NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 19, 2024

by | Jul 19, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 19, 2024

Jake Guentzel explains why he signed with the Lightning, Sean Monahan looks forward to reuniting with Johnny Gaudreau in Columbus, Matt Grzelcyk opens up about his disappointing season, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Jake Guentzel said the Tampa Bay Lightning’s winning pedigree factored into his decision to sign a seven-year, $63 million contract with them on July 1.

“They all know how to win,” said Guentzel, adding they still have high-end, elite players. He believes they still have a chance to win the Stanley Cup, adding this is an incredible opportunity for himself and his family.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Jake Guentzel (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Guentzel has some big skates to fill as he’ll be taking over the left-wing position formerly held by departed franchise player Steven Stamkos. The Lightning are betting that the younger Guentzel gives them a better opportunity to remain among the Cup contenders.

NHLPA.COM: Sean Monahan is delighted to reunite with former Calgary Flames linemate Johnny Gaudreau in Columbus. The 29-year-old center signed a five-year, $27.5 million contract with the Blue Jackets on July 1.

Gaudreau and Monahan played together with the Flames for nine seasons before Gaudreau joined the Blue Jackets in 2022. “I am really looking forward to being teammates with Johnny again,” said Monahan, calling Gaudreau “an amazing teammate, person, and friend.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Monahan’s 59-point comeback performance last season with the Montreal Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets earned him the multi-year contract with the Blue Jackets and the reunion with Gaudreau.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Matt Grzelcyk said a nagging injury derailed his final season with the Boston Bruins. The 30-year-old defenseman signed a one-year, $2.75 million deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Grzelcyk indicated he struggled to regain his form last season, amassing a career-low two goals and 11 points in 63 games with the Bruins. He was a healthy scratch in all their playoff games. He’s now preparing for the challenge of earning top-four minutes with the Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A bounce-back effort by Grzelcyk could boost Pittsburgh’s blueline depth. It could also improve his stock leading up to the March trade deadline if the Penguins are out of playoff contention by then.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Brian Dumoulin requested a trade from the Seattle Kraken to an East Coast team over a month ago. Instead, they shipped the 32-year-old defenseman to the Anaheim Ducks in a cost-cutting move.

Dumoulin said he’s excited about the opportunity to join an up-and-coming team. He’s promising to work hard for his new club even if the situation he finds himself in isn’t what he wanted.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dumoulin is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next July and carries a $3.15 million cap hit for this season and a 10-team no-trade list. A solid effort with the Ducks could draw interest from playoff contenders looking for experienced blueline depth at the March trade deadline.

TSN: Maxime Comtois signed a one-year contract with KHL club Dynamo Moscow. The 25-year-old forward spent most of last season in the AHL. He spent the first five seasons of his NHL career with the Anaheim Ducks, scoring 38 goals and 49 assists in 210 career games with the Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Comtois was considered a promising left winger after scoring 16 goals and 33 points in 55 games during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season. However, injuries left him struggling to regain his form.

DAILY FACEOFF: Former NHL player Sheldon Kennedy said he supports Stan Bowman’s bid to return to the NHL.

The former Chicago Blackhawks general manager was suspended for three years by the NHL for his role in burying sexual assault allegations against video coach Bradley Aldrich by player Kyle Beach in 2009-10.

Kennedy, a victim of sexual assault by his former Junior coach, is the co-founder of Respect Group Inc., which helps to empower people to recognize and prevent bullying, abuse, harassment and discrimination.

In a statement, Kennedy said he established a relationship with Bowman after he reached out to learn more “about the issues of sexual abuse and the critical role of bystanders to confront and address maltreatment effectively.”

TSN’s Rick Westhead reports Kennedy believes Bowman has done the work to learn and improve since the scandal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kennedy’s endorsement could help Bowman in his efforts to resume his career as an NHL executive. If he doesn’t land another GM job he could end up in a front-office role as an assistant GM, scout or advisor.










List Of Notable NHL UFA Signings and Trades – July 1, 2024

by | Jul 1, 2024

List Of Notable NHL UFA Signings and Trades – July 1, 2024

NOTE: This list will be updated throughout the day as free-agent signings become official.

Edmonton Oilers sign Jeff Skinner to a one-year, $3 million contract. 

San Jose Sharks sign Alex Wennberg to a two-year deal with an average annual value of $5 million. 

Toronto Maple Leafs sign Oliver Ekman-Larsson to a four-year contract with an average annual value of $3.5 million. 

Edmonton Oilers signed Viktor Arvidsson to a two-year contract with an AAV of $4 million. 

New Jersey Devils signed Brenden Dillon to a three-year deal with an AAV of $4 million. 

Dallas Stars sign Matt Dumba to a two-year contract with an AAV of $3.75 million. 

Carolina Hurricanes sign Sean Walker to a five-year contract with an average annual value of $3.6 million. 

Nashville Predators re-sign Alexandre Carrier to a three-year deal with an average annual value of $3.75 million.

Los Angeles Kings sign Warren Foegele to a three-year deal with an AAV of $3.5 million. 

San Jose Sharks sign Tyler Toffoli to a four-year contract with an average annual value of $6 million. 

The New York Rangers acquire Reilly Smith from the Pittsburgh Penguins for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2025 fifth-rounder. The Penguins also retain 25 percent of Smith’s $5 million cap hit for 2024-25. 

New Jersey Devils sign Brett Pesce to a six-year deal with an average annual value of $5.5 million.

New York Islanders sign Anthony Duclair to a four-year contract with an AAV of $3.5 million. 

Chicago Blackhawks sign Teuvo Teravainen to a three-year contract with an average annual value of $5.4 million.

Calgary Flames sign Anthony Mantha to a one-year contract worth $3.5 million. 

Seattle Kraken signed Chandler Stephenson to a seven-year contract worth an average annual value of $6.25 million.

Ottawa Senators sign David Perron to a two-year deal with an AAV of $4 million.  

Buffalo Sabres sign Jason Zucker to a one-year contract worth $5 million. 

Nashville Predators sign Steven Stamkos to a four-year contract with an average annual value of $8 million. 

Seattle Kraken ink Brandon Montour to a seven-year contract with an AAV of $7.14 million

Boston Bruins sign  Elias Lindholm to a seven-year contract with an AAV of $7.75 million. 

Boston Bruins sign Nikita Zadorov to a six-year deal with an average annual value of $5 million. 

Nashville Predators sign Jonathan Marchessault to a five-year contract with an average annual value of $5.5 million. 

Nashville Predators sign Brady Skjei to a seven-year contract with an AAV of $7 million. 

Vancouver Canucks sign Jake DeBrusk to a seven-year deal with an AAV of $5.5 million

Columbus Blue Jackets ink Sean Monahan to a five-year contract with an AAV of $5.5 million

Washington Capitals acquire defenseman Jakob Chychrun from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for defenseman Nick Jensen and a 2026 third-round pick. 

Florida Panthers re-sign Sam Reinhart to an eight-year deal with an average annual value of $8.63 million.

Tampa Bay Lightning sign Jake Guentzel to a seven-year contract with an average annual value of $9 million

Detroit Red Wings re-sign Patrick Kane to a one-year contract with a base salary of $4 million and $2.5 million in bonuses.

Chicago Blackhawks sign Tyler Bertuzzi to a four-year deal with an AAV of $5.5 million.

Toronto Maple Leafs sign Chris Tanev to a six-year contract with an AAV of $4.5 million

Toronto Maple Leafs sign Max Domi to a four-year deal with an AAV of $3.75 million.

Dallas Stars re-sign Matt Duchene to a one-year, $3 million contract.










Sean Monahan To The Winnipeg Jets

by | Feb 2, 2024

Sean Monahan To The Winnipeg Jets

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun and Darren Dreger report the Montreal Canadiens are trading Sean Monahan to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for a first-round pick and a conditional pick pending trade call. 

NHL.COM: Trade confirmed. Monahan to the Jets in exchange for the Jets’ 2024 first-round pick and a conditional third-round pick in 2027. 

Montreal Canadiens trade center Sean Monahan to the Winnipeg Jets. (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: TSN’s John Lu reports the Jets are shoring up their depth at center with Mark Scheifele currently sidelined by a lower-body injury. They went 2-3-1 during his absence before the All-Star Break. 

This is an affordable addition for the Jets, who were jockeying for first overall before Scheifele was injured. The 29-year-old Monahan carries a $1.95 million salary for this season. He is enjoying a bounce-back performance after missing most of last season due to lower-body injuries. He was third on the rebuilding Canadiens in scoring with 35 points in 49 games. He’ll slot into the second-line center position behind Scheifele. 

The Canadiens got a conditional 2025 first-round pick from the Calgary Flames in 2022 for taking on the remainder of Monahan’s former contract which carried a $6.35 million cap hit. This deal with the Jets means they now have two first-rounders in this year’s draft and two in 2025. That provides them the option of keeping those picks for themselves or using some of them as trade bait to bring in some established young talent. 

 










NHL Rumor Mill – February 2, 2024

by | Feb 2, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – February 2, 2024

The ongoing fallout of the Elias Lindholm deal on the trade market, plus the latest on the Predators and Blackhawks in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

FALLOUT FROM THE LINDHOLM TRADE

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports Sean Monahan of the Montreal Canadiens moves to the top of the list of available centers who are pending unrestricted free agents heading toward the March 8 trade deadline.

Montreal Canadiens center Sean Monahan (NHL Images).

He believes the Winnipeg Jets and Colorado Avalanche want to add a second-line center. The Boston Bruins and New York Rangers also make sense as destinations for Monahan.

The Anaheim Ducks’ Adam Henrique is probably next on that list. LeBrun also wondered if Scott Laughton could end up on this list if the Philadelphia Flyers fall out of the playoff race. He cited colleague Darren Dreger reporting the Flyers are getting calls about Laughton, who has two years left on his contract with an annual cap hit of $3 million. While general manager Daniel Briere isn’t keen to move the 29-year-old center he’s willing to listen to offers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Monahan’s bounce-back performance this season and his affordable $1.9 million cap hit account for why he’s likely the top center in the trade market leading up to March 8. The Canadiens could even retain half of that cap hit but they’ll likely want a first-round pick and maybe a prospect or a promising young NHL player in return.

Laughton could be moved if someone pitches a significant offer to Briere, who isn’t deviating from his rebuilding plans despite his club sitting third in the Metropolitan Divison. As he said, however, he won’t make trades just for the sake of doing so. Briere indicated the trade market would determine what moves (if any) he’ll make.

LeBrun believes the Flames’ focus now shifts toward pending UFA defensemen Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev. He thinks they’re still trying to re-sign Hanifin but will have to fish or cut bait by March 8.

It’s more likely that Tanev gets moved by deadline day. The Flames’ asking price is believed to be a second-round pick plus another asset but a club could have him right now if they’re willing to part with a first-rounder.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: LeBrun believes the Flames are rebuilding on the fly rather than engaging in a full roster teardown. They could seek a young roster player for Hanifin as he has more value than Tanev.

LeBrun also wondered what effect Lindholm’s trade might have on Flames goalie Jacob Markstrom as the two are good friends. Markstrom is signed through 2025-26 with an AAV of $6 million and a no-movement clause. If he wants out, moving him might have to wait until the offseason.

LATEST ON THE PREDATORS

THE TENNESSEAN: Paul Skrbina doesn’t see the Nashville Predators parting with starting goaltender Juuse Saros by deadline day. They’re jockeying for a wild-card berth in the Western Conference and promising Yaroslav Askarov isn’t NHL-ready yet. The only way he thinks that could happen is if a desperate general manager is willing to overpay to get him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Somebody could pitch Preds GM Barry Trotz an offer too good to refuse but I don’t think anyone’s going to do that by the trade deadline. Maybe in the offseason if Saros’ contract extension talks get difficult.

Skrbina expects Tyson Barrie to be the more likely candidate following his recent public trade request. Pending free agents such as Tommy Novak, Yakov Trenin, Alexandre Carrier and Kevin Lankinen and pending restricted free agent Dante Fabbro could also become trade bait.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Not all of those pending free agents could hit the trade block. In Fabbro’s case, Trotz doesn’t have to move him by March 8 as he could wait for the offseason to gauge his market value if he doesn’t have a long-term future in Nashville.

SHOULD THE BLACKHAWKS LOOK INTO ACQUIRING KAKKO?

CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: Nate Brown noted a recent report indicating the New York Rangers are taking calls on winger Kaapo Kakko and wondered if the Blackhawks should look into it if they haven’t already done so.

Kaapo, 22, could be an affordable acquisition and he still has time to reach his potential. However, Brown noted that the young Rangers winger has had ample opportunity to do so and hasn’t reached it yet. He also noted the Blackhawks are dealing with a struggling young winger of their own in Lukas Reichel.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blackhawks already have enough promising youngsters on their club and within their system. They need more established young talent to help their rebuild and provide some much-needed depth around budding superstar Connor Bedard.










NHL Rumor Mill – February 1, 2024

by | Feb 1, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – February 1, 2024

With Elias Lindholm off the trade market, check out the latest on Jake Guentzel and Sean Monahan plus updates on the Bruins and Sabres in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE LATEST PENGUINS’ SPECULATION

THE ATHLETIC: Josh Yohe believes Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas would like to re-sign Jake Guentzel. The 29-year-old winger is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. It could depend on Guentzel’s willingness to sign what Yohe called a “somewhat team-friendly deal.”

Yohe believes Dubas isn’t afraid to trade Guentzel if a new deal isn’t possible. He won’t let the winger walk away for nothing this summer. Nevertheless, the Penguins GM would love to sign him for the right price.

Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jake Guentzel (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Guentzel’s cap hit on his current contract is $6 million. With the salary cap projected to jump by $4.2 million for 2024-25, he could get between $9 million and $10 million annually on the open market.

My guess is Dubas’ number is between $7.5 million and $8 million per season. It would then come down to how much Guentzel wants to stay and remain Sidney Crosby’s wingman.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Dan Kingerski noted the Penguins have a couple of holes to fix among their middle-six forwards. He wondered if Dubas would attempt to move struggling winger Reilly Smith and his $5.5 million annual cap hit through next season to make room for another solution in a similar role.

Kingerski’s suggested trade targets include Ottawa Senators right wing Vladimir Tarasenko, Buffalo Sabres winger Victor Olofsson, and former Penguins winger Jason Zucker of the Arizona Coyotes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The 32-year-old Smith’s production is well down this season with just eight goals and 20 points in 40 games. He has a 10-team no-trade list for this season which becomes an eight-team list next season.

Smith might not be willing to move to a rebuilding team, though the Coyotes are showing signs of a potential breakthrough as a playoff contender this season. Whether the Coyotes would want him, however, is another matter.

UPDATE ON THE CANADIENS

SPORTSNET: In his Jan. 30 mailbag, Eric Engels was asked if the Montreal Canadiens will trade Sean Monahan and if so what type of return he might fetch.

Engels believes it would take a first-round pick for Canadiens GM Kent Hughes to part with Monahan. As for when Hughes can expect to receive serious offers for the 29-year-old center. Engels expects talks in the trade market will pick up following the All-Star break.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those discussions could start now after the Lindholm trade yesterday. That was the first domino to drop. Trade activity won’t take place during the All-Star break because the league doesn’t want anything to overshadow that.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the next big move takes place soon after the end of the All-Star weekend. Teams that were interested in Lindholm could shift their focus toward Monahan and that could drive up his trade value.

WILL THE SABRES BECOME SELLERS?

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Michael Augello noted that the Buffalo Sabres have six pending unrestricted free agents (Victor Olofsson, Kyle Okposo, Zemgus Girgensons, Eric Robinson, Eric Comrie and Erik Johnson) who could become trade bait leading up to the March 8 deadline. However, he doesn’t expect they’ll fetch big rewards for the Sabres.

Augello also noted some recent speculation suggesting the Sabres could trade forward Casey Mittelstadt. He carries an affordable $2.5 million cap hit and is eligible for restricted free-agent status this summer. However, that might be a move that Sabres management can hold off on until this summer.

BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: Jason Moser recently noted the speculation about David Jiricek’s future with the Columbus Blue Jackets after the rookie defenseman expressed frustration over being demoted to their AHL affiliate.

Moser thinks it could be worthwhile for the Sabres to look into acquiring Jiricek if he’s available. He thinks offering up a top prospect forward such as Matthew Savoie, Noah Ostlund, Jiri Kulich or Isak Rosen would make sense.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres playoff hopes appear dashed for another season. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Sabres peddled some of those pending UFAs for middle or low-range draft picks and prospects that could be used as trade bait in the offseason.

They could move Mittelstadt but that could depend on how his contract talks go. If it appears he could be headed to arbitration they might shop him during the draft in June for a skilled defenseman or an established starting goalie.

As for Jiricek, he hasn’t asked to be traded and I doubt that the Blue Jackets want to move him given his potential as a top-pairing blueliner. If he did become available, however, the Sabres possess the depth in promising young assets to make a competitive offer.

WHAT MUST THE BRUINS ADDRESS BEFORE THE TRADE DEADLINE?

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: Nick Goss ranked the Bruins biggest needs to address as the trade deadline approaches.

Acquiring a physical veteran defenseman who can clear the front of the net, kill penalties and play tough minutes against quality opponents. is the top priority. Adding a middle-six forward with a decent scoring touch could also help.










NHL Rumor Mill – January 29, 2024

by | Jan 29, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – January 29, 2024

Which players could the Rangers target as a possible replacement for Filip Chytil? What’s the latest on Vladimir Tarasenko? Will the Predators be busy in the trade market? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

POSSIBLE REPLACEMENTS FOR CHYTIL

NEW YORK POST: Before Sunday’s news that Filip Chytil is out for the rest of the season with a suspected concussion, Larry Brooks wondered which players the Rangers might target as a possible replacement for the sidelined center.

The Rangers need a third-line center behind Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck. Brooks believes they will operate with the cap space freed up by placing Chytil and his $4.4 million cap hit on long-term injury reserve.

Brooks listed the Anaheim Ducks’ Adam Henrique and Montreal Canadiens’ Sean Monahan as the most prominent trade candidates. The 33-year-old Henrique carries a $5.85 million cap hit that the Ducks would have to retain half, likely driving up their asking price. Monahan, 29, has a $1.985 million cap hit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Elliotte Friedman touched on this during his Saturday Headlines segment on Hockey Night in Canada. He felt a trade sending Monahan to the Rangers wouldn’t be easy. He said there’s no love lost between the front offices of the two clubs as former Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton is now the Canadiens executive VP of hockey operations.

Ottawa Senators winger Vladimir Tarasenko (NHL Images).

Monahan is younger and carries a much more affordable cap hit but he does have a recent history of injuries. The Canadiens could seek a first-round pick in return for Monahan while the Ducks could seek the same for Henrique.

LATEST ON TARASENKO

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reported on Friday that Senators GM Steve Staios must determine what’s next for Vladimir Tarasenko. The 32-year-old right wing is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

On Wednesday, Staios told reporters that he hadn’t approached Tarasenko about waiving his no-trade clause. Nevertheless, both sides understand the reality of the situation.

The Senators GM said the winger has made a good impression with the Sens and hinted at re-signing him. However, Garrioch pointed out that the Senators need more assets (draft picks or prospects) and Tarasenko could fetch some of those in a trade.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Garrioch also indicated that there were scouts from Washington, Detroit, St. Louis and Arizona at Thursday’s game against the Boston Bruins. They may have been there to look at Tarasenko and other Ottawa players but it’s worth noting that the Capitals, Red Wings and Coyotes will play the Senators within the next four weeks.

Tarasenko will certainly draw attention over the next month as the trade deadline approaches. He won a Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019 and has a proven record in postseason play with 44 goals and 64 points in 97 contests. The veteran winger has 32 points in 43 games with the Senators this season.

PREDATORS COULD BE ACTIVE BEFORE THE TRADE DEADLINE

NASHVILLE HOCKEY NOW: Michael Gallagher recently reported Predators GM Barry Trotz spent time phoning different general managers during the club’s recent road trip. He said that he’d be ready to do something but the others couldn’t because of limited salary-cap space.

Trotz believes his team will be able to do “a couple of things” at the March 8 trade deadline. Gallagher noted he’s been trying to move defenseman Tyson Barrie but hasn’t been able to make the dollars work yet because the interested parties lack cap room.

Predators backup goalie Kevin Lankinen has drawn interest but he’ll fetch a draft pick or two rather than a player who can help the Predators now. There were rumblings earlier this season that blueliner Dante Fabbro was available but those have since died away

Trotz hasn’t made up his mind if he’ll be a buyer or seller but suggested his club’s performance in the coming weeks would determine his decision.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Barrie is the most likely to be moved given his public trade request, which didn’t sit well with Trotz. However, I don’t think he’ll fetch much more than Lankinen.