NHL Rumor Mill – December 17, 2022

by | Dec 17, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – December 17, 2022

Could the Leafs’ William Nylander end up pricing himself out of Toronto? What’s the latest on the Blue Jackets? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

NYLANDER COULD PROVE TOO EXPENSIVE FOR THE LEAFS TO RE-SIGN

TORONTO STAR/THE ATHLETIC: Nick Kypreos and Jonas Siegel recently examined the effect that William Nylander’s ongoing improvement will have on the Maple Leafs’ efforts to re-sign him when his contract expires in 2024.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger William Nylander (NHL Images).

With 33 points in 31 games, the 26-year-old winger is on pace to exceed last season’s career-best performance of 34 goals and 80 points. His current average annual value is over $6.96 million and he’ll be eligible for unrestricted free-agent status in July 2024. The Leafs can open contract extension talks on July 1, 2023.

Kypreos noted comparable wingers like the Nashville Predators’ Filip Forsberg and the New York Rangers’ Artemi Panarin earn between $8 million and $11.6 million annually on long-term contracts. Siegel included the Vancouver Canucks’ J.T. Miller ($8 million annually), the Calgary Flames Jonathan Huberdeau ($10.5 million) and the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Johnny Gaudreau ($9.75 million) on his list of comparables.

Both pundits believe Nylander’s next contract will also be affected by how much Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak gets on his new deal next summer.

Siegel feels Nylander is making his case as an essential part of the Leafs’ roster now and in the future. Kypreos points out that Auston Matthews is due for a new contract at the same time and will likely get between $14.5 million and $15 million annually. He feels Nylander could be in line for north of $10 million annually. If the Leafs believe they can’t afford that, he thinks they could trade him before July 2024.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nylander isn’t going anywhere this season, of course. He’s invaluable to the Leafs’ hopes of finally staging a run at the Stanley Cup. Nevertheless, he’s going to be an expensive re-signing. Like Matthews, his future in Toronto will become a hot topic in Leafs Nation starting on July 1.

Nylander and Matthews could take up a combined $25 million of cap space starting in 2024-25. Even with the salary cap expected to rise to $88 million by that season, that’s still a big chunk of change, especially when the Leafs also have $31.5 million already invested in that season.

Kypreos and Siegel mentioned the possibility of Nylander coming in at between $8-$9 million annually on his next contract. However, they both acknowledge it could be much higher than that. Considering he settled for $6.9 million annually on his current contract, you can bet his camp won’t settle for anything less than market value, which will likely be at least $10 million annually.

LATEST ON THE BLUE JACKETS

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Brian Hedger believes the struggling Blue Jackets could become popular at the March 3 trade deadline. He speculated there is potential for general manager Jarmo Kekalainen to make multiple deals involving established players for draft picks and/or prospects.

THE ATHLETIC: Aaron Portzline noted that Blue Jackets pending unrestricted free agents like Vladislav Gavrikov, Gustav Nyquist and Joonas Korpisalo could draw interest in the trade market.

Portzline believes re-signing Gavrikov should be the Blue Jackets’ priority. If that’s not possible, he thinks the 27-year-old defenseman could fetch a late first-round draft pick from a playoff contender.

He also believes they should keep Nyquist around if he’s willing to accept a pay cut. Otherwise, they might be able to get a second-rounder for him in the trade market. Korpisalo could bring in a second or third-round pick depending on his performance between now and deadline day.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gavrikov’s solid all-around game will make him an enticing trade chip if the Blue Jackets decide to move him. They shouldn’t have much difficulty finding a playoff club willing to part with a first-rounder.

The Edmonton Oilers could be among the suitors. Portzline’s colleague Daniel Nugent-Bowman noted that the Anaheim Ducks’ John Klingberg and the Montreal Canadiens’ Joel Edmundson have been linked to the Oilers in the rumor mill. However, he believes Gavrikov would be a better option for them. Nugent-Bowman also thinks the Arizona Coyotes’ Jakob Chychrun would be a good fit.










NHL Rumor Mill – December 16, 2022

by | Dec 16, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – December 16, 2022

Check out the latest on Ryan O’Reilly, Bo Horvat, Brock Boeser, Jakob Chychrun, Patrick Kane, and more in today’s NHL rumor mill.

NOTE: The NHL’s annual holiday roster freeze begins at 11:59 pm ET on Monday, Dec. 19, 2022, and expires at 12:01 am ET on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022. 

THE ATHLETIC (subscription required): published the first installment of their 2022-23 NHL trade board featuring 25 potential trade candidates. Among the notable tidbits:

St. Louis Blues captain Ryan O’Reilly (NHL Images)

Pierre LeBrun believes the St. Louis Blues could start listening to offers in the new year for center Ryan O’Reilly. LeBrun thinks the Toronto Maple Leafs have talked internally about the Blues pending UFA captain. He also believes the Colorado Avalanche would be a sensible destination.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blues could listen to offers but I think they’d like to re-sign O’Reilly. There will be plenty of interest if he hits the trade block. Whether the Leafs can win a bidding war for his services is another matter. However, Vladimir Tarasenko seems the most likely to be dealt by the Blues, though his full no-trade clause gives him control over where he could go.

The Colorado Avalanche could be a fit for Bo Horvat if the Vancouver Canucks decide to trade their captain before the March 3 trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: TSN’s Darren Dreger believes the Canucks want to free up salary cap space if they move Horvat or winger Brock Boeser. However, they’d also like to add a young NHL centerman and a young NHL defenseman.

Speaking of Boeser, LeBrun claimed the Minnesota Wild have spoken to the Canucks about the 25-year-old winger. Cap space, however, is an issue and the Canucks don’t want to retain any salary. They could take back a contract in return but clearing maximum cap space in a Boeser trade is important to them.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In other words, they’ll take back a salary that is considerably less than Boeser’s $6.65 million average annual value on a contract that extends past this season. It’s also been previously reported that they might take on an expiring contract depending on what else is included in the return.

LeBrun considers the Ottawa Senators as the destination that makes the most sense to him for defenseman Jakob Chychrun. However, he’s not sure they’ll pay the Arizona Coyotes’ high asking price. He also wondered if the Los Angeles Kings might be a fit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chychrun continues playing well since his return from offseason wrist surgery with nine points in 11 games and a plus-minus of plus-five. Someone will step up before the trade deadline and meet the Coyotes’ asking price if he stays healthy and maintains that level of performance. Whether it’s the Senators or Kings remains to be seen.

The New York Rangers will have to improve if they hope to be an enticing destination for Patrick Kane, assuming the Chicago Blackhawks star agrees to be traded.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s also assuming the Rangers can afford the Blackhawks’ asking price. They’ll likely want at least a first-round pick plus a top prospect or a good young NHL player as part of the return.

Michael Russo reported there’s chatter the Edmonton Oilers could be interested in Anaheim Ducks defenseman John Klingberg.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Appearing on TSN’s “Insider Trading” on Thursday, Pierre LeBrun reported the Oilers have been internally discussing the merits of Klingberg and of Montreal Canadiens blueliner Joel Edmundson. He said the Canadiens aren’t looking to move Edmundson but could be willing to listen to offers.

Russo also believes the Florida Panthers don’t want to trade Anthony Duclair but might not have much choice if they can’t clear sufficient cap space for the winger’s return from a torn Achilles tendon.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 14, 2022

by | Dec 14, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 14, 2022

Alex Ovechkin tallies his 800th career goal, Mitch Marner’s point streak continues, notable news from the latest Board of Governors meetings, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin joined Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe in the NHL’s 800-goal club in a 7-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Ovechkin tallied a hat trick with the third goal reaching the milestone, finishing the night with four points as his Capitals improved to 15-12-4. Tyler Johnson scored for the Blackhawks (7-16-4) after missing 20 games with an ankle injury while teammate Petr Mrazek (23 saves) returned to the lineup after being sidelined for three games with a groin injury.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin was congratulated by Blackhawks stars Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews following the game. The Capitals superstar needs just two goals to surpass Howe (801) for second place on the all-time list. He’s currently 94 goals behind Gretzky.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner extended his points streak to 23 games by collecting two assists in a 7-0 drubbing of the Anaheim Ducks. Alex Kerfoot scored two goals, Conor Timmins and Pontus Holmberg each collected three assists and Ilya Samsonov had a 28-save shutout for the Leafs (19-5-6) as they’ve gone 12-0-3 over their last 15 games. Ducks goaltender John Gibson left the game in the second period with an undisclosed injury as his club fell to 7-20-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks forward Adam Henrique left in the first period after being struck in the face by a Mark Giordano shot but got stitched up and returned to finish the game.

The Edmonton Oilers rose to 17-13-0 on the season by defeating the Nashville Predators 6-3. Leon Draisaitl (five points), Connor McDavid (four points) and Zach Hyman (four points, including a hat trick) combined for 13 points, with McDavid extending his points streak to 10 games. Roman Josi collected two assists for the Predators, who drop to 12-12-3.

Shootout goals by Jake DeBrusk and David Pastrnak lifted the Boston Bruins over the New York Islanders by a score of 4-3. DeBrusk also scored twice and collected an assist in regulation as the Bruins (23-4-1, 47 points) open a three-point lead over the New Jersey Devils for first place in the overall standings. Noah Dobson and Josh Bailey each had a goal and an assist for the Islanders (17-12-1), who’ve dropped five of their last seven games.

Buffalo Sabres goaltender Craig Anderson made 40 saves to blank the Los Angeles Kings 6-0. Tage Thompson scored two goals and Dylan Cozens collected three assists for the Sabres (13-14-2) while the Kings drop to 15-12-5.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Anderson joined Hall-of-Famer Johnny Bower as just the second goaltender in NHL history with a 40-save shutout at age 41 or older.

The Dallas Stars improved to 17-8-5 with a 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils. Roope Hintz broke a 1-1 tie while Scott Wedgewood kicked out 35 shots. The Devils (21-6-2) have lost three games.

Vegas Golden Knights winger Jonathan Marchessault scored two straight power-play goals in the third period as his club held off the Winnipeg Jets 6-5. Chandler Stephenson collected four assists for the 21-9-1 Golden Knights as they hold a four-point lead (43 points) over the Stars for first place in the Western Conference. Mark Scheifele picked up a hat trick for the 18-9-1 Jets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights were without defenseman Shea Theodore and Zach Whitecloud. Theodore is week-to-week with a lower-body injury while Whitecloud (lower body) is month-to-month.

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos extended his points streak to 14 games in a 6-2 win over the Seattle Kraken. Stamkos scored his 497th career goal, Nikita Kucherov collected three assists and Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 36 shots for the Lightning (18-9-1) while the Kraken (16-9-3) have lost four of their last five contests.

The Colorado Avalanche held off the Philadelphia Flyers by a score of 3-2. Artturi Lekhonen and J.T. Compher each had a goal and an assist as the Avalanche improved to 15-10-2 while the Flyers (9-14-7) lost four straight games.

Carolina Hurricanes goalie Pyotr Kochetkov picked up his second straight shutout in a 1-0 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Kochetkov made 27 stops while Brady Skjei scored in the first period as the Hurricanes rise to 16-6-6 while the Red Wings fall to 13-9-6.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red wings captain Dylan Larkin injured his right hand blocking a shot and will miss Wednesday’s game against the Minnesota Wild.

The Florida Panthers downed the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-0 as Sergei Bobrovsky made 22 saves for his first shutout of the season. Sam Reinhart had a goal and two assists while Matthew Tkachuk scored and collected an assist for the Panthers (14-12-4). The Blue Jackets fell to 10-16-2.

San Jose Sharks forward Nick Bonino scored for the fourth straight game and added an assist in a 3-2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka stopped 30 shots for the 9-14-4 Coyotes while the Sharks improved to 10-16-5.

HEADLINES

TSN: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told reports the salary cap for 2023-24 is expected to rise by $1 million to $83 million following the second and final day of the league board of governors meetings. He said that figure was based on current revenue projections but didn’t rule out the possibility that revenue could exceed projections and the cap could be higher.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The players are still paying off their share of the debt incurred from shutting down the 2019-20 regular season due to COVID-19 followed by the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 campaign.

Bettman indicated there would have to be a discussion with the NHL Players Association to amend the 2020 Memorandum of Understanding to increase the cap for next season beyond the agreed-upon rate of $1 million. Some observers believe the league is open to that but they’re waiting for the PA to approach them about it.

Bettman also said that there are more than a dozen potential buyers interested in purchasing the Ottawa Senators. He and deputy commissioner Bill Daly have met with actor Ryan Reynolds to discuss his interest in the franchise.

The commissioner said the league’s investigation into an alleged sexual assault involving Canada’s 2018 World Junior team is nearing completion. They are awaiting the results of the London, Ontario police investigation.

Bettman continues to have no interest in a change to the current playoff format that would allow for a four-team “play-in” round.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun conducted an informal poll of 12 NHL governors and they were unanimous in supporting a play-in round. However, they didn’t want to go on the record for fear of running afoul of Bettman. The commissioner considers expanding the playoff format as trying to fix a non-existent problem.

IN OTHER NEWS…

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens winger Cole Caufield escaped serious injury from his collision with Calgary Flames forward Trevor Lewis on Monday. He traveled with the team to Ottawa and is expected to be in the lineup for tonight’s game with the Senators.

The Canadiens also revealed center Sean Monahan and defenseman David Savard will be sidelined for another two-three weeks.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins defenseman Jeff Petry has been placed on the long-term injured reserve list with an undisclosed injury.

WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets claimed winger Karson Kuhlman off waivers from the Seattle Kraken.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – December 11, 2022

by | Dec 11, 2022

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – December 11, 2022

Will the Devils make a splash at the trade deadline? Could the Flyers buy out Kevin Hayes? Are the Canadiens interested in Brock Boeser? What’s the latest on the Oilers and Jesse Puljujarvi? Find out in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

COULD THE DEVILS BECOME MAJOR PLAYERS AT THE TRADE DEADLINE?

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks believes the New Jersey Devils have the assets to swing a major move by the March 3 trade deadline if they wish.

Top prospects Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec would probably be off-limits but Seamus Casey and Alexander Holtz could be available. He also suggested shopping pending unrestricted free agent defenseman Damon Severson and his $4.1 million cap hit to create some cap space.

Brooks acknowledged the Devils’ salary-cap restrictions plus the eventual return of sidelined winger Ondrej Palat could eliminate the need to seek a high-end rental player.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The high-flying Devils could be worth watching as the trade deadline approaches. They could make a move or two if they decide to go all-in for a Cup run. Then again, they could stick with their current lineup or only make a tweak or two with an affordable rental player.

Philadelphia Flyers center Kevin Hayes (NHL Images).

WILL THE FLYERS TRADE OR BUY OUT KEVIN HAYES?

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks observed that Philadelphia Flyers center Kevin Hayes has three seasons remaining on his contract with an average annual value of over $7.14 million. He believes a buyout is inevitable unless the Flyers can move Hayes while retaining 50 percent of his cap hit. The buyout would cost between $1.6 million and $4.75 million against the cap for the next six seasons.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As per Cap Friendly, the breakdown is $2.25 million for 2023-24, jumping to $4.75 million for 2024-25 and 2025-26 before dropping to $1.6 million per season for the final three seasons of the buyout.

We don’t know what plans Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher has in mind for Hayes or anyone else on his roster. Heck, Fletcher might not even be the GM by the end of this season.

Nevertheless, a buyout seems more likely than a trade even at retaining half of Hayes’ contract. The Flyers would also likely have to include a draft pick or prospect in that deal.

COULD THE CANADIENS HAVE AN INTEREST IN BROCK BOESER?

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: cited the Dec. 9 episode of the Sekeres and Price Show podcast during which NHL insider Rick Dhaliwal said the Montreal Canadiens have had a longstanding interest in Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser.

Dhaliwal said he’s heard that former Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin offered up defenseman Alexander Romanov plus a draft pick for Boeser and would’ve also taken on a bad contract in return. However, then-Canucks GM Jim Benning said no.

Dhaliwal suggested Canadiens center Sean Monahan would be the type of player on an expiring contract that the Canucks would be interested in acquiring in a deal for Boeser. He thinks Monahan would help if the Canucks decide to trade Bo Horvat at the trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks don’t want to retain any part of Boeser’s $6.65 million annual cap hit through 2024-25. They also aren’t interested in adding a sweetener like a draft pick or a prospect to convince another team to take on Boeser’s contract.

However, they are willing to take back a contract (preferably an expiring one) as they want to clear free up cap space beyond this season. They’d also want a draft pick, prospect or affordable young NHL player as part of that return.

Bergevin may have had an interest in Boeser but we don’t know if current Canadiens GM Kent Hughes shares that keenness for the Canucks winger. He might not want to take on Boeser’s cap hit for the next couple of seasons, especially when he’s got rising star Cole Caufield due for a big raise as a restricted free agent this summer.

OILERS TRYING TO MOVE PULJUJARVI

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports there was a conversation before the start of the season between Edmonton Oilers management and the agent for winger Jesse Puljujarvi regarding the possibility of moving him if things didn’t go well this season.

Friedman noted Puljujarvi’s comments last week to a Finnish sportswriter regarding his concerns over his performance. He believes a trade could be coming for the Oilers winger but it will take some time. Their roster is banged up and they don’t have a salary-cap issue until Evander Kane returns to the lineup.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Friedman also said that a couple of teams indicated that Puljujarvi seems more comfortable and puts less pressure on himself when he’s not playing alongside Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. It could be that he needs a change of scenery to get his playing career back on track.

Puljujarvi’s carrying a one-year contract worth $3 million. However, there might not be many potential trade partners given the high number of teams squeezed for cap space this season.

The Oilers reportedly didn’t find any offers to their liking during the offseason. Given Puljujarvi’s lack of confidence and low production this season, his value in the trade market is probably at rock bottom. They could end up having to bite the bullet and accept whatever they can to make this deal happen.










NHL Rumor Mill – December 10, 2022

by | Dec 10, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – December 10, 2022

The latest trade speculation about the Canadiens Joel Edmundson and Josh Anderson, skepticism over the Oilers’ rumored interest in Erik Karlsson and an update on Jesse Puljujarvi in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST ON EDMUNDSON AND ANDERSON

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Marco D’Amico recently cited TSN’s Ryan Rishaug and The Athletic’s Arpon Basu discussed how the Canadiens’ Joel Edmundson would be a good fit with the Edmonton Oilers’ blueline and what it might cost to acquire the veteran defenseman.

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Joel Edmundson (NHL Images).

Basu believes Edmundson would be a better option for the Canadiens to acquire a first-round pick than center Sean Monahan, citing the 29-year-old’s playoff history. If that’s not possible, they might accept a former first-round pick, prompting Rishaug to suggest prospect Xavier Bourgault, who was chosen 22nd overall by the Oilers in the 2021 draft.

In a follow-up piece on Edmundson’s trade value, D’Amico responded to those skeptical over Edmundson fetching a first-round pick or a former first-rounder. He cited the return the Canadiens received from the Florida Panthers for Ben Chiarot at last season’s trade deadline as one example.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes also got a first-rounder from the Calgary Flames for Tyler Toffoli last February and convinced the Flames to include a first-rounder when he acquired Monahan in August.

That’s raised expectations among Canadiens fans that Hughes can pull this off every time he flogs a player in the trade market or acquires one from a club looking to shed salary. They should prepare themselves for the possibility that he might not get a first-rounder for Monahan or Edmundson though I don’t rule it out. Still, landing a promising prospect who can fit well within their system could be just as worthwhile.

A recent episode of the “Ray and Dregs Hockey Podcast had TSN’s Ray Ferraro and Darren Dreger discussing the speculation around the league over what the Canadiens will do with Josh Anderson. Dreger believes any team in the market for a scoring forward would look at the 28-year-old Anderson.

Both analysts agreed the Canadiens aren’t in any hurry to move Anderson as they don’t have any salary-cap issues to deal with this season. Dreger felt the winger could be a good fit with the New Jersey Devils but the cost of the trade could keep the two clubs from reaching an agreement.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s a sense that Hughes will peddle Anderson sooner or later. He’s signed through 2026-27 with a $5.5 million annual cap hit and an eight-team no-trade clause. That’s a move that seems more likely to occur in the offseason when teams have more salary-cap flexibility.

UPDATE ON THE OILERS

OILERS NATION (stick tap to Kevin Littlefair): Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli dismissed a rumor from TSN’s Darren Dreger regarding the rumored interest in San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson among some in the Edmonton Oilers front office.

Seravalli said the report of the Oilers’ supposed interest in Karlsson came as news to the Sharks’ front office. He also pointed out the difficulty in moving the 32-year-old blueliner’s contract. If the Sharks retain any portion of it, Seravalli doubts they’ll get much of a return and if they don’t retain any of it they won’t get anything.

He also believes the Oilers would reject an offer of Karlsson with 50 percent retained salary in exchange for Jesse Puljujarvi because they still have to re-sign Evan Bouchard next summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’m summarizing the key parts of what Seravalli said but I agree with his overall assessment. It’s worth noting that he wasn’t disparaging Dreger’s report but merely doubted that the Oilers could afford Karlsson.

Would the Oilers like to have Karlsson on the blueline? Of course they would, who wouldn’t? However, his hefty contract (assuming he’d waive his no-movement clause) makes that deal almost impossible to pull off.

Speaking of Puljujarvi…

NHL WATCHER: cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman saying the Oilers have tried moving Puljujarvi in the past but didn’t receive offers to their liking due to his lack of production. Given the winger’s recent comments questioning whether he has what it takes to be an NHL scorer, Friedman thinks they might not have much choice but to move him for the best deal they can find.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Puljujarvi’s comments could further tank his trade value. While he’s under a one-year contract worth $3 million, there might not be many takers for a once-promising winger filled with self-doubt over his scoring ability.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 10, 2022

by | Dec 10, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 10, 2022

Alex Ovechkin reaches another goal-scoring milestone, the Coyotes beat the Bruins for the first time since 2010, Kevin Bieksa disputes Zdeno Chara’s story about the Canucks in the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored the 500th even-strength goal of his NHL career in a 4-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Ovechkin is now just four goals away from 800 and six away from surpassing Gordie Howe for second place on the all-time list. The Capitals have won three straight games and improved to 13-12-4 while the Kraken slip to 15-8-3.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kraken defenseman Jamie Oleksiak was ejected in the second period for an illegal hit to the head of Capitals blueliner Alexander Alexeyev, who left the game with an upper-body injury.

The Arizona Coyotes defeated the Boston Bruins for the first time since 2010 as Lawson Crouse’s goal with 14 seconds remaining in the third period lifted them to a 4-3 win. Crouse finished the night with two goals while Karel Vejmelka made 44 saves for the Coyotes (8-13-4). David Pastrnak scored his 19th of the season for the Bruins (21-4-1), who maintain their hold on first place in the overall standings with 43 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crouse’s goal was the result of a linesman negating what the Bruins believed should’ve been an icing call. It caught them by surprise, leading to a turnover that resulted in Crouse’s game-winner.

New York Islanders center Brock Nelson scored two goals in a 6-4 win over the New Jersey Devils. Mathew Barzal and Alexander Romanov each collected two assists as the Islanders move to 17-11-0 on the season. Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt and Dougie Hamilton each had two points for the Devils (21-5-1), who missed an opportunity to vault over the Bruins into first place in the overall standings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hughes finished the game with a shift of 6:02, setting a league record for the longest recorded shift. Islanders winger Anthony Beauvillier left the game in the first period with what’s believed to be a lower-body injury.

An overtime goal by Jonathan Marchessault gave the Vegas Golden Knights a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. William Carrier also scored for the Golden Knights (20-8-1), who remain on top of the Western Conference with 41 points. Scott Laughton replied for the 9-13-6 Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers defenseman Tony DeAngelo was a healthy scratch from this contest.

The Winnipeg Jets picked up their fourth straight win by downing the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1. Cole Perfetti, Blake Wheeler and Adam Lowry scored for the Jets (18-7-1) as they sit atop the Central Division with 37 points. Taylor Raddysh replied for the Blackhawks as they sink to 7-15-4.

Pittsburgh Penguins center Jeff Carter scored in overtime to beat the Buffalo Sabres by a score of 4-3. Evgeni Malkin and Rickard Rakell each had two points as the Penguins (15-8-4) have won four straight games. Casey Mittelstadt collected three assists for the 12-13-2 Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres winger Jeff Skinner faces a hearing on Saturday with the NHL department of player safety for cross-checking Penguins forward Jake Guentzel in the face during the dying seconds of the third period.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid scored to extend his goal streak to seven games in a 5-2 win over the Minnesota Wild. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had three points while Stuart Skinner made 42 saves as the Oilers improved to 16-12-0. Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov collected an assist to extend his points streak to 14 games while his club dropped to 13-11-2 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid leads the league with 25 goals and 54 points.

A 41-save performance by Igor Shesterkin carried the New York Rangers to a 2-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche on shootout goals by Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin. Braden Schneider scored in regulation for the Rangers as they raise their record to 14-10-5. Mikko Rantanen tallied for the injury-depleted Avalanche (13-10-2) as they’ve gone winless in four straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panarin collected an assist on Schneider’s goal to extend his assist streak to five games.

The Columbus Blue Jackets ended a three-game skid by dropping the Calgary Flames 3-1. Patrik Laine, Eric Robinson and Sean Kuraly tallied for the Jackets (9-15-2) but they lost goaltender Joonas Korpisalo to a lower-body injury during the first period. Michael Stone replied for the Flames, who fall to 13-11-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was Johnny Gaudreau’s first game again the Flames since signing with the Blue Jackets in July. He was held scoreless in this contest.

San Jose Sharks rookie goaltender Eetu Makiniemi made 23 saves for his first NHL win in a 6-1 thrashing of the Anaheim Ducks. Erik Karlsson, Timo Meier and Tomas Hertl each collected two points for the Sharks as they improved to 9-16-5. Trevor Zegras replied for the 7-18-3 Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks captain Logan Couture left this contest in the third period after blocking a shot. The club had no update on his condition following the game.

IN OTHER NEWS…

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Former Vancouver Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa claims former Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara is lying over a story he told this week about the 2011 Stanley Cup Final between the two teams.

In a recent interview with the “Games With Names” podcast, Chara claimed the Canucks were practicing how to handle the Stanley Cup after winning the first two games of the series in Vancouver. He also said the Canucks were apparently calling the league to find out how many family members they were allowed to have on the ice to help them celebrate after winning the Cup. Chara said he and his teammates used those stories as motivation as they rallied and defeated the Canucks in seven games.

Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek subsequently tweeted that Bieksa denied the story. “Never happened…100 percent didn’t happen”, he said.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sounds like the bad blood between the players on those teams hasn’t fully faded despite the passage of time. It’ll be interesting to hear if Chara and Bieksa have any further comments about this.

OTTAWA SUN: League sources say NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly are telling prospective bidders for the Senators that they want actor Ryan Reynolds to be a minority partner. The league believes Reynolds production company can tell the story of the Senators’ sale plus their marketing department likes the publicity the actor would generate for the team.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Reynolds has previously expressed interest in buying the Senators if he could get a partner to help him with the purchase.

TSN: Speaking of the Senators, forward Mathieu Joseph is out for two weeks with a lower-body injury.

TORONTO SUN: Leafs forward Pierre Engvall received a one-game suspension from the department of player safety for high-sticking Los Angeles Kings defenseman Sean Durzi on Thursday.