NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 15, 2024

by | Jun 15, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 15, 2024

The latest on the Panthers and Oilers on the eve of Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

ESPN.COM: The Florida Panthers hold a 3-0 series lead in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final and can win hockey’s holy grail with a win in Game 4 on Saturday.

Teams that previously sat in this position in the Cup Final have won 27 out of 28 times. The sole exception was in 1942 when the Toronto Maple Leafs overcame that deficit to upset the Detroit Red Wings in seven games.

Teams that were down 3-0 in the Final have avoided the sweep only eight times. The most recent examples were the Montreal Canadiens winning Game 4 against the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2021 and the New York Rangers doing the same against the Los Angeles Kings in 2014.

Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk (NHL Images).

Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk indicated he and his teammates aren’t thinking about that as they approach Game 4. “We’ve done such a good job of having that one game, simple mindset. Win your first few shifts. It’s all you’ve got to do tomorrow,” he said on Friday. “It’s really calm, kind of chill and relaxed group today. We’ll use that to our advantage.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers may be outwardly calm approaching Game 4. Carrying a commanding series lead, however, they must be feeling some excitement and anticipation about being a win away from winning hockey’s greatest prize. How they handle those emotions will factor into their performance in Saturday’s crucial contest.

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun and Shayna Goldman suggested Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov, goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, and defenseman Gustav Forsling as Conn Smythe Trophy candidates.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It seems premature to start debating which Panthers will be named playoff MVP. Still, you can’t blame the pundits given everything we’ve seen in this series thus far.

Barkov, Bobrovsky, and Forsling certainly appear the most likely candidates. I think it’s down to Barkov or Bobrovsky. If I had a vote, I’d cast it for the Panthers’ goalie.

WINNIPEG SUN: Two-and-a-half years after resigning as coach of the Jets, Panthers bench boss Paul Maurice is on the verge of winning the Stanley Cup.

After nine seasons, Maurice stepped down from the Jets believing that the team needed somebody else behind the bench to help them get to the next level. They’re now on their third coach since his departure. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maurice guided the Jets to three of their best seasons, including the franchise-best 114-point performance in 2017-18 and marching to the 2018 Western Conference Final.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: George Richards wonders where the Panthers will hold their Stanley Cup parade.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers haven’t won Lord Stanley’s Mug yet but you can’t blame Richards or any of the club’s followers if they’re a little giddy with excitement right now. If there was ever an apt opportunity for the phrase “plan the parade” without sarcasm, it’s now.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Robert Tychkowski reports the Oilers are clinging to hope but things are looking bleak for them approaching Game 4.

Zach Hyman was the latest Oiler to remind everyone that his club had been counted out earlier this season when they were near the bottom of the standings. However, Edmonton’s offense has been stymied thus far by the Panthers.

Hyman, Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins don’t have a single point between them. The Oilers’ vaunted power play is 0-for-10 in this series.

Meanwhile, Jim Matheson reports the Oilers are trying to reignite their offense and find ways to score against Bobrovsky. Hyman acknowledged they must find a way to get to the dirty areas and cash in on rebounds and other opportunities.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers believe they’re getting their chances but must bear down more and create more opportunities. The problem is they haven’t yet solved the riddle of Bobrovsky. If they can’t crack the code tonight, they’ll be watching the Panthers celebrate their first Stanley Cup championship.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 14, 2024

by | Jun 14, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 14, 2024

The Panthers are poised to sweep the Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final, management changes in store for the Blues, the Sharks name their new head coach, the Rangers re-sign Kaapo Kakko, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

STANLEY CUP NOTEBOOK

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers are on the verge of sweeping the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final after holding on for a 4-3 victory in Game 3. Sergei Bobrovsky made 32 saves and Aleksander Barkov tallied the game-winning goal as the Panthers scored three times within a six-minute span in the second period.

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov (NHL Images).

The Oilers made things interesting with third-period goals by Philip Broberg and Ryan McLeod. However, it wasn’t enough to prevent them from falling into a 3-0 series deficit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Edmonton faces the daunting challenge of doing something that hasn’t been done in the Stanley Cup Final since 1942: overcome a 3-0 series deficit to win hockey’s holy grail.

Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner believes his club can do it. So far, however, they’ve shown nothing to indicate they can pull it off.

Skinner’s mishandling of a dump-in by the Panthers led to Vladimir Tarasenko snapping a 1-1 tie in the second period. That opened the floodgates as Sam Bennett and Barkov capitalized on defensive miscues by the Oilers.

The Panthers have done a masterful job of shutting down the Oilers’ big guns in this series. Connor McDavid has three assists and Evan Bouchard has one. Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins have yet to dent the score sheet.

Bobrovsky has been solid throughout this series. He’s had help from his teammates as they’ve clogged up the shooting lanes while reducing the amount of traffic around their net.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong signed a five-year contract extension with the St. Louis Blues as president of hockey operations. Alexander Steen was named special assistant to the general manager through 2025-26, after which he’ll take over as GM from Armstrong.

The Blues also promoted Tim Taylor from his previous role as director of player development to assistant general manager.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Team chairman Tom Stillman approved Armstrong’s proposed transition. He’ll remain general manager for two more years to prepare Steen for the GM role.

Steen spent 12 of his 15 NHL seasons with the Blues. He retired as a player in 2020 and joined the Blues’ management team last year as a European development consultant. Armstrong was so impressed by Steen’s effort that he felt he would be a worthwhile successor.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks promoted assistant coach Ryan Warsofsky as their new head coach.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: NBC Sports Bay Area’s Sheng Peng reported Warsofsky’s ability to build relationships with his players, his record for developing young players, and his communication skills factored into the Sharks management tapping him as their new bench boss.

The Sharks are rebuilding their roster with promising young talent. Warsofsky’s coaching will play a crucial role in their development.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers signed winger Kaapo Kakko to a one-year, $2.4 million contract extension.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kakko accepted what would’ve been the Rangers’ qualifying offer, foregoing his arbitration rights this summer. That’s not surprising given his struggles this season.

On the one hand, this is an affordable short-term deal that enables the Rangers to remain patient with the 23-year-old winger’s development. On the other hand, it’s an easily tradeable contract if they decide to trade him.

SPORTSNET: The Carolina Hurricanes signed Jalen Chatfield to a three-year contract with an average annual value of $3 million. The 28-year-old defenseman was eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chatfield made himself invaluable to the Hurricanes’ blueline depth. He’s getting a significant raise, earning $765K per season on his previous two-year contract.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Flyers captain Sean Couturier said he’s rehabbing from a recent sports hernia injury. “Feeling great now. About to head back home here this week and start the full training,” said Couturier.

NHL.COM: The Utah Hockey Club officially joined the NHL on Thursday. The team revealed its home and away jerseys for 2025-26. They could have a new name by then as fan voting is open until June 20. Details on the name will be revealed in the coming months.

TSN: Executive Laurence Gilman and the Toronto Maple Leafs mutually agreed to part ways. He worked as assistant GM from 2018-19. His contract was due to expire at the end of this month.

THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: The Canadiens extended their affiliate agreement with the ECHL’s Trois-Rivieres Lions for three more seasons.

FORT MYERS NEWS-PRESS: The Florida Panthers have ended their affiliation with the ECHL’s Florida Everglades.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 13, 2024

by | Jun 13, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 13, 2024

Updates on the Panthers and Oilers on the eve of Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, plus the latest on Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin, Rangers blueliner Adam Fox, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

STANLEY CUP NOTEBOOK

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Aleksander Barkov could play in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday.

The Florida Panthers captain left Game 2 in the third period after taking an elbow to the head from Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl.

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov (NHL Images).

Barkov was on the ice with his teammates for their final skate before flying to Edmonton for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday.

“He got through the skate today, felt better,” said Panthers coach Paul Maurice. “We will get him on a plane, get him off a plane, get him on the ice and make a decision tomorrow (Thursday). But he looked good today.

Speaking of that plane, its departure was delayed by over three hours due to inclement weather in Miami. It finally took over at 4:25 pm EDT and arrived in Edmonton around 8 pm local time.

The Panthers lead the best-of-seven series two games to none.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Given Barkov’s promising progress, it wouldn’t be surprising if he’s in the lineup with his teammates for Game 3. If he’s unable to go, Anton Lundell (AKA “Baby Barkov”) will take his place on the roster.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers must find a way to break through on the power play if they hope to rally back against the Panthers and win this series. They’ve gone 0-for-7 in the first two games and were shut out in eight of the Oilers’ last 11 playoff contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The power play played a crucial role for the Oilers during the regular season and playoffs. So far, however, they’ve been thwarted by the Panthers’ solid penalty killing and the goaltending of Sergei Bobrovsky.

TSN: Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse and winger Corey Perry are expected to play in Game 3 tonight. Nurse was hampered by an injury in Game 2 that limited him to just over four minutes of ice in that contest. Perry was scratched from the lineup for Game 2.

Winger Evander Kane (sports hernia) remains questionable for Game 3.

THE LATEST ON JACCOB SLAVIN AND ADAM FOX

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the Carolina Hurricanes are working on a long-term contract extension for Jaccob Slavin. The 30-year-old defenseman has one season remaining on his seven-year contract with an average annual value of $5.3 million. He’s eligible to sign that extension on July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Slavvin is the linchpin of the Hurricanes’ defense corps. They’re expected to part ways with Brett Pesce and could also lose Brady Skjei to this summer’s free-agent market. Brent Burns and Dmitry Orlov are eligible for UFA status next summer. Retaining Slavvin will be crucial to maintain a level of stability and to give them someone to build around on the blueline.

It’ll be interesting to see how much of a raise Slavvin receives and for how long. He’s among the league’s best all-around defensemen and recently won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for the second time. It could be a five or six-year deal worth over $8 million annually.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers defenseman Adam Fox suffered a mild MCL strain following a knee-on-knee hit with Washington Capitals blueliner Nick Jensen during their first-round playoff series. The injury affected Fox’s play for the remainder of the Rangers’ postseason run.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fox’s injury contributed to the Rangers’ elimination from the Eastern Conference Final by the Florida Panthers. He struggled to play up to his usual performance level as the postseason went on.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning head coach Jon Cooper is expected to be named Team Canada’s bench boss for next year’s 4 Nations Faceoff and the 2026 Winter Olympics.

TSN: The Minnesota Wild shot down a report claiming they were changing their color scheme to the green and yellow of the Minnesota North Stars as part of their 2025-26 rebrand.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s too bad, I was looking forward to seeing that. The old North Stars jersey was one of the best.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The Bruins named Jay Leach as an assistant coach and promoted Joe Sacco to associate coach. Leach spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach with the Seattle Kraken. Before that, he was head coach of the Bruins’ AHL affiliate in Providence from 2017 to 2021.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche will soon have a new director of amateur scouting. Wade Klippenstein is leaving on July 1 to join Notre Dame Hounds Hockey as their director of hockey development. He’d been with the Avalanche since 2016 and was promoted into his current role in 2021.

DAILY FACEOFF: A wrongful death lawsuit filed by the father of former NHL player Steve Montador will go to trial in March 2025. Paul Montador has been embroiled in a nine-year legal battle with the league. Steve suffered at least 11 documented concussions during his NHL career, including four in 12 weeks in 2012. He passed away in 2015. 










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 12, 2024

by | Jun 12, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 12, 2024

The latest on the Oilers and Panthers, the fallout from the Capitals’ purchase of Cap Friendly, the latest assistant coach hirings, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

STANLEY CUP NOTEBOOK

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers are putting on a brave face despite being down 2-0 to the Florida Panthers in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. “It’s supposed to be hard and I’m excited to see what our group is made of,” said team captain Connor McDavid. “I’m excited to see us fight through adversity and I’m looking forward to people doubting us again.”

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

The Oilers have had to overcome adversity during the regular season and in this postseason. They sank to 31st overall in November, were on the verge of elimination in their second-round series against the Vancouver Canucks, and were down 2-1 to the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final.

McDavid’s bold words aside, the Oilers face a daunting challenge getting back into this series after the Panthers shut down their vaunted offense in the first two games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Game 3 on Thursday could be the most consequential of this Stanley Cup Final.

If the Oilers win, they’re back in the series and have a chance to tie it in Game 4, building momentum that could carry them to the franchise’s first Cup since 1990.

Should they lose Game 3, however, they face long odds of overcoming a 0-3 deficit. Only four clubs have done that in NHL playoff history and only one (the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs) has done it in the Stanley Cup Final.

TSN: Oilers star Leon Draisaitl avoided supplemental discipline for his high hit on Aleksander Barkov in Game 2 that forced the Panthers captain from the game.

Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said Tuesday that Barkov “wasn’t worse” but will undergo a full assessment on Wednesday. Maurice suggested his captain could play in Game 3 if he continues to progress.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Draisaitl left his feet and struck Barkov in the jaw. It was an uncharacteristic hit by the Oilers star. Nevertheless, he likely would’ve received postgame discipline from the league had the incident occurred during a regular-season game.

SPORTSNET: Oilers forward Sam Carrick was fined $2.2K for slashing Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The NHL’s department of player safety called it “slashing” because they can’t find a formal phrase for “nut shot”.

TORONTO SUN: profiles some of the notable stories in the new book “My Day With The Cup” by author/sportscaster Jim Lang. It profiles stories from many subjects (mostly since 1995) describing their “short and sweet” designated day with hockey’s holy grail. Most stories are about spending time with family and friends that run the gamut from heartwarming to hilarious.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ve got this one on my Kindle wish list and look forward to making it part of my vacation reading later this summer.

TSN: A survey by the market research company Leger found that 58 percent of Canadians polled aren’t paying close attention to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. 35 percent aren’t following the series at all while 24 percent said they wouldn’t follow it closely.

Fifty-eight percent of Albertans are the most likely following the series because of the Oilers. 53 percent of Atlantic Canadians are also following the series, 42 percent in Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan are interested with 70 percent of Quebecers being the most disinterested.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There is no such thing as “Canada’s Team” when it comes to winning the Stanley Cup. Most Canadian hockey fans prefer to support their favorite team, which for some isn’t Canadian-based. Here in Atlantic Canada, for example, there are a lot of Boston Bruins fans.

The number of Canadian hockey fans interested in the Stanley Cup Final would be higher if the Toronto Maple Leafs or Montreal Canadiens were among the participants. They’re Original Six teams with over a century of hockey history and widespread support throughout Canada.

FALLOUT FROM THE CAPITALS’ PURCHASE OF CAP FRIENDLY

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman offered further insight into why the Washington Capitals purchased the popular Cap Friendly website and why the site won’t remain public following the completion of the sale on July 5. (Stick tap to Sammi Silber for this report).

Friedman said the Capitals purchased Cap Friendly for internal reasons rather than profit. It was cheaper to buy it rather than hire people and invest time and resources in building a hockey salary database.

According to Friedman, the Capitals couldn’t keep the site public even if they wanted to. The NHL frowns on the existence of such sites, even though they should be doing it themselves. “They consider it propriety information,” he said. Nevertheless, he explained some teams are scrambling to find an alternative once Cap Friendly goes dark.

Silber believes alternative salary-cap sites such as Puck Pedia and Sportrac will receive more attention going forward.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Jonathan Bailey cited Friedman listing several teams he believes have backup plans when Cap Friendly goes offline. “Seattle…New Jersey, Carolina, I heard Chicago…Islanders…Toronto…Columbus, and Pittsburgh.”

TORONTO STAR: Bruce Arthur believes the NHL’s unwillingness to make player salary information available on their website shows how the league’s brain trust is out of touch with today’s hockey fans.

Arthur cited league commissioner Gary Bettman’s comments in 2015 dismissing the notion of the league running a salary-cap website, expressing his belief that fans weren’t that interested. The popularity of Cap Friendly and its predecessor CapGeek suggests otherwise.

Because of the NHL’s hard salary cap, fans want to know how their favorite teams spend their money. The media also uses that information to write better-informed pieces about the NHL.

“Allowing high-information fans and media to understand the league leads to more and better conversation about the league,” writes Arthur. “That’s good for the game, too.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is what happens when dinosaurs run your professional sports league. The NHL is still controlled by an old-boy network whose ideology remains rooted in the previous century. They take their fans for granted, refusing to believe they’re interested in salary information despite all the contrary evidence.

The NHL may prefer salary information be kept private, but they have themselves to blame for the fans’ desire to know more about it. They killed an entire season to implement their hard cap system. As Arthur pointed out, how your favorite team spends its salary-cap payroll each year is integral to how well they can compete. Fans naturally want to know if their teams can afford to acquire or retain players.

IN OTHER NEWS…

CALGARY SUN: The Flames hired former Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Brad Larsen as an assistant coach.

NHL.COM: Former Chicago Blackhawks bench boss Jeremy Colliton joins the New Jersey Devils as an assistant coach.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins are reportedly hiring David Quinn as an assistant coach. He spent the past two seasons as head coach of the San Jose Sharks. Before that, Quinn spent three seasons as the New York Rangers’ bench boss.

TSN: The sexual assault case of five former members of Canada’s 2018 World Junior team is set to return to court on Aug. 13 to potentially set a date for trial.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 11, 2024

by | Jun 11, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 11, 2024

The Panthers take a 2-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final, the Stars’ Jim Nill is GM of the Year, the Hurricanes are poised to name their new general manager, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAP

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers took a 2-0 lead in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final with a 4-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 2. Evan Rodrigues scored twice as the Panthers tallied three unanswered third-period goals and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 18 shots for the win.

Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm opened the scoring in the first period with his club’s first goal of the series. Connor McDavid collected an assist for his first Stanley Cup Final point. However, the Panthers tied it in the second on a goal by Niko Mikkola, setting the stage for Rodrigues’ third-period output. Aaron Ekblad tallied into an empty net late in the third to put it out of reach.

Florida Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues (NHL Images).

The series shifts to Edmonton for the next two games with Game 3 on Thursday, June 13, at 8 pm EDT.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Edmonton outplayed Florida in Game 1 and deserved to win but were shut out by Bobrovsky. They deserved to lose Game 2 as the Panthers’ stingy defense and physical play limited the Oilers to seven shots on goal through the first two periods and no high-danger scoring chances throughout the game. Florida’s penalty-killing snuffed out Edmonton’s vaunted power play in both contests.

The Oilers’ top scorers have yet to find the back of the net in this series. Their frustration was evident in the third period when Leon Draisaitl left his feet to nail Aleksander Barkov with a high hit that forced the Panthers captain from the game and into concussion protocol. Draisaitl received a minor penalty on the play. Panthers head coach Paul Maurice had no update on Barkov’s condition following the game.

Edmonton winger Warren Foegele received a major penalty and a game misconduct midway through the first period for kneeing Eetu Luostarinen. The Panthers forward was helped from the ice but later returned to the game. Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse suffered an undisclosed injury and was limited to three shifts over the final two periods. The Oilers also scratched defenseman Cody Ceci, replacing him with Vincent Desharnais.

Some Edmonton observers took issue with some questionable officiating in this game. Nevertheless, the Panthers were the better team in Game 2. Their victory was well-deserved, leaving the Oilers looking for answers as they wing their way home to Edmonton.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: Jim Nill of the Dallas Stars won the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award. It’s the second straight year that Nill has won this award. Under his management, the Stars finished first in the Western Conference with 113 points, one point behind the Presidents’ Trophy-winning New York Rangers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nill and New York Islanders’ Lou Lamoriello are the only two-time winners of this award. Lamoriello also won it in consecutive years (2020 and 2021).

SPORTSNET: The Carolina Hurricanes will name Eric Tulsky as their new general manager. Tulsky was made interim GM after Don Waddell stepped down on May 24. He’d served as assistant GM since 2020.

TSN: Matt Duchene remains keen to return to Dallas next season. The 33-year-old forward is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 after completing a one-year, $3-million contract. As the free-agent market approaches, Duchene said money was not a motivating factor for him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Duchene will continue to receive $1.55 million annually through 2028-29 from the Nashville Predators after buying out his contract last summer. Nevertheless, he genuinely enjoyed his time in Dallas. The Stars have just over $16 million in cap space for next season but Duchene could accept another cost-effective contract to return next season.

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks have added Jason Krog as a skills and skating coach. He’ll work with the big club and their AHL affiliate in Abbotsford.

CBC.CA: Team Canada star and Olympic gold medalist Sarah Fillier was chosen first overall by New York in the 2024 PWHL Draft. Edmonton’s Danielle Serdachny was taken second overall by Ottawa.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow this link for the complete list of picks in the 2024 PWHL Draft.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 10, 2024

by | Jun 10, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 10, 2024

The latest on the Oilers and Panthers on the eve of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, the Capitals to purchase CapFriendly, the players will get back this season’s escrow payment, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

STANLEY CUP NOTEBOOK

SPORTSNET: Mark Spector reports Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch could tinker with his lineup before Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final. Defense pairing Darnell Nurse and Cody Ceci were reunited in Game 1 but continued to struggle as they were on the ice for two of the Florida Panthers’ three goals. Meanwhile, winger Evander Kane remains hampered by a sports hernia.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: We’ll find out before Game 2 what Knoblauch has in store for his lineup.

Mark speculates that Knoblauch could sit Ceci if he reactivates Vincent Desharnais. He’s been a healthy scratch since Game 4 of the Western Conference Final. He also suggested Sam Carrick coming in to center the fourth line while replacing Kane on Leon Draisaitl’s line with Ryan McLeod.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers aren’t resting on their laurels following their 3-0 victory over the Oilers in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. They know there is more they must do to improve. “I think we can definitely be better,” said winger Carter Verhaeghe after his club was outshot 32-18 in Game 1.

TORONTO STAR: Speaking of Verhaeghe, he and Oilers winger Zach Hyman are former Maple Leafs playing big roles for their current clubs throughout this postseason. Verhaeghe was a Leafs castoff while Hyman (who was drafted by the Panthers) was not offered a new contract by the Leafs three years ago.

Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Other former Leafs in this series include Connor Brown, Cody Ceci, Sam Carrick and Jack Campbell with the Oilers and winger Evan Rodrigues and head coach Paul Maurice with the Panthers.

SPORTSNET: The Calgary Tower will be lit up in Blue and Orange on June 10 to support Action Anxiety Day. Its “X” account assured Calgarians it was not to show support for the Oilers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The intense NHL rivalry between the two cities burns brightly.

IN OTHER NEWS…

SPORTSNET: The Washington Capitals agreed to purchase the popular CapFriendly website.

CapFriendly will remain publicly available and independently operated until at least July 5, when the sale is expected to be officially announced. After that, the site will go dark and terminate its arrangements that existed for several years with multiple NHL clubs that bought into its API (Application Programming Interface).

THE ATHLETIC: CapFriendly’s tools and functions will become part of the Capitals’ in-house operations. Several NHL clubs were interested in purchasing the site and a source claimed its owners had held talks with other teams before reaching its agreement with the Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: CapFriendly came in after CapGeek was shuttered in 2015 following the death of its owner, Matthew Wuest. It quickly filled the void, becoming popular with fans, pundits, and NHL teams for its accuracy and up-to-date information in tracking player salaries and team payrolls.

Some fans took to social media on Sunday lamenting the sale, with some accusing CapFriendly’s owners of “selling out.” However, this is a business move and I don’t fault the site’s ownership for cashing in on an offer too good to refuse. I’d do the same thing if I were in their shoes.

The NHL doesn’t have a salary cap tracking site. In 2015, league commissioner Gary Bettman said he didn’t see the need to do so because he wasn’t sure fans were as focused on how much players were making as they are about their on-ice performance. He later questioned the accuracy of such sites as CapFriendly.

On both counts, Bettman couldn’t have been more wrong. It subsequently emerged that the league engaged in a “back-and-forth” regarding the creation of a league-operated cap site but some teams were against it.

For those lamenting CapFriendly’s imminent demise, I recommend PuckPedia. I’ve linked to their player and team salary info on my Rumors page for several years. Sportrac is another good option.

DAILY FACEOFF: NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh announced on Saturday that NHL players are on track to have nearly all of this season’s escrow payments returned to them. The players had six percent of their salaries withheld by escrow as per the 2020 CBA Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s because hockey-related revenue exceeded projections for this season. Otherwise, that escrow money would’ve been returned to the teams to offset any potential losses.

SPORTSNET: During Sunday’s “32 Thoughts: The Podcast”, Elliotte Friedman reported some player agents believe the NHL Draft should be shortened to four rounds. Friedman said most players who don’t get contracts are selected in the later rounds. They believe it holds up a player from beginning their NHL careers by having their rights held by a team for two to four years only for them not to receive a contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Any changes to the draft will have to be negotiated during the next round of collective bargaining in 2026.

Those agents are arguing that those who would normally be chosen in the fifth, sixth, and seventh rounds should instead become free agents able to sign with whomever they choose. While they make a good point, some late-round players went on to great careers with the teams that chose them.

SPORTSNET: The 2024 NHL Draft Combine results have been released. It was held last week in Buffalo.