Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – February 19, 2023

by | Feb 19, 2023

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – February 19, 2023

Are the Canucks getting calls on J.T. Miller? Are the Red Wings shopping Tyler Bertuzzi? Could the Bruins pursue Jakob Chychrun or Vladislav Gavrikov? What’s the latest on the Canadiens, Predators and Blue Jackets? Find out in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

TEAMS CALLING ABOUT J.T. MILLER

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman thinks teams have called the Vancouver Canucks about J.T. Miller. He doesn’t know if those discussions will go anywhere but the teams may be asking the Canucks whether they’d think about it.

Vancouver Canucks center J.T. Miller (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Just when we thought the Miller trade rumors were behind us…I suppose we can never say never and there’s always a chance the Canucks could decide to move him and his new contract. Nevertheless, it would take a substantial offer to tempt them.

Miller’s in the final season of his current deal with a $5.25 million cap hit and lacks no-trade protection. Moving him now would be easier than this summer when his new seven-year deal with its $8 million annual cap hit and no-trade clause kicks in on July 1.

TYLER BERTUZZI NOT ON THE MARKET?

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports it’s believed Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi doesn’t appear to be on the trade market for the time being. They apparently wish to retain the 27-year-old winger as long as they’re still in playoff contention leading up to the March 3 trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That could change, of course, if the Wings fail to gain ground in the standings over the next 10 days. Still, their odds of reaching the postseason could be better with Bertuzzi in the lineup, especially if there’s no suitable replacement for him in the lineup or via the trade market. They’ll risk losing him for nothing to this summer’s free-agent market but it could be the price they’re willing to pay to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

LATEST ON THE BRUINS

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the Boston Bruins could be looking at the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Vladislav Gavrikov to bolster the left side of their blueline. He thinks that’s the reason the Jackets have sat out Gavrikov for “trade-related reasons.” Friedman also said they’re looking at Jakob Chychrun of the Arizona Coyotes.

Limited cap space is an issue for the Bruins. Friedman said the Bruins “have to do some things to make this work.”

THE ATHLETIC: Fluto Shinzawa believes the St. Louis Blues’ Ivan Barbashev would “check multiple boxes for the Bruins” as a multiple-position forward. One limitation in acquiring him is the Bruins lack second-round picks in 2023 and 2024. They’d also need cap help to accommodate his $2.25 million cap hit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With Tomas Novek on long-term injured reserve, Cap Friendly indicates the Bruins have $1 million in projected trade deadline cap space. They’ll have to get creative to make room for Barbashev, Gavrikov ($2.8 million cap hit) or Chychrun ($4.6 million). The Jackets are believed seeking a first and a third-round pick for Gavrikov while the Coyotes want two first-round picks and a high-end prospect for Chychrun.

CANADIENS COULD FACE A QUIET TRADE DEADLINE

SPORTSNET: Jeff Marek reports the Montreal Canadiens could have a quiet trade deadline compared to last season’s. He said general manager Kent Hughes is taking calls on a lot of his veteran players but he’s like to keep them around his abundance of youth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hughes might like the veterans he currently has on his roster but let’s be honest: he’d trade a guy like Sean Monahan, Joel Edmundson, Mike Hoffman, Jonathan Drouin or Evgeni Dadonov if a rival club made an offer that included a first-round pick, a high-quality prospect or a promising young NHL player.

Monahan and Edmundson are hampered by injuries. There isn’t the kind of market for Hoffman, Drouin and Dadonov that there was last season for Tyler Toffoli and Ben Chiarot.

Drouin and Dadonov will leave as free agents in July. Monahan could also depart as a free agent but there’s talk the Canadiens could re-sign him to an affordable one-year deal. With a year remaining on their respective contracts, Edmundson and Hoffman could become trade candidates this summer or next season.

WILL THE PREDATORS SIGN OR TRADE TANNER JEANNOT

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks reports being told the Nashville Predators are attempting to negotiate a new contract for winger Tanner Jeannot once they determine if they’re buyers or sellers by the trade deadline. If those discussions fail to reach fruition, general manager David Poile could entertain trade offers from clubs (like the Rangers) who’ve expressed interest in the hard-edged winger.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jeannot, 25, is slated to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights on July 1. He’s completing a two-year contract with an average annual value of $800K.

UPDATE ON THE BLUE JACKETS

SPORTSNET: Jeff Marek suggested the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Joonas Korpisalo could be an option for playoff contenders seeking goaltending depth. His adjusted save percentage going back to early December of 1.9 percent saves above expected, putting him above netminders like the New York Islanders’ Ilya Sorokin, the Dallas Stars’ Jake Oettinger and the New York Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin. Korpisalo carries a $1.3 million cap hit on an expiring contract.

Marek also believes teams that fail to land Gavrikov could shift their focus toward the Anaheim Ducks’ Dmitry Kulikov.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 19, 2023

by | Feb 19, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 19, 2023

The Hurricanes down the Capitals in their Stadium Series game, Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk gets two points in his return from injury and Ryan O’Reilly gets his first point with the Maple Leafs. Details on these and other game stories in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Washington Capitals 4-1 in front of a sellout crowd of 56,961 at Raleigh’s Carter-Finley Stadium. Martin Necas led the way with a goal and two assists for the Hurricanes (37-10-8), who sit second overall in the Eastern Conference with 82 points, seven back of the first-overall Boston Bruins. The Capitals dropped to 28-24-6 (62 points) and are one point behind the New York Islanders for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

Carolina Hurricanes celebrate their 4-1 Stadium Series win over the Washington Capitals (NHL.com).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was the Hurricanes’ first outdoor game and the first outdoor NHL game in North Carolina. It proved to be a big success. “The league got everything it could ever have wanted: A full stadium, a unique experience, a memorable evening, a made-for-broadcast spectacle right down to Dave Doeren in a Hurricanes jersey slamming a Coors Light on live TV,” wrote Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News & Observer.

Capitals winger Tom Wilson was activated off injured reserve for this game. He’s been sidelined since Jan. 24 with a lower-body injury.

Speaking of the league-leading Bruins, they beat the Islanders by a score of 6-2. Boston winger Jake DeBrusk had a goal and an assist in his first game since being sidelined by a lower-body injury on Jan. 2. Trent Frederic scored twice for the 42-8-5 Bruins (89 points) as they remain seven points ahead of the Hurricanes in the overall standings. The Islanders (28-24-7) cling to the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders also lost center Mathew Barzal in the first period with what appeared to be a knee injury. Head coach Lane Lambert gave no update on his condition following the game.

The Toronto Maple Leafs got two goals from Michael Bunting in a 5-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Ryan O’Reilly collected an assist in his debut with the Leafs after they acquired him on Friday in a three-team trade. Auston Matthews collected two assists as the Leafs improved to 34-14-8 and opened a three-point lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning for second place in the Atlantic Division with 76 points. Josh Anderson replied for the Canadiens as they slipped to 23-29-4 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens center Kirby Dach missed his second straight game with a non-COVID-related illness. The Habs also moved defenseman Arber Xhekaj (shoulder) to injured reserve. They currently have 11 regulars sidelined by injuries or illness.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Bowen Byram scored two goals to down the St. Louis Blues by a score of 4-1. Mikko Rantanen had a goal and an assist while Justus Annunen made 19 saves to pick up the win in his season debut. The Avalanche rose to 30-19-5 and sit in third place in the Central Division with 65 points. Sammy Blais scored for the Blues as they dropped to 26-26-3 since trading Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari to the Leafs on Friday.

The New Jersey Devils got two goals and two assists from captain Nico Hischier in a 5-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jack Hughes collected two assists for the Devils (36-14-5) in his first game since being sidelined on Feb. 6 with an upper-body injury. With 77 points, they’re five back of the second-place Hurricanes in the overall standings. Evgeni Malkin scored both goals for the 27-19-9 Penguins as they remain in the first Eastern wild-card spot with 63 points and four games in hand over the Islanders.

Nashville Predators defensemen Roman Josi and Ryan McDonagh each collected three points in a 7-3 drubbing of the Florida Panthers. Tommy Novak scored twice for the 26-21-6 Predators (58 points) as they moved to within five points of the Minnesota Wild for the final Western Conference wild-card berth. Brandon Montour had two assists for the Panthers (28-25-6) as they remain one point behind the Islanders with 62 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers defenseman Radko Gudas left this game in the second period after being struck by a shot on his right wrist. There was no post-game update regarding his condition.

The Vegas Golden Knights picked up their fifth straight win by holding off the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-4. Shea Theodore had a goal and two assists and Jonathan Marchessault tallied twice as the Golden Knights (34-18-4) overtook the Dallas Stars for first place in the Western Conference with 72 points. Corey Perry and Vladislav Namestnikov each had a goal and an assist for the 35-17-3 Lightning as they sit in third place in the Atlantic Division with 73 points.

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Mathieu Olivier had a goal and two assists in a 4-1 upset of the Dallas Stars. Joonas Korpisalo stopped 28 shots for the win as the Blues Jackets improved to 18-34-4. Scott Wedgewood made 33 saves for the 30-15-12 Stars as they slipped to second in the Western Conference with 72 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blue Jackets winger Johnny Gaudreau missed this game with a lower-body injury, ending his consecutive games streak at 349.

Shootout goals by Gabriel Vilardi and Adrian Kempe gave the Los Angeles Kings a 6-5 win over the Arizona Coyotes after the latter overcame a 5-1 deficit in regulation. Kevin Fiala had two goals and an assist for the 32-18-7 Kings (71 points) as they sit one behind Vegas in second place in the Pacific Division. Clayton Keller scored twice for the Coyotes as they fell to 19-28-9.

The Seattle Kraken doubled up the Detroit Red Wings 4-2. Jordan Eberle scored twice and collected an assist while Matty Beniers had two assists for the Kraken (32-18-6) as they are one point behind the Kings in third place in the Pacific Division with 70 points. Pius Suter and Dylan Larkin scored for the 26-21-8 Red Wings (60 points) as they sit three points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot.

An overtime goal by Mikael Backlund lifted the Calgary Flames to a 3-2 victory over the New York Rangers, snapping the latter’s seven-game win streak. Andrew Mangiapane and Nazem Kadri gave the Flames a 2-0 lead but the Rangers rallied on goals by Vladimir Tarasenko and Alexis Lafreniere. The win gives the Flames 63 points (26-19-11) to tie the Minnesota Wild but the latter holds the final Western Conference playoff spot with three more wins and a game in hand. The Rangers (33-14-9) sit two points back of the Devils in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 75 points.

Third-period goals by Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch lifted the Buffalo Sabres past the San Jose Sharks 4-2. Dylan Cozens reached the 20-goal plateau for the first time in his career while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen kicked out 33 shots as the 28-22-4 Sabres (60 points) sit three points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot. The Sharks sank to 17-29-11 on the season.

Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson scored twice and collected three assists in a 6-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Anthony Beauvillier tallied two goals for the 22-30-4 Canucks while the Flyers slipped to 22-25-10.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks played without Oliver Ekman-Larsson as the defenseman is expected to miss several weeks with an ankle sprain. Forward Curtis Lazar remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury. They also placed defenseman Travis Dermott on injured reserve.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 18, 2023

by | Feb 18, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 18, 2023

The Maple Leafs acquire Ryan O’Reilly in a three-team trade, Connor McDavid reaches the 100-point plateau again, Patrick Kane reaches a scoring milestone, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

MAPLE LEAFS ACQUIRE RYAN O’REILLY

NHL.COM: The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari from the St. Louis Blues in a three-team trade involving the Minnesota Wild.

“The Blues received the rights to forward prospect Josh Pillar from the Wild for O’Reilly, then traded him and Acciari to the Maple Leafs for Toronto’s first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, the Ottawa Senators’ third-round pick this year, Toronto’s second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, and forwards Mikhail Abramov and Adam Gaudette.

Minnesota received Toronto’s fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.”

CAP FRIENDLY: The Blues retained 50 percent of O’Reilly’s $7.5 million cap hit with the Wild and Leafs each taking on 25 percent.

The St. Louis Blues ship Ryan O’Reilly to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a three-team trade (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Of the previous moves made by Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas leading up to the annual trade deadline, this one is the biggest. O’Reilly was among this season’s top trade candidates. The 32-year-old center is a former winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy the Selke Trophy and the Lady Byng Trophy. He is considered among the league’s elite two-way forwards despite the decline in his production this season and a broken foot that sidelined him for nearly six weeks.

I admire the creativity of Dubas and his capologist in finding a way to land a notable player despite carrying limited cap space. It’s the second time he’s gone the three-team trade route, with his previous effort being the 2021 acquisition of Nick Foligno.

Leafs fans will be hoping that the O’Reilly deal has better results than the Foligno trade. So will Dubas, whose future as Leafs GM could be determined by his club’s performance over the remainder of this season and in the playoffs.

O’Reilly should help the Leafs at both ends of the rink. Acciari, meanwhile, is a good bottom-six winger who should help their penalty kill. However, I remain concerned about their blueline and goaltending depth in their quest to get over the postseason hump.

The Blues roster rebuild (retool?) continues just over a week after they shipped Vladimir Taransenko to the New York Rangers. They now have three first-round picks and two third-rounders in this year’s draft as well as two second-round selections and two fourth-rounders in the 2024 draft. The Blues also receive a veteran depth forward in Gaudette for the rest of this season plus a young center in Abramov who might have a future in St. Louis.

Wild GM Bill Guerin used his cap space to buy himself a fourth-round pick. He still has over $12.8 million in projected trade deadline cap room to make other deals before the March 3 deadline.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid collected two assists to become the first player this season to reach 100 points in a 5-4 shootout loss to the New York Rangers. Alexis Lafreniere tallied the game-winner and Chris Kreider scored twice in regulation as the Rangers overcame a 4-1 deficit. Winners of seven straight, the Rangers (33-14-8) sit one point behind the second-place New Jersey Devils in the Metropolitan Division with 74 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid has now reached the 100-point mark six times in eight years. It’s also the fifth time he’s been the first player in a season to reach that plateau, sitting behind Mario Lemieux and Phil Esposito (six teams each) and Wayne Gretzky (nine times).

The Oilers activated winger Kailer Yamamoto off injured reserve. Rather than trade or waive Jesse Puljujarvi as many observers anticipated to make room for Yamamoto, they instead loaned Dylan Holloway and Vincent Desharnais to their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield.

Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane scored two goals as his club rallied from a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Ottawa Senators 4-3 on an overtime goal by Andreas Athanasiou. Max Domi and Jake McCabe each had two assists for the 17-32-5 Blackhawks. Brady Tkachuk and Claude Giroux scored for the Senators (26-24-4) as they sit seven points behind the New York Islanders for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 56 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane moved into third place among American-born NHL players with 1,217 points. He’s now 15 points behind Phil Housley for second overall but he has a long way to go yet to catch Mike Modano, who is 157 points ahead with 1,374.

Before the game, former Senator Chris Neil was honored by having his number 25 raised to the rafters in the Canadian Tire Centre. Neil is the third player in modern Senators history to have his number retired, joining Daniel Alfredsson and Chris Phillips.

Speaking of the Islanders, they overcame a 4-3 deficit on third-period goals by Brock Nelson and Zach Parise to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-4. Ilya Sorokin kicked out 40 shots while Nelson and Anders Lee each scored two goals as the Islanders (28-23-7) vaulted over the Washington Capitals into the final Eastern wild-card spot with 63 points. Rickard Rakell tallied twice for the Penguins (27-18-9), who also have 63 points but sit in the first wild-card berth with four games in hand over the Isles.

The Minnesota Wild dimmed the Dallas Stars 2-1 on shootout goals by Frederick Gaudreau and Matt Boldy. Filip Gustavsson stopped 29 shots while Mats Zuccarello scored in regulation for the 29-21-5 Wild as they hold a two-point lead over the Calgary Flames for the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 63 points. Jamie Benn scored in regulation for the Stars (30-14-12) as they remain on top of the Western Conference with 72 points.

IN OTHER NEWS…

CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: Flames winger Jonathan Huberdeau said critical comments made on Twitter by his agent aimed at the club’s recent struggles didn’t represent his opinion about the club or head coach Darryl Sutter.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Huberdeau’s agent is Allan Walsh, who created a stir during the 2020 playoffs with a tweet insinuating that client Marc-Andre Fleury was being stabbed in the back by head coach Peter DeBoer. Fleury was the starting goalie for the Vegas Golden Knights while DeBoer was their head coach.

SPORTSNET: The Toronto Maple Leafs moved goaltender Matt Murray to long-term injury reserve following the acquisition of Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari. Once third-string goaltender Joseph Woll is ready to return to the AHL, the Leafs will have enough room to activate Murray and his $4.6 million salary when he’s healthy again.

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks placed winger Tanner Pearson on LTIR with a season-ending hand injury suffered on Nov. 9.

GOPHNX.COM’s Craig Morgan tweeted that Arizona Coyotes coach Andre Tourigny said defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere could return to the lineup on Sunday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Gostisbehere’s been sidelined since Jan. 24 with an upper-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gostisbehere’s return will be watched closely by playoff contenders seeking an experienced puck-moving defenseman.

NJ.COM’s Ryan Novozinsky tweeted that the Devils sending Alexander Holtz to their AHL affiliate to the minors isn’t in anticipation of a trade but to give the young forward some game play.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Holtz has only appeared in 19 games this season and doesn’t see much ice time when he does play. I’ve mentioned him as a possible trade chip if they intend to pursue a notable winger such as San Jose’s Timo Meier at the trade deadline.

THE ATHLETIC: Nashville Predators 2021 first-round pick Zachary L’Heureux received a 10-game suspension by the QMJHL for poking at a fan with a stick following a Feb. 8 game.

Former NHL referee Tim Peel is accused of berating teenage youth hockey officials following a Jan. 15 game at St. Peters (Missouri) Rec-Plex.










NHL Rumor Mill – February 17, 2023

by | Feb 17, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – February 17, 2023

Could the Blues trade a defenseman? Are the Predators about to become sellers? What’s the latest on the Canadiens and Senators? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE BLUES COULD SHOP A DEFENSEMAN

TSN: Darren Dreger reports the St. Louis Blues could give some consideration to moving a defenseman. Their top four of Colton Parayko, Justin Faulk, Torey Krug and Nick Leddy all have no-trade clauses which could complicate things. Nevertheless, Parayko has been drawing the most interest among this group.

St. Louis Blues defenseman Colton Parayko (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE Parayko, Krug and Faulk are each earning an average annual value of $6.5 million. Krug and Faulk are signed through 2026-27 and Parayko to 2029-30. Leddy’s AAV is $4 million through 2025-26.

I don’t doubt that Blues general manager Doug Armstrong is willing to entertain offers for those four. As Dreger pointed out, however, they all have full no-trade clauses. It’s possible they could be moved but the potential destinations will be limited. Their cap hits could also prove difficult for most clubs to absorb unless Armstrong retains a portion, which I don’t see him doing for contracts with that much term remaining on them.

WILL THE PREDATORS BECOME TRADE DEADLINE SELLERS?

TSN: Pierre LeBrun believes the Nashville Predators could become sellers by the March 3 trade deadline if they don’t soon get on a winning streak to salvage their playoff hopes. He believes GM David Poile could be willing to listen to offers on a lot of his players, including Matt Duchene, Ryan Johansen, Mattias Ekholm or Mikael Granlund.

NHL WATCHER: cited Elliotte Friedman’s recent appearance on The Jeff Marek Show where he said he doesn’t think the Predators will move Ekholm or Alexandre Carrier. Instead, he speculated it could be Dante Fabbro “or something else”.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The good news is those players all lack no-trade protection. The bad news is that all but Fabbro and Carrier have two years or more remaining on their respective contracts with annual salary-cap hits between $5 million and $8 million per season. Good luck peddling them before the March 3 trade deadline with so many teams carrying limited cap space. I doubt Poile is willing to retain salary on any of them.

Fabbro and Carrier would draw more interest given their more affordable cap hits. They’re both due to become restricted free agents with arbitration rights this summer which could also make them enticing for clubs seeking more than a rental defenseman.

LATEST ON THE CANADIENS

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the Montreal Canadiens could have difficulty drumming up interest in their trade candidates. Sean Monahan and Joel Edmundson are considered to have the most value but their respective injury histories have teams wary about acquiring them. There’s very little interest in Jonathan Drouin while winger Evgeni Dadonov’s improved play of late might draw attention as a secondary trade target.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens got a first-round pick from the Flames last summer for taking Monahan off their hands so he’s already provided them with draft capital going forward. They also got value for Dadonov by acquiring him from the Vegas Golden Knights last summer as it enabled them to shed the entirety of the remainder of Shea Weber’s contract.

Edmundson is under contract through 2023-24 so the Canadiens can try again in the offseason or next season. There was talk of re-signing Sean Monahan before he was sidelined in December. If they can’t move him now, they could sign him to an affordable one-year deal and try again to peddle him if there’s real interest.

As for Drouin, his plethora of injuries and inconsistency torpedoed his trade value. Nevertheless, the Toronto Star’s Nick Kypreos wondered if the Colorado Avalanche might look into reuniting Drouin with his old Halifax Mooseheads teammate Nathan MacKinnon. I wouldn’t hold my breath on that one.

UPDATE ON THE SENATORS

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports Senators GM Pierre Dorion dismissed speculation suggesting he might trade winger Alex DeBrincat. He said the 26-year-old winger won’t be traded. “No chance,” said Dorion, adding the club still hopes to re-sign the pending restricted free agent before the end of the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators gave up a lot to acquire DeBrincat last summer. Yes, it will be expensive to re-sign him but they’ll get it done, especially with new ownership soon to take over.

The Senators have received lots of calls regarding rugged forward Auston Watson. Dorion is willing to listen to offers for goaltender Cam Talbot, winger Tyler Motte and defenseman Nick Holden. The Pittsburgh Penguins and Los Angeles Kings have been linked to Talbot but his recent injury hasn’t helped drum up interest.

Dorion indicated he’s 99.9 percent certain that he’s not trading veteran center Derick Brassard. The club has been pleased with defenseman Travis Hamonic and likely won’t move him.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 12, 2023

by | Feb 12, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 12, 2023

Oilers captain Connor McDavid reaches a scoring milestone, the Rangers’ Artemi Panarin and the Kings’ Adrian Kempe each tally four goals, the Blues’ Ryan O’Reilly returns from injury with an overtime goal, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists in a 6-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators. The Oilers (30-18-5) remain unbeaten in regulation in their last 11 games (9-0-2) and move one point behind the first-place Vegas Golden Knights in the Pacific Division with 65 points. The Senators slipped to 24-24-3 on the season and sit 10 points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 51 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid joined Wayne Gretzky as the second player in NHL history with multiple-point streaks of 15-or-more games in the same season more than once in his career. Meanwhile, Senators goaltender Anton Forsberg was stretchered from the ice in the third period with a leg injury while defenseman Jake Sanderson also left in that period with an undisclosed injury.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin (NHL Images).

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin scored four goals (including a natural hat trick) and collected an assist to lead his club over the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 6-2. The Rangers (31-14-8) have won five straight and moved to within three points of the second-place New Jersey Devils in the Metropolitan Division with 70 points. The 34-10-8 Hurricanes remain atop the Metro with 76 points but their seven-game win streak has come to an end along with Sebastian Aho’s six-game goal streak.

The Los Angeles Kings crushed the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-0. Adrian Kempe tallied four goals, Anze Kopitar collected three assists while Pheonix Copley turned in a 25-save shutout as the Kings improved to 29-18-7 and sit third in the Pacific Division with 65 points. The Penguins (26-17-9) slipped to the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 61 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings got the win on the night they honored former captain Dustin Brown with a statue outside Crypto.com Arena and retiring his No. 23. Brown spent 18 seasons with the Kings, leading them to two Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014. He’s also the franchise leader in games played with 1,296. Before the game, the Kings activated forwards Arthur Kaliyev and Trevor Moore off injured reserve.

St. Louis Blues captain Ryan O’Reilly’s overtime goal lifted his club to a 6-5 victory over the Arizona Coyotes. Pavel Buchnevich collected three assists and Sammy Blais scored his first goal for the 24-25-3 Blues since being reacquired from the New York Rangers. Nick Schmaltz had four points and Clayton Keller had three for the 17-28-8 Coyotes, who held defenseman Jakob Chychrun from this game for trade-related reasons.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: O’Reilly and Buchnevich returned to action following lengthy absences due to injuries. As for Chychrun, it appears he’s finally going to be traded following months of speculation stretching back to last season. I’ll have more about his situation in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Vancouver Canucks 5-2. Dylan Larkin and Jonatan Berggren each scored two goals for the Wings (23-20-8) as they sit seven points out of the final Eastern playoff spot with 54 points. Anthony Beauvillier had a goal and an assist for the 21-28-4 Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Beauvillier has two goals and an assist in four games since joining the Canucks from the New York Islanders in the Bo Horvat trade.

Calgary Flames winger Dillon Dube had a goal and three assists while rookie Jakob Pelletier scored his first NHL goal in a 7-2 drubbing of the Buffalo Sabres (26-21-4). The Flames improved to 25-18-10 and sit just outside the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 60 points. Sabres center Tage Thompson scored his 35th of the season as his club sits five points behind the Penguins for the final Eastern wild-card berth with 56 points.

The Montreal Canadiens got an overtime goal by Mike Matheson to upset the New York Islanders 4-3 to snap a four-game losing skid. Mike Hoffman had three assists for the 21-27-4 Canadiens. Brock Nelson had two points to extend his points streak to 10 games for the Islanders (27-23-6) as they sit one point out of the final Eastern playoff spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was the Canadiens’ first win in their powder-blue “reverse retro” uniform. Habs coach Martin St. Louis is no fan of the jersey, calling them an affront to the franchise’s history.

An overtime goal by Matt Duchene gave the Nashville Predators a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. It was a costly win for the Predators (25-19-6) as winger Filip Forsberg left the game after falling awkwardly to the ice following a hit by Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. The Preds sit four points out of the final Western playoff berth with 56 points. The Flyers (22-22-10) are seven points out of playoff contention in the East with 54 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That was a scary-looking injury for Forsberg, who appeared dazed as he struggled to get up and had to be helped off the ice. There was no update about his condition following the game but it looked like a concussion to me.

Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli scored twice and chipped in an assist in a 3-1 win over the Dallas Stars. Andrei Vasilevskiy turned aside 28 shots for the win as the 34-16-2 Lightning moved to within two points of the second-place Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division with 70 points. Jamie Benn scored his 21st goal of the season for the Stars (30-14-10) as they remain atop the Western Conference standings with 70 points.

The Washington Capitals got goals from Nicklas Backstrom and Garnet Hathaway to hold off the Boston Bruins 2-1, handing the latter their fourth loss in five games. Darcy Kuemper made 27 saves for the 28-20-6 Capitals as they vaulted over the Pittsburgh Penguins into the first Eastern wild-card berth with 62 points. Nick Foligno scored for the Bruins (39-8-5) as they remain atop the overall standings with 83 points.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon scored twice and collected an assist in a 5-3 victory over the Florida Panthers, snapping the latter’s three-game win streak. Alexandar Georgiev kicked out 42 shots for the win as the Avalanche (28-19-4) sit in third place in the Central Division with 60 points. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 45 shots for the 26-23-6 Panthers, who are three points out of an Eastern wild-card spot with 58 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a big win for the Avalanche but they lost defenseman Erik Johnson as he left the game in the first period after blocking a shot. They’re already playing without blueliner Cale Makar following a blindside hit by the Penguins’ Jeff Carter earlier in the week.

The Columbus Blue Jackets upset the Toronto Maple Leafs by a score of 4-3. Kent Johnson snapped a 3-3 tie in the third period as he, Kirill Marchenko and Boone Jenner each had a goal and an assist for the 16-33-4 Blue Jackets. Mitch Marner and William Nylander each had two points for the Leafs (32-14-8) as they sit in second place in the Atlantic Division with 72 points.

Shootout goals by Mats Zuccarello and Frederick Gaudreau gave the Minnesota Wild a 3-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils to snap a three-game losing skid. Filip Gustavsson got the win for the Wild (28-20-4) with a 27-save performance as they cling to the final Western wild-card spot with 60 points. Tomas Tatar tallied twice for the Devils (34-13-5) as they sit in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 73 points.

Winnipeg Jets winger Blake Wheeler scored two goals and assisted on another to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1. Josh Morrissey had a goal and an assist for the 33-19-1 Jets as they sit second overall in the Western Conference with 67 points. Tyler Johnson replied for the Blackhawks as they sank to 16-30-5.










NHL Rumor Mill – February 4, 2023

by | Feb 4, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – February 4, 2023

Are the Rangers and Sabres interested in Timo Meier? Are the Bruins and Kings looking at Jakob Chychrun? Could the Predators shop Juuse Saros? Are the Capitals in the market for a defenseman? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill!

RANGERS, SABRES LOOKING AT MEIER

DAILY FACEOFF: In his latest Trade Targets update, Frank Seravalli reports the New York Rangers have made San Jose Sharks winger Timo Meier their top target leading up to the March 3 trade deadline. He reminds us that Sharks general manager Mike Grier knows the Rangers’ organization “inside and out, so they’d make great trade partners”.

Seravalli also indicates the New Jersey Devils would love to acquire Meier and pair him with fellow Swiss forward Nico Hischier. GM Tom Fitzgerald recently said he’s looking at “a top-six winger under team control.”

San Jose Sharks winger Timo Meier (NHL Images)

Meier, 26, is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights this summer and is a year away from unrestricted free agent eligibility. His current annual cap hit is $6 million but he’s earning $10 million in actual salary, which is what it will cost to qualify his rights unless he and his team agree to a contract extension with a lower cap hit.

NHL.COM: In a recent mailbag segment, Dan Rosen expressed his skepticism about the Rangers being “in” on Meier. He doesn’t see how the winger’s next contract would fit within their salary structure next season with Filip Chytil, Alexis Lafreniere and K’Andre Miller up for new contracts.

Rosen believes the Rangers would have to include Lafreniere or Chytil plus top prospect Brennan Othmann and their first-round pick to land Meier. He thinks they’d be better off pursuing a rental player.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It wouldn’t surprise me if Drury looked into the Sharks’ asking price for Meier. As Rosen points out, however, this move would take away a significant chunk of their present and future talent. There’s also the high cost of re-signing him when they have several other key players to re-sign. Like Rosen, I think the Devils are a better fit for Meier.

THE BUFFALO NEWS’s Lance Lysowski reported a source said Sabres GM Kevyn Adams’ contact with the Sharks about Meier was merely due diligence just to gauge their asking price. “Nothing serious at this point”.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Adams has also reportedly looked into the cost of obtaining Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun. He’s in a good position to acquire Chychrun or Meier. They’re already well-stocked with good young forwards who are getting better with every week so maybe Adams would put the focus on a defenseman like Chychrun. Speaking of the Coyotes blueliner…

BRUINS, KINGS INTERESTED IN CHYCHRUN?

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Jimmy Murphy recently cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman saying he wouldn’t be surprised if the Bruins at least looked into acquiring Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun. He also thinks they’ve looked into other left-side blueliners such as Columbus’ Vladislav Gavrikov.

Murphy cited an NHL source saying the Bruins will have to move a roster defenseman if they want Chychrun. He believes GM Don Sweeney’s goal is to add to his roster before the trade deadline without making a significant subtraction.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Murphy believes the odds of the Bruins landing Chychrun are low. I agree with him. Sweeney may have looked into it but the rumored asking price of two first-rounders plus a high-end prospect is expensive enough. Parting with a roster defenseman risks upsetting the Bruins’ strong blueline chemistry.

TORONTO STAR: Nick Kypreos recently reported the Los Angeles Kings remain interested in Chychrun. “They are said to be willing to move defenseman Matt Roy and his $3.125 million cap hit to help make it work,” wrote Kypreos.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I still think the Kings are the logical destination for Chychrun. They have a real need for a skilled top-four left-side defenseman and they have depth in promising young assets to dangle as trade bait. Whether Kings GM Rob Blake feels the same way remains to be seen.

COULD THE PREDATORS SHOP SAROS?

TORONTO STAR: Nick Kypreos believes the Nashville Predators could become sellers if they fall out of playoff contention leading up to the trade deadline. He claimed many believe they’ll shop goaltender Juuse Saros, citing the 27-year-old’s youth and reasonable $5 million cap hit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I don’t rule out anything if Predators GM David Poile decides to become a seller before March 3. They have promising netminder Yaroslav Askarov in their system. However, I don’t think Poile will turn over the starting duties to the 20-year-old when he’s got Saros under contract through 2024-25.

Maybe that move takes place if Askarov starts challenging Saros for the starter’s job over the next couple of years. I don’t see that happening this season.

LATEST ON THE CAPITALS

WASHINGTON HOCKEY NOW: Sammi Silber recently cited The Athletic’s Eric Duhatschek reporting the Capitals are willing to listen to offers for center Lars Eller if it can bring them help on defense.

General manager Brian MacLellan recently said the team’s plans for the trade deadline will depend on their health leading up to March 3. Silber lists the Montreal Canadiens’ Joel Edmundson, Los Angeles Kings’ Matt Roy and the Vancouver Canucks’ Luke Schenn as potential trade targets for the Capitals.