NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 9, 2024

by | Jun 9, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 9, 2024

The Panthers shut out the Oilers in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, highlights from Gary Bettman’s latest “State of the League” press conference, and updates on Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

STANLEY CUP FINAL – GAME 1 RECAP

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers drew first blood in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final by blanking the Edmonton Oilers 3-0 in Game 1. Sergei Bobrovsky turned in a 32-save shutout, Carter Verhaeghe opened the scoring with his 10th goal of the postseason, and Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov collected two assists.

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bobrovsky flat-out stole this game for the Panthers, especially in the first period when they were outshot 13-4 and out-chanced 8-3 at five-on-five. The 35-year-old became the oldest goaltender in Stanley Cup Final history to record a shutout.

Edmonton controlled the play for most of this game, garnering plenty of quality scoring opportunities. At times, the ice seemed tilted in the Panthers’ zone as the Oilers pressed but couldn’t beat Bobrovsky.

Almost all of Edmonton’s quality scoring chances were to the bottom part of the net but Bobrovsky shut that area down. Hockey Night in Canada noted that most of the goals scored against him in this postseason were high glove or high blocker. The Oilers will have to work on that for the rest of this series.

Florida made the most of their few quality scoring chances but the Oilers would’ve won this game if Bobrovsky hadn’t been on top of his game. Expect a better effort defensively by the Panthers going forward in this series.

This game will likely be the last time in this series that the Oilers pair up defensemen Darnell Nurse and Cody Ceci. They had been separated during the Western Conference Final but were reunited for this contest. They were on the ice for the first two Panthers goals.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM GARY BETTMAN’S LATEST “STATE OF THE LEAGUE” ADDRESS

THE ATHLETIC: Chris Johnston and Pierre LeBrun highlighted the key points from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman’s latest “State of the League” press conference before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.

The league and the NHLPA announced the salary cap for 2024-25 will rise to $88 million, an increase of $4.5 million and the biggest jump in the cap since 2019. The cap had been flattened from 2020-21 to 2023-24 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath.

Bettman predicted the cap will continue to rise in the coming years, anticipating robust growth in the salary cap.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The cap was projected to increase by $4.2 million to $87.7 million. Both sides agreed to round it up to $88 million, which is welcome news for cap-strapped clubs as well as players slated to become free agents on July 1.

More details were revealed regarding the 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament in 2025 involving Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States.

The league and NHLPA announced it will be held from Feb. 12-20 in Montreal and Boston instead of the All-Star Game. The four countries will play each other twice in Montreal before moving to Boston for the final game of the round-robin and the championship game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow this link for further details on tournament scheduling.

Bettman said there is nothing new regarding expansion despite rumors of putting clubs in Atlanta and Houston and a possible return to Arizona. He acknowledged that the league continues to deal with expressions of interest, noting at least half a dozen cities are interested in the NHL product.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I believe we’ll see NHL franchises in Atlanta and Houston by the end of this decade at the latest. A return to Arizona depends on whether former Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo can secure funding to build an NHL arena in the Phoenix area.

Deputy commissioner Bill Daly said he’s received feedback from many (but not all) NHL general managers regarding possible changes to long-term injury reserve rules. Under the current system, the salary cap doesn’t count during the postseason. While there is some appetite for change, Daly said it would have to be negotiated with the PA during the next round of collective bargaining in 2026.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The NHL cannot adjust the current LTIR rules without the agreement of the NHLPA. I daresay we’ll see it tweaked in the next CBA.

Bettman and Daly were asked if the league had any advice for teams with players charged in the 2018 Team Canada sexual assault case regarding qualifying offers to retain their rights by June 30. The commissioner said it will be up to the individual clubs to decide if they’ll qualify those players based on the current rules outlined in the CBA.

The players involved are Carter Hart of the Philadelphia Flyers, Michael McLeod and Cal Foote of the New Jersey Devils, and Dillon Dube of the Calgary Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Alex Formenton of the Ottawa Senators was also charged. He’s on the Senators’ reserve list because they qualified his rights in 2022. He spent the past two seasons playing in Switzerland.

Bettman stated that former Chicago Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman and former head coach Joel Quenneville remain ineligible to apply for jobs in the NHL. This is a result of their failure to react responsibly in connection with the Kyle Beach sexual assault case. He said both have reached out seeking an opportunity to return, but it’s something he has to consider.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas isn’t providing any details or updates regarding contract extension talks with captain Sidney Crosby. “We want to keep that as quiet as possible and go through it,” he said, adding that this was being done out of respect for Crosby and what he means to the organization.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I predict Crosby will re-sign with the Penguins before training camp opens in September.

CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson recently shot down any possibility of a reunion with Patrick Kane. He indicated that he was happy to see the former Blackhawks winger had a good year with the Detroit Red Wings. However, he doesn’t foresee them bringing him back to Chicago.










NHL Rumor Mill – April 12, 2024

by | Apr 12, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – April 12, 2024

Do the Golden Knights have enough cap room to re-sign Jonathan Marchessault? Could the Bruins pursue Patrick Kane this summer? Check out the latest in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

CAN THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS AFFORD JONATHAN MARCHESSAULT?

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Danny Webster reports the Golden Knights have approximately $7.59 million in salary-cap space for 2024-25 after signing Noah Hanifin to a contract extension yesterday. That’s assuming goaltender Robin Lehner remains on long-term injury reserve.

That doesn’t leave much room for the Golden Knights to bring back some of their free agents, the most notable being winger Jonathan Marchessault. The reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner has 41 goals in his contract year.

Their other unrestricted free agents include center Chandler Stephenson, wingers William Carrier, Anthony Mantha and Michael Amadio and defenseman Alec Martinez. Hanifin’s signing suggests Martinez might not be back while their acquisition last month of Tomas Hertl could mean Stephenson is on his way out.

Vegas Golden Knights winger Jonathan Marchessault (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hanifin and Hertl are on expensive long-term contracts and will play key roles as core players for the Golden Knights. Their additions almost certainly mean Martinez and Stephenson won’t be back.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Kevin Allen also wondered what the future holds for Marchessault. The 33-year-old winger can’t expect a long-term deal at this stage but he’s a durable player who’s netted 99 goals (and counting) over the past three seasons.

Marchessault is coming off a contract with an annual cap hit of $5 million. Allen speculates a contender seeking a scorer could pay a bigger number on a short-term deal.

The Golden Knights must shed a salary or two if they intend to re-sign Marchessault.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights aren’t a team that allows sentimentality to enter the equation when maintaining their roster. Popular players such as Marc-Andre Fleury and Reilly Smith have been shipped out to make room for other talent. They could let Marchessault walk on July 1 rather than re-sign him.

If they intend to keep him, they’ll have no choice but to make a cost-cutting trade or two. That could mean peddling 31-year-old forward William Karlsson, who has three more years remaining with an AAV of $5.9 million and a 10-team no-trade clause.

COULD THE BRUINS PURSUE PATRICK KANE THIS SUMMER?

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Jimmy Murphy wondered if the Bruins might attempt to sign Patrick Kane if the 34-year-old Detroit Red Wings forward hits the open market on July 1.

Murphy claims there were rumors last summer that Bruins general manager Don Sweeney was interested in signing Kane. “If he doesn’t come to terms on a new contract with winger Jake DeBrusk, could Sweeney look to the more experienced three-time Stanley Cup champion?”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I think Sweeney is more interested in someone younger such as Vancouver Canucks two-way center Elias Lindholm.

Sweeny was also said to be interested in Noah Hanifin but that’s not possible after his re-signing with the Golden Knights. He could shift his focus toward Brady Skjei or Brett Pesce. Both Carolina Hurricanes blueliners are slated to become UFAs on July 1.










NHL Rumor Mill – April 11, 2024

by | Apr 11, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – April 11, 2024

Will Patrick Kane return with the Red Wings next season? Should the Devils add toughness to their roster in the offseason? Check out the latest in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WILL PATRICK KANE RETURN WITH THE RED WINGS?

MLIVE.COM: Ansar Khan reports the decision by the Detroit Red Wings general manager to sign Patrick Kane to a one-year, $2.5 million contract last November has been validated.

Kane recently reached the 20-goal plateau for the 16th time in 17 NHL seasons. It’s an impressive achievement for a 35-year-old winger coming off a hip resurfacing procedure last June. He said he was “really happy” with his decision to sign with the Red Wings, adding he has nothing but positive things to say about the organization, the coaches and the team.

Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane (NHL Images).

With 44 points in 46 games, Kane is second to Wings captain Dylan Larkin in points per game (.96 to .97). He also indicated he’s no longer feeling pain on the ice as he did before his procedure.

Khan believes the Red Wings would like to re-sign Kane before his eligibility for unrestricted free-agent status on July 1. He’s focused on the playoff chase and will sort out his future in the offseason.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Bob Duff noted that Kane offered no inclination that he’d like to return with the Wings.

“I think just with the situation I was in and coming in and being here for maybe three-quarters of the season or whatever it was, it’s just this year and then we’ll see what happens,” said Kane.

Duff believes Kane’s performance this season will draw a lot of suitors if he tests the free-agent market on July 1. Yzerman could find it challenging to keep the future Hall-of-Famer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A lot will depend on what kind of offers Kane could receive. They’ll be short-term proposals but he could lean toward a club willing to sign him for three years.

The cap hit will also be a factor. He won’t get anything close to the $10.5 million annual average value of his previous contract and won’t accept another $2.75 million AAV. Something around $6 million annually could tempt him.

Kane could prefer signing with Stanley Cup contenders if he hits the open market.

WILL THE DEVILS ADD TOUGHNESS IN THE OFFSEASON

SPORTSNET: Jeff Marek noted the New Jersey Devils intend to search for a starting goaltender and a new head coach this summer. However, he wondered if they’d re-sign enforcer Kurtis MacDermid or find a suitable replacement.

Marek observed that most of the Devils’ rivals in the Metropolitan Division carry a slugger. MacDermid was brought in to deal with Matt Rempe after the Rangers forward ran over Nathan Bastian.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – March 31, 2024

by | Mar 31, 2024

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – March 31, 2024

Check out the latest on the Senators and Red Wings in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

WHAT COULD THE OFFSEASON HOLD FOR THE SENATORS?

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch recently compared the Senators and the Buffalo Sabres, who are poised to miss the playoffs for the 13th consecutive season. He noted the Sabres have gone through three general managers and eight head coaches.

The Senators are also reaching a crossroads as they’ll miss the postseason for the seventh straight season. They must avoid the Sabres blueprint if they hope to build around their young core.

Changes must be made. The Senators can’t just bring back the same roster next season and hope everyone improves.

The core of Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Drake Batherson, Shane Pinto, Josh Norris, Thomas Chabot, Ridly Greig and Jake Sanderson will be expected to improve. However, Senators GM Steve Staios must put the right group around them and improve the goaltending. Staios would also like to acquire additional leadership to support team captain Tkachuk.

THE SCORE: Josh Wegman has some suggestions for how the Senators can get over the hump.

Ottawa Senators defenseman Jakob Chychrun (NHL Images).

First is hiring an experienced head coach such as Claude Julien, Craig Berube, Dean Evason, Gerard Gallant or John Stevens. Wegman also suggests making a major trade, entertaining offers for Chabot, Norris, Batherson, Jakob Chychrun and Claude Giroux, among others. Staios should prioritize acquiring a right-shot shutdown defenseman to balance the Senators’ blueline.

Wegman also thinks Staios should target strong defensive players via free agency. Options could include the Dallas Stars’ Chris Tanev, the Los Angeles Kings’ Matt Roy, the Edmonton Oilers’ Vincent Desharnais, the Carolina Hurricanes’ Jalen Chatfield, the Vancouver Canucks’ Nikita Zadorov or Ian Cole, or bringing back Dylan DeMelo from the Winnipeg Jets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Staios has a lot of work to do here. Hiring a new head coach could be the easiest of his offseason tasks. He’ll have plenty of experienced NHL bench bosses to choose from if he goes that route.

It won’t be easy improving the goaltending. They’re stuck with Joonas Korpisalo, who has four years at $4 million annually left on his contract. They could try to replace backup Anton Forsberg, though his $2.75 million cap hit for next season could be difficult to move.

The Senators have a projected cap space of $11.8 million with 16 roster players under contract for 2024-25. A new contract for Pinto could eat up between $4 million and $5 million. Staios must find a way to free up some cap room to bring in that much-needed defensive help.

One or two notable players will have to be moved. Chychrun could be shipped out to make room for that right-shot shutdown rearguard. Norris’ injury history means his trade value is low right now. Giroux has a full no-movement clause but maybe he’d waive it for one last shot with a contender.

WHAT DO THE RED WINGS NEED NEXT SEASON?

THE ATHLETIC: Max Bultman recently looked at the Red Wings as they struggle to remain in the playoff chase and how it could affect their future.

Bultman noted the Red Wings have plenty of players who can score but they’ve struggled when they need goals that don’t come on the rush or with lots of space in the offensive zone. Their forward corps also must improve defensively.

The Wings need above-average goaltending, something they haven’t consistently received this season. They must also upgrade their defense corps.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wings are sitting two points out of the final Eastern Conference wildcard berth.

They held the first wildcard a month ago and seemed poised to secure their first playoff berth since 2016. However, they stumbled through March with just three wins in 14 games. They’re still in the chase because the Philadelphia Flyers, New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils are also struggling as the regular season winds down.

Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman made no significant additions at the March trade deadline. If his club fails to clinch a playoff berth, he can’t just sit on his hands in the offseason and hope this same group will get better next season. He must address the issues raised by Bultman to avoid another disappointing outcome.

The Wings have a projected cap space of $27.9 million for 2024-25 with 14 active roster players under contract. Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond are completing their entry-level contracts and will seek substantial raises. Veterans Patrick Kane, David Perron, Shayne Gostisbehere, James Reimer and Daniel Sprong are among their pending unrestricted free agents.

Seider and Raymond will be re-signed but it’ll be interesting to see if they get long-term deals or bridge contracts. Most of those UFA could be cut loose as Yzerman seeks to improve his roster for next season.










Don’t Punish NHL Players to Close LTIR Loophole

by | Mar 23, 2024

Don’t Punish NHL Players to Close LTIR Loophole

For the second straight year, the Vegas Golden Knights placed captain Mark Stone on long-term injury reserve, freeing up his $9.5 million cap hit to bolster their roster at the trade deadline.

Stone was sidelined last season by back surgery, returning for the start of playoffs and leading his team to the Stanley Cup. This time, he’s out with a lacerated spleen. There is no timeline for his return but it seems unlikely he’ll be back for the start of the playoffs.

Conspiracy theorists among NHL followers accused the Golden Knights of cheating, overlooking the fact that every team can and has availed themselves of LTIR to garner salary-cap flexibility at any time during the regular season and offseason. It’s within the rules of the collective bargaining agreement.

Some teams acquire the contracts of players all but retired to career-ending injuries to free up cap room to boost their rosters or re-sign a star. Budget-conscious clubs have done so to ensure they reach the salary-cap floor.

Most of the complaints, however, are aimed at playoff contenders putting a sidelined player on LTIR and using the savings to add depth to their rosters before the playoffs, with the injured player returning at the start of the postseason.

As The Athletic’s Michael Russo observed, it’s a complaint that goes back to the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season, when winger Nikita Kucherov missed the entire regular season recovering from offseason hip surgery. It also dates back to 2014-15 when Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane missed the rest of the regular season with a broken collarbone.

Like the Golden Knights with Stone, the Lightning and Blackhawks placed Kucherov and Kane on LTIR, using the cap savings to add depth to their rosters. Both stars returned for the start of the playoffs and helped their teams win the Stanley Cup.

That’s sparked calls in some circles for changes to LTIR rules to prevent teams from legally circumventing the salary cap. It was discussed at this week’s meeting of NHL general managers and will likely be on the agenda when they meet again in September.

NHL general managers can discuss proposed changes to the LTIR rules. However, they won’t be able to do anything about it until the next round of collective bargaining between the league and the NHL Players Association in 2025-26.

Russo suggested perhaps a rule extending the salary cap into the playoffs. Another was a player on LTIR not being healthy to play in the final game of the regular season being ineligible to play at the start of the postseason.

There’s a greater likelihood of Russo’s first suggestion being implemented than his second one. The NHLPA will fight that one tooth and nail because it’ll be seen as unfairly punishing a player for an injury.

If you’re talking about one game, it’s almost pointless if the player in question can return for the rest of the playoffs. But if you’re talking about the entirety of the opening round, I don’t see any team or its fans taking that well.

Most folks who complain about LTIR don’t like it unless it benefits their team. Then, they’re only too happy to point out how other teams do the same thing.

It’s worth remembering that the NHL had the opportunity to negotiate changes to LTIR during CBA negotiations in 2012 and 2020. It wasn’t a pressing issue for them back then.

Whether any major changes are implemented in the next round of CBA negotiations remains to be seen. It’s probably not a hill that the NHL will want to die on.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 26, 2024

by | Feb 26, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 26, 2024

Red Wings forward Patrick Kane makes a triumphant return to Chicago, the Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov reaches 100 points, Sidney Crosby leads the Penguins over the Flyers, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Patrick Kane set up the tying goal and scored the winner in overtime as the Detroit Red Wings defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2. It was Kane’s first game against his former club in Chicago since he was traded to the New York Rangers last February. Alex DeBrincat had a goal and an assist for the surging Red Wings (32-20-6) as they’ve won five straight games and hold the first Eastern wild-card berth with 70 points. MacKenzie Entwistle and Nick Foligno scored for the 15-39-5 Blackhawks.

Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane spent 16 seasons with the Blackhawks and is among the greatest players in franchise history, helping them win three Stanley Cups. He received a lengthy standing ovation as the Blackhawks honored him with a video tribute during a TV timeout and another after scoring the winning goal.

Kane’s return coincided with the Blackhawks honoring another great as they retired Hall-of-Famer Chris Chelios’ No. 7 in a pregame ceremony. Chelios spent nine seasons in Chicago from 1990-91 to 1998-99, winning two of his three Norris Trophies there.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov became the first player this season to reach 100 points in a 4-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Kucherov had a goal and three assists as he sits atop the scoring race with 102 points. With a record of 32-23-5, the Lightning hold the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 69 points. Tyler Toffoli netted his 25th goal of the season for the Devils (29-25-4) as they’ve lost three of their last four games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 38 goals, Kucherov is poised to eclipse his career-best of 41 and is 26 points away from his career high of 128 points set in 2018-19.

Devils head coach Lindy Ruff took full responsibility for his club’s struggles this season but it’s not solely his fault. The Devils have been walloped by injuries while their goaltending is among the league’s worst.

The Pittsburgh Penguins held off the Philadelphia Flyers by a score of 7-6. Sidney Crosby had a goal and three assists while Bryan Rust had two goals and an assist before leaving the game in the third period with an upper-body injury as the Penguins improved to 26-21-8. Scott Laughton and Tyson Foerster each had two goals and an assist for the Flyers (30-22-7) as they sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 67 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale left the game in the second period favoring his left arm following a hard hit from Penguins forward Jansen Harkins. There was no update regarding his status following the game.

An overtime goal by Kyle Connor lifted the Winnipeg Jets to a 4-3 win over the Arizona Coyotes, handing the latter their 12th straight loss. Connor finished with two goals, Mark Scheifele had a goal and three assists while Josh Morrissey collected three assists for the 36-15-5 Jets (77 points) as they’ve won three straight and sit one point behind the Central Division-leading Dallas Stars. Nick Schmaltz tallied twice for the 23-29-5 Coyotes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Coyotes winger Clayton Keller left the game early in the second period with an undisclosed injury. He leads the club with 52 points in 57 games.

The Nashville Predators strengthened their hold on the final Western Conference wild-card berth by doubling up the Anaheim Ducks 4-2. Filip Forsberg had a goal and an assist while goaltender Kevin Lankinen stopped 29 shots for the 32-25-2 Predators (66 points) as they’ve won five straight and sit four points up on the St. Louis Blues. Brett Leason had a goal and an assist for the 20-35-3 Ducks.

Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins made 38 saves as his club upset the New York Rangers 4-2, snapping the latter’s 10-game win streak. Dmitri Voronkov, Kirill Marchenko and Jack Roslovic each had a goal and an assist for the 19-28-10 Blue Jackets. Artemi Panarin netted his 33rd goal of the season for the Rangers (39-17-3) as they remain in second place in the overall standings.

The Buffalo Sabres have won three straight games for the first time this season with a 3-2 upset of the Carolina Hurricanes. Casey Mittelstadt tallied the winning goal in the shootout while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 30 saves for the 27-27-4 Sabres. Martin Necas had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes (34-18-6) as they remain in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 74 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game the NHL department of player safety fined Hurricanes center Jesperi Kotkaniemi $5,000.00 for elbowing Dallas Stars defenseman Joel Hanley on Saturday.