NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 19, 2023

by | Sep 19, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 19, 2023

The fallout from Mike Babcock’s resignation as Blue Jackets coach, the Blues will name their new captain today, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets ownership released a statement yesterday confirming that general manager Jarmo Kekalainen and president of hockey operations John Davidson will remain in their jobs for the coming season.

This comes in the wake of Mike Babcock stepping down as head coach following an investigation by the NHL Players’ Association over allegations he violated the privacy of Blue Jackets players.

Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen (NHL.com)

Ownership indicated it was “deeply frustrated and disappointed” over the events of the past week. Nevertheless, it does not anticipate making further changes to its hockey leadership “at this time.”

Davidson and Kekalainen met with the media yesterday with both men admitting their hiring of Babcock was a “major misstep.” Davidson said that they “got it wrong, and that’s on us.” He vowed they would learn from this going forward, adding that they understood the criticism they were receiving. “It is deserved,” he said.

Kekalainen said he met with the Blue Jackets players on Monday to apologize for any inconvenience or awkward situation that the hiring of Babcock may have placed on them. He insisted that the club did its thorough due diligence before hiring Babcock. Kekalainen felt that he deserved another chance to coach. “Obviously, that was a mistake, and that responsibility is mine.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some observers are wondering why Kekalainen isn’t losing his job over the Babcock situation. While ownership is standing by their general manager, I think this incident puts his future with the club in jeopardy. He could lose his job by the end of this season if the Jackets fail to make a significant improvement on the ice.

STLTODAY.COM: The Blues will announce a new team captain this afternoon, filling the role left vacant after Ryan O’Reilly was traded to Toronto in February. Brayden Schenn is considered the favorite to land the job as he’s been an alternate captain for the past three seasons. Robert Thomas could also be a contender.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford also named Schenn and Thomas as possible candidates. Others that he mentioned included Justin Faulk, Colton Parayko and Pavel Buchnevich. The Hockey News’ Lou Korac reports Thomas is believed to have emerged as the front-runner.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: David Pastrnak is prepared to take on more of a leadership role following the retirements of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. Charlie McAvoy and Brad Marchand are considered the favorites to be named the next Bruins captain but Pastrnak will still play a large role among the club’s leaders.

TORONTO SUN: Ryan Reaves believes he’ll bring the grit to the Maple Leafs lineup that’s been missing in recent years. He indicated that he won’t stand for rival players gloating at his teammates the way Radko Gudas did to Leafs goalie Joseph Woll in last spring’s playoffs. “I hope he tries that,” said Reaves. “That would be interesting, that would be fun. I doubt there would be any of that here.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs received some criticism for signing the 36-year-old Reaves to a three-year contract this summer. We’ll soon find out if that was a worthwhile investment by the cap-strapped club.

BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: Promising forward Matthew Savoie suffered an upper-body injury during the Sabres prospect game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He’ll be reevaluated and could miss the opening days of training camp.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres first-round pick (ninth overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft, the 19-year-old Savoie is expected to challenge for a full-time roster spot. This injury could hamper those efforts.

DAILY FACEOFF: The San Jose Sharks signed Justin Bailey to a professional tryout offer. Bailey last played in the NHL in 2021-22 with the Vancouver Canucks.

The Dallas Stars signed goalie Christopher Gibson to a PTO. He last played in the NHL in 2020-21 with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The Bruins named John McLean as a new assistant coach. McLean spent last season as their skills and skating consultant.

TWINCITIES.COM: Former NHL forward Henry Boucha passed away on Monday at age 72.

Boucha won a Minnesota state championship in 1969 and a silver medal with Team USA in the 1972 Winter Olympics.

Drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in 1971, Boucha spent six seasons in the NHL with the Wings, Minnesota North Stars, Kansas City Scouts and Colorado Rockies from 1971-72 to 1976-77 until his career was prematurely ended by an eye injury. In 247 NHL games, Boucha tallied 53 goals and 102 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Boucha’s family, friends and former teammates.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 20, 2023

by | Aug 20, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 20, 2023

Former Islanders GM Garth Snow opens up about his tenure with the club, a recent ranking of the top wingers, the Jets re-sign Logan Stanley, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NEW YORK POST: Ethan Sears reports Garth Snow is finally free to speak his mind five years after being replaced as general manager of the New York Islanders. He’d been prevented from doing so or working in the NHL because of the terms of his five-year payout.

Among the topics he discussed was John Tavares’ departure from the Islanders to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2018, a month after Snow was fired. “He didn’t do anything wrong,” said Snow, who laid the blame at the feet of Isles co-owner Scott Malkin.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares (NHL Images).

Islanders fans perceived Tavares was at fault for stringing along the club by leaving open the possibility of re-signing him when they could’ve moved him for assets at the 2018 trade deadline. Snow revealed that Malkin made the decision to keep Tavares even at the risk of losing him to free agency later that year.

Snow said Malkin has taken over contract talks with the Tavares camp. Despite setting aside $10 million annually to re-sign their captain, the club made little progress in negotiations. He said he felt bad for Tavares getting trashed by the fans for something that wasn’t his fault.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Snow also revealed the threat of the Islanders relocating was real prior to their move to Barclays Center in 2015 during their attempts to get a new arena constructed. While that decision prevented relocation, the difficulties involved in playing there hung over the club and made game days difficult.

Snow has been coaching the PAL Junior Islanders but he indicated he’s spoken with several NHL clubs about front-office roles.

NHL.COM: Boston’s David Pastrnak topped the NHL Network’s recent ranking of the league’s top 20 wingers. Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk, Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov, Colorado’s Mikko Rantanen and Dallas’ Jason Robertson rounded out their top five.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow the link above for the complete ranking.

TSN.CA: The Jets signed defenseman Logan Stanley on Saturday to a one-year, $1 million contract.

WINNIPEG FREE PRESS: Speaking of the Jets, Cole Perfetti hopes to fill the gap left by center Pierre-Luc Dubois’ departure via a trade to Los Angeles. The promising 21-year-old had 30 points in 51 games before his rookie season was cut short by an upper-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Selected 10th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft, the Jets have high hopes for Perfetti. He could get his wish with a healthy performance in his sophomore campaign. That might also make it easier for the Jets to part ways with Mark Scheifele if the latter decides to test next summer’s free-agent market.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: KHL club Salavat Yulaev will honor the memory of Rodion Amirov by retiring his No. 27. The 21-year-old Maple Leafs prospect spent three seasons with the club until his career was cut short by a brain tumor. Amirov passed away last Monday in Germany where he was receiving treatment.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Arizona Coyotes forward Jan Jenik has requested a trade. The 22-year-old restricted free agent has played 17 games over three seasons with the Coyotes, spending most of that time with their AHL affiliate in Tucson.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 5, 2023

by | May 5, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 5, 2023

The Panthers take a 2-0 lead in their second-round series with the Leafs, the Stars tie their series with the Kraken and the finalists for the Norris Trophy are revealed. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers overcame an early 2-0 deficit to defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 in Game 2 of their second-round series. Sergei Bobrovsky turned aside 35 shots while Anton Lundell, Aleksander Barkov and Gustav Forsling tallied three unanswered goals for the Panthers, who hold a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series as it shifts to Florida for Game 3 on Sunday. Alexander Kerfoot and Ryan O’Reilly scored for the Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs also lost rookie forward Matthews Knies with an undisclosed injury after he was wrestled to the ice by Panthers center Sam Bennett. No penalty was called and it remains to be seen if Bennett will face supplemental discipline.

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (NHL Images).

The Leafs dominated large stretches of this game but costly defensive breakdowns saw them squander their early lead. Bobrovsky’s solid goaltending and physical shot-blocking by the Panthers stymied the Leafs’ offensive attack.

Some Toronto pundits are already declaring the Leafs’ season to be “on the brink”. The last time I checked, this was a best-of-seven series, not a best-of-five. A win in Game 3 by the Leafs could change the direction of this second-round saga. Of course, if the Leafs lose that game, then the “season on the brink” headlines will be justified.

The Dallas Stars doubled up the Seattle Kraken 4-2 to tie their second-round series at a game apiece. Joe Pavelski scored his fifth goal of this series, Tyler Seguin and Wyatt Johnston each had a goal and an assist and Jake Oettinger stopped 25 shots for the Stars. Tye Kartye and Jordan Eberle replied for the Kraken. This series heads to Seattle for Game 3 on Sunday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pavelski continues to show no lingering after-effects from the concussion that sidelined him for all but one game in their first-round series with the Minnesota Wild. He had four games in Game 1 against the Kraken.

The Kraken seemed somewhat sluggish in this game compared to their performance in the opening contest. Meanwhile, the Stars played with more energy and determination to avoid a 2-0 series deficit.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Adam Fox of the New York Rangers, Erik Karlsson of the San Jose Sharks, and Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche are the finalists for the James Norris Memorial Trophy as this season’s top NHL defenseman.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No surprise that Karlsson is a nominee as he’s considered the front-runner after becoming the first defenseman in 31 years to reach 100 points in a season. I’m surprised that Winnipeg Jets blueliner Josh Morrissey or Vancouver Canucks rearguard Quinn Hughes didn’t get a nod here.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins winger David Pastrnak revealed he suffered a shoulder injury during his first shift of Game 1 of their first-round series against the Florida Panthers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pastrnak faced some criticism from Boston fans and pundits over his performance in that series. Despite his injury, he was tied for the team lead in goals with five, including a game-winner.

I’ve noticed some readers calling on the Bruins to trade Pastrnak before his new contract kicks in on July 1 to free up salary cap space in order to improve the club’s overall depth. Management will likely shed some salary this summer but he’s not going anywhere.

Pastrnak is a genuine superstar. With Brad Marchand aging and Patrice Bergeron mulling retirement, he’s now the Bruins’ franchise player. That’s why they signed him to that expensive new deal in the first place. Like it or not, every move they make starting this offseason is to build around Pastrnak. That’s what you do when you have a superstar on your roster.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen will not be playing in the upcoming IIHF World Hockey Championships in Finland. He suffered a broken toe during the Avs’ series against the Kraken. His recovery is four-to-six weeks.

TWINCITIES.COM: Minnesota Wild forward Matt Boldy knows that he’ll need to improve his playoff performance. He has just one goal and three points in 12 career postseason games stretching back to last season.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Columbus Blue Jackets signed center Dmitri Voronkov to a two-year entry-level contract. Chosen by the Blue Jackets in the fourth round of the 2019 NHL draft, the 22-year-old has spent five seasons with the KHL’s Ak-Bars Kazan.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: The province of Quebec renamed its Highway 50 to Autoroute Guy Lafleur in honor of the late Canadiens legend. The highway passes through his hometown of Thurso, Quebec. Lafleur died last April at age 70 from lung cancer.

NHL.COM: Former NHL forward Petr Klima passed away in his native Czechia at age 58. The cause of death is unknown.

Emigrating from communist Czechoslovakia in 1985, Klima spent 13 seasons in the NHL from 1985-86 to 1998-99 with the Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Los Angeles Kings and Pittsburgh Penguins.

Klima scored 313 goals and 573 points in 786 regular-season games. He also tallied 28 goals and 52 points in 95 playoff games. His most famous goal came in triple overtime in Game 1 of the 1990 Stanley Cup Final for the Oilers, who went on to win the Cup in five games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Klima’s family, friends and former teammates.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 10, 2023

by | Apr 10, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 10, 2023

The Bruins set the single-season wins record as David Pastranak reaches the 60-goal plateau while the Avalanche take over first in the Central Division as Mikko Rantanen reaches 100 points. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Boston Bruins collect their 63rd victory to set the league’s single-season win record by downing the Philadelphia Flyers 5-3. David Pastrnak had a hat trick to reach the 60-goal plateau for the first time while Tyler Bertuzzi collected three assists as the Bruins sit atop the overall standings with 131 points. Owen Tippett and Joel Farabee each had a goal and an assist for the Flyers.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pastrnak is the first Bruin to score 60 goals in a season since Phil Esposito in 1974-75. He’s now four goals behind Edmonton’s Connor McDavid for the lead among this season’s top goal-scorers with both players having two games remaining in the schedule.

The Bruins played without goaltender Linus Ullmark as he missed this game with “a lower-body issue.”

An overtime goal by Nathan MacKinnon lifted the Colorado Avalanche to a 5-4 win over the Anaheim Ducks. MacKinnon scored twice and collected an assist, Devon Toews had three assists and Mikko Rantanen had two goals and two assists to reach the 100-point plateau for the first time. The Avalanche improved to 49-24-6 to take over first place in the Central Division with 104 points. Frank Vatrano tallied twice for the Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon (107 points) and Rantanen (102 points) are the first Avalanche duo to reach 100 points in a season since Joe Sakic (120 points)and Peter Forsberg (116) in 1995-96.

HEADLINES

THE PROVINCE: Former Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat raised some eyebrows over the weekend when the New York Islanders center was asked what he thought he thought of the energy in the Isles arena and their fans. “I mean it’s been unbelievable. A lot better than Vancouver, I can tell you that for free,” he said.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks fans could feel slighted by Horvat’s remarks. The team’s management, however, should be worried.

They’re trying to retool the roster and create a winning environment after the Canucks spent years wallowing through failed retooling efforts by the previous management. Horvat’s words validate concerns about the sour atmosphere that’s hung over the franchise for some time. It could make it difficult for management to attract and retain talent in their quest to build a winning roster.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs signed top prospect and Hobey Baker Award finalist Matthews Knies to a three-year entry-level contract.

LA KINGS INSIDER: Speaking of signing promising players to entry-level contracts, the Kings did the same with center Alex Laferriere.

TWINCITIES.COM: So did the Wild with defenseman and Minnesota native Brock Faber.

Speaking of the Wild, they recalled forwards Marco Rossi and Nic Petan.

CBS SPORTS: The Seattle Kraken recalled goaltender Joey Daccord on an emergency basis.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 27, 2023

by | Mar 27, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 27, 2023

A milestone game for the Bruins’ David Pastrnak, the Kings set a franchise record, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak scored his 50th and 51st goals of the season in a 4-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes overcame a 3-1 deficit to tie the game but the Bruins took it in a shootout on goals by Charlie Coyle and Jake DeBrusk. The Bruins tied a franchise record with their 57th win of the season and sit first overall with 119 points. Sebastian Aho tallied his 33rd goal of the season for the Hurricanes (47-16-9) as they sit second overall with 103 points.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the first time Pastrnak has reached the 50-goal plateau. He’s the first Bruin to do so since Cam Neely in 1993-94 and the first player drafted and developed by the club to reach the milestone. Pastrnak also reached 600 career points.

The Los Angeles Kings extended their points streak to a franchise-record 12 games (10-0-2) with a five-goal first period to hold off the St. Louis Blues 7-6. Viktor Arvidsson and Adrian Kempe each scored twice while Drew Doughty netted a franchise record for defensemen with his 30th career game-winning goal for the Kings (43-20-10), who sit two points behind the Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights with 96 points. Jordan Kyrou tallied twice for the 33-34-6 Blues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kings forward Blake Lizotte missed this game as he received a one-game suspension from the NHL department of player safety for cross-checking Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey in the face on Saturday. Morrissey received multiple stitches to his chin and lip.

Bruins forward A.J. Greer received a similar suspension for a similar infraction involving Montreal Canadiens forward Mike Hoffman, who also required stitches to close a gruesome cut on his chin.

One would assume the suspension in both incidents would’ve landed the offender more than one game for such a dangerous play. After all, hits to the head are supposed to be forbidden in today’s NHL, especially using the stick. It makes one wonder how seriously the NHL regards player safety when it hands down the equivalent of a slap on the wrist in these two cases.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares scored two goals in a 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators. Joseph Woll made 23 saves for the win as the 44-20-9 Leafs sit in second place in the Atlantic Division with 97 points. Tyson Barrie had a goal and an assist for the Predators (36-28-8) as they remain five points out of the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 80 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Predators forward Matt Duchene left this game with a lower-body injury and is listed as week-to-week. This comes at a bad time for Nashville as they’ve dropped five of their last seven games. They’re already missing captain Roman Josi, who’s been sidelined for the past five games.

The Colorado Avalanche blew 2-0 and 3-2 leads before defeating the Arizona Coyotes 4-3 on a shootout goal by Valeri Nichushkin. Mikko Rantanen had a goal and an assist for the 43-23-6 Avalanche (92 points) as they sit one point behind the first-place Minnesota Wild in the Central Division. Clayton Keller scored the tying goal for the 27-34-13 Coyotes.

Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson scored two third-period goals to double up the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2. Brock Boeser had a goal and an assist for the 34-34-5 Canucks, who’ve won 10 of their last 12 games. Lukas Reichel and Connor Murphy replied for the 24-43-6 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews has resumed skating after being sidelined since Jan. 28 battling long-COVID symptoms. He could rejoin his teammates in practice soon with an eye on getting in some games before the end of the season. Meanwhile, Blackhawks defenseman Jarred Tinordi left this game with a hip injury that’s been nagging him for most of this season.

HEADLINES

MONTREAL GAZETTE: The Canadiens signed Harvard University winger Sean Farrell to a three-year entry-level contract. Chosen in the fourth round of the 2020 draft by the Canadiens, he’ll be joining the club for the remainder of this season.

CALGARY SUN: The Flames signed Harvard University winger Matt Coronato to a three-year entry-level deal. He’ll be joining the Flames for the rest of this season. They chose Coronato 13th overall in the 2021 draft by the Flames.

DAILY FACEOFF: Another Harvard University forward is making the leap to the NHL as Alex Laferriere is expected to sign an entry-level contract with the Los Angeles Kings and skate with them for the rest of this season. The Kings chose him in the third round of the 2020 draft.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Henry Thrun is another Harvard player heading to the big league as the defenseman signed a two-year entry-level deal with the Sharks. Chosen in the fourth round of the 2019 draft by the Anaheim Ducks, the Sharks acquired Thrun’s rights on Feb. 28 for a third-round pick in 2024.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If you’re wondering why so many Harvard University players are joining their NHL teams so quickly, it’s because their season ended when they were eliminated in the NCAA tournament on Friday.

Those players joined several others US college players who’ve recently joined their NHL teams. The Hockey News’ Tony Ferrari has a list of 10 intriguing entry-level signings.










Bruins Sign David Pastrnak, Acquire Tyler Bertuzzi From Red Wings

by | Mar 2, 2023

Bruins Sign David Pastrnak, Acquire Tyler Bertuzzi From Red Wings

It’s been a busy morning for the Boston Bruins.

The biggest news is they re-signed David Pastrnak to an eight-year, $90-million contract extension. The annual average value is $11.25 million with a full no-movement clause in the first five years and a modified no-trade for the final three.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Boom goes that silly illusion that Pastrnak should accept a “hometown discount” of $8 million annually for eight years.

The Bruins had the 26-year-old winger for the past six years on a bargain deal of $6.7 million annually. Over the course of that contract, Pastrnak became an elite scorer, sitting fifth in total goals (223) and winning the Richard Trophy in 2020. He’s currently on pace to become the first Bruin to enjoy a 50-goal season since Cam Neely in 1993-94.

Pastrnak is poised to become the Bruins’ franchise player with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand in the twilight of their careers. Indeed, the case can be made that he already is their franchise player.

The Bruins couldn’t afford to lose Pastrnak. His new cap hit is comparable to what Toronto’s Auston Matthews (another Richard Trophy winner) is earning on his contract. Yes, it’s expensive, but that’s the cost of keeping a superstar.

The Bruins also made another trade, acquiring Tyler Bertuzzi from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for a conditional first-round pick in 2024 (top-10 protected) and a fourth-rounder in 2025. The Wings are also retaining half of Bertuzzi’s $4.75 million cap hit for this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This move should provide the Bruins with impressive depth at left wing with Bertuzzi joining Taylor Hall and Brad Marchand for the remainder of the season. However, this deal may have been made due to a lower-body injury suffered by Hall on Monday. That could mean he’ll be sidelined longer than just a few games.

Whatever the motivation for acquiring Bertuzzi, it’s a significant move by Bruins general manager Don Sweeney. It comes a week after bringing in Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway from Washington. When healthy, the 28-year-old Bertuzzi is an agitating winger with a good scoring touch, tallying 30 goals in 68 games last season.

Bertuzzi is the second player traded by the Red Wings in as many days with Filip Hronek getting shipped to Vancouver yesterday. Wings general manager Steve Yzerman might not be done as he’s also reportedly looking at moving Jakub Vrana and Filip Zadina.