NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 25, 2019

by | Oct 25, 2019

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 25, 2019

Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid rally the Oilers over the Capitals, Vladimir Tarasenko and Matt Duchene sidelined, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Leon Draisaitl’s overtime goal completed a 3-1 comeback as the Edmonton Oilers upset the Washington Capitals 4-3. Draisaitl and linemate Connor McDavid each collected three points in this contest. Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin sniped two goals.

Leon Draisaitl’s overtime goal gave the Edmonton Oilers a 4-3 victory over the Washington Capitals (Photo via NHL Images).

Brayden Schenn’s two-goal effort helped the St. Louis Blues defeat the Los Angeles Kings by a score of 5-2. It was a costly win for the Blues as winger Vladimir Tarasenko left the game in the first period with an upper-body injury. An update on his condition could be made today.

The Nashville Predators blanked the Minnesota Wild 4-0 as Pekka Rinne turned in a 26-save shutout performance. Predators center Matt Duchene left the game in the second period with a lower-body injury. An update on his condition has yet to be made. Colton Sissons scored a goal and collected an assist.

Matthew Tkachuk scored twice in regulation and the winner in a shootout as the Calgary Flames nipped the Florida Panthers 6-5. Aleksander Barkov collected four assists for the Panthers, extending their points streak to seven games.

The New York Islanders picked up their fifth straight victory by down the Arizona Coyotes 4-2, snapping the latter’s four-game win streak. Islanders winger Josh Bailey had a goal and an assist. Earlier in the day, the Islanders activated Casey Cizikas off injured reserved but winger Leo Komarov’s (illness) status remains uncertain.

Evander Kane scored two power-play goals, Tomas Hertl collected three assists, and Aaron Dell kicked out 35 shots as the San Jose Sharks doubled up the Montreal Canadiens 4-2.

Cam Atkinson scored in overtime as the Columbus Blue Jackets edged the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3, handing the latter their third straight loss. Jackets blueliners Ryan Murray and David Savard each had two-point performance.

The New York Rangers ended a five-game losing skid with a 6-2 drubbing of the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Strome scored twice while Rangers defensemen Brady Skjei and Tony DeAngelo each had two points.

Claude Giroux tallied his first goal of the season as the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1. James van Riemsdyk scored and collected an assist. Flyers forward Michael Raffl left the game in the third period with an injured leg after blocking a shot.

Two first-period goals by Denis Gurianov gave the Dallas Stars a 2-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks. It was Stars winger Corey Perry’s first game against his former club since his contract buyout this summer. Dallas goalie Ben Bishop made 27 saves, handing the Ducks their third straight loss. Ducks defenseman Josh Manson injured his left leg while winger Ondrej Kase left the game with an upper-body injury.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NBC SPORTS: Former Montreal Canadiens defenseman Andrei Markov returned to the KHL, signing a professional tryout contract with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Markov had hoped to sign with an NHL club this summer after spending the last two seasons with KHL club Ak-Bars Kazan.

MLIVE.COM: Detroit Red Wings forward Luke Glendening is expected to be sidelined with an undisclosed injury.

VANCOUVER SUN: The Canucks assigned forward Adam Gaudette to their AHL affiliate in Utica.

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Carolina Hurricanes broadcaster Mike Maniscalco underwent successful surgery this week to remove a large non-cancerous mass from his abdomen.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Here’s hoping Mansicalco has a speedy recovery.

THE SCORE: Defenseman Dennis Seidenberg has announced his retirement. He spent 15 seasons in the NHL with the Philadelphia Flyers, Arizona Coyotes, Florida Panthers, Boston Bruins, and New York Islanders. Seidenberg’s longest tenure was with the Bruins (over six seasons), helping them win the Stanley Cup in 2011 and reach the 2013 Stanley Cup Final. In 859 NHL games, he collected 251 points.

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










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 25, 2019

by | Feb 25, 2019

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 25, 2019

Game recaps, Red Wings trade Gustav Nyquist to the Sharks, Mats Zuccarello injured in his first game with the Stars, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: Evgeny Kuznetsov scored in overtime as the Washington Capitals edged the New York Rangers 6-5 in a wild and physical contest. Nicklas Backstrom tallied twice for the Capitals while Rangers defenseman Brady Skjei also netted two goals. Following the game, Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist cut short his interview after becoming emotional responding to a question about the trade of Mats Zuccarello, his friend and long-time teammate, to the Dallas Stars on Saturday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Yes, NHL hockey is a business and yes, players know getting trading is always a possibility. Nevertheless, they’re still human like the rest of us and it can be difficult to part ways with a good friend. 

Speaking of Zuccarello, he was having a strong debut with the Stars (one goal, one assist) during their 4-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks but suffered an arm injury that likely requires surgery after blocking a shot and is expected to be sidelined for four weeks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Zuccarello could return to the Stars before the end of the season, but his absence still leaves them in need of scoring depth if they’re to avoid slipping out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Stars captain Jamie Benn also left the game with an upper-body injury and is expected to be re-evaluated today. 

The Detroit Red Wings trade forward Gustav Nyquist to the San Jose Sharks (Photo via NHL Images)

San Jose Sharks captain Joe Pavelski tallied a natural hat trick to lead his club to a 5-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Following the game, the Red Wings traded winger Gustav Nyquist to the Sharks for a second-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft and a conditional third in 2020.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings also retained $1.425 million of Nyquist’s $4.7-million salary-cap hit. A versatile forward who can skate at center or on the wing, he’s tallied 49 points in 62 games and is on pace to exceed 60 points this season. He could slot in as a second- or third-line winger, providing even more bite to an already potent Sharks offense.

An overtime goal by Ryan Donato enabled the Minnesota Wild to beat the St. Louis Blues 2-1. Donato now has four points in three games with the Wild since being traded to Minnesota from Boston. The Wild (66 points) have now won three straight and still cling to the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

Ottawa Senators forward Brady Tkachuk scored a goal but brother Matthew Tkachuk’s Calgary Flames won their first-ever face-to-face matchup 2-1 on a late goal by Austin Czarnik. The Flames (85 points) opened a three-point lead over the Sharks for top spot in the Pacific Division and the Western Conference. Following the game, the Senators shipped minor-league defenseman Patrick Sieloff to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for left wing Brian Gibbons.

The Arizona Coyotes (63 points) moved to within three points of a playoff spot by downing the Winnipeg Jets 4-1. Before the game, the Coyotes honored former long-time captain Shane Doan by retiring his No. 19 jersey. Doan began his career with the original Jets and moved with that club when it relocated to Arizona.

TSN: The Boston Bruins signed forward Lee Stempniak to a one-year contract and placed him on waivers for the purpose of assigning him to their AHL affiliate in Providence.

 










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 8, 2018

by | Sep 8, 2018

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 8, 2018

An update on Tyler Seguin’s contract negotiations, latest PTOs and more in your NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill said the club is making progress in contract-extension talks with center Tyler Seguin. “We are deep in discussions. It’s moving in the right direction,” Nill said. “We’ll go from there.” Nill repeated his wish to get Seguin under contract before the start of the season next month.

Contract talks between the Dallas Stars and center Tyler Seguin have heated up. (Photo via NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Seguin is due to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. The status of his contract talks with the Stars has garnered considerable interest in recent weeks. Speculation suggests he could get a long-term deal worth $10.5 million annually with the Stars or over $11 million per season on the open market. 

NJ.COM: Free-agent forward Drew Stafford will return to the New Jersey Devils training camp on a professional tryout offer. 

TSN: It “sounds like” the New York Islanders will bring back defenseman Dennis Seidenberg on a PTO. 

CBS SPORTS: Former Chicago Blackhawks blueliner Viktor Svedberg received a PTO from the Calgary Flames.

THE BUFFALO NEWS’ Mike Harrington reports Buffalo Sabres winter Matt Moulson won’t be at the club’s training camp next week. He’ll remain loaned out to the Ontario Reign, the AHL affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings. 

KING 5: Construction of a new arena in Seattle won’t be approved until the NHL awards the city a franchise. 

 











NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 25, 2017

by | Apr 25, 2017

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 25, 2017

Ottawa Senators goalie Craig Anderson is a finalist for the Masterton Trophy.

Masterton Trophy finalists revealed plus latest on Joe Thornton, Matt Murray, Cam Fowler & more in your NHL morning coffee headlines. 

NHL.COM: Ottawa Senators goaltender Craig Anderson, Anaheim Ducks left wing Andrew Cogliano and Carolina Hurricanes forward Derek Ryan are the finalists for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which honors perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE/NBC SPORTS: The Penguins are hopeful winger Carl Hagelin (lower-body injury) will return to action in his club’s upcoming series with the Washington Capitals. The outlook for goaltender Matt Murray (lower body) is less promising, as he’s yet to begin skating. 

EDMONTON SUN: Anaheim Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler (sprained right knee) is expected to return for Game 1 of his club’s upcoming series with the Edmonton Oilers. 

THE MERCURY NEWS:  San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton played with torn ligaments in his left knee during his club’s opening-round series against the Oilers. With the Sharks season now ended, Thornton will undergo surgery to repair the damage.

NEWSDAY: The New York Islanders re-signed defenseman Dennis Seidenberg to a one-year, $1.25-million. 

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: The Blackhawks yesterday fired assistant coach Mike Kitchen. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This move is perceived as a signal for head coach Joel Quenneville, who wasn’t informed about this move beforehand and apparently isn’t pleased about it. Quenneville won’t be fired but it’s clear that management wants improvement next season. 

ESPN.COM: Los Angeles Kings general manager Rob Blake said winger Marian Gaborik won’t be bought out of the remainder of his contract. Gaborik underwent an unspecified medical procedure following the season and won’t be healthy until training camp or beyond, but the club will welcome him back. 

NBC SPORTS/ESPN.COM: Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold confirmed Chuck Fletcher will return as the club’s general manager. Speaking of the Wild, center Eric Staal was diagnosed with a concussion after crashing headfirst into the end boards during the Wild’s final playoff game against the St. Louis Blues on Saturday. 












Latest on the Canadiens, Sabres & Islanders – February 10, 2017

by | Feb 10, 2017

Latest on the Canadiens, Sabres & Islanders – February 10, 2017

Speculation continues to link Arizona Coyotes center Martin Hanzal to the Montreal Canadiens.

The trade needs of the Montreal Canadiens, the Buffalo Sabres sell-high dilemma with Evander Kane and possible moves by the New York Islanders in your NHL rumor mill. 

FANRAG SPORTS NETWORK: Chris Nichols cites NHL insider Darren Dreger telling Montreal’s TSN 690 he believes Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin has been shopping around for help for his struggling club. The Canadiens need help at center, which explains why they’ve been linked to Arizona’s Martin Hanzal, Colorado’s Matt Duchene and Tampa Bay’s Brian Boyle.

Dreger also said it’s widely known Bergevin is still seeking blueline depth despite the recent addition of Nikita Nesterov from the Lightning. He doesn’t think the Habs recent recall of big center Michael McCarron was done to showcase him for a trade, but rather to give him a second look. He also feels the Canadiens are only a piece or two away from being a prime Stanley Cup contender. 

SPORTSNET’s Elliotte Friedman believes the Canadiens are “going to be in for the biggest fish” in the trade market leading up to the March 1 deadline. He claims they’ve had conversations with Arizona regarding Hanzal but the asking price is McCarron, a first-rounder and another conditional draft pick. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fortunately for Bergevin, his team isn’t in any danger of falling out of playoff contention before the trade deadline, so he’s not feeling the pressure that he would if his club was on the postseason bubble. I believe he’ll wait until deadline day for the price to go down on the best available options and make his move then. I don’t see him landing Duchene because the Avalanche will likely wait until this summer for the trade market to open up.

That leaves Hanzal and Boyle, and I think the latter is the better option. He’s also a big-bodied forward (6’6″, 244 lbs), but unlike Hanzal doesn’t have a long history of injuries. Their point production is comparable (19), but the versatile Boyle can also skate on the wing and plays with more of a physical edge. He would also be more affordable to acquire and has considerably more playoff experience than Hanzal. 

THE BUFFALO NEWS: Mike Harrington reports the Sabres face a dilemma with left wing Evander Kane, who leads the league since Dec. 3 in even-strength goals with 14. He wonders if they’ll stick with Kane as a core player going forward or try to sell high near the trade deadline in hopes of landing a top-four defenseman. Harrington acknowledges Kane’s off-ice issues last summer, but GM Tim Murray said they’ve worked through that and continue to work with him. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: On talent alone and with only a year left on his contract, I think there would be serious interest in Kane near the trade deadline. Perhaps teams in need of scoring depth at left wing are keeping tabs on him. However, it’s the off-ice baggage that remains a serious sticking point. 

NEWSDAY: In a recent mailbag segment, Arthur Staple said the only real rental player the New York Islanders have is goaltender Jaroslav Halak, who’d be on the trade block regardless of the club’s record. If they go into sell mode by the trade deadline, he doesn’t believe they’d get much back for forward Ryan Strome and doesn’t see teams beating down the door for pending UFA defenseman Dennis Seidenberg. He speculates blueliner Calvin de Haan could become expendable if the Isles see progress from Adam Pelech and believe Ryan Pulock can be a regular down the stretch. 

Staple feels they have interest in Colorado Avalanche center Matt Duchene but the cost would be steep. He also doubts they’ll bring back Thomas Vanek for another go-around. He thinks GM Garth Snow would prefer adding someone to anchor their second-line scoring.

Staple also said he hasn’t heard anything about the Isles shopping blueliner Travis Hamonic, but feels it’s not a 100 percent no anymore. He doesn’t see Hamonic moved by the deadline but the offseason could be another story. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If the Isles maintain their current level of performance, Snow won’t be selling. Indeed, he could become a buyer, but he won’t overpay to do so. 












NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 2, 2016

by | Dec 2, 2016



NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 2, 2016

St. Louis Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko scores one of his three goals against the Tampa Bay Lightning

St. Louis Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko scores one of his three goals against the Tampa Bay Lightning

Game recaps, players and rookie of the month for November & more in your NHL morning coffee headlines. 

NHL.COM: Vladimir Tarasenko tallied a hat trick to lead the St. Louis Blues to a 5-4 victory over the struggling Tampa Bay Lightning, who dropped their fourth consecutive game. 

Leon Draisaitl and Mark Letestu each scored twice and Connor McDavid collected three assists to lead the Edmonton Oilers to a 6-3 thumping of the Winnipeg Jets. 

Sidney Crosby had three points, including the game winner, to lead the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 6-2 drubbing of the Dallas Stars. 

Claude Giroux scored twice, including the winner in overtime, to lift the Philadelphia Flyers to a 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators. 

Two third-period goals by Jack Eichel gave the Buffalo Sabres a 4-3 win over the New York Rangers. 

Marian Hossa tallied his team-high 12th goal to give the Chicago Blackhawks a 4-3 overtime victory over the New Jersey Devils. The Blackhawks move past the idle Montreal Canadiens for top spot in the NHL’s overall standings. 

Jaroslav Halak turned in a 38-save shutout as the New York Islanders blanked the Washington Capitals 3-0. Defenseman Dennis Seidenberg rejoined the Isles lineup after missing seven games with a broken jaw. 

Anze Kopitar has two assists and Jordan Nolan scored twice as the Los Angeles Kings edged the Arizona Coyotes 4-3. 

Boone Jenner netted the game winner as the Columbus Blue Jackets nipped the Colorado Avalanche 3-2. Earlier in the days, the Avalanche placed defenseman Eric Gelinas on waivers. Despite the Avs struggles, general manager Joe Sakic insists he still believes in his core and doesn’t plan to make any rosters changes right now.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That could change in January or February if the Avs haven’t significantly improved. They’re near the bottom of the NHL standings and six points out of a wild-card berth in the Pacific Division. If they don’t move up the standings soon, changes will have to be made, and it won’t be the coaching staff that feels it. 

Aleksander Barkov’s overtime goal gave the Florida Panthers a 2-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings, their first under new coach Tom Rowe. The Wings also lost winger Justin Abdelkader to a lower-body injury. 

Shootout goals by Ryan Spooner and David Pastrnak gave the Boston Bruins a 2-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. 

John Gibson made 27 saves as the Anaheim Ducks beat the Vancouver Canucks 3-1. 

Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne, Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov and Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid are the NHL’s three stars of the month for November 2016. 

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski was named the NHL’s rookie of the month for November 2016. 

TWINCITIES.COM:  Is Devan Dubnyk of the Minnesota Wild the NHL’s best goaltender?

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No, he isn’t. Dubnyk is a streaky performer. He played well in half of the 2014-15 campaign and was inconsistent in 2015-16. He’s off to a very strong start to this season, but must maintain that level of performance throughout the remainder of the season to merit consideration as the NHL’s top goalie. For now, that honor belongs to Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens. 

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: It’s going to become harder to accurately track the Carolina Hurricanes’ revenue. “Gale Force Sports & Entertainment, the team’s parent company, will no longer report two annual hockey-related revenue figures to the Centennial Authority, the PNC Arena landlord – the amount received by the team from the NHL and from its local television contract.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s entirely legal, but it does make it appear the Hurricanes are being less transparent about their revenue, despite what Don Waddell says.