Tim Stutzle’s four-point performance sparks a Senators comeback win, Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun remains scratched for trade-related reasons, the three stars of the week are revealed and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Tim Stutzle capped a four-point performance for the Ottawa Senators forward in a 4-3 comeback win over the Calgary Flames. The Senators overcame a 3-1 deficit on goals by Drake Batherson and Alex DeBrincat to set the stage for Stutzle’s game-winner. With a record of 25-24-3 (53 points), the Senators are eight points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot. Dillon Dube scored twice for the Flames as they fell to 25-18-11 and cling to the final Western Conference wild-card berth.
Ottawa Senators forward Tim Stützle (NHL Images).
The Los Angeles Kings defeated the Buffalo Sabres 5-2. Kings winger Adrian Kempe scored his seventh goal in the last three games while Phillip Danault and Viktor Arvidsson each collected three points as the Kings (30-18-7) sit one point behind the Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights with 67 points. The Sabres dropped to 26-22-4 and sit five points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot.
Shootout goals by Anton Lundell and Aleksander Barkov gave the Florida Panthers a 2-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 27 shots for the 27-23-6 Panthers as they moved to within one point of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final Eastern playoff berth with 60 points. Kirill Kaprizov tallied his 30th goal of the season for the Wild as they hold third place in the Central Division with 61 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild winger Marcus Foligno left this game in the second period with a lower-body injury. There was no post-game update as to his condition.
Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin scored two goals for the second straight game in a 6-1 trouncing of the Vancouver Canucks. Ville Husso stopped 29 shots for the Red Wings (24-20-8) as they moved to within five points of the final Eastern wild-card spot. The Canucks are 21-29-4 on the season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 50 points in 51 games in his contract year, Larkin is on pace to exceed his career-best single-season point total of 73. He’s proving his value to the Red Wings but the seeming lack of progress in his contract extension talks with Wings management has sparked speculation as the March 3 trade deadline approaches.
The Arizona Coyotes picked up their first road win in 19 games by doubling up the Nashville Predators 4-2. Lawson Crouse scored twice and Karel Vejmelka made 29 saves for the 18-28-8 Coyotes. The loss left the Predators (25-20-6) sitting five points behind the Flames with 56 points.
HEADLINES
TSN: Arizona Coyotes head coach Andre Tourigny said Jakob Chychrun will remain a healthy scratch for trade-related reasons for the remainder of this week. The 24-year-old defenseman has been a fixture in the trade rumor mill since last season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chychrun’s been a healthy scratch since Saturday, prompting speculation that a trade was imminent. However, that might not be the case. I’ll have more in today’s Rumors update.
NHL.COM: New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin, San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson and Arizona Coyotes winger Clayton Keller are the league’s three stars for the week ending Feb. 12, 2023.
OTTAWA SUN: Actor Ryan Reynolds has partnered with Remington Group, a Toronto real-estate development corporation, to bid for the ownership of the Senators.
WINNIPEG SUN: Jets defenseman Dylan DeMelo is expected to return to the lineup for Tuesday’s game against the Seattle Kraken after missing three games with a lower-body injury.
Oilers captain Connor McDavid reaches a scoring milestone, the Rangers’ Artemi Panarin and the Kings’ Adrian Kempe each tally four goals, the Blues’ Ryan O’Reilly returns from injury with an overtime goal, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists in a 6-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators. The Oilers (30-18-5) remain unbeaten in regulation in their last 11 games (9-0-2) and move one point behind the first-place Vegas Golden Knights in the Pacific Division with 65 points. The Senators slipped to 24-24-3 on the season and sit 10 points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 51 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid joined Wayne Gretzky as the second player in NHL history with multiple-point streaks of 15-or-more games in the same season more than once in his career. Meanwhile, Senators goaltender Anton Forsberg was stretchered from the ice in the third period with a leg injury while defenseman Jake Sanderson also left in that period with an undisclosed injury.
New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin (NHL Images).
New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin scored four goals (including a natural hat trick) and collected an assist to lead his club over the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 6-2. The Rangers (31-14-8) have won five straight and moved to within three points of the second-place New Jersey Devils in the Metropolitan Division with 70 points. The 34-10-8 Hurricanes remain atop the Metro with 76 points but their seven-game win streak has come to an end along with Sebastian Aho’s six-game goal streak.
The Los Angeles Kings crushed the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-0. Adrian Kempe tallied four goals, Anze Kopitar collected three assists while Pheonix Copley turned in a 25-save shutout as the Kings improved to 29-18-7 and sit third in the Pacific Division with 65 points. The Penguins (26-17-9) slipped to the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 61 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings got the win on the night they honored former captain Dustin Brown with a statue outside Crypto.com Arena and retiring his No. 23. Brown spent 18 seasons with the Kings, leading them to two Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014. He’s also the franchise leader in games played with 1,296. Before the game, the Kings activated forwards Arthur Kaliyev and Trevor Moore off injured reserve.
St. Louis Blues captain Ryan O’Reilly’s overtime goal lifted his club to a 6-5 victory over the Arizona Coyotes. Pavel Buchnevich collected three assists and Sammy Blais scored his first goal for the 24-25-3 Blues since being reacquired from the New York Rangers. Nick Schmaltz had four points and Clayton Keller had three for the 17-28-8 Coyotes, who held defenseman Jakob Chychrun from this game for trade-related reasons.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: O’Reilly and Buchnevich returned to action following lengthy absences due to injuries. As for Chychrun, it appears he’s finally going to be traded following months of speculation stretching back to last season. I’ll have more about his situation in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.
The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Vancouver Canucks 5-2. Dylan Larkin and Jonatan Berggren each scored two goals for the Wings (23-20-8) as they sit seven points out of the final Eastern playoff spot with 54 points. Anthony Beauvillier had a goal and an assist for the 21-28-4 Canucks.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Beauvillier has two goals and an assist in four games since joining the Canucks from the New York Islanders in the Bo Horvat trade.
Calgary Flames winger Dillon Dube had a goal and three assists while rookie Jakob Pelletier scored his first NHL goal in a 7-2 drubbing of the Buffalo Sabres (26-21-4). The Flames improved to 25-18-10 and sit just outside the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 60 points. Sabres center Tage Thompson scored his 35th of the season as his club sits five points behind the Penguins for the final Eastern wild-card berth with 56 points.
The Montreal Canadiens got an overtime goal by Mike Matheson to upset the New York Islanders 4-3 to snap a four-game losing skid. Mike Hoffman had three assists for the 21-27-4 Canadiens. Brock Nelson had two points to extend his points streak to 10 games for the Islanders (27-23-6) as they sit one point out of the final Eastern playoff spot.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was the Canadiens’ first win in their powder-blue “reverse retro” uniform. Habs coach Martin St. Louis is no fan of the jersey, calling them an affront to the franchise’s history.
An overtime goal by Matt Duchene gave the Nashville Predators a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. It was a costly win for the Predators (25-19-6) as winger Filip Forsberg left the game after falling awkwardly to the ice following a hit by Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. The Preds sit four points out of the final Western playoff berth with 56 points. The Flyers (22-22-10) are seven points out of playoff contention in the East with 54 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: That was a scary-looking injury for Forsberg, who appeared dazed as he struggled to get up and had to be helped off the ice. There was no update about his condition following the game but it looked like a concussion to me.
Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli scored twice and chipped in an assist in a 3-1 win over the Dallas Stars. Andrei Vasilevskiy turned aside 28 shots for the win as the 34-16-2 Lightning moved to within two points of the second-place Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division with 70 points. Jamie Benn scored his 21st goal of the season for the Stars (30-14-10) as they remain atop the Western Conference standings with 70 points.
The Washington Capitals got goals from Nicklas Backstrom and Garnet Hathaway to hold off the Boston Bruins 2-1, handing the latter their fourth loss in five games. Darcy Kuemper made 27 saves for the 28-20-6 Capitals as they vaulted over the Pittsburgh Penguins into the first Eastern wild-card berth with 62 points. Nick Foligno scored for the Bruins (39-8-5) as they remain atop the overall standings with 83 points.
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon scored twice and collected an assist in a 5-3 victory over the Florida Panthers, snapping the latter’s three-game win streak. Alexandar Georgiev kicked out 42 shots for the win as the Avalanche (28-19-4) sit in third place in the Central Division with 60 points. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 45 shots for the 26-23-6 Panthers, who are three points out of an Eastern wild-card spot with 58 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a big win for the Avalanche but they lost defenseman Erik Johnson as he left the game in the first period after blocking a shot. They’re already playing without blueliner Cale Makar following a blindside hit by the Penguins’ Jeff Carter earlier in the week.
The Columbus Blue Jackets upset the Toronto Maple Leafs by a score of 4-3. Kent Johnson snapped a 3-3 tie in the third period as he, Kirill Marchenko and Boone Jenner each had a goal and an assist for the 16-33-4 Blue Jackets. Mitch Marner and William Nylander each had two points for the Leafs (32-14-8) as they sit in second place in the Atlantic Division with 72 points.
Shootout goals by Mats Zuccarello and Frederick Gaudreau gave the Minnesota Wild a 3-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils to snap a three-game losing skid. Filip Gustavsson got the win for the Wild (28-20-4) with a 27-save performance as they cling to the final Western wild-card spot with 60 points. Tomas Tatar tallied twice for the Devils (34-13-5) as they sit in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 73 points.
Winnipeg Jets winger Blake Wheeler scored two goals and assisted on another to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1. Josh Morrissey had a goal and an assist for the 33-19-1 Jets as they sit second overall in the Western Conference with 67 points. Tyler Johnson replied for the Blackhawks as they sank to 16-30-5.
THE ATHLETIC: Scott Powers and Arthur Staple recently wondered if there could be a reunion of Patrick Kane with his former Chicago Blackhawks teammate Artemi Panarin later this season with the New York Rangers. Kane and Panarin were highly productive linemates for two seasons before the latter was traded to Columbus in 2017. He subsequently signed with the Rangers in 2019.
Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane (NHL Images).
Kane’s eligibility for unrestricted free-agent status in July combined with the Blackhawks’ ongoing rebuild has sparked speculation that he might favor a trade to the Rangers. The 34-year-old winger has a full no-movement clause giving him complete control over where he finishes this season.
Both players would welcome the opportunity to skate together again but they also realize it’s not that simple. Powers and Staple suggest the Blackhawks would want a first-round pick and a prospect in exchange for Kane and half of his salary.
NEW YORK POST: Mollie Walker also took note of the trade rumors linking Kane to the Rangers. However, she believes the Blueshirts must improve their recent play and become a postseason contender to convince him to waive his no-movement clause to join them before the March 3 trade deadline.
The Rangers reached the Eastern Conference Finals last season but are currently struggling for a wild-card berth. She pointed out they have two first-round picks in the 2023 draft. Walker doubted they would part with top prospect Brennan Othmann.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Most NHL pundits consider the Rangers as the likely destination for Kane by the trade deadline. As Walker points out, however, the Blueshirts might not get the chance to bid for him if they’re not holding down a playoff berth by the time he decides if he’ll waive his no-movement clause.
The Rangers might not be the only New York club interested in Kane. NYI Hockey Now’s Stefen Rosner wondered if the Islanders might be able to pry the future Hall-of-Famer away from the Blackhawks.
The Islanders are currently sitting in a better position in the standings than the Rangers. Rosner speculates it could cost perhaps a first and a second-round along with a top prospect to acquire Kane, especially if the Blackhawks agree to retain some salary.
THE LATEST ON BROCK BOESER
THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports it’s his understanding that Brock Boeser’s agent has spoken to half-a-dozen teams since receiving permission last week from the Vancouver Canucks. He’s expected to speak with some more this week.
LeBrun doesn’t believe a trade is imminent as it will take some work. However, he feels it could be inevitable that he ends up playing elsewhere before the end of this season.
MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: suggested Boeser’s situation could create an opportunity for the Canadiens to acquire Boeser. The 25-year-old winger could act as a mentor for some of the Habs’ upcoming stars while he is also young enough to be part of the club’s long-term plans.
Boeser could also help fill the void if the Canadiens trade some of their veterans before the trade deadline. Josh Anderson, Jonathan Drouin, Sean Monahan, Evgenii Dadonov, Christian Dvorak and Mike Hoffman have surfaced in the rumor mill this season. The Canadiens could use a younger forward to provide them with much-needed secondary scoring.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The sticking points are Boeser’s injury history, his inconsistent production over the past couple of seasons, and his $6.65 million annual salary through 2024-25.
I’m not saying a trade won’t happen before the March 3 deadline. Given the high number of teams with limited cap space (including the Canadiens), it wouldn’t be surprising if Boeser got moved in the offseason when teams have more cap room.
Marc-Andre Fleury sets a league record, Artemi Panarin and Jesper Bratt maintain their hot starts to the season while Jack Eichel and Trevor Zegras are overtime heroes. Get the details in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: Marc-Andre Fleury picked up his league-record 62nd shootout victory to backstop the Minnesota Wild (4-4-1) over the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3. Fleury made 23 saves in regulation and overtime, Matt Boldy scored twice in regulation while Kirill Kaprizov and Frederick Gaudreau tallied in the shootout. Alex Stalock made 32 saves for the Blackhawks (4-3-1).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Blackhawks announced that defenseman Seth Jones is expected to be sidelined for three-to-four weeks with an injured right thumb. It’s a big blow to their defense corps as Jones averaged a team-leading 25:14 of ice time per game.
The New Jersey Devils lifted their record to 6-3-0 with a 7-1 drubbing of the Columbus Blue Jackets, dropping the latter’s record to 3-7-0. Jesper Bratt extended his season-opening points streak to nine games with a goal and an assist while Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes also had two points each. Elvis Merzlikins made 46 saves for the Jackets.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jackets have a league-worst goals-against per game of 4.40 but their netminders aren’t getting much help from their defense. They’ve given up the eighth-most shots-against per game (34.5) thus far. They’re also not getting much goal support as their 2.60 goals-per-game sits 28th
New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin had a goal and two assists while Mika Zibanejad’s third-period goal snapped a 2-2 tie to nip the Arizona Coyotes 3-2. It’s Panarin’s third multi-point game thus far, sitting one behind Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid. Coyotes rookie Dylan Guenther collected two assists while goalie Connor Ingram made 36 saves. The Rangers improve to 5-3-2 while the Coyotes fall to 2-5-1.
An overtime goal by Trevor Zegras lifted the Anaheim Ducks to a 4-3 upset of the Toronto Maple Leafs. It was Zegras’ second goal of the game while John Gibson kicked out 33 shots as the Ducks got their second win of the season (2-6-1). Leafs center Auston Matthews tallied his third goal of the season as his club’s record fell to 4-4-2.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Four of the Leafs losses this season have come against rebuilding teams (Ducks, Canadiens, Coyotes) or struggling ones (Sharks). They’re winless in their last four (0-2-2).
Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel tallied in overtime to down the Winnipeg Jets 2-1. Mark Stone scored the tying goal for the Golden Knights (8-2-0) after Adam Lowry opened the scoring for the Jets as they drop to 5-3-1.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets got a point out of this thanks to a 46-save performance from Connor Hellebuyck.
IN OTHER NEWS…
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Derian Hatcher and Bob Gainey were formally inducted Sunday into the Dallas Stars Hall of Fame. Hatcher was the Stars captain for nine seasons, including their 1999 Stanley Cup championship. Gainey spent 12 seasons as the Stars coach and general manager, building their Stanley Cup roster by acquiring Ed Belfour, Joe Nieuwendyk, Brett Hull and Sergei Zubov.
TSN: Speaking of the Stars, forward Ty Dellandrea was fined $2,333.33 by the NHL department of player safety for interference on New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin on Saturday.
GOPHNX.COM: Craig Morgan reports sources said the Tempe City Council will likely refer the Arizona Coyotes’ proposed arena and entertainment district to a referendum, leaving the decision up to Tempe voters. The referendum would be held sometime in 2023.
Game recaps, Blue Jackets winger Patrik Laine sidelined, the Flyers re-sign Travis Sanheim, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: Sidney Crosby lead the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Arizona Coyotes 6-2. The Penguins captain had a goal and two assists while Kris Letang, Jake Guentzel, Bryan Rust, Danton Heinen and Jason Zucker each collected two points. Nick Ritchie scored both goals for the Coyotes, who also lost center Nick Schmaltz in the first period with an upper-body injury.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby set the franchise record for most seasons by a Penguins player with 18, one more than Mario Lemieux. He also scored his club’s first goal of the season for the first time in his career.
The New York Rangers thumped the Minnesota Wild 7-3. Rangers winger Artemi Panarin scored a goal and chipped in three assists while teammate Chris Kreider tallied twice. Matt Boldy had two goals for the Wild.
Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews snapped a 2-2 tie as his third-period goal gave his club a 3-2 win against the Washington Capitals. Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov stopped 24 shots to defeat his former club while teammate Morgan Rielly picked up two assists.
John Tortorella picked up his first win as head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers as they downed the New Jersey Devils 5-2. Travis Konecny and Morgan Frost each scored twice while Carter Hart made 35 saves for the win. Alexander Holtz and Damon Severson replied for the Devils.
The Dallas Stars gave Peter DeBoer his first victory as their head coach by dropping the Nashville Predators 4-1. Mason Marchment scored twice, Tyler Seguin collected three assists and rookie Wyatt Johnston netted his first career NHL goal. Ryan Johansen had the Predators’ only goal.
Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri each collected an assist in their first game with the Calgary Flames in a 5-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche. MacKenzie Weegar picked up two assists in his first game in Calgary. Flames coach Darryl Sutter earned his 700th career NHL coaching victory. Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and an assist.
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Craig Anderson kicked out 35 shots while Victor Olofsson scored two goals in a 4-1 home-opening win over the Ottawa Senators. Sabres rookie J.J. Peterka netted his first NHL goal. Brady Tkachuk tallied the Senators’ only goal.
Third-period goals by Patric Hornqvist and Matthew Tkachuk lifted the Florida Panthers past the New York Islanders 3-1, handing Paul Maurice his first win as their bench boss. Sergei Bobrovsky made 32 saves for the Panthers.
The Seattle Kraken got second-period goals from Brandon Tanev and Alex Wennberg in a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. Martin Jones made 26 saves for the win. Alex Iafallo netted the Kings’ only goal.
A second-period goal by Vegas Golden Knights forward Paul Cotter stood as the game-winner to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 1-0. Logan Thompson stopped 27 shots for the shutout while Blackhawks netminder Alex Stalock made 36 saves.
HEADLINES
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Bad news for the Blue Jackets as winger Patrik Laine will be sidelined for three-to-four weeks with a sprained elbow. He suffered the injury during the club’s season-opening loss on Wednesday against the Carolina Hurricanes.
PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The Philadelphia Flyers yesterday announced they’d reached an agreement with Travis Sanheim on an eight-year, $50 million contract. The 26-year-old defenseman will earn an average annual value of $6.25 million starting in 2023-24.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sanheim is getting a significant raise over the $4.675 million AAV of his current contract. Cap Friendly indicates he’s also getting a full no-trade clause in the first four seasons followed by a 12-team no-trade clause for the final four seasons.
Sanheim has made steady improvement with the Flyers. He was their best defenseman and among the few bright spots for what was an otherwise miserable 2021-22 season for the club, netting 31 points and a team-leading plus-minus of plus-9 while logging nearly 23 minutes per game.
The Flyers will have over $23 million invested in Sanheim and fellow defensemen Ivan Provorov, Rasmus Ristolainen and Tony DeAngelo for next season. That’s not counting the $6.25 million of sidelined rearguard Ryan Ellis.
TSN: The Winnipeg Jets named Mark Scheifele, Josh Morrissey and Adam Lowry as their alternate captains for 2022-23.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets head coach Rick Bowness stripped Blake Wheeler of the captaincy last month and will leave that position vacant this season.
NHL.COM: The department of player safety fined Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse $5,000.00 for interference against Vancouver Canucks defenseman Kyle Burroughs on Wednesday.
MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson is expected to miss at least eight weeks with an abdominal sprain.
THE PROVINCE: Kevin Bieksa is going to officially retire from the NHL and will do so as a member of the Vancouver Canucks. He will sign a one-day contract next month and will be honored by the team in a pregame ceremony on Nov. 3.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bieksa’s last NHL game was in 2017-18 but he hadn’t officially hung up his skates until now. The retirement ceremony was two years in the making as COVID-19 affected NHL scheduling.
Bieksa spent 10 of his 13 seasons with the Canucks, playing a key role in the club’s march to the 2011 Stanley Cup Final. He had 278 points in 808 career NHL games and now works as an in-studio NHL analyst for Sportsnet.
Check out the latest on Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin plus a look at some potential Canadiens’ salary-cap casualties in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
NO TRADE DISCUSSIONS FOR PATRICK KANE
THE ATHLETIC’s Mark Lazerus took to Twitter citing a source saying the Chicago Blackhawks have had “NO discussions with any teams involving Patrick Kane.” He believes there are probably “plenty of teams” interested in the 33-year-old winger, “but nothing is happening”.
Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks beat writer Jay Zawaski quickly swatted down a rumor floating around yesterday claiming they were engaged in trade talks with several teams and the Dallas Stars were among them. Earlier this month, speculation linked Kane to the Edmonton Oilers before that one died away.
Like Lazerus, I don’t doubt that there are contenders with an interest in Kane. He’s in the final year of his contract, the Blackhawks are rebuilding, and he might not be keen to be part of that process.
Kane’s contract, however, will be difficult to move. He’s carrying a $10.5 million cap hit plus a full no-movement clause.
In actual salary, Kane’s earning $6.9 million, of which the Blackhawks have already paid out $4 million as a signing bonus. Nevertheless, they’ll probably have to retain perhaps up to half of Kane’s cap hit to facilitate a trade. That’s why some observers expect he’ll be moved closer to next season’s trade deadline. His movement clause and the Blackhawks’ asking price will also limit the potential destinations.
COULD PANARIN WAIVE HIS NO-MOVEMENT CLAUSE?
THE ATHLETIC: In a recent mailbag segment, Arthur Staple was asked if New York Rangers general manager Chris Drury would trade Artemi Panarin if the winger agreed to waive his no-movement clause.
Staple believes Drury would be interested in moving Panarin under that scenario but doesn’t expect it will happen. He anticipates the winger’s hefty contract would make him difficult to move. “It would either be a swap of bad contracts or just a massive salary dump by the Rangers,” he writes.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: In June, Staple cited sources claiming Drury was unhappy over Panarin’s postseason performance. He speculated the winger could seek a trade if the rift persisted.
Then as now, there’s no indication that Panarin wants out or that Drury wants to move him. I’m not doubting the veracity of Staple’s sources. Perhaps there is tension between the two behind the scenes.
Nevertheless, Staple makes a good point about Panarin’s contract making him tough to move. I wouldn’t hold my breath anticipating a big trade involving him.
CANADIENS’ COST-CUTTING CANDIDATES
MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Marco D’Amico recently examined some potential cost-cutting candidates for the Canadiens. Despite shipping out Shea Weber’s contract and sending Jeff Petry to Pittsburgh for Mike Matheson, the Habs are still pressed against the $82.5 million cap for the coming season.
Christian Dvorak was D’Amico’s top candidate, citing the frequency in which the 26-year-old center has surfaced in trade speculation this summer. Joel Armia and Mike Hoffman are his other trade possibilities.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens GM Kent Hughes has had a busy summer making moves to free up salary-cap space. Dvorak could draw the most interest given his age and reasonable $4.45 million cap hit through 2023-24. If Hughes is going to move him, the coming season is his best opportunity. Dvorak’s eight-team no-trade list kicks in next summer.
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