NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 28, 2022

by | Oct 28, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 28, 2022

Brad Marchand makes a triumphant return to the Bruins lineup, the Canucks finally get their first win of the season, Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun suffers a setback in his recovery from a wrist injury, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Brad Marchand scored twice and collected an assist to lead the Boston Bruins to a 5-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. It was Marchand’s first game since undergoing double hip surgery in May. David Pastrnak had a goal and two assists while Jeremy Swayman made 28 saves for the Bruins (7-1-0). The Red Wings fall to 3-2-2.

Boston Bruins winger Brad Marchand (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marchand wasn’t expected to return to action until the American Thanksgiving long weekend so he was well ahead of schedule in his recovery. Meanwhile, Bruins center David Krejci left the game with an apparent arm injury. He’s considered day-to-day and won’t be traveling to Columbus with the club for tonight’s game against the Blue Jackets.

The Vancouver Canucks picked up their first win of the season by holding off the Seattle Kraken 5-4 to give head coach Bruce Boudreau his 600th career NHL victory. Ilya Mikheyev scored twice and Conor Garland tallied what proved to be the game-winning goal as the Canucks record is now 1-5-2. Jaden Schwartz had a goal and an assist as the Kraken fall to 3-4-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speaking of the Canucks, they acquired center Jack Studnicka in exchange for goaltender Michael DiPietro and prospect Jonathan Myrenberg. Studnicka, 23, will try to get his NHL career on track after struggling to make the cut with the Bruins. The Canucks also placed defenseman Travis Dermott (concussion) on long-term injury reserve.

An overtime breakaway goal by Erik Karlsson lifted the San Jose Sharks over the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3. Sharks captain Logan Couture scored twice, including his 300th career NHL goal. Auston Matthews scored the game-tying goal in the third period for the Maple Leafs (4-3-1)while the Sharks are 3-7-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs continue to sleepwalk through October. This is the third time this season they’ve lost to a club that, on paper, they should’ve defeated, dropping games to the Montreal Canadiens and Arizona Coyotes. The best they can say about this loss is they at least get a loser point out of it.

Leon Draisaitl scored with 38 seconds remaining in the third period to give the Edmonton Oilers a 6-5 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each had a goal and two assists while Connor McDavid had a hat trick and chipped in an assist for the Oilers as they improve their record to 5-3-0. Patrick Kane and Max Domi each had a goal and two assists for the Blackhawks (4-3-0).

The Minnesota Wild doubled up the Ottawa Senators 4-2 to snap the latter’s four-game win streak. Marc-Andre Fleury made 27 saves while Kirill Kaprizov, Ryan Hartman and Frederic Gaudreau each had a goal and an assist for the Wild, who improve their record to 3-3-1. Alex DeBrincat had a goal and an assist for the Senators, who are 4-3-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Senators announced the signing of rookie center Mark Kastelic to a two-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $850K.

Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger turned in a 27-save shutout to blank the Washington Capitals 2-0 to improve his club’s record to 5-2-1. Jason Robertson and Joel Kiviranta were the goalscorers. The Capitals are 4-4-0 in their first eight games.

The Winnipeg Jets got third-period goals by Axel Jonsson-Fjallby and Blake Wheeler to snap a 4-4 tie in a 6-4 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck kicked out 40 shots as the Jets improved their record to 4-3-0. Jonathan Quick made just 13 saves for the Kings as they fall to 3-4-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hellebuyck was the difference in this game. The outcome could’ve been very different without him.

Roman Josi, Filip Forsberg and Matt Duchene each had three points as the Nashville Predators scored five unanswered goals to defeat the St. Louis Blues 6-2. Juuse Saros made 32 stops for the win as the Predators improve to 3-4-1 while the Blues are 3-3-1. Brayden Schenn and Robert Thomas tallied for the Blues.

The Philadelphia Flyers got a 48-save effort from netminder Carter Hart to hold off the Florida Panthers by a score of 4-3. Joel Farabee had a goal and an assist for the Flyers, who move to 5-2-0 on the season. Eric Staal was held scoreless in his debut with the Panthers, who drop to 4-3-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Flyers announced Sean Couturier had suffered a setback in his recovery from an injured back and was no longer skating. Winger Cam Atkinson remains sidelined by an upper-body injury. They also claimed forward Kieffer Bellows off waivers from the New York Islanders.

The Montreal Canadiens nipped the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 on a late goal by Josh Anderson. Samuel Montembeault stopped 43 shots while Kaiden Guhle netted his first career NHL goal as the Canadiens improved to 4-4-0. Jeff Skinner and Dylan Cozens replied for the Sabres, who fall to 4-3-0.

IN OTHER NEWS…

DAILY FACEOFF: Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun is still listed as week-to-week in his recovery from off-season wrist surgery. He’s yet to play this season but has been the topic of trade speculation for weeks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: And that speculation will drag on despite this setback in Chychrun’s recovery. However, he’s not going anywhere until he finally returns to action and interested teams can see how well he performs before they make any firm trade offers.

CBS SPORTS: New Jersey Devils goalie MacKenzie Blackwood has been sidelined by an upper-body injury.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers winger Vitali Kravtsov has been sidelined for the second time this season with another upper-body injury. He’s listed as day-to-day.

NHL.COM: The Rangers also signed defenseman Ben Harpur to a one-year contract.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 27, 2022

by | Oct 27, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 27, 2022

The Islanders’ Ilya Sorokin shut out the Rangers, Brad Marchand could return to the Bruins sooner than expected and the Senators’ Josh Norris could be sidelined for the season. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin turned in a 41-save shutout to blank the New York Rangers 3-0. Kyle Palmieri scored two goals and Josh Bailey also tallied for the Islanders, who raise their record to 3-4-0. The Rangers (3-3-2) are winless in their last four games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Islanders placed forward Kieffer Bellows on waivers.

Edmonton Oilers center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (NHL Images).

Edmonton Oilers center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins tallied his 200th career goal and Stuart Skinner turned aside 37 shots in a 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Zach Hyman had a goal and an assist for the Oilers as their record improves to 4-3-0. Ryan O’Reilly netted the only goal for the Blues (3-2-0), who’ve lost two straight games.

Tampa Bay Lightning defensemen Victor Hedman and Mikhail Sergachev each had two points as their club doubled up the Anaheim Ducks 4-2. Nick Paul also had two points for the Bolts as they improve to 4-4-0. Trevor Zegras and Troy Terry replied for the Ducks, who fall to 1-5-1.

HEADLINES

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The Bruins could have Brad Marchand back in the lineup sooner than expected. Originally projected to return from double hip surgery by the American Thanksgiving weekend in late November, the 34-year-old winger has been skating regularly in practice with his teammates over the past two weeks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marchand requires medical clearance from team doctors before he can return to action. Given he’s already ahead of schedule in his recovery, he could be back before mid-November.

OTTAWA SUN: Bad news for Senators center Josh Norris as he’s sidelined long-term with an injured left shoulder that could require surgery. It’s possible he could miss the rest of this season but the club will learn more about his condition over the next four or five days.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Losing Norris for a significant period is a big blow for the Senators but not necessarily a fatal one for their season. With Tim Stutzle having moved up to center the first line, veterans Claude Giroux and Derrick Brassard in the lineup and rookie Shane Pinto off to a promising start, they have the depth to offset Norris’ absence.

General manager Pierre Dorion also has the cap space and young assets to draw up if necessary to acquire a center in the trade market. For now, I expect he’ll see how well his club adjusts before going that route.

THE PROVINCE: The bad news keeps coming for the struggling Vancouver Canucks as forwards Brock Boeser and Curtis Lazar head to the injured reserve list, joining Quinn Hughes and Travis Dermott. Tucker Poolman was recently placed on long-term injury reserve.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Canadiens rookie winger Juraj Slafkovsky (upper-body injury) still hasn’t been given the green light to resume play but will travel with the club for their upcoming road trip.

Speaking of the Canadiens, they acquired minor-league defenseman Nicolas Beaudin from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for minor-league forward Cam Hillis. Beaudin has 22 games of NHL experience since 2019-20.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: The Blue Jackets placed defenseman Adam Boqvist on injured reserve and called up 18-year-old David Jiricek, who was their first-round pick (sixth overall) in this year’s NHL Draft. Boqvist will be sidelined for six weeks with a broken foot.

WINNIPEG SUN: Jets head coach Rick Bowness will not be accompanying the team on their three-game road trip. He suffered dizzy spells on Monday that could be related to his recent bout with COVID-19.

TWINCITIES.COM: Former Minnesota Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk, 36, is trying his hand at broadcasting. He’s working as an analyst with NHL Network.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 25, 2022

by | Oct 25, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 25, 2022

Milestones reached by Alex Ovechkin, Phil Kessel, and Shane Pinto, the Canucks’ winless streak continues, the three stars of the week are revealed, Carey Price talks publicly about his future, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored what proved to be the winning goal in a 6-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Ovechkin moves past Gordie Howe into second place on the all-time game-winning goals list with 122. Goaltender Charlie Lindgren got the win with a 38-save performance while Devils netminder Mackenzie Blackwood got the hook after giving up five goals on 18 shots.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jaromir Jagr is the all-time leader in NHL game-winning goals with 135. The Capitals are 4-3-0 while the Devils drop to 3-3-0.

Vegas Golden Knights winger Phil Kessel tied the NHL’s Ironman record by appearing in his 989th consecutive game as his club downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1. Kessel also picked an assist on the Golden Knights’ game-opening goal. Chandler Stephenson and Michael Amadio scored in the third period to give Vegas the win.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kessel appeared to have scored his 400th career goal in this game but it was overturned as offside by a coach’s challenge. Leafs captain John Tavares briefly left the game after being struck in the leg by a shot but returned and finished the contest. The Golden Knights improved to 5-2-0 while the Leafs are 4-3-0.

Ottawa Senators center Shane Pinto set a franchise rookie record during a 4-2 victory over the Dallas Stars. Pinto scored to extend his goal streak to five games while teammate Brady Tkachuk scored and collected an assist. Stars forward Denis Gurianov was a healthy scratch. The Senators’ record is now 4-2-0 while the Stars are 4-1-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators backup Magnus Hellberg made 29 saves as starter Anton Forsberg sat out this game with an undisclosed injury. Before this game, they learned center Josh Norris could be sidelined for at least two weeks with an injured shoulder.

The Vancouver Canucks’ winless streak extended to 0-5-2 as they fell 3-2 to the Carolina Hurricanes(4-1-1). Third-period goals by Sebastian Aho and Jesper Fast snapped a 1-1 tie while J.T. Miller scored twice for the Canucks and teammate Thatcher Demko made 36 saves.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The score flatter the Canucks as they were dominated by the Hurricanes for most of this game. They managed just 16 shots on goal while Demko was peppered by the Canes. The loss capped a lousy day for the Canucks as they learned defenseman Quinn Hughes is week-to-week with a lower-body injury while winger Brock Boeser is day-to-day with an undisclosed ailment.

Leon Draisaitl had a goal and two assists to rally the Edmonton Oilers from a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-3. Evander Kane, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman each had a goal and an assist for the Oilers while Penguins Rickard Rakell and Jason Zucker each had two points. The Oilers improved to 3-3-0 while the Penguins are 4-1-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers captain Connor McDavid left the game after crashing awkwardly into the Penguins’ net but would return to action.

Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck made 25 saves to shut out the St. Louis Blues 4-0, handing the latter their first loss of the season (3-1-0). Mark Scheifele tallied what proved to be the game-winning goal as his club improved to 3-3-0. Jets head coach Rick Bowness sat out this game as he’s still feeling the after-effects of his bout with COVID-19. 

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk and New Jersey Devils goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Oct. 23, 2022.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Canadiens goaltender Carey Price said he has no plans to retire despite a career-threatening knee injury that is expected to sideline him for the entirety of this season.

The 35-year-old netminder admitted it’s been an emotional roller coaster to go from the 2021 Stanley Cup Final to where he is today. He acknowledged the possibility of undergoing another surgery but knows it has a 50 percent success rate and could come with risks to his quality of life away from the game. Price is signed through 2025-26 with an average annual value of $10.5 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Price revealed the possibility of another surgery to The Athletic’s Arpon Basu but this is the first time he’s spoken publicly about it. He hasn’t given up hope of resuming his career but he seems fully aware that it could be a long shot.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Speaking of the Canadiens, rookie winger Juraj Slafkovsky is considered day-to-day after undergoing tests for an upper-body injury.

THE ATHLETIC: Boston Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo is getting close to returning to the lineup after suffering the fifth concussion of his career during an Oct. 15th game against the Arizona Coyotes. He indicated that his vision went black in one of his eyes and he couldn’t follow the play following the hit so he went to the locker room where he was diagnosed with a concussion.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Carlo is aware of the risk of accumulating concussions but insists he still feels very good from a hockey aspect. Nevertheless, he’s reached a worrying level of concern with these injuries that could become career-threatening.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers center Filip Chytil will miss the next four games with a suspected concussion.

TSN: Tyler Ennis has signed with SC Bern of the Swiss National League. The 33-year-old forward scored 144 goals and 202 assists in 700 games over 13 NHL seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild, Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers and Ottawa Senators.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 21, 2022

by | Oct 21, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 21, 2022

Recapping games from a busy Thursday night includes the Sabres’ Rasmus Dahlin setting a league record, 2022 first-overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky scored his first goal, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Buffalo Sabres’ Rasmus Dahlin became the first defenseman in league history to score in each of his first four games of the season as his club doused the Calgary Flames 6-3. Alex Tuch tallied a hat trick while Eric Comrie kicked out 40 shots for the win. Flames winger Milan Lucic skated in his 1,100th career NHL game.

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dahlin is off to a terrific start and leads all NHL blueliners in scoring. The Sabres’ speed made the difference in this one as they overcame an early 1-0 deficit with three first-period goals. They’re still giving up a lot of shots but their goaltending has been solid thus far.

Montreal Canadiens rookie (and 2022 first-overall draft pick) Juraj Slafkovsky scored his first NHL goal in a 6-2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes. Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki scored a Pavel Datsyuk-like goal on a penalty shot while Jake Allen made 25 saves. Travis Boyd had a goal and an assist for the Coyotes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The rout was on for the Canadiens as they grabbed a 3-0 lead in the first period. Rookie defenseman Arber Xhekaj endeared himself to the hometown crowd with a decisive win in a fight with Coyotes winger Zack Kassian.

Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each had a goal and three assists to lead the Edmonton Oilers over the Carolina Hurricanes 6-4. Oilers goaltender Jack Campbell made 36 stops. Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov tallied a hat trick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers rookie Dylan Holloway missed this game as he’s listed as day-to-day with a head injury.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Nick Robertson scored two goals, including the winner in overtime, to drop the Dallas Stars 3-2. Ilya Samsonov made 26 saves for the Leafs while Stars goalie Scott Wedgewood stopped 40 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Robertson’s winner was the result of a smart defensive play on his part when he broke up a two-on-one by stripping the puck from Stars captain Jamie Benn and sending the play the other way. He finished it with a one-timer off a pass from Auston Matthews.

The Pittsburgh Penguins downed the Los Angeles Kings 6-1. Jeff Petry had a goal and Tristan Jarry kicked out 39 shots. It was a costly win for the Penguins as Jake Guentzel suffered an undisclosed injury late in the game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins have scored six goals in three of their first four games this season.

Kirill Kaprizov’s overtime goal gave the Minnesota Wild their first win of the season as they dropped the Vancouver Canucks 4-3. Kaprizov finished with three points while Mats Zuccarello scored twice and added an assist. Wild defenseman Alex Goligoski played in his 1,000th career NHL contest while teammate Jordan Greenway left with a suspected shoulder injury. Greenway was making his season debut after recovering from off-season shoulder surgery.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks remain winless (0-3-2) to start the season. It was also the fifth straight game in which they blew a lead.

Ottawa Senators winger Drake Batherson tallied twice and Brady Tkachuk collected two assists as their club overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Washington Capitals 5-2. Darcy Kuemper made 39 saves in a losing cause for the Capitals while Alex Ovechkin was held scoreless. The Senators unveiled a banner to their late owner Eugene Melnyk in a pregame ceremony to honor his memory.

The San Jose Sharks picked up their first win of the season by nipping the New York Rangers 3-2 on an overtime goal by Erik Karlsson, who also collected an assist in this contest. Rangers winger Artemi Panarin scored to extend his points streak to five games. He also leads the league with 11 points.

Four unanswered third-period goals carried the Columbus Blue Jackets over the Nashville Predators 5-3. Johnny Gaudreau started and ended the rally with two goals.

New Jersey Devils winger Ondrej Palat tallied twice while teammate Nico Hischier had a three-point performance to beat the New York Islanders 4-1. Jesper Bratt collected two assists for the Devils. Anders Lee scored for the Islanders while teammate Ilya Sorokin made 39 saves.

Jack Eichel scored two goals, Alex Pietrangelo collected two assists and Adin Hill stopped 26 shots as the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Winnipeg Jets 5-2. Eichel has five points in as many games.

A shootout goal by Taylor Hall lifted the Boston Bruins to a 2-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Hall also opened the scoring during the second period while Frank Vatrano replied for the Ducks.

IN OTHER NEWS…

CBS SPORTS: Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews is being evaluated for an injury suffered during their 4-3 overtime loss on Wednesday to the Jets.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche also claimed winger Dryden Hunt off waivers from the Rangers.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Limited salary-cap space is preventing the Panthers from signing Eric Staal. The veteran forward attended training camp on a professional tryout offer and is still skating with them during practice as a non-roster player.

CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: The Flames signed backup goaltender Dan Vladar to a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $2.2 million.

NHL.COM: The 32 NHL teams yesterday unveiled their “Reverse Retro” jerseys for this season.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 20, 2022

by | Oct 20, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – October 20, 2022

More Patrick Kane trade speculation (yes, again!) plus a look at how the Leafs can acquire Jakob Chychrun and the latest on Wayne Simmonds in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

MORE PATRICK KANE TRADE SPECULATION

TSN: Earlier this week, Craig Button listed two teams in each NHL conference that might benefit from acquiring Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane.

Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane (NHL Images).

Starting with the Western Conference, Button suggested the Calgary Flames and Los Angeles Kings. Kane could offset some of the offense the Flames lost during the offseason. He could also help the Kings progress in their development.

Turning to the Eastern Conference, Button believes the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers could benefit from Kane’s services. He thinks the former Conn Smythe Trophy winner could bolster the Penguins’ production in the postseason. Kane could also help improve the Rangers’ Stanley Cup chances.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Button reminds us that Kane carries a hefty $10.5 million cap hit plus a full no-movement clause giving him full control over where he might go. Those will be crucial factors that determine where he ends up if he agrees to be traded.

I don’t see Kane heading to Pittsburgh or Calgary unless they’re willing to move a fair chunk of salary to the Blackhawks as part of the return. Even then, it would probably take a three-team deal to spread his cap hit around.

Kane’s experience and offensive skills would certainly help the Kings. However, acquiring a player like him as a postseason rental is a move usually made by a Stanley Cup contender, not a club emerging from a rebuilding phase but isn’t yet a legitimate Cup hopeful. It’s not a good idea to waste those future assets that could help you become a contender within a couple of years on a rental player simply to win a playoff round next spring.

The Rangers, of course, have been linked to Kane for months. Some in the New York media share the belief that the Blueshirts could make a play for him by the March 3 trade deadline. However, there are also those encouraged by the performance of young Rangers like Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko to suggest perhaps they might not need Kane after all.

Button also doesn’t believe the Edmonton Oilers or Toronto Maple Leafs will attempt to acquire Kane. He felt those clubs have no problem scoring goals but must instead add defensemen.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Agreed.

LATEST ON THE LEAFS

TORONTO STAR: Nick Kypreos believes the Maple Leafs can acquire Jakob Chychrun from the Arizona Coyotes without having to clear Jake Muzzin’s salary from their books or giving up top prospect Matthew Knies in return.

Kypreos reports the Coyotes told the Leafs and Ottawa Senators that if a trade cannot be made involving prospects like Knies or the Senators’ Ridly Greig that one could be built around two first-round picks. He thinks the Coyotes would also want one of Rasmus Sandin, Timothy Liljegren or Topi Niemela.

To balance the cap hit, the Coyotes would have to accept Alex Kerfoot and his $3.5 million cap hit. A solid performance by Nick Robertson in the coming weeks could make Kerfoot easier to move.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kypreos acknowledged Chychrun’s injury history and the concerns over his feel for the game. Nevertheless, he also felt that the blueliner’s $4.6 million cap hit through 2024-25 fits well within the Leafs’ payroll plus his powerful shot and ability to log big minutes would take some of the burden off Morgan Rielly.

Kypreos also pointed out that other clubs (Senators, Edmonton Oilers, New York Islanders, Florida Panthers, Columbus Blue Jackets) have been linked to Chychrun in the rumor mill. He suggested the Leafs acquire the Coyotes’ rearguard sooner rather than later or risk seeing him shipped to another team.

The Senators still strike me as the more likely destination for Chychrun. They’ve got the cap space to absorb most of his contract and wouldn’t have to send much back salary-wise to make the dollars fit. They’ve also got plenty of promising talent to use as trade bait to outbid the other clubs.

THE ATHLETIC: Joshua Kloke observed Wayne Simmonds remains in limbo with the Toronto Maple Leafs. They currently have no room for him within their current forward lines and haven’t had any luck yet finding a suitable trade partner for him.

The 34-year-old winger’s best seasons are now behind him but Kloke suggests the intangibles he brings would be invaluable to “teams in transitory stages with rosters stocked with young players.”. He suggested the Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators as two examples, along with perhaps returning to one of his former teams like the Los Angeles Kings or Philadelphia Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Simmonds has a 10-team no-trade list and it’s believed he wants to play for a contender at this stage of his career. He might agree to go to one of those clubs if they come calling. So far, however, there doesn’t seem to be much interest in him.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 19, 2022

by | Oct 19, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – October 19, 2022

Some Canadian teams could be in the market for a defenseman. So could the Columbus Blue Jackets. Find out why in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

TSN: In Tuesday’s “Insider Trading” segment, Darren Dreger said there’s a “growing list of Canadian teams” that are in the market for a defenseman. He singled out the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks.

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph (NHL Images).

Dreger believes the Leafs and Canadiens are seeking a right-shot defenseman. He noted that Pierre-Olivier Joseph of the Pittsburgh Penguins is believed to be available. Dreger isn’t attaching Joseph to those teams but pointed out the Penguins have nine defensemen. “He’s a young player, a first-round draft pick, so he might be a fit with one of those clubs,” said Dreger.

Chris Johnston noted that Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun will be joining his teammates during their current road trip in Montreal. The 24-year-old rearguard has frequently surfaced in trade rumors but he’s been recovering from offseason wrist surgery.

Johnston said there are teams interested in Chychrun but they want to see him return to action before agreeing to a deal. Dreger mentioned the blueliner is “high-rent” plus the Coyotes have set a high asking price. He wondered if some of those Canadian teams might “buckle up and pay the price” to acquire Chychrun or look elsewhere toward someone like Joseph.

THE ATHLETIC: Aaron Portzline reported on Oct. 16 that defensive woes were among the reasons for the Columbus Blue Jackets’ early-season struggles. He felt general manager Jarmo Kekalainen might have to trade for a right-shot defenseman to “change the makeup on the blue line.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cap space will also be a factor for most of those Canadian teams mentioned by Dreger as well as for the Blue Jackets. The Senators are the only club that could have enough room to absorb Chychrun’s $4.6 million average annual value.

I don’t believe the Coyotes will retain any portion of that. He’s signed through 2024-25 and they probably don’t want to carry any dead cap space for that long.

Joseph isn’t an established defenseman like Chychrun but he has potential plus he also carries a very affordable $825K AAV through 2023-24. He was rumored to be available earlier this month as the Penguins sought to become cap compliant before the start of the season. They achieved that goal by demoting Ty Smith and Mark Friedman to their AHL affiliate.

The Penguins could move Joseph if they get a tantalizing offer. For now, I think they’re willing to stick with him and see how his game develops. He has two assists in three games thus far this season.

It’s worth noting that Chychrun and Joseph both shoot left so they won’t address the needs of those clubs looking for a right-shot rearguard.