NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 19, 2024

by | Dec 19, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 19, 2024

Recaps of Wednesday’s games, the Rangers trade Kaapo Kakko to the Kraken, the Predators ship Alexandre Carrier to the Canadiens, Blake Wheeler calls it a career, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Dallas Stars 5-3. Joseph Woll kicked out 36 shots and William Nylander scored twice as the Leafs (20-10-2) have won four of their last five games to sit first in the Atlantic Division with 42 points. Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger got the hook after the second period, giving up four goals on 12 shots.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars captain Jamie Benn set a franchise record playing in his 1,143rd NHL regular-season game, surpassing Hall-of-Famer Mike Modano. The Stars placed defenseman Matt Dumba (upper body) on injured reserve and recalled Alexander Petrovic.

Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk tallied two goals and teammate Aaron Ekblad had a goal and two assists in a 6-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild. Sergei Bobrovsky got the win with a 26-save performance. Marco Rossi netted the Wild’s only goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers (20-11-2) are tied with the Leafs but the latter holds the division lead with a game in hand. Wild defenseman Brock Faber left the game in the final minute after being struck in the face by the puck. There was no postgame update regarding his condition.

The Detroit Red Wings beat the Philadelphia Flyers 6-4 on a game-winning goal by Patrick Kane, who finished the night with two points. Lucas Raymond and J.T. Compher also had a goal and an assist each for the Red Wings, who’ve won three of their last four. Flyers captain Sean Couturier picked up two assists as his club remains two points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 32 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvidsson left the game in the first period with an upper-body injury. There was no postgame update on his condition.

Anaheim Ducks winger Troy Terry scored with 26 seconds remaining in the third period to lift his club to a 3-2 upset of the Winnipeg Jets. Frank Vatrano tallied twice for the Ducks, including the tying goal midway through the third period. Gabriel Vilardi and Mark Scheifele scored for the Jets, who remain in first place in the Western Conference with 47 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers picked up an assist in his return to action after missing nine games with a lower-body injury.

An overtime goal by Mikhail Sergachev gave the Utah Hockey Club a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Utah HC overcame a 2-0 deficit on goals by Clayton Keller and Dylan Guenther. Danton Heinen and Dakota Joshua scored for the Canucks as Thatcher Demko stopped 28 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Utah (35 points) has won five of their last six games, including their last three contest. They’re one point out of the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

HEADLINES

NEW YORK POST/SEATTLE TIMES: The New York Rangers traded Kaapo Kakko to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for defenseman Will Borgen, a third-round pick and a sixth-rounder in the 2025 NHL Draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kakko was the second-overall pick in the 2019 draft. He was projected to become a top-six scoring winger but struggled to meet expectations with the Rangers. That made the 23-year-old winger the frequent subject of trade speculation since last season.

The Kraken made this move to boost their offense. They hope a fresh start away from New York’s harsh spotlight will help Kakko become a reliable scorer.

Borgen, 28, was an original member of the Kraken. He’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Rangers fans aren’t pleased with the return. However, it reflects how much Kakko’s value declined since his career-best 40-point performance in 2022-23.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW/THE TENNESSEAN: The Nashville Predators traded defenseman Alexandre Carrier to the Montreal Canadiens for blueliner Justin Barron.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens had sought an experienced top-four defenseman with a right-hand shot since October. Carrier reached a career-high 30 points in 2021-22 and 20 points last season but his specialty is killing penalties. The 28-year-old is in the first season of a three-year contract with an affordable average annual value of $3.75 million.

Carrier was the subject of trade speculation last season before re-signing with the Predators. However, their struggles this season have forced general manager Barry Trotz to shake things up. This trade is his fourth since Nov. 25, which included shipping Philip Tomasino to Pittsburgh and swapping Scott Wedgewood for Justus Annunen with Colorado.

Barron struggled to crack the Canadiens lineup full-time. The 23-year-old is younger than Carrier and more of a puck-moving defenseman. Barron is also more affordable for the Predators with an AAV of $1.15 million.

TRIBLIVE.COM/STLTODAY.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins reacquired defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph from the St. Louis Blues for future considerations.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Joseph began his NHL career with the Penguins, spending four seasons with them before signing a one-year contract with the Blues as an unrestricted free agent. He became the odd man out with the Blues following their acquisition of Cam Fowler from the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Penguins needed some short-term blueline depth with Marcus Pettersson sidelined week-to-week and reserve blueliners Sebastian Aho and Jack St. Ivany hobbled by injuries.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sharks goaltender Vitek Vanecek is sidelined for at least two weeks with an upper-body injury after being struck by an errant puck while sitting on the bench during Tuesday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets. They’ve recalled netminder Yaroslav Askarov from their AHL affiliate.

THE ATHLETIC: Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Dante Fabbro’s lower-body injury isn’t as serious as feared. He’s expected to miss a few games with what GM Don Waddell called a charley horse.

WINNIPEG SUN: Former Jets captain Blake Wheeler is hanging up his skates. During an appearance this week on the Beyond High Performance podcast, the 38-year-old left winger said he could no longer face the grind of an 82-game NHL season.

“It’s just the emotional, get up 82 times – I don’t want to do that. There’s only so much gas in the tank for that,” said Wheeler. He’s been an unrestricted free agent since July.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wheeler played 16 NHL seasons with the Boston Bruins, Atlanta Thrashers, Winnipeg Jets and New York Rangers, with 13 of those seasons with the Thrashers/Jets. He was captain of the Jets from 2016-17 to 2021-22.

Wheeler tallied 321 goals and 622 assists for 943 points in 1,172 regular-season games, including back-to-back 91-point performances in 2017-18 and 2018-19. He also had 45 points in 66 playoff games.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 19, 2023

by | Nov 19, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 19, 2023

Recaps of Saturday’s 13 games include a milestone for the Avalanche’s Cale Makar and the Rangers’ Artemi Panarin extending his season-opening points streak. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Ottawa Senators nipped the Minnesota Wild 2-1 on a shootout goal by Josh Norris during the NHL’s Global Series in Stockholm, Sweden. Anton Forsberg made 24 saves in regulation and overtime for the win while Erik Brannstrom scored the game-tying goal as the Senators improved to 8-7-0. Marco Rossi scored for the Wild (5-8-3), who’ve won just twice in their last 10 games.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (NHL Images).

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar collected three assists in his club’s 6-3 win over the Dallas Stars, making him the fastest blueliner in NHL history to reach 200 career assists. Mikko Rantanen, Valeri Nichushkin and Ross Colton each had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche, who’ve won six straight as they improved their record to 11-5-0. Tyler Seguin tallied twice for the 11-4-1 Stars.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin scored twice to extend his season-opening points streak to 15 games as his club down the New Jersey Devils 5-3. Jimmy Vesey also scored two goals while Vincent Trocheck had three assists for the 12-2-1 Rangers, who sit second overall in the Eastern Conference with 25 points. Jack Hughes had a goal and an assist in his return from a five-game absence due to injury as his Devils dropped to 8-7-1.

The Boston Bruins (13-1-2) maintained their hold on first place in the overall standings (28 points) with a 5-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Trent Frederic tallied twice while David Pastrnak collected three assists to move into fourth in the NHL scoring race with 27 points.

Juraj Slafkovsky had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens (7-9-2) as they’ve dropped four straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Bruins announced that winger Milan Lucic was taking an indefinite leave of absence following his arrest early Saturday morning in Boston on an alleged incident of domestic abuse. Lucic’s wife reportedly called the police claiming that he had attacked and choked her. He also appeared to be drunk at the time of his arrest.

An overtime goal by Sean Couturier lifted the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-3 upset of the Vegas Golden Knights. Couturier and Owen Tippett each had a goal and an assist for the 9-7-1 Flyers, who’ve won four straight games. Jonathan Marchessault scored two goals and collected an assist for the 13-3-2 Golden Knights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Vegas center Chandler Stephenson received a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for a cross-check to the chin of Flyers forward Garnet Hathaway.

The Winnipeg Jets beat the Arizona Coyotes 5-2. Mark Scheifele led the way with a goal and two assists while Kyle Connor scored his league-leading 14th goal of the season as the Jets raised their record to 10-5-2. Matias Maccelli and Matt Dumba replied for the Coyotes as they dropped to 8-7-2.

Seattle Kraken winger Jordan Eberle had a goal and two assists while Matty Beniers scored the winning goal as their club held off the Vancouver Canucks 4-3. Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller each picked up a point as the Canucks stars remain tied atop the NHL scoring race with 28 points. The Kraken improved to 7-8-4 while the Canucks (12-5-1) have lost two straight games.

The Nashville Predators snapped a four-game losing skid with a 4-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Craig Smith scored two goals while Kevin Lankinen stopped 29 shots for the 6-10-0 Predators while Chicago dropped to 5-10-0. Blackhawks center Connor Bedard (14 points) picked up an assist to hold a two-point lead over Arizona’s Logan Cooley in the rookie scoring race.

A four-goal third period carried the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Edmonton Oilers 6-4. Nikita Kucherov scored twice and added an assist while Luke Glendening netted the game-winner for the Lightning as they moved to 8-6-4 on the season. Derek Ryan scored twice and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had two assists for the Oilers (5-10-1) as their three-game win streak came to an end.

Two third-period goals by Seth Jarvis carried the Carolina Hurricanes to a 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jarvis finished the night with three points while Sebastian Aho and Brent Burns each had a goal and an assist for the 10-7-0 Hurricanes. Sidney Crosby scored both goals for the Penguins as they slipped to 8-8-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins forward Jeff Carter missed this game with a lower-body injury, marking the fourth straight contest he’s been out of the lineup. His teammate Pierre-Olivier Joseph (lower body) was placed on injured reserve.

The New York Islanders ended a seven-game losing skid by nipping the Calgary Flames 5-4 on a shootout goal by Oliver Wahlstrom. Ilya Sorokin made 35 saves while Brock Nelson had a goal and an assist for the Islanders as they improved to 6-6-5. Nazem Kadri and Connor Zary each collected two assists for the 6-8-3 Flames.

Washington Capitals rookie forwards Hendrix Lapierre and Aliaksei Protas each had a goal and two assists as their club defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3. Alex Ovechkin also scored as the Capitals (9-4-2) have won four straight games. Johnny Gaudreau scored one of the Blue Jackets goals as they dropped their eighth straight and slipped to 4-10-4 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals defenseman Joel Edmundson made his season debut after being sidelined since preseason with an injured hand.

A four-goal first period carried the Los Angeles Kings to a 5-1 win over the St. Louis Blues. Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist to take over his club’s scoring lead with 18 points while Cam Talbot kicked out 29 shots for the Kings (10-3-3). Jake Neighbours replied for the Blues as they fell to 8-7-1.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – October 30, 2022

by | Oct 30, 2022

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – October 30, 2022

Will the Red Wings sign Dylan Larkin or replace him with Bo Horvat? What’s the latest on the Canucks and Penguins? Find out in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

WILL THE RED WINGS SIGN LARKIN?

THE ATHLETIC: In a recent mailbag segment, Max Bultman was asked why the Detroit Red Wings hadn’t signed captain Dylan Larkin to a contract extension. The 26-year-old center is in the final season of his contract and eligible for unrestricted free-agent status next July.

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin (NHL Images).

Bultman was surprised that the Wings haven’t re-signed Larkin yet. He speculates that Mathew Barzal’s recent contract extension (with an average annual value of $9.15 million) could be affecting Larkin’s negotiations. Bultman wondered if the Wings captain would accept $9.5 million annually on a seven-year deal or perhaps something between $8.2 million to $8.3 million on an eight-year deal as the total dollars would still be around the same.

TORONTO STAR: Nick Kypreos suggested keeping an eye on the Red Wings should trade rumors start up on Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat later this season. He indicated Larkin was seeking a deal as high as Barzal’s and speculated Wings general manager Steve Yzerman could instead “choose to spend a good portion of that on Horvat.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Larkin is earning an annual cap hit of $6.1 million on his current deal and has a full no-trade clause for this season. The Michigan native has indicated there’s nowhere else he’d rather play that in Detroit. With the Wings finally showing signs of improvement after years of rebuilding, he could stick around and lead this club to the next level.

Bultman is of the opinion that the Wings cannot afford to lose their leader in Larkin, fearing it would set their rebuild back for years. He also noted, however, that Yzerman has a history of taking negotiations with his stars down to the wire, having done so with Steven Stamkos in Tampa Bay back in 2016.

Plenty of time remains for the two sides to work out an agreement. Nevertheless, Larkin could become the subject of growing trade speculation if he’s not re-signed leading up to the March 3 trade deadline, especially if the Wings are out of playoff contention by then.

As for Horvat, he’s also eligible for UFA status next summer and could become a trade candidate if the Canucks fail to improve over the course of this season. His contract talks reportedly stalled when he rejected what Kypreos called a lowball offer from management this summer.

Maybe Yzerman will pursue Horvat at the trade deadline if he can’t get Larkin under contract by then. However, I doubt he’ll waste trade assets on acquiring the Canucks captain unless Horvat is willing to sign a contract extension. He could wait and attempt to sign Horvat via free agency but the 27-year-old center could have other destinations in mind.

LATEST ON THE CANUCKS AND PENGUINS

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the Vancouver Canucks made it clear to some of their players that if changes were to be made it wouldn’t potentially be just the head coach. They told those players they’ve had two coaches with this group and it isn’t working so far. If anybody thinks they can sit back and wait for a coaching change, the changes might instead be with the roster.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s a point that has been raised by some other pundits as well. Having already done a coaching change last season, at some point you have to start making the players accountable as well.

As Friedman reported, those Canucks seemed to get the message as they won their last two games. It’ll be interesting to see if that message sticks as they attempt to dig themselves out of the current hole they dug for themselves.

THE ATHLETIC: In a recent mailbag segment, Josh Yohe was asked if the Pittsburgh Penguins still intend to trade a defenseman. He doesn’t feel they’re urgently trying to make a move but doesn’t rule it out at some point.

Yohe acknowledged Pierre-Olivier Joseph has played well thus far and the Penguins don’t dislike him. However, he still believes they want to get Ty Smith into the roster at some point sooner rather than later, which would entail shipping out Joseph for perhaps a forward prospect.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 22, 2022

by | Oct 22, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – October 22, 2022

Should the Leafs dangle Nick Robertson as trade bait for Jakob Chychrun? Could the Panthers pursue a replacement for the sidelined Aaron Ekblad in the trade market? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SHOULD THE LEAFS OFFER ROBERTSON TO THE COYOTES FOR CHYCRUN?

TORONTO SUN: Michael Traikos suggests the Maple Leafs should trade promising Nick Robertson to the Arizona Coyotes for Jakob Chychrun. The 21-year-old forward had an impressive season debut against the Dallas Stars on Thursday night with two goals, the second coming in overtime following his smart defensive play to thwart a Stars’ two-on-one scoring opportunity.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nick Robertson (NHL Images).

Traikos acknowledges Robertson’s potential as a top-six forward but believes the Leafs already possess enough depth in that department. They need to bolster their blueline and Chychrun would do that. He’s also 24 and carries an affordable $4.6 million cap hit through 2024-25.

Chychrun has asked to be traded to a contender and Traikos believes the Leafs could be at the top of the list, They have the pieces to get a deal done plus they’re in “win-now” mode.

With Chychrun close to returning from offseason wrist surgery, Traikos suggested the Leafs offer up a package of Robertson and their 2023 first-round pick as part of it. He also proposed including Alex Kerfoot and his $3.5 million cap hit in the deal to free up the necessary salary-cap space if sidelined defenseman Jake Muzzin returns to the lineup later this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Traikos makes a good point regarding the Leafs’ defense. If they were to pursue Chychrun, the Coyotes could agree to accept Robertson as part of the return. However, I don’t think they’ll want Kerfoot in the deal given his eligibility for unrestricted free-agent status next July.

General manager Bill Armstrong reportedly seeks a return heavy with future assets like first-round picks, top prospects or good young NHL players like Robertson. Kerfoot doesn’t fit into any of those categories. Armstrong could agree to take him in the deal if the Leafs also include prospect Matthew Knies, which would be folly on the Leafs’ part.

WILL THE PANTHER SHOP FOR A REPLACEMENT FOR EKBLAD?

DAILY FACEOFF: During Friday’s “Ice Breakers” segment, Mike McKenna asked Frank Seravalli if the Florida Panthers are going to bring in some reinforcements on their blueliner with top defenseman Aaron Ekblad sidelined for several months.

Seravalli thinks the Panthers are shopping around but only for affordable temporary stopgaps. There are not many younger players available who could slide into their lineup.

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ Pierre-Olivier Joseph has come up in the rumor mill. Seravalli said he knows “a number of teams” have made offers for the 23-year-old blueliner but the Penguins weren’t or aren’t willing to move on from him.

Jakob Chychrun requested a trade from the Arizona Coyotes but Seravalli doesn’t see the Panthers pursuing the 24-year-old rearguard. They don’t have a lot of future assets to part with plus the cap-strapped club must ensure they have sufficient cap space when Ekblad returns to the lineup later this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers could bring in a defenseman like Chychrun on a dollar-in, dollar-out deal where they send a player with a comparable salary the other way. They could also attempt a three-team deal to spread around the cap hit of the incoming player.

Neither option, however, seems likely at this stage of the season. Like other cap-strapped clubs with a core player sidelined for weeks or months (like the Colorado Avalanche with captain Gabriel Landeskog on the shelf), the Panthers will have to gut it out until those players return.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 19, 2022

by | Oct 19, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – October 19, 2022

Some Canadian teams could be in the market for a defenseman. So could the Columbus Blue Jackets. Find out why in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

TSN: In Tuesday’s “Insider Trading” segment, Darren Dreger said there’s a “growing list of Canadian teams” that are in the market for a defenseman. He singled out the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks.

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph (NHL Images).

Dreger believes the Leafs and Canadiens are seeking a right-shot defenseman. He noted that Pierre-Olivier Joseph of the Pittsburgh Penguins is believed to be available. Dreger isn’t attaching Joseph to those teams but pointed out the Penguins have nine defensemen. “He’s a young player, a first-round draft pick, so he might be a fit with one of those clubs,” said Dreger.

Chris Johnston noted that Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun will be joining his teammates during their current road trip in Montreal. The 24-year-old rearguard has frequently surfaced in trade rumors but he’s been recovering from offseason wrist surgery.

Johnston said there are teams interested in Chychrun but they want to see him return to action before agreeing to a deal. Dreger mentioned the blueliner is “high-rent” plus the Coyotes have set a high asking price. He wondered if some of those Canadian teams might “buckle up and pay the price” to acquire Chychrun or look elsewhere toward someone like Joseph.

THE ATHLETIC: Aaron Portzline reported on Oct. 16 that defensive woes were among the reasons for the Columbus Blue Jackets’ early-season struggles. He felt general manager Jarmo Kekalainen might have to trade for a right-shot defenseman to “change the makeup on the blue line.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cap space will also be a factor for most of those Canadian teams mentioned by Dreger as well as for the Blue Jackets. The Senators are the only club that could have enough room to absorb Chychrun’s $4.6 million average annual value.

I don’t believe the Coyotes will retain any portion of that. He’s signed through 2024-25 and they probably don’t want to carry any dead cap space for that long.

Joseph isn’t an established defenseman like Chychrun but he has potential plus he also carries a very affordable $825K AAV through 2023-24. He was rumored to be available earlier this month as the Penguins sought to become cap compliant before the start of the season. They achieved that goal by demoting Ty Smith and Mark Friedman to their AHL affiliate.

The Penguins could move Joseph if they get a tantalizing offer. For now, I think they’re willing to stick with him and see how his game develops. He has two assists in three games thus far this season.

It’s worth noting that Chychrun and Joseph both shoot left so they won’t address the needs of those clubs looking for a right-shot rearguard.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 6, 2022

by | Oct 6, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – October 6, 2022

Some trade predictions for the coming season plus the latest on Penguins defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I underwent surgery on Oct. 5 to repair damaged tendons in my left hand. It was similar to the procedure I had in February. As a result, it could take a little longer to post my daily updates over the next few days. Please bear with me. As always, I appreciate your support.

TRADE PREDICTIONS FOR 2022-23

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli included some trade forecasts among his 32 bold predictions for the coming NHL season.

Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane (NHL Images).

Seravalli predicts the Chicago Blackhawks will trade Patrick Kane to the New York Rangers, where he will sign a long-term contract extension. He’ll reunite with former Blackhawks linemate Artemi Panarin to chase a fourth Stanley Cup.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The New York Post’s Larry Brooks has suggested the Rangers should pursue Kane as a playoff rental at the trade deadline. I’m not dismissing that possibility but I doubt they’ll sign him to a long-term extension unless he accepts a massive pay cut from his current $10.5 million annual average value.

The Rangers already have $65.1 million invested in just 11 players for 2023-24. Alexis Lafreniere, K’Andre Miller and Filip Chytil will be due for new contracts as they become restricted free agents next summer.

Another prediction is the Detroit Red Wings moving Dylan Larkin before the March 3 trade deadline. He’s eligible for unrestricted free-agent status next July and carries a no-trade clause for this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wings and Larkin were reportedly holding contract extension talks over the summer. The Michigan native hopes to stay put and management probably feels the same. As always, these things will hinge on dollars and term but I can see the two sides reaching an agreement.

Seravalli also expects the Ottawa Senators will acquire Jakob Chychrun before the New Year. They’ve shown the most interest with the Los Angeles Kings also in the mix.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The sticking point has been the Coyotes’ rumored asking price. It’s believed they seek at least a first-round pick and a good young NHL player or a top prospect as part of the return. Unless they come down from that, Chychrun won’t be going anywhere.

In other predictions, Seravalli foresees Vancouver Canucks bench boss Bruce Boudreau becoming the first head coach to be fired, Kyle Dubas parting ways with the Toronto Maple Leafs as general manager after his contract expires, and the Vegas Golden Knights making Kelly McCrimmon the first GM to be fired this season.

LATEST ON PIERRE-OLIVIER JOSEPH

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE: Matt Vensel reports the Penguins to have nine NHL defensemen and can’t afford to keep them all. Pierre-Olivier Joseph appears the most likely to be moved as he’s reportedly being shopped. He’s now waiver eligible meaning a rival club could snap him up if the Penguins attempt to send him to their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

THE ATHLETIC: Josh Yohe wouldn’t be surprised if Joseph is traded. He claims general manager Ron Hextall and president of hockey operations Brian Burke isn’t enamored with the 23-year-old blueliner.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: So far there’s no indication the Penguins are close to trading Joseph. Unless they package him with a draft pick, an interested team could be merely waiting until he goes on waivers and then gets him for nothing.