NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 17, 2024

by | Mar 17, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 17, 2024

A five-point game for the Rangers’ Artemi Panarin, the Bruins regain first place in the overall standings and milestone performances for the Canucks’ Quinn Hughes, the Capitals T.J. Oshie and the Oilers’ Corey Perry in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Detroit Red Wings snapped their seven-game losing skid by defeating the Buffalo Sabres 4-1. Patrick Kane snapped a 1-1 tie while James Reimer made 25 saves for the 34-27-6 Red Wings, who hold sole possession of the final Eastern Conference wildcard berth with 74 points. Tage Thompson scored his 20th goal of the season for the 32-31-5 Sabres as they sit five points back of the Wings.

Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk’s hat trick powered his club to a 4-3 overtime victory over the New York Islanders. Tkachuk’s game-winner was also his 30th goal of the season for the 28-33-4 Senators and the third straight season he’s reached that plateau. Bo Horvat sent the game into overtime for the Islanders (29-22-15) as they sit one one behind the Wings.

The Washington Capitals remain in the Eastern Conference playoff chase by nipping the Vancouver Canucks 2-1. Alex Ovechkin broke a 1-1 tie with his 841st career goal for the Capitals (32-25-9) as they move ahead of the Islanders and one point back of the Wings with 73 points. Brock Boeser tallied his 36th goal of the season for the Western Conference-leading Canucks (42-18-8) as they slipped into fourth in the overall standings with 92 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Quinn Hughes collected an assist to set a new single-season points record for Canucks defensemen with 77, breaking his old record of 76 set last season. Meanwhile, Capitals winger T.J. Oshie played in his 1,000th career NHL game.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin (NHL Images).

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin scored two goals and collected three assists in a 7-4 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Chris Kreider and K’Andre Miller each had a goal and two assists for the Metropolitan Division-leading Rangers (44-19-4) as they moved ahead of the Canucks into third in the overall standings with 92 points. Bryan Rust and Lars Eller each had a goal and an assist for the 29-28-9 Penguins.

The Boston Bruins held off the Philadelphia Flyers 6-5 to take over sole possession of first place in the overall standings with 95 points. Charlie Coyle scored twice and Jake DeBrusk had a goal and an assist for the 40-14-15 Bruins. Joel Farabee tallied two goals and Owen Tippett collected three assists for the Flyers (34-26-8) as they cling to third place in the Metropolitan Division with 76 points).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers now hold a three-point lead over the ninth-place Capitals.

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos scored two goals and picked up two assists as his club beat the Florida Panthers 5-3. Andrei Vasilevskiy kicked out 47 shots and Nikita Kucherov netted his 40th goal of the season for the Lightning (35-25-6) as they hold the first Eastern wildcard berth with 78 points. Sam Reinhart tallied twice to reach 48 goals on the season for the 45-19-4 Panthers, who dropped one point behind the league-leading Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers forwards Sam Bennett and Evan Rodrigues returned to the lineup. Rodrigues missed two games with an ankle injury while Bennett was sidelined for one contest with an undisclosed injury.

Colorado Avalanche center Artturi Lehkonen scored with one second left in overtime in a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Sean Walker tallied two goals for the Central Division-leading Avalanche (43-20-5) as they hold fifth place in the overall standings with 91 points. Stuart Skinner stopped 40 shots for the 40-21-4 Oilers, who hold second place in the Pacific Division with 84 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers winger Corey Perry collected an assist for his 900th career point.

The Dallas Stars kept pace with the Avalanche by downing the Los Angeles Kings 4-1. Wyatt Johnston scored for the fourth straight game as Scott Wedgewood turned aside 27 shots for the 41-19-9 Stars as they sit second in the Central with 91 points. Kevin Fiala replied for the 34-22-11 Kings, who hold third place in the Pacific Division with 79 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars honored franchise Hall-of-Famer Mike Modano by unveiling a statue of him. He played all but one of his 21 NHL seasons with the Stars and is their franchise leader in goals, assists and points. They retired his No. 9 in 2014.

Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi scored two third-period goals in a 4-1 win over the Seattle Kraken, extending their points streak to 14 games. Filip Forsberg had a goal and an assist for the Predators (39-25-4) as they hold the first Western Conference wildcard berth with 82 points. Andre Burakovsky scored for the 28-26-12 Kraken.

The St. Louis Blues remain in the Western wildcard hunt after taming the Minnesota Wild 3-2 on a shootout goal by Jordan Kyrou, who also had a goal and an assist in regulation. Robert Thomas collected an assist for his 300th career point as the 35-29-3 Blues (73 points) sit four points behind the Vegas Golden Knights for the final wildcard spot. Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and an assist for the Wild (33-27-8) as they sit one point up on the Blues and three back of Vegas.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Jake Guentzel’s shootout goal completed a three-goal rally in a 5-4 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Sebastian Aho scored two unanswered third-period goals to tie the game, setting the stage for Guentzel’s winner as the Hurricanes (41-20-6) sit second in the Metro Division with 88 points. John Tavares had a goal and an assist for the 38-19-6 Leafs, who sit third in the Atlantic Division with 85 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes winger Teuvo Teravainen missed this game with an upper-body injury. Before this game, the Hurricanes announced they’d signed goaltender Spencer Martin to a one-year, $775K contract extension.

The Calgary Flames kept their fading playoff hopes alive with a 5-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Mikael Backlund tallied twice for the 33-29-5 Flames (71 points) as they sit six points out of the final Western wildcard spot. Cole Caufield scored his 20th goal of the season for the 25-31-11 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Canadiens announced that head coach Martin St. Louis was taking an indefinite leave of absence for family reasons. Meanwhile, Flames Hall-of-Famer Lanny McDonald received a standing ovation in his return to the Saddledome since suffering a cardiac event last month. The 71-year-old McDonald waved and gave a thumbs-up to the fans.

A three-goal first period powered the Arizona Coyotes to a 4-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Clayton Keller had a goal and an assist and Karel Vejmelka turned aside 37 shots for the 28-35-5 Coyotes. Nick DeSimone scored for the 32-31-4 Devils (68 points) as they sit six points out of the final Eastern wildcard spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: During this game, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported relocation could be on the table for the Arizona Coyotes if they lose a land auction scheduled for June. The Coyotes intend to build a new arena on that parcel of land and are keen to win the auction. If they don’t, however, Friedman indicated that “the status quo cannot continue”. The club is said to be preparing for both scenarios.

The Columbus Blue Jackets doubled up the San Jose Sharks 4-2. Alex Nylander scored twice and picked up an assist for the 23-33-11 Blue Jackets. Fabian Zetterlund scored his 18th goal of the season for the 16-43-7 Sharks.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 14, 2024

by | Mar 14, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 14, 2024

The Oilers’ Zach Hyman tallies his fourth hat trick of the season, the Avalanche stage a three-goal comeback against the Canucks, an update on Flyers center Ryan Johansen, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman collected his fourth hat trick of the season in a 7-2 victory over the Washington Capitals. Leon Draisaitl had a goal and three assists while Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists to extend his home points streak to 26 games for the 40-21-3 Oilers, who sit second in the Pacific Division with 83 points. Ivan Miroshnichenko and Connor McMichael replied for the 30-25-9 Capitals (69 points), who remain three points behind the New York Islanders for the final Eastern Conference wildcard berth.

Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hyman (46 goals) became the first Oiler to score four hat tricks in a season since Wayne Gretzky in 1986-87. Meanwhile, McDavid (106 points) moved within one point of Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov for second place in the scoring race. Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon leads all scorers this season with 115 points.

Speaking of MacKinnon and the Avalanche, he had a goal and an assist as his club overcame a 3-0 deficit to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 4-3 on an overtime goal by Valeri Nichushkin. Mikko Rantanen also had a goal and an assist and Cale Makar collected two assists for the Avalanche (42-20-5), who moved into first place in the Central Division with 89 points. J.T. Miller and Nikita Zadorov each had a goal and an assist for the Canucks (42-17-8) as they hold second place in the overall standings with 92 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche have the same number of points as the Dallas Stars but they hold first place in the division with two more wins.

The Nashville Predators extended their points streak to 13 games by doubling up the Winnipeg Jets 4-2. Roman Josi and Gustav Nyquist each had two points and Jason Zucker scored his first goal since joining the Predators at the trade deadline. With a record of 38-25-4, the Predators hold the first Western Conference wildcard spot with 80 points. Alex Iafallo and Mason Appleton scored for the Jets (41-19-5) as they slipped to third place in the Central Division with 87 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets center Mark Scheifele missed this game due to illness.

St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington kicked out 40 shots in a 3-1 upset of the Los Angeles Kings. Alexey Toropchenko, Jake Neighbours and Brandon Saad scored for the Blues (34-29-3). Adrian Kempe had the only goal for the 33-21-11 Kings as they hold third place in the Pacific Division with 77 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This season has been Binnington’s best since his 2019-20 sophomore campaign. He’s kept his temper in check and is more focused on his game.

HEADLINES

THE ATHLETIC: Kevin Kurz reports Philadelphia Flyers center Ryan Johansen is undergoing testing to determine the severity of an apparent hip injury. The Flyers were unaware of Johansen’s condition when they acquired him last week from the Colorado Avalanche. The 31-year-old center appeared in all 63 of the Avalanche’s games before he was traded.

There was speculation the Flyers could buy out the final season of Johansen’s contract. He carries an average annual value of $8 million, with half of it retained by the Nashville Predators as part of the condition of trading him to the Avs last summer.

The severity of Johansen’s injury could prevent any potential plan to buy him out this summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A player cannot be bought out if he’s receiving treatment during the buyout period in June for an injury that occurred during the season.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Tempers flared between Red Wings teammates Ben Chiarot and Lucas Raymond during practice on Wednesday. Both players got into a scuffle and had to be separated by their teammates.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blame the Red Wings’ six-game losing skid that threatens to derail their playoff hopes for this season. Wings forward Patrick Kane believes this might be a positive development that helps get the club back on track.

SPORTSNET: New Jersey Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler will be out for an extended period. He suffered a concussion when he was elbowed by New York Rangers center Matt Rempe, who received a four-game suspension.

NHL.COM: Pat Maroon remains week-to-week after the Boston Bruins acquired him last week from the Minnesota Wild. He underwent back surgery on Feb. 7 with a recovery timeline of four-to-six weeks.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of the Bruins, Andrew Peeke will debut with the club after being acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets last week. Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk (illness) will not be traveling with the team to Montreal for Thursday’s game against the Canadiens.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets forward Sean Kuraly is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs signed forward Bobby McMann to a two-year contract worth an average annual value of $1.35 million.










NHL Rumor Mill – March 13, 2024

by | Mar 13, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – March 13, 2024

More speculation on the Devils’ offseason plans to pursue a starting goaltender plus a look ahead for Sharks forwards Mikael Granlund and Alexander Barabanov in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST ON THE DEVILS’ OFFSEASON GOALIE PLAN

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports the New Jersey Devils intend to pursue a starting goaltender during the offseason. That includes revisiting their interest in the Calgary Flames’ Jacob Markstrom and the Nashville Predators’ Juuse Saros.

LeBrun mentioned that the Devils would also look at a few other options. He indicated they plan to find a stud goalie to create a 1A-1B setup with Jake Allen, acquired last week from the Montreal Canadiens.

Saros’ situation intrigues LeBrun. The 28-year-old Predators netminder is signed through next season and slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2025.

Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros (NHL Images).

LeBrun wondered if they’ll sign him to a contract extension and have him share the Predators’ goalie duties with young Yaroslav Askarov or attempt to trade him this summer rather than risk losing him to free agency next year.

THE TENNESSEAN: After the trade deadline passed, Alex Daugherty reported Predators general manager Barry Trotz said all options remain on the table for Saros. Trotz suggested a trade was just as likely as a contract extension. “If something comes along from now until July 1, then maybe that situation gets defined and clear.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fitzgerald has already indicated he’s going “big-game hunting” this summer for a starting goaltender. His interest in Markstrom and Saros is well-documented. He could also investigate whether the Boston Bruins intend to part with Linus Ullmark this summer.

The Devils were also linked to John Gibson of the Anaheim Ducks and Elvis Merzlikins of the Columbus Blue Jackets. However, they’re likely further down on Fitzgerald’s goalie wish list.

As for Saros, Trotz could be signaling to teams that the possibility exists for a trade to be done this summer. However, the Predators GM made it clear before the trade deadline that he wasn’t giving Saros away. The asking price for Saros will be expensive.

No general manager was willing to meet Trotz’s price for Saros before the trade deadline. That might change in the offseason when teams have more cap space and a greater willingness to make major moves.

WHAT NEXT FOR SHARKS FORWARDS GRANLUND AND BARABANOV?

THE MERCURY NEWS: Curtis Pashelka reported San Jose Sharks GM Mike Grier indicated last Friday that there was some interest in forwards Mikael Granlund, Nico Sturm, and Luke Kunin. They all have a year remaining on their contracts and expressed an interest in being part of the club’s rebuilding plan.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Granlund might’ve moved at the deadline if the Sharks retained part of his $5 million cap hit. However, they used their final salary retention spot to trade Tomas Hertl to the Vegas Golden Knights.

All three of those retention spots are filled for next season. Any team interested in Granlund this summer or next season must take on his full cap hit.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sheng Peng reports Sharks forward Alexander Barabanov was disappointed that he wasn’t traded to a playoff club before last Friday’s deadline. “That’s life, you can’t control that,” he said.

Barabanov was scratched from last Thursday’s game against the New York Islanders for trade-related reasons. It was believed a deal was in place that would’ve sent him to the New York Rangers. However, it would’ve involved retaining part of his $2.5 million cap hit. The Sharks instead use that retention slot for the Tomas Hertl trade with Vegas.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Barabanov will likely test this summer’s free-agent market. The Sharks will lose him for nothing but they still got a better return in the Hertl deal than anything they might’ve received from the Rangers for Barabanov.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 10, 2024

by | Mar 10, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 10, 2024

The Bruins’ David Pastrnak nets his 40th goal of the season, a hat trick performance by Vegas’ Jonathan Marchessault, a franchise-record performance by the Lightning’s Darren Raddysh, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak tallied his 40th goal of the season in a 5-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Linus Ullmark kicked out 38 shots and Pavel Zacha scored twice and collected an assist for the Bruins (38-13-15) as they sit third in the overall standings with 91 points. Kris Letang scored for the Penguins as they dropped to 28-26-8.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm had two assists in his return to the roster after missing nine games with a lower-body injury.

Vegas Golden Knights winger Jonathan Marchessault (NHL Images).

Jonathan Marchessault scored the go-ahead and insurance goals to complete his hat trick as the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Detroit Red Wings 5-3. Jack Eichel collected three assists for the 34-23-7 Golden Knights as they hold the final Western Conference wildcard spot with 75 points. Michael Rasmussen had a goal and an assist for the slumping Red Wings (33-25-6) as they slipped into the final Eastern Conference wildcard spot with 72 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings have lost five straight games. With captain Dylan Larkin sidelined by an injury, general manager Steve Yzerman could regret not making a significant move at the trade deadline to bolster his roster down the stretch…The Golden Knights placed forward William Carrier on long-term injury reserve. He’s been sidelined for 30 games with an upper-body injury.

The Tampa Bay Lightning’s Darren Raddysh set a single-game franchise record for defensemen with five assists in a 7-0 drubbing of the Philadelphia Flyers. Andrei Vasilevskiy had a 25-save shutout and Victor Hedman scored twice and picked up an assist. The Lightning (34-25-6) moved into the first Eastern wildcard berth with 74 points. The Flyers (33-24-8) remain in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 74 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers Head coach John Tortorella was ejected midway through the first period for arguing with the on-ice officials…Lightning blueliner Erik Cernak left this game with a lower-body injury. There was no postgame update regarding his status.

Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice and picked up an assist in his first game with the Florida Panthers as they downed the Calgary Flames 5-1. Anthony Stolarz stopped 34 shots for the Panthers (44-17-4) as they sit in first place in the overall standings with 92 points. Yegor Sharangovich scored to match his career-high of 46 points as the Flames dropped to 31-27-5.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad and forward Evan Rodrigues left this game with injuries. Ekblad was hurt following a knee-on-knee collision with Tarasenko and Rodrigues injured his left ankle blocking a shot. Both will be evaluated on Sunday.

The Vancouver Canucks blanked the Winnipeg Jets 5-0. Thatcher Demko and Casey DeSmith combined for a 22-save shutout after Demko left the game in the second period with an undisclosed injury. Elias Pettersson and Nils Hoglander each had a goal and an assist as the Canucks (42-17-7) remain in second place in the overall standings with 91 points. Connor Hellebuyck turned aside 32 shots for the 40-18-5 Jets as they sit second in the Central Division with 85 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Following the game, Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said he didn’t think Demko’s injury was serious, but admitted he hadn’t spoken with the team’s medical staff. We could learn more about his condition today.

New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin had a 26-save shutout in a 4-0 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox each had two assists for the Rangers (41-18-6), who sit in first place in the Metropolitan Division with 86 points. Jordan Binnington stopped 35 shots for the 32-29-3 Blues, who have lost three straight games.

The Dallas Stars opened a four-point lead over the Jets for first place in the Central (89 points) as they crowned the Los Angeles Kings 4-1. Jason Robertson and Joe Pavelski each had a goal and an assist for the 40-17-9 Stars. Kevin Fiala replied for the Kings (32-20-11) as they sit third in the Pacific Division with 75 points.

A shootout goal by Alex Tuch lifted the Buffalo Sabres to a 3-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 30 saves for the 30-30-5 Sabres while Oilers’ captain Connor McDavid’s points streak ended at 13 games. Warren Foegele and Ryan McLeod each had a goal and an assist as the Oilers (38-21-3) are in second place in the Pacific Division with 79 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres appeared to have the game won in the dying seconds of overtime but Owen Power’s goal was ruled offside following a coach’s challenge. Both teams were in their dressing rooms during the review and were called back onto the ice to finish the game.

The Carolina Hurricanes tallied three third-period goals to double up the New Jersey Devils 4-2. Teuvo Teravainen had a goal and two assists for the 38-19-6 Hurricanes, who sit second in the Metro with 82 points. Nico Hischier had a goal and an assist for the 31-29-4 Devils.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares snapped a 2-2 tie as this club nipped the Montreal Canadiens 3-2. Max Domi had a goal and an assist for the Leafs (37-19-8) as they hold third place in the Atlantic Division with 82 points. Mike Matheson and Juraj Slakovsky each had two points for the 24-30-10 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs winger Mitch Marner missed this game (day-to-day) with a lower-body injury.

Nashville Predators forward Luke Evangelista scored the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Predators (37-25-3) pushed their points streak to 11 games and hold the first Western wildcard berth with 77 points. Daniil Tarasov kicked out 47 shots for 22-32-10 Blue Jackets.

The Washington Capitals kept their playoff hopes alive with a 4-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Sonny Milano scored for the fifth consecutive game and Charlie Lindgren stopped 31 shots for the 30-23-9 Capitals (69 points), who sit three points out of the final Eastern wildcard berth. Tyler Johnson replied for the 16-43-5 Blackhawks.

San Jose Sharks forward Thomas Bordeleau scored twice as his club beat the Ottawa Senators 2-1. Tim Stutzle replied for the Senators. The Sharks are 16-40-7 while the Senators are 25-33-4.










Notable NHL Trades – March 8, 2024

by | Mar 8, 2024

Notable NHL Trades – March 8, 2024

The San Jose Sharks traded center Tomas Hertl and two third-round picks (2025 and 2027) to the Vegas Golden Knights for Vegas’ 2025 first-rounder and prospect center David Edstrom.

New Jersey Devils trade winger Tyler Toffoli to the Winnipeg Jets (NHL Images).

TSN’s Darren Dreger reports the Winnipeg Jets have acquired winger Tyler Toffoli from the New Jersey Devils. TSN reports the return is a 2024 third-round pick and a 2025 second-rounder. 

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports the Washington Capitals traded center Evgeny Kuznetsov to the Carolina Hurricanes for a 2025 third-round pick. The Capitals also retain 50 percent of Kuznetsov’s $7.8 million annual cap hit through 2024-25. 

Montreal Canadiens traded goaltender Jake Allen to the New Jersey Devils in return for a conditional third-rounder in 2024. The Canadiens also retain half of Allen’s contract.

ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports the New Jersey Devils traded goaltender Vitek Vanecek to the San Jose Sharks for goalie Kaapo Kahkonen. 

Buffalo Sabres traded winger Kyle Okposo to the Florida Panthers in exchange for minor-league defenseman Calle Sjalin and a conditional 2024 seventh-round pick. 

Minnesota Wild traded forward Pat Maroon to the Boston Bruins for a conditional 2026 sixth-round pick and minor league winger Luke Toporowski.

New York Rangers acquire Jack Roslovic from the Columbus Blue Jackets for a conditional fourth-round pick. 

Arizona Coyotes traded defenseman Matt Dumba and a 2025 seven-rounder to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a 2027 fifth-round pick. 

Arizona Coyotes trade winger Jason Zucker to the Nashville Predators for a 2024 sixth-round pick.

Buffalo Sabres traded defenseman Erik Johnson to the Philadelphia Flyers for a 2024 fourth-rounder.

Boston Bruins trade defenseman Jakub Zboril to the Columbus Blue Jackets for defenseman Andrew Peeke. 










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 8, 2024

by | Mar 8, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 8, 2024

The Penguins trade Jake Guentzel to Carolina on the eve of the trade deadline, another scoring milestone for Connor McDavid, a hat trick for the Predators’ Filip Forsberg and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

PENGUINS TRADE GUENTZEL TO THE HURRICANES

NHL.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins traded winger Jake Guentzel and defenseman Ty Smith to the Carolina Hurricanes for winger Michael Bunting, prospects Vasili Ponomarev, Cruz Lucius and Ville Koivunen, a conditional 2024 second-round pick that becomes a first-rounder if the Hurricanes win the 2024 Stanley Cup, and a conditional 2024 fifth-round pick if the Hurricanes win the Cup. The Penguins also retained $1.5 million of Guentzel’s $6 million cap hit.

Pittsburgh Penguins trade winger Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes. (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes are bucking their recent tradition of avoiding big-ticket rental players at the trade deadline. This is a clear indication that they’re going for it this season. A lack of scoring depth has been an ongoing issue for the Hurricanes. Adding a proven scorer and playoff performer like Guentzel should boost their pursuit of the Cup this season.

Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas reportedly wanted prospects and younger players over draft picks for Guentzel. Bunting played for Dubas when the two were with the Toronto Maple Leafs and is an energetic two-way winger. Ponomarev, Koivunen and Lucius were considered mid-range prospects in The Athletic’s recent ranking of the Hurricanes’ top-15 prospects.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg tallied a hat trick in a 4-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Gustav Nyquist collected three assists as the Predators pushed their points streak to 10 games (9-0-1) as they hold the first Western Conference wildcard berth with 75 points (36-25-3). Bowen Byram had a goal and an assist in his debut with the 29-30-5 Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres played without center Tage Thompson. He’s listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid collected an assist to extend his assists and points streak to 13 games in a 4-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. He also became the third player this season to reach 100 points. Daniil Tarasov kicked out 29 shots while Dmitri Voronkov scored what proved to be the winning goal for the 22-31-10 Blue Jackets. The Oilers (38-21-2) sit second in the Pacific Division with 78 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid became the sixth player in NHL history with at least seven seasons of 100-plus points.

New Jersey Devils forward Timo Meier netted a hat trick and collected an assist to lead his club over the St. Louis Blues 4-1. The Devils (31-28-4) are six points out of the final Eastern Conference wildcard spot with 66 points. Brandon Saad scored for the slumping Blues (32-28-3) as they won just three of their last 10 games and sit six points out of the final Western wildcard berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Blues announced they signed forward Oskar Sundqvist to a two-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $1.5 million. Meanwhile, Sundqvist was also fined $2,000.00 by the NHL department of player safety for embellishment during a Feb. 28 game against the Oilers.

The Vancouver Canucks picked up their third straight win by defeating the Vegas Golden Knights 3-1. Thatcher Demko stopped 27 shots while Phillip Di Guiseppe scored the game-winner for the 41-17-7 Canucks as they sit in second place in the overall standings with 89 points. The Golden Knights (33-23-7) now hold the final Western Conference wildcard spot and are 2-8-1 in their last 10 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights recently placed defenseman Alec Martinez on injured reserve with a lower-body injury.

Philadelphia Flyers forward Garnet Hathaway snapped a 1-1 tie in a 2-1 upset of the Florida Panthers. Samuel Ersson made 29 saves for the Flyers (33-23-8) as they hold third place in the Metropolitan Division with 74 points. The 43-17-4 Panthers remain on top of the overall standings with 90 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Panthers announced they signed defenseman Gustav Forsling to an eight-year contract extension with an average annual value of $5.75 million. Forsling is often overshadowed by fellow blueliners Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour but he’s become an invaluable (and underrated) part of their defense corps.

Speaking of the Panthers, forward Nick Cousins was fined $2,000.00 by the NHL department of player safety for embellishment during a Feb. 27 game against the Buffalo Sabres.

The Boston Bruins beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1. Jeremy Swayman turned aside 28 shots, David Pastrnak netted his 39th goal of the season while Brad Marchand and Jake DeBrusk each collected two assists for the 37-13-15 Bruins (89 points) as they sit third in the overall standings. Mitch Marner replied for the Leafs (36-19-8) as they hold third place in the Atlantic Division with 80 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies left this game in the first period with a suspected knee injury. There was no update on his condition following the game.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen stopped 24 shots in a 4-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens. It was Andersen’s first game since being sidelined by a blood-clotting issue on Nov. 2. Brady Skjei tallied two goals for the Hurricanes (37-19-6), who sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 80 points. Sam Montembeault made 35 saves for the 24-29-10 Canadiens.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin netted his 840th career NHL goal in a 6-0 thumping of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Charlie Lindgren turned in a 39-save shutout for the 29-23-9 Capitals (67 points) as they sit five points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for the final Eastern Conference wildcard berth. The Penguins dropped to 28-25-8 and are eight points behind Tampa Bay.

Speaking of the Lightning, they dropped a 6-3 decision to the Calgary Flames. Yegor Sharangovich got a career-high four points (two goals, two assists) for the 31-26-5 Flames (67 points) as they sit six points behind the Golden Knights for the final Western wildcard spot. Nick Paul had two assists for the 33-25-6 Lightning (72 points) as they’re 1-4-1 in their last six home games.

The surging New York Islanders picked up their fifth straight win by crushing the San Jose Sharks 7-2. Bo Horvat had a goal and two assists for the 28-20-14 Islanders (70 points) as they’re just two points behind the Lightning. Mike Hoffman netted his 10th goal of the season for the 15-40-7 Sharks.

An overtime goal by Kevin Fiala gave the Los Angeles Kings a 4-3 win over the Ottawa Senators. Anze Kopitar collected two assists for the Kings (32-19-11) as they sit in third place in the Pacific Division with 75 points. Drake Batherson had a goal and an assist for the 25-32-4 Senators.

The Minnesota Wild scored four unanswered third-period goals to drop the Arizona Coyotes 5-2. Mats Zuccarello collected three assists while Kirill Kaprizov tallied his 30th goal for the 30-27-6 Wild. Clayton Keller scored his 23rd goal of the season for the 25-33-5 Coyotes.