NHL Rumor Mill – April 18, 2025

by | Apr 18, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – April 18, 2025

Check out the latest speculation regarding the offseason plans for the Canucks, Penguins and Islanders in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

CANUCKS

THE PROVINCE: Patrick Johnston wondered what the future holds for Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet and first-line center Elias Pettersson.

Tocchet’s contract expires at the end of this season but the Canucks hold a club option for another year. It’s believed they offered a contract extension, but Tocchet has strong bargaining power given his reputation around the league and his 2024 Jack Adams Award.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Management’s plans for next season and beyond will also factor into whether Tocchet stays or goes.

Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson (NHL Images).

Pettersson had an awful season, prompting Johnston to ponder if management still believes signing him to his long-term contract last year was a good idea. If they decide to move him, they must find a trade partner and a suitable replacement.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pettersson has seven seasons left on his contract with an average annual value of $11.6 million. If the Canucks intend to move him their best opportunity is before his no-movement clause kicks in on July 1.

Pettersson’s performance this season makes him difficult to move unless the Canucks retain up to half of that cap hit, which they won’t do. They’ll likely hang onto him and hope he has a bounce-back effort next season.

Johnston believes the Canucks must find a suitable second-line center. Filip Chytil is talented but not a full-fledged second-line center, plus he’s frequently sidelined. Pius Suter has shown potential in that role, but Johnston wonders if he can truly fill that spot next season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Suter can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. The Canucks could scour the trade and free-agent markets before then to see if there are obtainable options. They have over $16.7 million in cap space with 17 active roster players under contract for next season.

The Canucks might have to find a scoring right wing if Brock Boeser departs as a free agent on July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Boeser recently expressed doubt that he’ll be back with the Canucks. If they don’t re-sign him, it’ll give them more cap space to add that second-line center, likely the more pressing need in management’s eyes.

Team captain (and reigning Norris Trophy winner) Quinn Hughes has two years left on his contract. They can sign him to an extension next summer, but Johnston believes he’ll want to see improvement before he commits to a long-term deal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hughes isn’t going anywhere this summer but the Canucks’ performance next season could determine his future in Vancouver. That will play a role in management’s moves this summer.

PENGUINS

POST-GAZETTE.COM: Matt Vensel had nine questions that will define the offseason for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

One was whether it would be the status quo for next season. Vensel doesn’t think so, suggesting defensemen Erik Karlsson and winger Rickard Rakell as trade candidates this summer.

Winger Bryan Rust’s no-movement clause expires at the end of this season but it would take a significant offer to convince management to part with him. Much-maligned defenseman Ryan Graves and goaltender Tristan Jarry could be shopped this summer, though the latter is no sure thing if they can’t find a suitable replacement.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Josh Yohe of The Athletic believes there’s a real chance Karlsson could be moved if a suitable offer from a team he’s willing to join should emerge, but it would take the Penguins retaining part of his annual cap hit.

As for Jarry, Yohe believes he’ll be back next season, citing his improved performance following his stint in the minors. Of course, the Penguins will listen to offers if a rival club expresses interest in him.

Vensel wondered if the Penguins would make a splash in the trade or free-agent markets this summer. If they do, improving the blueline is the priority. Vladislav Gavrikov and Ivan Provorov are the top left-handed defensemen potentially available in the UFA market.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Vensel also mentioned that Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner will be the player we hear the most between now and the start of free agency on July 1. He cited Marner’s relationship with Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas during the latter’s tenure as Leafs GM. However, that relationship might not be enough for the rebuilding Penguins to win a bidding war for his services.

ISLANDERS

THE ATHLETIC: Arthur Staple addressed questions over how the New York Islanders intend to address their crowded blueline during the offseason.

He believes restricted free agents Noah Dobson and Alexander Romanov will be re-signed. Dobson’s difficult season could land him a four or five-year contract with an AAV between $7.5 million and $8 million. He suggested a six or seven-year deal for Romanov for between $6.5 million and $7 million.

Dobson and Romanov would receive lots of interest in the trade market, but it would be difficult getting equal value for either guy.

Scott Mayfield seems the main candidate to be moved. He’s got five years left on his contract with a full no-trade clause, but they could attempt to buy him out. Ryan Pulock has five years left with a full NTC for the next two years.

Adam Pelech had four years left on his contract with a 16-team no-trade list. Of those three, he’s the one they could prefer to keep.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 28, 2024

by | Jan 28, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 28, 2024

The Oilers’ win streak reaches 16, Auston Matthews reaches 40 goals and Nikita Kucherov regains the lead in the scoring race. Get the details on these and other stories in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Edmonton Oilers extended their win streak to 16 games with a 4-1 victory over the Nashville Predators. Connor McDavid had a goal and three assists while Leon Draisaitl had a goal and two assists for the 29-15-1 Oilers, who sit third in the Pacific Division with 59 points. Colton Sissons replied for the Predators (26-22-1) as they cling to the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 53 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers are now one win away from tying the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins for the longest win streak (17 games) in league history. Corey Perry made his debut with the Oilers, logging 12:44 in ice time with two hits and two shots.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews netted his league-leading 40th goal as his club doubled up the Winnipeg Jets 4-2. Mitch Marner and Morgan Rielly each collected two assists while Ilya Samsonov made 24 saves for the Leafs (25-14-8) as they hold the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 58 points. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 26 shots for the 30-12-5 Jets as they slipped to third place in the Central Division with 65 points.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthews set a franchise record as the fastest player to reach 40 goals (46 games) and extended his team record for most 40-goal seasons with five. He also became the eighth player in Leafs history to reach 600 points and the fastest to reach that plateau. Meanwhile, the club announced that Calle Jarnkrok is sidelined week-to-week with a broken knuckle.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov collected two assists to regain the lead in the NHL scoring race with 85 points in a 6-3 win over the New Jersey Devils. Brayden Point and Brandon Hagel each scored twice as the 27-18-5 Lightning sit one point ahead of the Leafs in third place in the Atlantic Division. Ondrej Palat and Nico Hischier each had two points for the 24-20-3 Devils.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hischier wasn’t pleased with his club’s performance. “I’m embarrassed, to be honest,” he said in a postgame interview. With the Devils sitting six points out of a wild-card berth, he called on his teammates to play “pissed off.” They’ve won just three of their last 10 games.

The Vancouver Canucks overcame a three-goal deficit to nip the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4 on an overtime goal by Elias Pettersson, who finished the game with two goals and an assist. Brock Boeser tallied a hat trick while Quinn Hughes and J.T. Miller each collected three assists for the Canucks (33-11-5) as they hold first place in the overall standings with 71 points. Alexandre Texier had a goal and an assist for the 15-23-10 Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Blue Jackets announced winger Patrik Laine returned to Columbus after suffering a setback in his recovery from a fractured clavicle. They also placed defenseman Adam Boqvist (upper body) on injured reserve and recalled blueliner Nick Blankenburg from their AHL affiliate in Cleveland.

A four-goal first period powered the Boston Bruins over the Philadelphia Flyers 6-2. David Pastrnak tallied twice and collected an assist while James van Riemsdyk had a goal and two assists for the 31-9-9 Bruins, who sit second in the overall standings with 71 points. Tyson Foerster scored both goals for the slumping Flyers (25-19-6), who’ve lost five straight games but remain in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 56 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Flyers honored Mark Recchi with induction into their Hall of Fame. Recchi spent 10 seasons with the Flyers, tallying 627 points in 602 games. He also played three seasons with the Bruins, helping them win the Stanley Cup in 2011 during his final season.

Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart scored to extend his points streak to 13 games as his club nipped the New York Islanders 3-2 on an overtime goal by Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Matthew Tkachuk had a goal and an assist for the 31-14-4 Panthers as they sit in fourth place in the overall standings with 66 points. Semyon Varlamov turned aside 24 shots for the Islanders (20-17-12), who sit five points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 52 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: After beating the Dallas Stars 3-2 in Patrick Roy’s first game as their head coach, the Isles are winless in their last three contests (0-2-1). Before this game, Roy indicated that defenseman Adam Pelech is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. He was sidelined by an illegal hit to the head on Thursday by Montreal’s Brendan Gallagher, who received a five-game suspension as a result.

The Dallas Stars moved ahead of the Winnipeg Jets into second place in the Central Division with 66 points by dropping the Washington Capitals 5-4. Thomas Harley scored in overtime after his club blew a 4-2 lead and finished the game with two goals for the 30-13-6 Stars. Alex Ovechkin and Anthony Mantha each had a goal and an assist for the 22-18-7 Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals winger Max Pacioretty left this game in the third period with a lower-body injury unrelated to his surgically repaired Achilles tendon. No word following the game regarding his condition.

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin sniped two goals in a 5-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider each had two assists while Alex Lyon stopped 28 shots for the Red Wings (26-18-5) as they hold the final Eastern wild-card berth with 57 points. Alec Martinez had two assists for the 29-15-6 Golden Knights (64 points) as they remain in second place in the Pacific Division.

A five-goal second period rallied the New York Rangers over the Ottawa Senators 7-2. Artemi Panarin had a goal and two assists while Jonathan Quick made 29 saves for the Rangers (30-16-3) as they remain in first place in the Metropolitan Division with 63 points. Brady Tkachuk and Jakob Chychrun scored for the 18-25-2 Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers captain Jacob Trouba missed this game as he’s serving a two-game suspension for elbowing Golden Knights forward Pavel Dorofeyev on Friday.

The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Arizona Coyotes 3-1 as Dmitry Orlov broke a 1-1 tie with 36 seconds remaining in regulation time. Seth Jarvis collected two assists for the 28-15-5 Hurricanes, who sit two points back of the Rangers in second place in the Metro Division. Logan Cooley tallied for the slumping Coyotes (23-22-3) as they dropped their third straight game and sit four points out of the final Western wild-card spot with 49 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Coyotes defenseman Travis Dermott missed this game with a lower-body injury.

Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom kicked out 32 shots for a 1-0 shutout of the Chicago Blackhawks. Elias Lindholm scored the only goal as the 22-22-5 Flames (49 points) snapped a four-game losing skid and sit four points out of the final Western wild-card berth. Petr Mrazek made 30 saves for the 14-34-2 Blackhawks, who remain at the bottom of the overall standings with 30 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Flames announced that forward A.J. Greer is out for eight weeks with a fractured foot.

An overtime goal by Marcus Pettersson gave the Pittsburgh Penguins a 3-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Penguins forward Lars Eller scored in his 1,000th career game as his club improved to 22-17-7 (51 points). Jake Allen made 30 saves for the 20-21-8 Canadiens.

Anaheim Ducks winger Troy Terry scored two goals as his club tamed the Minnesota Wild 3-2. Lukas Dostal stopped 35 shots for the 17-30-2 Ducks. Mats Zuccarello collected two assists for the 21-23-5 Wild.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild forward Marcus Foligno missed this game due to illness.

The Buffalo Sabres tallied five unanswered goals in a 5-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks. JJ Peterka scored twice while Dylan Cozens had a goal and two assists for the Sabres (22-23-4). William Eklund picked up two assists for the 13-32-4 Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a costly win for the Sabres as forward Jack Quinn left the game with an injured left leg following a hit by Sharks forward Tomas Hertl. Head coach Don Granato indicated Quinn’s injury should be considered more than day-to-day for recovery.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 10, 2024

by | Jan 10, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 10, 2024

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

GAME RECAPS

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

Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk (NHL Images).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

HEADLINES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 26, 2023

by | Nov 26, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 26, 2023

The Rangers overtake the Bruins for first place in the overall standings while the Kings gain ground on the first-place Golden Knights in the Western Conference. Details and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: New York Rangers winger Chris Kreider scored twice and set up another to lead his club to a 7-4 rout of the Boston Bruins. Artemi Panarin had a goal and two assists as the Rangers (15-3-1) supplanted the Bruins for first place in the overall standings with 31 points. Charlie Coyle scored twice for the Bruins, who also have 31 points but slipped into second overall with a record of 14-3-3. It’s the first time this season they’ve lost two straight games.

New York Rangers winger Chris Kreider (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Following the game, the NHL department of player safety fined Rangers captain Jacob Trouba $5,000.00 for high-sticking, which was actually a dangerous two-handed stick swing at Trent Frederic that struck the Bruins’ forward on his helmet. Frederic was fortunately not injured but Trouba should’ve received a suspension for his reckless action.

The Bruins, meanwhile, activated defenseman Matt Grzelcyk off long-term injury reserve and assigned rookie blueliner Mason Lohrei to their AHL affiliate in Providence.

The Los Angeles Kings blanked the Montreal Canadiens 4-0. Trevor Moore scored twice while Pheonix Copley turned aside 18 shots for the shutout as the Kings (13-3-3) moved into second place in the Western Conference standings with 29 points. Jake Allen stopped 26 shots for the Canadiens, who slipped to 9-10-2 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings are now one point behind the Vegas Golden Knights for first overall in the conference. The Vancouver Canucks also have 29 points and won one more game than the Kings but the latter played three fewer games. Speaking of the Canucks and Golden Knights…

Third-period goals by Mikael Granlund and Mike Hoffman enabled the San Jose Sharks to hold off the Canucks by a score of 4-3. Granlund and Hoffman each had two points while Tomas Hertl collected two assists for the Sharks (4-15-2), who remain at the bottom of the overall standings with 10 points. Brock Boeser scored twice, J.T. Miller had three assists and Quinn Hughes collected an assist to extend his points streak to 11 games for the 14-7-1 Canucks.

Arizona Coyotes goaltender Connor Ingram turned in a 34-save shutout in a 2-0 win over the Golden Knights. Clayton Keller and Lawson Crouse tallied for the Coyotes (9-9-2) to snap a three-game losing skid. Logan Thompson made 16 saves for the 14-5-2 Golden Knights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore missed this contest with an upper-body injury. His status should be considered day-to-day.

The New Jersey Devils crushed the Buffalo Sabres 7-2. Devils captain Nico Hischier had a goal and an assist in his first game since being sidelined on Oct. 27 with an upper-body injury. Teammate Tyler Toffoli scored twice as the Devils (9-9-1) ended a three-game losing streak. Jeff Skinner and Kyle Okposo replied for the 9-10-2 Sabres.

Second-period goals by Noel Acciari and Erik Karlsson lifted the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 3-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Tristan Jarry made 31 saves as the Penguins improved to 10-10-0. Tyler Bertuzzi and Matthew Knies scored for the Leafs as they fell to 10-6-3.

The Philadelphia Flyers shut out the New York Islanders 1-0 on a shootout goal by Tyson Foerster. Samuel Ersson made 25 saves for the win as the Flyers moved up to 11-9-1. Ilya Sorokin stopped 40 shots for the 8-6-6 Islanders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers activated defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen (lower body) off LTIR as he made his season debut in this contest. Meanwhile, the Islanders placed blueliner Adam Pelech and forward Matt Martin on LTIR and claimed defenseman Mike Reilly off waivers from the Florida Panthers.

Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and an assist as the Colorado Avalanche doused the Calgary Flames 3-1. Ivan Prosvetov stopped 29 shots for the Avalanche (14-6-0), who’ve won six of their last seven games and sit in first place in the Central Division with 28 points. Mikael Backlund scored for the Flames as they dropped to 8-10-3.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 5, 2023

by | Nov 5, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 5, 2023

The Golden Knights extend their season-opening points streak, the Sharks give up 10 goals again, and much more as we recap a busy Saturday in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Vegas Golden Knights extended their season-opening points streak to 12 games by blanking the Colorado Avalanche 7-0. Golden Knights captain Mark Stone scored two shorthanded goals and collected two assists, Jack Eichel and William Karlsson each tallied twice while Adin Hill kicked out 41 shots for the shutout. Alexandar Georgiev made 27 saves for the 7-3-0 Avalanche while the league-leading Golden Knights sit at 11-0-1.

Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No sign of any Stanley Cup hangover yet for the Golden Knights thus far. Some of those victories came against lesser opponents like the San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks and Chicago Blackhawks but they’ve also played well against good clubs like the Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Los Angeles Kings, and Winnipeg Jets.

Four-point performances from Jake Guentzel, Reilly Smith and Bryan Rust powered the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 10-2 drubbing of the San Jose Sharks. Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson collected two assists against his former club, Evgeni Malkin tallied twice and Sidney Crosby collected an assist in his 1,200th career NHL regular-season game. Tomas Hertl, Anthony Duclair and Jacob MacDonald each had two points for the Sharks as they sank to 0-10-1 on the season while the Penguins are 4-6-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks became the first team since the 1965-66 Boston Bruins to give up 10 goals in consecutive games as they also lost 10-1 to the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday.

Buffalo Sabres winger Alex Tuch scored twice in the third period to lift his club over the Toronto Maple Leafs by a score of 6-4. The Sabres improved their record to 6-6-0. Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews regained the NHL goal-scoring lead (11) by netting his third hat trick of the season while Mitch Marner had a four-point night. The Leafs sit at 5-4-2 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthews is tied with Rick Vaive for the fourth-most hat tricks (10) in Leafs history. He’s netted three this season in 11 games, joining Cy Denneny and Babe Dye (four), Newsy Lalonde (five), Joe Malone (seven) and Odie Cleghorn (10) among the players requiring the fewest games in NHL history to net three hat tricks in a single season.

Earlier in the day, the Leafs placed defenseman Timothy Liljegren (lower body) on long-term injury reserve (LTIR). Meanwhile, Sabres forward Dylan Cozens missed this game with an upper-body injury.

The Nashville Predators defeated the Edmonton Oilers 5-2. Predators center Ryan O’Reilly netted a hat trick, Filip Forsberg had a goal and two assists and Kevin Lankinen stopped 33 shots for the 5-6-0 Predators. Darnell Nurse and Zach Hyman replied for the Oilers as they dropped to 2-7-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers now have the second-worst record in the NHL. Changes could be coming soon if this club fails to snap out of its tailspin. I’ll have more about that in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup. Predators defenseman Ryan McDonagh missed this contest with a lower-body injury and is considered day-to-day.

Winnipeg Jets forward Nino Niederreiter’s hat trick powered his club to a 5-3 comeback victory over the Arizona Coyotes. Brenden Dillon had a goal and two assists for the Jets as they moved to 5-4-2. Lawson Crouse had a goal and an assist for the Coyotes (5-5-1), who held leads of 2-0 and 3-2 during this game but couldn’t close the deal.

The Detroit Red Wings held off the Boston Bruins 5-4 to snap the latter’s 10-game points streak. David Perron had a goal and two assists while Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond each had a goal and an assist for the Red Wings as they improved to 7-4-1. David Pastrnak, James van Riemsdyk and rookie Matthew Poitras each tallied a goal and an assist for the 9-1-1 Bruins, who still sit atop the Eastern Conference with 19 points.

Tampa Bay Lightning forwards Brayden Point (three goals, one assist) and Nikita Kucherov (one goal, four assists) led the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Ottawa Senators 6-4, boosting their record to 5-3-3. Senators captain Brady Tkachuk scored twice and collected an assist as his club sank to 4-6-0, putting them at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Following the game, Tkachuk took issue with Senators fans booing his club’s performance. “It’s frustrating, the negativity from the outside, the constant booing and the bullshit, kind of, from the crowd tonight,” he said. The Ottawa captain added that he understood their frustration but felt that he and his teammates are playing as hard as they can in every game.

The Washington Capitals got a 34-save performance from goaltender Charlie Lindgren to hold off the Columbus Blues Jackets 2-1. Tom Wilson and Sonny Milano scored for the 5-4-1 Capitals while Dmitri Voronkov replied for the Blue Jackets as they fell to 4-5-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blue Jackets left wing Johnny Gaudreau was benched during the final 16 minutes of the third period. Head coach Pascal Vincent wasn’t pleased with his performance, claiming he felt that Gaudreau “wasn’t there” during this contest. That’s a pretty obvious shot across the bow by Vincent against his highest-paid player.

Meanwhile, Capitals defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk left this game early in the first period with a lower-body injury. There was no update on his status following the game.

Los Angeles Kings goalie Cam Talbot had a 24-save shutout in a 5-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Quinton Byfield collected three assists while Arthur Kaliyev and Trevor Moore each had a goal and an assist for the Kings as they moved up to 7-2-2. Cal Petersen allowed five goals on 30 shots from his former team as the Flyers fell to 5-6-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Flyers shifted defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen to LTIR with an undisclosed injury.

The Carolina Hurricanes overcame a 3-0 deficit to nip the New York Islanders 4-3 on an overtime goal by Sebastian Aho. Andrei Svechnikov and Jesperi Kotkaniemi each collected two points for the Hurricanes (7-5-0). Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat each had two points and Ilya Sorokin stopped 43 shots for the 5-2-3 Islanders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech missed this game as he’s listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

Chicago Blackhawks rookie Conor Bedard scored for the third straight game in a 5-2 upset of the Florida Panthers. Philipp Kurashev had a goal and two assists while Petr Mrazek turned aside 38 shots for the 4-6-0 Blackhawks. Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Matthew Tkachuk replied for the Panthers as they sit at 5-4-1.

The St. Louis Blues got a goal and two assists each from Jordan Kyrou and Brayden Schenn to beat the Montreal Canadiens 6-3. With the win, the Blues improved to 5-4-1. Juraj Slafkovsky, Brendan Gallagher and Nick Suzuki replied for the 5-4-2 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens center Christian Dvorak made his season debut after being sidelined by a knee injury since March 7. He saw 14:53 of ice time and was held scoreless.

A shootout goal by Matt Boldy lifted the Minnesota Wild (4-5-2) to a 5-4 win over the New York Rangers (8-2-1), snapping the latter’s six-game win streak. Mats Zuccarello had a goal and an assist in regulation as the Wild overcame a 3-0 deficit to take a 4-3 lead before the Rangers’ Chris Kreider tied it in the third period. Artemi Panarin had a goal and an assist as the Rangers winger extended his season-opening points streak to 11 games.

The Calgary Flames snapped a six-game losing skid by defeating the Seattle Kraken 6-3. Mikael Backlund scored twice and rookie Martin Pospisil scored his first NHL goal on his first shot for the 3-7-1 Flames. Oliver Bjorkstrand, Eeli Tolvanen and Jaden Schwartz replied for the 4-6-2 Kraken.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flames winger Andrew Mangiapane was ejected from this game in the first period for cross-checking Jared McCann in the upper back while the Kraken forward was lying on the ice after blocking a shot.

Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko made 27 saves in a 2-0 shutout of the Dallas Stars. Pius Suter and Elias Pettersson were the goal scorers as the Canucks now sit at 8-2-1 on the season. Joel Oettinger stopped 26 shots for the 7-2-1 Stars.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 3, 2023

by | Nov 3, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 3, 2023

The Canucks’ Quinn Hughes ties a franchise single-game points record for defensemen, the Devils’ Jack Hughes remains atop the scoring race and the Golden Knights extend their season-opening points streak. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes had a goal and four assists in a 10-1 drubbing of the toothless San Jose Sharks. Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser each had three points and Anthony Beauvillier tallied twice for the 7-2-1 Canucks. Fabian Zetterlund scored the only goal for the Sharks as they remain at the bottom of the overall standings with a record of 0-9-1.

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hughes’ five points tied a franchise record for defensemen. He leads all NHL blueliners with 16 points. The Sharks, meanwhile, suffered their worst home defeat in franchise history. They’ve got just 10 goals in as many games with just one multi-goal game. They have also been shut out twice during that stretch.

Meanwhile, Quinn’s brother Jack collected two assists to maintain his lead in the NHL scoring race (20 points) as his club tamed the Minnesota Wild by a score of 5-3. Jesper Bratt had a goal and three assists as the Devils improved to 6-2-1. Wild forwards Marco Rossi and Matt Boldy each had two points as their club dropped to 3-5-2.

The Vegas Golden Knights extended their season-opening points streak to 11 games by beating the Winnipeg Jets 5-2. Jonathan Marchessault scored a hat trick while Logan Thompson stopped 29 shots as the Golden Knights (10-0-1) have a league-leading 21 points. Kyle Connor and Alex Iafallo each had a goal and an assist for the 4-4-2 Jets.

Shootout goals by Jake DeBrusk and Charlie Coyle gave the Boston Bruins a 3-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs to extend their points streak to 10 games (9-0-1) as they lead the Eastern Conference with 19 points. Pavel Zacha and DeBrusk scored in regulation while Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews replied for the 5-3-2 Maple Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs defenseman Timothy Liljegren left this game with a lower-body injury suffered late in the first period. Meanwhile, the Bruins were short three regular defensemen with Charlie McAvoy serving a four-game suspension (now under appeal) while Matt Grzelcyk and Derek Forbort are sidelined by injuries.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin collected an assist to extend his points streak to 10 games in a 2-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Rookie Will Cuylle broke a 1-1 tie and Chris Kreider also scored as the Rangers (8-2-0) lead the Metropolitan Division with 16 points. Seth Jarvis replied for the 6-5-0 Hurricanes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a costly victory for the Rangers as Adam Fox and Filip Chytil left the game with injuries. Both will be reevaluated on Friday.

The Los Angeles Kings remain unbeaten on the road (5-0-0) as they held off the Ottawa Senators 3-2. Adrian Kempe collected two assists while Cam Talbot made 24 saves against his former club as the Kings sit at 6-2-2. Former Kings goalie Joonas Korpisalo stopped 35 shots while Dominik Kubalik and Josh Norris scored for the 4-5-0 Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators forwards Ridly Grieg and Mark Kastelic could be sidelined for the next several games as they both left this contest with lower-body injuries.

Arizona Coyotes forward Nick Schmaltz tallied twice, including the game-winning goal, to nip the Montreal Canadiens 3-2. Connor Ingram turned aside 28 shots as the Coyotes improved to 5-4-1. Brendan Gallagher had a goal and an assist while Sean Monahan netted his team-leading sixth goal for the 5-3-2 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens winger Rafael Harvey-Pinard left this game in the second period with a lower-body injury. Meanwhile, sidelined Coyotes winger Jason Zucker is expected to return to action on Nov. 11. He’s been out since Oct. 21 with a lower-body injury.

The Dallas Stars held on for a 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Roope Hintz had two goals and an assist, Joe Pavelski netted a goal and two assists while Scott Wedgewood kicked out 46 shots as the Stars (7-1-1) sit atop the Central Division with 15 points. Sam Gagner scored two goals in his first game with the Oilers this season but their record slipped to 2-6-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers forward Connor Brown left this contest in the second period with a lower-body injury.

Third-period goals by Boone Jenner, Erik Gudbranson and Johnny Gaudreau lifted the Columbus Blue Jackets over the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2. Elvis Merzlikins turned aside 27 shots as the Blue Jackets (4-4-2) snapped a four-game winless skid. Steven Stamkos and Conor Sheary tallied for the Lightning (4-3-3).

The New York Islanders got a 32-save shutout performance from Semyon Varlamov in a 3-0 blanking of the Washington Capitals. Ryan Pulock, Simon Holmstrom and Brock Nelson were the goal scorers as the Islanders boosted their record to 5-2-2. Darcy Kuemper made 18 saves for the 4-4-1 Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield returned to the lineup after missing seven games with an injured leg. However, Adam Pelech left the game in the first period holding his side and didn’t return.

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky made 22 saves to shut out the Detroit Red Wings 2-0. Steven Lorentz and Anton Lundell scored for the Panthers (5-3-1) while James Reimer stopped 25 shots for the 6-4-1 Red Wings.

The Seattle Kraken doubled up the Nashville Predators 4-2. Jared McCann and Justin Schultz each had two points for the 4-5-2 Kraken while Tommy Novak and Roman Josi replied for the 4-6-0 Predators.