NHL Rumor Mill – November 11, 2022

by | Nov 11, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – November 11, 2022

Will the Oilers shop for a replacement for the sidelined Evander Kane? Will the Senators make a move soon to improve their defense? Should the Penguins part ways with Kasperi Kapanen? Check out the latest speculation in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

HOW WILL THE OILERS REPLACE EVANDER KANE?

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports not to expect the Edmonton Oilers to seek out a replacement for sidelined winger Evander Kane in the trade market. That type of player isn’t available plus the Oilers might ensure they

Edmonton Oilers left winger Evander Kane (NHL Images).

have sufficient cap space for when Kane returns from long-term injured reserve in February or March.

THE ATHLETIC: Daniel Nugent-Hopkins shares LeBrun’s view. He noted that Oilers general manager Ken Holland has made a few calls around the league but doesn’t believe there’s a trade to be had. Instead, Holland will look within his organization by drawing upon wingers such as Mattias Janmark, Klim Kostin, Tyler Benson or rookie Dylan Holloway.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I noted the Oilers’ cap space dilemma in yesterday’s rumor mill. They’ll simply have to adjust and try to make do as best they can until Kane can return to the lineup.

WILL THE SENATORS PURSUE A DEAL FOR CHYCHRUN?

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Adam Proteau believes the struggling Ottawa Senators must make a move soon to improve their defense corps. He noted they’ve been linked to Jakob Chychrun but the Arizona Coyotes have set a high asking price for the 24-year-old blueliner. Some observers believed rookie center Shane Pinto is part of that asking price.

Proteau acknowledges that would be a high price to pay but felt it was worthwhile given the Senators are a top-heavy club lacking blueline depth. While Chychrun can’t be seen as their savior, he would provide an instant boost to their defense corps. He thinks the Senators risk another lost season if they don’t reverse their fortunes over the next couple of weeks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I concur with Proteau’s take that the Senators’ thin defense corps could jeopardize their playoff hopes. Chychrun’s puck-moving skills could indeed give their blueline a much-need boost.

However, Chychrun missed a lot of time in his NHL career with injuries to his knees, shoulder and head. He is currently recovering from off-season wrist surgery.

If Chychrun were healthy and playing well this season then perhaps Senators management would be willing to meet the Coyotes’ high asking price. However, the fact is that Chychrun is damaged goods and no GM worth their salt wants to invest heavily in such a player when he hasn’t skated in a single game this season.

The Senators have the assets to swing a major deal for a defenseman. However, they’re going to have to look elsewhere for a suitable solution to their blueline woes.

WILL THE PENGUINS PART WAYS WITH KAPANEN?

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Dave Molinari believes it’s time for the Penguins to wave – or waive – goodbye to Kaspari Kapanen. They gambled on the 26-year-old winger by re-signing him to a two-year contract but he’s done little to justify it.

Kapanen put up five points in his first five games but went pointless through the Penguins’ seven-game losing skid. He was a healthy scratch during their win on Wednesday over the Washington Capitals.

Molinari doubts the Penguins will find any takers for Kapanen in the trade market. They could put him on waivers and send him to their AHL affiliate. That could come with the risk that he gets claimed by another NHL team and goes on to rediscover his scoring touch. However, his departure would open up $3.2 million in cap space for this season and next.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s just not working for Kapanen and the Penguins. Now in his third season in Pittsburgh, he hasn’t come close to matching the potential of his 20-goal, 44-point performance with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2018-19. Maybe he never will.

Regardless, it’s worth the risk for the Penguins to waive him. If someone claims him, at least it clears a sizeable chunk of cap room. If not, they can send him to the minors where maybe he gets his act together. If not, burying him there will free up $1.125 million for this season. They can buy out his final season next summer if they can’t find a taker in the trade market.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 2, 2022

by | Nov 2, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 2, 2022

Hat trick performances for the Oilers’ Evander Kane and the Sharks’ Erik Karlsson, a four-point night for the Bruins’ Hampus Lindholm, plus evaluations of the 32 franchises, the Senators seek new ownership, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Edmonton Oilers got a hat trick from Evander Kane as well as a five-point performance from Leon Draisaitl to defeat the Nashville Predators 7-4. Connor McDavid scored twice (including his league-leading 11th goal of the season) and added two assists as the Oilers improved their record to 7-3-0. Filip Forsberg had a goal and two assists as the Predators fall to 3-6-1.

San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson (NHL Images).

Erik Karlsson’s first career NHL hat trick couldn’t prevent the San Jose Sharks from falling 6-5 in a shootout to the Anaheim Ducks. Karlsson’s third goal tied the game at 5 to force overtime and the shootout frame. Trevor Zegras and Troy Terry scored for the Ducks in the shootout as they raise their record to 3-6-1. Timo Meier also scored twice for the Sharks as they drop to 3-8-1.

An overtime goal by Hampus Lindholm capped a four-point night for the defenseman as the Boston Bruins overcame a 5-2 deficit to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-5. With a 9-1-0 record, the league-leading Bruins are off to their best start in franchise history. The Penguins, meanwhile, are winless (0-4-1) in their last five games and fall to 4-4-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a costly victory for the Bruins as goaltender Jeremy Swayman left the game in the third period with a possible left-knee injury while defenseman Derek Forbort suffered an upper-body injury in the first period.

The Tampa Bay Lightning downed the Ottawa Senators 4-3 on a third-period goal by Nikita Kucherov, who finished the night with three points. Brayden Point and Mikhail Sergachev each had a goal and an assist for the Lightning (6-4-0). The Senators (4-5-0) got goals from Claude Giroux, Mathieu Joseph and Dylan Gambrell. The latter was ejected for high-sticking Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak but he’s not expected to face supplemental discipline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning played without top defenseman Victor Hedman as he’s day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin made 19 saves to shut out the Philadelphia Flyers 1-0 on an overtime goal by Chris Kreider. Flyers netminder Carter Hart made 35 saves as the Flyers are 5-2-2 in their first nine games. The Rangers (6-3-2) played without Vitali Kravtsov as the 22-year-old winger will be sidelined for at least a week with an upper-body injury.

An overtime goal by Shea Theodore gave the Vegas Golden Knights a 3-2 win over the Washington Capitals. Alex Pietrangelo had three assists while Jack Eichel had a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights as they sit on top of the Western Conference with a 9-2-0 record. Dylan Strome had two assists for the 5-4-2 Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Capitals announced winger Connor Brown underwent successful surgery to repair a torn ACL in his right knee. He’s expected to be out for six-to-eight months.

Minnesota Wild winger scored twice and Marc-Andre Fleury turned aside 34 shots in a 4-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Nick Suzuki scored for the Canadiens (5-5-0) while the Wild’s record improves to 5-4-1.

The New York Islanders boosted their record to 6-4-0 by defeating the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1. Brock Nelson had a goal and an assist while Ilya Sorokin made 21 saves for the win. Blackhawks goalie Alex Stalock left the game in the first period following a collision with Isles winger Casey Cizikas. The Hawks record sits at 4-4-2.

Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz scored twice and collected an assist in a 5-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Defenseman Miro Heiskanen got two assists for the Stars (6-3-1) as he returned to the lineup after being sidelined for three games with an upper-body injury. Kevin Fiala and Arthur Kaliyev replied for the Kings, who fell to 6-6-0.

Three unanswered third-period goals by Daniel Sprong, Yanni Gourde and Matty Beniers lifted the Seattle Kraken (5-4-2) to a 5-4 upset of the Calgary Flames. Joey Daccord stopped 36 shots for the win. Tyler Toffoli and Elias Lindholm each had two points for the 5-3-0 Flames.

The New Jersey Devils got two-point performances from Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes and Yegor Sharangobvich to drop the Vancouver Canucks 5-2. Jesper Bratt picked up an assist to extend his points streak to 10 games. The Canucks got two goals from Bo Horvat as they fall to 2-6-2 while the Devils are 7-3-0. Canucks defensemen Quinn Hughes and Riley Stillman were activated off injured reserve for this game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Devils announced winger Ondrej Palat would be sidelined indefinitely after undergoing groin surgery on Tuesday.

Arizona Coyotes goalie Karel Vejmelka stopped 41 shots to backstop his club over the Florida Panthers 3-1. Clayton Keller had a goal and an assist for the Coyotes (3-5-1) as they picked up their first win at Mullett Arena. Colin White replied for the Panthers, who fell to 5-4-1.

HEADLINES

SPORTICO: The average NHL franchise is valued at $1.01 billion USD.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers are the NHL’s top-two clubs in franchise valuations entering 2022-23. The Leafs are valued at $2.12 billion while the Rangers come in at $2.01 billion. The Montreal Canadiens ($1.7 billion), Chicago Blackhawks ($1.44 billion) and Boston Bruins ($1.41 billion) round out the top five.

The Arizona Coyotes are the lowest-valued franchise at $465 million with the Florida Panthers the second-lowest at $595 million. The Columbus Blue Jackets ($600 million), Carolina Hurricanes ($615 million) and Buffalo Sabres ($636 million) complete the remaining bottom five clubs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No surprise that five Original Six franchises dominate the franchise valuations given their respective markets and long histories in the league. I’m a bit surprised that the Hurricanes are among the bottom feeders given their improvement in recent years, sitting 13th overall in attendance last season. That’s likely due to their fan cost index being among the lowest in the league.

OTTAWA SUN: The Sportico report also indicated the Senators are going up for sale months after former owner Eugene Melnyk passed away. The current ownership has retained the services of a New York-based investment bank to facilitate the sale. League sources indicate the expectation is the franchise will remain in Ottawa.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The current Senators ownership has a memorandum of understanding with the city of Ottawa to build a new arena at LeBreton Flats near downtown. The Sun reports they have until next September to get a lease in place for the land. A new ownership group should help to ensure the project goes forward.

Some skeptics will suggest new ownership could still move the Senators. That’s unlikely to happen because such a move must have NHL approval. Contrary to popular belief, league commissioner Gary Bettman prefers to keep franchises in their current locations. It was his efforts that led to Melnyk buying the team nearly 20 years ago, ensuring they would remain in Ottawa.

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak and New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin are the NHL’s three stars for October 2022. Ottawa Senators center Shane Pinto was named the month’s top rookie.

TSN: John Lu reports Winnipeg Jets defenseman Logan Stanley will be sidelined for a couple of weeks with a slight fracture in his foot.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 24, 2021

by | Oct 24, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 24, 2021

Check out the recaps from a busy Saturday night in the NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: David Perron tallied a hat trick to lead the St. Louis Blues to a 7-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Torey Krug collected three assists for the Blues. Kings captain Anze Kopitar was held scoreless for the first time in five games.

St. Louis Blues winger David Perron (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings were without defenseman Drew Doughty, who was sidelined by a knee injury following a collision with Dallas Stars blueline Janne Hakanpaa on Friday. Doughty avoided ligament damage but he’s not expected to return to the lineup anytime soon.

The Vancouver Canucks’ 4-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken spoiled the latter’s first home-opener in franchise history. Conor Garland snapped a 2-2 tie with the game-winner late in the third period. Canucks captain Bo Horvat tallied twice and Thatcher Demko made 29 saves for the win. Defensemen Vince Dunn and Mark Giordano tallied for the Kraken, who’ve won just once (1-4-1) in six games.

A four-goal second period carried the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 7-1 drubbing of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Defenseman Marcus Pettersson had a goal and two assists, forward Drew O’Connor tallied twice and goalie Tristan Jarry kicked out 28 shots. Earlier in the day, the Penguins announced defenseman Kris Letang was placed in COVID protocol.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins were without Letang, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust and Jeff Carter. That didn’t unnoticed in restless Leafs Nation as their club put up a feeble effort against their depleted opponent.

Calgary Flames forward Elias Lindholm’s game-winner completed his hat trick in his club’s 4-3 overtime victory over the Washington Capitals, who overcame a 3-0 deficit with three unanswered third-period goals to force the extra frame. Alex Ovechkin’s game-tying goal was the 735th of his career, putting him within six of Brett Hull (741) for fourth place on the all-time list.

The Montreal Canadiens picked up their first win of the season (1-5-0) by thumping the Detroit Red Wings 6-1. Mathieu Perreault had a hat trick, Jake Allen made 26 saves and Jonathan Drouin, Christian Dvorak, Ben Chiarot and Sami Niku each collected two points. Filip Hronek, the Wings’ top defenseman last season, was a healthy scratch from this contest.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wings were playing without leading scorer Tyler Bertuzzi, whose decision not to be vaccinated for COVID-19 prevents him from traveling to Canada for road games. They missed his production against Montreal and in their 3-0 shutout loss to Calgary on Thursday. Bertuzzi is now reportedly the only unvaccinated player in the league.

Jonathan Huberdeau scored twice and added an assist as the Florida Panthers doubled up the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2. The Panthers are 5-0-0 to start this season and are jockeying with the Edmonton Oilers (5-0-0) for first place in the overall standings. Flyers defenseman Ryan Ellis missed this game with an undisclosed injury and is listed as day-to-day.

The Minnesota Wild remains unbeaten (4-0-0) following a 4-3 overtime victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Hartman netted the game-winner for the Wild. Rickard Rakell scored twice for the Ducks.

A two-goal performance by Vincent Trocheck helped the Carolina Hurricanes defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-1. Andrei Svechnikov and Jordan Staal each had two points for the Hurricanes, extending their record to 4-0-0.

The Colorado Avalanche snapped a three-game skid by nipping the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 on shootout goals by Gabriel Landeskog and Cale Makar. Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and two assists for the Avs.

A 26-save shutout performance by Ilya Sorokin backstopped the New York Islanders to a 3-0 blanking of the Arizona Coyotes. Brock Nelson had a goal and an assist. The Coyotes are still seeking their first win of the season (0-4-1).

Paul Stastny scored twice and Nate Schmidt collected three assists as the Winnipeg Jets held off the Nashville Predators 6-4. Nick Cousins and Thomas Novak each had three points for the Predators, who drop to 1-4-0 to start the season. The Jets, meanwhile, move to 2-2-1.

Third-period goals by Chris Kreider, Ryan Lindgren and Barclay Goodrow rallied the New York Rangers over the Ottawa Senators 3-2. Matt Murray left the game following Kreider’s goal after the Rangers’ winger accidentally collided with the Senators goaltender. Ottawa also played without center Shane Pinto, who will miss at least two weeks with a shoulder injury.

An overtime goal by Pavel Zacha lifted the New Jersey Devils over the Buffalo Sabres 2-1. Devils rookie goalie Nico Daws won his NHL debut with a 24-save performance. Nico Hischier also scored for the Devils. New Jersey netminder Mackenzie Blackwood is now reportedly vaccinated for COVID-19, allowing him to travel to Canada with his teammates for their first Canadian road trip in December.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Being fully vaccinated would also allow Blackwood to play for Team Canada in the 2022 Winter Olympics if he is chosen as one of their three goaltenders. He’s reportedly among their long list of six potential candidates.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: The Blackhawks placed Patrick Kane, Ryan Carpenter and Erik Gustafsson in COVID protocol on Saturday morning.

NHL.COM: Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Zach Whitecloud is week-to-week with an upper-body injury suffered during a 5-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Friday.