NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 7, 2023

by | Jan 7, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 7, 2023

Recaps of Friday’s games include the Jets welcoming back four sidelined players, plus injury updates on Patrick Kane, Mats Zuccarello and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Winnipeg Jets picked up their fourth straight win by doubling up the Tampa Bay Lightning by a score of 4-2. Pierre-Luc Dubois scored twice, Josh Morrissey collected three assists and Kyle Connor tallied the game-winner for Winnipeg (25-13-1), who sit one point behind the Central Division-leading Dallas Stars with 51 points. Anthony Cirelli and Nikita Kucherov replied for the 24-13-1 Lightning.

Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets welcomed back Blake Wheeler, Nikolai Ehlers, Cole Perfetti and Nate Schmidt after they’d been sidelined by various injuries. Wheeler’s was particularly painful as he suffered a ruptured testicle (ouch!) in a game last month when struck by a shot by Morrissey.

Meanwhile, Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman missed this game as he was in Tampa Bay for the birth of his family’s second child.

Earlier in the day, the San Jose Sharks claimed forward Mikey Eyssimont off waivers from the Jets.

Three first-period goals by Milan Lucic, Blake Coleman and Nikita Zadorov carried the Calgary Flames to a 4-1 victory over the New York Islanders. Jacob Markstrom turned aside 24 shots as the Flames improved to 19-14-7 to hold the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 45. Zach Parise replied for the Islanders (22-17-2) as they hold the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 46 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders forward Mathew Barzal was a late scratch due to a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad scored two goals while Eric Staal collected his 600th career NHL assist to nip the Detroit Red Wings 3-2. Sergei Bobrovsky made 20 saves as the Panthers improve to 18-18-4. Filip Hronek assisted on both Red Wings goals as their record dropped to 16-14-7.

Ryan McDonagh’s first goal of the season for the Nashville Predators was the game-winner in a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals. Yakov Trenin scored and collected an assist for the Predators (18-14-6) while Sonny Milano and Nicolas Aube-Kubel replied for the 22-14-6 Capitals, who hold the first wild-card spot in the East with 50 points.

An overtime goal by John Klingberg lifted the Anaheim Ducks past the San Jose Sharks 5-4. Mason McTavish scored twice and set up two others for the Ducks (12-24-4) while Timo Meier tallied twice for the 12-20-8 Sharks.

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock kicked out 22 shots to shut out the Arizona Coyotes 2-0. Jake McCabe and Tyler Johnson were the goal scorers as the Blackhawks (9-25-4) ended a five-game losing skid while the Coyotes (13-20-5) lost their 12th straight road game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane missed this game with a lower-body injury and is considered day-to-day. It’s the first game he’s missed due to injury since 2015.

HEADLINES

STARTRIBUNE.COM: Minnesota Wild winger Mats Zuccarello will miss the club’s next two games with an upper-body injury. Teammate Brandon Duhaime returns to the lineup after missing 18 games with an upper-body injury.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens rookie defenseman Kaiden Guhle is expected to miss the next eight weeks with a knee injury though he’s not expected to undergo surgery. The Habs also announced defenseman Mike Matheson (lower-body injury) and center Sean Monahan (injured foot) are expected to return to action in two weeks’ time.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Losing Guhle is a blow to the struggling Canadiens. He’d earned top-pairing minutes this season and was considered to be their best defenseman.

TSN: The Edmonton Oilers signed forward Justin Bailey to a one-year, two-way contract worth $750K at the NHL level and placed him on waivers for the purpose of sending him to their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Kraken assigned Shane Wright to the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs. They’d loaned him to Team Canada for the 2023 WJC, where he captained them to a gold medal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This move wasn’t unexpected. Wright saw limited playing time with the Kraken this season and it was expected that he’d finish the remainder of this season with his junior club.

The Arizona Coyotes have recalled forward Dylan Guenther from Hockey Canada.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Coyotes loaned Guenther to Team Canada for the 2023 World Juniors. He scored the gold-medal goal for Canada in overtime to defeat Czechia 3-2. He’d already spent 21 games with the Coyotes and collected 11 points.

LA KINGS INSIDER: The Kings placed winger Trevor Moore (upper body) on injured reserve and have loaned defenseman Brandt Clarke to the OHL’s Barrie Colts.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Clarke being sent back to his Junior team came as a surprise to a number of Kings fans on social media. The expectation was that he would rejoin the Kings after having played nine games with them earlier in the season along with five games with their AHL affiliate.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 6, 2023

by | Jan 6, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 6, 2023

Predators goaltender Juuse Saros sets a franchise record, the Oilers’ Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl reach assist milestone, the top 32 players are named to the 2023 All-Star Game, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros made a franchise-record 64 saves to upset the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3. Third-period goals by Mark Jankowski and Colton Sissons put the game away for the Predators as they improved their record to 17-14-6 on the season. Max Pacioretty was held scoreless in his season debut with the Hurricanes (25-8-6) as they hold a five-point lead over the New York Rangers for first place in the Metropolitan Division with 56 points.

Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros (NHL Images).

Edmonton Oilers superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl each had two points in a 4-2 victory over the New York Islanders. McDavid collected two assists to reach 500 career assists while Draisaitl scored and collected an assist to reach the 400 career assist milestone as the Oilers improved to 21-17-2. Mathew Barzal and Cal Clutterbuck replied for the 22-16-2 Islanders.

The league-leading Boston Bruins picked up their 30th win of the season with a 5-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Trent Frederic scored twice within 34 seconds in the third period while David Pastrnak tallied twice for the Bruins, who hold an eight-point lead over the Hurricanes for first overall with 64 points. Phillip Danault and Sean Durzi replied for the Kings (22-14-6), who sit in second place in the Pacific Division with 50 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Bruins placed winger Jake DeBrusk (fractured fibula) on long-term injury reserve. He’s expected to miss approximately four weeks.

Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel had a goal and two assists to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2. Eichel had been sidelined for 11 games with a lower-body injury. Adin Hill made 38 saves for the Golden Knights (27-12-2), who sit atop the Western Conference with 56 points. Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel each had two points for the Penguins (19-13-6), who’ve dropped six straight games.

The Washington Capitals (22-13-6) extended their road win streak record to seven games with a 6-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. T.J. Oshie scored twice, Dylan Strome collected three assists, and Alex Ovechkin scored to extend his goal streak to four games. Johnny Gaudreau scored one of the goals for the 11-24-2 Blue Jackets.

Three goals within a 2:33 span in the second period rallied the Vancouver Canucks over the Colorado Avalanche 4-2. Andrei Kuzmenko scored two goals and Brock Boeser tallied what proved to be the game-winner for the Canucks (17-18-3). Mikko Rantanen and Samuel Girard replied for the 19-15-3 Avalanche. With 41 points, the defending Stanley Cup champion Avalanche sits two points out of a wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

The Seattle Kraken picked up their third straight win to dump the Toronto Maple Leafs by a score of 5-1. Vince Dunn scored and picked up two assists while Martin Jones kicked out 26 shots for the 21-12-4 Kraken. Their 11 road wins thus far equal their total from last season. John Tavares scored for the Leafs (23-9-7) as they sit in third overall in the Eastern Conference with 53 points.

St. Louis Blues forward Robert Thomas scored twice and picked up an assist while Jordan Binnington made 36 saves for a 5-3 win over the New Jersey Devils, handing the latter their eighth straight home loss. Jack Hughes tallied twice for the Devils (24-12-3) as they hold a one-point lead over the New York Rangers for second place in the Metropolitan Division with 51 points. The Blues improved their record to 19-17-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ondrej Palat was held scoreless in his return to the Devils’ lineup after being sidelined for 32 games by groin surgery.

The Rangers, meanwhile, picked up a 4-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens (15-21-3), leaving the latter winless in their last seven games (0-6-1). Filip Chytil tallied twice for the 22-12-6 Rangers as they picked up their third straight victory. Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher missed this game with a lower-body injury.

Philadelphia Flyers forwards Travis Konecny and Kevin Hayes each had a goal and two assists as their club tallied five second-period goals to beat the Arizona Coyotes 6-2. The Flyers improved to 15-17-7 while the Coyotes fall to 13-19-5.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin, Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson and Kraken center Matty Beniers are among 11 first-time selections for the 2023 NHL All-Star Game to be held at Sunrise, Florida on Feb. 4, 2023. Other first-timers included Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark, Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson, Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov, Golden Knights goalie Logan Thompson and Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The fans will vote for the final three players for each division All-Star team.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: The Blackhawks listed Patrick Kane as a “maybe” for Friday’s game against the Arizona Coyotes. He’s listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury and skipped practice yesterday for a maintenance day.

OTTAWA SUN: Attendance for Senators games is up by over 25 percent over last season, averaging 15,798 fans after 20 home games this season.

THE ATHLETIC: Speaking of the Senators, another potential buyer is poised to make a bid for the club. A group headed by Los Angeles-based entrepreneur Neko Sparks is preparing to submit a bid when the sale process formally opens. One source said they’re prepared to go upwards of $950 million to purchase the team.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A reminder that any potential owner who purchases the Senators understands that a condition of the sale is the franchise cannot be relocated.

DAILY FACEOFF: An overtime goal by Arizona Coyotes forward Dylan Guenther propelled Canada to a 3-2 victory over Czechia in the Gold Medal Game at the 2023 World Junior Championships in Halifax.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Seattle Kraken center Shane Wright scored one of Canada’s three goals. Connor Bedard of the WHL’s Regina Pats was named tournament MVP with 23 points. The 17-year-old is considered the top prospect in the 2023 NHL Draft, scheduled for June 28-29 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.










NHL Rumor Mill – January 5, 2023

by | Jan 5, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – January 5, 2023

What could the Rangers have in store for the trade deadline? Could the Ducks shop a goaltender? Are the Oilers interested in Jake McCabe? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WHAT WILL THE RANGERS DO AT THE TRADE DEADLINE?

THE ATHLETIC: Arthur Staple recently explored the New York Rangers’ options for the March 3 trade deadline. He believes general manager Chris Drury is pondering whether to make a big-ticket acquisition or a couple of smaller ones.

Staple mentioned Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane, St. Louis Blues captain Ryan O’Reilly and Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat as the big-ticket players.

Much will depend on whether Kane wants to be traded, where he wants to go and if the Rangers could get him for an affordable cost with the Blackhawks retaining half of his cap hit. O’Reilly is sidelined for six weeks with a broken foot and it could take until the week of the deadline for his market value to become clearer. Horvat could still re-sign with the Canucks but Staple doubted the Rangers could out-bid other clubs for his services.

Drury could instead look at bolstering the left side of his third defense pairing with a rental player. Staple mentioned the Anaheim Ducks’ Nathan Beaulieu or Dmitry Kulikov as well as the Philadelphia Flyers’ Justin Braun.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It would be something of a letdown if Kane isn’t traded to the Rangers given the months of speculation linking the Blackhawks star to New York. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing for the Blueshirts to do. Given the hype, however, it would feel a little disappointing.

Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson (NHL Images).

Drury will do what he needs to do to affordably improve his club. The Rangers aren’t in a position where their Stanley Cup window is closing. The youth and talent on their club should ensure that they have several years ahead of them where they could become legitimate Cup contenders.

Unless they’re getting Kane or another quality top-six scorer at a reasonable rental price, the Rangers will likely tweak the roster before the trade deadline and see how things play out. Drury can then look at making more significant additions during the offseason in the trade and free-agent markets.

WILL THE DUCKS TRADE A GOALTENDER?

THE ATHLETIC: Eric Stephens wonders what the Anaheim Ducks will do about their goaltending after promising Lukas Dostal’s solid performance during his recent call-up. He’s been sent back to their AHL affiliate in San Diego but he clearly doesn’t belong there.

Stephens believes John Gibson needs a trade. He has a 10-team no-trade list but Stephens believes that can be worked around. However, the remaining four years of his contract, with its average annual value of $6.4 million, is a big obstacle. It would be difficult finding a team in need of an upgrade in goal with the cap space to take on his contract.

Another option could be moving backup Anthony Stolarz, who carries a more affordable $950K cap hit and is slated to become a UFA. If the Ducks want to move Stolarz they’ll have to showcase him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Ducks are stuck with Gibson unless they either buy him out this summer or retain half of his cap hit to facilitate a trade. They won’t do the former while the latter would leave them with four years of $3.2 million in dead cap space each year, which Stephens doubts they’ll want to do.

They might be able to find a taker for Stolarz over the next couple of months among playoff contenders looking to shore up their goaltending depth. Otherwise, Dostal will have to spend the remainder of this season in the minors unless injuries sideline Gibson or Stolarz again.

COULD THE OILERS LAND MCCABE?

SPORTSNET (stick tap to NHL Watcher): On Jan. 3, Elliotte Friedman said the Chicago Blackhawks really like Jake McCabe and are in no hurry to move the defenseman. However, they also understand he probably wants to play for a winner. Friedman expects the Edmonton Oilers to be among the suitors.

The following day on The Jeff Marek Show, Friedman expressed doubts about the Oilers landing McCabe. He’s not sure the blueliner wants to play in Canada and has some no-trade control. Friedman thinks Oilers GM Ken Holland will have to look elsewhere for help on his blueline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In shorts, the Oilers are interested in McCabe but he’s apparently not interested in them or any other Canadian team. He has a seven-team no-trade list.










NHL Rumor Mill – January 4, 2023

by | Jan 4, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – January 4, 2023

The potential effect of top prospect Connor Bedard upon this season’s trade market, the latest on the Blackhawks and Blues, updates on Alexis Lafreniere and Jakob Chychrun, the Predators could consider shopping Mattias Ekholm, and much more in today’s NHL rumor mill.

BEDARD’S POTENTIAL EFFECT ON THE TRADE MARKET

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports top prospect Connor Bedard’s unbelievable performance at this year’s World Junior Championship could spur clubs considered sellers in this season’s trade market to start shopping players sooner rather than closer to the March 3 trade deadline.

WHL forward Connor Bedard of the Regina Pats (NHL.com).

Doing so could help those bottom-feeding clubs improve their chances of winning this year’s draft lottery. Potential buyers, however, could prefer waiting until March given the limited salary-cap space around the league.

Chris Johnston believes the asking price for this year’s best assets at this year’s deadline will be at least a first-round pick in return. That goes for the high-profile forwards as well as defensemen like Montreal’s Joel Edmundson and Columbus’ Vladislav Gavrikov.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Every club with a shot at winning the 2023 draft lottery will be trying to dump pending free agents that they can’t or won’t re-sign as quickly as possible. However, Cap Friendly indicates there are only seven teams with more than $3 million in salary-cap payrolls right now. Several of those clubs will be sellers.

Most playoff contenders will be trying to accrue as much cap space as they can leading up to March 3. That means most of the buyers will likely want to wait until within a week or two of the deadline to start making moves when they’ve got the cap flexibility to do so.

MORE RUMORS FROM TSN’S LATEST “INSIDER TRADING”

Darren Dreger believes St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong has a decision to make regarding Ryan O’Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko when the two return from injury next month. Armstrong will have to consider the trade value of O’Reilly, who would be a hot asset in the trade market. There will have to be a conversation with O’Reilly, and maybe with Tarasenko, regarding contract extensions, and then make the call nearer the trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Everything I’ve read or heard about Tarasenko’s future is that the Blues won’t be part of it. They reportedly could re-sign O’Reilly if he’s willing to accept a pay cut on a short-term deal.

Dreger also reports the Chicago Blackhawks still have to determine if pending UFAs Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews want to be traded. If they do, the pair will have to determine who the contenders will be. He also believes they would have to decide whether to accept a trade and then test their luck in this summer’s free-agent market or consider a trade-and-sign scenario.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pat Brisson, who represents Kane and Toews, is expected to meet with Blackhawks management later this month to discuss their futures.

Speaking of Gavrikov, Johnston said a lot of teams like him but so do the Blue Jackets. He doesn’t believe they’ve decided yet if they want to move the blueliner.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That decision will depend on how much Gavrikov wants to stay in Columbus. He could seek to double his salary from its current average annual value of $2.8 million.

Pierre LeBrun reports there were teams that looked into the availability of Alexis Lafreniere after the 2020 first-overall pick was a healthy scratch last week. However, the New York Rangers still believe in him and have also told that to the young winger.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That should quiet the media trade chatter about Lafreniere for the time being. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if it surfaces again before the March 3 trade deadline, especially if the Rangers decide to pursue a big-name player (hello there, Patrick Kane).

UPDATES ON CHYCHRUN, KLINGBERG, EKHOLM, MCDONAGH AND MERKLEY

THE ATHLETIC: Michael Russo reports Arizona Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong is sticking to his asking price of two first-round picks plus another asset as part of the return for defenseman Jakob Chychrun. He indicated Chychrun still wants to be dealt to a Stanley Cup contender. If the assets are there, said Armstrong, he will certainly make that trade.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Considering how well Chychrun’s played since returning in November from offseason wrist surgery, I daresay Armstrong feels confident that someone will meet his price by March 3.

Russo also noted that Anaheim Ducks defenseman John Klingberg’s full no-trade clause changed to a modified one on Jan. 1 that’s limited to 10 teams. He pointed out that Ducks GM Pat Verbeek scouted the Edmonton Oilers during two games last month. There’s been chatter they could have an interest in Klingberg, though they seem to have more of a need for a left-side defenseman.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers’ preference would be for Chychrun but they could lack the assets to make that deal happen. The Oilers have also been linked to Gavrikov.

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli added Nashville Predators blueliner Mattias Ekholm to his list of trade candidates at No. 7. He’s been told that Predators GM David Poile has some uncomfortable decisions to make as his club has regressed this season to a likely non-playoff team loaded with expensive contracts. Seravalli also wondered if defenseman Ryan McDonagh might be available.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ekholm lacks no-trade protection and is in the first season of a four-year contract. However, he’s also turning 33 in May and carries an annual salary-cap hit of $6.25 million. Good luck moving that contract during a season under a flattened salary cap.

As for McDonagh, Seravalli pointed out he waived his no-trade clause last summer to go from Tampa Bay to Nashville. He believes that requesting the 33-year-old rearguard to waive it again could be a tall ask. Even if McDonagh agreed to be traded again, his age and $6.75 million cap hit through 2025-26 make him very difficult to move in-season.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Max Miller cited Seravalli reporting yesterday that Sharks defenseman Ryan Merkley requested a trade. A first-round pick (21st overall) in 2018, he’s spent much of his tenure with the Sharks organization playing for their AHL affiliate.

Merkley spent 39 games with the Sharks last season and was expected to skate with them again this season. Sharks GM Mike Grier declined to comment.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 4, 2023

by | Jan 4, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 4, 2023

Hat-trick performances by the Sabres’ Tage Thompson and the Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk while Auston Matthews sets a Leafs franchise record. Details and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson tallied in overtime for his third hat trick of the season in a 5-4 win over the Washington Capitals. Thompson finished the night with four points while Alex Tuch had a goal and two assists for the Sabres, who improve to 19-15-2. Alex Ovechkin tallied twice for the 21-13-6 Capitals.

Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Thompson has 30 goals on the season and sits three back of Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid for the goal-scoring lead. The Sabres, meanwhile, have won seven of their last 10 games. With 40 points, they’re six back of the New York Islanders for the final wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference.

Before the game, the Sabres entered Capital One Center in Washington wearing t-shirts that read, “Love for 3” to honor Buffalo Bill safety Damar Hamlin, who remains hospitalized in critical condition after collapsing during Monday’s NFL game against the Bengals. Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams released a statement in support of Hamlin and the Bills’ organization.

Matthew Tkachuk tallied his first hat trick with the Florida Panthers as they downed the Arizona Coyotes 5-3. Eric Staal also scored twice for the Panthers (17-18-4) while Clayton Keller had two points for the 13-18-5 Coyotes, who’ve lost 10 straight road games.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews collected two points to become the fastest player in franchise history to reach 500 points (445 games) but his club fell 6-5 to the St. Louis Blues. Brayden Schenn tallied the winner in the shootout while Brandon Saad scored two goals for the Blues, who improved to 18-17-3. Michael Bunting scored twice and William Nylander had a three-point performance for the 23-8-7 Maple Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speaking of Bunting, the Leafs have reportedly opened preliminary talks about a contract extension for the winger, who’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent in July.

The Tampa Bay Lightning picked up their fourth straight victory by defeating the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1. Former Blackhawk Brandon Hagel had a goal and an assist in the third period against his former club as the Lightning rose to 24-11-1 on the season. Seth Jones replied for the Blackhawks, who dropped to 8-25-4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane left this game in the second period with a lower-body injury. An update on his condition is expected on Wednesday.

Three unanswered third-period goals by Artemi Panarin, K’Andre Miller and Filip Chytil gave the New York Rangers a 5-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes, snapping the latter’s 11-game win streak. Paul Stastny collected two assists for Carolina (25-7-6) while the Rangers improved to 21-12-6. With 56 points, the Hurricanes remain six back of the league-leading Boston Bruins.

Los Angeles Kings goaltender Pheonix Copley stopped 28 shots to backstop his club over the Dallas Stars by a score of 3-2. Adrian Kempe snapped a 2-2 tie in the third period as the Kings (22-13-6) reach the 50-point plateau, sitting four points behind the Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights. Roope Hintz collected two assists for the 23-10-6 Stars as their four-game win streak came to an end. With 52 points, they’re two back of the Golden Knights for first overall in the Western Conference.

The Winnipeg Jets got a 33-save performance from Connor Hellebuyck in a 3-2 victory over the Calgary Flames. Sam Gagner tallied the tie-breaker in the third period as the Jets improved to 24-13-1 and sit three points behind the first-place Stars in the Central Division. The Flames’ record fell to 18-14-7 on the season.

Four straight second-period goals carried the Seattle Kraken over the Edmonton Oilers 5-2. Jaden Schwartz had a goal and two assists for the Kraken (20-12-4) as they sit in third place in the Pacific Division with 44 points, one up on the Flames and two ahead of the Oilers. Connor McDavid netted his league-leading 33rd goal of the season for the Oilers (20-17-2) as they dropped their fifth straight home game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leon Draisaitl returned to the Oilers lineup after being sidelined for two games with what was believed to be a core muscle strain.

A three-point night by Mathew Barzal carried the New York Islanders to a 6-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored twice for the Isles, who improved to 22-15-2 and hold the final wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference with 46 points. Bo Horvat scored twice for the Canucks as they dropped to 16-18-3.

Ottawa Senators goalie Anton Forsberg turned in a 22-save shutout to blank the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-0. Tim Stutzle and Claude Giroux each had two points for the Senators (18-17-3) while the Blue Jackets slide to 11-23-2 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speaking of the Senators, a source told the Ottawa Sun that it could take until March to determine who the club’s new owner will be. Even then, the paperwork to complete the sale might not be done until June.

The Nashville Predators downed the Montreal Canadiens 6-3, handing the latter their fifth straight loss and leaving them with just one win in their last 10 games. Nino Niederreiter had three assists for the 16-14-6 Predators. Cole Caufield netted his 22nd goal of the season for the 15-20-3 Canadiens.

IN OTHER NEWS…

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings placed winger Jakub Vrana on waivers yesterday. The move comes as the club attempts to create roster space for sidelined players such as Robby Fabbri, Tyler Bertuzzi and Filip Zadina slated to return soon to their lineup.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Vrana missed most of this season in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program and is currently with the Wings’ AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids on a conditioning stint.

A rival club interested in bolstering their scoring could pluck Vrana off waivers today by the noon ET deadline. He’s under contract through next season but also carries a $5.25 million annual average value. Given the high number of teams that Cap Friendly indicates have less than that in cap space, it’ll be interesting to see if he gets plucked off the waiver wire later today.

The Red Wings are carrying three goaltenders. However, they decided against putting Alex Nedeljkovic or the well-traveled Magnus Hellberg on waivers for the purpose of sending one of them to the minors for the time being.

LAS VEGAS SUN’s Danny Webster took to Twitter yesterday to report the Golden Knights have taken center Jack Eichel off injured reserve.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The Flyers activated promising winger Bobby Brink off injured reserve and have sent him to their AHL affiliate in Lehigh Valley.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins have recalled goalie Dustin Tokarski from the AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. They’ve also placed defenseman Kris Letang on their non-roster list as he’s joined his family in Montreal following the recent death of his father.










NHL Rumor Mill – January 3, 2023

by | Jan 3, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – January 3, 2023

A look at what the Blackhawks could get for their notable trade candidates plus the latest on the Blue Jackets in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE ATHLETIC: Scott Powers and Mark Lazerus recently examined the potential value of the Chicago Blackhawks’ potential trade candidates.

The Blackhawks are preparing as if Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews won’t ask to be traded. Both are eligible to become unrestricted free agents in July and each carries a salary-cap hit of $10.5 million and full no-movement clauses.

Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane (NHL Images).

If Kane decides to ask for a trade, the Blackhawks will probably seek a first-round pick and a decent prospect. Given his no-movement clause, the limited number of teams he’d agree to be dealt to will have some leverage. The Blackhawks will also have to retain part of Kane’s cap hit.

The asking price for Toews could be a first-round pick given his bounce-back performance this season. It’s less likely that a team will want half of his cap hit. That could mean getting a third team involved to spread the dollars around or the Blackhawks will have to take back a player in return.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Powers and Lazerus believe Kane is more likely to be moved by the trade deadline than Toews. It’s expected we’ll learn more about their fates this season once their agent Pat Brisson has met with Blackhawks management later this month.

Max Domi could also draw interest given his solid performance this season. The Blackhawks could seek a first-round pick but Domi might instead fetch a second-rounder. They could seek a second-round pick for Andreas Athanasiou but there might not be much interest in him at the deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Domi was assumed to be a goner at the trade deadline but Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek reported on Saturday that it might not be a done deal. He seems to have found a home in Chicago and there’s apparently been some discussion between his agent and management about the possibility of a contract extension.

Athanasiou could still be moved cheaply at the deadline. However, he’ll have to pick up his production over the next two months to draw more interest in the trade market.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Jim Matheson looked at the value of Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov in the trade market and if he’d be a fit with the Oilers.

Gavrikov, 27, is putting up solid numbers as a stay-at-home defenseman with the struggling Blue Jackets. Eligible for UFA status in July, his current cap hit is $2.8 million and his next contract will likely be in the $5 million range. The Jackets want to re-sign him but he holds leverage given their limited depth on the left side of their blueline.

Matheson expects it would cost the Oilers a first-round pick and perhaps a third-rounder to acquire Gavrikov. They’d also have to shed salary to take him on. Matheson suggests Jesse Puljujarvi to Columbus but believes the Blue Jackets would want an asset in return.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matheson suggested it’s more worthwhile for the Oilers to acquire a defenseman with term remaining on their contract if they’re going to give up assets like a first-round pick and prospects. Possible options in that category this season include Arizona’s Jakob Chychrun, Montreal’s Joel Edmundson or Chicago’s Connor Murphy or Jake McCabe. However, Matheson suggested that could come at the cost of stifling the development of young Oilers blueliners like Markus Niemelainen and Philip Broberg.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Brian Hedger reports Gustav Nyquist might not finish the season with the Blue Jackets. A pending UFA, he could draw interest from rival clubs seeking an experienced forward at the trade deadline.

The versatile 33-year-old Nyquist has provided leadership and consistency for the struggling, injury-ravaged Blue Jackets. Hedger speculates he could fetch multiple picks in the lower rounds or perhaps a late first-round pick from a contender.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nyquist lacks no-trade protection but his $5.5 million cap hit could be difficult to move under this season’s flat cap unless the Jackets retain part of his salary. The two-way forward can play center or wing and has a respectable 18 points in 35 games this season.