What’s the latest on the Flames? Could a potential move to Utah turn the Coyotes into offseason buyers? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
LATEST ON THE FLAMES
THE ATHLETIC: Julian McKenzie replied to several questions from his readers regarding the Flames’ offseason plans.
McKenzie will be surprised if Jacob Markstrom returns next season, partly because of how things played out with trade speculation and partly due to where the Flames are compared to contending teams.
Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ll also be surprised if Markstrom isn’t traded this summer. The Devils were reportedly close to acquiring him in February before the deal fell through and it’s expected they’ll try again this summer.
McKenzie noted that Markstrom has the final say because of his no-movement clause. His $6 million average annual value could also be a potential sticking point.
The Flames won’t be primary suitors for a first-line center unless one becomes available and their offer rises above the rest. This summer’s free-agent class contains former Flames’ Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan but McKenzie doesn’t expect either player will return to Calgary.
Instead, the Flames could package some of the draft capital to acquire a young player who can help their roster. He suggested looking at players who might benefit from a change of scenery like Winnipeg’s Cole Perfetti or Philadelphia’s Morgan Frost.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: McKenzie noted that Flames general manager Craig Conroy wants to add a veteran or two but also wants his team to be competitive next season. Given how well his acquisition of Yegor Sharangovich worked out, I suspect he’ll focus on players in their mid-twenties who can help his club next season and beyond.
COULD THE COYOTES BECOME BUYERS THIS SUMMER?
SPORTSNET: During Friday’s episode of “32 Thoughts: The Podcast”, Elliotte Friedman speculated that the Arizona Coyotes could become aggressive buyers this summer if they move to Utah.
The NHL is negotiating with Coyotes owner Anthony Meruelo and Ryan Smith, owner of the NBA’s Utah Jazz, to relocate the franchise to Salt Lake City.
If the team does move, Smith could be motivated to make Salt Lake City a strong hockey destination. “Ryan Smith is not going to bring a team to Utah that’s going to be underfunded and playing with one hand tied behind its back,” said Friedman.
The Coyotes have considerable cap space for next season and beyond to invest in free agency and the trade market.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Coyotes currently have a projected cap space of $41.2 million for 2024-25 with 13 active roster players under contract. They’ll have plenty of room to acquire established talent this summer if they wish to go that route. The Coyotes also have a well-stocked prospect pipeline and a deep pool of draft picks to use as trade bait.
Connor McDavid exceeds 900 career points with a five-point performance, Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin move up in the all-time points lists, the three stars and rookie of the month are revealed and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid scored a goal and set up four others to exceed 900 career points in a 5-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins tallied twice and collected an assist while Zach Hyman had a goal and two assists for the 19-15-1 Oilers (39 points), who sit one point behind the Arizona Coyotes for the final Western Conference wild-card berth. Travis Konecny and Joel Farabee each had two points for the Flyers (19-13-5) as they slipped into the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 43 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 903 points in 602 NHL regular-season games, McDavid is the fifth-fastest player to reach the 900-point plateau. Wayne Gretzky is the all-time leader, accomplishing the feat in 382 games, followed by Mario Lemieux (463), Mike Bossy (582) and Peter Stastny (599). He also moved into third place in this season’s scoring race with 53 points.
The Washington Capitals scored four goals in the first period and held on to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3. Tom Wilson, Beck Malenstyn, Martin Fehervary and Alex Ovechkin were the goals scorers for the Capitals (18-11-6) as they hold the second Eastern wild-card berth with 42 points. Rickard Rakell, Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel replied for the 18-14-4 Penguins, who sit two points behind the Capitals.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby had a goal and an assist to collect his 1,540th career point to take over sole possession of 12th place on the all-time points leaderboard. Ovechkin picked up his 1,507th career point for the seventh-most with a single franchise, sitting behind the sixth-place Crosby.
Penguins winger Bryan Rust returned to the lineup after being sidelined since Dec. 6 with an upper-body injury while Matt Nieto (lower body) was shifted to long-term injury reserve.
The Boston Bruins regained top spot in the overall standings with 52 points in a 4-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. James van Riemsdyk led the way with a goal and two assists for the 23-7-6 Bruins while Linus Ullmark got the win with a 26-save performance. Kent Johnson scored for the 12-19-8 Blue Jackets.
Carolina Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov scored two goals and Brady Skjei collected three assists in a 6-1 drubbing of the New York Rangers. Pyotr Kochetkov made 28 saves for the Hurricanes (21-13-4) as they’ve won four straight games and moved into second place in the Metropolitan Division with 46 points. Chris Kreider scored for the Rangers (25-10-1) as they slipped into second place in the overall standings with 51 points.
The Vancouver Canucks scored five goals in the first period in a 6-3 win over the Ottawa Senators. Elias Pettersson and Pius Suter each tallied twice while Thatcher Demko kicked out 35 shots for the Canucks (24-10-3) as they hold first place in the Western Conference with 51 points. Vladimir Tarasenko had two goals for the 14-19-0 Senators.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks forward Phillip Di Giuseppe left this game in the first period with an undisclosed injury.
An overtime goal by Nathan MacKinnon lifted the Colorado Avalanche over the New York Islanders by a score of 5-4. MacKinnon also picked up two assists, Valeri Nichushkin netted two goals and Cale Makar collected three assists for the 24-11-3 Avalanche as they hold first place in the Central Division with 51 points. Brock Nelson had a goal and an assist for the 17-10-10 Islanders as they sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 44 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders also lost goaltender Semyon Varlamov in the first period and defenseman Robert Bortuzzo in the second to injuries. There was no postgame update regarding their conditions. The Avalanche sit second overall in the Western Conference as the Canucks hold a game in hand.
The Winnipeg Jets extended their points streak to nine games by doubling up the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2. Connor Hellebuyck turned aside 32 shots while Vladislav Namestnikov collected three assists for the Jets (23-9-4) as they sit one point behind the Avalanche in second place in the Central Division. Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov scored for the 18-16-5 Lightning (41) as they sit one point out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kucherov collected two points and leads all scorers with 63 points, two ahead of Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon. The Lightning also played with five defensemen as Erik Cernak is day-to-day with an upper-body injury while Haydn Fleury (upper body) is week-to-week.
Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki had a goal and an assist as his club held off the Dallas Stars 4-3 to snap a three-game losing skid. Jordan Harris also had a goal and an assist while Sam Montembeault made 30 saves for the 16-16-5 Canadiens. Mason Marchment picked up two assists for the Stars (22-10-4) as they sit third in the Central Division with 48 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens winger Josh Anderson left the game with an apparent injury to his right leg midway through the third period. He will be re-evaluated once the Canadiens return to Montreal.
The Florida Panthers picked up their fifth straight victory by downing the Arizona Coyotes 4-1. Carter Verhaeghe had a goal and an assist as the Panthers (23-12-2) sit in second place in the Atlantic Division with 48 points. Karel Vejmelka stopped 35 shots for the Coyotes (19-15-2) as they cling to the final Western wild-card spot with 40 points.
Toronto Maple Leafs netminder Martin Jones made 31 saves to blank the Los Angeles Kings 3-0. William Nylander potted two goals to reach 50 points on the season as the 18-10-7 Leafs hold third place in the Atlantic Division with 43 points. Cam Talbot made 26 stops for the Kings (20-9-5), who sit third in the Pacific Division with 45 points.
Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros turned in a 21-save shutout in a 3-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Gustav Nyquist and Ryan O’Reilly each had a goal and an assist for the 21-16-1 Predators as they hold the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 43 points. Arvid Soderblom stopped 33 shots for the 11-24-2 Blackhawks.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks winger Anthony Beauviller joined their growing list of sidelined veterans as he left this game with an injured left wrist.
The Calgary Flames defeated the Minnesota Wild 3-1. Jonathan Huberdeau scored his first goal since Nov. 20 while Jacob Markstrom stopped 28 shots for the 16-16-5 Flames. Marc-Andre Fleury made 30 saves for the 16-16-4 Wild.
Detroit Red Wings forward David Perron scored two third-period goals in a 5-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks, handing the latter their ninth straight loss. Lucas Raymond had three assists for the 18-16-4 Red Wings as they sit two points out of an Eastern wild-card spot with 40 points. Mario Ferraro collected two assists for the 9-26-3 Sharks.
HEADLINES
NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews and Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck are the NHL’s Three Stars for December 2023. For the second straight month, Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard was named Rookie of the Month.
Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman was fined $4,427.08 for high-sticking Winnipeg Jets forward Cole Perfetti on Sunday.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Following Hartman’s fine, Perfetti told reporters that the Wild forward told him the infraction was retaliation for uncalled cross-checks by Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon on Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov that forced the latter from the game. Perfetti was wearing a microphone for this game and said the exchange was recorded.
If so, and the league didn’t take that into account when handing down their verdict, it’s yet another example of why so many fans and pundits have a low opinion of the league’s department of player safety.
NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils winger Timo Meier is sidelined with a “mid-body injury” Head coach Lindy Ruff is hopeful Meier won’t be sidelined for long.
BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: Sabres captain Kyle Okposo is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury.
Former Islanders GM Garth Snow opens up about his tenure with the club, a recent ranking of the top wingers, the Jets re-sign Logan Stanley, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
NEW YORK POST: Ethan Sears reports Garth Snow is finally free to speak his mind five years after being replaced as general manager of the New York Islanders. He’d been prevented from doing so or working in the NHL because of the terms of his five-year payout.
Among the topics he discussed was John Tavares’ departure from the Islanders to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2018, a month after Snow was fired. “He didn’t do anything wrong,” said Snow, who laid the blame at the feet of Isles co-owner Scott Malkin.
Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares (NHL Images).
Islanders fans perceived Tavares was at fault for stringing along the club by leaving open the possibility of re-signing him when they could’ve moved him for assets at the 2018 trade deadline. Snow revealed that Malkin made the decision to keep Tavares even at the risk of losing him to free agency later that year.
Snow said Malkin has taken over contract talks with the Tavares camp. Despite setting aside $10 million annually to re-sign their captain, the club made little progress in negotiations. He said he felt bad for Tavares getting trashed by the fans for something that wasn’t his fault.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Snow also revealed the threat of the Islanders relocating was real prior to their move to Barclays Center in 2015 during their attempts to get a new arena constructed. While that decision prevented relocation, the difficulties involved in playing there hung over the club and made game days difficult.
Snow has been coaching the PAL Junior Islanders but he indicated he’s spoken with several NHL clubs about front-office roles.
NHL.COM: Boston’s David Pastrnak topped the NHL Network’s recent ranking of the league’s top 20 wingers. Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk, Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov, Colorado’s Mikko Rantanen and Dallas’ Jason Robertson rounded out their top five.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow the link above for the complete ranking.
TSN.CA: The Jets signed defenseman Logan Stanley on Saturday to a one-year, $1 million contract.
WINNIPEG FREE PRESS: Speaking of the Jets, Cole Perfetti hopes to fill the gap left by center Pierre-Luc Dubois’ departure via a trade to Los Angeles. The promising 21-year-old had 30 points in 51 games before his rookie season was cut short by an upper-body injury.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Selected 10th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft, the Jets have high hopes for Perfetti. He could get his wish with a healthy performance in his sophomore campaign. That might also make it easier for the Jets to part ways with Mark Scheifele if the latter decides to test next summer’s free-agent market.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: KHL club Salavat Yulaev will honor the memory of Rodion Amirov by retiring his No. 27. The 21-year-old Maple Leafs prospect spent three seasons with the club until his career was cut short by a brain tumor. Amirov passed away last Monday in Germany where he was receiving treatment.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Arizona Coyotes forward Jan Jenik has requested a trade. The 22-year-old restricted free agent has played 17 games over three seasons with the Coyotes, spending most of that time with their AHL affiliate in Tucson.
The Sabres move into a wild-card berth, Brad Marchand gets another fine, Erik Cernak gets a suspension, Penguins GM Ron Hextall responds to his critics, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: The Buffalo Sabres moved into the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with a 3-1 win over the Florida Panthers. Craig Anderson made 53 saves, Jeff Skinner scored twice to reach 600 career points and Tage Thompson collected three assists as the Sabres improved to 30-23-4 (64 points) to sit ahead of the Detroit Red Wings (28-21-8). Anthony Duclair had an assist in his season debut with the Panthers, who also have 64 points but drop to 29-26-6.
Buffalo Sabres winger Jeff Skinner (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The race for the Eastern Conference wild-card berths is heating up. Five points separate the New York Islanders (67 points) and the Washington Capitals (62 points) with the Sabres, Red Wings, Panthers and Pittsburgh Penguins (63 points) in between. The Capitals and Penguins, however, are fading while the Sabres, Wings and Panthers are surging.
Earlier in the day, the NHL and NHL Players Association released a joint statement indicating that Panthers goaltender Spencer Knight was taking a personal leave of absence to receive care from the Players’ Assistance Program. Best wishes to Knight as he undergoes treatment.
Carolina Hurricanes goalie Antti Raanta stopped 32 shots to shut out the Ottawa Senators 4-0. Brent Burns, Seth Jarvis, Martin Necas and Brady Skjei scored for the 39-10-8 Hurricanes (86 points) as they sit seven points behind the league-leading Boston Bruins in the overall standings. The Senators slipped to 27-26-4.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Raanta’s record is 9-0-1 at home while the Hurricanes are 14-1-1 in the last 16 contests.
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and an assist for his sixth straight multi-point game in a 5-1 romp over the Winnipeg Jets. Mikko Rantanen and J.T. Compher also each had a goal and an assist as the 32-19-5 Avalanche (69 points) sit one point behind the Seattle Kraken while opening a three-point lead over the Calgary Flames in the final Western Conference wild-card spot. Mason Appleton scored for the Jets (35-23-1), who’ve dropped four of their last five but remain one point behind the first-place Dallas Stars in the Central Division with 71 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The only reason the Jets are still close behind the Stars is that the latter has won just two of their last 10 games. The news got worse for the Jets as they announced before this game that rookie Cole Perfetti will be sidelined for the remainder of the regular season with an undisclosed injury.
An overtime goal by William Nylander lifted the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Minnesota Wild 2-1. David Kampf also scored for the Leafs and Ilya Samsonov kicked out 24 shots as they improved to 36-15-8 to hold a four-point lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning for second place in the Atlantic Division with 80 points. Brandon Duhaime replied for the Wild (32-21-6) as they sit in third place in the Central with 70 points, just one back of the second-place Jets.
The Los Angeles Kings scored three goals in the second period as they held off the New York Islanders by a score of 3-2. Phillip Danault, Arthur Kaliyev and Gabriel Vilardi scored for the 33-19-8 Kings. They hold a two-point lead over the Edmonton Oilers for second place in the Pacific Division with 74 points and sit one point back of the first-place Vegas Golden Knights. Noah Dobson and Adam Pelech replied for the Islanders (30-25-7) as they hold the first wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference with 67 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick picked up his 370th career win to surpass Tom Barrasso for the third-most wins by an American-born NHL goaltender. John Vanbiesbrouck is second with 374 and Ryan Miller holds first place with 391.
Montreal Canadiens winger Jesse Ylonen had a goal and an assist in a 5-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Chris Tierney also scored in his first game with Montreal after being claimed off waivers on Thursday. The Canadiens (25-29-4) have won five of their last seven games while the Flyers (23-27-10) have dropped six of their last seven contests.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers winger Joel Farabee dismissed rumors yesterday claiming his representatives have expressed their displeasure over how their client’s season is going under head coach John Tortorella.
“I think for me right now, I’m 100 percent committed to being a Flyer,” said Farabee. Tortorella, meanwhile, was more blunt, telling reporters that if Farabee’s agent is leaking information he should “just shut up,” adding he “doesn’t give a damn” what he thinks.
HEADLINES
BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins winger Brad Marchand was fined $5,000.00 for a dangerous trip on Seattle Kraken winger Oliver Bjorkstrand.
TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak received a two-game suspension for elbowing Buffalo Sabres captain Kyle Okposo.
PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins general manager Ron Hextall downplayed calls from some fans calling for his firing as his club slides in the standings. He said it won’t change how he conducts business, adding that he won’t spend big assets like a first-round pick to add a rental player before the March 3 trade deadline.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hextall didn’t say he wouldn’t trade a first-round pick for a player under contract beyond this season. That’s what he’s likely shopping for if he’s looking for help in the trade market.
THE SCORE: St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas took offense over head coach Craig Berube accusing his core players of not caring about the team during their loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday. “I’ve been a part of this team for a long time,” said Thomas. “What he said couldn’t be further from the truth. I know everyone in that room cares.”
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Berube doubled down with his comments on Friday, saying he hoped his comments sparked a response from his players. Meanwhile, general manager Doug Armstrong sought to diffuse the situation by saying the club needs to come to grips with the current situation, puts its past behind them and turn the page.
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl reach point milestones while Ryan O’Reilly and Mitch Marner play big roles in Leafs win over the Sabres. Get the details on these and other stories in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid reached his 800th career point while teammate Leon Draisaitl netted his 700th in a 4-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. McDavid and Draisaitl each collected three points as the Oilers (31-19-8) snapped a four-game winless skid and hold the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 70 points. The Flyers slipped to 23-26-10 (56 points) and remain eight points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot. They played without Travis Konecny as he missed this game with an upper-body injury.
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid is the league leader in goals with 44 and points with 105. He’s also the fifth-fastest player in NHL history to reach 800 career points, doing so in 545 games.
The Toronto Maple Leafs got a hat trick from Ryan O’Reilly and a five-assist performance by Mitch Marner to beat the Buffalo Sabres 6-3. O’Reilly finished with four points while John Tavares had a goal and three assists as the Leafs improved to 35-15-8 to maintain their three-point lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning for second place in the Atlantic Division with 78 points. Alex Tuch had two points as the Sabres fall to 28-23-4 (60 points) to remain four points behind the Florida Panthers for the final Eastern wild-card spot.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The line of O’Reilly, Marner and Tavares is showing impressive chemistry thus far for the Leafs.
Speaking of the Lightning, they thumped the Anaheim Ducks by a score of 6-1 to remain unbeaten in regular (14-0-1) over their last 15 games. Brayden Point tallied his 200th career goal while Nick Perbix recorded three assists. The Lightning (36-17-3) have 76 points and sit third in the Atlantic Division. The Ducks sank to 17-34-7 on the season and played without John Klingberg as he’s day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the St. Louis Blues 4-1 thanks to three-point performances by Andrei Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis. Frederik Andersen stopped 35 shots as the Hurricanes (38-10-8) have won 13 of their last 15 games and sit in second place in the overall standings with 84 points. Justin Faulk scored for the Blues as they dropped to 26-28-3. They also lost defenseman Torey Krug as he left this game with an undisclosed injury.
Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman scored twice in a 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings to snap the latter’s four-game win streak. Filip Gustavsson made 33 saves as the Wild improved to 31-21-5 (67 points), opening a four-point lead over the Calgary Flames for the final Western wild-card berth. Anze Kopitar replied for the Kings (32-19-7) as they remain one point up on the Seattle Kraken for second place in the Pacific Division with 71 points.
The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Washington Capitals 3-1 to extend the latter’s losing skid to five games. Pius Suter tallied two goals and Ville Husso kicked out 26 shots for the 27-21-8 Red Wings (62 points). They moved to within two points of the final Eastern wild-card spot and sit ahead of the Capitals (28-25-6) with three games in hand.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin was ejected from this game in the second period for cross-checking Washington forward T.J. Oshie in the face. Capitals forward Anthony Mantha left the game in the second period with an upper-body injury following a hit by Wings defenseman Moritz Seider.
A shootout goal by Tyler Johnson lifted the Chicago Blackhawks over the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2, ending the latter’s five-game win streak. Johnson also scored the tying goal in the third period and finished with two points as the Blackhawks improved to 19-32-5. The Golden Knights (34-18-5) opened a two-point lead over the Kings for first place in the Pacific Division with 73 points.
Montreal Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault made 38 saves in a 5-2 upset of the New Jersey Devils to end the latter’s six-game home win streak. Nick Suzuki and Mike Matheson each had a goal and an assist as the Canadiens improved to 24-29-4. Jesper Bratt and Dawson Mercer replied for the 37-15-5 Devils as they sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 79 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils goalie Mackenzie Blackwood missed this game with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. Canadiens forward Joel Armia left this game following the first period with a non-COVID-related illness.
The Nashville Predators defeated the Vancouver Canucks 5-4 on a shootout goal by Matt Duchene. The win kept the Predators’ fading playoff hopes alive as they rose to 27-22-6 and sit seven points out of the final Western wild-card spot with 60 points. Andrei Kuzmenko tallied twice for the 22-30-5 Canucks.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Predators forward Ryan Johansen left this game in the second period after suffering a cut. Following the game, head coach John Hynes said he was uncertain about Johansen’s condition but felt it was possible it might be serious. Meanwhile, the Canucks are sitting defenseman Luke Schenn for trade-related reasons with the March 3 trade deadline on the horizon.
IN OTHER NEWS…
COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar is in concussion protocol and will miss at least two games. He had missed four games earlier this month with a head injury and reinjured himself on Saturday after initiating contact with Alexei Toropchenko of the St. Louis Blues.
DAILY FACEOFF: The Winnipeg Jets placed forward Cole Perfetti (upper body) on injured reserve. He last played on Feb. 19.
BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Plans for the Bruins to play a two-game set against the Los Angeles Kings next September in Melbourne, Australia have been put on hold due to travel concerns.
Oilers captain Connor McDavid celebrates his birthday with a three-point performance, the Jets’ Cole Perfetti sets a franchise rookie record, Connor Bedard is named the top North American skater in midseason prospect rankings, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid celebrated his 26th birthday with two goals and an assist in a 7-1 drubbing of the San Jose Sharks. Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each had a goal and two assists as the Oilers (23-18-3) hold the final Western Conference playoff berth with 49 points, opening a four-point lead over the St. Louis Blues. The Sharks fell to 13-23-8 on the season.
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid is riding a 12-game points streak. He’s currently the league leader in goals (37), assists (45) and points (82) in just 44 games.
The Winnipeg Jets picked up their seventh win in their last eight games by dropping the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-1. Mark Scheifele scored twice while Cole Perfetti collected three assists. With 57 points, the Jets (28-14-1) are tied with the second-place Dallas Stars in the Western Conference but the latter holds that spot with 22 regulation wins. The 21-14-6 Penguins remain one point up on the New York Islanders for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot with 48 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Perfetti became the first rookie in Jets history to have multiple games with three-plus assists in a single season. He’s tied with Arizona’s Matias Maccelli for most assists (19) among this season’s rookies and third in rookie points with 25.
New Jersey Devils forwards Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt each tallied two goals in a 6-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Damon Severson collected three assists while Vitek Vanecek stopped 31 shots for the Devils (27-12-3) as they moved to within two points of the Metropolitan Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes with 57 points. Adam Henrique and Trevor Zegras replied for the Ducks as they fell to 12-27-4.
HEADLINES
NHL.COM: Connor Bedard of the WHL’s Regina Pats is the No. 1 North American skater as NHL Central Scouting released its midseason rankings of the top prospects. The 17-year-old center is the WHL’s leading scorer and was named MVP of the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship. He could become the first WHL player to be chosen as the NHL’s first overall draft pick since Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in 2011.
Leo Carlsson, a center with Orebro HK of the Swedish Hockey League, is ranked No. 1 among international skaters.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bedard is the crown jewel of the 2023 prospect class. He could become the most impressive draft pick since Connor McDavid was chosen first overall by the Oilers in 2015.
NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: The Blackhawks sent winger Lukas Reichel back to their AHL affiliate in Rockford in anticipation of Patrick Kane’s return to the lineup. Kane’s missed three games with a lower-body injury.
VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Golden Knights captain Mark Stone is listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury suffered during Thursday’s game against the Florida Panthers.
NHL.COM: Arizona Coyotes forward Clayton Keller was fined $5,000.00 by the department of player safety for cross-checking Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Brannstrom on Thursday.
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev was fined $5,000.00 for roughing Vancouver Canucks winger Conor Garland during Thursday’s game between the two clubs.
THE PROVINCE: The NHL Players Association is looking into concerns raised over treatment received by Vancouver Canucks winger Tanner Pearson for a broken hand suffered earlier this season. Reports emerged claiming Pearson has undergone three or four procedures and could be sidelined for the remainder of this season. That’s raised speculation that the situation could be career-ending.
Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes on Thursday suggested Pearson’s injury “wasn’t handled properly.” He clarified his remarks the following day, saying he wasn’t trying to direct blame at anyone and was expressing concern for his teammate.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sportsnet reported the Canucks are conducting an internal investigation into the handling of Pearson’s injury.
PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Flyers coach John Tortorella has banned players from using Ipads on the bench during games to evaluate or review their play. He considers them distracting and wants his players’ attention focused elsewhere, preferring they be more engaged with each other.
Someone mentioned that Tortorella will be perceived as “old school” because of his approach. “I don’t give a flying s**t how I’m perceived,” he said.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tortorella made it clear a long time ago that he didn’t care about the perception of fans and media over how he does his job.
THE BUFFALO NEWS: Former NHL forward Brian Gionta has joined the Niagara University hockey coaching staff as director of player development. Gionta spent 16 seasons in the NHL and retired as a player in 2018. He was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2019.
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This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
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This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
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This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
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The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
