over the Toronto Maple Leafs by a score of 6-4. The Sabres improved their record to 6-6-0. Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews regained the NHL goal-scoring lead (11) by netting his third hat trick of the season while Mitch Marner had a four-point night. The Leafs sit at 5-4-2 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthews is tied with Rick Vaive for the fourth-most hat tricks (10) in Leafs history. He’s netted three this season in 11 games, joining Cy Denneny and Babe Dye (four), Newsy Lalonde (five), Joe Malone (seven) and Odie Cleghorn (10) among the players requiring the fewest games in NHL history to net three hat tricks in a single season.

Earlier in the day, the Leafs placed defenseman Timothy Liljegren (lower body) on long-term injury reserve (LTIR). Meanwhile, Sabres forward Dylan Cozens missed this game with an upper-body injury.

The Nashville Predators defeated the Edmonton Oilers 5-2. Predators center Ryan O’Reilly netted a hat trick, Filip Forsberg had a goal and two assists and Kevin Lankinen stopped 33 shots for the 5-6-0 Predators. Darnell Nurse and Zach Hyman replied for the Oilers as they dropped to 2-7-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers now have the second-worst record in the NHL. Changes could be coming soon if this club fails to snap out of its tailspin. I’ll have more about that in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup. Predators defenseman Ryan McDonagh missed this contest with a lower-body injury and is considered day-to-day.

Winnipeg Jets forward Nino Niederreiter’s hat trick powered his club to a 5-3 comeback victory over the Arizona Coyotes. Brenden Dillon had a goal and two assists for the Jets as they moved to 5-4-2. Lawson Crouse had a goal and an assist for the Coyotes (5-5-1), who held leads of 2-0 and 3-2 during this game but couldn’t close the deal.

The Detroit Red Wings held off the Boston Bruins 5-4 to snap the latter’s 10-game points streak. David Perron had a goal and two assists while Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond each had a goal and an assist for the Red Wings as they improved to 7-4-1. David Pastrnak, James van Riemsdyk and rookie Matthew Poitras each tallied a goal and an assist for the 9-1-1 Bruins, who still sit atop the Eastern Conference with 19 points.

Tampa Bay Lightning forwards Brayden Point (three goals, one assist) and Nikita Kucherov (one goal, four assists) led the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Ottawa Senators 6-4, boosting their record to 5-3-3. Senators captain Brady Tkachuk scored twice and collected an assist as his club sank to 4-6-0, putting them at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Following the game, Tkachuk took issue with Senators fans booing his club’s performance. “It’s frustrating, the negativity from the outside, the constant booing and the bullshit, kind of, from the crowd tonight,” he said. The Ottawa captain added that he understood their frustration but felt that he and his teammates are playing as hard as they can in every game.

The Washington Capitals got a 34-save performance from goaltender Charlie Lindgren to hold off the Columbus Blues Jackets 2-1. Tom Wilson and Sonny Milano scored for the 5-4-1 Capitals while Dmitri Voronkov replied for the Blue Jackets as they fell to 4-5-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blue Jackets left wing Johnny Gaudreau was benched during the final 16 minutes of the third period. Head coach Pascal Vincent wasn’t pleased with his performance, claiming he felt that Gaudreau “wasn’t there” during this contest. That’s a pretty obvious shot across the bow by Vincent against his highest-paid player.

Meanwhile, Capitals defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk left this game early in the first period with a lower-body injury. There was no update on his status following the game.

Los Angeles Kings goalie Cam Talbot had a 24-save shutout in a 5-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Quinton Byfield collected three assists while Arthur Kaliyev and Trevor Moore each had a goal and an assist for the Kings as they moved up to 7-2-2. Cal Petersen allowed five goals on 30 shots from his former team as the Flyers fell to 5-6-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Flyers shifted defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen to LTIR with an undisclosed injury.

The Carolina Hurricanes overcame a 3-0 deficit to nip the New York Islanders 4-3 on an overtime goal by Sebastian Aho. Andrei Svechnikov and Jesperi Kotkaniemi each collected two points for the Hurricanes (7-5-0). Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat each had two points and Ilya Sorokin stopped 43 shots for the 5-2-3 Islanders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech missed this game as he’s listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

Chicago Blackhawks rookie Conor Bedard scored for the third straight game in a 5-2 upset of the Florida Panthers. Philipp Kurashev had a goal and two assists while Petr Mrazek turned aside 38 shots for the 4-6-0 Blackhawks. Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Matthew Tkachuk replied for the Panthers as they sit at 5-4-1.

The St. Louis Blues got a goal and two assists each from Jordan Kyrou and Brayden Schenn to beat the Montreal Canadiens 6-3. With the win, the Blues improved to 5-4-1. Juraj Slafkovsky, Brendan Gallagher and Nick Suzuki replied for the 5-4-2 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens center Christian Dvorak made his season debut after being sidelined by a knee injury since March 7. He saw 14:53 of ice time and was held scoreless.

A shootout goal by Matt Boldy lifted the Minnesota Wild (4-5-2) to a 5-4 win over the New York Rangers (8-2-1), snapping the latter’s six-game win streak. Mats Zuccarello had a goal and an assist in regulation as the Wild overcame a 3-0 deficit to take a 4-3 lead before the Rangers’ Chris Kreider tied it in the third period. Artemi Panarin had a goal and an assist as the Rangers winger extended his season-opening points streak to 11 games.

The Calgary Flames snapped a six-game losing skid by defeating the Seattle Kraken 6-3. Mikael Backlund scored twice and rookie Martin Pospisil scored his first NHL goal on his first shot for the 3-7-1 Flames. Oliver Bjorkstrand, Eeli Tolvanen and Jaden Schwartz replied for the 4-6-2 Kraken.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flames winger Andrew Mangiapane was ejected from this game in the first period for cross-checking Jared McCann in the upper back while the Kraken forward was lying on the ice after blocking a shot.

Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko made 27 saves in a 2-0 shutout of the Dallas Stars. Pius Suter and Elias Pettersson were the goal scorers as the Canucks now sit at 8-2-1 on the season. Joel Oettinger stopped 26 shots for the 7-2-1 Stars.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 30, 2023

by | Aug 30, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 30, 2023

Check out the latest on the Flames’ Andrew Mangiapane, the Avalanche’s Jonathan Drouin, the Sharks’ Filip Zadina and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

CALGARY SUN: Andrew Mangiapane said he’s “healthy and ready to go” following recovery from shoulder surgery in April. The injury limited the 27-year-old Flames winger to 17 goals after a career-high 35 goals the previous season.

Calgary Flames winger Andrew Mangiapane (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mangiapane injured his shoulder during the opening month of last season but still played the full 82-game schedule. He and the club didn’t reveal his condition until after his surgery. A return to form could help the Flames bounce back from missing the playoffs in 2022-23.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Jonathan Drouin is looking forward to playing for a winning team with the Avalanche under less of a spotlight compared to what he faced during his tenure with the rebuilding Montreal Canadiens.

“There’s a little less media, a little less stuff going on,” said Drouin. The 28-year-old forward believes it will do him good to play for “a really good team” that “has a chance to make the playoffs, maybe more.” He’s also looking forward to reuniting with Nathan MacKinnon, his teammate from their days with the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Drouin faced a harsh spotlight in Montreal. Injuries hampered his performance while the anxiety of the pressure of playing for the Habs affected his mental health, forcing him to take a leave of absence during the 2020-21 season. Playing with the Avs could help him get his career back on its once-promising track.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Former Red Wings forward Filip Zadina believes the club brought him into their lineup before he was ready. “It’s tough for a young rookie to come to a team under rebuilding like Detroit was then,” he told a Czechia reporter. Zadina, 23, joined the San Jose Sharks after his contract was terminated by the Red Wings earlier this summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Zadina is going from a team further along in its rebuild than the Sharks, though the latter still has a decent veteran core of forwards in Logan Couture, Tomas Hertl and Anthony Duclair. Perhaps he’ll have better luck in San Jose reaching his potential.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Vancouver Canucks winger Ilya Mikheyev’s agent is making terrific strides in recovering from season-ending knee surgery. However, Dan Milstein wants his client and the Canucks to ensure they don’t rush his return to action.

“This is something we’re going to talk about once we get the doctor’s blessing,” said Milstein. He said he keeps reminding Mikheyev that “this is not a sprint, it’s a marathon,” adding that it’s not about the preseason but the full 82-game regular season and perhaps the playoffs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In other words, don’t rush things in training camp and preseason play and risk a setback that could affect your regular-season performance.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins signed defenseman Mark Pysyk and Libor Hajek to professional tryout offers (PTOs).

DAILY FACEOFF: Speaking of PTOs, defenseman Jordie Benn signed one with the Dallas Stars, rejoining his brother Jamie. Jordie played for the Stars from 2011-12 to 2016-17.

CAROLINA HOCKEY NOW: Forwards Cory Conacher and Brendan Perlini are joining the Hurricanes on PTO contracts.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Former Penguins president Brian Burke has taken on a new role with the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). He’s the new executive director of its players’ association. The PWHL plans to start its season in January 2024 with teams in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, New York, Boston and Minneapolis-St. Paul.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 26, 2023

by | Apr 26, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 26, 2023

The Oilers and Stars take 3-2 leads in their respective series, the Islanders stave off elimination, Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar suspended, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Edmonton Oilers are poised to eliminate the Los Angeles Kings following a 6-3 victory in Game 5 of their best-of-seven first-round series. Nick Bjugstad scored twice while Connor McDavid, Darnell Nurse and Mattias Ekholm each collected two assists for the Oilers, who hold a 3-2 lead in the series. Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist for the Kings, who pulled goaltender Joonas Korpisalo after he gave up four goals on 19 shots.

Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There will be a long layoff for both clubs as Game 6 goes Saturday in Los Angeles. The Oilers will hope this doesn’t stall their momentum following back-to-back wins while the Kings attempt to regroup and prepare for a season-saving win on home ice.

Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz had three assists in his club’s 4-0 win over the Minnesota Wild in Game 5 of their first-round series. Jake Oettinger kicked out 27 shots to become the first goaltender in the 2023 playoffs to record a shutout. With a 3-2 series lead, the Stars can close out the series in Game 6 on Friday in Minnesota.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hintz has 11 points this postseason, setting a franchise record for most points in a single series. Wild forward Marcus Foligno was ejected from this game for a knee-on-knee hit on Stars forward Radek Faksa, who was helped from the ice but did return to action later in the game.

The New York Islanders staved off elimination by nipping the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2. Brock Nelson and Pierre Engvall each had a goal and an assist while Ilya Sorokin stopped 34 shots. Sebastian Aho and Paul Stastny replied for the Hurricanes, who hold a 3-2 series lead heading into Game 6 on Friday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A big win by the Islanders as they showed considerably more energy and determination than they did in Game 4 on home ice.

PLAYOFF HEADLINES

NHL.COM: The department of player safety levied a one-game suspension on Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar for interference against Seattle Kraken forward Jared McCann during Game 4 of their series on Monday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McCann suffered an upper-body injury. He will miss Game 5 tonight and could be sidelined indefinitely.

TAMPA BAY TIMES/TORONTO SUN: Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy isn’t solely to blame for his club’s collapse in their last two games putting them on the brink of elimination. However, the Bolts need him to be at his best in Game 5 on Thursday to avoid elimination by the Toronto Maple Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Vasilevskiy remains a very good goaltender but the team in front of him isn’t as deep as it once was. The Lightning’s roster has been steadily depleted as salary-cap constraints led to several key players departing via free agency or cost-cutting trades. That means the Lightning’s opponents are getting more scoring chances.

Fatigue could also be a factor. Vasilevskiy and his fellow Lightning core players have played a lot of hockey over the past three seasons. Reaching the Stanley Cup Final in three straight seasons eventually takes its toll.

WINNIPEG SUN: Jets center Mark Scheifele traveled with the Jets to Las Vegas for Game 5 of their series against the Golden Knights. He left Game 4 with an apparent shoulder/collarbone injury but it’s hoped he’ll be able to play in Thursday’s crucial game. The Jets face elimination as they’re down three games to one to Vegas.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets coach Rick Bowness said Scheifele is day-to-day but added he looked better yesterday. “Let’s put him in the hopeful category for Thursday,” said Bowness.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Speaking of the Golden Knights, team captain Mark Stone warned his teammates against complacency as they head into Game 5 with a chance to close out the series on home ice. “It’s going to be the hardest one, boys,” said Stone following their Game 4 victory. “Be ready!”

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Patrice Bergeron could make his series debut against the Florida Panthers in Game 5 tonight in Boston. The Bruins captain has been sidelined by an upper-body injury. Center David Krejci remains out with an upper-body injury.

THE SCORE: Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad and winger Anthony Duclair will return to action in Game 5 against the Bruins tonight. Both players missed Game 4 with injuries.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant is calling out his best players following their lackluster loss to the New Jersey Devils in Game 4. “For me, it’s the top-six forwards,” said Gallant. “They’ve got to be a lot better. They’ve got to be more productive.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those players include Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin, Patrick Kane, Vladimir Tarasenko and Vincent Trocheck. The only one who’s played well consistently is winger Chris Kreider. He’s had points in every game and leads the Rangers with five goals.

IN OTHER NEWS…

CALGARY SUN: The long, sometimes acrimonious negotiations between the city of Calgary and the Flames regarding a new arena have finally ended in a deal. The city has an agreement in principle with the team and the province of Alberta on a $1.22-billion deal to replace the aging Saddledome.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: On the one hand, I’m happy for Flames fans and players that they’re going to get a new state-of-the-art arena. It will put an end to concerns about the club relocating without a deal, ensuring their longstanding rivalry with Edmonton (“The Battle of Alberta”) continues to provide entertainment for hockey fans for a long time.

On the other hand, that $1.22 billion price tag is considerably higher than the original estimate of $550 million before cost escalations to $634 million prompted the city to reject it. This new agreement sees the bulk of the cost being picked up by municipal and provincial governments.

Speaking of the Flames, winger Andrew Mangiapane is recovering from shoulder surgery and is expected to be ready for the start of training camp. He admitted that his shoulder had bothered him on and off during the season. That would explain the drop in his production this season.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators’ improved performance this season resulted in improved ticket sales. They played to 90 percent capacity in their 41 home games this season. They averaged 16, 757 fans this season, their highest since 2016-17.