NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 4, 2025

by | Jan 4, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 4, 2025

A big night for Blues winger Brandon Saad, Oilers star Leon Draisaitl extends his points streak, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF FRIDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: St. Louis Blues winger Brandon Saad tallied a natural hat trick as his club blanked the Ottawa Senators 4-0. Goaltender Jordan Binnington turned in a 20-save shutout for the Blues (42 points), who’ve won four of their last five to move within two points of the final Western Conference wild-card berth. The Senators (40 points) have dropped four of their last five but still cling to the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

St. Louis Blues winger Brandon Saad (NHL Images).

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl extended his point streak to 13 games by scoring the winning goal with 1:35 remaining in the third period in a 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse had a goal and an assist. Brett Leason and Jackson LaCombe replied for the Ducks as their three-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Draisaitl leads the league with 28 goals. Oilers captain Connor McDavid saw his 12-game points streak end.

The Nashville Predators got a 27-save shutout by Juuse Saros to end a three-game losing skid by downing the Vancouver Canucks 3-0. Steven Stamkos, Gustav Nyquist and Colton Sissons were the goal scorers, with the last two being empty-net goals. Canucks netminder Kevin Lankinen stopped 16 of 17 shots as his club has lost three of their last four (1-2-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Vancouver starter Thatcher Demko missed this game due to back spasms, forcing them to recall goalie Arturs Silovs on an emergency basis. The Canucks (44 points) hold a one-point lead over the Calgary Flames for the final Western wild-card spot.

Shootout goals by Sam Reinhart and Anton Lundell lifted the Florida Panthers to a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Gustav Forsling and Matthew Tkachuk scored in regulation while Spencer Knight made 29 saves for the Panthers. Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell replied for the Penguins, who are tied with the Senators with 40 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators hold the final Eastern wild-card berth with two games in hand and two more victories (19 to 17) than Pittsburgh. Penguins forward Philip Tomasino left the game in the third period with an undisclosed injury.

The Chicago Blackhawks snapped a five-game losing skid by doubling up the Montreal Canadiens 4-2, ending the latter’s three-game win streak. Arvid Soderblom kicked out 38 shots and Nick Foligno tallied two goals for the Blackhawks. Canadiens winger Cole Caufield netted his 20th of the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens were the dominant team for most of this contest but Soderblom was outstanding and Foligno was clutch for the Blackhawks. Pat Maroon lost a scrap with Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj in the first period but got the last laugh in the third with the game-winning goal.

The Blackhawks called up Colton Dach for this game. It was the first time he and his brother (Canadiens forward Kirby Dach) faced each other in NHL action.

HEADLINES

RG.ORG: Philadelphia Flyers rookie winger Matvei Michkov admits he’s still learning to adapt mentally and physically to the grind of his first NHL season. He said his English is improving and he is learning a lot from head coach John Tortorella despite the language barrier.

Michkov indicated he has a good relationship with his rival, Chicago Blackhawks star Connor Bedard. “He’s a good player and a good guy,” said the Flyers winger. “It’s exciting to watch players like him.”

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton was fined $2,000.00 for embellishment by the department of player safety. The incident occurred during a game against the New York Rangers on Dec. 23.

THE SCORE: The Colorado Avalanche hope goaltender Scott Wedgewood will only be sidelined for a couple of weeks. He suffered a lower-body injury on Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres. Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said Wedgewood is still being evaluated.

SPORTSNET: Winnipeg Jets center Mason Appleton (lower body) was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 28.

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: The Bruins signed forward Mark Kastelic to a three-year contract extension. The average annual salary is $1.567 million.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs signed defenseman Phillipe Myers to a two-year deal worth $850K per season.

SPORTS MEDIA WATCH: Tuesday’s NHL Winter Classic between the Blackhawks and Blues at Chicago’s Wrigley Field averaged 920,000 viewers, the smallest TV audience in the annual outdoor game’s history.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The game involved two opponents not considered among this season’s elite teams. The Blackhawks are rebuilding while the Blues are battling for a wild-card spot. It was a lopsided affair with the Blues winning 6-2.

The league also staged this game on New Year’s Eve rather than New Year’s Day as it used to and did a poor job publicizing the event.

NHL.COM: Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk and Hall-of-Fame goaltender Roberto Luongo highlighted the Florida Panthers’ Quarter-Century Team.

Joining Barkov, Tkachuk and Luongo on the First Team are winger Jonathan Huberdeau and defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Gustav Forsling.

Hall-of-Fame winger Pavel Bure joined forwards Sam Reinhart and Olli Jokinen, defensemen Jay Bouwmeester and Robert Svehla and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky on the Second Team.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – December 29, 2024

by | Dec 29, 2024

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – December 29, 2024

In the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup: the latest on the Oilers, Rangers, Sabres and Red Wings plus updates on Blues winger Brandon Saad and Canadiens center Jake Evans.

PROPOSED TRADE TARGETS FOR THE OILERS

THE ATHLETIC: Allan Mitchell recently looked at possible trade targets for the Edmonton Oilers.

The Oilers could use a left-shot defenseman who regularly faces elite talent. Three options include Bowen Byram of the Buffalo Sabres, Olli Maatta of the Utah Hockey Club and Mike Matheson of the Montreal Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s unlikely the Sabres will move Byram. If anything, they could use another defenseman like him. Maatta could be available if Utah isn’t in playoff contention by the trade deadline.

Pundits like bringing up Matheson because he’s playing on a rebuilding team and has a year remaining on his contract. However, it will take a significant offer to pry him out of Montreal given their lack of experienced blueliners. The most likely to move is pending free agent David Savard but he’s a right-hand shot who plays second or third-pairing minutes.

Mitchell also suggested the possibility of the Oilers acquiring a low-cost, experienced backup goaltender. However, he doesn’t see them landing John Gibson of the Anaheim Ducks, citing the cost of the return and his $6.4 million annual average value.

St. Louis Blues winger Brandon Saad (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gibson also has a 10-team no-trade clause. It’s rumored all seven Canadian teams are on that last.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports Brandon Saad’s future with the St. Louis Blues continues to be something to monitor moving into 2025.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Friedman mentioned Saad two weeks ago, claiming the Blues would like to move him. The 32-year-old winger has a year left on his contract with an average annual value of $4.5 million. He has a no-trade clause but Friedman claimed he’s willing to accept other options.

The struggling New York Rangers remain a team “everyone’s watching” now that the holiday roster freeze has been lifted.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers were defeated 6-2 on Saturday by the Tampa Bay Lightning with goalie Igor Shesterkin lifted after giving up five goals on 13 shots. That was their third straight loss and the sixth in their last seven games. They’ve won only four of their last 18 games and are five points out of a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with the lowly Montreal Canadiens threatening to overtake them.

Trading Jacob Trouba to Anaheim and Kaapo Kakko to Seattle earlier this month did nothing to improve the Rangers’ lot. If management’s plan isn’t to make a season-saving deal or a coaching change then we must assume they intend to become sellers at the March 7 trade deadline.

Friedman also indicated that the Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings continue to scout each other. He thinks they “looked at something” before the holiday roster freeze, adding “We’ll see if that continues”.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The two clubs faced off on Dec. 9 with the Wings winning 6-5 in a shootout. They don’t meet again until after the March 7 trade deadline (March 12) so it’s unlikely they’re keeping tabs on each other for that game.

WILL THE CANADIENS MOVE JAKE EVANS?

THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: Stu Cowan believes Jake Evans could be too expensive for the Canadiens to re-sign. The 28-year-old checking-line center is on pace for a career-best performance in his contract year with nine goals and 22 points in 35 games.

Evans is in the final season of a three-year contract with an AAV of $1.7 million and is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next July.

Cowan thinks Evans is worth at least double that annual cap hit if not more on a four-year deal. He doubts the rebuilding Canadiens will pay that much for that long, suggesting Evans could be shopped by the trade deadline unless he accepts a hometown discount.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Evans has developed into a reliable two-way checking-line center. If the Canadiens were poised to become Stanley Cup contenders they’d pay to keep him around.

However, Evans turns 29 in June and will want to use his UFA status to cash in. Management could balk at a long-term investment with so many promising young players coming up in the roster. He could fetch a solid return from a contender seeking depth at center.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – December 15, 2024

by | Dec 15, 2024

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – December 15, 2024

In the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup: the latest Rangers speculation, the Blues might not be done dealing, the Kings could be shopping before the upcoming holiday roster freeze, and updates on Bruins forward Trent Frederic and Canucks defenseman Vincent Desharnais.

THE LATEST RANGERS RUMORS

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the New York Rangers are “open for business.” They’ve already traded Jacob Trouba and let it be known that winger Chris Kreider is available.

Friedman said they have some untouchables like goaltender Igor Shesterkin and some players with no-movement clauses. However, they’re willing to consider all options and to entertain offers.

THE ATHLETIC: Arthur Staple wondered who’s next to walk the plank off the Rangers’ sinking ship following their 5-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday, dropping nine of their last 12 games.

New York Rangers winger Chris Kreider (NHL Images).

Staple believes head coach Peter Laviolette’s tenure could come to a premature end. General manager Chris Drury has already shaken up the roster by trading Trouba but the club’s reaction is indifference.

Defenseman Ryan Lindgren has been available for some time but no one’s buying high on an underperforming pending unrestricted free agent. There isn’t much interest in the 33-year-old Kreider, who has two years remaining on his contract. Teams are calling about young winger Kaapo Kakko but his play hasn’t been the main issue.

Staple also brought up K’Andre Miller as a trade candidate. However, he’s currently sidelined for an indefinite period which doesn’t help his trade value.

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks disagrees that Laviolette could pay the price for the Rangers’ stunning decline in recent weeks. “The hierarchy has no stomach to fire Laviolette after firing Gerard Gallant two years ago and David Quinn four years ago. There is no stomach to afix the blame on yet another coach instead of taking care of the coach-averse core.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some observers believe the Rangers’ problems began with Drury’s heavy-handed efforts to free up cap space in the offseason, waiving popular forward Barclay Goodrow and attempting to trade Trouba to the Detroit Red Wings before free agency began on July 1.

Changing management might be necessary to help the players regain their spark. They’ve been playing like they don’t give a damn ever since word of Drury’s memo to his fellow GMs listing potential trade candidates was leaked to the press.

Whatever it is, the Rangers must do something quickly to address their issues or risk this season going completely off the rails, leaving questions about the current roster’s future to carry over into next summer.

MORE MOVES COULD BE COMING FOR THE BLUES

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reported the St. Louis Blues might not be done in the trade market after acquiring defenseman Cam Fowler from the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday.

The Blues made Brandon Saad a healthy scratch during Saturday’s game against the Dallas Stars. The 32-year-old winger has a year remaining on his contract with a $4.5 million cap hit.

Friedman said the Blues would like to move Saad, who has a no-trade clause. However, he’s willing to consider other options.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Following the Fowler trade, Blues GM Doug Armstrong indicated he wanted to keep his club competitive while he retools the roster. He could try peddling Saad for a promising young NHL-ready player or attempt to clear the winger’s cap hit from his books by accepting draft picks in return.

Saad had been struggling to score this season. He went 13 games without a goal before being scratched from the lineup on Saturday. Nevertheless, he has Stanley Cup experience which could be of interest to contenders before the March trade deadline.

KINGS MIGHT MAKE A MOVE BEFORE THE HOLIDAY ROSTER FREEZE

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli believes the Los Angeles Kings might be active in the trade market before the upcoming holiday roster freeze from Dec. 20-27. He thinks they’ve been talking to some teams as they attempt to gauge the market.

Seravalli wondered if they might attempt to land a good young player, perhaps from a struggling club like the Buffalo Sabres.

THE BRUINS ARE GETTING CALLS ABOUT TRENT FREDERIC

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman indicated that the Boston Bruins are getting a lot of calls about Trent Frederic. The versatile 27-year-old forward is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent in July. Teams are wondering if the Bruins intend to sign him or peddle him by the March 7 trade deadline.

THE CANUCKS ARE TRYING TO MOVE VINCENT DESHARNAIS

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman said the Vancouver Canucks are looking to move Vincent Desharnais. The 28-year-old defenseman signed a two-year contract with the Canucks in the offseason but it hasn’t worked out as hoped. It’s believed they’re willing to consider all options for returns but would prefer draft picks.










NHL Rumor Mill – November 15, 2024

by | Nov 15, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – November 15, 2024

Check out the latest on the Sabres, Predators and Penguins in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

TSN: Darren Dreger believes trade talk among NHL general managers is bound to heat up soon. Teams are reaching the 20-game mark in the schedule, American Thanksgiving is upcoming and the general managers recently concluded a meeting in Toronto.

Dreger is keeping an eye on three GMs who seem more eager to talk trade: Kevyn Adams of the Buffalo Sabres, Barry Trotz of the Nashville Predators, and Kyle Dubas of the Pittsburgh Penguins

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram (NHL Images).

According to Dreger, Adams is “willing to consider something bigger” but doesn’t want to trade away any of his top young talent.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dreger also said he doesn’t think anything’s imminent for the Sabres. However, he pointed out that Adams has a good pool of prospects to draw on for trade bait. Dreger also mentioned that Bowen Byram has come up in the rumor mill but he doesn’t see Adams trading the defenseman unless it’s for a “can’t-miss” return.

Meanwhile, Jason Moser of Buffalo Hockey Now wondered if the St. Louis Blues might be a trade partner for the Sabres. He noted the Blues are struggling of late and GM Doug Armstrong isn’t afraid to make moves to shake things up. Moser suggested wingers Kasperi Kapanen and Brandon Saad as options who could help the Sabres.

Dreger noted the Predators have multiple first-round picks and a couple of second-rounders. Trotz wants to add long-term solutions in Nashville.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Trotz has three first-rounders in the 2025 NHL Draft. One is from the Vegas Golden Knights, the other from the Tampa Bay Lightning. Three guesses as to which pick rival GMs will be most interested in?

As for Dubas, Dreger said he wants young NHL players and draft picks to build for a better future.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said almost the same thing but also included “already-drafted prospects”.

Penguins veteran center Evgeni Malkin recently told reporters he has no interest in getting traded amid rumors of a roster teardown. “It’s my second home here,” he said. “I’m glad to be here. It doesn’t matter if we win or we lost,” adding that he wants to be “always together” with long-time teammates Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang. The trio carry full no-movement clauses so don’t hold your breath expecting one of them to accept a trade.

Meanwhile, New Jersey Hockey Now’s James Nichols suggests the Devils keep an eye on Penguins wingers Drew O’Connor and Anthony Beauvillier in the trade market if Dubas becomes a seller.

The Athletic’s Thomas Drance and Harman Dayal recently wondered if Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson would be a fit with the Vancouver Canucks.

 










NHL Rumor Mill – January 20, 2024

by | Jan 20, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – January 20, 2024

Could the Canucks pursue Jake Guentzel? Will the Kings attempt to land Jake Allen? Which players could become Blues trade candidates? Find out in the latest in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

COULD THE CANUCKS PURSUE GUENTZEL?

SPORTSNET: During his latest “32 Thoughts” podcast episode, Elliotte Friedman expressed his belief that the Vancouver Canucks would be interested in acquiring Jake Guentzel if the Pittsburgh Penguins winger becomes available before the March 8 trade deadline.

Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jake Guentzel (NHL Images)

Friedman noted that Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford knows Guentzel from his days as Penguins general manager. However, he also said a lot of other clubs would be interested in the 29-year-old winger, who’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins GM Kyle Dubas earlier this week dismissed recent trade speculation about Guentzel, saying he hasn’t had discussions about him with other clubs. Dubas also said at some point they’ll evaluate what’s best for Guentzel and the Penguins going forward.

With the Penguins jockeying for a wild-card berth Dubas could hang onto Guentzel as an own rental for the remainder of this season. Perhaps he’s already decided that he’s keeping the winger in the fold and has no plans to move him regardless of where his club sits in the standings.

Rutherford has said he’d like to add a top-six forward before the trade deadline. He’ll probably look into the cost of acquiring Guentzel if he’s available. Whether he’d be willing to pay what could be a steep asking price or can outbid other clubs is another matter.

JAKE ALLEN TO THE KINGS?

TVA SPORTS: cited Friedman also talking about where Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jake Allen might end up. He believes the Canadiens’ asking price is a draft pick but that could go higher if an interested club wants the Habs to retain part of his $3.85 million average annual value through 2024-25.

Friedman said at one point earlier in this season he thought the 33-year-old Allen would be headed to the Edmonton Oilers but he’s not convinced of that now. Instead, he suggested the Canadiens goalie could be a trade target for the Los Angeles Kings.

“I think they’re going to acquire a goalie,” said Friedman. “Whether it’s Allen or whoever, I think they will add a goalie.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings were getting good goaltending from aging starter Cam Talbot but he’s had his difficulties in recent games. With Pheonix Copley sidelined for the season by a knee injury, call-up David Rittich has performed well in limited action.

It remains to be seen if Kings management is willing to stick with Rittich as a backup for the rest of the season. They could look for someone with a more reliable record.

WHICH BLUES COULD BECOME TRADE CANDIDATES?

THE ATHLETIC: Jeremy Rutherford recently looked at which players the St. Louis Blues could attempt to move if they become sellers before the March 8 trade deadline.

Sammy Blais, Oskar Sundqvist, Kasperi Kapanen, Jakub Vrana and Marco Scandella are their notable pending unrestricted free agents. Of these, Rutherford expects Sundqvist might the the only one with a chance of re-signing with the Blues.

Other trade candidates could include Pavel Buchnevich, Jordan Binnington, Justin Faulk, Brandon Saad, Nick Leddy and Torey Krug. They all have term remaining on their respective contracts, making them more likely to be off-season trade candidates.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Krug used his no-trade clause to nix a move to Philadelphia last summer. Unless he has a change of mind or a preferable trade destination, I don’t see him going anywhere. The same goes for Binnington, Saad, Faulk and Leddy as they also possess full no-trade protection.

Buchnevich, meanwhile, has a 12-team no-trade clause while Scandella’s is a seven-team NTC. That makes them easier to move than the others but still limits the number of potential trade partners.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 13, 2023

by | Aug 13, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 13, 2023

Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov is expected to be ready for the start of the season, Flames center Nazem Kadri expects a different style of game from his club, Blues winger Brandon Saad hopes for a bounce-back performance and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE SCORE: cited Carolina Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell telling the NHL Network that he fully expects winger Andrei Svechnikov to be healthy and ready for the start of this season.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov (NHL Images).

Svechnikov, 23, suffered a season-ending knee injury in March. Waddell indicated that the young winger is skating on his own and is on schedule to complete the remainder of his recovery, which will be when training camp opens next month.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Svechnikov’s absence was a big reason why the Hurricanes were swept by the Florida Panthers in the 2023 Eastern Conference Final. They missed his production during the playoffs and it caught up with them against the Panthers.

NHL.COM: Calgary Flames center Nazem Kadri believes the club will play a different style this coming season compared to 2022-23. He anticipates that a lot of his teammates will be ready to play to their potential.

“For whatever reason, we got a little restricted last year, so I’m just looking forward to a clean slate and starting the year off strong,” said Kadri, who was among the key Flames whose production declined last season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kadri didn’t throw Darryl Sutter under the bus, but it’s obvious that the Flames chafed last season under their demanding former head coach. The Flames fired Sutter in May and promoted assistant coach Ryan Huska as his replacement.

STLTODAY.COM: Brandon Saad is hoping to put last season’s disappointing performance behind him in 2023-24. The 30-year-old Blues winger netted 19 goals and 37 points in 71 games after tallying 24 goals and 49 points in 78 games in 2021-22.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Saad wasn’t the only player on the Blues whose performance suffered in 2022-23. It’ll be interesting to see if he and his teammates can rebound this season and return to playoff contention.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Anton Lundell could be poised for a breakout performance this season. The 21-year-old Florida Panthers center’s production was down last season from his 44-point rookie performance in 2021-22 but he had 10 points in 21 playoff games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report suggests Lundell will be centering the Panthers’ third line to start this season. Given his ongoing development and potential, he could blossom into an important forward for this club.

TSN.CA: Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nick Robertson seeks a fresh start in this coming season. He said he’s good to go following surgery to repair a season-ending shoulder injury last December.