NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 9, 2024

by | Jan 9, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 9, 2024

Game recaps, the Flyers trade prospect Cutter Gauthier to the Ducks for Jamie Drysdale, the three stars of the week are announced and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson scored twice and collected two assists in a 6-3 victory over the New York Rangers. Thatcher Demko made 39 saves, Brock Boeser had a goal and two assists and Nils Hoglander tallied two goals for the 26-11-3 Canucks (55 points), who sit one point behind the league-leading Winnipeg Jets in the overall standings. Vincent Trocheck netted two goals for the Rangers (26-11-2) as they sit one point back of the Canucks.

Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pettersson, J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes each have at least 50 points, making the Canucks just the third team in the last 30 years to feature three players with 50 or more points through 40 games. The others were the 1995-96 Pittsburgh Penguins and the 2007-08 Ottawa Senators.

A shootout goal by Valeri Nichuskin lifted the Colorado Avalanche over the Boston Bruins by a score of 4-3. Nathan MacKinnon collected an assist to extend his home points streak to 22 games as the Avalanche (26-12-3) are one point out of first overall with 55 points. Brad Marchand potted two goals for the 24-8-7 Bruins, who sit ahead of the Canucks and Avalanche in the overall standings with 55 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins sit ahead of the Canucks and Avs due to games in hand. The Canucks hold a game in hand over the Avs.

Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo left this game with an upper-body injury. There was no postgame update on his status.

Dallas Stars goaltender Matt Murray made 23 saves for his first career NHL shutout in a 4-0 win over the Minnesota Wild. Roope Hintz and Tyler Seguin each had a goal and an assist for the Stars (23-11-5) as they sit third in the Central Division with 51 points. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 16 shots for the 17-18-4 Wild as he remains at 551 career victories.

The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 4-1. Evgeni Malkin had a goal and an assist while Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 36 shots for the 20-15-4 Penguins, who sit just outside the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 44 points. Owen Tippett scored for the Flyers (20-14-6) as they hold the first Eastern wild-card spot with 46 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins have the same amount of points as the New Jersey Devils (who hold that last wild-card berth), Washington Capitals and Detroit Red Wings. The Devils hold that berth with 21 wins, followed by the Capitals as they hold a game in hand over the Penguins and two games over the Red Wings while the Pens have a game in hand over the Wings.

HEADLINES

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The Flyers traded prospect forward Cutter Gauthier to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A surprising move sparked by Gauthier’s unwillingness to sign with the Flyers. Philadelphia general manager Daniel Briere said the 19-year-old winger stopped communicating with the club following his participation in the 2023 World Championships.

That explains why Gauthier didn’t take part in the Flyers’ development camp last summer. The club kept it quiet from the media to protect the youngster. They also had trouble meeting with him during the recent 2024 World Junior Championship, where he tied for most points (12) and was named the tournament’s top forward as he led Team USA to the gold medal.

The Flyers reportedly never got an explanation behind Gauthier’s change of heart. Briere said they decided to move him now while his trade value was high.

There was also speculation that former Flyers center Kevin Hayes may have influenced Gauthier’s decision. Hayes strongly denied that rumor.

Landing the 21-year-old Drysdale gives the Flyers a skillful young puck-moving defenseman albeit one limited to just 18 games over the past two seasons due to injuries. He’s in the first season of a three-year contract with an average annual value of $2.3 million. If Drysdale can stay healthy he could blossom into a solid top-pairing blueliner with the Flyers.

Ducks GM Pat Verbeek said he made this move to add a forward with elite skating ability and an NHL-level shot. With three good young defensemen such as Pavel Mintyukov and Tristan Luneau and Owen Zellweger in their pipeline, they could afford to move Drysdale for Gauthier.

They already have three promising young centers in Trevor Zegras, Mason McTavish and Leo Carlsson but need more scoring punch on the wings. If Gauthier plays up to expectations he’ll provide an invaluable boost to the rebuilding Ducks’ offense.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: The Flyers reportedly offered Gauthier to the Canadiens for the latter’s first-round pick (fifth overall) in last year’s draft. The Canadiens rejected the offer and used the pick to select David Reinbacher, whom the Flyers were also interested in selecting.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers were reportedly attempting to ensure prospect Matvei Michkov would drop to them with the seventh overall pick, which he did even with the Canadiens rejecting the offer.

Some Canadiens fans will probably be upset with their club for turning down this offer. However, the report indicates the Habs were confident Reinbacher was the right choice with their pick and other teams (like the Flyers) were also interested in landing the promising young blueliner.

NHL.COM: Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart, Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Martin Jones and Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Jan. 7, 2024

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Washington Capitals winger Max Pacioretty had to make major changes to his skates to accommodate his altered right foot following two back-to-back Achilles tears. His right foot is now larger than his left.

Pacioretty said his new skates still don’t feel perfect but they feel much better. He’ll continue making modifications until he finds the right balance. He no longer feels any fear of another Achilles injury and is fully healthy now.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning winger Tanner Jeannot is listed as week-to-week with an undisclosed injury. Defenseman Erik Cernak is expected to rejoin the lineup after missing the last three games The club recently placed blueliner Mikhail Sergachev (lower body) on long-term injury reserve.

TSN: The Calgary Flames placed forward Kevin Rooney on waivers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 5, 2023

by | Oct 5, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 5, 2023

Recapping Wednesday’s preseason action, the salary cap is projected to rise significantly in 2024-25, plus some notable injury updates and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

PRESEASON GAMES RECAP

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid had a goal and three assists to thump the Calgary Flames 7-2. Connor Brown tallied twice for the Oilers while Dan Vladar made 35 saves for the Flames.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Flames announced that forward Kevin Rooney suffered what is considered to be a long-term upper-body injury in practice earlier this week.

The Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Buffalo Sabres 5-3. Jackets rookie Adam Fantilli’s first-ever NHL preseason goal was also the winning goal while teammate Patrik Laine collected his fourth goal of this preseason. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 28 shots for the Sabres.

New Jersey Devils forwards Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier and Dawson Mercer each had a goal and an assist in a 5-2 victory over the New York Rangers. Ondrej Palat picked up three assists for the Devils. Adam Fox and Will Cuylle replied for the Rangers.

The Detroit Red Wings nipped the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 with James Reimer making 21 saves for the win. Simon Edvinsson and Daniel Sprong scored for the Wings while Xavier Ouellet tallied for the Penguins. Former Wings goalie Alex Nedeljkovic made 22 stops against his former team.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Red Wings announced that they had released forward Artem Anisimov from his professional tryout.

Seattle Kraken winger Eeli Tolvanen scored the winning goal to down the Vancouver Canucks 2-1.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: League Commissioner Gary Bettman made his preliminary projection for next season’s salary cap following yesterday’s Board of Governors meeting. With revenues up and stable team ownerships, he anticipates the cap could rise to between $87 million and $88 million for 2024-25.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The salary cap is $83.5 million for this season. It has been flattened since the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season because of the players’ $1 billion escrow debt to the owners as a result of the premature end of the 2019-20 season due to the start of the COVID pandemic. Bettman indicated there is $50 million of escrow debt remaining and it is expected to be paid off by the end of this season.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators center Josh Norris suffered another setback in his efforts to return to action from the shoulder surgery that prematurely ended his 2022-23 season. Head coach D.J. Smith remains hopeful that Norris, who’s been practicing with his teammates for the past eight days, will be able to play in the Senators’ final preseason game on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Senators center Shane Pinto remains out of training camp as his agent and Senators general manager Pierre Dorion continue to negotiate a new contract. The two sides have reportedly made progress in recent days. There’s talk around the league that the 22-year-old Pinto could accept a two-year deal with an average annual value of $2.35 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators now have $1.7 million in cap space after four players, including Jacob Bernard-Docker and Egor Sokolov, cleared waivers yesterday and were sent to their AHL affiliate in Belleville. Nevertheless, they’ll still have to shed more salary to get Pinto under contract and be cap-compliant when their season opens next week.

NEW YORK POST: Winger Kyle Palmieri has rejoined the Islanders after missing the opening weeks of training camp with an undisclosed injury. It’s unclear if he’ll participate in the Isles’ final two preseason games but should be good to go for their season opener next week against the Buffalo Sabres.

THE MERCURY NEWS: San Jose Sharks forward Mikael Granlund returned to practice yesterday after missing a week with an undisclosed injury. He’s expected to be in their lineup for their season opener next week, replacing sidelined captain Logan Couture (lower-body, week-to-week).

TSN: Los Angeles Kings forward Arthur Kaliyev will face a disciplinary hearing for kneeing Anaheim Ducks forward Chase De Leo on Tuesday.

ARIZONA SPORTS: Diamond Sports Group, the bankrupt operator of Bally Sports Arizona, wants out of its contract to broadcast Arizona Coyotes games. They made the request in the Southern Texas Bankruptcy Court on Wednesday. Both sides are awaiting the court’s decision.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Another day, another crisis for the Coyotes. It’s too bad because they actually have a promising roster led by rising star Clayton Keller that could surprise some folks this season. Sadly, few sports fans in Arizona will be able to watch them unless the team can find a new broadcaster.

DAILY FACEOFF: Former NHL coach Kevin Constantine has been suspended indefinitely as head coach of the WHL’s Wenatchee Wild for making derogatory remarks of a discriminatory nature.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 4, 2022

by | Mar 4, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 4, 2022

​Recaps of Thursday’s action, barriers emerging for Russian players, an update on Hall-of-Famer Guy Lafleur, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Evgeni Malkin had a goal and two assists to lead the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 5-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning, ending the latter’s five-game win streak. Tristan Jarry made 29 saves while Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel each had a goal and an assist. Lightning coach Jon Cooper was ejected from the game near the end of the second period for criticizing referee Wes McCauley. With 76 points, the Penguins move to within three points of the first-place Carolina Hurricanes in the Metropolitan Division while the Lightning (76 points) drop one point behind the first-place Florida Panthers in the Atlantic Division.

Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (NHL Images).

Speaking of the Panthers, they snapped a three-game losing skid by blanking the Ottawa Senators 3-0. Sergei Bobrovsky had an 18-save shutout while Mason Marchment, Patric Hornqvist and Ryan Lomberg were the goal scorers. Panthers star Jonathan Huberdeau was held scoreless to end his points streak at 10 games.

The Hurricanes, meanwhile, were shut out 4-0 by the Washington Capitals. Vitek Vanecek got the win by kicking out 36 shots while Alex Ovechkin scored his 763rd career goal to move within three of Jaromir Jagr on the all-time list. The Capitals hold the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 67 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals forward Anthony Mantha returned to the lineup for the first time since suffering a shoulder injury on Nov. 4. The club created salary-cap space for his return by placing Carl Hagelin (eye) on long-term injury reserve and Joe Snively (upper body) on injured reserve.

Boston Bruins winger Craig Smith tallied a hat trick and David Pastrnak scored twice to down the Vegas Golden Knights 5-2. Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman turned aside 34 shots for the win as his club sits three points up on the Capitals in the first Eastern wild-card berth. Jack Eichel netted his first goal with the Golden Knights, who’ve slid into the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 64 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The absence of sidelined captain Mark Stone has contributed to Vegas’ slide in the standings. Since his last game on Feb. 8, the Golden Knights have just two wins in their last eight games. Robin Lehner returned to the lineup for the first time since Feb. 9 but gave up four goals on 35 shots.

A 42-save performance by Arizona Coyotes netminder Karel Vejmelka carried his club to a 2-1 upset over the league-leading Colorado Avalanche. Nick Schmaltz broke a 1-1 tie in the third period. The Avs remain atop the overall standings with 84 points.

Speaking of upsets, the Montreal Canadiens nipped the Calgary Flames 5-4 on an overtime goal by Ben Chiarot, who finished the game with two goals as the Habs ended the Flames’ 11-game home winning streak. Mike Hoffman had a goal and three assists and Nick Suzuki had three points for the Canadiens. Andrew Mangiapane had a goal and two assists for the Flames, who remain in first place in the Pacific Division with 71 points. Montreal forward Jake Evans left the game with an upper-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens remain competitive under interim coach Martin St. Louis. If this keeps up their improvement could hurt their odds of winning the 2022 NHL Draft Lottery but I don’t think the team cares about that. Their players look like they’re enjoying playing the game again.

In another upset, the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Edmonton Oiler 4-3 on an overtime goal by Alex DeBrincat. Patrick Kane had a goal and an assist for the Blackhawks, who honored former defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson with a pregame ceremony and a video tribute for Oilers blueliner Duncan Keith, who spent 16 seasons with the Blackhawks before being traded to Edmonton last summer. Evander Kane tallied twice for the Oilers (64 points), who moved into third place in the Pacific Division. Oilers defenseman Tyson Barrie left the game in the second period with an upper-body injury.

The Minnesota Wild snapped their four-game losing skid by downing the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4. Matt Boldy and Jonas Brodin scored 25 seconds apart in the third period as the Wild overcame a 4-3 deficit. Ryan Hartman scored twice while teammate Jared Spurgeon broke the club record for most games by a defenseman with 744. The Wild sit in third place in the Central Division with 67 points.

Third-period goals by Nils Hoglander and Vasily Podkolzin lifted the Vancouver Canucks to a 4-3 win over the New York Islanders. With 60 points, the Canucks are four points out of a wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

HEADLINES

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Increasing international sanctions and bans imposed on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine could bring up barriers for its hockey players hoping to reach the NHL or other elite leagues.

SPORTSNET: Guy Lafleur’s family issued a statement yesterday thanking fans for their support as the Hall-of-Famer battles lung cancer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hope you get well soon, Flower!

NBC SPORTS: The Carolina Hurricanes will host the Washington Capitals in the 2023 Stadium Series at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, NC on Feb. 18, 2023.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sharks goaltender James Reimer is sidelined week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers center Kevin Rooney will be out for at least a week with an upper-body injury.