NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 10, 2024

by | Jul 10, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 10, 2024

Jonathan Huberdeau weighs in on the Panthers winning the Stanley Cup, the Penguins hire the Leafs’ scouting director, Matt Savoie is excited about joining the Oilers, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

CALGARY SUN: It was bittersweet for Flames winger Jonathan Huberdeau watching the Florida Panthers win the Stanley Cup last month. Huberdeau spent the first 10 seasons of his NHL career with the Panthers until he was traded to the Flames two years ago, a move that sent Matthew Tkachuk to Florida.

Huberdeau signed an eight-year contract extension with the Flames following the trade. He’s struggled to regain the offensive form he had with the Panthers, including a career-high 115-point performance in 2021-22.

Calgary Flames winger Jonathan Huberdeau (NHL Images).

The 31-year-old Huberdeau admits it’s difficult at this stage of his career to go through a roster rebuild in Calgary. He also acknowledged his expensive contract and the recent decline in his production will make him difficult to trade.

Huberdeau didn’t criticize the Flames management. He said he fully accepts his role with the club, believing the club can be better than some expect.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Huberdeau endured a miserable 2023-24 with 52 points, his lowest total in a full NHL season since 2014-15. Nevertheless, he will be expected to play a leadership role for the Flames’ younger players during their current roster transition. A bounce-back effort on his part will be crucial.

TORONTO SUN/PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins hired Wes Clark as vice president of player personnel. Clark spent the past six seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs and was their director of amateur scouting from 2021 to 2024.

Despite the Leafs carrying low first-round picks during his tenure, Clark was responsible for their selections of Matthew Knies, Easten Cowan, Fraser Minten, and their 2024 pick, Ben Danford.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Clark is well-regarded around the league for his work at the Leafs’ draft table. This was a savvy move by Kyle Dubas, the Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager. He knows Clark well from his tenure as Leafs GM.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Matt Savoie is happy to be joining his hometown Oilers. They acquired the promising prospect center from the Buffalo Sabres last week. “When I heard the news I was really excited, an Edmonton kid, always coming to games with my parents,” he said.

Savoie bears the Sabres no ill will for trading him. “They have a ton of young prospects kind of on the cusp of making the league and they had to move a couple of guys out to make the team better, getting some older players. I understood it.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Savoie will face a challenge cracking the Oilers’ current roster. Salary cap constraints could ensure he spends this season with their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers signed defenseman Adam Boqvist to a one-year contract. The move comes a week after signing his older brother Jesper Boqvist to a one-year deal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Boqvist brothers will each earn $775K for 2024-25.

DAILY FACEOFF: Boqvist’s signing removes one player from the list of notable unrestricted free agents. Winger James van Riemsdyk, defenseman Ryan Suter and winger Max Pacioretty are the biggest names still available, along with winger Daniel Sprong, blueliner Tyson Barrie, and rearguard Oliver Kylington.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 6, 2024

by | Jul 6, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 6, 2024

Fourteen players file for salary arbitration, the latest on Valeri Nichushkin and Evan Bouchard, the Oilers make a cost-cutting trade with the Sabres, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHLPA.COM: Carolina Hurricanes winger Martin Necas and New York Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren highlight the 14 players filing for salary arbitration by the 5 pm ET deadline on July 5.

Other notables include Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman J.J. Moser, New York Islanders winger Oliver Wahlstrom, Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kirill Marchenko, Detroit Red Wings forward Joe Veleno, and Hurricanes center Jack Drury.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas (NHL Images).

The deadline for club-elected arbitration is 5 pm ET on July 6. Salary arbitration hearings will be held from July 20 to Aug. 4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Players and teams usually file for arbitration to set a deadline to complete contract negotiations rather than have them drag on through the summer. Most cases are settled before the scheduled arbitration hearings. Nevertheless, a handful could go before an arbitrator.

Necas is the most talented player on this list. He’s been the subject of trade speculation for weeks because he’s reportedly unhappy with his role on the Hurricanes.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Evan Rawal cited TSN’s Chris Johnston reporting the Avalanche aren’t trading Valeri Nichushkin while he’s in stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program. They’re hoping to rehabilitate the player and the person.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rawal cited a report last month claiming the Chicago Blackhawks kicked around the idea of making a trade for Nichushkin before rejecting the notion.

Players in the assistance program, like Nichushkin and Columbus Blue Jackets winger Patrik Laine, can be traded. However, any clubs interested in these players would likely prefer to wait until they have emerged from the program to speak with them.

THE SCORE: cited The Athletic’s Daniel Nugent-Bowman reporting the Edmonton Oilers and Evan Bouchard are unlikely to start contract extension talks this summer. The 24-year-old defenseman is due to become a restricted free agent next July. His current annual cap hit is $3.9 million.

Oilers management is focused on extension talks with Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. Meanwhile, Bouchard wants to build on his strong 2023-24 performance.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bouchard’s performance this season could double his money on his next contract. Another strong effort like last season’s could fetch him even more.

Draisaitl is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July and McDavid in July 2026. McDavid can’t sign an extension until next July but the two sides can discuss the framework of a deal.

EDMONTON JOURNAL/THE BUFFALO NEWS: The Oilers traded center Ryan McLeod and minor league winger Tyler Tullio to the Buffalo Sabres for prospect center Matthew Savoie.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a cost-cutting move by the Oilers, who were sitting $2.5 million over the $88 million salary cap. Moving McLeod’s $2.1 million provides considerable cap relief. The Journal also noted the 24-year-old center lost out in the numbers game after the Oilers signed Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner. McLeod should be a solid addition as the Sabres’ third-line center.

Savoie, 20, was chosen ninth overall by the Sabres in the 2022 NHL Draft. A promising center, he’s been hampered by injuries over the past two seasons but still has the potential to blossom as an NHL star.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: Speaking of the Sabres, they signed Henri Jokiharju to a one-year, $3.1 million contract. The 25-year-old defenseman was a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Kraken signed winger Eeli Tolvanen to a two-year, $6.95 million contract. The average annual value is $3.475 million.

SPORTSNET: The Winnipeg Jets are reportedly working on a trade to acquire defenseman Dylan Coghlan from the Carolina Hurricanes.

DAILY FACEOFF: James van Riemsdyk, Ryan Suter and Max Pacioretty remain the most notable players in the unrestricted free-agent market.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 12, 2023

by | Nov 12, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 12, 2023

Hat-trick performances by the Oilers’ Zach Hyman and the Blues’ Brayden Schenn and Pavel Buchnevich highlight the recaps of Saturday’s action in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: A natural hat trick in the first period by Zach Hyman carried the Edmonton Oilers over the Seattle Kraken 4-1 to snap their four-game losing skid. Stuart Skinner made 17 saves for the 3-9-1 Oilers while Jaden Schwartz replied for the 5-7-3 Kraken.

Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl were held scoreless in this contest. Kraken netminder Philipp Grubauer got the hook after giving up four goals on 17 shots.

Speaking of hat tricks, Brayden Schenn and Pavel Buchnevich each tallied three goals as the St. Louis Blues crushed the Colorado Avalanche 8-2. Robert Thomas collected four assists while Jordan Binnington stopped 36 shots as the Blues improved to 7-5-1. Mikko Rantanen and Jack Johnson replied for the Avalanche as they slipped to 8-5-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche were without forward Artturi Lehkonen as he’ll be sidelined for weeks with an upper-body injury suffered on Thursday against the Kraken.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander scored to extend his season-opening points streak to 15 games in a 5-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi each picked up two assists while Ilya Samsonov turned aside 31 shots as they improved their record to 8-5-2. J.T. Miller and Pius Suter scored for the 10-3-1 Canucks.

An overtime goal by Kaiden Guhle lifted the Montreal Canadiens to a 3-2 victory over the Boston Bruins, ending a 10-team losing streak against the Bruins. Brendan Gallagher and Nick Suzuki also scored for the 7-5-2 Canadiens. Pavel Zacha and Brad Marchand scored for the 11-1-2 Bruins, who remain on top of the Eastern Conference with 24 points.

The Carolina Hurricanes got a 22-save shutout performance from Pyotr Kochetkov to blank the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-0. Sebastian Aho and Brent Burns each had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes as they rose to 9-6-0 in the standings. Nikita Kucherov missed this game due to illness as his club dropped to 6-5-4 in his absence.

Speaking of 4-0 shutouts, the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Buffalo Sabres by the same score as Tristan Jarry returned to action by kicking out 35 shots after missing one game with a facial injury. Erik Karlsson scored twice while Evgeni Malkin and Ryan Graves each had two points for the Penguins (7-6-0) as they picked up their fourth straight win. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 36 stops for the 7-7-1 Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres also returned forward Matthew Savoie to his WHL club in Wenatchee after he made his NHL debut on Friday against the Minnesota Wild.

Arizona Coyotes forwards Clayton Keller and Logan Cooley each picked up three points as their club overcame two 2-goal deficits to beat the Nashville Predators 7-5. Michael Carcone scored twice for the Coyotes, who boosted their record to 7-6-1. Filip Forsberg scored twice and collected an assist for the 5-9-0 Predators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Coyotes played without center Jack McBain, who is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Alex Ovechkin scored twice as his Washington Capital (7-4-2) rolled to a 4-1 win over the New York Islanders (5-5-3), handing the latter their third straight loss. Call-up goalie Hunter Shepard turned in a 37-save performance for the Capitals. Alexander Romanov got the Islanders’ only goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders fans aren’t pleased with their club’s performance this season, calling for head coach Lane Lambert to be fired during this game. Earlier in the week, they were chanting for general manager Lou Lamoriello to lose his job. Meanwhile, the Capitals placed sidelined defenseman Martin Fehervary (foot) on injured reserve.

The Detroit Red Wings held off the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4, handing the latter their fourth straight defeat. Jake Walman scored what proved to be the game-winner while Jeff Petry and Christian Fischer each had two assists for the 8-5-2 Red Wings. Patrik Laine scored in his first game back with the Blue Jackets (4-7-3) since suffering a concussion on Oct. 20.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: To make room for Laine’s return, the Jackets assigned defenseman David Jiricek to their AHL affiliate in Cleveland.

Dallas Stars goaltender Scott Wedgewood made 31 saves while Wyatt Johnston had a goal and an assist in a 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Cole Perfetti and Brenden Dillon tallied for the Jets (7-5-2) while the Stars (9-3-1) sit atop the Central Division with 19 points.

The Ottawa Senators ended a five-game losing skid on home ice by dousing the Calgary Flames 4-1. Joonas Korpisalo made 24 saves while Drake Batherson had a goal and an assist for the 6-7-0 Senators. Blake Coleman replied for the Flames as they fell to 4-8-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The trade request made by Flames defenseman Nikita Zadorov remains a hot topic among the pundits. I’ll have more in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

Former Los Angeles Kings netminder Cal Petersen made 35 saves to help the Philadelphia Flyers defeat his old team by a score of 4-2. Morgan Frost scored twice as the Flyers improved to 7-7-1 on the season. Carl Grundstrom and Adrian Kempe replied for the 8-3-3 Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Kings reclaimed forward Samuel Fagemo off waivers from the Predators.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 2, 2023

by | Oct 2, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 2, 2023

Recaps of Sunday’s preseason action, Brandon Sutter retires, the Bruins release Alex Chiasson, plus the latest notable waiver moves and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

PRESEASON RECAP

NHL.COM: Ottawa Senators winger Drake Batherson scored a goal and collected three assists to lead his club over the Florida Panthers 4-2 at Kraft Hockeyville in Sydney, NS. Anton Lundell scored both goals for the Panthers.

Ottawa Senators winger Drake Batherson (NHL Images).

Last-minute goals by Troy Terry and Robert Hagg rallied the Anaheim Ducks to a 5-4 victory over the Arizona Coyotes. Ryan Strome tallied twice for the Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speaking of the Ducks, they claimed defenseman Lassi Thomson off waivers from the Senators yesterday.

The Detroit Red Wings got three-point performances from Michael Rasmussen and J.T. Compher to thump the Chicago Blackhawks 6-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blackhawks announced that forward Samuel Savoie underwent successful surgery on his right femur yesterday and is expected to make a full recovery. Savoie suffered the injury during Saturday’s game against the Minnesota Wild after crashing awkwardly into the boards.

An overtime goal by Oskar Olausson lifted the Colorado Avalanche to a 4-3 win over the Dallas Stars.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche center Peter Holland has agreed to continue his professional tryout offer with their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles.

IN OTHER NEWS…

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Brandon Sutter has retired after being released yesterday by the Edmonton Oilers from his professional tryout offer. In 13 seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Vancouver Canucks, the 34-year-old center had 152 goals and 137 assists for 289 points in 770 regular-season games along with 18 points in 50 playoff contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sutter cited health reasons for his retirement. He last played in the NHL in 2020-21 with the Canucks before being sidelined for the past two years by the effects of long COVID.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The Bruins released Alex Chiasson from his PTO. The 33-year-old winger is an 11-year NHL veteran. He played 22 games last season with the Detroit Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No indication yet as to Chiasson’s intentions. He could still land with another NHL club as an affordable depth signing before the regular season opens next season.

WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets will face the Calgary Flames in preseason action tonight without Kyle Connor, Nikolaj Ehlers and Gabriel Vilardi. Connor and Vilardi are still recovering from illness while Ehlers continues to recuperate from neck spasms.

SPORTSNET: Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet said winger Ilya Mikhayev will not play in any of the club’s remaining preseason games. However, they are pleased with his ongoing recovery from the knee surgery he underwent in February. Despite Mikheyev’s progress, Tocchet said the team isn’t ready yet to confirm if the winger will be in the lineup on opening night next week.

DAILY FACEOFF: Los Angeles Kings forward Samuel Fagemo, Montreal Canadiens forward Lias Andersson and Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Philippe Myers are the notable players among the 45 placed on waivers yesterday as NHL teams continue to trim their rosters with the start of the regular season a week away.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 22, 2023

by | Sep 22, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 22, 2023

Marc-Andre Fleury ponders his future, sale of the Senators receives league approval, plus the latest on Logan Couture, Robin Lehner, Max Pacioretty and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

STARTRIBUNE.COM: Marc-Andre Fleury is entering his 20th NHL season but hasn’t decided yet if it will be his last. The 38-year-old Minnesota Wild goaltender is in the final season of his contract and said he’ll play out this campaign before evaluating if he’ll continue his playing career.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (NHL Images).

Fleury has 544 career wins. He needs just eight more victories to pass Patrick Roy for second place on the all-time wins list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s hard to believe sometimes that Fleury’s been in the NHL this long. I told one of my social media followers that it seemed like I was watching him play in the QMJHL with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles yesterday. That was over 20 years ago.

OTTAWA SUN: The sale of the Ottawa Senators to billionaire Michael Andlauer finally received formal approval from the NHL Board of Governors yesterday. At $950 million dollars, it’s the highest price ever paid to purchase an NHL franchise.

Following the purchase, Andlauer released an open letter to Senators fans stating that his goal is to bring the Stanley Cup to Ottawa. He also sought to assure them about the club’s future under his ownership. “My partners and I may be the team owners on paper, but this team truly belongs to Ottawa-Gatineau,” he wrote. “I promise to take care of your team with the utmost respect, integrity and care both on and off the ice.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The late Eugene Melnyk deserves credit for rescuing the Senators nearly 20 years ago (with the help of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman) and keeping them in Ottawa at a time when the franchise was bankrupt and on the verge of relocation. Nevertheless, Melnyk’s mercurial style and front-office meddling generated uncertainty and concern among Senators fans over the quality of the on-ice product and the club’s future in Ottawa.

A new era has begun for the Senators. Andlauer was a minority owner of the Montreal Canadiens before purchasing the Sens. He knows the league, understands the business of hockey, and appears determined to bring stability to this franchise and a winning product on the ice. He still has to navigate toward the construction of a new downtown arena but the odds appear better under his stewardship than they were during the final years of Melnyk’s tenure.

Speaking of the Senators, center Josh Norris downplayed concern regarding a minor shoulder ailment that saw him start training camp with a yellow non-contact jersey. “I think they’re looking out for me and I totally get it,” said Norris, who missed all but eight games last season to shoulder surgery. He said he didn’t want to be in that jersey but acknowledged it was probably the best thing to take precautions and be ready for the start of the season.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The rebuilding Sharks got bad news as team captain Logan Couture will miss the start of training camp. He’s listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury that he suffered during offseason training.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s no timeline for Couture’s return. It’s uncertain if he’ll be ready for the club’s season debut on Oct. 12.

DAILY FACEOFF: Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner remains sidelined indefinitely and will start the season on long-term injured reserve. He missed all of last season recovering from hip surgery.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The reports also indicated that some wonder if Lehner will ever play again. He’s signed through 2024-25 with an average annual value of $5 million.

WASHINGTON HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of uncertain injury recovery timelines, Capitals winger Max Pacioretty has “no concrete timetable yet” for when he’ll join his new club. The 34-year-old winger played only five games last season with the Carolina Hurricanes as he was twice sidelined by a torn right Achilles tendon. He signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the Capitals this summer as a free agent.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams continues to work on getting young defensemen Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power under contract extensions before the start of this season. The two sides appear to be closing in on deals following a week of intense negotiations.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dahlin and Power are the linchpins of the rebuilding Sabres’ blueline. It’s not surprising that Adams hopes to sign the two defensemen to long-term contracts with average annual values that could become team-friendly over the course of their playing prime.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Speaking of the Sabres, promising forward Matt Savoie is listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury suffered during a prospects tournament game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: The Anaheim Ducks opened training camp missing three of their young core players. Center Trevor Zegras and defenseman Jamie Drysdale are still without new contracts as negotiations continue with management. Meanwhile, forward Mason MacTavish was dealing with a muscle spasm.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacTavish could rejoin his teammates as early as today. It’s uncertain as to when Zegras and Drysdale will be under contract. Reports from earlier this week claimed there’s a “wide gap” between them and management over what their new deals will look like.

THE DENVER POST: Valeri Nichushkin has rejoined his Colorado Avalanche teammates for the first time since taking a leave of absence from the club during their first-round series against the Seattle Kraken in April. The 28-year-old winger was welcomed back by his teammates “with open arms”.

Nichushkin’s departure was the result of an incident in Seattle in which a team doctor found an intoxicated woman in the winger’s hotel room and called an ambulance, according to a police report. He was not disciplined over the incident by the team or the league and faced no charges over the incident.

“I know you guys want to find something there, but it’s nothing really interesting,” Nichushkin told the media. “I think we should close it. It’s a new season right now. We have to focus on that.” He said that his extended absence from the Avs was due to a “family reason.”

CALGARY SUN: Oliver Kylington missed the start of Flames training camp without indicating when he’ll return to action. The 26-year-old defenseman missed all of last season to focus on his mental health. It was expected that he would rejoin his teammates this season after arriving in Calgary last week.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kylington talked about his mental health during an interview this summer. He said he was looking forward to joining his Flames teammates this season. Here’s hoping he continues to get the help he needs to deal with this issue.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Sticking with the Flames, Nikita Zadorov has openly opposed his home country’s invasion of Ukraine. The Russian defenseman is the sole NHLer among his countrymen to speak out against the invasion. He said he’s aware of the consequences he might face but claimed there are “a lot of people who have the same view as me in Russia.”

NYI HOCKEY NOW: Islanders winger Oliver Wahlstrom skated with the Islanders for the first time since suffering a season-ending lower-body injury last December. Defenseman Alex Romanov also joined his teammates, dispelling concerns that he might miss the start of training camp rehabbing from offseason shoulder surgery.

TSN: Vancouver Canucks winger Ilya Mikheyev left training camp for personal reasons. He’s been sidelined since January with a knee injury and underwent surgery the following month.

SPORTSNET: Montreal Canadiens defenseman Chris Wideman is sidelined indefinitely with a back injury.

 










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 19, 2023

by | Sep 19, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 19, 2023

The fallout from Mike Babcock’s resignation as Blue Jackets coach, the Blues will name their new captain today, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets ownership released a statement yesterday confirming that general manager Jarmo Kekalainen and president of hockey operations John Davidson will remain in their jobs for the coming season.

This comes in the wake of Mike Babcock stepping down as head coach following an investigation by the NHL Players’ Association over allegations he violated the privacy of Blue Jackets players.

Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen (NHL.com)

Ownership indicated it was “deeply frustrated and disappointed” over the events of the past week. Nevertheless, it does not anticipate making further changes to its hockey leadership “at this time.”

Davidson and Kekalainen met with the media yesterday with both men admitting their hiring of Babcock was a “major misstep.” Davidson said that they “got it wrong, and that’s on us.” He vowed they would learn from this going forward, adding that they understood the criticism they were receiving. “It is deserved,” he said.

Kekalainen said he met with the Blue Jackets players on Monday to apologize for any inconvenience or awkward situation that the hiring of Babcock may have placed on them. He insisted that the club did its thorough due diligence before hiring Babcock. Kekalainen felt that he deserved another chance to coach. “Obviously, that was a mistake, and that responsibility is mine.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some observers are wondering why Kekalainen isn’t losing his job over the Babcock situation. While ownership is standing by their general manager, I think this incident puts his future with the club in jeopardy. He could lose his job by the end of this season if the Jackets fail to make a significant improvement on the ice.

STLTODAY.COM: The Blues will announce a new team captain this afternoon, filling the role left vacant after Ryan O’Reilly was traded to Toronto in February. Brayden Schenn is considered the favorite to land the job as he’s been an alternate captain for the past three seasons. Robert Thomas could also be a contender.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford also named Schenn and Thomas as possible candidates. Others that he mentioned included Justin Faulk, Colton Parayko and Pavel Buchnevich. The Hockey News’ Lou Korac reports Thomas is believed to have emerged as the front-runner.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: David Pastrnak is prepared to take on more of a leadership role following the retirements of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. Charlie McAvoy and Brad Marchand are considered the favorites to be named the next Bruins captain but Pastrnak will still play a large role among the club’s leaders.

TORONTO SUN: Ryan Reaves believes he’ll bring the grit to the Maple Leafs lineup that’s been missing in recent years. He indicated that he won’t stand for rival players gloating at his teammates the way Radko Gudas did to Leafs goalie Joseph Woll in last spring’s playoffs. “I hope he tries that,” said Reaves. “That would be interesting, that would be fun. I doubt there would be any of that here.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs received some criticism for signing the 36-year-old Reaves to a three-year contract this summer. We’ll soon find out if that was a worthwhile investment by the cap-strapped club.

BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: Promising forward Matthew Savoie suffered an upper-body injury during the Sabres prospect game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He’ll be reevaluated and could miss the opening days of training camp.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres first-round pick (ninth overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft, the 19-year-old Savoie is expected to challenge for a full-time roster spot. This injury could hamper those efforts.

DAILY FACEOFF: The San Jose Sharks signed Justin Bailey to a professional tryout offer. Bailey last played in the NHL in 2021-22 with the Vancouver Canucks.

The Dallas Stars signed goalie Christopher Gibson to a PTO. He last played in the NHL in 2020-21 with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The Bruins named John McLean as a new assistant coach. McLean spent last season as their skills and skating consultant.

TWINCITIES.COM: Former NHL forward Henry Boucha passed away on Monday at age 72.

Boucha won a Minnesota state championship in 1969 and a silver medal with Team USA in the 1972 Winter Olympics.

Drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in 1971, Boucha spent six seasons in the NHL with the Wings, Minnesota North Stars, Kansas City Scouts and Colorado Rockies from 1971-72 to 1976-77 until his career was prematurely ended by an eye injury. In 247 NHL games, Boucha tallied 53 goals and 102 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Boucha’s family, friends and former teammates.