NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 27, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 27, 2023

Recaps of Tuesday’s preseason action plus the latest on Rangers winger Artemi Panarin, Sharks captain Logan Couture, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Blake Wheeler scored in his debut with the New York Rangers as they doubled up the New York Islanders 4-2.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers forwards Artemi Panarin (lower-body injury)and Filip Chytil (upper body) missed this game and are listed as day-to-day.

The Anaheim Ducks dropped the San Jose Sharks 4-2 with Sam Carrick getting a goal and two assists.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speaking of the Sharks, team captain Logan Couture (lower-body, week-to-week) is skating again. However, they’re being cautious with his return date even if it means missing their season opener against the Vegas Golden Knights on Oct. 12.

Alex DeBrincat picked up two assists in his debut with the Detroit Red Wings in a 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speaking of the Penguins, defenseman Mark Pysyk will be sidelined “longer-term” with an undisclosed injury. He’s in training camp on a professional tryout offer (PTO).

Buffalo Sabres goaltender Devon Levi stopped all 19 shots he faced over two periods in a 4-1 victory over the Boston Bruins. Devin Cooley made 18 saves in the third period for the Sabres.

Tony DeAngelo had a goal and an assist in his first game back with the Carolina Hurricanes to defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-2.

The St. Louis Blues scored three first-period goals over the Columbus Blue Jackets and held on for a 3-2 win.

Dallas Stars forwards Jason Robertson, Mason Marchment and Tyler Seguin each had a goal and an assist to thump the Minnesota Wild 6-1.

WASHINGTON HOCKEY NOW: Capitals defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk resumed skating yesterday after leaving Sunday’s preseason game after being struck by a shot on the right arm. Meanwhile, blueliner Joel Edmundson missed practice after suffering an upper-body injury during a scrimmage on Sunday.

THE PROVINCE: Canucks forward Ilya Mikheyev joined his teammates yesterday in his first practice since suffering a knee injury in January. He hasn’t yet gained clearance for full participation but this is considered a promising sign.

TSN: The NHL and Adidas revealed the uniforms the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers will wear for the 2023 Heritage Classic at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton on Oct. 29.

NHL.COM: Goaltender Cory Schneider announced his retirement on Tuesday. In 410 NHL games (389 starts) with the Vancouver Canucks, New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders, Schneider had a record of 171 wins, 159 losses and 58 overtime losses with a 2.43 goals-against average, a .918 save percentage and 26 shutouts. He and Roberto Luongo won the Jennings Trophy for the league’s lowest combined goals-against in 2010-11.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before injuries derailed his career, Schneider was among the league’s top goaltenders. As per NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti, from 2010-11 through 2015-16, Schneider’s 2.13 GAA and .926 SP ranked first among all goalies with at least 100 games played during that stretch.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 22, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 22, 2023

Marc-Andre Fleury ponders his future, sale of the Senators receives league approval, plus the latest on Logan Couture, Robin Lehner, Max Pacioretty and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

STARTRIBUNE.COM: Marc-Andre Fleury is entering his 20th NHL season but hasn’t decided yet if it will be his last. The 38-year-old Minnesota Wild goaltender is in the final season of his contract and said he’ll play out this campaign before evaluating if he’ll continue his playing career.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (NHL Images).

Fleury has 544 career wins. He needs just eight more victories to pass Patrick Roy for second place on the all-time wins list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s hard to believe sometimes that Fleury’s been in the NHL this long. I told one of my social media followers that it seemed like I was watching him play in the QMJHL with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles yesterday. That was over 20 years ago.

OTTAWA SUN: The sale of the Ottawa Senators to billionaire Michael Andlauer finally received formal approval from the NHL Board of Governors yesterday. At $950 million dollars, it’s the highest price ever paid to purchase an NHL franchise.

Following the purchase, Andlauer released an open letter to Senators fans stating that his goal is to bring the Stanley Cup to Ottawa. He also sought to assure them about the club’s future under his ownership. “My partners and I may be the team owners on paper, but this team truly belongs to Ottawa-Gatineau,” he wrote. “I promise to take care of your team with the utmost respect, integrity and care both on and off the ice.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The late Eugene Melnyk deserves credit for rescuing the Senators nearly 20 years ago (with the help of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman) and keeping them in Ottawa at a time when the franchise was bankrupt and on the verge of relocation. Nevertheless, Melnyk’s mercurial style and front-office meddling generated uncertainty and concern among Senators fans over the quality of the on-ice product and the club’s future in Ottawa.

A new era has begun for the Senators. Andlauer was a minority owner of the Montreal Canadiens before purchasing the Sens. He knows the league, understands the business of hockey, and appears determined to bring stability to this franchise and a winning product on the ice. He still has to navigate toward the construction of a new downtown arena but the odds appear better under his stewardship than they were during the final years of Melnyk’s tenure.

Speaking of the Senators, center Josh Norris downplayed concern regarding a minor shoulder ailment that saw him start training camp with a yellow non-contact jersey. “I think they’re looking out for me and I totally get it,” said Norris, who missed all but eight games last season to shoulder surgery. He said he didn’t want to be in that jersey but acknowledged it was probably the best thing to take precautions and be ready for the start of the season.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The rebuilding Sharks got bad news as team captain Logan Couture will miss the start of training camp. He’s listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury that he suffered during offseason training.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s no timeline for Couture’s return. It’s uncertain if he’ll be ready for the club’s season debut on Oct. 12.

DAILY FACEOFF: Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner remains sidelined indefinitely and will start the season on long-term injured reserve. He missed all of last season recovering from hip surgery.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The reports also indicated that some wonder if Lehner will ever play again. He’s signed through 2024-25 with an average annual value of $5 million.

WASHINGTON HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of uncertain injury recovery timelines, Capitals winger Max Pacioretty has “no concrete timetable yet” for when he’ll join his new club. The 34-year-old winger played only five games last season with the Carolina Hurricanes as he was twice sidelined by a torn right Achilles tendon. He signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the Capitals this summer as a free agent.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams continues to work on getting young defensemen Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power under contract extensions before the start of this season. The two sides appear to be closing in on deals following a week of intense negotiations.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dahlin and Power are the linchpins of the rebuilding Sabres’ blueline. It’s not surprising that Adams hopes to sign the two defensemen to long-term contracts with average annual values that could become team-friendly over the course of their playing prime.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Speaking of the Sabres, promising forward Matt Savoie is listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury suffered during a prospects tournament game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: The Anaheim Ducks opened training camp missing three of their young core players. Center Trevor Zegras and defenseman Jamie Drysdale are still without new contracts as negotiations continue with management. Meanwhile, forward Mason MacTavish was dealing with a muscle spasm.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacTavish could rejoin his teammates as early as today. It’s uncertain as to when Zegras and Drysdale will be under contract. Reports from earlier this week claimed there’s a “wide gap” between them and management over what their new deals will look like.

THE DENVER POST: Valeri Nichushkin has rejoined his Colorado Avalanche teammates for the first time since taking a leave of absence from the club during their first-round series against the Seattle Kraken in April. The 28-year-old winger was welcomed back by his teammates “with open arms”.

Nichushkin’s departure was the result of an incident in Seattle in which a team doctor found an intoxicated woman in the winger’s hotel room and called an ambulance, according to a police report. He was not disciplined over the incident by the team or the league and faced no charges over the incident.

I know you guys want to find something there, but it’s nothing really interesting,” Nichushkin told the media. “I think we should close it. It’s a new season right now. We have to focus on that.” He said that his extended absence from the Avs was due to a “family reason.”

CALGARY SUN: Oliver Kylington missed the start of Flames training camp without indicating when he’ll return to action. The 26-year-old defenseman missed all of last season to focus on his mental health. It was expected that he would rejoin his teammates this season after arriving in Calgary last week.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kylington talked about his mental health during an interview this summer. He said he was looking forward to joining his Flames teammates this season. Here’s hoping he continues to get the help he needs to deal with this issue.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Sticking with the Flames, Nikita Zadorov has openly opposed his home country’s invasion of Ukraine. The Russian defenseman is the sole NHLer among his countrymen to speak out against the invasion. He said he’s aware of the consequences he might face but claimed there are “a lot of people who have the same view as me in Russia.”

NYI HOCKEY NOW: Islanders winger Oliver Wahlstrom skated with the Islanders for the first time since suffering a season-ending lower-body injury last December. Defenseman Alex Romanov also joined his teammates, dispelling concerns that he might miss the start of training camp rehabbing from offseason shoulder surgery.

TSN: Vancouver Canucks winger Ilya Mikheyev left training camp for personal reasons. He’s been sidelined since January with a knee injury and underwent surgery the following month.

SPORTSNET: Montreal Canadiens defenseman Chris Wideman is sidelined indefinitely with a back injury.

 










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 7, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 7, 2023

New contracts for Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson, Flyers forward Morgan Frost and Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong. Details and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

OTTAWA SUN: Entering his sophomore season, Jake Sanderson signed an eight-year, $64.4-million contract extension on Wednesday with the Ottawa Senators. The 21-year-old defenseman will earn an average annual value of $8.05 million.

Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s a big raise for Sanderson, who is in the final season of his three-year entry-level contract with an AAV of $925K. He’ll become the Senators’ highest-paid defenseman starting in 2024-25, earning just slightly more than Thomas Chabot ($8 million AAV). Sanderson will also be the third highest-paid player on the roster, behind Tim Stutzle ($8.35 million) and Brady Tkachuk ($8.205 million).

Sanderson is coming off an impressive rookie performance last season with 32 points in 77 games. A highly skilled rearguard, the 6’3”, 195-pound blueliner has the potential to become an elite player for the Senators. This contract would become quite cost-effective should he reach his full potential.

Speaking of the Senators, incoming owner Michael Andlauer hopes to finalize his purchase of the club by early next week.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The Flyers inked Morgan Frost to a two-year, $4.2-million contract. The 24-year-old center’s AAV will be $2.1 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Frost completed a one-year, $800K contract. He enjoyed a breakout season in 2022-23 with 19 goals and 46 points in 81 games.

In 2025, Frost will once again become an RFA with arbitration rights. Frost will be in line for a more lucrative long-term contract if he builds on last season’s performance.

THE ATHLETIC’s Charlie O’Connor reports the Flyers have hired former NHL star Dany Heatley as a professional scout.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks forward Ilya Mikheyev could miss preseason action as he continues to rehab from knee surgery. His agent, Dan Milstein, indicated his client is still likely three to four weeks from returning to action. “He could be ready, but why risk in preseason,” said Milstein. “Maybe play the final two games.”

ARIZONA SPORTS: The Coyotes signed general manager Bill Armstrong to a multiyear contract extension. Terms were not disclosed.

Since taking over in 2020, Armstrong has overseen a considerable roster turnover, trading such notables as Jakob Chychrun, Christian Dvorak, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Darcy Kuemper for draft capital. Promising young players such as Barrett Hayton and Matias Maccelli were contributors to last year’s roster while top prospects Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther could join the roster this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Coyotes beat writer Craig Morgan reported Armstrong’s new contract runs through 2028-29. The Coyotes have been near the bottom of the standings over the past three seasons. However, they made noticeable improvement last season under head coach Andre Tourigny, who was hired by Armstrong in 2021 and recently received his own contract extension.

Speaking of the Coyotes, suspended club co-owner Andrew Barroway had the charges dropped Monday from his domestic violence case in Colorado.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Coyotes also signed forward Ryan Dzingel and defenseman Peter DiLiberatore to professional tryout offers (PTOs).

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs signed former San Jose Sharks center Noah Gregor to a professional tryout offer.

NASHVILLE HOCKEY NOW: Goaltender Dylan Wells accepted a PTO from the Predators.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Former San Jose Sharks general manager Doug Wilson has been hired by the Penguins as their senior advisor of hockey operations. Wilson was the Sharks GM from 2003 until stepping down in 2022 for health reasons.

SPORTSNET: Former NHL head coach Bruce Boudreau has been hired by the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs as a senior advisor. Boudreau was the bench boss of the Washington Capitals, Anaheim Ducks, Minnesota Wild and Vancouver Canucks. He was fired by the Canucks in January.

NHL.COM: Michael Del Zotto has retired after 13 NHL seasons. The 33-year-old defenseman had 262 points in 736 regular-season games with the Ottawa Senators, Columbus Blue Jackets, St. Louis Blues, Anaheim Ducks, Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia Flyers, Nashville Predators and New York Rangers. He also had 12 points in 32 playoff games. He last played in the NHL in 2021-22 with the Senators.

RDS.CA: Kevin Poulin also announced his retirement. The 33-year-old goaltender spent parts of five seasons with the New York Islanders from 2010-11 to 2014-15. In 50 NHL games, he had a record of 18 wins, 25 losses and three overtime losses with a career goals-against average of 3.07 and a save percentage of .899. Since 2015-16, he played in Europe, ECHL and the AHL, spending the last two seasons with the Laval Rocket.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 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 – July 31, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 31, 2023

An update on Robin Lehner’s future with the Golden Knights, the Coyotes avoid arbitration with Jack McBain, the Bruins and Trent Frederic could be heading to arbitration and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE ATHLETIC: Jesse Granger believes the Vegas Golden Knights signing goaltender Adin Hill to a new contract worth an average annual value of $4.9 million speaks volumes about Robin Lehner’s status for 2023-24. The 32-year-old netminder missed all of last season recovering from double hip surgery and shoulder surgery.

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner (NHL Images).

With Lehner on long-term injury reserve, the Golden Knights are comfortably under the $83.5 million salary cap. If he came off LTIR, however, it would push them over the cap. Lehner is signed through 2024-25 with an AAV of $5 million.

A buyout is off the table. If the Golden Knights wish to shed his contract via trade, they’ll likely have to include other assets in the deal.

Given Hill’s new contract and the uncertainty over Lehner’s health, Granger believes the most likely scenario is the netminder remains on LTIR for this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Granger acknowledged the possibility of Lehner showing up for training camp in September much further along in his recovery than believed. For now, however, it appears the Golden Knights are proceeding as though that’s not going to happen.

ARIZONA SPORTS: The Coyotes avoided arbitration with center Jack McBain by reaching an agreement on a two-year contract with an AAV of $1.6 million.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Jimmy Murphy cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reporting the Bruins and Trent Frederic are $1.5 million apart in their arbitration filings. The club seeks a two-year contract worth $1.4 million annually while Frederic seeks a one-year deal worth $2.9 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Frederic’s arbitration hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 1. Meanwhile, Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman’s case was heard by an arbiter on Sunday. A decision is expected within 48 hours.

CANUCKS ARMY: David Quadrelli cited Vancouver Canucks insider Rick Dhaliwal reporting that Ilya Mikheyev recently resumed skating for the first time since suffering an ACL injury in January. The Canucks forward is expected to be ready for the 2023-24 season.

TSN: Darren Dreger reports the Philadelphia Flyers and the NHL have submitted that goalie Ivan Fedotov’s contract should be tolled as he missed last season due to military service in Russia. The International Ice Hockey Federation is considering whether his contract with the Flyers or KHL club CSKA Moscow is currently valid and binding.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fedotov signed a contract with Philadelphia last year but wound up drafted into the Russian military. If the NHL prevails, he will play for the Flyers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 3, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 3, 2023

The player assignments for Friday’s All-Star skills competition are revealed, Vladimir Tarasenko is uncertain of his future in St. Louis, Rasmus Dahlin replaces Tage Thompson in the All-Star Game and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

NHL.COM: The league announced the player assignments for the All-Star skills competition at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Florida starting at 7 pm ET.

Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin and Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby will be teaming up in the Breakaway Challenge. Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak and Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner will also take part in this event.

Ovechkin will also be among those participating in the hardest shot challenge.

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers will participate in the accuracy shooting competition. Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar and Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov are among those who’ll take part in the fastest skater competition.

Former Vezina Trophy winners Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets and Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers are among eight goaltenders participating in the “Tendy Tandem” competition.

St, Louis Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow the link above for the complete list of skill events and competitors.

SPORTSNET: Vladimir Tarasenko acknowledged this season could be his last with the St. Louis Blues. The 31-year-old winger is in his 11th season with the Blues and is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Tarasenko acknowledged that this weekend’s All-Star Game could be his last in a Blues sweater as a trade is possible following this week. He deferred any questions about his future in St. Louis to Blues general manager Doug Armstrong.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I think Tarasenko’s a goner, if not following this weekend then at some point before the March 3 trade deadline.

He requested a trade in May 2021 because of his unhappiness over the quality of treatment he received for multiple shoulder injuries from the Blues’ medical staff. He reportedly never rescinded that request. He was also left exposed in the 2021 NHL expansion draft but was passed over by the Seattle Kraken.

Tarasenko remains a productive scoring winger when healthy. I can see a contender in need of experienced scoring depth pursuing him as a playoff rental.

WGR 550: Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin takes the place of teammate Tage Thompson in this weekend’s All-Star Game. Thompson suffered an upper-body injury during Wednesday’s loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There is no indication about how long Thompson might be sidelined. The Sabres’ next practice is on Feb. 9.

TSN: Vancouver Canucks forward Ilya Mikheyev underwent successful knee surgery and will soon begin his rehab process. He will be sidelined for the remainder of this season.

THE ATHLETIC: A poll of participants at this year’s All-Star Game revealed most of them favored extending the 3-on-3 overtime format from five minutes to 10 to reduce the number of games decided by a shootout. Of the 16 participants, 12 would like to see the overtime period expanded.

Fourteen of those 16 participants don’t favor expanding the playoff format to an NBA-style “play-in” format involving the 7-10 seeds in each conference.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those All-Stars seem in line with most fans and pundits about extending the overtime format. They also share NHL commissioner Gary Bettman’s opinion that there is no need to expand the postseason format. It would be interesting to see the poll results if those questions were posed to the full membership of the NHL Players Association.

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports the sale of the Senators could be about to enter its final stages. Interested groups are expected to make their formal bids before mid-February. If all goes as planned, the front-runner could be known as early as March.

It’s believed Hamilton businessman Michael Andlauer and Toronto billionaires Jeffrey and Michael Kimel remain the front-runners. Vancouver-born actor Ryan Reynolds will also be in the thick of the bidding.

Speaking of the Senators, they relieved Troy Mann of his duties as head coach of their AHL affiliate in Belleville. Assistant coach David Bell takes over the head-coaching role on an interim basis for the remainder of the season.

DETROIT FREE PRESS: The Red Wings sent winger Filip Zadina to their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids on a conditioning stint after activating him from injured reserve. Zadina hasn’t played since Nov. 5 after blocking a shot during a game against the New York Islanders.