NHL Rumor Mill – March 30, 2022

by | Mar 30, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – March 30, 2022

How would a new contract for Filip Forsberg affect the Predators’ salary-cap payroll next season? Can the Oilers afford to sign Evander Kane? Find out in today’s NHL rumor mill.

THE ATHLETIC: In a recent mailbag segment, Adam Vingan was asked what it would mean for the Nashville Predators’ salary cap if they signed Filip Forsberg to a new contract in the range of $9 million per season. The increase of next season’s salary cap to $82.5 million would leave the Predators with $26.2 million in cap space.

Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg (NHL Images).

Setting aside $9 million for Forsberg, Vingan believes they have enough to re-sign such players as Luke Kunin and Yakov Trenin to modest raises. It would also mean trimming payroll around the edges such as replacing backup goaltender David Rittich with Connor Ingram. He advised the Predators to spend wisely as Alexander Carrier, Dante Fabbro and Tanner Jeannot will need new contracts following 2022-23.

Asked if Ryan Johansen’s resurgence this season could make it possible for the Predators to trade him, Vingan pointed out he’ll soon turn 30 and has three more seasons left on his deal with an annual cap hit of $8 million. He doubted there will be many takers unless the Predators retain some salary.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Forsberg is 27 and likely seeking an eight-year deal worth between $8 million and $9 million per season. Predators general manager David Poile will obviously attempt to sign him at the low end of that asking price and perhaps seek a shorter-term close to five years.

I concur with Vingan regarding Johansen. Poile would have to retain some salary in a trade, something he’s never done.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Kurt Leavins recently pondered how the Oilers can hang onto Evander Kane. He’s had a positive effect on the lineup since joining them two months ago as an unrestricted free agent after the San Jose Sharks bought out his contract.

Making that happen could require some hard decisions about younger players such as Kailer Yamamoto and Jesse Puljujarvi, who will become restricted free agents this summer. Both have endured highs and lows this season, leaving Leavins to wonder whether they’ve shown enough to invest in for the long term or perhaps one or both receive short-term bridge deals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane’s future with the Oilers could also depend upon the outcome of the grievance he filed against the Sharks for terminating his contract. If an arbiter determines Kane should receive most or all of the remainder of his contract with the Sharks ($7 million AAV through 2024-25) while allowing him to remain a free agent, it shouldn’t cost much for the Oilers to retain him if he wants to stay.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 30, 2022

by | Mar 30, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 30, 2022

Game recaps, the salary cap will rise next season, possible LTIR changes to be discussed in the offseason, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Colorado Avalanche are the first team to reach 100 points this season by downing the Calgary Flames 2-1. Valeri Nichushkin scored twice, Darcy Kuemper made 44 saves and Cale Makar became the third defenseman in Avalanche history to reach 50 assists in a season. The Avs hold a four-point lead over the Florida Panthers for first overall. Tyler Toffoli scored for the Flames (88 points), who hold a seven-point lead over the Los Angeles Kings for first place in the Pacific Division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche got the win without Nathan MacKinnon, who is sidelined with what’s believed to be a fractured hand as the result of a fight with Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba on Sunday.

Speaking of the Panthers, they blew a 4-1 lead over the Montreal Canadiens before rolling to a 7-4 victory with three unanswered third-period goals. Jonathan Huberdeau scored twice and collected an assist, tying the record for most assists (70) in a season by a left wing. Ryan Lomberg also had two goals and an assist while Sam Bennett had a goal and two assists. Laurent Dauphin had a goal and an assist.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

Auston Matthews netted his league-leading 49th goal of the season while Mitch Marner, John Tavares and Morgan Rielly each had two points as the Toronto Maple Leafs held off the Boston Bruins 6-4. It was a costly win for Toronto with goaltender Petr Mrazek and defensemen Justin Holl and Ilya Lyubushkin leaving the game with injuries. The Leafs (89 points) sit one point behind the second-place Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division while Boston sits two points behind the Leafs. David Pastrnak had a goal and an assist for the Bruins.

Tampa Bay, meanwhile, beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 with Steven Stamkos tallying his 30th goal of the season in overtime. Stamkos and winger Nikita Kucherov finished the game with three points each as the Lightning sits six points behind the first-place Panthers in the Atlantic Division. Seth Jarvis had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes (96 points), who hold a five-point lead over the New York Rangers atop the Metropolitan Division.

As for the Rangers, they held on for a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Chris Kreider scored his 45th goal of the season as the Rangers hold a one-point lead over Pittsburgh for second place in the Metro Division. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby scored to reach 70 points for the 12th time in his career.

The Dallas Stars regained the final wild-card berth in the Western Conference by downing the Anaheim Ducks 3-2 on third-period goals by Roope Hintz and Jacob Peterson. The Stars (77 points) hold a one-point lead over the Vegas Golden Knights. Miro Heiskanen returned to the Dallas lineup after being sidelined since March 2 by mononucleosis. The Ducks have lost 10 straight games.

Marc-Andre Fleury kicked out 32 shots to backstop the Minnesota Wild to their seventh straight win by downing the Philadelphia Flyers 4-1. Kirill Kaprizov’s 37th goal of the season proved to be the game-winner as the Wild hold second place in the Central Division with 86 points.

Nashville Predators netminder Juuse Saros made 36 stops in a 4-1 win over the Ottawa Senators. Michael McCarron tallied twice and Mattias Ekholm had three assists for the Predators, who sit four points behind the Wild in third place in the Central. Before the game, the Predators held a moment of silence to honor Senators owner Eugene Melnyk, who passed away on Monday.

The New York Islanders held on for a 4-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Brock Nelson netted his 32nd goal of the season while Mathew Barzal and Anders Lee each had two assists. Vladislav Gavrikov tallied twice for the Blue Jackets, who played without head coach Brad Larsen and assistant coach Steve McCarthy as they entered COVID protocol yesterday.

HEADLINES

TSN: NHL general managers were officially informed by the league the salary cap will rise by $1 million to $82.5 million during the second day of their meetings in Florida. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the league’s revenues are expected to top $5 billion this season.

Pierre LeBrun reports discussions on potential changes to long-term injury reserve rules (such as a playoff salary cap) didn’t lead to any rule changes. However, there is expected to be a further talk on this subject during the NHL Draft in Montreal in July. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said he’s already spoken with the NHL Players Association about this issue.

LeBrun mentioned there’s been lots of “white noise” over how the Vegas Golden Knights are handling their LTIR this season. Bettman and Daly, however, said there are no issues with how Vegas is handling their LTIR business.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Darren Dreger said the league doesn’t consider this to be a major problem but rather a perception one where the media and fans are concerned. Nevertheless, they intend to discuss addressing that impression with the NHLPA. Whether it results in any immediate change remains to be seen. Because this is a collective bargaining agreement issue, it might not be addressed until the next round of CBA talks in 2026.

Chris Johnston reported the league is finalizing an agreement with the NHLPA regarding how no-trade and limited no-trade clauses are submitted by players. The plan would see a player’s no-trade lists sent to NHL Central Registry and the PA to eventually compile a database. This comes on the heels of the NHL overturning the Vegas Golden Knights’ recent attempt to trade Evgenii Dadonov to the Anaheim Ducks because the league was not aware of his no-trade clause when they initially approved the deal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’m surprised it took this long for a snafu like the attempted Dadonov trade to surface.

LeBrun reports there won’t be a Team North America or Team Europe in the 2024 World Cup of Hockey. It will instead return to a traditional format of countries.

SPORTSNET: Bettman also said he’ll be speaking with the daughters of the late Senators owner Eugene Melnyk as well as the executor of Melnyk’s estate. He said an ownership structure has been in place and it’s expected the franchise will continue to operate as it always has.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some Senators fans were concerned over whether the team would be sold to a prospective owner who might have designs on relocating the franchise. That is not going to happen.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes is hoping to retain interim head coach Martin St. Louis after this season. The club is 10-8-4 since St. Louis took over behind the bench on Feb. 9.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The job is St. Louis’ if he wants it. Judging by how much fun he’s having and the Canadiens’ improvement despite an ongoing rash of injuries and the recent trades involving four key players, I’ll be surprised if he turns down the opportunity.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Minnesota Wild have reportedly signed defenseman Alex Goligoski to a two-year contract extension with an annual average value of $2 million.

CBS SPORTS: Arizona Coyotes forward Lawson Crouse’s season could be over after suffering a broken bone in his hand.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 28, 2022

by | Mar 28, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 28, 2022

The Penguins score 11 goals to crush the Red Wings, Roman Josi reached a scoring milestone, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Evgeni Malkin returned from illness to tally a hat trick in a four-point performance as the Pittsburgh Penguins crushed the Detroit Red Wings 11-2. Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell and Teddy Blueger each had three points in this contest as the Penguins became the first team in the salary-cap era to score 11 goals in a game. Red Wings goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic was pulled during the second period but returned in the third after Calvin Pickard was injured in a collision with Rust. The Penguins sit in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 90 points.

Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This lopsided loss caps a two-month slide for the Wings, undoing what had been promising improvement by the rebuilding club during the first half of the season. It’s generating speculation suggesting head coach Jeff Blashill could be replaced in the offseason.

Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi collected two assists to reach the 80-point plateau for the first time in a 5-4 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Yakov Trenin scored twice and Tanner Jeannot had a goal and two assists for the Predators, who move into third place in the Central Division with 80 points. James van Riemsdyk had a goal and an assist for the Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Josi has become a solid contender for the Norris Trophy with his play over the second half of this season. He leads all NHL scorers with 81 points and became just the fifth defenseman in NHL history to reach 80 points in fewer than 65 games. The last blueliner to achieve that feat was Al MacInnis in 1990-91.

An overtime goal by Kevin Fiala lifted the Minnesota Wild over the Colorado Avalanche 3-2. Cam Talbot made 40 saves for the win and Mats Zuccarello collected three assists as the Wild have won six straight to sit in second place with 84 points in the Central Division. Nazem Kadri had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche, who remain atop the overall standings with 98 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kirill Kaprizov (81 points) also scored for the Wild to become the second player in franchise history to reach 80 points. He’s just two behind Marian Gaborik’s franchise record of 83.

John Tavares scored twice and Auston Matthews netted his 48th goal of the season as the Toronto Maple Leafs rolled to a 5-2 victory over the Florida Panthers. Mitch Marner and Morgan Rielly each collected three points and Petr Mrazek made 34 saves as the Leafs (87 points) sit one point behind the second-place Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division. The Panthers, meanwhile, hold a one-point lead over the Carolina Hurricanes for first overall in the Eastern Conference with 94 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A solid bounce-back win by the Leafs following Saturday’s disappointing 4-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens.

Speaking of the Lightning, they dropped the New York Islanders 4-1. Steven Stamkos picked up an assist to collect his 70th point of the season while Mikhail Sergachev had a goal and an assist. Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin left the game in the third period with an upper-body injury.

New York Rangers defenseman K’Andre Miller scored in overtime in a 5-4 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Frank Vatrano scored two goals for the Rangers, who remain one point behind the second-place Penguins in the Metropolitan Division. It was a costly win for the Rangers as center Ryan Strome left the game with a lower-body injury in the first period. Sabres defenseman Colin Miller missed the game as he was placed in COVID protocol.

The Winnipeg Jets squeaked past the Arizona Coyotes 2-1 on an overtime goal by Mark Scheifele, who also opened the scoring. With 74 points, the Jets are two points behind the Vegas Golden Knights for the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Coyotes winger Phil Kessel extended his NHL Ironman streak to 965 games, sitting second to the Flyers’ Keith Yandle and his 988 games.

New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes scored twice as his club blew a 2-0 lead before downing the Montreal Canadiens on a shootout goal by Yegor Sherangovich. Rem Pitlick scored for the Canadiens with 46 seconds remaining in regulation.










NHL Rumor Mill – March 27, 2022

by | Mar 27, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – March 27, 2022

In the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup, a look at Filip Forsberg’s contract negotiations plus the latest on Jakob Chychrun’s future with the Coyotes.

WILL THE PREDATORS SIGN FILIP FORSBERG?

THE TENNESSEAN: Gentry Estes believes Nashville Predators general manager David Poile must sign Filip Forsberg to a contract extension after deciding not to trade the 27-year-old winger. Losing Forsberg to free agency this summer for nothing would be “an unacceptable failure” even though it will be expensive to keep him.

THE ATHLETIC: Adam Vingan believes just because Forsberg isn’t under contract yet doesn’t mean he’s leaving Nashville this summer. He also cited Poile saying the club will do all it can to re-sign the winger and believes the Forsberg camp feels the same way. Nevertheless, he agrees the pressure is firmly on the Predators GM to get a deal done.

Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I realize these reports aren’t rumors about the specifics of Forsberg’s negotiations with the Predators or which clubs could be suitors if he tests the market on July 13. Nevertheless, he could become a key player to watch in the rumor mill following this season.

Forsberg’s future will become the subject of increasing speculation if he’s still unsigned when the calendar flips to July. He’s enjoying a career-best performance in a contract year, pushing his value higher than what Poile could prefer to pay.

THE LATEST ON JAKOB CHYCHRUN

GOPHNX.COM: In a recent mailbag segment, Craig Morgan was asked about whether the Arizona Coyotes will trade Jakob Chychrun during the offseason. He has the sense that the 23-year-old defenseman would’ve welcomed a trade and was disappointed when it didn’t happen by last Monday’s deadline.

Morgan said this goes back to last summer when the New York Islanders inquired about Chychrun and were told he wasn’t available. That got back to the blueliner’s camp. He believed Chychrun became unhappy over his role under head coach Andre Tourigny and warmed to the thought of being moved to a team where he’d have a more immediate chance of winning.

Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong still intends to entertain offers for Chychrun at this summer’s draft. However, the asking price will remain high.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Reports vary over what Armstrong seeks for Chychrun. There’s been talk of three or four assets. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch recently reported it was three first-rounders and a top prospect. Chychrun’s youth, talent and affordable contract will ensure he remains an enticing offseason trade target.

A number of teams were linked to Chychrun before the trade deadline. They included the Anaheim, Ducks, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers. St. Louis Blues and Toronto Maple Leafs. It’ll be interesting to see how many of them revisit their supposed interest in him when the offseason rolls around.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 22, 2022

by | Mar 22, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 22, 2022

Recaps of Monday’s games, the stars of the week are revealed, Evgenii Dadonov trade held up by the league, plus some notable contract signings, injury news and waiver moves overshadowed by yesterday’s trade deadline in NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg scored twice and collected three assists in a 6-3 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Matt Duchene tallied two goals and added an assist as the Predators sit in third place in the Central Division with 78 points. Ducks winger Troy Terry netted his 30th goal of the season.

Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sidelined since March 8, Ducks winger Jakob Silfverberg is listed as week-to-week with a blood clot in his right leg. It is being managed and he could return to action before the end of the season.

The league-leading Colorado Avalanche (95 points) opened a five-point lead over the Florida Panthers in the overall standings by beating the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 on an overtime goal by Mikko Rantanen, who finished the night with two goals. Kailer Yamamoto had a goal and an assist for the Oilers (75 points) as they sit one point behind the second-place Los Angeles Kings in the Pacific Division.

Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in overtime, to lead the Boston Bruins over the Montreal Canadiens 3-2. Canadiens goaltender Jake Allen made 43 saves. With 83 points, the Bruins hold a three-point lead over the Washington Capitals for the first wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Bruins signed winger Jake DeBrusk to a two-year contract extension with an annual average value of $4 million. The 25-year-old DeBrusk requested a trade in November so this move caught many observers by surprise. I’ll have more about this in today’s Rumor Mill.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Cam Talbot turned in a 28-save shutout to blank the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0. Nicolas Deslauriers scored the winning goal in his first game with the Wild since being acquired from the Anaheim Ducks over the weekend. With 78 points, the Wild are tied with the Nashville Predators but hold second place in the Central Division with two games in hand. The Golden Knights, meanwhile, cling to the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 72 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks earlier in the day, Marc-Andre Fleury suited up for the Wild as Talbot’s backup.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: 33 trades involving 54 players were made leading up to yesterday’s 3 pm ET trade deadline.

LAS VEGAS SUN: The NHL’s Central Registry is holding up a trade that would send winger Evgenii Dadonov from the Golden Knights to the Anaheim Ducks. The issue involves Dadonov’s 10-team no-trade, with reports indicating the Ducks were on that list. It’s uncertain if the winger agreed to accept a trade to Anaheim.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports Dadonov filed his 10-team no-trade list last summer while a member of the Ottawa Senators. The Golden Knights appear to be claiming they didn’t receive his no-trade list from the Senators when they acquired him in July.

NHL.COM: Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi, Winnipeg Jets winger Kyle Connor, and Arizona Coyotes winger Lawson Crouse were named the NHL’s three stars for the week ending March 20, 2022.

NEW YORK POST: The Islanders signed forward Cal Clutterbuck to a two-year contract extension worth an annual average value of $1.75 million and winger Zach Parise to a one-year extension worth $1.5 million.

NHL.COM: The Ottawa Senators inked goaltender Anton Forsberg to a three-year extension worth an annual cap hit of $2.75 million.

TSN: Speaking of goalies getting new three-year contracts, Karel Vejmelka agreed to one with the Arizona Coyotes worth $2.725 million annually.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Flyers defenseman Ryan Ellis will miss the remainder of the season with what’s believed to be a hip/groin injury. He appeared in just four games with the Flyers.

WASHINGTON HOCKEY NOW: Capitals winger Carl Hagelin will undergo a second surgery for an eye injury suffered on March 1. There is no timetable for his return.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs defenseman Rasmus Sandin was placed on long-term injury reserve with a knee injury.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers forwards Kaapo Kakko (wrist injury) and Kevin Rooney (upper-body injury) remain sidelined for the remainder of March.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Arizona Coyotes claimed goalie Harri Sateri off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Seattle Kraken claimed defenseman Derrick Pouliot from the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Vancouver Canucks claimed forward Brad Richardson from the Calgary Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas wasn’t pleased with the Coyotes plucking Sateri away after the Leafs signed him on Sunday to a one-year contract. However, the Coyotes were well within their rights to do so.

A player who skated in a European league during the season who signs with an NHL club must first clear waivers before he can join that team. Dubas knew this but I suspect he was hoping Sateri would pass unnoticed through waivers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 21, 2022

by | Mar 21, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 21, 2022

​Recaps of Sunday’s action plus a roundup of overnight moves as the 3 pm ET trade deadline approaches in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: New York Rangers goaltender Alexandar Georgiev turned in a season-high 44-save shutout performance to blank the Carolina Hurricanes 2-0. Chris Kreider scored his 41st goal of the season while Frank Vatrano tallied his first goal as a Ranger since his acquisition last week from the Florida Panthers. The Hurricanes remain in first place in the Metropolitan Division with 88 points but the second-place Rangers are just three points behind them.

Alex Ovechkin reached the 40-goal plateau for the 12th time in his career but his Washington Capitals fell 3-2 to the Dallas Stars. Roope Hintz scored two goals for the Stars (72 points) as they move within one point of the Vegas Golden Knights for the final Western Conference wild-card berth. With 80 points, the Capitals remain one point behind the Boston Bruins, who hold the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Winnipeg Jets winger Kyle Connor (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals defenseman John Carlson was injured in the final minutes of the game when he crashed into the end boards following a cross-check by Stars captain Jamie Benn. No update on his status following the game but Capitals coach Peter Laviolette considered it a dirty hit by Benn. We’ll find out soon enough if the league agrees with him.

Winnipeg Jets winger Kyle Connor scored a goal and collected three assists to lead his club to a 6-4 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Jansen Harkins scored twice for the Jets as they sit four points out of a Western wild-card spot with 68 points. Taylor Raddysh scored and picked up an assist for his first points with the Blackhawks since his recent acquisition from the Tampa Bay Lightning.

An overtime goal by Rasmus Dahlin lifted the Buffalo Sabres over the Vancouver Canucks 3-2, handing the latter their five loss in their last six games. J.T. Miller had a goal and an assist for the Canucks, who also sit four points out of the final Western wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks’ recent stumble could prompt management to make a more significant move before today’s trade deadline. They made a couple of minor moves yesterday by shipping Travis Hamonic to the Ottawa Senators and acquiring Travis Dermott from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Philadelphia Flyers center Kevin Hayes tallied two second-period goals in a 2-1 win over the New York Islanders, ending the latter’s points streak at six games. Islanders veterans Cal Clutterbuck and Andy Greene were held out of this game for “maintenance” reasons as both were banged up in recent games.

The San Jose Sharks tallied three unanswered third-period goals to double up the Arizona Coyotes 4-2. Noah Gregor had a goal and an assist while James Reimer made 23 saves for the win. Phil Kessel had a goal and an assist for the Coyotes.

HEADLINES

PUCKPEDIA: has the full breakdown of Hampus Lindholm’s eight-year contract extension with the Boston Bruins. He gets an average salary-cap hit of $6.5 million with a full no-movement/no-trade clause in the first five seasons followed by a 15-team no-trade list in the final three.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers placed defenseman Aaron Ekblad on long-term injury reserve. He’s expected to miss the remainder of the regular season with an apparent leg injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This will provide the Panthers with some salary-cap flexibility to add another player before today’s trade deadline if they wish. They acquired Robert Hagg yesterday from the Buffalo Sabres.

NHL.COM: The Ottawa Senators traded forward Nick Paul to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for forward Mathieu Joseph and a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NHL draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Paul had a career-high 11 goals with the low-scoring Senators. Joseph is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights but he likely would’ve become a UFA as the Lightning might not have qualified his rights. He’ll be much more affordable than Paul for the Senators to re-sign. Some observers wonder if the Lightning will put Paul with the recently acquired Brandon Hagel to form a new energy line.

The Los Angeles Kings acquired defenseman Troy Stecher from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for a seventh-round pick in the 2022 draft.

The Seattle Kraken traded defenseman Jeremy Lauzon to the Nashville Predators in exchange for a 2022 second-rounder.

The Dallas Stars acquired goaltender Scott Wedgewood from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for a conditional fourth-round pick in 2023.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars made this move because backup Braden Holtby remains sidelined by a lower-body injury and Anton Khudobin recently underwent season-ending hip surgery.

The Winnipeg Jets have brought back forward Mason Appleton by acquiring him from the Seattle Kraken in exchange for a 2023 fourth-round pick. The Kraken had selected Appleton during last summer’s expansion draft.

ARIZONA SPORTS: Reports indicated the Coyotes have acquired the rights to college prospect Jack McBain in exchange for a second-round pick in 2022.

NHL.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins signed defenseman Mark Friedman to a two-year, one-way contract extension with an annual average value of $775K.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs placed goaltender Petr Mrazek on waivers and signed Finnish goalie Harri Sateri to a prorated $750K contract for the remainder of the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I guess that means the Leafs won’t be acquiring a goalie in the trade market.