NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 28, 2023

by | Jun 28, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 28, 2023

The 2023-24 schedule is released, the Leafs and Senators will retain their head coaches for next season, Bruins are preparing for life without Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, plus more news heading into the 2023 Draft in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NOTE: The 2023 NHL Draft opens tonight at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville with the first round starting at 7 pm ET.

Follow this link for my take on yesterday’s notable trade activity.

NHL.COM: The league released its schedule for 2023-24 starting with a tripleheader on Oct. 10 featuring the Vegas Golden Knights’ 2023 Stanley Cup banner raising before facing off with the Seattle Kraken at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Also on that night, the Nashville Predators will meet the Tampa Bay Lightning while the Chicago Blackhawks journey to Pittsburgh to square off against the Penguins.

All seven Canadian teams will be in action on Oct. 11 with the Montreal Canadiens against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Ottawa Senators facing the Carolina Hurricanes, the Winnipeg Jets meeting the Calgary Flames, and the Edmonton Oilers meeting the Vancouver Canucks.

Notable dates include the Tim Hortons Heritage Classic between the Flames and Oilers on Oct. 29 at Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium, the Jan. 1 Winter Classic between the Golden Knights at Kraken at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park, and the NHL All-Star Weekend from Feb 1-4 in Toronto.

The regular-season schedule ends on Apr. 18.

TORONTO STAR: Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving confirmed that Sheldon Keefe will return as head coach for 2023-24. He also expressed confidence in getting Auston Matthews and William Nylander signed to contract extensions this summer.

Keefe has a year remaining on his contract. Treliving said he’s open to signing him to an extension.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators GM Pierre Dorion confirms head coach D.J. Smith and his coaching staff will be back for 2023-24.

Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The performances of both clubs will determine if those coaches will remain in those jobs beyond 2023-24. Another early playoff exit will likely spell the end of Keefe’s tenure behind the Leafs bench while another missed postseason will see Smith receive his walking papers.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The Bruins are preparing for next season under the assumption that centers Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci will retire at some point this summer. Team president Cam Neely said they’ll give both players the time they need to reach their decisions but the club has to press on with their offseason plans.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins created salary-cap space by trading Taylor Hall to Chicago but most of that will be taken up attempting to re-sign or replace key players. If Bergeron and/or Krejci decide to return it’ll be on low-cost one-year contracts provided the Bruins can still squeeze them in.

DAILY FACEOFF: Teams that have met and interviewed Matvei Michkov have come away impressed by the young Russian prospect. Stories have circulated about the 18-year-old KHL winger questioning his attitude. Michkov is considered the best Russian prospect in years and could be chosen among the top 10 in this year’s draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Any NHL club that selects Michkov will have to be patient. He’s signed with KHL team SKA St. Petersburg through 2025-26. It could be worth the wait if he follows in the footsteps of Washington’s Evgeny Kuznetsov and Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov, who quickly matured into NHL stars following their KHL tenures.

CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: The Blackhawks signed Nick Foligno to a one-year, $4 million contract. They acquired the 35-year-old forward the day prior from the Bruins. He was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Foligno wouldn’t have gotten that much money on a one-year deal on the opening market. If he has a good season the rebuilding Blackhawks can attempt to move him to a contender at the trade deadline for a draft pick. This signing also helps the Hawks reach the $61.7 million salary-cap floor for 2023-24.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars re-signed winger Evgenii Dadonov to a two-year, $4.5 million contract. The average annual value is $2.25 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dadonov struggled through most of last season with 18 points in 50 games skating with the rebuilding Montreal Canadiens. He regained his scoring touch after being acquired by the Stars on Feb. 26 with 15 points in 23 regular-season games along with 10 points in 16 playoff contests.

SPORTSNET’s Elliotte Friedman reports the Anaheim Ducks are unlikely to give winger Max Comtois a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A once-promising young winger, Comtois’ production has declined since his 33-point performance in 55 games during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season. The 24-year-old could become an affordable reclamation project.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Speaking of the Ducks, they’ve named former captain Ryan Getzlaf a player development coordinator.

DAILY FACEOFF: Seattle Kraken defenseman Carson Soucy intends to test the free-agent market on July 1.

SPORTSNET: The New Jersey Devils have given winger Miles Wood permission to speak with other clubs. Wood, 27, is scheduled to become a UFA on July 1.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 23, 2023

by | Jun 23, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 23, 2023

Teams will not wear specialty warmup jerseys for 2023-24, four Flames stars not interested in signing contract extensions, prospect winger Matvei Michkov to meet with teams before the draft, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

SPORTSNET: In an interview with Elliotte Friedman, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said the league will no longer have teams wear themed jerseys for pre-game warmups. That includes Hockey Fights Cancer, military appreciation, and Pride Night.

The decision is a result of a small number of NHL players who generated headlines this season by refusing to wear Pride jerseys. Bettman said it had become a distraction that drew attention away from host nights honoring various groups and causes.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman (NHL.com).

Bettman indicated those events will continue as before only without the warmup jerseys. The various jerseys will continue to be manufactured and sold to raise money for those causes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I offered up my thoughts on Ivan Provorov’s refusal to wear a Pride Jersey back in January. His decision prompted several players on a few other teams to follow suit while some clubs opted not to have their players wear Pride jerseys.

At the time, I considered the story a bump in the NHL’s road toward inclusivity. It appears there are more to come.

I think this decision is a knee-jerk reaction by the league. Judging by the reactions on social media, I’m not the only one who shares that view, though there are also folks who support this decision.

It’s good to know that the NHL will continue to stage those events for those causes they support but his decision still isn’t a good look for them. The warmup jerseys were the most visible way to express their support, especially for causes supporting minorities and the LGBTQ+ community who feel that hockey culture shuts them out.

The NHL has made some progress in addressing those issues in recent years but there is still a long way to go. I share Friedman’s hope that there can be a better solution down the road.

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli reported the Calgary Flames could have a different look next season. Four of their best players – Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin, Mikael Backlund and Tyler Toffoli – don’t intend to sign contract extensions or are leaning against doing so. They’re all eligible to become unrestricted free agents next July.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll all be traded this summer. Nevertheless, it’s likely that at least one of them could be shopped, perhaps by the end of the NHL draft next week (June 28-29).

The Flames hired Craig Conroy as general manager a month ago. He’s had little time to get comfortable in his new role and now faces big decisions on four key players that will shape his roster for the next several years. I’ll have more in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of the Flames, they’ve hired Marc Savard as an assistant coach. A former NHL forward, Savard spent the past two seasons as head coach of the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: cites TSN’s Bob McKenzie indicated top Russian prospect Matvei Michkov will be meeting with NHL teams prior to next week’s draft. Concerns were raised among clubs interested in the promising young winger following reports that he was spurning interview requests this season.

Those concerns grew after Michkov skipped the NHL Draft Combine in Buffalo earlier this month. However, McKenzie reports that his agent has been scheduling interview times with a multitude of clubs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: One theory had Michkov giving certain teams the cold shoulder as an attempt to manipulate where he’ll be selected in the draft. Most experts expect he’ll be chosen in the top 10, perhaps between No.4 and No. 9 in the order.

TSN: Erik Johnson’s 13 seasons with the Colorado Avalanche could be drawing to a close. Multiple reports suggest he’ll be hitting the free-agent market on July 1. He’s the longest-serving member of the Avalanche, who acquire him from the St. Louis Blues ahead of the 2011 trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Age and injuries have slowed the 35-year-old Johnson, who managed just eight points in 63 games this season. However, he’s only a year removed from 25 points in 77 games as he helped the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup in 2022. Contenders seeking an affordable veteran defenseman with playoff experience on a short-term contract could come calling on July 1.

TSN: The New Jersey Devils officially hired former Vancouver Canucks bench boss Travis Green as an associate coach.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Former Panthers assistant coach Derek MacKenzie has been hired by the Nashville Predators as an assistant coach.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Washington Capitals have hired former AHL coach Mitch Love as an assistant coach.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 19, 2023

by | Jun 19, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 19, 2023

Oddsmakers don’t favor the Golden Knights’ chances of repeating as Stanley Cup champs, Valeri Nichushkin is expected to rejoin the Avalanche, the latest notable draft news and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee headlines.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Oddsmakers aren’t bullish on the Golden Knights’ chances of repeating as Stanley Cup champions. Vegas Insider has the Colorado Avalanche as the favorite to win the Cup in 2024 while the Golden Knights have the sixth-best odds, tied with the Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils, Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning.

Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone raises the Stanley Cup (NHL.com).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: You don’t need oddsmakers to tell you how difficult it is in today’s NHL to repeat as Stanley Cup champions or for a defending champ to return to the Final.

Since 1990, only three teams – the Pittsburgh Penguins (1991 and 1992, 2016 and 2017), Detroit Red Wings (1997 and 1998) and Tampa Bay Lightning (2020 and 2021) repeated as Cup champions.

The Penguins and Red Wings faced off in the 2008 and 2009 Finals, with the Wings winning in 2008 and the Penguins the following season.

The Lightning reached the Final in three straight years (2020 to 2022), becoming the first team to do so since the Edmonton Oilers (1983 to 1985).

THE DENVER POST: Sources claim Valeri Nichushkin is expected to rejoin the Colorado Avalanche for 2023-24. The 28-year-old winger left the team before Game 3 of the Avalanche’s first-round series against the Seattle Kraken following an incident involving an intoxicated woman in his Seattle hotel room.

There was no criminal investigation of the incident and Nichushkin is not being investigated by the league. The winger has been out of sight since returning to Denver following the incident while the Avalanche have declined to comment.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nichushkin and the Avalanche will have to face questions from the media about this incident at some point before the start of next season. It remains to be seen how forthcoming they’ll be about this situation.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen admitted he’s received several calls from clubs wondering if he’s willing to trade his first-round pick (third overall) in the upcoming 2023 NHL Draft.

Kekalainen said none of the offers he’s received have convinced him to part with the pick. “I’m 99.9 percent sure that we won’t be trading the pick.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There were also reports last week of the Montreal Canadiens contacting the Anaheim Ducks (second overall) and San Jose Sharks (fourth overall) to gauge their willingness to trade their picks. Perhaps they were among those who contacted Kekalainen about his pick.

One of those clubs could be convinced to move their selection for the right price. Given how rarely those picks are traded, however, I’ll be surprised if any of them are moved between now and the opening round on June 28.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Russian prospect Matvei Michkov avoided meeting with NHL teams and didn’t meet with them after KHL games this season. A gifted offensive winger, the 18-year-old Michkov is considered among the top prospects in this year’s draft and could be among the top-five picks.

Kevin Allen writes that Michkov’s actions have prompted speculation that he’s trying to manipulate the selection process to get to a specific team.

Allen thinks he could be angling to be chosen by the Washington Capitals (eighth overall) for an opportunity to play with Russian superstar Alex Ovechkin.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Michkov also didn’t attend the NHL Draft Combine earlier this month. His agent claims his client will be in attendance at the upcoming NHL Draft.

Rumored character issues plus his lengthy KHL contract could prompt some teams to skip on Michkov, possibly making him available to lower-seeded clubs in the first round.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery admitted he didn’t read his players well during their stunning first-round loss to the underdog Florida Panthers. After rewatching the games, Montgomery said he could tell that the Bruins weren’t anywhere close to playing with the same tempo as they did during their record-breaking regular season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Overconfidence plus injuries to some key players seemed to play a role in the Bruins’ demise against the determined Panthers. After setting the records for most wins (65) and points (135) in the regular season, Boston seemed to have Florida on the ropes after taking a commanding 3-1 series lead.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald disputed the notion that he believes in a salary hierarchy. This comes after he re-signed winger Jesper Bratt to an eight-year extension with an average annual value of $7.87 million, coming in just under center Jack Hughes’ $8 million AAV.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In other words, Timo Meier’s AAV on his next contract could be higher than Hughes’ if he and the Devils agree to a new deal.