NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 13, 2023

by | Jan 13, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 13, 2023

The Kraken hand the Bruins their first home regulation loss, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour collects his 200th win, the Lightning’s Steven Stamkos edges closer to 500 career goals, the Canadiens honor P.K. Subban, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Seattle Kraken blanked the Boston Bruins 3-0, handing the latter their first home regulation loss of the season. Martin Jones stopped 27 shots for his second straight shutout while Brandon Tanev, Eeli Tolvanen and Jaden Schwartz scored for the Kraken (25-12-4), who sit in third place in the Pacific Division with 54 points. Linus Ullmark made 28 saves for the 35-5-4 Bruins as they remain in first place in the overall standings with 68 points.

Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour collected his 200th career victory as his club thumped the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-2. Brett Pesce scored twice, Sebastian Aho and Jesperi Kotkaniemi each collected two assists and Frederik Anderson made 21 saves for the win in his first start since Nov. 6. The Hurricanes (26-9-7) sit in second place in the overall standings with 59 points. Sean Kuraly and Johnny Gaudreau replied for the 12-27-2 Blue Jackets as they sink into last place overall.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes winger Max Pacioretty left the game in the first period with an upper-body injury. It was his fourth game of the season since returning for an off-season Achilles’ injury. Earlier in the day, the Blue Jackets activated defenseman Nick Blankenburg off injured reserve and placed forward Eric Robinson on IR.

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos (NHL Images).

The Tampa Bay Lightning held off the Vancouver Canucks by a score of 5-4. Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos tallied his 499th career goal and collected an assist as they stretched their home win streak to nine games. The Lightning (26-13-1) sit in third place in the Atlantic Division with 53 points. Quinn Hughes had a goal and two assists as the Canucks fell to 17-21-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speaking of Hughes, he expressed his unhappiness over the treatment teammate Tanner Pearson received when he suffered a broken hand two months ago. Hughes felt it wasn’t handled properly, leading to Pearson undergoing two more procedures that ended his season. Vancouver also lost defenseman Travis Dermott in this game to an undisclosed injury. Meanwhile, teammate Oliver Ekman-Larsson was a healthy scratch from this contest.

Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield tallied two power-play goals in a 4-3 win over the Nashville Predators. Jonathan Drouin collected three assists while Sam Montembeault kicked out 39 shots as the Canadiens improved to 17-22-3 on the season. Nashville goalie Yaroslav Askarov stopped 31 shots in his NHL debut. The Predators (19-16-6) are three points out of the finals Western Conference wild-card berth with 44 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens honored recently-retired defenseman P.K. Subban in a pre-game ceremony. Subban played for both clubs during his 13 NHL seasons, spending seven of those in Montreal where he became a fan favorite. He thanked the club, his teammates and the Montreal fans and staged a final “low-five” celebration with sidelined Habs goalie Carey Price.

A third-period goal by Taylor Raddysh lifted the Chicago Blackhawks over the Colorado Avalanche 3-2. Petr Mrazek made 31 saves for Chicago (11-25-4) as they rose to second-last in the overall standings with 26 points. The Avalanche (20-17-3) got two assists from Nathan MacKinnon but sit four points out of a Western wild-card spot with 43 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The defending Stanley Cup champions have been walloped by injuries this season but they’re also feeling the offseason departures of such notable players as Nazem Kadri and Andre Burakovsky. Having lost seven of their last eight games, they’re in danger of falling further behind in the playoff race.

The Detroit Red Wings upset the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 as Lucas Raymond led the way with a goal and two assists. Ville Husso made 32 saves as the Wings (18-15-7) sit within five points of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 43 points. Rasmus Sandin replied for the Leafs, who sit behind the Hurricanes for second place in the East with 59 points as the latter has a game in hand.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs center Auston Matthews missed his second straight game with an undisclosed injury that has nagged him this season. He’s expected to return to the lineup on Saturday.

An overtime goal by Adam Fox gave the New York Rangers a 2-1 win over the Dallas Stars. K’Andre Miller tied the game with a second remaining in regulation to force the extra frame as the Rangers (24-12-7) sit one point back of the second-place New Jersey Devils in the Metropolitan Division with 55 points as the Devils hold two games in hand. Tyler Seguin scored for the 25-11-7 Stars as they slip to second place in the Western Conference with 57 points.

The Vegas Golden Knights got third-period goals from Jack Eichel, William Carrier and William Karlson to double up the Florida Panthers 4-2. Adin Hill stopped 38 shots for the Golden Knights as they improved to 28-13-2 and took over first place in the West with 58 points. Nick Cousins and Sam Reinhart replied for the Panthers as their record fell to 19-20-4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Vegas captain Mark Stone left his contest in the first period with an undisclosed injury. No other information was provided.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 39 saves in a 4-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Kyle Connor scored the game-winner and also collected an assist as the 27-14-1 Jets sit in fourth place in the Western Conference with 55 points. Victor Olofsson and Tyson Jost scored for the Sabres as they slipped to 20-18-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Jets activated forward Saku Maenalanen off injured reserve and moved forward David Gustafsson on IR.

The Minnesota Wild snapped a three-game losing skid to down the New York Islanders 3-1 on third-period goals by Frederick Gaudreau, Sam Steel and Kirill Kaprisov. The 23-14-4 Wild hold third place in the Central Division with 50 points. Scott Mayfield scored for the Islanders (22-18-3) and Ilya Sorokin made 33 saves as they sit one point out of the final Eastern wild-card berth with 47 points.

Calgary Flames winger Dillon Dube netted two goals and Dan Vladar made 25 saves in a 4-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. At 20-14-9, the Flames hold the first wild-card spot in the West with 49 points. Jake Neighbours tallied for the Blues (21-19-3), who sit two points out of a Western wild-card spot with 45 points.

The Ottawa Senators defeated the Arizona Coyotes 5-3, handing the latter their seventh straight loss. Alex DeBrincat had a goal and an assist for the Senators as they improved to 19-19-3 on the season. Goalie Karel Vejmelka stopped 42 shots in a losing cause for the 13-23-5 Coyotes.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 11, 2023

by | Jan 11, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 11, 2023

Four-point performances from Evgeni Malkin, Nikita Kucherov and Moritz Seider, plus injury updates on Patrick Kane, Evander Kane and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Evgeni Malkin scored two goals and collected two assists as the Pittsburgh Penguins overcame a 3-0 deficit to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 5-4. Jason Zucker had a goal and an assist for the Penguins (21-13-6), who move one point ahead of the New York Islanders into the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 48 points. Brock Boeser and Quinn Hughes each had a goal and an assist for the Canucks, who dropped to 17-20-3 and have lost five of their last six games.

Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (NHL Images).

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov also scored twice and picked up two assists in a 6-3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman each collected two assists for the 25-13-1 Lightning as they sit in third place in the Atlantic Division with 51 points. Patrick Laine had two assists for the Blues Jackets as they slid to 12-26-2.

The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Winnipeg Jets 7-5 with Moritz Seider collecting four assists while Lucas Raymond had a goal and two assists. Mark Scheifele, Nikolaj Ehlers and Neal Pionk each had a goal and an assist for the Jets (26-14-1) to sit in second place in the Central Division with 53 points. The Red Wings improved to 17-15-7 on the season.

Speaking of the Central Division, the Dallas Stars (25-11-6) opened a three-point lead over the Jets for first place (56 points) by nipping the New York Islanders 2-1. Jason Robertson opened the scoring and won the game with a shootout goal while Anders Lee replied for the 22-17-3 Islanders. The Stars also sit in first place in the Western Conference with 22 regulation wins compared to 19 for the Vegas Golden Knights, who have the same number of points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars played without Roope Hintz, who will also miss Thursday’s game against the New York Rangers with an upper-body injury.

The New Jersey Devils gained ground on the Metropolitan Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes with a 5-3 victory. Dawson Mercer scored twice and collected an assist while Nico Hischier had a goal and an assist as the Devils improved to 26-12-3. With 55 points, they’re two back of the 25-9-7 Hurricanes, who got a goal and an assist from Sebastian Aho in this contest.

Shootout goals by Kaapo Kakko and Artemi Panarin gave the New York Rangers a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild. Filip Chytil scored the game-tying goal while Adam Fox and K’Andre Miller each had a goal and an assist as the Rangers (23-12-7) sit two points behind the Devils in third place in the Metro Division. Marc-Andre Fleury made 40 saves in regulation and overtime for the 22-14-4 Wild as they sit in third place in the Central Division with 48 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a costly win for the Rangers as Chris Kreider and Julien Gauthier both left this game with upper-body injuries. They will be evaluated on Wednesday.

The Seattle Kraken picked up their sixth straight win by holding off the Buffalo Sabres 4-3. Kraken center Matty Beniers scored for the fifth consecutive game to set a franchise record as he, Jordan Eberle and Justin Schultz each had a goal and an assist. Sabres winger Alex Tuch scored twice, including his 20th goal of the season. The Kraken (24-12-4) sit two points behind the second-place Los Angeles Kings in the Pacific Division with 52 points. The Sabres dropped to 20-17-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres defenseman Henri Jokiharju returned to the lineup for the first time since being sidelined on Dec. 9 by a lower-body injury.

Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk scored twice, including the winning goal, to defeat the Colorado Avalanche 5-4. Aleksander Barkov and Sam Bennett had a goal and an assist as the Panthers took a 4-1 lead into the third period before the Avalanche rallied to tie the game on goals by Mikko Rantanen, Nathan MacKinnon and J.T. Compher. The Panthers boosted their record to 19-19-4 while the Avalanche (20-16-3) sit two points behind the Edmonton Oilers, who hold the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 45 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Panthers recalled goaltender Alex Lyon to back up Sergei Bobrovsky as Spencer Knight (undisclosed) was placed on injured reserve.

An overtime goal by Robert Thomas gave the St. Louis Blues a 4-3 victory over the Calgary Flames. Jordan Kyrou had a goal and two assists and Jordan Binnington made 28 saves for the Blues (21-18-3). Andrew Mangiapane had a goal and an assist for the Flames (19-14-9) as they hold the first Western Conference wild-card spot with 47 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blues have an identical record as the Edmonton Oilers (21-18-3) but the latter holds the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 19 regulation wins.

Third-period goals by Matt Nieto and Jaycob Megna lifted the San Jose Sharks over the Arizona Coyotes by a score of 4-2. Kevin Labanc had a goal and an assist while Kaapo Kahkonen stopped 27 shots for the Sharks (13-21-8). Jakob Chychrun and Shayne Gostisbehere each collected two assists as the Coyotes fell to 13-22-5.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane said he’s being cautious with the lower-body injury that has sidelined him for the past two games. He’s hoping to return to action soon.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman recently reported it’s a nagging injury that might require a “clean-up” at some point. Kane hasn’t closed the door on that possibility but said it’s not something he’s contemplating for the moment.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lower body could mean hip, groin, knee or ankle. It could affect Kane’s performance as well as his value in the trade market if he agrees to waive his no-movement clause before the March 3 deadline.

TSN: Evander Kane could return to the Edmonton Oilers lineup for either their Jan. 19 games against the Tampa Bay Lightning or Jan. 21 against the Vancouver Canucks. He’s been sidelined since suffering a wrist laceration against the Lightning on Nov. 8. The original prognosis had him returning sometime in late February.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane’s return won’t help the Oilers’ struggling defense and inconsistent goaltending. However, he will provide an extra measure of offense and some physical swagger to their forward lines that’s been missing during his absence.

Speaking of the Oilers, goaltender Stuart Skinner flew to Edmonton yesterday for the birth of his and his wife’s first child.

TSN: The Toronto Maple Leafs placed defenseman T.J. Brodie (rib) on injured reserve.










NHL Rumor Mill – January 7, 2023

by | Jan 7, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – January 7, 2023

A look at five teams that could affect this season’s trade market, the latest on Sharks winger Timo Meier and an update on Jakub Vrana in today’s NHL Rumor Mill

FIVE POTENTIAL SELLERS THAT COULD AFFECT THE 2023 NHL TRADE MARKET

SPORTSNET: Rory Boylen recently listed the Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia Flyers, Arizona Coyotes, St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks as the five potential sellers that could affect this season’s trade market. Those clubs all carry notable talent that has frequently surfaced in trade speculation.

The Canucks’ potential trade bait includes Bo Horvat, Brock Boeser, J.T. Miller and Andrei Kuzmenko. Kevin Hayes, James van Riemsdyk, Ivan Provorov and Travis Konecny are the notable Flyers who could be on the moves.

Jakob Chychrun tops the list of Coyotes’ trade candidates, which includes Shayne Gostisbehere and Karel Vejmelka. Blues such as Vladimir Tarasenko, Ryan O’Reilly and Jordan Binnington could be available. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are the notables for the Blackhawks.

Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Most of the players on this list are eligible to become unrestricted free agents this summer. They are the most likely to be shopped if their current clubs can’t or won’t re-sign them.

I think Horvat, van Riemsdyk, Chychrun, Gostisbehere, Tarasenko and Kane are the most likely to be playing with other clubs by the March 3 trade deadline.

Boeser, Hayes, and Binnington all carry expensive annual salary-cap salaries on long-term contracts that could prove too difficult to move during this season with so many teams lacking salary-cap space. It wouldn’t be surprising if they remain in the trade market heading into the offseason.

I expect pending UFAs such as Toews, O’Reilly and Kuzmenko to re-sign with their current clubs. The others are on long-term deals (Provorov, Konecny, Vejmelka) and remain important key players to their current clubs. They could still have roles to play with those teams beyond this season.

Miller is a unique exception. He has a seven-year, $56 million contract starting in 2023-24 with no-trade protection. However, he’s in the final season of his current contract with a $5.25 million cap hit and lacks a no-trade clause. A playoff contender looking for immediate and long-term help could consider him a worthwhile trade candidate before March 3.

LATEST ON MEIER

THE ATHLETIC: In a recent mailbag segment, Corey Masisak was asked if he felt Timo Meier would still be with the San Jose Sharks beyond this season. The 26-year-old winger is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights this season. His current average annual value is $6 million but he’s earning $10 million in actual salary, which is what it will cost the Sharks to qualify his rights.

Masisak is skeptical about Meier’s future in San Jose, citing uncertainty over his contract situation, the club’s ongoing struggles, and whether he fits into general manager Mike Grier’s long-term roster plans. Given Meier’s RFA status, the Sharks can wait until the offseason to move him if unable to reach an agreement on a new contract by then.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Grier could move Meier by the trade deadline for the right offer. However, I think other general managers don’t want to deal with the headache of his qualifying offer and arbitration rights. They could prefer waiting to see how the Sharks handle this situation in the offseason.

UPDATE ON VRANA

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli said a number of people around the NHL were surprised that no one claimed Detroit Red Wings forward Jakub Vrana off waivers earlier this week. He noted there was one club that discussed internally the possibility of trading for him.

Seravalli wondered if there was a deal available where Detroit retain a portion of Vrana’s salary equivalent to whatever it would cost the Wings to buy out the remainder of his contract this summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I wasn’t surprised that Vrana cleared waivers. His $5.25 million annual cap hit through 2023-24 is too expensive for most clubs to absorb this season.

Seravalli’s suggestion of a trade where the Wings retain a portion of his salary seems the most sensible option. However, that might not take place until the offseason as any interested club might want to see how well he performs in Grand Rapids. They could also want to see him get in some NHL games before the trade deadline.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 5, 2023

by | Jan 5, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 5, 2023

Kirill Kaprizov leads the Wild over the Lightning, the Red Wings make some roster moves, the 2023 Winter Classic ratings improve over last season’s, plus updates on Nicklas Backstrom, Max Pacioretty and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov scored twice and Calen Addison had a three-point performance in a 5-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Kaprizov has 22 goals on the season as the Wild (22-13-2) move to within three points of the second-place Winnipeg Jets in the Central Division with 46 points. The Lightning (24-12-1, 49 points) remain four points back of the second-place Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division. The Lightning’s Brayden Point also tallied his 22nd goal of the season.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov (NHL Images).

The New Jersey Devils defeated the Detroit Red Wings 5-1. Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, Dougie Hamilton and Alexander Holtz each had a goal and an assist for the Devils (24-11-3), who hold a three-point lead over the New York Rangers for second place in the Metropolitan Division with 51 points. Lucas Raymond replied for the Red Wings, who fell to 16-13-7 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings forward Robby Fabbri made his season debut since suffering a lower-body injury last March. Jakub Vrana cleared waivers and was assigned to the AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids while goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic was assigned to Grand Rapids on a conditioning stint.

No surprise that Vrana cleared waivers. With a large number of teams carrying less than $3 million in salary-cap space, there were no takers for his $5.25 million annual cap hit through 2023-24.

Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson turned in a 35-save shutout to upset the Dallas Stars 2-0. Mason McTavish scored and collected an assist on Adam Henrique’s goal as the Ducks sit with a record of 11-24-4. The Stars (23-11-6, 52 points) remain two points behind the Western Conference-leading Vegas Golden Knights.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: 1.8 million viewers tuned in on Jan. 2 to watch the Boston Bruins down the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 in the 2023 NHL Winter Classic at Fenway Park. That’s up 31 percent over the 2022 event.

ESPN.COM: The NHL has revamped its All-Star Game selection process to make it more inclusive for fans. The league’s hockey operations department has selected the first 32 All-Stars (one from each team), leaving the fans to vote for the rest.

THE ATHLETIC: Nickas Backstrom and Tom Wilson are close to making their season debuts for the Washington Capitals. Backstrom has been recovering from hip resurfacing in June while Wilson underwent surgery on his right knee in May.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals will have to free up cap room when Backstrom and his $9.2 million AAV come off long-term injury reserve. They could put defenseman John Carlson ($8 million) on LTIR as he’s sidelined indefinitely with a facial injury suffered on Dec. 23.

SPORTSNET: Max Pacioretty could soon make his season debut with the Carolina Hurricanes as the club activated him off LTIR. The 34-year-old winger has been sidelined since suffering a torn Achilles during offseason training.

DAILY FACEOFF: Boston Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk reportedly suffered a fractured fibula. It’s uncertain if he suffered the injury during the Winter Classic (when he scored both goals for the Bruins) or sometime afterward.

PHILLY.COM: The Flyers activated goaltender Carter Hart from injured reserve. He’d been sidelined with a concussion since Dec. 23.

OTTAWA SUN: Cam Talbot is willing to re-sign with the Senators. The 35-year-old goaltender is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He’s interested in signing a contract extension but indicated there haven’t been any formal discussions yet.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That conversation might not happen until the end of the season. Much will depend on how the Senators end the season and if Pierre Dorion remains general manager under the club’s new ownership. It’s expected the team will have a new owner in place sometime in March.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers signed winger Jimmy Vesey to a two-year, $1.6 million contract extension. The average annual value is $800K.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 1, 2023

by | Jan 1, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 1, 2023

Kick off 2023 with recaps of the final games of 2022 – featuring hat tricks by Alex Ovechkin and Filip Forsberg – in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin tallied a hat trick as his club crushed the Montreal Canadiens 9-2. Evgeny Kuznetsov and Erik Gustafsson each had three points as the Capitals (21-13-5) are 11-1-1 in their last 13 games. Cole Caufield tallied twice to reach the 20- goal plateau as his Canadiens (15-19-3) have lost five in a row.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals (47) sit one behind the second-place New Jersey Devils in the Metropolitan Division. Caufield, meanwhile, joined Guy Lafleur and Stephane Richer as the only Canadiens with consecutive 20-goal seasons before the age of 22. The Canadiens also announced that defenseman Kaiden Guhle (lower-body injury) will miss their upcoming game against the Nashville Predators.

Speaking of the Predators, they got a hat trick performance from Filip Forsberg but fell 5-4 to the Vegas Golden Knights on an overtime goal by Nicolas Hague. Mark Stone collected three assists and Chandler Stephenson had a goal and two assists for the Golden Knights (25-12-2), who are tied with the Dallas Stars with 52 points but sit second in the Western Conference. The Predators (15-14-6) played without winger Cole Smith, who is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

The Dallas Stars, meanwhile, got a three-point performance from Joe Pavelski in a 5-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Jason Robertson collected two points to move into sole possession of third place in the NHL scoring race with 54 points while his Stars (23-9-2) hold first place in the Western Conference with a game in hand. Erik Karlsson collected an assist to extend his point streak to 12 games but his Sharks drop to 11-20-7 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks defenseman Radim Simek left this game with an undisclosed injury. There was no postgame update regarding his status.

Buffalo Sabres winger Alex Tuch scored twice, including the winner in overtime, in a four-point performance to upset the Boston Bruins by a score of 4-3. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 37 shots for the win as the Sabres improved to 18-14-2 with their sixth straight win. David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand each had two points as the league-leading Bruins (28-4-4) extended their home points streak to 21 games.

The Toronto Maple Leafs got two goals from Michael Bunting in a 6-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche (19-13-3). Auston Matthews, William Nylander and John Tavares each had two points for the Maple Leafs (23-8-6), who sit two points behind the second-place Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference with 52 points. Nathan MacKinnon was held scoreless in his return to the Avalanche roster after missing the last 11 games with an upper-body injury.

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos tallied his 498th career NHL goal as his club downed the Arizona Coyotes 5-3. Stamkos and Brayden Point each had two points while Victor Hedman collected three assists as the Lightning improved to 23-11-1. The Coyotes (13-17-5) played without forward Nick Schmaltz, who’s listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

The Winnipeg Jets nipped the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 on a third-period goal by Kyle Connor to finish the night with two points. Teammate Neal Pionk also had a goal and an assist as the Jets improved to 23-13-1. Klim Kostin replied for the Oilers (20-16-2) while teammate Connor McDavid had his point streak end at 17 games.

Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman tallied twice in a 5-2 win over the St. Louis Blues. Marc-Andre Fleury got the win with a 29-save effort for the Wild (21-13-2). Jordan Kyrou collected two assists for the Blues (17-17-3), who also lost winger Vladimir Tarasenko to an injured hand suffered in the first period after blocking a shot by Matt Dumba. An update was not provided on his status following the game.

Calgary Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar’s first goal of the season proved to be the game-winner as his club held on for a 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Elias Lindholm also scored for the Flames (18-13-7) in his 700th career NHL game. Sheldon Dries and Elias Pettersson replied for the Canucks, who fell to 16-17-3.

The Detroit Red Wings got three unanswered third-period goals from Lucas Raymond, Elmer Soderblom and Michael Rasmussen to double up the Ottawa Senators 4-2. Raymond finished with two points as the Red Wings move to 16-12-7 while the Senators dropped to 16-17-3.

Two unanswered third-period goals by Noah Cates and Travis Konecny lifted the Philadelphia Flyers (13-17-7) to a 4-2 upset of the Los Angeles Kings. Cates, Owen Tippett and Scott Laughton each had two points for the Flyers. Adrian Kempe and Phillip Danault replied for the 21-13-6 Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kings defenseman Alex Edler skated in his 1,000th career NHL game.

The Columbus Blue Jackets snapped a seven-game losing skid by downing the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2. Gustav Nyquist scored twice for the Blue Jackets (11-22-2) while Johnny Gaudreau collected two assists. Andreas Athanasiou replied for the Blackhawks, who sit at the bottom of the overall standings with a record of 8-23-4.










NHL Rumor Mill – December 31, 2022

by | Dec 31, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – December 31, 2022

Are the Bruins interested in Sean Monahan? What’s the latest on Bo Horvat, Jonathan Toews, and Alexis Lafreniere? Could the Red Wings face a decision regarding their goaltending? Find out in our year-ending NHL Rumor Mill.

TVA SPORTS: Yvon Pedneault reports several teams have an interest in Sean Monahan as a playoff rental player. He’s been told the Boston Bruins are among those looking at the Montreal Canadiens center.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Monahan, 28, is slated to become an unrestricted free agent in July. He carries a $6.375 million cap hit and a 10-team no-trade clause. Monahan was enjoying a solid performance with 17 points in 25 games until sidelined on Dec. 6 by a foot injury. He’s expected to return soon to the Canadiens’ lineup.

If Monahan picks up where he left off he’ll draw plenty of interest in the trade market. The rebuilding Canadiens will likely have to pick up a portion of his remaining cap hit but could willingly do so if it’ll improve the chances of acquiring a high-quality draft pick or a good young player.

The Bruins are pressed for cap space and will have to part with a salaried player to acquire Monahan even if the Canadiens retain salary on the deal. I’m also not seeing a heck of a lot on their active roster that would fit into the Habs rebuilding program. If the Bruins make a cost-cutting deal with another team, perhaps they could use the return as part of a package for Monahan.

Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat (NHL Images).

Speaking of the Canadiens, Pedneault wondered if management felt certain about Kirby Dach as a center. If not, he suggested they inquire about Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens have the depth in promising young players to perhaps put together a tempting offer for Horvat. The 27-year-old center is on pace to reach 50 goals for the first time in his career and will be in line for a big pay raise as an unrestricted free agent this summer.

However, I don’t see the Canadiens pursuing Horvat. They would need assurances that he will sign with them. Otherwise, they’ll be giving up valuable young assets for a veteran who could walk as a free agent in July.

Pedneault believes Colorado Avalanche president Joe Sakic’s target in the trade market could be Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pedneault’s not the only observer who believes Toews would be a good fit as a second or third-line center with the Avalanche. Making the dollars fit for the Avs could be tricky. They’ll have over $5 million in projected cap space by the trade deadline but could request the Blackhawks retain half of the remainder of Toews’ $10.5 million cap hit.

Even then, the Avs could be forced to shed a salary unless they make this a three-team trade to spread the cap hit around. That’s assuming, of course, that Toews waives his no-movement clause.

The New York Rangers scratching Alexis Lafreniere from the lineup for Thursday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning raises questions about his future. Pedneault believes Lafreniere isn’t a power forward as the Rangers envisioned but a playmaker. He wondered if the 2020 first-overall pick could become trade bait to acquire Patrick Kane from the Chicago Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The New York Post’s Larry Brooks also weighed in on Lafreniere’s situation. He can’t imagine what type of return the 21-year-old left winger could fetch that would be considered equal value. Brooks also pointed out the risk of trading Lafreniere and watching him thrive with another team.

For now, the Rangers don’t have to rush into moving Lafreniere. He’s a restricted free agent in July coming off his entry-level contract and lacks arbitration rights. They could sign him to a low-cost bridge deal and try to help him improve his game. Nevertheless, the young winger could become a valuable trade chip if the Blueshirts make a major move by the March 3 trade deadline or during the offseason.

THE ATHLETIC: Max Bultman recently speculated the Detroit Red Wings could face a decision regarding their goaltending. They’ve been carrying three goaltenders since November when they claimed Magnus Hellberg off waivers.

The Wings have leaned heavily on starter Ville Husso while Hellberg has appeared in three games. Alex Nedeljkovic, meanwhile, hasn’t played since Dec. 8. He could be loaned to their AHL affiliate for a conditioning stint but still remains on their roster.

That could become a problem as sidelined players such as Jakub Vrana, Robby Fabbri and Filip Zadina return to the lineup.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wings could put Hellberg or Nedeljkovic on waivers to send them down to the AHL but there’s a risk they’ll get plucked away by another club. Perhaps a trade could be in order in the near future.