NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 19, 2024

by | Jun 19, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 19, 2024

The Oilers defeat the Panthers to force Game 6 in the Stanley Cup Final, the Canucks re-sign Filip Hronek, the Rangers place Barclay Goodrow on waivers, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAP

NHL.COM: The Edmonton Oilers held off the Florida Panthers with a 5-3 victory in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final, sending the series back to Edmonton for Game 6.

Edmonton captain Connor McDavid had a four-point performance (two goals, two assists) for the second straight game. He’s the first player in Stanley Cup Final history to have back-to-back four-point performances. One of those points was a highlight-reel assist, beating three Panthers to set up Corey Perry for his first goal of this postseason.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard collected three assists, joining Hall-of-Famers Paul Coffey, Brian Leetch, and Al MacInnis as the only blueliners to reach the 30-point plateau in a single postseason.

For the second straight game, the Oilers opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal as Connor Brown did the honors.

The Panthers made it interesting as Evan Rodrigues cut the Oilers’ lead to 4-2 in the second period. Oliver Ekman-Larsson made it 4-3 early in the third. They outshot the Oilers 10-4 in the final frame but couldn’t get the tying goal. McDavid put the game out of reach with an empty-netter in the final seconds of regulation.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid put the Oilers on his back in the last two games. With his team facing elimination, he’s risen to the occasion. Another performance like that in Game 6, and this series will require a seventh and deciding game back in Florida next Monday.

Florida still holds a 3-2 lead in this series and can win the Stanley Cup in Game 6 on Friday. However, the pressure has shifted onto the Panthers as this series returns to Edmonton.

Panthers head coach Paul Maurice and forwards Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett claim they’re not feeling deflated by their loss in Game 5. However, general manager Bill Zito didn’t hide his frustration, furiously throwing his water bottle after McDavid iced the game for the Oilers.

Speaking of McDavid, he leads this year’s postseason scorers with 42 points, including a record 34 assists. The Oilers superstar sits five points behind the legendary Wayne Gretzky for the most points in a single postseason.

HEADLINES

THE PROVINCE: Filip Hronek signed an eight-year, $58 million contract with the Vancouver Canucks. The 26-year-old defenseman was slated to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights on July 1.

The average annual value of the contract is $7.25 million. It comes with a full no-movement clause from 2025-26 to 2027-28, dropping to a modified no-trade clause for the remaining years.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hronek was rumored to be seeking $8 million annually. It’s still an expensive deal but the Canucks likely would’ve ended up paying as much or more to replace him with an older blueliner via free agency if they opted to trade him rather than paying him. He has good chemistry with team captain Quinn Hughes, which likely factored into this signing.

Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin was pleased to get Hronek under contract before his RFA eligibility. Nevertheless, he admits his club won’t be able to retain all their free agents. They included unrestricted free agents such as Elias Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov, Tyler Myers and Dakota Joshua.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers placed forward Barclay Goodrow on waivers yesterday. If unclaimed, he could be bought out of the remaining three years of his contract when the buyout window opens 48 hours following the completion of the Stanley Cup Final.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Goodrow carries a $3.65 million AAV on his current deal. This decision is a cost-cutting move by the Rangers as they look to free up cap space for when free agency begins on July 1.

The report claims there is a belief that there is a pre-arranged deal with the San Jose Sharks to claim Goodrow. He spent the first six seasons of his NHL career with the Sharks. We’ll find out soon enough if that’s the case.

STLTODAY.COM: The Blues signed defenseman Scott Perunovich to a one-year, $1.15 million contract. He was a pending restricted free agent and will be eligible for RFA status next summer.

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: The Carolina Hurricanes will hold a press conference on Wednesday to formally introduce Eric Tulsky as their new general manager.

TSN: The Columbus Blue Jackets are making a thorough search for their next head coach. Potential candidates include Todd McLellan, Dean Evason, Jay Woodcroft and Jeff Blashill.










NHL Rumor Mill – June 18, 2024

by | Jun 18, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – June 18, 2024

Check out the latest on Leon Draisaitl, Mitch Marner, Jacob Markstrom, and Logan Couture in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

COULD LEON DRAISAITL SIGN A SHORT-TERM EXTENSION?

SPORTSNET: Mark Spector believes the recent report of the Edmonton Oilers discussing a contract extension with Leon Draisaitl is good news for the club’s future. It’ll come as a relief for the club’s fans as they’ve put up with years of speculation suggesting Draisaitl and teammate Connor McDavid would bail on the Oilers as unrestricted free agents.

Should Draisaitl re-sign it could also be a harbinger of McDavid’s signing given the close friendship between the two teammates.

Spector predicts Draisaitl could sign a four-year contract, leaving enough room for another deal at age 32 when the salary cap will be even higher. He expects the Edmonton star will become the NHL’s highest-paid player for one season when McDavid signs his next contract with the Oilers.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Draisaitl would be taking a page from the contract playbook of Toronto’s Auston Matthews. The Maple Leafs center signed a four-year extension that begins in 2024-25 rather than an eight-year deal. If Draisaitl follows suit it could start a trend among NHL stars of inking short-term deals to allow themselves to cash in again with a higher salary cap down the road.

ARE THE MAPLE LEAFS LOOKING AT EXTENDING MITCH MARNER?

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Nick Barden cited TSN’s Darren Dreger suggesting the Toronto Maple Leafs could prefer re-signing Mitch Marner instead of trading him. Dreger said he thinks Leafs general manager Brad Treliving would rather extend the 27-year-old winger’s contract.

Marner is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July. He carries a $10.9 million cap hit for 2024-25 and a full no-movement clause.

Dreger said it’s possible Treliving could get a suitable trade offer that might convince Marner to waive his NMC. However, he thinks the winger’s preference is to play out next season in Toronto and see how things go from there. There’s a risk Marner could depart via free agency next summer but it’s not a certainty.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Treliving’s decision might be easier if Marner didn’t have that NMC. But he does, and he has complete control over this situation. Even if Marner agrees to a trade, the Leafs won’t get full market value in return. They might have to accept a package of affordable young players and draft picks and use the cap savings to address their short-term roster needs.

Marner reportedly prefers re-signing with the Leafs. It won’t sit well with the club’s critics, especially those questioning his playoff performance. It would cost between $12.5 and $13 million annually to keep him in the fold.

UPDATE ON JACOB MARKSTROM

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: James Nichols recently cited TSN’s Chris Johnston claiming trade talks involving Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom are at “a bit of a standstill.”

Johnston believes the Devils remain interested in Markstrom. The 34-year-old netminder could be willing to waive his NMC to go to New Jersey. However, Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald might be unwilling to include his first-round pick (10th overall) in this year’s draft as part of the return for Markstrom.

Nichols believes Fitzgerald has a price he’s willing to pay for Markstrom and won’t cross it. However, the Devils GM risks losing the Flames netminder to another club. The Ottawa Senators and Los Angeles Kings are also believed in the market for a starting goaltender.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This situation favors the Flames for now. GM Craig Conroy can ask around and see if he can stoke a bidding war for Markstrom. However, he’ll only have that advantage until the first round of the upcoming draft.

Conroy could lose his leverage if Fitzgerald and other general managers aren’t willing to move their first-rounders in this year’s draft. After that, he could end up getting lesser offers.

SHARKS NOT TRADING LOGAN COUTURE

THE MERCURY NEWS: Curtis Pashelka reports San Jose Sharks GM Mike Grier stressed that he’s not interested in trading team captain Logan Couture.

Following the introductory press conference for new Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky, Grier addressed trade rumors that have been swirling about Couture. “That is absolutely false,” he said. “If you look at us bringing in young players and having a young team, he is exactly the type of person you want to have around the young players.”

Grier praised Couture’s leadership and his worth to the Sharks, noting that he came off a difficult, injury-hampered season. “He’s still a heck of a hockey player, so you guys can put any of those thoughts about me looking to trade our captain, you can put it to bed.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pashelka pointed out that Couture’s contract makes him almost impossible to trade even if Grier wanted to. The 35-year-old center has three years left on his deal with an annual cap hit of $8 million. The Sharks have no salary retention spots for 2024-25.

Couture is also coming off a season where a painful inflammation of the joint between his left and right pubic bones limited him to just six games.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 18, 2024

by | Jun 18, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 18, 2024

The latest on the Panthers and Oilers on the eve of Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final, the Blue Jackets make a coaching change, the Blues are talking contract extension with Pavel Buchnevich, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

STANLEY CUP NOTEBOOK

NHL.COM: Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, and Aaron Ekblad did not practice with their Florida Panthers teammates on Monday. Head coach Paul Maurice said they are expected to play in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday. “All good,” said Maurice when asked specifically about the three players.

DAILY FACEOFF: Speaking of Tkachuk, Frank Seravalli believes his performance compared to last year’s playoffs has been disappointing. The winger has 20 points in 21 playoff games this year, but he hasn’t scored a goal since Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final and has four assists and a plus/minus of minus-3 in his last nine games.

Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tkachuk, Bennett, and Ekblad could be nursing injuries that necessitated skipping practice yesterday. Most players are banged up by this point in the postseason. Those three played through serious injuries in last year’s Stanley Cup Final.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Maurice also suggested that Ryan Lomberg could draw back into the lineup for Game 5. He was skating in Steve Lorentz’s spot on the Panthers’ fourth line during practice on Monday. He and Nick Cousins have been out of the lineup since Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final.

Speaking of the Panthers, the Savannah Ghost Pirates will become their new ECHL affiliate starting next season.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers are saying all the right things before Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final. Leon Draisaitl talked about drawing the positives from his club’s lopsided victory in Game 4. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said he and his teammates were taking it one game at a time. Darnell Nurse believes his club has plenty of motivation heading into this crucial game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The answers are cliches but there is also truth to what they’re saying. Despite that big win in Game 4, they’re still facing elimination down 3-1 to the Panthers in this series. Drawing positives from Saturday’s win, being motivated, and taking things a game at a time is the best approach for the Oilers right now.

Meanwhile, Oilers fans continue to hope that their team can garner momentum from their Game 4 victory to equal the greatest comeback in Stanley Cup Final history. Only one team, the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, overcame a 3-0 series deficit to win hockey’s holy grail.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs’ achievement has not been equaled in 82 years. That shows how difficult it is to overcome a 3-0 series deficit in the Stanley Cup Final. If the Oilers pull it off, it’ll be the greatest playoff comeback of the post-expansion era.

HEADLINES

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: The Blue Jackets fired head coach Pascal Vincent after one season. General manager Don Waddell said no further decision had been made regarding the coaching staff. The search for Vincent’s replacement has begun.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blue Jackets’ recent management change combined with the club’s poor performance last season made this change inevitable. Vincent did the best he could last season, taking over after Mike Babcock stepped down before training camp amid allegations of invasion of privacy related to players’ cell phones. However, he also made some questionable moves that likely greased the skids for his firing.

STLTODAY.COM: Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said he and assistant Alexander Steen met with Pavel Buchnevich’s agent to discuss the possibility of a contract extension. Buchnevich, 29, has a year remaining on his deal with a cap hit of $5.8 million. He’s eligible to sign an extension on July 1.

Armstrong said the talks “have been really good.” He added they have to consider the type of term Buchnevich will seek approaching his 30s, as well as the fact he’ll be dealing with Steen when he takes over from Armstrong in two years.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli has Buchnevich on his summer Trade Targets list. He wondered if Armstrong was prepared to pay Buchnevich a hefty raise on a long-term deal as the winger approaches his 30s. The Blues GM seems willing to consider it depending on how many years Buchenvich wants on his next contract.

Speaking of the Blues, Brian Elliott is returning to the club as a goaltending coach and development scout. He played 181 games with the Blues during his 16-season NHL career. He last played professionally in 2022-23 as a backup with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Elliott played 543 games (starting 496) with a record of 279 wins, 167 losses, and 54 overtime losses with a 2.57 goals-against average, a save percentage of .909, and 45 shutouts. He played for the Ottawa Senators, the Blues, Calgary Flames, Philadelphia Flyers, and Tampa Bay Lightning from 2007-08 to 2022-23. He won the William M. Jennings Trophy in 2011-12.

TSN: The Winnipeg Jets hired Dean Chynoweth and Davis Payne as assistant coaches. Chynoweth spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Payne worked as an assistant coach with the Ottawa Senators for the last five seasons.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 17, 2024

by | Jun 17, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 17, 2024

The latest on the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers as they prepare for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final, five veterans whose careers could be ending, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

STANLEY CUP NOTEBOOK

MIAMI HERALD: The Florida Panthers are keeping their emotions in check following their blowout loss to the Edmonton Oilers in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday. They hold a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series and can wrap things up with a win in Game 5 on Tuesday.

THE SCORE: Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk believes there were lessons to be learned from that loss. “We gave up eight goals, and zero of them were the goalies’ fault,” said Tkachuk. “So, a lot to learn from. Yeah, a lot to learn from.”

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov (NHL Images).

Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov believes his teammates need to manage the losses. “Obviously, it only counts as one win. It doesn’t matter how much you lose, 2-1 or 8-1, so just obviously we need to bounce back. We need to recover now and think about the next one.”

Barkov dismissed the notion that being poised to win the Stanley Cup in Game 4 distracted the Panthers. “The Cup is going to be in the building at some point anyway,” he said. “So we have to be ready for that.”

SUN-SENTINEL.COM: The silver lining in the Panthers’ loss in Game 4 is their fans now have an opportunity to witness the club’s first Stanley Cup championship win on home ice in Game 5.

Meanwhile, the Panthers have been pushing to grow the game in Florida’s Latino communities with help from the NHL. The Panthers Learn To Play initiative introduces boys and girls to hockey while reducing barriers to entry for the sport.

Hispanic and Latino participation in the Learn to Play initiative increased 15 percent from 2023 to 2024. The club’s recent on-ice success has also helped increase their popularity.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Build and maintain a playoff contender, reach out, and be active in the community, and you’ll grow your fanbase and garner strong, sustained support from them.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Oilers captain Connor McDavid believes the pressure is off his club following their lopsided Game 4 victory over the Panthers. He thinks they need to build on what they achieved in that contest. “We’re still in a hole but there’s no pressure on us, really. We just need to find a way to get a win in Game 5 and go from there.”

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Third-liners Mattias Janmark, Adam Henrique and Connor Brown played a big role in the Oilers’ win in Game 4. Their efforts gave their club an early 2-0 lead that became the foundation for their victory in that contest.

SPORTSNET: Oilers winger Evander Kane missed Games 3 and 4 with a nagging sports hernia. He could be ready to play in Game 5.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Edmonton must be prepared for a more motivated effort by Florida in Game 5. If the Oilers take Game 5, it could change the course of this series.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Dallas Stars winger Joe Pavelski and Colorado Avalanche winger Zach Parise have indicated they’ve played their final NHL games. Five other notable veterans, including Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Mark Giordano, could find it tough to continue their playing career following this season.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Gordie Howe International Bridge between Detroit and Windsor was officially connected last week. The target for completion of the bridge is September 2025.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 16, 2024

by | Jun 16, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 16, 2024

The Oilers stave off elimination in the Stanley Cup Final with a lopsided win over the Panthers. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAP

NHL.COM: The Edmonton Oilers avoided elimination from the Stanley Cup Final by trouncing the Florida Panthers 8-1 in Game 4.

Connor McDavid had a goal and three assists, Dylan Holloway scored twice and collected an assist, Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman each had two assists, and Mattias Janmark had a goal and an assist. Stuart Skinner made 32 saves for the win.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

McDavid has 32 assists in this postseason, breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record of 31 in a playoff year.

Vladimir Tarasenko scored Florida’s only goal. Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky allowed five goals on 16 shots and was replaced by Anthony Stolarz in the second period.

The series returns to Florida for Game 5 on Tuesday, June 18 at 8 pm EDT.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers dominated this game from start to finish. Their biggest stars – McDavid, Draisaitl, and Hyman – finally came through. So did their special teams, finally tallying a power-play goal and picking up a shorthanded goal while killing off four penalties. They also continued to get production from their role players. 

The Oilers also caught a break early in the game when defenseman Darnell Nurse was only assessed a minor penalty for a knee-on-knee hit on Florida forward Sam Bennett. The Panthers struck the post twice on the ensuing power play before Janmark’s shorthanded goal opened the scoring. Adam Henrique scored to give the Oilers their first two-goal lead of the series.

Florida momentarily quieted the fans at Rogers Place when Tarasenko cut the lead to 2-1. Holloway restored the two-goal lead minutes later and the Oilers never looked back. They blew it open in the second on goals by McDavid, Nurse and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

The reaction by Oilers fans on social media was a mixture of joy, relief, and incredulity. Many wondered where that offensive effort was earlier in the series.

Desperation to avoid elimination was likely a factor for the Oilers. So was the determination not to be swept on home ice. This was also a total team effort on their part. They were better defensively and won the puck battles at both ends of the ice. The biggest factor was lighting up Bobrovsky after he stoned them in the first three games.

Meanwhile, the Panthers lacked the energy from their last two games. Bobrovsky had a rough night but so did his teammates. The solid defensive effort they’d used to nullify the Oilers’ offense in Games 2 and 3 was nowhere to be found in this game.

The Panthers return home still holding a commanding 3-1 lead in this series and can wrap this up in Game 5. We can expect a more determined effort from them in front of their fans in that contest. However, the Oilers served notice that they’re not going quietly. If the Panthers aren’t careful, they could find themselves heading back to Edmonton for another game on Friday.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs announced assistant coach Guy Boucher will not return for next season. He was brought in last year to run the Leafs power play. It was assumed his position wasn’t secure after the club struggled with the man advantage in their first-round series against the Boston Bruins.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Radim Simek is returning to Czechia as he signed a three-year contract with Liberec of the Czech Extraliga. He spent five seasons with the San Jose Sharks from 2018-19 to 2022-23. He was traded to the Detroit Red Wings this season but spent the entire season in the AHL.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators announced David Bell, the head coach of their AHL affiliate in Belleville, has signed a two-year contract extension.










NHL Rumor Mill – June 15, 2024

by | Jun 15, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – June 15, 2024

Will the Oilers sign McDavid, Draisaitl and Bouchard to expensive new contracts? What’s the latest on the Rangers and Canadiens? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

OILERS TO SPEND $40 MILLION ON MCDAVID, DRAISAITL AND BOUCHARD?

EDMONTON JOURNAL: David Staples cited Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli predicting the Oilers will invest $40 million in new contracts for Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Evan Bouchard. Seravalli made those remarks during an appearance with Bob Stauffer on “Oilers Now”.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (NHL Images).

Seravalli believes Oilers management has already started contract extension talks with Draisaitl. The 28-year-old forward can become an unrestricted free agent when his contract expires next July.

Bouchard, 24, is a restricted free-agent defenseman this summer with arbitration rights. McDavid’s contract expires in 2026. The earliest the Oilers can re-sign him is next July.

Stauffer asked Servalli if he saw McDavid getting an average annual value of $16 million, Draisaitl $14 million and Bouchard $10 million. “Yup. That’s my projection,” replied Servalli, pointing out that the NHL salary cap will be at $100 million in two years’ time.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It will take big-money contracts to re-sign McDavid, Draisaitl, and Bouchard. Not because of the location but because the amounts Seravalli cited are what those three will likely get on the open market.

The $100 million cap projection for 2026-27 may seem a little bold but there’s no question the NHL’s hockey-related revenue has significantly grown, raising the salary cap with it. It’ll be in the neighborhood if it doesn’t reach $100 million by then. The higher it goes, the easier it is for teams to re-sign their stars, provided they’re willing to spend to the cap ceiling and have the space to do so.

UPDATE ON THE RANGERS

NEW YORK POST: Mollie Walker believes the Rangers must answer some pressing questions during the offseason.

Questions linger about whether the Rangers can win with their current core. “The track record says no, but the team says yes,” writes Walker.

She doesn’t see them blowing things up but she wondered if a big move or two is necessary.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s been suggested the Rangers consider trading team captain Jacob Trouba or a star forward like Chris Kreider or Mika Zibanejad. Their respective contracts come with financial and no-trade restrictions, complicating attempts to move them.

The return each could fetch is the bigger issue. If you’re not getting something back for one of them that will make them better now and in the long run, they’re better off sticking with those players and trying instead to improve the supporting cast.

Another question is determining how much Igor Shesterkin’s contract extension will cost. “The floor for negotiations appears to be $10.5 million, while the starting point is looking like $12 million.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Shesterkin will become the NHL’s highest-paid goaltender starting in July 2025. He’ll likely get between $12 million and $13 million annually on an eight-year deal.

The Rangers recently re-signed winger Kaapo Kakko to a one-year, $2.4 million contract. However, Walker wonders if they’ll be patient with the 23-year-old former first-round pick or peddle him for a regular, impactful skater to replace him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Having Kakko under an affordable contract for next season should improve his trade value. Still, the Rangers might not receive suitable offers that can help them right away. It wouldn’t be surprising if Kakko’s in their lineup next season. 

THE LATEST CANADIENS SPECULATION

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Marc Dumont recently suggested the Canadiens look into moving Carey Price’s contract to free up cap space going forward without relying on long-term injury reserve.

Price is on permanent LTIR due to a knee injury and hasn’t played since 2022. He has two years remaining on his contract with an AAV of $10.5 million.

Teams that use LTIR often cannot accrue cap space during the season leading up to the trade deadline. That affects efforts to add players to their lineup through waivers, trades, or free agency.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Price has a no-movement clause but he’s unlikely to block a trade given that his playing career is over. He’ll still be getting paid regardless of which team owns his contract. Despite the salary cap rising by $4.5 million for next season, finding a club willing to take on his hefty cap hit will be challenging.

TVA SPORTS: Vincent Duquette listed seven young forwards who could become prime trade targets for the Canadiens.

They include Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kent Johnson, Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell, Vegas Golden Knights winger Pavel Dorofeyev, New Jersey Devils winger Alexander Holtz, Winnipeg Jets forward Cole Perfetti, Detroit Red Wings right wing Jonatan Berggren, and Nashville Predators winger Phil Tomasino.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Trade rumors have swirling around most of those young forwards at one time or another this season. Whether the Habs can land one of them in the coming weeks remains to be seen.

The Panthers are unlikely to part with “Baby Barkov” Lundell. Perfetti was mentioned a lot in Jets rumors but I think they’ll remain patient with him. The Golden Knights probably won’t part with Dorofeyev unless it’s in a package deal for a big-name player.

Johnson, Berggren, and Tomasino split time this season with their parent clubs and their AHL affiliates. Holtz seemed to struggle under former Devils head coach Lindy Ruff. He’s been mentioned as a possible trade chip if the Devils pursue goalie Jacob Markstrom.