NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 20, 2025

by | Feb 20, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 20, 2025

The latest 4 Nations Face-Off news on the eve of the championship game, updates on notable sidelined players as NHL teams prepare for the resumption of the schedule, and much more in today’s Morning Coffee Headlines.

4 NATIONS FACE-OFF NEWS

NHL.COM: The 4 Nations Face-Off championship game between Canada and the United States begins at 8 PM ET on Thursday, Feb. 20 at Boston’s TD Garden. The United States defeated Canada 3-1 during their round-robin game last Saturday at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

TSN: Team USA and Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy remains in a Boston hospital after undergoing “an irrigation and debridement procedure” stemming from an infection in his right shoulder. He is listed as week-to-week.

Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy (NHL Images).

McAvoy missed the Americans’ 2-1 loss to Sweden on Monday with an upper-body injury suffered earlier in the tournament and was ruled out of Thursday’s championship game. He is being treated with antibiotics and his condition is reportedly improving.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the Bruins weren’t pleased with how McAvoy’s condition was handled by Team USA, claiming they felt the blueliner didn’t receive the proper care.

Friedman said McAvoy suffered the injury during Team USA’s game against Finland when he was driven into a goalpost by Finnish forward Joel Armia. An initial diagnosis of the injury may not have revealed the full severity.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins were jockeying for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference when the schedule was paused for the 4 Nations tournament. Losing their top defenseman for several weeks could derail their playoff hopes.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes received medical clearance to return to practice but not to resume playing. He won’t be traveling to Boston to join Team USA in case another defenseman becomes sidelined before Thursday’s championship game.

An injured oblique muscle sidelined Hughes for four games before the 4 Nations tournament. He was in a non-contact jersey for the second straight day as he practiced with his Canucks teammates.

DAILY FACEOFF: Team USA invited New Jersey Devils defenseman Brett Pesce and Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson to travel to Boston and serve as potential illness or injury replacements ahead of Thursday’s championship game.

SPORTSNET: Matthew Tkachuk and Auston Matthews practiced with Team USA on Wednesday but Brady Tkachuk was absent with an illness.

The trio were sidelined from Monday’s game against Sweden. Team USA head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters on Tuesday that he expected all three to be in the lineup for Thursday’s game against Canada.

NHL.COM: Canadian goaltender Jordan Binnington will get the start against Team USA in Thursday’s championship game. He’s played in every game for Canada and is the only goalie in this tournament to play a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Final. In 2019, Binnington backstopped the St. Louis Blues to the Cup against the Bruins in Boston’s TD Garden.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fans and pundits have criticized Binnington’s performance but he has the steadfast support of his teammates and Team Canada coach Jon Cooper. A win in the championship game should silence his critics.

HEADLINES

TSN: Evgeni Malkin told The Athletic’s Rob Rossi that he has no plans of playing anywhere except Pittsburgh, ending speculation he could return to Russia to finish his playing career in the KHL.

“I retire with Pittsburgh,” said Malkin. “The Penguins are my team. I love this team. When I retire it’s here.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Malkin’s comments put to rest any talk of him waiving his no-movement clause to accept a trade to another NHL club. The 38-year-old center has one season left on his contract with a full no-movement clause.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (upper-body injury) resumed practicing with his teammates on Wednesday. The club intends to ease him back into action.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs winger Max Pacioretty left practice on Wednesday after tweaking something during pre-practice drills. Leafs head coach Craig Berube said the injury is not believed to be serious but they’ll learn more after Pacioretty is reevaluated on Thursday.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson (lower-body injury)was in a full-contact jersey during practice on Tuesday but didn’t partake in any drills. He was placed on long-term injury reserve on Jan. 20. The earliest he could return to action is next Tuesday against the New York Rangers.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning defenseman J.J. Moser expects to return to action on Sunday against the Seattle Kraken. He’s been sidelined since Dec. 12 with a lower-body injury.

DAILY FACEOFF: Utah Hockey Club goaltender Karel Vejmelka’s status for Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings is uncertain as he deals with an illness. Center Logan Cooley’s status (lower body) has improved to day-to-day.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Alex Wennberg (upper body) and Nico Sturm (right ankle) could be ready for Saturday’s game against the Calgary Flames.

THE SCORE: ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports the NHL recently met with a group interested in bringing an expansion franchise to New Orleans.

Prospective ownership groups from Atlanta and Houston have also expressed interest in landing NHL expansion franchises.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman recently said expansion wasn’t a “front-burner issue” but the league is expected to add two more franchises before the end of the decade.

ASSOCIATED PRESS: NHL Hall-of-Famer Bobby Hull had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) when he died two years ago, his widow said in a statement released on Wednesday.

Researchers at Boston University’s CTE Center found that Hull had stage 2 CTE when he died in 2023 at age 84. He suffered short-term memory loss and impaired judgment during the final decade of his life. He chose to donate his brain for research after seeing former teammate and fellow Hall-of-Famer Stan Mikita decline during the final years of his life.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hull and Mikita suffered repeated blows to the head during their careers. Mikita became one of the first NHL players to don a helmet in Dec. 1967 after an errant shot tore off a piece of his ear, which was later stitched back on.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Former Penguins broadcaster Mike Lange died Wednesday at age 76. He was the voice of the Penguins beginning in 1974-75, leaving after that season but resuming his duties in 1976-77 on television and radio until health issues forced him to step down in 2021.

Lange gained widespread recognition for his colorful play-by-play and unique catch-phrases, including “Scratch my back with a hacksaw”, “Buy Sam a drink and get his dog one, too,” and, after every Penguins victory, “Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has just left the building.” He received the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Foster Hewitt Award in 2001.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I first became aware of Lange during the Penguins’ back-to-back Stanley Cup runs in the early 1990s, enjoying his unique, entertaining play-by-play. He narrated the franchise’s greatest highs and lowest lows in a style that will never be equaled – my condolences to his family, friends, and the Penguins organization.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 20, 2024

by | Dec 20, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 20, 2024

Recaps of Thursday’s games, Rangers GM Chris Drury meets with his team to clear the air following two recent trades, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins forwards Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust each had four points in a 5-4 win over the Nashville Predators. Rust scored twice (including the winner in overtime) and Crosby snapped a 10-game goal drought as the Penguins (35 points) remain one point behind the Ottawa Senators for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot. Filip Forsberg and Brady Skjei each had two points for the Predators, who remain at the bottom of the overall standings with 25 points.

Pittsburgh Penguins winger Bryan Rust (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Predators placed captain Roman Josi on injured reserve and activated blueliner Jeremy Lauzon for this game. Josi is expected to be sidelined for at least one week.

Meanwhile, the Senators got an overtime goal by Brady Tkachuk to defeat the Calgary Flames 3-2. Goaltender Linus Ullmark turned aside 29 shots for his seventh straight win as the Senators have won five straight games. Blake Coleman and Jonathan Huberdeau scored for the Flames (37 points) as they remain one point behind the Colorado Avalanche for the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

The Avalanche netted three unanswered third-period goals to double up the San Jose Sharks 4-2. Joel Kiviranta tallied the winning and insurance goals and Mackenzie Blackwood made 32 saves in his first game against his former club. Luke Kunin had two assists for the Sharks.

Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins kicked out 40 shots to backstop his club over the New Jersey Devils 4-2, ending the latter’s three-game win streak. Sean Monahan had two goals and an assist for the Jackets as they snapped a five-game losing skid. Luke Hughes and Timo Meier replied for the Devils, who remain in first place in the Eastern Conference with 45 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils forward Jack Hughes fired a career-high 13 shots on Merzlikins, who robbed him of two sure goals with spectacular saves. That effort earned Hughes the praise of Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe, calling his effort “outstanding”.

Los Angeles Kings forwards Anze Kopitar and Kevin Fiala each tallied twice in a 7-3 romp over the Philadelphia Flyers. The Kings (42 points) have won eight of their last 10 games (8-1-1) and sit three points behind the first-place Vegas Golden Knights in the Pacific Division. Tyson Foerster scored two goals and collected an assist for the slumping Flyers as they’ve dropped three straight.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers head coach John Tortorella made Cam York a healthy scratch, saying the 23-year-old defenseman has struggled in his last 12 games since returning from an upper-body injury on Nov. 23.

Speaking of the Golden Knights, William Karlsson snapped a 1-1 tie in the third period as they defeated the Vancouver Canucks 3-1. Brett Howden had a goal and an assist as Vegas has won six of their last seven contests. Teddy Blueger replied for the Canucks, who’ve won two of their last seven games (2-3-2).

The Edmonton Oilers overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Boston Bruins 3-2 on an overtime goal by Mattias Ekholm. Zach Hyman and Connor McDavid scored in the third period to set the stage for Ekholm’s heroics in OT as the Oilers have won six of their last seven games and 10 of their last 13. Elias Lindholm and Mark Kastelic tallied for the Bruins, who hold the first Eastern wild-card spot with 38 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers winger Viktor Arvidsson returned to the lineup after missing 15 games with an undisclosed injury. Meanwhile, the Bruins placed forward Tyler Johnson on unconditional waivers to terminate his contract. The 34-year-old center signed a one-year contract on Nov. 3 but appeared in nine games, collecting two points.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov collected two assists to extend his points streak to nine games in a 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 31 shots and Gage Goncalves tallied his first NHL goal as the Lightning won their fourth straight game. Pavel Buchnevich replied for the Blues as they’ve dropped four of their last five (1-3-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning played without defenseman J.J. Moser as he’ll be sidelined for eight to 10 weeks with a lower-body injury. An illness forced Blues rearguard Philip Broberg to be sidelined for this game.

The Chicago Blackhawks picked up their third straight win by downing the Seattle Kraken 3-1. Ilya Mikheyev scored twice and Nolan Allan got his first-ever NHL goal. Ryker Evans replied for the Kraken.

HEADLINES

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The NHL holiday roster freeze is in effect from Dec.20 to 12:01 am on Dec. 28.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury addressed the entire team for the first time before their practice on Thursday. Afterward, the club engaged in a fun, energetic session that concluded with a full-team shootout game.

Following practice, Rangers forward Vincent Trocheck met with the media to deny a report claiming a recent players-only meeting was to criticize Drury. “That could not be further from the truth,” he said. “When we have closed-door meetings in here, it’s about us. It’s about what we can do.”

The Rangers have been the hot topic of speculation among pundits and fans in recent weeks following their slide in the standings and Drury’s league-wide memo last month indicating he was willing to entertain trade offers for certain players.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jacob Trouba was on Drury’s list and was shipped to the Anaheim Ducks on Dec. 6. Winger Kaapo Kakko was traded to Seattle on Wednesday but it’s not known if he was also on that list.

The report indicated a lighthearted mood among the players during practice following their meeting with Drury. Whether this marks the moment the Rangers snap out of their funk remains to be seen.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: The Islanders placed goaltender Semyon Varlamov on long-term injury reserve, potentially clearing the way for sidelined winger Anthony Duclair’s return on Saturday.

SPORTSNET: Buffalo Sabres winger Jordan Greenway will be sidelined long-term following surgery for a middle-body injury. There is no timetable for his return but head coach Lindy Ruff expects he’ll be back later this season.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings sent goaltender Ville Husso to their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids. The move suggests sidelined netminder Cam Talbot will soon return to action.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Minnesota Wild placed forward Yakov Trenin (upper body) on injured reserve.










NHL Rumor Mill – December 3, 2024

by | Dec 3, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – December 3, 2024

Check out the latest on the Oilers, Panthers and Hurricanes in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

HOW WILL THE OILERS IMPROVE THEIR BLUELINE?

THE ATHLETIC: Allan Mitchell cited Edmonton Oilers general manager Stan Bowman saying he’d like to add a defenseman later this season during a recent interview with Daniel Nugent-Bowman.

Mitchell suggested Henri Jokiharju of the Buffalo Sabres and J.J. Moser of the Tampa Bay Lightning as trade options.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jokiharju might be available if the Sabres are out of playoff contention at the March 7 trade deadline. He’s eligible to become an unrestricted free agent in July.

Moser isn’t going anywhere. He’s signed through next season with an average annual value of $3.375 million and currently skates alongside Victor Hedman on the Lightning’s top defense pairing.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: A reader asked Jim Matheson if there was anything to the speculation suggesting Montreal Canadiens defenseman David Savard could land with the Oilers by the trade deadline.

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson (NHL Images).

Matheson believes the Oilers would prefer Savard’s teammate Mike Matheson, provided the Canadiens retained part of his $4.875 million AAV because he’s a better puckmover.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matheson has surfaced in the rumor mill as the Canadiens are once again among the bottom feeders in the standings. Habs GM Kent Hughes will want a a first-round pick or a top prospect as part of a package deal, especially if the inquiring team wants him to retain part of Matheson’s salary.

DAILY FACEOFF: Jason Gregor noted that Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen has frequently popped up in trade rumors. However, he’s torn on the big Finn because of his consistency with his decision-making. Gregor also mentioned Rasmus Andersson of the Calgary Flames, but considers the odds of the Oilers landing him are “pretty much zero.”

UPDATES ON THE PANTHERS AND HURRICANES

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports the Florida Panthers have had internal discussions about tweaking their blueline between now and the March 7 trade deadline. “They don’t have much cap space, so they’ll have to be creative.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Puckpedia shows the Panthers with $1.69 million in current cap space but could have over $5.4 million by March 7. That should provide sufficient wiggle room for GM Bill Zito to get creative in the trade market.

LeBrun reports the Carolina Hurricanes signing Dustin Tokarski on Monday doesn’t take them out of the goalie market. He believes they could act at any time if a goalie becomes available who slots ahead of Spencer Martin and Tokarski. They’ll also want to see how Frederik Andersen performs when he returns from his recent knee procedure.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There aren’t many options currently available which explains the signing of Tokarski. They’re fine with Pyotr Kochetkov as their starter but want to ensure they’ve got sufficient depth in case injuries strike again.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 12, 2024

by | Jul 12, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 12, 2024

Kyle Dubas talks about his biggest mistake as Leafs GM, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour talks about the recent departure of several key players, the latest notable contract signings, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

TORONTO SUN: In a new book by The Athletic’s Craig Custance, Kyle Dubas talked about his biggest mistake while general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The book is entitled “The Franchise: The Business Of Building Winning Teams.”

“The biggest mistake I think I’ve made in my whole time there has been not taking care of the three incumbent contracts,” said Dubas, referring to Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander coming off their entry-level deals. He felt they should’ve been signed to contract extensions on July 1 as they entered the final year of those ELCs.

Dubas also lamented not getting those contracts done before signing John Tavares as an unrestricted free agent in 2018.

Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas (NHL.com).

The article noted complications arose getting those three under contract. An unnamed team threatened to sign Nylander to an offer sheet, driving up his price and resulting in his two-month absence early in 2018-19. Marner, meanwhile, staged a brief training camp holdout in September 2019 before signing his deal. Matthews signed his contract midway through the 2018-19 campaign.

Dubas was criticized for his handling of those negotiations, and for signing Tavares to a seven-year deal in 2018 with an annual cap hit of $11 million. However, Darryl Belfry, who worked in the Leafs’ front office at that time, defended the former Leafs GM by pointing out how COVID-19 resulted in several years with a flattened salary cap.

“Kyle would never say it, but I will,” said Belfry. “You have a world shut down, it’s a flat cap for multiple years and you’re stuck holding the bag on a projection. You didn’t miscalculate, it was an act of nature that beat you.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I credit Dubas for admitting his mistake with his handling of those contracts for Matthews, Marner and Nylander. Belfry is also correct for pointing out how the flattened cap adversely affected the Leafs following those signings. No one could have predicted a global pandemic and its effects on the salary cap.

Nevertheless, I maintain that the Tavares signing was Dubas’ biggest mistake as Leafs GM. I said it when the rumors emerged leading up to the signing and I maintained that position afterward. They invested $11 million on a player they didn’t need.

Even if COVID hadn’t happened and the salary cap kept rising, the Tavares contract still would’ve been a drag on the Leafs’ cap payroll, hampering efforts to address the important roster needs.

The Leafs were the third-highest-scoring team in 2017-18 but needed to shore up their goaltending and defense, especially the right side of their blueline. The investment in Tavares should’ve been used to address those issues.

If no immediate solutions were available, they could’ve invested some of that $11 million in affordable short-term fixes while keeping the rest to use when better long-term options became available through trades or free agency.

THE SCORE: Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour said it was difficult watching several key players depart as free agents earlier this month. Trade deadline acquisition Jake Guentzel, defensemen Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce, and forwards Teuvo Teravainen and Stefan Noesen were among the notables who signed elsewhere.

Brind’Amour signed a contract extension in May. Since then, general manager Don Waddell stepped down and was replaced by Eric Tulsky. Meanwhile, trade rumors swirl about winger Martin Necas.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes replaced those departed players with blueliners Shayne Gostisbehere and Sean Walker and forwards such as Jack Roslovic and William Carrier. Still, the effects of that roster turnover will be felt next season, especially on the blueline where Skjei and Pesce were their second pairing.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: The Lightning avoided arbitration with recently acquired defenseman J.J. Moser, signing him to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $3.38 million.

NHL.COM: The San Jose Sharks signed defenseman Ty Emberson to a one-year, $950K contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Moser and Emberson were among 14 players who filed for salary arbitration on July 5. That number shrank to 11 with blueliner Jake Christiansen inking a one-year, $775K deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday.

The arbitration period begins on July 20 and ends on Aug. 4.

TSN: The Utah Hockey Club signed Tij Iginla to an entry-level contract. Iginla was their first-round pick (sixth overall) in the 2024 draft. Tij is the son of Hall-of-Famer Jarome Iginla.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings signed Michael Brandsegg-Nygard to a three-year ELC. He was their first-round pick (15th overall) in this year’s draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Iginla, Brandsegg-Nygard and San Jose Sharks defenseman Sam Dickinson (11th overall) signed their ELCs this week, bringing the total thus far to 14.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Andrey Tarasenko, father of NHL winger Vladimir Tarasenko, died suddenly in Russia at age 56. Andrey was the developmental coach and trainer for KHL club HC Siber.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to the Tarasenko family and HC Siber.