NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 16, 2024

by | Nov 16, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 16, 2024

Recaps of Friday’s games plus the latest on Auston Matthews, David Perron, Mats Zuccarello, Frederik Andersen and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals forward Connor McMichael scored twice to lead his club over the Colorado Avalanche 5-2. Pierre-Luc Dubois collected two assists for the Capitals while Parker Kelly had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche, who pulled goaltender Justus Annunen after he gave up three goals on six shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Valeri Nichushkin, Jonathan Drouin and Miles Wood returned to the Avalanche lineup following long absences. Wood was the only one to collect a point, getting an assist on a goal by Nikolai Kovalenko. Avalanche netminder Alexandar Georgiev missed this game with an upper-body injury

Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf (NHL Images).

Calgary Flames rookie goalie Dustin Wolf stopped 29 shots for his first career NHL shutout in a 2-0 victory over the Nashville Predators. Daniil Miromanov and Blake Coleman were the goalscorers for the Flames. Juuse Saros turned aside 31 shots in a losing cause as the Predators have dropped six of their last seven contests.

The Vegas Golden Knights overcame a 2-0 deficit to double up the Utah Hockey Club 4-2. Golden Knights forwards Tomas Hertl and William Karlsson each scored two goals and Adin Hill made 32 saves for the win. Logan Cooley and Mikhael Sergachev were the goalscorers for Utah.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before puck drop, the Golden Knights announced they signed defenseman Brayden McNabb to a three-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $3.65 million. The deal includes a full no-trade clause in the first year, followed by a 10-team no-trade list in year two and a five-team list in the final season.

Anaheim Ducks rookie forward Cutter Gauthier scored his first NHL goal in a 6-4 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Olen Zellweger had a goal and two assists for the Ducks, who were down 3-1 at one point in this contest. Marco Kasper, Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat each had a goal and an assist as the Red Wings dropped three of their last four.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Ducks announced forward Robby Fabbri underwent arthroscopic knee surgery and will miss six to eight weeks.

The Columbus Blue Jackets snapped a six-game losing skid by thumping the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-2. Zach Werenski and Dmitri Voronkov each had a goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets. Anthony Beauvillier and Michael Bunting replied for the Penguins, who have only one victory in their last six games (1-3-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pittsburgh goaltender Tristan Jarry gave up five goals on 38 shots in his first game since Oct. 16. Penguins defenseman Kris Letang missed this contest with an illness while teammate Blake Lizotte (concussion) was placed on injured reserve, resulting in the Penguins activating forward Matt Nieto (knee) off IR.

HEADLINES

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews will not be in the lineup when his club faces off against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday evening. Matthews missed their last five games with an upper-body injury. Leafs coach Craig Berube said his captain has not suffered any setback as the club wants to give him time to recover fully.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators forward David Perron could suit up for Saturday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes. He’s missed the last 11 games after his infant daughter underwent surgery to remove a mass on her right lung. “We’re not fully out of the woods, but we’re getting there,” said Perron.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Perron and his family during this difficult time. Here’s hoping his daughter makes a complete recovery.

SPORTSNET: Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen will remain sidelined for the foreseeable future with a lower-body injury. His recovery period was originally listed as week-to-week but Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour indicated he’ll be out “way longer” than that. Meanwhile, netminder Pyotr Kochetkov is doubtful for Saturday’s game against the Senators. He’s dealing with an undisclosed injury but isn’t expected to be sidelined for long.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Minnesota Wild placed winger Mats Zuccarello (lower body) on IR for three to four weeks.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Kraken captain Jordan Eberle will be sidelined for at least two games with a middle-body injury requiring further evaluation.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Los Angeles Kings placed netminder Darcy Kuemper and defenseman Caleb Jones on injured reserve.

RG.ORG: Size is becoming less of a priority when drafting NHL players. From 2005 to 2009, 34 percent of first-rounders were 205 pounds or heavier, but only 11.4 percent met those criteria in the last five NHL drafts. Height, however, has remained roughly the same, suggesting bulk has been deprioritized.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Teams favor skill over bulk as the speed of the game increases and individual abilities such as puckhandling and playmaking improve.

DAILY FACEOFF: Matt Larkin examines why this season’s NHL average save percentage has dropped to .900, which, if it holds, would be the league’s lowest mark in 29 years.

Larkin attributes the decline not to changes in goalie equipment or a simple matter as offense is rising while goaltending is getting worse. He believes changes such as a crackdown on slashing have resulted in more east-west puck movement, a deemphasis on defense, an increase in power-play efficiency, and a lack of true standout goaltending stars are the main factors.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 12, 2024

by | Nov 12, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 12, 2024

Big multipoint games for the Stars’ Mason Marchment and the Canadiens’ Nick Suzuki, the Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2024 are formally inducted, injury updates, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Dallas Stars forward Mason Marchment had a five-point performance (one goal, four assists) as his club thumped the Pittsburgh Penguins 7-1. Four of those points came in the first period as the Stars took a 6-0 lead. Matt Duchene had a goal and two assists while Miro Heiskanen scored two goals for the Stars. Penguins goalie Joel Blomqvist got the hook after giving up three goals on eight shots.

Dallas Stars forward Mason Marchment (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins set a franchise record for the most goals given up in the opening period of a home game.

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki scored twice and collected two assists in a wild back-and-forth contest to lead his club to a 7-5 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Canadiens winger Cole Caufield tallied two goals and teammate Juraj Slafkovsky picked up three assists as their club snapped a six-game losing skid (0-5-1). Rasmus Dahlin and Dylan Cozens each had a goal and an assist for the Sabres as their three-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres forward Tage Thompson and defenseman Mattias Samuelsson left this game with lower-body injuries.

Following the game, Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen suffered an ailment during practice on Sunday that may have affected his performance. Luukkonen was pulled from this game after giving up four goals on 18 shots. Canadiens netminder Cayden Primeau didn’t fare any better, getting the hook in the third period after allowing five goals on 14 shots.

The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 5-2, handing the latter their first home loss of the season. Hurricanes goalie Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 30 shots for his seventh straight win while Jordan Staal, Eric Robinson and Jesperi Kotkaniemi each had a goal and an assist. Golden Knights netminder Adin Hill allowed four goals on 21 shots and was replaced by Akira Schmid.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Carolina forward Martin Necas picked up an assist to extend his points streak to 10 games. Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis missed this game with an upper-body injury. He’s listed as day-to-day.

An overtime goal by Samuel Girard lifted the Colorado Avalanche to a 3-2 victory over the Nashville Predators. Girard finished the game with two points while Alexandar Georgiev turned aside 29 shots for the win. Predators netminder Juuse Saros also stopped 29 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The struggling Predators have one win in their last five games (1-3-1).

Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf kicked out 28 shots as his club downed the Los Angeles Kings 3-1. The Flames got goals from Mikael Backlund and Jonathan Huberdeau 38 seconds apart in the second period. Trevor Moore scored for the Kings before the Flames’ Kevin Rooney put the game out of reach with an empty-net goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames announced earlier in the day that winger Anthony Mantha will undergo season-ending knee surgery.

A shootout goal by Travis Konecny gave the Philadelphia Flyers a 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharks. Flyers winger Matvei Michkov had a goal and an assist and also tallied in the shootout rounds. Mikael Granlund had a goal and an assist for the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers placed defenseman Jamie Drysdale (upper body) on injured reserve and activated Ryan Poehling from IR for this game.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Former NHL stars Pavel Datsyuk, Jeremy Roenick and Shea Weber were among the Class of 2024 formally inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the players’ category on Monday. Former Nashville Predators general manager David Poile and NHL executive Colin Campbell were inducted into the builders category. US women’s hockey stars Krissy Wendell-Pohl and Natalie Darwitz were also inducted into the players’ category.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to the Class of 2024.

Datsyuk is the 10th player from the Red Wings’ 2002 Stanley Cup team to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Weber and Poile are the first members of the Predators to go into the Hall.

Roenick thanked his former Phoenix Coyotes teammate Keith Tkachuk, expressing the hope that Tkachuk would one day join him in the Hall. He also got emotional while thanking former San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson for reaching out during a low point near the end of Roenick’s career, giving him a chance to reach the 500-goal plateau with the Sharks.

CALGARY SUN: Hockey Hall of Fame chairman Lanny McDonald offered a heartfelt tribute to Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau in a somber moment during the induction ceremony. The Gaudreaus were killed in August by an alleged drunk driver.

NHL.COM: Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon and Buffalo Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen were the league’s three stars for the week ending Nov. 10, 2024.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews (upper-body injury) remains day-to-day and is unlikely to face the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday. The Leafs also placed winger Max Pacioretty (lower-body injury) on IR.

OTTAWA SUN: Speaking of the Senators, center Shane Pinto will return to the lineup against the Leafs. He’s been sidelined by an undisclosed injury since playing his last game on Oct. 22.

DAILY FACEOFF: Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins winger David Pastrnak revealed he was sidelined for two-to-three weeks after playing for Czechia in the 2024 World Championship in May. He admitted he didn’t feel right entering Bruins training camp in September but insists he’s felt much better over the last couple of games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That would account for Pastrnak’s goal-scoring difficulties this season. He has 14 points in 16 games but only six goals.

Speaking of the Bruins, they returned center Matthew Poitras to their AHL affiliate in Providence.

DAILY FACEOFF: Chicago Blackhawks forward Andreas Athanasiou, Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Matt Benning, and Colorado Avalanche goalie Kaapo Kahkonen were placed on waivers on Monday.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 9, 2024

by | Nov 9, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 9, 2024

A multipoint milestone for the Wild’s Kirill Kaprizov, Leafs captain Auston Matthews remains sidelined, the Canucks trade Daniel Sprong, Kings forward Tanner Jeannot suspended, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov scored two goals and collected an assist for his 100th multipoint NHL game as his club downed the Anaheim Ducks 5-2. Marco Rossi and Brock Faber each had two points for the Wild, who’ve won five of their last six games and sit second overall in the Western Conference with 22 points (10-2-2). Ducks forward Robby Fabbri tallied his 100th NHL goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kaprizov leads all NHL scorers with 27 points. Earlier in the day, the Ducks activated goaltender John Gibson (appendectomy) off injured reserve.

Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares (NHL Images).

The Toronto Maple Leafs got two goals from John Tavares in a 3-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Mitch Marner had a goal and an assist for the Leafs. Dylan Larkin replied for the Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs announced before the game that captain Auston Matthews (upper body) was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Nov. 3. The earliest he can return to action is Tuesday, Nov. 12. The Red Wings played without goaltender Alex Lyon, who is out day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin scored the go-ahead goal and collected an assist to lead his club over the Washington Capitals 4-2. Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson also had a goal and an assist while goalie Joel Blomqvist got the win with a 32-save performance. Rasmus Sandin and Andrew Mangiapane replied for the Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin saw his five-game points streak end. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh winger Bryan Rust returned to action after missing five games with an undisclosed ailment. The Penguins also placed forward Cody Glass (undisclosed injury) on IR earlier in the day.

An overtime goal by Jared McCann lifted the Seattle Kraken to a 4-3 upset of the Vegas Golden Knights. Brandon Tanev scored twice for the Kraken as they rallied from an early 2-0 deficit. Golden Knights center Jack Eichel had three assists while teammate Alex Pietrangelo scored the tying goal in the dying minutes of the third period to force the extra frame.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Vegas captain Mark Stone was a late scratch with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. The Golden Knights also played without Nic Hague as he was placed on IR before this game with an undisclosed injury.

HEADLINES

THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Kraken reacquired Daniel Sprong from the Vancouver Canucks on Friday for future considerations. The 27-year-old winger had a goal and two assists in nine games with the Canucks playing on their fourth line. He spent two seasons with the Kraken from 2021 to 2023, including his career-best 2022-23 performance of 21 goals and 46 points in 66 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sprong signed a one-year, $975K contract with the Canucks during the offseason. The Kraken are bringing him back because of their need for scoring and his familiarity with their organization.

It’s unusual for a club to trade a player to a division rival, even more so when they get nothing in return. The Canucks may have done this to promote promising Jonathan Lekkerimaki into their lineup. The 20-year-old forward was the Canucks first-round pick (15th overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft. He’s been tearing it up with their AHL affiliate in Abbotsford with seven points in as many games.

LOS ANGELES TIMES: The NHL department of player safety handed down a three-game suspension to Kings forward Tanner Jeannot for an illegal hit to the head of Canucks winger Brock Boeser on Thursday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There was no update on Boeser’s condition as of Friday evening.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: The Islanders will induct Brent Sutter into their Hall of Fame. He was a two-time champion with the club in 1982 and 1983 and served as captain from 1987 to 1991.

NHL.COM: Mike Gartner said he is honored to be named the next chairman of the Hockey Hall of Fame. He will take over from Lanny McDonald in June 2025.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 8, 2024

by | Nov 8, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 8, 2024

Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck reaches a career milestone, the Panthers, Hurricanes and Wild each reach the 20-point plateau, the Sabres upset the Rangers, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 35 saves for his second straight shutout (and the 40th of his NHL career) as his club held on to blank the Colorado Avalanche 1-0. Gabriel Vilardi scored the only goal at 1:06 of the first period for the Jets, who extended their league-leading record to 13-1-0 (26 points). Avalanche goalie Alexandar Georgiev stopped 27 shots.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hellebuyck became the sixth US-born goaltender to record 40 career shutouts, joining Jonathan Quick (66 shutouts), Ryan Miller (44), Craig Anderson (43), Frankie Brimsek and John Vanbiesbrouck (40 each).

The shutout snapped the 13-game season-opening points streaks of Avalanche stars Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon. Cale Makar suffered an injury against the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday but played over 25 minutes in this contest, recording two shots on net.

The Florida Panthers picked up their sixth straight win with a 6-2 victory over the Nashville Predators, handing the latter their fifth loss in their last six games. Carter Verhaeghe scored two goals and collected an assist, Aleksander Barkov picked up three assists and Sam Reinhart extended his goal streak to five games. Steven Stamkos and Juuso Parssinen replied for the Predators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers sit atop the Eastern Conference with a record of 10-3-1 (21 points). Predators forward Colton Sissons missed this game as he’s day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

Carolina Hurricanes netminder Pyotr Kochetkov turned aside 35 shots to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-1. The Hurricanes picked up their eighth straight victory as Jack Roslovic scored twice and picked up an assist and Jalen Chatfield had three assists. Blake Lizotte scored for the Penguins.

The Buffalo Sabres romped to a 6-1 upset of the New York Rangers. Zach Benson had a goal and an assist and Jack Quinn picked up two assists for the Sabres. Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin got the hook early in the second period after giving up five goals on 12 shots.

An overtime goal by Brad Marchand lifted the Boston Bruins over the Calgary Flames 4-3. Bruins forward Pavel Zacha had a goal and an assist while Joona Korpisalo made 34 saves for the win. The Flames forced the extra frame by overcoming a two-goal deficit on third-period goals by Yegor Sherangovich and Nazem Kadri.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flames winger Anthony Mantha missed this game with a lower-body injury and was placed on injured reserve.

Dallas Stars forwards Logan Stankoven and Sam Steel each had a goal and an assist in a 3-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Tyler Seguin also scored and Jake Oettinger made 25 saves for the Stars. Tyler Bertuzzi replied for the Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stankoven leads all rookie scorers with 12 points.

The Minnesota Wild got three assists from Kirill Kaprizov to drop the San Jose Sharks 5-2. Matt Boldy tallied twice for the Wild, who sit second in the Western Conference with a record of 9-2-2 (20 points). Sharks rookie Macklin Celebrini scored both goals for the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks defenseman Jake Walman missed this game with an upper-body injury. He missed their previous contest for non-hockey reasons.

Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes had a goal and an assist as his club doubled up the Los Angeles Kings 4-2. Canucks winger Brock Boeser left this game midway through the first period following a blindside hit to the head by Kings forward Tanner Jeannot. There was no update on his condition following the game. Quinton Byfield and Vladislav Gavrikov scored for the Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jeannot received a match penalty for his illegal hit on Boeser. The incident will be reviewed by the league but remains to be seen whether he receives supplemental discipline.

A shootout goal by Owen Tippett lifted the Philadelphia Flyers to a 2-1 upset of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Tipett also scored in regulation while Ivan Fedotov made 23 saves for his first NHL victory. Nikita Kucherov replied for the Lightning, who played without Brayden Point as he remains sidelined by a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers rookie Matvei Michkov was a healthy scratch as head coach John Tortorella expressed concerns over Michkov’s play at even strength. The 19-year-old winger is second among NHL rookie scorers with 10 points, seven of which were on the power play. He was held to one assist in his last five games.

The Utah Hockey Club defeated the St. Louis Blues 4-2 as Dylan Guenther scored the go-ahead goal late in the third period. Guenther finished the night with two points. Colton Parayko and Jordan Kyrou tallied for the Blues.

New Jersey Devils forwards Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt each collected three points in a 5-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens, handing the latter their fifth straight loss (0-4-1). Alex Newhook scored twice for the struggling Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens’ leading scorers have been shut down lately. Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield have no points in their last three games while Juraj Slafkovsky was held to an assist in his last four contests. Meanwhile, the Devils reassigned defenseman Simon Nemec to their AHL affiliate in Utica. He’d been a healthy scratch for over two weeks.

The New York Islanders doubled up the Ottawa Senators 4-2. Bo Horvat led the way with a goal and two assists while Semyon Varlamov stopped 28 shots for the win. Nick Jensen and Drake Batherson replied for the Senators, who’ve dropped five of their last seven games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators forward Tim Stutzle was cut above his right eye after taking a puck to the face in the first period. He left the game but returned at the start of the second period, finishing the game with two assists.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews missed practice on Thursday as he remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Leafs coach Craig Berube hasn’t ruled out Matthews from their upcoming two games against the Detroit Red Wings on Friday and the Canadiens on Saturday.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Seattle Kraken goaltender Philipp Grubauer is listed as day-to-day after suffering what the club called “an unfortunate accident” at home. He’s expected to return within the next couple of days.

RG.ORG: Former New Jersey Devils forward John Madden remains puzzled as to why former teammate Alexander Mogilny continues to be passed over for induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

“It was crazy how many key goals he scored for us at the right moments, at the right time, whether it was regular season or playoffs; he just had that knack for burying goals that mattered,” said Madden. He considers Mogilny “one of the best players not to be in the Hockey Hall of Fame.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Madden’s not the only person wondering why the Hall of Fame has continually passed over Mogilny since his first year of eligibility in 2009. A growing number of fans and pundits have openly questioned the Hall’s ongoing snub of one of the most skillful and exciting forwards to play the game.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The NCAA has voted to allow major junior players to maintain college eligibility if they are not signed to a pro contract. This decision allows players in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), which includes the QMJHL, OHL and WHL to transfer to NCAA teams beginning next season.

The move would enable players drafted by NHL teams out of the CHL to play NCAA Division I hockey as their next step in developing their game before signing a professional contract. How it will impact other leagues like the United States Hockey League (USHL) or the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) remains to be seen.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 6, 2024

by | Nov 6, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 6, 2024

Nathan MacKinnon has a five-point game, a milestone game for Quinn Hughes, the Jets and Hurricanes win again, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Nathan MacKinnon collected five assists as the Colorado Avalanche snapped a three-game losing skid with a 6-3 victory over the Seattle Kraken. MacKinnon and teammate Cale Makar extended their season-opening point streaks to 13 games. Mikko Rantanen scored two goals for the Avalanche. Kraken winger Jared McCann had a goal and an assist as he played his 600th regular-season game.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Makar picked up two assists before leaving in the second period. After the game, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said the defenseman “tweaked something” but didn’t provide details.

Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes had three assists in his club’s 5-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Brock Boeser had a goal and an assist for the Canucks, who’ve won six of their last eight contests. Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal made 31 saves.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hughes reached a notable career milestone, becoming the third-fastest defenseman in league history to reach 300 career assists in his 376th career game. He joins Bobby Orr (346 games) and Brian Leetch (368).

The Winnipeg Jets extended their win streak to four games by blanking the Utah Hockey Club 3-0. Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck made 21 saves for the shutout and Nino Niederreiter scored twice in his 900th regular-season game as the Jets have a league-leading record of 12-1-0 (24 points). Utah goalie Karel Vejmelka stopped 25 shots as his club has one win in their last seven games.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Martin Necas snapped a 4-4 tie with 31 seconds remaining in the third period and Seth Jarvis had the insurance goal in a 6-4 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. The Hurricanes have won seven straight. Flyers forward Travis Konecny scored twice and added two assists.

SPECTORS’ NOTE: The Flyers also placed forward Ryan Poehling on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury.

The St. Louis Blues 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning was overshadowed by winger Dylan Holloway leaving the game after being struck in the neck with a puck during the first period. Holloway skated to the bench but later left on a stretcher and was taken to a hospital for observation. Blues forward Brayden Schenn said Holloway is doing fine and will be ok.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jordan Kyrou scored what proved to be the game-winner and Jordan Binnington stopped 21 shots for the Blues. Nikita Kucherov assisted on both Tampa Bay goals. The Lightning were also playing without center Brayden Point as he’s nursing an undisclosed injury suffered during Sunday’s game with the Jets.

The New York Islanders overcame a 3-1 deficit and defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 on a shootout goal by Bo Horvat. Igor Sorokin made 32 saves for the Isles. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby scored his 598th regular-season goal.

Toronto Maple Leafs netminder Anthony Stolarz made 29 saves in a 4-0 shutout of the Boston Bruins. Morgan Rielly had a goal and two assists as the Leafs scored three power-play goals and went six-for-six on the penalty kill. Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman turned aside 23 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs captain Auston Matthews missed this game and is listed as day-to-day with a lingering upper-body injury. Boston defenseman Andrew Peeke left in the second period with an upper-body injury. Earlier in the day, the Bruins placed forward Max Jones on waivers.

Los Angeles Kings forward Trevor Lewis tallied two third-period goals to lead his club over the Minnesota Wild 5-1. Kings forwards Quinton Byfield, Alex Laferriere and Trevor Moore each had two points. Zach Bogosian scored for the Wild, who had won seven of eight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov left this game in the second period after being struck in the mouth by a puck but returned for the third.

The Calgary Flames nipped the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 on an overtime goal by Matt Coronato, who also scored the tying goal late in the third period to force the extra frame. Joel Armia had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens, who are winless in their last four (0-3-1).

Buffalo Sabres forward J.J. Peterka had two goals and an assist and defenseman Bowen Byram tallied twice in a 5-1 win over the Ottawa Senators. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 37 shots for the Sabres. Ridly Greig replied for the Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres returned forward Jiri Kulich to their AHL affiliate before this game to activate forward Zach Benson from injured reserve.

The San Jose Sharks defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1. Sharks netminder Vitek Vanecek stopped 49 shots and Alex Wennberg netted the winner in overtime.










NHL Rumor Mill – November 5, 2024

by | Nov 5, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – November 5, 2024

In today’s NHL Rumor Mill, there’s speculation over Kirill Kaprizov’s next contract, the Blue Jackets could be worth monitoring in the trade market, and there’s interest in two Kraken forwards.

SPORTSNET: During Monday’s “32 Thoughts: The Podcast”, Elliotte Friedman said he felt that Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov’s next contract could place him among the league’s highest-paid players.

Friedman speculated that Kaprizov could be paid “in the Matthews/Draisaitl range”. He added that he felt the Wild star “is going to be one of the top-paid players in the league.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kaprizov, 27, is in the fourth year of his five-year contract with an average annual value of $9 million. He’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2026.

The Wild can attempt to sign Kaprizov to a contract extension next July. On Oct. 2, Wild owner Craig Leipold stated his club intends to re-sign him. “I will tell you nobody will offer more money than us, or longer (years), so all we have to do is prove to him that we want to win.”

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews earns an AAV of $13.25 million. Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl will start making $14 million annually next July when his new eight-year contract extension goes into effect.

The Wild can afford to pay Kaprizov that much on an eight-year contract. He’s their franchise player and the foundation of their efforts to build a Stanley Cup contender.

As Leipold pointed out their intent to win could be the deciding factor. If the Wild show no sign of becoming a contender by 2026, Kaprizov could take his talent elsewhere even if the Wild could pay him more for longer.

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli believes the Columbus Blue Jackets are a club worth watching in this season’s trade market.

Seravalli claims Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell has informed teams that he’s willing to take on contracts that might be viewed as undesirable in exchange for assets. They have plenty of cap space to do so this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Seravalli also said Waddell has received offers of players with three to five years remaining on their contracts. However, the Blue Jackets GM isn’t interested in taking on those type of deals. He’s probably more keen on those with one or two years remaining.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Julian Gaudio cited Seravalli reporting the Seattle Kraken has received calls about forward Brandon Tanev and Yanni Gourde.

Seravalli said the Kraken has too many forwards and must move someone if everyone stays healthy. Tanev and Gourde are checking-line forwards but don’t contribute much offense, something the Kraken needs as their offensive stats are slipping.

Gourde’s ability to play center or wing makes the Kraken reluctant to move him while Tanev could be a different story.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gourde’s versatility and Stanley Cup experience with the Tampa Bay Lightning would make him more enticing for clubs seeking checking-line depth. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen if the Kraken are willing to move either forward at this point.