NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 21, 2023

by | Jul 21, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 21, 2023

An update on Sebastian Aho’s contract talks, the latest on Brock Boeser and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, plus the latest contract signings and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Carolina Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell said the club is closing in on a contract extension with Sebastian Aho. The 25-year-old center is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next July. He’s in the final season of a five-year contract with an average annual value of $8.454 million.

Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho (NHL Images)

“We’re working on it, getting close,” said Waddell. The Hurricanes GM indicated the two sides are talking “almost daily”, adding that he remains hopeful of reaching an agreement “in the next week or so.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This shouldn’t come as a surprise. There’s no way the Hurricanes are going to let their best offensive player walk away next summer.

Aho is a key reason why the Canes are a Stanley Cup contender this season. He could be in line for a maximum eight-year contract worth an AAV between $9.5 million and $10 million.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser is working out with a new trainer this summer in the hope of reaching peak fitness for this season. The 26-year-old winger’s performance improved after Rick Tocchet took over as head coach. There’s reason for optimism if Boeser can also avoid injuries.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A healthy, productive Boeser will be a crucial part of the Canucks playoff aspirations in 2023-24.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Oliver Ekman-Larsson is looking forward to a bounce-back performance with the Panthers after being bought out of his contract by the Canucks last month. The 32-year-old defenseman admitted a broken foot suffered during the 2022 IIHF World Championship adversely affected his offseason training last summer and contributed to his poor performance in 2022-23.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ekman-Larsson’s performance has been in decline for several years but it really fell off last season. Perhaps a healthier offseason with a new club will lead to some improvement. Having signed a one-year, $2.25 million contract, he’s an affordable gamble for the Panthers.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs hired Guy Boucher and Mike Van Ryn as assistant coaches. Boucher will work with the power play while Van Ryn is expected to help with the defense.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The additions of Boucher and Van Ryn prompted questions about head coach Sheldon Keefe’s future with the Leafs. He has a year remaining on his contract but remains unconcerned about his status. “The other stuff will work itself out over time,” said Keefe.

WASHINGTON HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of hiring assistant coaches, the Capitals have brought in Kirk Muller and Kenny McCudden. Muller spent the past two seasons as an associate coach with the Calgary Flames while McCudden is coming off an eight-year tenure with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

TSN: The Dallas Stars have added former goaltender Ben Bishop as a player development coordinator. His main focus will be working with players from their AHL affiliate as well as prospects from Junior A and the NCAA.

TSN: The Chicago Blackhawks and forward Philipp Kurashev await an arbiter’s decision after entering his scheduled hearing yesterday without a deal. The decision will come within 48 hours.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As per the 2020 memorandum of understanding (MOU) extending the collective bargaining agreement, negotiations cannot continue between the team and the player once the arbitration hearing has begun.

TRIBLIVE.COM: Former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Derek Grant has signed with the ZSC Lions in Switzerland’s National League. Grant, 33, has 132 points in 427 NHL games with the Penguins, Ottawa Senators, Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres, Nashville Predators, Anaheim Ducks and Philadelphia Flyers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 11, 2021

by | Jun 11, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 11, 2021

The Golden Knights advance to the semifinals, the Hart Trophy finalists are revealed, the Blue Jackets hire a new head coach and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: The Vegas Golden Knights are heading to the semifinals of the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs after eliminating the Colorado Avalanche with a 6-3 victory in Game 6 of their second-round series. Alex Pietrangelo snapped a 3-3 tie late in the second period with what proved to be the winning goal, with William Carrier and Max Pacioretty putting the game away in the third period. Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar missed practice due to an irregularity in his COVID-19 test result but was cleared to be behind the bench for Game 6.

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex PIetrangelo (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights’ depth made the difference as they overcame a 2-0 series deficit with four straight victories. They were built for the heavy going of playoff action and it showed as this series progressed. The speedy Avs were outstanding during the regular season and made short work of the struggling St. Louis Blues but they couldn’t match the Golden Knights’ grinding physical style.

The Stanley Cup Semifinals schedule indicates the Golden Knights will face the Montreal Canadiens beginning Monday, June 14 in Las Vegas. The Tampa Bay Lightning will square off against the New York Islanders on Sunday, June 13 in Tampa Bay.

Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews, and Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid are this year’s finalists for the Hart Memorial Trophy.

THE ATHLETIC: Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Dougie Hamilton had some choice words for the Tampa Bay Lightning in his end-of-season press conference on Thursday. “We lost to a team that was $18 million over the cap or whatever they are,” he said. Hamilton’s Hurricanes were eliminated by the Lightning from the second round in five games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hamilton wasn’t far off in that assessment as Cap Friendly shows the Lightning used $17.3 million in long-term injury reserve this season, in part because top-line right winger Nikita Kucherov ($9.5 million) missed the entire regular season recovering from hip surgery. That gave Bolts management sufficient cap relief to maintain their roster, including the addition of defenseman David Savard at the trade deadline.

Critics accused the Lightning of gaming the system but what they did is allowable under the collective bargaining agreement. As long as a team can prove to the league that a player cannot play during the regular season for medical reasons, they’re allowed to keep them on LTIR until the playoffs, when the cap no longer applies. That rule is applicable for all NHL teams.

TSN: The Columbus Blue Jackets announced Brad Larsen has been named their new head coach. He spent the past seven years with the club as an assistant coach.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Interesting move by the Jackets in promoting from within rather than looking outside their organization for a new bench boss. His familiarity with the players and the team could make for a smooth transition as the Jackets prepare for what could be a roster rebuild after several notable players departed via trades and free agency in recent years.

CALGARY SUN: The Flames hired Kirk Muller as an associate coach. Muller held the same title with the Montreal Canadiens until relieved of his duties in February.

TRIBLIVE.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Casey DeSmith underwent core-muscle surgery on Thursday. His recovery time is expected to be six to eight weeks

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks winger Jake Virtanen has denied allegations he sexually assaulted a woman in 2017.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers signed forward Devin Shore to a two-year contract extension on Wednesday worth $1.7 million. The annual average value is $850K. On Thursday, forward Gaetan Haas signed a five-year deal with EHC Biel in Switzerland. He spent the past two seasons with the Oilers.