NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 20, 2025

by | Mar 20, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 20, 2025

Recaps of Tuesday’s games, Gary Bettman talks about the playoff format and the All-Star Game, seven NHL prospects among this season’s Hobey Baker Award candidates, and more in today’s morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: An accidental interference by referee Kelly Sutherland resulted in Steven Lorentz’s game-winning goal in the third period as the Toronto Maple Leafs nipped the Colorado Avalanche 2-1. Sutherland stumbled and fell when he caught a rut, accidentally blocking a clearing attempt by Leafs defenseman Simon Benoit. The puck remained in the neutral zone, where Lorentz picked it up and beat Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood from the faceoff circle.

Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll kicked out 38 shots and Auston Matthews tallied his 27th goal of the season. Valeri Nichushkin replied for the Avalanche as their nine-game points streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs move into a tie with the Florida Panthers with 85 points, but the latter holds first place in the Atlantic Division with 35 regulation wins to the Leafs’ 33. Colorado holds third place in the Central Division with 85 points. The Avs announced before the game that defenseman Josh Manson will miss three to four weeks with an upper-body injury.

Minnesota Wild forward Matt Boldy (NHL Images)

Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson stopped 34 shots to shut out the Seattle Kraken 4-0. Matt Boldy scored twice for the Wild, who hold the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 83 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild forward Marco Rossi left this game in the first period with a lower-body injury after being accidentally struck by a shot from Boldy. Kraken center Chandler Stephenson departed in the second period for undisclosed reasons and didn’t return. There was no postgame update on either player.

HEADLINES

TSN: NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman took questions from reporters yesterday following the final day of general managers’ meetings.

Bettman gave an emphatic “no” when asked if the league would consider changes to the playoff format, saying he liked the current setup.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bettman appears to be in the minority as there are growing calls from fans and pundits for changes to the playoff format. Don’t expect any tinkering while he remains in charge.

He said the league remains committed to staging an All-Star Game hosted by the New York Islanders next season. However, he said they’re reevaluating the format after last month’s 4 Nations Face-Off tournament “raised the bar.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The 4 Nations tournament gave the fans a meaningful event with hockey played at the highest level by many of the world’s top players who were fully invested. Fans don’t want a gimmicky skills competition followed by All-Stars going through the motions because they don’t want to risk injury on a nothing game.

The commissioner declined to speculate about the discussion between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this week about a United States-Russia hockey series featuring NHL and KHL stars.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Russia’s war with Ukraine prompted the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to ban them from participating in international tournaments. The NHL has honored that ban.

Bettman said the 2025-26 season will open on Oct. 7. He also indicated that talks with the NHL Players’ Association regarding a new collective bargaining agreement will begin the first week in April. “I’m hoping we can do this quickly, quietly and painlessly,” said Bettman.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The atmosphere between the league and the PA has been free of the animosity and distrust that hung over previous negotiations, leading to work stoppages that hurt the game’s momentum and upset its fans. Here’s hoping things go smoothly this time around.

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals prospect forward Ryan Leonard and Minnesota Wild prospect defenseman Zeev Buium are among the 10 candidates for the 2025 Hobey Baker Memorial Award, which annually honors the top US men’s college hockey player.

Leonard plays for Boston College while Buium skates for the University of Denver. Other candidates with NHL ties include Michigan State forward Isaac Howard (Tampa Bay Lightning), University of Minnesota forward Jimmy Snuggerud (St. Louis Blues), University of Denver winger Jack Devine (Florida Panthers), Penn State winger Aiden Fink (Nashville Predators), and Clarkson winger Ayrton Martino (Dallas Stars).

The three finalists will be revealed on Apr. 3 and the winner will be announced on Apr. 11.

STLTODAY.COM: Blues head coach Jim Montgomery is optimistic that sidelined defenseman Colton Parayko might return before the end of this season. Parayko underwent a scope of his left knee on March 6 with a recovery timeline of six weeks. Montgomery said the defenseman’s rehab is progressing well.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers coach Paul Maurice said defenseman Dmitry Kulikov (right arm injury) is expected to be sidelined for two weeks. He’s expected back before the playoffs begin next month.

ROTOBALLER: Carolina Hurricanes blueliner Dmitry Orlov is expected to return to action tonight against the San Jose Sharks. He missed the last five games with an upper-body injury.

TSN: Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas is expected to be named GM of Canada’s team at the 2025 IIHF World Championship in May.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 18, 2025

by | Mar 18, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 18, 2025

Recaps of Monday’s games, the three stars of the week are revealed, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews scored two goals and collected an assist to lead his team over the Calgary Flames 6-2. William Nylander had a goal and two assists for the Leafs (83 points) as they moved within two points of the Atlantic Division-leading Florida Panthers. Rasmus Andersson and Kevin Bahl replied for the Flames (71 points), who remain two points behind the Vancouver Canucks for the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthews set an NHL record among American-born players with 36 multi-goal periods, surpassing Hall-of-Famer Jeremy Roenick (35). The Leafs are tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning but the latter holds second place in the division with 34 regulation wins. Meanwhile, the Flames have lost seven of their last nine games.

Speaking of the Lightning, they got a 21-save shutout from Andrei Vasilevskiy to blank the Philadelphia Flyers 2-0. Nikita Kucherov and Jake Guentzel scored for the Lightning as they pulled within two points of the division-leading Panthers. The Flyers have dropped eight of their last 10 games.

New Jersey Devils goaltender Jake Allen kicked out 45 shots in a 2-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets, handing the latter their fourth straight loss. Timo Meier and Jesper Bratt each tallied their 20th goals of the season. Mathieu Olivier scored for the Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils are third in the Metropolitan Division with 80 points. The Blue Jackets (70 points) remain two points behind the New York Rangers for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

Third-period goals by Mats Zuccarello and Marcus Johansson gave the Minnesota Wild a 3-1 win against the Los Angeles Kings, snapping the latter’s five-game win streak. Adrian Kempe scored for the Kings (81 points), who remain one point behind the second-place Edmonton Oilers in the Pacific Division. The Wild hold the first Western wild card with 81 points.

An overtime goal by Alex Tuch lifted the Buffalo Sabres over the Boston Bruins 3-2. Owen Power had a goal and two assists for the Sabres, who won two of their last three games. Morgan Geekie had a goal and an assist for the Bruins (69 points), who’ve lost six of their last eight and remain three points out of the final Eastern wild card.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres forwards JJ Peterka, Josh Norris and Jiri Kulich missed this game due to injuries. Peterka and Norris are expected to return to action later this week.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Los Angeles Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper, New Jersey Devils winger Jesper Bratt, and Seattle Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour are the league’s three stars for the week ending March 16, 2025.

The San Jose Sharks have been officially eliminated from the 2025 playoff race. A lack of secondary scoring doomed the rebuilding club’s postseason hopes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks’ postseason drought has reached six seasons. Before 2019-20, their longest stretch without playoff appearances was two years (1991-92 to 1992-93, 1995-96 to 1996-97).

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog joined his teammates for a full practice on Monday, though he’s still not cleared for contact. It marks the first time this season Landeskog has participated in a full practice as he attempts a comeback since undergoing knee surgeries nearly three years ago.

ROTOWIRE: Speaking of the Avalanche, defenseman Josh Manson will likely be sidelined week-to-week with an upper-body injury suffered during Friday’s game against the Calgary Flames.

NEW YORK POST: The Islanders will continue to rely heavily on goaltender Ilya Sorokin as they attempt to remain in the Eastern Conference wild-card race.

TSN: Clarification on goaltender interference and other coach’s challenges were the main topics on Monday during the league’s annual spring general managers’ meeting.

NHL.COM: Former NHL defenseman Tomas Kloucek sided Sunday following a skiing accident in Czechia. He was 45 years old.

Kloucek appeared in 141 NHL regular-season games with the New York Rangers, Nashville Predators and Atlanta Thrashers from 2000-01 to 2005-06, tallying two goals and eight assists for 10 points and 250 PIMs. He spent the remainder of his playing career in Europe, retiring in 2017.

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










NHL Rumor Mill – June 29, 2024

by | Jun 29, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – June 29, 2024

Entering Day 2 of the 2024 Draft, check out the latest on Steven Stamkos, Jake Guentzel, Jacob Trouba, Patrick Kane, Tyler Toffoli, Jakob Chychrun, Nazem Kadri and more in the NHL Rumor Mill.

THE LATEST ON STEVEN STAMKOS AND JAKE GUENTZEL

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports the Tampa Bay Lightning’s limited salary-cap space could lead to the departure of long-time star Steven Stamkos. His agent said his client will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, but LeBrun cautions things could change between now and then.

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos (NHL Images).

If he goes to market, the Nashville Predators and Detroit Red Wings are potential options for Stamkos. LeBrun wonders if the Vegas Golden Knights might come calling if they fail to re-sign Jonathan Marchessault.

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports the Carolina Hurricanes’ latest offer to Jake Guentzel is eight years with an average annual value of $8 million. Meanwhile, it’s rumored the Vancouver Canucks could be willing to offer the 29-year-old winger a seven-year deal ($9 million annually) if he tests the free-agent market on July 1.

Speaking of the Hurricanes, LeBrun believes there’s a chance they re-sign defenseman Brady Skjei. However, blueliner Brett Pesce is heading to market.

JACOB TROUBA TO THE RED WINGS?

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks reports growing speculation the Rangers could trade captain Jacob Trouba to the Detroit Red Wings. The 31-year-old defenseman has a full no-movement clause until July 1, when it becomes a 15-team no-trade list. The Michigan would presumably accept that deal.

Trouba carries an annual cap hit of $8 million. However, the Rangers would reportedly retain $2.5 million per season. Trading him would leave them searching for a new captain and someone to replace Trouba’s physical presence on the blueline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This would be quite a shakeup for the Rangers. The move would free up $5.5. million in cap room that management can put toward making some roster additions.

LATEST ON PATRICK KANE AND TYLER TOFFOLI

NEW YORK POST: Brooks reports the Rangers remain interested in a reunion with Patrick Kane. The 35-year-old winger had a brief, injury-hampered tenure with the Blueshirts in 2022-23. The Red Wings remain interested in bringing back Kane. There’s also talk both clubs could be interested in Steven Stamkos if he becomes available on Monday.

ESPN: Emily Kaplan also reports the Red Wings and Rangers are in the mix for Kane. She doesn’t rule the Vegas Golden Knights as a possible replacement for Jonathan Marchessault.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports hearing Tyler Toffoli is on the Los Angeles Kings’ radar. The 32-year-old pending UFA winger began his career with the Kings, spending nearly eight seasons with them. The Rangers and Vancouver Canucks are also said to be interested in Toffoli.

PANTHERS INTERESTED IN JAKOB CHYCHRUN

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports the Florida Panthers are among the teams interested in Jakob Chychrun. The 26-year-old Ottawa Senators defenseman has a year remaining on his contract. It’s unknown if that deal will get done during Day 2 of the draft.

The Senators seek a draft pick for winger Mathieu Joseph.

TEAMS ARE CALLING THE FLAMES ABOUT NAZEM KADRI

TSN’s Darren Dreger reports teams contacted the Calgary Flames about Nazem Kadri. However, they’re not engaged in a full roster teardown but are trying to reset their roster. The 32-year-old center is a big part of that. He also has a full no-movement clause and likes Calgary.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There was some speculation earlier this week wondering if Kadri would prefer to move on after seeing so many veteran teammates getting traded this year. It sounds like that isn’t an issue to him.

AVALANCHE NOT INTERESTED IN TRADING JOSH MANSON

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Evan Rawal cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reporting teams are calling the Avalanche to express interest in defenseman Josh Manson. However, the Avs aren’t keen to move their most physical blueliner.

PREDATORS GETTING CALLS ABOUT YAROSLAV ASKAROV

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports the Nashville Predators are getting plenty of calls about promising goaltender Yaroslav Askarov. This comes following the news they’re poised to sign starting goalie Juuse Saros to a contract extension. The Predators have set a high price for Askarov.

DEVILS SHOPPING JOHN MARINO

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: James Nichols cited Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reporting the Devils are shopping John Marino. The 27-year-old defenseman is signed through 2026-27 with an AAV of $4.4 million and an eight-team no-trade list starting on July 1.

Seravalli speculates the Vancouver Canucks could be a suitor for Marino if Nikita Zadorov heads to free agency on July 1.

LATEST ON JETS PROSPECT RUTGER MCGROARTY

THE ATHLETIC: Murat Ates reports the Winnipeg Jets worked hard to trade Rutger McGroarty during the first round of the 2024 NHL draft. The 20-year-old prospect has indicated he’s returning to Michigan for his junior year amid reports of a disagreement between him and the Jets over their development plan for him.

The Minnesota Wild offered up the 13th overall pick but withdrew that offer once Zeev Buium became available. Trade talks took place with multiple clubs. The Jets aren’t in any rush to move McGroarty but his stock remains high despite his desire to play elsewhere.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: NYI Hockey Now’s Russ Macias reported before the first round that the Islanders were among the clubs interested in McGroarty. They’ve also been linked to Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 14, 2024

by | Jan 14, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 14, 2024

The Oilers and Kraken maintain their win streaks while the Jets’ and Panthers’ streaks come to an end and the final 12 players are announced for the All-Star Game. Details and more from a busy Saturday in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Edmonton Oilers set a franchise record with their 10th consecutive win by nipping the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 on an overtime power-play goal by Evan Bouchard. Leon Draisaitl tied the game in the third period for the Oilers (23-15-1) as they hold the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 47 points. Sam Montembeault stopped 39 shots and Cole Caufield scored for the 17-18-7 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens called up Joshua Roy from their AHL affiliate in Laval to replace sidelined winger Josh Anderson.

Seattle Kraken winger Jared McCann scored twice and added an assist as his club won their franchise-record ninth straight contest by downing the Columbus Blue Jackets 7-4, extending their points streak to 13 games. Joey Daccord made 30 saves for his eighth straight win while Oliver Bjorkstrand had a goal and two assists for the 19-14-9 Kraken, who sit just behind the Oilers with 47 points. Ivan Provorov tallied twice for the 13-21-9 Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blue Jackets made rookie defenseman David Jiricek a healthy scratch from this contest.

The Winnipeg Jets’ eight-game win streak came to an end as they fell 2-0 to the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson made 35 saves for the shutout while Cam Atkinson scored twice to snap his goalless streak that stretched back to Nov. 11. With a record of 23-14-6, the Flyers sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 52 points. Connor Hellebuyck turned aside 34 shots for the 28-10-4 Jets, as they slipped into second place in the overall standings with 60 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers played without Jamie Drysdale (illness) and Sean Couturier (“minor injury”) while Jets center Mark Scheifele sat out with a lower-body injury.

Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko made 26 saves to blank the Buffalo Sabres 1-0. Sam Lafferty netted the only goal for the 29-11-3 Canucks for their fifth straight win as they vaulted over the Jets into first overall with 61 points. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 22 shots for the 18-21-4 Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson left the game in the second period after taking an elbow in the face from Canucks blueliner Filip Hronek.

A 36-save performance by Nico Daws carried the New Jersey Devils over the Florida Panthers 4-1, snapping the latter’s nine-game win streak. Jesper Bratt scored what proved to be the game-winner for the 22-15-3 Devils (47 points) as they sit one point out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot. Sam Reinhart extended his goal streak to six games for the Panthers (27-13-2) as they sit second in the Eastern Conference with 56 points.

Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy (NHL Images).

An overtime goal by Charlie McAvoy gave the Boston Bruins a 4-3 win over the St. Louis Blues. McAvoy and Brad Marchand each had two goals for the 25-8-9 Bruins, who sit first overall in the Eastern Conference with 59 points. Jordan Binnington stopped 31 shots for the 21-18-2 Blues, who are three points out of the final Western wild-card spot with 44 points.

Third-period goals by Nic Dowd and T.J. Oshie lifted the Washington Capitals over the New York Rangers 3-2, leaving the latter winless in their last four games (0-3-1). Charlie Lindgren made 25 saves for the 20-14-6 Capitals (46 points) as they sit two points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Adam Fox tallied both goals for the Rangers (26-13-2) as they hold first place in the Metropolitan Division with 54 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin missed this game with a lower-body injury.

The Carolina Hurricanes extended their points streak to eight games by defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 on an overtime tally by Brett Pesce, who finished the game with two goals. Antti Raanta made 38 saves for the 24-13-5 Hurricanes (53) as they sit one point back of the Rangers in the Metro Division. Bryan Rust had a goal and an assist for the Penguins (20-15-6) as they sit two points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot with 46 points.

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin scored two goals to lead his club to a 5-3 victory over the Los Angeles Kings, extending the latter’s winless skid to eight games (0-4-4). Patrick Kane had a goal and an assist while Alex Lyon stopped 33 shots for the 21-16-5 Red Wings (47 points), who are one point out of the final Eastern wild-card berth. Quinton Byfield scored two goals for the 20-11-8 Kings, who remain third in the Pacific Division with 48 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kings head coach Todd McLellan is facing the heat from the club’s fans as they chanted for him to be fired. They could get their wish if the Kings don’t soon reverse their current slide.

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos tallied twice to beat the Anaheim Ducks 5-1. Nikita Kucherov collected three assists to remain the league’s scoring leader with 72 points as his club improved to 22-17-5 and sit in the first Eastern wild-card spot with 49 points. Lukas Dostol turned aside 36 shots for the 14-27-1 Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak missed this game with an upper-body injury.

Five unanswered goals rallied the Colorado Avalanche to a 5-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Jonathan Drouin and Ross Colton each had a goal and an assist for the 28-12-3 Avalanche (59 points) as they sit one point behind the first-place Jets in the Central Division. Martin Jones stopped 28 shots for the 21-11-8 Leafs as they sit third in the Atlantic Division with 50 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson returned to action after missing the last two games with an undisclosed injury.

The Dallas Stars netted three unanswered third-period goals in a 3-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Goalie Jake Oettinger picked up the win for Dallas after Scott Wedgewood left the game in the second period with a lower-body injury. With a record of 25-12-2, the Stars are third in the Central Division with 55 points. Petr Mrazek stopped 27 shots for the 12-29-2 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones returned to the lineup after missing 15 games with a shoulder injury.

Arizona Coyotes goaltender Connor Ingram made 38 saves for his fifth shutout of the season in a 6-0 win over the Minnesota Wild. Nick Bjugstad had a hat trick as the Coyotes (21-18-2) moved to within three points of a Western wild-card spot with 44 points. Goaltender Filip Gustavsson and winger Kirill Kaprizov returned to action for the 17-20-5 Wild after missing several games with injuries.

The Nashville Predators defeated the New York Islanders 3-1 on late goals by Alexandre Carrier and Juuso Parssinen. Juuse Saros stopped 24 shots for the 24-18-1 Predators as they hold the first Western wild-card berth with 49 points. Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored for the Islanders (19-13-10) as they cling to the final Eastern wild-card spot with 48 points.

Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom made 31 saves while Blake Coleman had a goal and an assist to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-1. Chandler Stephenson had the only goal for the Golden Knights (24-14-5) as they sit second in the Pacific Division with 53 points. The Flames improved to 20-18-5 (45 points) to move within two points of the final Western wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights center Jack Eichel missed this contest with an undisclosed injury.

The Ottawa Senators ended a five-game losing skid with a 5-4 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Vladimir Tarasenko tallied the game-winner with five seconds remaining in the third period while Artem Zub picked up three assists for the 15-23-0 Senators. MacKenzie Blackwood kicked out 36 shots while Mario Ferraro had three assists for the 10-30-3 Sharks, who’ve lost 13 of their last 14 games.

DAILY FACEOFF: Toronto Maple Leafs William Nylander, Mitch Marner and Morgan Rielly and Vancouver Canucks Elias Pettersson, JT Miller, Brock Boeser and Thatcher Demko have been named to the 2024 NHL All-Star Game as voted by the fans. The others included Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman, Florida Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky, Colorado Avalanche goalie Alexandar Georgiev, Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar and Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 16, 2023

by | Nov 16, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 16, 2023

Recaps of Wednesday’s games include comeback wins by the Canucks and Oilers, plus the latest on the Sabres’ Tage Thompson, the Kings’ Pierre-Luc Dubois and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF WEDNESDAY’S NHL GAMES

NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Quinn Hughes lifted the Vancouver Canucks over the New York Islanders 4-3. Hughes, Brock Boeser and J.T. Miller each had a goal and two assists as the Canucks overcome a 3-1 deficit to move into first overall in the Western Conference with 25 points (12-3-1) to sit one point back of the first overall Boston Bruins. Mathew Barzal collected two assists for the slumping Islanders (5-6-4) as they’ve won just three of their last 10 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Vegas Golden Knights have an identical record but the Canucks hold first place in the West with 11 regulation wins.

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes (NHL Images).

The Canucks are off to an impressive start to this season. A big reason is they’re getting strong performances thus far from Hughes, Boeser, Miller, Elias Pettersson and Thatcher Demko.

Hughes, Pettersson and Miller are tied for the league lead in points with 26, Boeser is tied with Toronto’s Auston Matthews and Winnipeg’s Kyle Connor for the goal-scoring lead (13), Hughes is the overall assists leader (20) and Demko is among the goaltending leaders with a 2.04 goals-against average, a .932 save percentage and two shutouts.

The Canucks got some bad news earlier in the day as they announced defenseman Carson Soucy will be sidelined for up to eight weeks with a leg injury.

The Edmonton Oilers got a natural hat trick from Evander Kane as they overcame a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Seattle Kraken 4-3 on an overtime goal by Kane. Evan Bouchard collected three assists for the 5-9-1 Oilers, who’ve won three straight games. Jared McCann tallied his seventh goal of the season for the Kraken as they slipped to 5-8-4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kraken winger Jordan Eberle returned to action in this game after being sidelined for a week by a deep cut to one of his legs from a skate blade during practice.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar collected three assists while Valeri Nichushkin scored twice in an 8-2 rout of the Anaheim Ducks. Joel Kiviranta had a goal and two assists for the Avalanche as they improved to 10-5-0 on the season. Sam Carrick and Max Jones replied for the Ducks as they dropped to 9-7-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson missed this game against his former club as he’s listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

The Philadelphia Flyers got a 31-save performance from Carter Hart to upset the Carolina Hurricanes 3-1. Owen Tippett, Travis Konecny and Ryan Poehling scored for the Flyers (8-7-1) while Stefan Noesen replied for the 9-7-0 Hurricanes.

HEADLINES

TSN: Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson is expected to miss at least a month with an injured left wrist.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres will look to Casey Mittelstadt and Dylan Cozens to step up and fill the void during Thompson’s absence.

LOS ANGELES TIMES: Pierre-Luc Dubois is drawing criticism for his “uninvolved, hesitant” play this season. He was acquired from the Kings during an offseason trade with the Winnipeg Jets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The article points out that when Dubois is playing his best within the Kings’ well-defined system he’s difficult to stop. However, they haven’t seen enough of that version of the 25-year-old center thus far. He has four goals and eight points in 14 games.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Arizona Coyotes are shedding their losing reputation this season. They’re playing as a team, believe in themselves and play hard to the very end of every game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I said at the start of this season not to sleep on the Coyotes. They’ve got a rising star in Clayton Keller, a reliable offensive presence in a healthy Nick Schmaltz, a promising rookie in Logan Cooley, a confident goal scorer in Lawson Crouse, a solid playmaker in Matias Maccelli and a defense bolstered by the offseason addition of Sean Durzi. They could be in the playoff hunt throughout 2023-24.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Winnipeg Jets defenseman Rasmus Kupari will be sidelined for four to six weeks with an injured shoulder.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Columbus Blue Jackets placed forward Emil Bemstrom on waivers.










Oilers Fire Head Coach Jay Woodcroft

by | Nov 12, 2023

Oilers Fire Head Coach Jay Woodcroft

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers have fired head coach Jay Woodcroft and defense coach Dave Manson.

Woodcroft is being replaced by Kris Knoblauch and will be joined by assistant coach Paul Coffey.

Former Edmonton Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft (NHL.com).

Knoblauch joins the Oilers from the AHL’s Hartford Wolfpack, the farm team of the New York Rangers. He also coached Oilers captain Connor McDavid when the two were with the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hired by the Oilers in February 2022, Woodcroft coached them to the Western Conference Final that year. He guided them to a 109-point campaign in 2022-23, marking the fifth-best regular-season performance in franchise history.

Despite being upset by the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round of the 2023 playoffs, the Oilers began this season considered a Stanley Cup contender. Instead, they’ve lurched to a 3-9-1 start that threatens to derail their season.

One would’ve thought the Oilers would’ve replaced Woodcroft with Knoblauch on Thursday following their loss to the bottom-feeding San Jose Sharks. Instead, it comes after they snapped a four-game losing streak with a 4-1 win last night over the Seattle Kraken.

Knoblauch’s connection to McDavid is fueling speculation that the Oilers captain had a hand in deciding Woodcroft’s replacement. It’ll be interesting to see how he addresses their porous goaltending, shaky defense and a popgun offense, especially if McDavid remains hampered by an upper-body injury that sidelined him for two games last month.

For those keeping score, Knoblauch becomes the Oilers’ eighth head coach since 2013. As per Hockey-Reference.com, the others were Ralph Krueger (2013), Dallas Eakins (2014 to 2015), Todd Nelson (2015), Todd McLellan (2016 to 2019), Ken Hitchcock (2019), Dave Tippett (2020 to 2022) and Woodcroft.