NHL Rumor Mill – January 13, 2024

by | Jan 13, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – January 13, 2024

Can the Blue Jackets find a trade partner for Elvis Merzlikins? Did the Flyers try to acquire Bowen Byran from the Avalanche? What’s the latest on the Bruins and Canucks? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

CAN THE BLUE JACKETS FIND A TRADE FOR MERZLIKINS?

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Brian Hedger reports learning that the Blue Jackets are seeking potential trade partners willing to acquire Elvis Merzlikins and the remainder of his contract.

The 29-year-old goaltender yesterday confirmed his agent spoke with Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen about a trade. He’s unhappy over what he considers his demotion since December from being the Jackets’ starting goalie to their third-stringer.

Merzlikins is signed through 2026-27 with an average annual value of $5.4 million and a 10-team no-trade list. Hedger believes the Jackets might have to absorb part of that cap hit as well as package Merzlikins with a prospect or draft pick “in exchange for, essentially, nothing but completing an addition-by-subtraction move.”

Hedger thinks that not playing Merzlikins prevents him from damaging his trade value with a poor performance. However, it also prevents him from improving it.

Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins (NHL Images).

Trading Merzlikins seems the most likely conclusion. They could attempt to buy out the remainder of his contract this summer but that’s at two-thirds of the remaining value of the contract over twice the remaining term. They could also put him on waivers and if he clears send him to their AHL affiliate, freeing up just $1.15 million of his $5.4 million cap hit.

THE ATHLETIC: Aaron Portzline reports Merzlikins hasn’t requested a trade but he and the club have reached a mutual decision to pursue a “new scenario” for him. Kekalainen, meanwhile, declined to comment that he’s seeking a trade for the netminder, adding that Merzlikins must play his way back into the starter’s job or they’ll find someone else.

This decision might’ve made sense at the end of last season when Merzlikins was statistically among the NHL’s worst goaltenders with a 4.23 goals-against average and a .876 save percentage. He’s been much better this season, sitting 14th in save percentage (.907) and 26th in goals-against average (3.25).

Nevertheless, Merlikins’ play this season and his contract will make it difficult to move him even though several NHL clubs could use help between the pipes. Kekalainen said he has not discussed Merzlikins’ “no-go” list with the goalie.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: David Staples suggested a deal in which the Oilers send Jack Campbell to the Blue Jackets for Merzlikins. He cited their near-identical AAVs as well as the fact that both goalies could use a change of scenery. From the Oilers’ point of view, he thinks it’s better to roll the dice on Merzlikins.

Staples also observed several clubs possess the cap space to acquire Merzlikins or a pressing need to upgrade in goal. However, they might not want his contract or currently have goaltenders who are better than the Jackets netminder.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Moving any player with a significant cap hit and several years remaining on their contract is difficult to do during the regular season under a salary cap. Doing so in a season like this one with so many teams carrying so little cap space is a daunting challenge.

As Hedger pointed out, the Jackets’ best option could be retaining part of Merzlikins’ cap hit and packaging him with a draft pick or prospect.

A swap of Merzlikins for Campbell could work for the Oilers but I doubt the Blue Jackets would be warm to that idea The Oilers would get the better goalie while the Blue Jackets would be saddled with one whose confidence is so rattled that he hasn’t played his way back into the NHL.

FLYERS ATTEMPTED TO ACQUIRE BYRAM FROM THE AVS

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Jonathan Bailey cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman saying he believes the Flyers attempted to trade Cutter Gauthier to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for defenseman Bowen Byram. However, Friedman doesn’t think the Avs were willing to go there, that it had to be more than just Gauthier for Byram.

The Flyers instead shipped Gauthier to the Anaheim Ducks for defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a draft pick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I suspected the Ducks weren’t the only club the Flyers talked to regarding Gauthier. So what do you think, Avs fans? Did your team make the right decision? How about you, Flyers fans? Would you have preferred this deal instead of the one with the Ducks? Let us know in the comments section below.

LATEST ON THE BRUINS AND CANUCKS

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: Nick Goss cited ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reporting that Bruins GM Don Sweeney is in the market for some depth at forward. She’s heard the Bruins are scouting “middle-six forwards, especially someone who could add a scoring punch.”

Goss conceded the Bruins could use more offense this season. However, he noted that many other contending clubs have better trade assets. Their prospect pool has improved but isn’t among the top 15. They also lack a first-round pick in 2024 and they don’t have second-rounders in 2024 or 2025.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That won’t deter Sweeney from shopping around as any GM in his position would. Nevertheless, he could find it more difficult to bolster his roster this year compared to recent years when he has more cap space and depth in tradeable assets.

THE SCORE: Sean O’Leary cited The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reporting Vancouver Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford would like to add another top-six forward to his roster.

Rutherford said he and his management team will still keep an eye on their defense but felt they’ve done a good job this season. He thinks adding a top-six forward would give his club a better chance.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks have been the busiest team in this season’s trade market, swinging four deals involving players thus far. Their most significant move was their Nov. 30 acquisition of defenseman Nikita Zadorov from the Calgary Flames. I wouldn’t be surprised if they make a move to land a top-six forward before the March 8 trade deadline.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 12, 2024

by | Jan 12, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 12, 2024

The Jets, Oilers, Panthers, and Kraken extend their win streaks, the Hurricanes extend their points streak and the Sharks end their long losing skid. Details on these and other stories in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Third-period goals by Gabriel Vilardi and Nikolaj Ehlers lifted the Winnipeg Jets over the Chicago Blackhawks 2-1, extending their points streak to 14 games while setting a franchise record with their eighth straight win. The Jets (28-9-4) remain in first place in the overall standings with 60 points. Connor Murphy scored for the 12-28-2 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets center Mark Scheifele left this game in the second period with a lower-body injury. Earlier in the day, Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said he’s opened contract extension talks with pending unrestricted free agents Dylan DeMelo and Brenden Dillon.

The Edmonton Oilers tied a franchise record with their ninth straight win by downing the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 on an overtime goal by Darnell Nurse. Zach Hyman had a goal and an assist for the 22-15-1 Oilers as they moved into the first NHL wild-card berth with 45 points. Alex Lyon kicked out 44 shots for the Red Wings (20-16-5) as they sit two points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 45 points.

Florida Panthers winger Sam Reinhart (NHL Images).

An overtime power-play goal by Sam Reinhart gave the Florida Panthers a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings, extending their win streak to nine games. Reinhart finished with two points while Sergei Bobrovsky made 31 saves for the 27-12-2 Panthers, who sit second in the Atlantic Division with 56 points. Cam Talbot stopped 37 shots for the 20-10-8 Kings as they’ve won just twice in their last 10 games and sit third in the Pacific Division with 48 points.

The Seattle Kraken extended their win streak to eight games and their points streak to 12 games by dropping the Washington Capitals 4-1. Joey Daccord turned aside 25 shots to extend his win streak to seven games and points streak to 11 games as the Kraken (18-14-9) sit just outside the final Western wild-card berth with 45 points. Max Pacioretty scored his first goal of the season for the Capitals (19-14-6) as they sit three points out of an Eastern wild-card spot with 44 points.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Seth Jarvis had a goal and two assists in a 6-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks. The Hurricanes extended their points streak to seven games (23-13-5) and sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 51 points. John Gibson made 20 saves for the 14-26-1 Ducks before leaving this game following the second period with an upper-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gibson wasn’t the only goalie to leave this game early as the Hurricanes’ Pyotr Kochetkov departed midway through the second period with an undisclosed injury following a collision with Ducks forward Isac Lundestrom.

Earlier in the day, the Ducks announced forward Trevor Zegras was sidelined for six to eight weeks with a broken left ankle while defenseman Pavel Mintyukov would be out for six weeks with a separated shoulder. The pair suffered those injuries during Tuesday’s game against the Nashville Predators.

The San Jose Sharks ended a 12-game losing skid by beating the Montreal Canadiens 3-2. Mackenzie Blackwood got the win with a 33-save performance for the 10-29-3 Sharks while Sam Montembeault stopped 32 shots for the 17-18-6 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The score flattered the Canadiens as the Sharks dominated them through most of this game.

Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson scored in overtime for a 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Pettersson had two goals and collected two assists while Brock Boeser tallied twice for the 28-11-3 Canucks (59 points) as they sit one point behind the league-leading Jets. Sidney Crosby scored two goals for the 20-15-5 Penguins (45 points), who are two points out of the final Eastern wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins winger Reilly Smith left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury following a big hit by Canucks defenseman Nikita Zadorov.

Speaking of four-point performances, Mathew Barzal had a goal and three assists as the New York Islanders nipped the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3. Barzal netted the winning goal in overtime while Noah Dobson collected four assists for the 19-12-10 Islanders (48 points) as they sit third in the Metropolitan Division. Auston Matthews scored twice to extend his league lead in that category to 33 as his Maple Leafs (21-10-8) sit third in the Atlantic Division with 50 points.

A hat trick by Jordan Kyrou powered the St. Louis Blues to a 5-2 win over the New York Rangers. Jordan Binnington made 40 saves while Pavel Buchnevich had a goal and two assists for the 21-18-1 Blues (43 points) as they sit two points out of the final Western wild-card berth. Mika Zibanejad was sidelined by illness as his Rangers (26-12-4) sit in first place in the Metropolitan Divison with 54 points.

Speaking of hat tricks, Yegor Sharangovich’s three goals lifted the Calgary Flames over the Arizona Coyotes 6-2. Blake Coleman had a goal and two assists while Jacob Markstrom stopped 32 shots for the 19-18-5 Flames (43 points) as they’re also two points out of the final Western wild-card spot. Clayton Keller netted his 15th goal of the season for the Coyotes as they slipped to 20-18-2 and sit three points out of the final Western wildcard spot.

An overtime goal by Alex Pietrangelo gave the Vegas Golden Knights a 2-1 victory over the Boston Bruins. Jack Eichel had a goal and an assist while Logan Thompson turned aside 32 shots for the 24-13-5 Golden Knights as they sit second in the Pacific Division with 53 points. Matt Grzelcyk scored for the 24-8-9 Bruins (57 points) who sit third in the overall standings but have lost three straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Bruins announced defenseman Brandon Carlo (upper body) was placed on injured reserve while goalie Linus Ullmark and forward Matthew Poitras are listed as day-to-day.

The Tampa Bay Lightning blew a 3-1 lead but would defeat the New Jersey Devils 4-3 on an overtime goal by Darren Raddysh. Luke Glendening tallied twice and Nikita Kucherov collected two assists for his league-leading 69th point for the 21-17-5 Lightning as they hold the final Eastern wild-card spot with 47 points. Dawson Mercer, Jesper Bratt and Nathan Bastian scored for the Devils (21-15-3) as they sit behind the Lightning with 45 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury.

Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson scored two goals in a 5-3 win over the Ottawa Senators, handing the latter their fifth straight loss. Claude Giroux netted two goals for the Senators, who also lost goaltender Anton Forsberg in the first period to a groin injury. The Sabres improved to 18-20-4 while the Senators are 14-23-0 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Sabres announced winger Jeff Skinner is week-to-week with an upper-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 10, 2024

by | Jan 10, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 10, 2024

Recaps of Tuesday’s games, the fallout from the Gauthier-for-Drysdale trade, an update on the top vote-getters for the 2024 All-Star Game, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Toronto Maple Leafs crushed the San Jose Sharks 7-1. Mitch Marner had two goals and two assists while William Nylander collected three assists for the 21-10-7 Leafs, who sit third in the Atlantic Division with 49 points. Henry Thrun scored for the 9-29-3 Sharks as they lost their 12th straight game and sit at the bottom of the overall standings.

Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk (NHL Images).

Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk’s natural hat trick in the third period lifted his club to a 5-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Anthony Stolarz stopped 29 shots for the Panthers (26-12-2) as they sit third overall in the Eastern Conference with 54 points. Brayden Schenn scored the lone goal for the 20-18-1 Blues (41 points), who sit two points out of the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

The Winnipeg Jets (27-9-4) maintained their hold on first place in the overall standings with 58 points by blanking the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-0. Connor Hellebuyck had a 29-save shutout while Cole Perfetti scored twice for the Jets, who picked up their seventh straight win and extended their points streak to 13 games. Daniil Tarasov made 18 saves for the 13-20-9 Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets center Mark Scheifele left the game after being struck in the face by a deflected shot by teammate Josh Morrissey. He missed the remainder of the game receiving stitches but returned at the end of the game to celebrate his club’s win. It’s unknown if Scheifele will miss any games.

Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson tallied his 20th goal of the season in a 5-2 win over the New York Islanders. Conor Garland and Filip Hronek each collected two points for the 27-11-3 Canucks as they sit one point behind the Jets in second place in the overall standings. Brock Nelson netted both goals for the Islanders (18-12-10) as they hold the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 46 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders activated defenseman Adam Pelech off long-term injury reserve for this game. He’d been sidelined since Nov. 24 with an upper-body injury.

The Tampa Bay Lightning overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 in overtime, giving head coach Jon Cooper his 500th career NHL victory. Brandon Hagel scored the tying goal and set up the game-winning goal by Nick Perbix as the Lightning (20-17-5) hold the final Eastern wild-card spot with 45 points. Trevor Moore picked up two assists for the 20-10-7 Kings as they sit third in the Pacific Division with 47 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hagel was outstanding for the Lightning. His hard work and skill made their comeback possible, especially with his assist on the game-winner.

An overtime goal by Nick Schmaltz lifted the Arizona Coyotes over the Boston Bruins 4-3. Connor Ingram turned aside 30 shots while Clayton Keller had a goal and an assist for the 20-17-2 Coyotes (42 points) as they sit one point behind the Edmonton Oilers for the final Western Conference wild-card spot. David Pastrnak tallied his 25th goal of the season for the Bruins (24-8-8) as they sit in third place in the overall standings with 56 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins also lost goaltender Linus Ullmark in the overtime period as he had to be helped from the ice while attempting to make a glove save. There was no update regarding his condition.

Edmonton Oilers stars Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid scored in a narrow 2-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Stuart Skinner made 25 saves for the 21-15-1 Oilers, who picked up their seventh straight win to hold the final Western wild-card spot with 43 points. Jason Dickinson scored for the 12-27-3 Blackhawks as they held the Oilers to 15 shots.

The Anaheim Ducks snapped a five-game losing skid as they upset the Nashville Predators 5-3. Troy Terry had a goal and an assist, Alex Killorn collected two assists and Lukas Dostal kicked out 39 shots for the 14-25-1 Ducks. Juuse Saros stopped 28 shots for the 22-18-1 Predators as they hold the first Western wild-card berth with 45 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks forward Trevor Zegras left the game in the first period with a lower-body injury. Ducks head coach Greg Cronin said the 22-year-old Zegras could be sidelined “for a while.”

Seattle Kraken winger Jaden Schwartz had a goal and an assist in a 5-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Joey Daccord made 36 saves for his sixth straight win as the 17-14-9 Kraken (43 points) extended their win streak to seven games and their points streak to 11 games to sit just behind the Oilers. Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch each had a goal and an assist for the 17-20-4 Sabres.

The Calgary Flames scored four unanswered third-period goals to defeat the Ottawa Senators 6-3. Yegor Sharangovich and Blake Coleman each tallied twice for the 18-18-5 Flames (41 points) as they sit two points back of the Oilers. Joonas Korpisalo made 30 saves for the 14-22-0 Senators as they’ve lost four straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators center Josh Norris left this game in the third period with an upper-body injury following an awkward collision with Flames center Elias Lindholm. Before the game, the Senators activated forward Mathieu Joseph off LTIR. He’d been sidelined since Dec. 15 with a lower-body injury.

HEADLINES

THE ATHLETIC: Kevin Kurz reports the Philadelphia Flyers still don’t have an answer as to why top prospect Cutter Gauthier refused to sign with them, forcing the club to trade him on Monday to the Anaheim Ducks.

The Flyers held early contract talks with Gauthier last spring following the completion of his freshman year at Boston College and were prepared to sign him last May. However, they couldn’t promise the young winger a roster spot and he’d have to compete for one in training camp like everybody else. If he failed to qualify, he would’ve been sent to their AHL affiliate in LeHigh Valley.

Following the 2023 World Championships, the Gauthier camp informed the Flyers that he didn’t want to play for them and would return to Boston College for his sophomore season. It was assumed that his college coach Greg Brown convinced Gauthier it would be best for his development if he stayed in school for another year.

St. Louis Blues center (and former Flyer) Kevin Hayes was rumored to have influenced Gauthier’s decision as the two are believed to be friends. However, he denied having anything to do with it. Flyer president Keith Jones said Hayes told general manager Daniel Briere the same thing.

TSN: Hayes sounded off against the backlash he was receiving following the rumor that he may have influenced Gauthier’s decision. “It’s 100 percent false,” he said, adding that he didn’t know where it came from. He indicated that death threats were made against himself and his family with some saying they were happy Hayes’ brother had died.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman cited several sources suggesting whatever discussions took place back in March threw an unexpected wrench into the relationship. One theory is the Flyers wanted to sign Gauthier but doing so would’ve resulted in a higher bonus overage against their salary cap for this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was also rumored that Gauthier didn’t want to play for Flyers coach John Tortorella. That has been debunked.

Gauthier and his representatives remain silent about his decision not to sign with the Flyers. Based on the reports thus far, it sounds like he was unhappy about not getting a guaranteed spot on their roster. Until he clears the air, the rumors will persist.

The speculation about Hayes was based on the belief that his parting with the Flyers was acrimonious. However, both sides indicated that wasn’t the case. He had no axe to grind and no reason to get involved in Gauthier’s plans. Even if he did, it doesn’t merit death threats or cruel comments about his late brother.

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs winger William Nylander is leading the fan voting for the 2024 NHL All-Star Game. Thirty-two players (one from each club) were already chosen by the league with the remaining 12 roster spots to be determined by fan voting

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar is currently second, Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl is third, and Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson is fourth thus far. The voting ends at midnight on Thursday.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils center Jack Hughes is expected to be sidelined for “weeks, not months” with an upper-body injury. Defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler (fractured foot) is week to week.

TSN: The St. Louis Blues signed forward Nathan Walker to a two-year, $1.55 million contract extension.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: The Canadiens placed defenseman Gustav Lindstrom on waivers.










NHL Rumor Mill – January 9, 2024

by | Jan 9, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – January 9, 2024

The fallout from the Leafs re-signing William Nylander, an update on Oilers goalie Jack Campbell, and the latest on the Senators in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

FALLOUT FROM THE NYLANDER SIGNING

TORONTO SUN: Terry Koshan believes the work has just begun for Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving after signing William Nylander yesterday to an eight-year, $92 million contract extension.

On July 1, captain John Tavares and winger Mitch Marner will be eligible to sign contract extensions as they’ll both be in the final season of their current deals. Marner’s next contract will probably cost between $11.5 million annually and $13.25 million.

Treliving could also consider tweaking his roster by the March 8 trade deadline. Bolstering the defense remains a priority. He could also look at adding a depth forward.

TORONTO STAR: Kevin McGran also noted that T.J. Brodie, Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi are slated to become unrestricted free agents on July 1. Meanwhile, goaltender Ilya Samsonov continues to work on improving his game with the AHL Marlies.

ESPN.COM: Greg Wyshynski speculates Nylander’s new contract could come up in contract negotiations between the Vancouver Canucks and Elias Pettersson. The difference, however, is Nylander was slated to become a UFA on July 1 whereas Pettersson is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.

Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart and Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jake Guentzel could also benefit from Nylander’s new deal. They’re a little older but could make the case for seeking over $10 million annually on their new contracts.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It will likely cost the Leafs more than Nylander’s $11.5 million and less than Auston Matthew’s $13.25 million AAV to get Marner under contract. He could come in between $12 million and $12.5 million on a long-term deal.

Tavares is playing well but the 33-year-old Leafs captain will have to accept a pay cut from his current $11 million AAV to stay in Toronto. How much of a cut will determine whether he has a future with the Leafs beyond July 1, 2025. It’ll have to go at least below $10 million for sure.

The Leafs can afford to re-sign Brodie, Bertuzzi and Domi but they won’t overpay to do so. It won’t be surprising if at least one of them ends up hitting the open market on July 1.

Pettersson is two years younger than Nylander and keeping pace with the Leafs winger in points. I wouldn’t be shocked if he ended up with a similar contract given his value to the surging Canucks.

Reinhart and Guentzel could get over $10 million annually on their next contracts with the salary cap rising by $4.2 million for 2024-25. Whether they get them from their current clubs remains to be seen.

WILL THE OILERS TRY TO MOVE CAMPBELL?

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland intends to see if Jack Campbell can bounce back though there’s no real sign of it yet.

“I’ll watch Jack Campbell, I’ll work the phones, I’ll watch our team and ultimately between now and the trade deadline, make some decisions with our staff as to what we think we need to do,” said Holland.

LeBrun speculates the Oilers GM could attempt to add a veteran goalie to be a 1B with Stuart Skinner or a more traditional backup. He thinks a goalie trade is possible but doesn’t see a likely scenario where they can move Campbell’s contract before the trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: LeBrun thinks it could cost the Oilers two first-round picks to convince a club to take on the remaining three years of Campbell’s contract. Unless the Oilers are willing to retain up to half of his $5 million average annual value, I don’t see him going anywhere by deadline day.

LATEST ON THE SENATORS

SPORTSNET: Wayne Scanlan believes roster changes are inevitable for the struggling Ottawa Senators. With their playoff hopes fading away, management must decide who stays and who goes.

Scanlan wonders what effect the years of losing could have on defenseman Thomas Chabot and team captain Brady Tkachuk. He wondered if the new front office is as devout to sticking with the mantra of building with youth as their predecessors.

General manager Steve Staios has publicly said he wants to add a veteran or two. However, there is a theory that he could also attempt to shake things up by moving one or two of the young core players.

THE ATHLETIC: Ian Mendes believes all eyes will be on Senators forwards Vladimir Tarasenko and Dominik Kubalik leading up to the March 8 trade deadline. Both are eligible to become unrestricted free agents on July 1.

Mendes also noted that Thomas Chabot’s no-trade clause kicks in on July 1. While it seems doubtful the Senators would trade their best defenseman, the new regime in charge isn’t beholden to anyone on this roster as they didn’t acquire any of them.

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports Staios is trying to juggle salary-cap space to make room for center Shane Pinto once he’s finished serving his 41-game suspension later this month. He’ll have to demote someone or make a cost-cutting trade.

Garrioch also reports Staios will find it difficult to add one or two veteran players at this time. Teams that have good character players prefer to keep them and those that are available come with a high asking price. A league executive also said those players prefer going to a playoff contender rather than Ottawa.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Garrioch indicated Staios and his front office team aren’t ready to move core players like Chabot, Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Josh Norris, Drake Batherson and Jake Sanderson. We won’t see any of those guys being peddled by the trade deadline.

Nevertheless, Scanlan makes a good point about the effect that years of losing could have on some of those players, especially guys like Chabot and Tkachuk who’ve been there the longest. Perhaps one or two of them grow weary of this situation and request a trade in the offseason.

For now, Tarasenko and Kubalik appear to be the only notable Senators certain to be on the move by the deadline. We’ll see if that changes in the coming weeks.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 7, 2024

by | Jan 7, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 7, 2024

Marc-Andre Fleury ties Patrick Roy for career wins, Sam Reinhart and Zach Hyman have hat-trick performances, Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard is sidelined with a fractured jaw, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury made 25 saves for his 551st career NHL win in a 4-3 overtime victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Fleury is tied with Hall-of-Famer Patrick Roy for second on the all-time wins list. Marco Rossi scored the game-winner while Matt Boldy and Brock Faber each collected three points for the 17-17-4 Wild (38 points), who sit three points out of the final Western Conference wild-card berth. Cole Sillinger tallied all three goals for the 13-19-9 Blue Jackets.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (NHL Images).

Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart collected a hat trick as his club picked up its seventh straight win by dropping the Colorado Avalanche 8-4, snapping the latter’s four-game win streak. Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk each had four points and Carter Verhaeghe had three for the red-hot Panthers (25-12-2, 52 points) as they moved within two points of first place in the Eastern Conference. Mikko Rantanen and Valeri Nichushkin each had two points for the 25-12-3 Avalanche (53 points) as they remain one point out of first place in the Western Conference.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche played without defenseman Bowen Byram. He’s expected to miss “a handful of games” due to a lower-body injury suffered on Thursday against the Dallas Stars.

Speaking of hat tricks and seven-game win streaks, Zach Hyman’s three goals continued the Edmonton Oilers’ winning ways in a 3-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Evan Bouchard collected three assists while Stuart Skinner made 29 saves for the 20-15-1 Oilers (41 points), who moved into a playoff spot for the first time this season as they hold the final Western Conference wild-card berth. Anton Forsberg turned aside 43 shots for the 14-21-0 Senators as their losing skid extended to three games.

A third-period goal by Travis Konecny lifted the Philadelphia Flyers past the Calgary Flames 3-2. Morgan Frost had a goal and an assist for the Flyers (20-13-6) as they snapped a four-game losing skid and sit in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 46 points. Jacob Markstrom turned aside 39 shots for the 17-17-5 Flames as they are two points out of a Western wild-card spot.

The Boston Bruins rolled to a 7-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Trent Frederic tallied two goals while David Pastrnak, Hampus Lindholm and Matthew Poitras each collected two points as the Bruins 24-8-6 sit atop the Atlantic Division with 54 points. Brayden Point netted two goals for the 19-17-5 Lightning as they sit one point out of the final Eastern wild-card berth with 43 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins have the same number of points as the New York Rangers and the idle Winnipeg Jets. However, the Jets hold first place in the overall standings with 23 regulation wins while the Rangers are second overall with 21 regulation wins. The Bruins have fewer victories.

Speaking of the Rangers, they suffered a 4-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on a shootout goal by Cole Caufield. Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck each had a goal and an assist as the Rangers overcame a 3-0 deficit but Canadiens goalie Sam Montembeault kicked out 45 shots for the win. The Rangers (26-10-2) hold first place in the Eastern Conference while the Canadiens improved to 17-17-5.

The Vancouver Canucks held off the New Jersey Devils by a score of 6-4. J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson each had two goals and an assist while Quinn Hughes collected three assists for the Canucks (25-11-3) as they hold first place in the Pacific Division with 53 points and sit one point out of first place in the overall standings. Colin Miller tallied twice for the 21-15-2 Devils as they cling to the final Eastern wild-card spot with 44 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler left this game with a broken foot from a blocked shot. The Devils also played without Timo Meier as he was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 30 while Jack Hughes missed this game with an upper-body injury suffered during Friday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Canucks defenseman Carson Soucy returned to action nearly two months after being sidelined by a fractured leg. However, blueliner Nikita Zadorov is out with an undisclosed injury while Phillip Di Giuseppe was placed on long-term injury reserve.

A 40-save performance by goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen gave the Buffalo Sabres a 3-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Zemgus Girgensons scored the game-winner for the 17-19-4 Sabres. Rickard Rakell replied for the Penguins (19-15-4) as they sit two points out of a wild-card berth in the East with 42 points.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger William Nylander scored two goals and an assist in a 4-1 win over the San Jose Sharks, handing the latter their 11th straight loss. The 20-10-7 Leafs sit third in the Atlantic Division with 47 points while the Sharks (9-28-3) remain at the bottom of the overall standings.

The St. Louis Blues nipped the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 thanks to a 29-save effort by goaltender Jordan Binnington. Brayden Schenn netted the winning goal in the shootout as the Blues (20-17-1) sit just outside the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 41 points. Teuvo Teravainen scored for the 22-13-5 Hurricanes as they extended their points streak to six games and sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 49 points.

Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg scored twice in the third period as his club held off the Dallas Stars 4-3. Ryan O’Reilly and Gustav Nyquist each had two points for the 22-17-1 Predators as they hold the first Western wild-card spot with 45 points. Jason Robertson and Thomas Harley each had two points for the Stars (22-11-5) as they hold third place in the Central Division with 49 points.

The Vegas Golden Knights got two goals each from Jack Eichel and Nicolas Roy in a 5-2 win over the New York Islanders. Logan Thompson stopped 28 shots for the Golden Knights (23-12-5) as they hold second place in the Pacific Division with 51 points. Mathew Barzal and Matt Martin replied for the 18-11-10 Islanders as they hold the first Eastern wild-card berth with 46 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights defenseman Zach Whitecloud missed this game with an undisclosed injury.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: The Chicago Blackhawks placed rookie star Connor Bedard on injured reserve after he suffered a fractured jaw during Friday’s game against the Devils. There is no timetable for his return.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blackhawks already have several players sidelined by injuries with Bedard now their ninth player on injured reserve. He could return sometime in mid-February at the earliest but he’s almost certain to miss the 2024 All-Star Game on Feb. 3.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: The Blackhawks acquired forward Rem Pitlick from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

ARIZONA SPORTS: The Coyotes recalled forward Dylan Guenther on an emergency basis with winger Jason Zucker serving a three-game suspension.

MAYOR’S MANOR: Los Angeles Kings backup goaltender Pheonix Copley is out for the season following successful ACL surgery.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings are using Aaron Dell as Copley’s replacement but they could go into the trade market for a goaltender before the March 8 deadline.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 3, 2024

by | Jan 3, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 3, 2024

Connor McDavid exceeds 900 career points with a five-point performance, Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin move up in the all-time points lists, the three stars and rookie of the month are revealed and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid scored a goal and set up four others to exceed 900 career points in a 5-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins tallied twice and collected an assist while Zach Hyman had a goal and two assists for the 19-15-1 Oilers (39 points), who sit one point behind the Arizona Coyotes for the final Western Conference wild-card berth. Travis Konecny and Joel Farabee each had two points for the Flyers (19-13-5) as they slipped into the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 43 points.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 903 points in 602 NHL regular-season games, McDavid is the fifth-fastest player to reach the 900-point plateau. Wayne Gretzky is the all-time leader, accomplishing the feat in 382 games, followed by Mario Lemieux (463), Mike Bossy (582) and Peter Stastny (599). He also moved into third place in this season’s scoring race with 53 points.

The Washington Capitals scored four goals in the first period and held on to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3. Tom Wilson, Beck Malenstyn, Martin Fehervary and Alex Ovechkin were the goals scorers for the Capitals (18-11-6) as they hold the second Eastern wild-card berth with 42 points. Rickard Rakell, Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel replied for the 18-14-4 Penguins, who sit two points behind the Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby had a goal and an assist to collect his 1,540th career point to take over sole possession of 12th place on the all-time points leaderboard. Ovechkin picked up his 1,507th career point for the seventh-most with a single franchise, sitting behind the sixth-place Crosby.

Penguins winger Bryan Rust returned to the lineup after being sidelined since Dec. 6 with an upper-body injury while Matt Nieto (lower body) was shifted to long-term injury reserve.

The Boston Bruins regained top spot in the overall standings with 52 points in a 4-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. James van Riemsdyk led the way with a goal and two assists for the 23-7-6 Bruins while Linus Ullmark got the win with a 26-save performance. Kent Johnson scored for the 12-19-8 Blue Jackets.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov scored two goals and Brady Skjei collected three assists in a 6-1 drubbing of the New York Rangers. Pyotr Kochetkov made 28 saves for the Hurricanes (21-13-4) as they’ve won four straight games and moved into second place in the Metropolitan Division with 46 points. Chris Kreider scored for the Rangers (25-10-1) as they slipped into second place in the overall standings with 51 points.

The Vancouver Canucks scored five goals in the first period in a 6-3 win over the Ottawa Senators. Elias Pettersson and Pius Suter each tallied twice while Thatcher Demko kicked out 35 shots for the Canucks (24-10-3) as they hold first place in the Western Conference with 51 points. Vladimir Tarasenko had two goals for the 14-19-0 Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks forward Phillip Di Giuseppe left this game in the first period with an undisclosed injury.

An overtime goal by Nathan MacKinnon lifted the Colorado Avalanche over the New York Islanders by a score of 5-4. MacKinnon also picked up two assists, Valeri Nichushkin netted two goals and Cale Makar collected three assists for the 24-11-3 Avalanche as they hold first place in the Central Division with 51 points. Brock Nelson had a goal and an assist for the 17-10-10 Islanders as they sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 44 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders also lost goaltender Semyon Varlamov in the first period and defenseman Robert Bortuzzo in the second to injuries. There was no postgame update regarding their conditions. The Avalanche sit second overall in the Western Conference as the Canucks hold a game in hand.

The Winnipeg Jets extended their points streak to nine games by doubling up the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2. Connor Hellebuyck turned aside 32 shots while Vladislav Namestnikov collected three assists for the Jets (23-9-4) as they sit one point behind the Avalanche in second place in the Central Division. Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov scored for the 18-16-5 Lightning (41) as they sit one point out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kucherov collected two points and leads all scorers with 63 points, two ahead of Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon. The Lightning also played with five defensemen as Erik Cernak is day-to-day with an upper-body injury while Haydn Fleury (upper body) is week-to-week.

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki had a goal and an assist as his club held off the Dallas Stars 4-3 to snap a three-game losing skid. Jordan Harris also had a goal and an assist while Sam Montembeault made 30 saves for the 16-16-5 Canadiens. Mason Marchment picked up two assists for the Stars (22-10-4) as they sit third in the Central Division with 48 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens winger Josh Anderson left the game with an apparent injury to his right leg midway through the third period. He will be re-evaluated once the Canadiens return to Montreal.

The Florida Panthers picked up their fifth straight victory by downing the Arizona Coyotes 4-1. Carter Verhaeghe had a goal and an assist as the Panthers (23-12-2) sit in second place in the Atlantic Division with 48 points. Karel Vejmelka stopped 35 shots for the Coyotes (19-15-2) as they cling to the final Western wild-card spot with 40 points.

Toronto Maple Leafs netminder Martin Jones made 31 saves to blank the Los Angeles Kings 3-0. William Nylander potted two goals to reach 50 points on the season as the 18-10-7 Leafs hold third place in the Atlantic Division with 43 points. Cam Talbot made 26 stops for the Kings (20-9-5), who sit third in the Pacific Division with 45 points.

Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros turned in a 21-save shutout in a 3-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Gustav Nyquist and Ryan O’Reilly each had a goal and an assist for the 21-16-1 Predators as they hold the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 43 points. Arvid Soderblom stopped 33 shots for the 11-24-2 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks winger Anthony Beauviller joined their growing list of sidelined veterans as he left this game with an injured left wrist.

The Calgary Flames defeated the Minnesota Wild 3-1. Jonathan Huberdeau scored his first goal since Nov. 20 while Jacob Markstrom stopped 28 shots for the 16-16-5 Flames. Marc-Andre Fleury made 30 saves for the 16-16-4 Wild.

Detroit Red Wings forward David Perron scored two third-period goals in a 5-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks, handing the latter their ninth straight loss. Lucas Raymond had three assists for the 18-16-4 Red Wings as they sit two points out of an Eastern wild-card spot with 40 points. Mario Ferraro collected two assists for the 9-26-3 Sharks.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews and Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck are the NHL’s Three Stars for December 2023. For the second straight month, Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard was named Rookie of the Month.

Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman was fined $4,427.08 for high-sticking Winnipeg Jets forward Cole Perfetti on Sunday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Following Hartman’s fine, Perfetti told reporters that the Wild forward told him the infraction was retaliation for uncalled cross-checks by Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon on Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov that forced the latter from the game. Perfetti was wearing a microphone for this game and said the exchange was recorded.

If so, and the league didn’t take that into account when handing down their verdict, it’s yet another example of why so many fans and pundits have a low opinion of the league’s department of player safety.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils winger Timo Meier is sidelined with a “mid-body injury” Head coach Lindy Ruff is hopeful Meier won’t be sidelined for long.

BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: Sabres captain Kyle Okposo is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury.