NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 25, 2023

by | Apr 25, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 25, 2023

The Leafs rally to push the Lightning to the brink of elimination, the Golden Knights are in the driver’s seat in their series with the Jets and the Kraken and Devils tie their respective series at two games apiece. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Toronto Maple Leafs overcame a 4-1 deficit to defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-4 in Game 4 of their best-of-seven first-round series. Auston Matthews scored twice to start the rally in the third period, Morgan Rielly tallied the tying goal and Alex Kerfoot scored the winning goal in overtime. Alex Killorn scored twice for the Lightning, who are now down 3-1 in the series and on the brink of elimination as the series returns to Toronto for Game 5 on Thursday.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tampa Bay was in full control of this game entering the third period but seemed to run out of gas against the Leafs’ determined push. The Lightning lacks the depth that carried them to three straight Stanley Cup Finals and two championships and it showed in that period.

Toronto was in this position two years ago but fell in seven games to an underdog Montreal Canadiens team. This year, however, I think it’s going to be a different outcome. This is a deeper, more mature Leafs roster with the presence of a proven playoff performer like Ryan O’Reilly (seven points in four games) making a difference in key situations.

Vegas Golden Knights forward Brett Howden scored twice in a 4-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Shea Theodore and Chandler Stephenson each collected two assists for the Golden Knights as they take a 3-1 series lead back to Vegas on Thursday. Blake Wheeler had a goal and an assist for the Jets, who also lost center Mark Scheifele with an injured hand in the first period. He’ll be re-evaluated on Tuesday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The injury-depleted Jets are in a deep hole against a healthier, deeper Golden Knights roster. Winnipeg defenseman Josh Morrissey is done for the series with a lower-body injury while winger Nikolaj Ehlers remains sidelined by an upper-body injury. Scheifele’s injury could be the final nail in their playoff coffin.

An overtime goal by Jordan Eberle lifted the Seattle Kraken over the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 to tie their series at two games apiece. The Kraken took a 2-0 lead on goals by Will Borgen and Daniel Sprong but Mikko Rantanen scored twice for the Avalanche to tie the game. Seattle forward Jared McCann left the game in the first period after a late hit from Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, who claimed he was unsure whether the puck was still in play when he hit McCann. This series resumed in Denver for Game 5 on Wednesday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A weak attempt by Makar to explain away this uncharacteristic late hit on his part. The puck was going out of play when the incident occurred. The on-ice officials initially assessed a major penalty but changed it to a two-minute minor in yet another example of the plethora of puzzling calls in every series of this round.

The New Jersey Devils evened their series with the New York Rangers at two games apiece with a 3-1 win in Game 4. Jack Hughes, Jonas Siegenthaler and Ondrej Palat scored while Akira Schmid stopped 22 shots for the win. Vincent Trocheck replied for the Rangers. This series returns to New Jersey for Game 5 on Thursday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers seemed headed for a sweep after dominating New Jersey in the first two games. However, the Devils did a fine job shutting down the Blueshirts’ offense by limiting them to just two goals in the next two games. Schmid’s steady goaltending seems to be a calming influence on his teammates.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: The department of player safety fined Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk $5,000.00 for cross-checking Boston Bruins forward Garnet Hathaway during Game 4 of their first-round series on Sunday.

Speaking of the Bruins, captain Patrice Bergeron could make his series debut in Game 5 on Wednesday. He missed every game thus far with an upper-body injury. Center David Krejci could miss his third straight game with an upper-body injury.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars winger Joe Pavelski resumed skating with several teammates on Monday for the first time since suffering a concussion in Game 1 of their series against the Minnesota Wild. There remains no timetable for his return to action.

TWINCITIES.COM: The Wild, meanwhile, needs more production from scorers Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy. Kaprizov has scored only once while Boldy is still seeking his first goal of this series.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Will it be Stuart Skinner or Jack Campbell in goal for the Oilers in Game 5 tonight against the Los Angeles Kings? Skinner got the start in every game of this series but Campbell took over after the first period in Game 4 with his club down 3-0 and backstopped them to a 5-4 series-tying overtime win.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I think Campbell earned the start based on his solid play in Game 4 but they’ll probably return with Skinner for Game 5.

NEW YORK POST: The Islanders must do a better job of capitalizing on their scoring chances against the Carolina Hurricanes, especially on rebounds. The Isles are down 3-1 in this series and could be eliminated by the Hurricanes tonight.

CALGARY SUN: The Flames signed forward Walker Duehr to a two-year contract extension worth $825K.

NHL.COM: Justin Braun announced his retirement after 13 NHL seasons. The 36-year-old defenseman had 34 goals and 199 points in 842 regular-season games between 2010-11 and 2022-23 with the San Jose Sharks, Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers. He also had three goals and 16 points in 119 playoff games and reached the 2016 Stanley Cup Final with the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Braun in his future endeavors.










NHL Rumor Mill – April 21, 2023

by | Apr 21, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – April 21, 2023

Could the Ducks’ John Gibson address the goaltending woes of the Penguins or Senators? Could this year’s playoffs be the last for several of the Jets’ key players? Check out the latest in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

COULD GIBSON INTEREST THE PENGUINS OR SENATORS?

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE: Joe Starkey suggests Pittsburgh native John Gibson could address the Penguins’ goaltending woes. The club has come to a crossroads with pending free agent Tristan Jarry. Starkey believes they should move on and pursue a trade for the Anaheim Ducks netminder even if it means shipping Jake Guentzel or Bryan Rust to the Ducks.

Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson (NHL Images).

Starkey would bring back Jarry only if Gibson proves unattainable. He’d only sign him for a year or two at $4 million annually and believes the Penguins would also need a reliable veteran with starter experience to pair with Jarry.

Gibson is a franchise goaltender. While his stats have declined, Starkey believes that’s due to playing for a team that’s fallen to the bottom of the league. He’s been a workhorse who’s averaged 50-60 games per season for the Ducks. Gibson is signed for four more seasons at $6.4 million annually which fits into the Penguins’ perceived window.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gibson also has a 10-team no-trade clause but the Penguins might not be on it. He could jump at the chance to play for his hometown team despite their missing the playoffs this season but I don’t know if the Penguins can make the type of offer that would intrigue the Ducks.

Guentzel or Rust are good fits on playoff contenders but not on a team in the early stages of a rebuild like the Ducks. I think they’ll want a promising young player, a first-round pick or a top prospect as part of the return. If there were willing to acquire Guentzel they’d need assurances he’ll agree to a contract extension and that’s something he might not do.

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports goaltending was the Senators’ Achilles heel over the past four years, one they intend to address in the offseason. He included Gibson among their possible options this summer.

Garrioch noted the Ducks would like to shed Gibson’s contract. There’s talk he’d like to be moved to a contender. Garrioch believes the Senators are on the verge of something special.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gibson could be a great fit with the Senators. They have the depth in promising young players and prospects to make a competitive bid to the Ducks. However, we don’t know if he’d accept a trade to Ottawa or any of the other Canadian franchises.

If Gibson is willing to join the Senators, they’ll have to move some salary in the deal or ask the Ducks to retain part of his cap hit to ensure sufficient cap space to re-sign Alex DeBrincat. If DeBrincat’s not interested in a long-term extension, perhaps he could be offered up in return for Gibson provided he’s willing to sign with the Ducks.

If they can’t re-sign DeBrincat and the Ducks aren’t interested in him, the Senators can ship him somewhere else and perhaps use the savings to take on the remainder of Gibson’s contract in a separate deal.

THE LAST DANCE FOR SOME OF THE JETS CORE PLAYERS?

THE ATHLETIC: Murat Ates recently suggested this year’s playoffs could be the last opportunity for some members of the Winnipeg Jets’ core talent to win a Stanley Cup together.

Since reaching the Western Conference Finals in 2018, the Jets have been in decline, missing the playoffs last season and barely qualifying this season.

Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and forwards Matt Scheifele, Blake Wheeler and Pierre-Luc Dubois are slated to become unrestricted free agents next summer. This postseason could be the last time some of those players could be in a Jets uniform.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets can open contract extension talks with any of those four on July 1. Whether they’ll do that depends on how they perform in the playoffs as well as their interest in sticking with the Jets beyond next season.










NHL Rumor Mill – March 29, 2023

by | Mar 29, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – March 29, 2023

Speculation over Mark Scheifele’s future with the Jets resurfaces plus the latest on the Blue Jackets in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT SCHEFIELE’S FUTURE IN WINNIPEG

WINNIPEG FREE PRESS: Mike McIntyre recently observed Jets first-line center Mark Scheifele’s offensive struggles have contributed to the club’s slide in the standings in recent weeks.

Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele (NHL Images).

After being benched in the second period of a 5-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on March 14, Scheifele responded with no goals and one assist in the seven games since then while appearing less engaged than ever. McIntyre noted the similarities with the Jets’ fading performances in 2018-19 and last season when Scheifele’s performance was also a big issue.

Scheifele’s play is a big reason why there are rumblings around the league that the Jets could undergo a major makeover this offseason, especially with Scheifele, Blake Wheeler, Connor Hellebuyck and Pierre-Luc Dubois all a year away from unrestricted free agency. “Maybe that’s for the best,” writes McIntyre, who doubted the Jets could do any damage even if they squeak into the playoffs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I believed this season was going to be a make-or-break one for the current Jets roster. They looked so good during the first half of the season but they’ve definitely lost their mojo now. As McIntyre pointed out, that’s on their best players, especially those like Scheifele among their leadership group.

General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff must finally accept that the Jets have gone as far as they can with this core and make changes. Scheifele and Wheeler are most likely to go, as well as Dubois if he’s unwilling to sign a long-term extension.

Cheveldayoff could be reluctant to move Hellebuyck as reliable starting goalies are hard to find these days. Nevertheless, he should also determine whether the former Vezina Trophy winner still fits within the Jets’ long-term plans.

I don’t see Cheveldayoff parting with Kyle Connor, Nikolaj Ehlers or Josh Morrissey as they still have several years remaining on their respective contracts. If he’s looking at a quick turnaround he can build around that trio with promising talent already on the roster like Cole Perfetti and the kids in their pipeline like Chaz Lucius, Rutger McGroarty and Brad Lambert.

LATEST ON THE BLUE JACKETS

THE ATHLETIC: In a recent mailbag segment, Aaron Porztline was asked if the Columbus Blue Jackets might attempt to trade Jack Roslovic this summer even if the return wasn’t that appealing.

Portzline believes the center position will change for the Blue Jackets this summer with Dmitry Voronkov coming over from Russia and the possibility of adding a high-quality center in this year’s draft. That means they won’t have to get a center in return for Roslovic. He speculates their recent move of Patrik Laine to center and Roslovic to the wing might be about showcasing the latter in that position to prospective trade partners.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Part of the reason the Winnipeg Jets included Roslovic in the Laine trade to Columbus was his unhappiness about playing wing. He could draw interest as a versatile third-liner in this summer’s trade market but the inconsistency and defensive lapses in his game that Portzline mentions will hurt his value.

Portzline doesn’t see the Jackets drawing from their deep prospect pool for trade bait to acquire a top center, especially since such players are difficult to find in the trade and free-agent markets.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 10, 2022

by | Oct 10, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – October 10, 2022

The Maple Leafs make Wayne Simmonds available in the trade market plus the Jets enter what could be a consequential season. Check out the details in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LEAFS SHOPPING SIMMONDS

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reported the Toronto Maple Leafs are making Wayne Simmonds available in the trade market. The return is not as important as “doing right by the player.” Friedman indicated the 34-year-old winger is in good health and very much hopes to play this season.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Wayne Simmonds (NHL Images).

Simmonds is in the final season of a two-year contract with an annual average salary of $900K, though in actual salary he’ll make $1.050 million this season. He also carries a 10-team no-trade list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Simmonds was once among the best two-way forwards in the game. However, his performance has been in decline in recent seasons. He lost his job to Zach Aston-Reese, who signed a one-year, $840K contract yesterday with the Leafs.

Simmonds could have value for a club seeking affordable leadership, experience and toughness in their lineup. The Leafs placed him on waivers yesterday but their willingness to trade him indicates they’re expecting he’ll go unclaimed today.

So why would a team trade for Simmonds when they could’ve plucked him off waivers for nothing? Perhaps an interested club sitting high up in the waiver order prefers to save that spot for a better option. Maybe there’s a team that’s also looking to offload a player via trade. There could be a team hoping to squeeze an extra asset from the cap-strapped Leafs to take Simmonds off their hands.

JETS FACING A CONSEQUENTIAL SEASON

NHL.COM: In a recent mailbag segment, Dan Rosen agreed with a reader that the Winnipeg Jets face a “make-or-break” season. Changes to their roster core could be coming next summer if they miss the playoffs again or make another first-round exit.

Former captain Blake Wheeler, center Mark Scheifele and goaltender Connor Hellebuyck could be part of that roster shakeup. Each is slated to become unrestricted free agents in 2024. Rosen suggested management could try to get ahead of things by trading them, especially if Pierre-Luc Dubois declines to sign a long-term extension.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dubois is a restricted free agent next summer who will be a year away from UFA eligibility if he doesn’t sign a long-term deal.

I agree with Rosen that it could be time for a major roster shakeup if the Jets stumble again this season. They’ve been slowly declining since reaching the Western Conference Finals in 2018. It could be time to move out some of the veterans and instead build around players like Kyle Connor, Nikolaj Ehlers and Dubois if he stays for the long term.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 17, 2022

by | Sep 17, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 17, 2022

The Jets strip Blake Wheeler of his captaincy, the Sharks reach a settlement with Evander Kane regarding his contract termination, the latest on David Pastrnak’s contract status, the date for the 2023 trade deadline is revealed, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets announced Friday they have stripped the captaincy from Blake Wheeler. Several players will instead wear the “A” as alternate captains for 2022-23, though they have yet to be determined. The club called the move “leadership restructuring”.

Winnipeg Jets captain Blake Wheeler (NHL Images)

Wheeler said he knew the move was coming as he had been informed beforehand during his first conversation with new head coach Rick Bowness. According to Bowness, this was in line with the new coaching staff taking over and the intention to change the way the Jets play the game.

Bowness also denied that Wheeler was standing in the way of younger Jets growing into leadership roles. He insisted that he wants to have everyone working together as a team toward the same goal.

Wheeler said he was grateful for the opportunity to be the Jets captain but insisted he’ll still be a leader on this team. As for trade talk that surfaced about him during the offseason, he said he couldn’t give a straight answer about it because he doesn’t make those decisions. “I’m here and I’m committed to this team and motivated to have a great season.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The move shocked Jets center Mark Scheifele, who questioned the timing of the announcement while claiming Wheeler has the full support of his teammates. It’ll be interesting to see if Scheifele will be among the alternate captains for the coming season considering he was part of the leadership core of last season’s squad.

Jets beat writer Murat Ates of The Athletic believes it would’ve been better for Wheeler had they traded him during the summer. However, he admitted moving a 36-year-old winger carrying an annual average value of $8.25 million through 2023-24 was a tough sell.

This isn’t the first time a team has removed the captaincy from a popular star. In 2009, the San Jose Sharks did the same thing to Patrick Marleau and again in 2014 with Joe Thornton.

Both instances gave rise to trade speculation and talk of undermining the club’s performance. Instead, both players stayed put and the Sharks’ play didn’t suffer other than missing the playoffs in 2014-15 only to rebound and reach the Stanley Cup Final the following year.

Critics blamed the Jets’ leadership for the team’s inconsistent effort in 2021-22, claiming the dressing room was divided. This decision will motivate this club into a bounce-back performance following last season’s disappointing effort or it will make matters worse.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of the Sharks, they reached an agreement with Evander Kane on a settlement related to his contract termination in January.

Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported Kane will receive a one-time payment from the Sharks and the cap penalty will be applied to last season’s salary cap. They finished last season just under $5 million beneath the cap. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman indicated Kane’s original contract was worth $19 million over the next three seasons. His current deal with the Edmonton Oilers is worth $16.5 million over the same period. The settlement would offset the difference.

In other words, the Sharks will pay Kane $2.5-million annually from 2022-23 to 2024-25 without incurring any salary-cap penalties going forward.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That will give the Sharks the cap relief they were counting on when they terminated Kane’s contract without having to go through an arbiter to settle the issue. That procedure might not have gone in their favor and could’ve created a big cap headache for them.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: David Pastrnak remains hopeful that he and the Bruins can reach an agreement on a contract extension at some point during the upcoming season. The 26-year-old winger is in the final season of a six-year, $40 million deal and is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next July.

Pastrnak indicated his priority is staying in Boston. He cited how happy he and his family were living there and is putting his focus on helping the team win this season. TSN’s Darren Dreger reported Pastrnak’s agent and Bruins management are in discussions but there’s nothing close yet.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pastrnak is among the NHL’s elite scorers. He could receive over $10 million annually on a long-term deal in next summer’s free-agent market. Perhaps he’ll accept a little less than that ($9.5 million) if the Bruins offer up an eight-year deal as the most he’ll get on the open market is seven years. Either way, he’s going to make big money on his next contract.

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports the 2022-23 NHL Trade Deadline will be Friday, March 3, 2023, at 3 pm ET. The 2023 NHL Draft will be held on June 28-29 in Nashville while the annual free agent market returns to July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I can’t recall the last time the NHL Trade Deadline was on a Friday. It’s usually held on a Monday or Tuesday.

I didn’t miss the annual free-agent frenzy on Canada Day. It was nice to spend the past couple of years quietly enjoying that day with my family in my backyard.

LeBrun also reported the Carolina Hurricanes quietly signed general manager Don Waddell to a new contract over the summer.

SPORTSNET: Duncan Keith has joined the Edmonton Oilers in a player development role. The former NHL defenseman (and future Hall-of-Famer) retired at the end of 2021-22 after 17 seasons.










NHL Rumor Mill – September 15, 2022

by | Sep 15, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – September 15, 2022

Could the Jets have traded Mark Scheifele if they had signed Pierre-Luc Dubois to a long-term contract? Did they attempt to move Blake Wheeler? Find out plus the latest on Jake Virtanen in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST JETS SPECULATION

THE ATHLETIC: Murat Ates reported earlier this week that “there is a chance” the Winnipeg Jets would’ve shopped Mark Scheifele if they could’ve re-signed Pierre-Luc Dubois to a long-term contract.

Dubois, 24, was a restricted free agent earlier this summer with arbitration rights. He agreed to accept a one-year, $6 million offer from the Jets.

Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele (NHL Images).

Ates observed Scheifele “looked disengaged defensively” and “sounded deeply frustrated” by season’s end. He’s due to become an unrestricted free agent in 2024 and will be 31 by that point. Dubois is also eligible to become a UFA in 2024.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dubois became a fixture in the rumor mill for several weeks earlier in the offseason after his agent suggested his client might one day hope to join his hometown Montreal Canadiens. Dubois also attended the 2022 NHL Draft in Montreal back in July, sparking speculation suggesting he was going to be traded to the Canadiens but the deal fell through.

Dubois denied all of this in the press conference on July 25 announcing his new one-year contract, stressing that if he wanted out of Winnipeg he would’ve asked for a trade but that thought never crossed his mind. His name hasn’t surfaced in the rumor mill since then but it’s probably only a matter of time if the Jets struggle again this season.

Scheifele downplayed his remarks several weeks following the end of the regular season as did general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff. Perhaps playing under new head coach Rick Bowness will provide Scheifele with the spark that seemed to be missing last season. Another sub-par effort on his part, however, will bring the trade rumors roaring back.

Meanwhile, Ates said it was his understanding the Jets looked into trading Blake Wheeler. However, his $8.25 million cap hit through 2023-24 proved too cumbersome to move.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wheeler is another forward worth watching under Bowness’ coaching this season. The 36-year-old Jets captain struggled with consistency last season and is at the stage in his career where a decline in skills is inevitable.

His age as much as his hefty cap hit makes him very tough to move in the trade market. The Jets would have to retain a big chunk of his contract to make him more enticing to rival clubs.

UPDATE ON JAKE VIRTANEN

YAHOO! SPORTS: Thomas Hall cited Oilers Now host Bob Stauffer reporting the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Washington Capitals are believed to have expressed an interest in signing Jake Virtanen to a professional tryout offer.

Virtanen, 26, spent six seasons with the Vancouver Canucks from 2015-16 to 2020-21 until bought out of his contract after he was accused of sexual assault. He spent last season in the KHL and in July was found not guilty in a British Columbia court.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Virtanen’s personal issues aside, I wonder why there are NHL teams interested in his services? He was a disappointment as a Canuck and managed just 16 points in 36 games in the KHL.