NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 29, 2024

by | Mar 29, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 29, 2024

Four more teams clinch playoff berths, Oilers captain Connor McDavid narrows the gap in the scoring race, and Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon’s home points streak is over. Get the details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Dallas Stars clinched a playoff berth by defeating the Vancouver Canucks 3-1. Jamie Benn snapped a 1-1 tie in the third period and Roope Hintz had a goal and two assists for the Stars (46-19-9), who won their sixth straight game and sit second in the overall standings with 101 points. J.T. Miller replied for the 45-20-8 Canucks as they slipped to fifth overall with 98 points.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen turned in a 24-save shutout to blank the Detroit Red Wings 4-0 as his club also secured a playoff spot. Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis each had a goal and two assists for the 46-21-7 Hurricanes as they hold third place in the overall standings with 99 points. James Reimer stopped 29 shots for the Red Wings (36-30-7) as they remain two points out of the final Eastern Conference wildcard berth with 79 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wings forwards Patrick Kane and Austin Czarnik missed this game due to illness.

The Florida Panthers dropped a 3-2 decision to the New York Islanders but still clinched a postseason spot. Semyon Varlamov turned aside 26 shots while Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s tie-breaker in the second period was the game-winner. Vladimir Tarasenko and Aleksander Barkov scored for the 46-22-5 Panthers, who dropped to seventh overall with 97 points. The Islanders (31-26-15) kept their playoff hopes alive as they’re four points out of the final Eastern wildcard with 77 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers head coach Paul Maurice expressed displeasure with his team’s performance following this game. They’ve dropped six of their last seven contests. They did have some good news as defenseman Aaron Ekblad returned to action after being sidelined for the last six games.

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki reached the 30-goal plateau for the first time in a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Juraj Slafkovsky extended his points streak to nine games for the Canadiens (28-32-12) as they won three straight games for the first time this season. Owen Tippett matched his career high of 27 goals for the 36-28-10 Flyers, who cling to third place in the Metropolitan Division with 82 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens’ win enabled the idle Boston Bruins (42-17-15) to clinch a playoff berth. The Bruins sit fourth in the overall standings with 99 points. Speaking of the Flyers, Ivan Fedotov had his KHL contract terminated, potentially opening the door for the 27-year-old goaltender to come to Philadelphia to begin his NHL career.

Meanwhile, the New York Rangers downed the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 on a shootout goal by Vincent Trocheck. Igor Shesterkin kicked out 39 shots for the Rangers (49-20-4) as they lead the league with 102 points. Nathan MacKinnon’s home points streak ended at 35 games as the 46-21-6 Avalanche hold sixth place in the overall standings with 98 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren returned to action after missing four games with a lower-body injury.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists to lead his club over the Los Angeles Kings by a score of 4-1. Leon Draisaitl collected three assists as the Oilers improved to 44-23-4 and sit second in the Pacific Division with 92 points. Arthur Kaliyev scored for the Kings (38-23-11) as they tumbled into the final Western wildcard berth with 87 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid reached the 120-point mark for the third straight season, becoming the seventh player in NHL history to achieve this milestone. With 122 points, he’s just two points behind league leader Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning and one behind MacKinnon.

The Vegas Golden Knights got two goals from Ivan Barbashev and a 39-save effort from Logan Thompson for a 4-1 victory over the slumping Winnipeg Jets. The Golden Knights (40-25-8) vaulted over the Kings into third place in the Pacific with 88 points. Sean Monahan scored for the 44-23-6 Jets, who are winless in their last five games (0-4-1) but still hold third place in the Central Division with 94 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is starting to look like a rerun of last season where the Jets played well through most of the season only to stumble down the stretch. They’re not in danger of missing the playoffs (yet) but their recent struggles are becoming a concern for Jets followers, or at least for those in the Winnipeg media.

A hat trick by Logan Cooley carried the Arizona Coyotes to an 8-4 upset of the Nashville Predators, snapping the latter’s 18-game points streak. Clayton Keller had a goal and three assists and rookie Josh Doan collected two assists for the 31-37-5 Coyotes. Jason Zucker tallied twice for the Predators (43-26-4) as they hold the first Western wildcard with 90 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Doan joined Brian Mullen and Dale Hawerchuk as the third player in franchise history with at least four points in their first two games. His father, Shane, had three points.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Tyler Bertuzzi scored twice to beat the Washington Capitals 5-1. Mark Giordano scored in his return to the Leafs lineup since being sidelined by a concussion on Feb. 29. The Leafs (41-22-9) hold third place in the Atlantic Division with 91 points. Nic Dowd scored for the 36-27-9 Capitals (81 points) as they still hold the final Eastern wildcard.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Following the game, the 40-year-old Giordano dedicated his goal to his father, who passed away on Feb. 15th. He’s also the second-oldest defenseman in Leafs history to score a goal. Speaking of Leafs defenseman, Timothy Liljegren missed this game with an upper-body injury and is expected to be sidelined for several more games.

The St. Louis Blues remain in the Western playoff chase with a 5-3 victory over the Calgary Flames. Pavel Buchnevich scored two goals while Jordan Binnington made 25 saves and picked up two assists for the 39-30-4 Blues (82 points) as they sit five points behind the Kings. Andrei Kuzmenko tallied twice for the Flames (33-34-5).

Minnesota Wild forward Joel Eriksson Ek scored his 30th goal of the season and Matt Boldy had two points to defeat the San Jose Sharks 3-1. The win kept the Wild’s fading playoff hopes alive as they improved to 35-28-9 but sit eight points behind the Kings with 79 points. The 16-48-8 Sharks have won just once in their last 10 games. They played without winger Alexander Barabanov, who is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin scored twice and Sidney Crosby had two assists to nip the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2. The Penguins (32-30-10) have won two straight. Cole Sillinger had a goal and an assist for the 23-38-12 Blue Jackets.

The Ottawa Senators got a 19-save shutout from Anton Forsberg in a 2-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Claude Giroux and Parker Kelly were the goalscorers for the 32-36-4 Senators. Petr Mrazek stopped 32 shots for the 21-47-5 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot missed this game with a lower-body injury but he’s not expected to be sidelined for long.

Three straight third-period goals lifted the Seattle Kraken over the Anaheim Ducks 4-2. Jared McCann picked up three assists for the 30-29-13 Kraken. Jakob Silfverberg had a goal and an assist for the 24-45-4 Ducks.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 28, 2024

by | Mar 28, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 28, 2024

Recaps of Wednesday’s games, Martin Brodeur believes today’s goaltenders are babied, the players could have half of their escrow returned to them for this season, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Boston Bruins 3-1. Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point each scored their 42nd goal of the season for the 40-25-7 Lightning (87 points). They hold the first Eastern Conference wildcard berth and sit two points behind the third-place Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division. Danton Heinen replied for the 42-17-15 Bruins (99 points) as they slipped into third in the overall standings, one point behind the league-leading New York Rangers.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kucherov regained sole possession of the points lead with 124, one up on Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon. The Lightning improved to 8-1-1 in March.

A five-goal first period gave the Ottawa Senators a 5-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Shane Pinto had a goal and three assists while Joonas Korpisalo made 34 saves for the Senators (31-36-4). JJ Peterka tallied his 25th goal of the season for the Sabres as they slipped to 34-34-5.

HEADLINES

THE ATHLETIC: In an interview with Pierre LeBrun, Martin Brodeur lamented how NHL clubs handle their goaltenders.

“I think we baby our goalies,” said Brodeur. “I see it. I’m part of it. It’s like, my goalie coach will say, ‘He’s played five games in the past eight days.’ I’m like, ‘So?’”

The Hall-of-Fame goalie is now the executive vice president of hockey operations for the New Jersey Devils. He played 70 or more games 12 times during his 22-year NHL career.

Brodeur acknowledged the game has changed and so has the position. He noted how volatile it has become in recent years where a netminder can be the top goalie one year and struggle the next. He blames the 1A and 1B system that result in split workloads.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: We discussed this Wednesday night on the Face Off Hockey Show. The decline in quality goalies in recent years could be another reason as there are fewer standout starters compared to Brodeur’s era. The increase in the game’s speed and the skaters’ improved scoring skills are other potential factors.

DAILY FACEOFF: With this season’s NHL revenue projected to reach $6.2 billion, the players can expect to receive half of the escrow withheld from the contracts returned to them after final accounting and auditing.

The salary cap for next season is projected to rise to $87.5 million. With revenue projections higher than expected and the players’ $1.1 billion in debt from pandemic-related losses repaid to the owners, there is a window to negotiate a higher cap for next season provided both sides are willing to agree to this. If not, the cap will continue to rise by five percent with escrow remaining at six percent annually as agreed under the 2020 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that extended the CBA to Sept. 15, 2026.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The cap could reach $92 million for 2025-26, the final year of the CBA. The players could receive another escrow refund next season if revenue growth remains robust.

THE PROVINCE: The Canucks placed goaltender Thatcher Demko on long-term injury reserve. However, he remains on track to return from a lower-body injury sometime around April 6.

Meanwhile, Canucks center Elias Lindholm missed practice yesterday after being scratched from Monday’s 3-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. Head coach Rick Tocchet said he wasn’t concerned, claiming it was “something a little nagging, that’s getting better every day.” Still, there’s no timeline for Lindholm’s return.

STLTODAY.COM: Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist will miss the remainder of the season after tearing the ACL in his right knee during Monday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights. He will undergo surgery and be reevaluated in six months.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of season-ending injuries, Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield recently underwent successful surgery to treat a lower-body injury. He’s expected to make a full recovery.

CBS SPORTS: Anaheim Ducks winger Brock McGinn underwent disc surgery on his back and will be sidelined for four months. He’s expected to be recovered by late July but it remains to be seen if he’ll be ready for training camp in September.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Washington Capitals defenseman Ethan Bear entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program. He will be out indefinitely, returning to on-ice competition once cleared by the program administrators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Bear. Here’s hoping he receives the treatment he needs that enables him to continue his career and lead a more fulfilling life.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Earlier this week, the Avalanche signed goaltender Justus Annunen to a two-year, one-way contract extension with an average annual value of $833K.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS: An arena deal that would’ve moved the Washington Capitals and the NBA’s Washington Wizards to Virginia has fallen through. The clubs’ ownership reached an agreement on a publicly-funded arena deal with the city that will keep them in Washington until 2050.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 25, 2024

by | Mar 25, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 25, 2024

The Oilers’ Zach Hyman and the Panthers’ Sam Reinhart reach the 50-goal plateau, Nathan MacKinnon sets an Avalanche scoring record and the Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin reaches another goal-scoring milestone. Get the details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman scored his 50th goal of the season in a 5-3 loss to the Ottawa Senators. Jakob Chychrun scored twice while Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson had a goal and two assists each for the 30-36-4 Senators. Evan Bouchard collected three assists for the Oilers (42-23-4), who hold second place in the Pacific Division with 88 points.

Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hyman is the seventh player in Oilers’ history to score 50 goals in a season, joining Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Jari Kurri, Glenn Anderson, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

Speaking of 50-goal seasons, Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart scored twice to reach that milestone as his club downed the Philadelphia Flyers 4-1. Brandon Montour picked up three assists for the Panthers (46-20-5) as they snapped a four-game losing skid to sit third in the overall standings with 97 points. Bobby Brink scored for the 36-27-9 Flyers, who hold third place in the Metropolitan Division with 81 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Reinhart joins Pavel Bure as the only two players in Panthers history with 50-goal seasons. He and Hyman are eight goals behind Toronto’s Auston Matthews in the race for the Richard Trophy.

Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and two assists as his Colorado Avalanche overcame a 4-0 deficit for a 5-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jonathan Drouin scored twice, including the winner in overtime as the Avalanche improved to 46-20-5 to hold first place in the Central Division (97 points) and move into fourth in the overall standings. Sidney Crosby had a goal and three assists for the 30-30-10 Penguins, who’ve won just twice in their last 10 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon moved past Joe Sakic to set the Avalanche single-season points record (122). He needs 18 points to break Peter Stastny’s all-time franchise record of 139 points. The Avalanche center sits one point behind Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov in the race for the Art Ross Trophy. MacKinnon also extended his home points streak to 34 games and his overall points streak to 18 games.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored two goals as his club blanked the Winnipeg Jets 3-0. Charlie Lindgren turned in a 27-save shutout for the Capitals (35-26-9) as they moved one point ahead of the Detroit Red Wings into the final Eastern Conference wildcard berth with 79 points. The Jets (44-22-5)have lost three straight and remain in third place in the Central Division with 93 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin eclipsed the 25-goal plateau to join Gordie Howe and Jaromir Jagr as the only players in NHL history to accomplish that feat 18 times. Speaking of the Capitals, they honored winger T.J. Oshie in a pregame ceremony for recently reaching the 1,000 career regular-season game plateau.

The Carolina Hurricanes got a 32-save performance from Frederik Andersen in a 2-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Sebastian Aho and Brady Skjei scored for the 45-20-7 Hurricanes (97 points) as they sit one point behind the Metropolitan Division-leading New York Rangers and one point behind the league-leading Vancouver Canucks. Joseph Woll kicked out 41 shots for the Leafs (40-21-9) as they hold third place in the Atlantic Division with 89 points.

Dallas Stars forwards Tyler Seguin and Matt Duchene had a goal and two assists each to double up the Arizona Coyotes 4-2. Miro Heiskanen snapped a 2-2 tie in the third period and Joel Oettinger made 26 saves for the Stars (44-19-6) as they hold second place in the Central Division with 97 points and sixth place in the overall standings. Clayton Keller tallied his 30th goal of the season for the 29-37-5 Coyotes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s the second straight season that Keller has reached the 30-goal plateau.

An overtime goal by Anthony Cirelli lifted the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Anthony Duclair and Luke Glendening also scored for the Lightning (39-25-7) as they hold the first Eastern wildcard spot with 85 points. Lukas Dostal stopped 24 shots for the 24-43-4 Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning were without defenseman Victor Hedman and center Brayden Point as they’re day-to-day with lower-body injuries. Meanwhile, Duclair has fit in well with the Lightning since being acquired from the San Jose Sharks before the trade deadline. He has five goals and nine points in his seven games with the Bolts.

The New Jersey Devils got a 36-save shutout from Kaapo Kahkonen to defeat the New York Islanders 4-0. Timo Meier and Jack Hughes had a goal and an assist each as the Devils improved to 35-33-4 (74 points) to sit five points behind the Capitals for that final Eastern wildcard. Islanders captain Anders Lee was ejected in the second period for a knee-on-knee hit to Devils captain Nico Hischier, who left the game but returned for the third period. The 30-26-15 Isles (75 points) are four points back of the Capitals.

Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson had a goal and an assist in a 4-1 victory over the Calgary Flames. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 32 shots for the 34-33-5 Sabres. Jonathan Huberdeau replied for the 33-32-5 Flames.

The Montreal Canadiens erupted for four first-period goals as they cruised to a 5-1 win over the Seattle Kraken, extending the latter’s winless skid to eight games (0-6-2). Alex Newhook scored twice and Kaiden Guhle had a goal and two assists for the 26-32-12 Canadiens. Jordan Eberle scored for the 28-29-13 Kraken.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 24, 2024

by | Mar 24, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 24, 2024

The Predators set a franchise-record points streak, the Canucks and Rangers continue their push for the Presidents’ Trophy, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Nashville Predators extended their points streak to a franchise-record 17 games (15-0-2) by blanking the Detroit Red Wings 1-0. Juuse Saros turned in a 23-save shutout and Filip Forsberg scored the only goal for the Predators (42-25-4) as they hold the first Western Conference wildcard berth with 88 points. Alex Lyon stopped 31 shots for the 36-29-6 Red Wings as they cling to the final Eastern Conference wildcard spot with 78 points.

Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Forsberg also dropped the gloves with Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider in a rare fight between NHL stars. It was Forsberg’s third career scrap and Seider’s first. Meanwhile, the Predators’ points streak is the league’s longest this season.

Vancouver Canucks forward Nils Hoglander tallied twice in a 4-2 victory over the Calgary Flames. Canucks center Elias Lindholm scored against his former club as the Canucks improved to 45-18-8 to move into first place in the overall standings with 98 points. A.J. Greer assisted on both Flames goals as his club’s record dropped to 33-31-5.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lindholm has been struggling to score since the Canucks acquired him on Jan. 31. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported the 29-year-old center will be meeting with a specialist this week as he and the Canucks manage his undisclosed injury on a day-to-day basis.

The New York Rangers rallied to down the Florida Panthers 4-3 on a shootout goal by Artemi Panarin, who scored twice in regulation, including the tying goal late in the third period. The Rangers improved to 47-20-4 to sit second overall with 98 points. Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe had a goal and an assist each as the Panthers (45-20-5) are winless in their last four games (0-3-1) and slipped to fifth overall with 95 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks hold first overall with 39 regulation wins over the Rangers’ 38.

Meanwhile, the Boston Bruins (41-16-15) tumbled out of first overall into third with 97 points following a 3-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. Tyson Foerster snapped a 2-2 tie late in the third period and Travis Konecny scored two goals for the 36-29-9 Flyers as they remain in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 81 points. Bruins forward Justin Brazeau scored to extend his goal streak to three games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers captain Sean Couturier returned to action after being a healthy scratch from the last two games.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Bobby McMann scored twice and collected an assist in a 6-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Pontus Holmberg also had two goals and Auston Matthews netted his league-leading 58th goal of the season for the 40-20-9 Maple Leafs, who sit third in the Atlantic Division with 89 points. Oilers winger Zach Hyman moved into second place in the goalscoring race with his 49th of the season as his club (42-22-4) sits second in the Pacific Division with 88 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov left this game in the third period with what appeared to be an injured left leg. After the game, head coach Sheldon Keefe said he believes Samsonov will be fine. Meanwhile, Leafs winger Tyler Bertuzzi missed this game with an illness.

An overtime goal by Vladislav Gavrikov lifted the Los Angeles Kings over the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3. Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar had two points each for the 37-22-11 Kings, who sit three points back of the Oilers in third place in the Pacific Division with 85 points. Steven Stamkos scored twice in the third to force overtime for the 38-25-7 Lightning as they hold the first Eastern wildcard with 83 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov collected an assist for his league-leading 123rd point of the season.

Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel scored two goals to reach 500 career NHL regular-season points in a 4-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Daniil Tarasov kicked out 43 shots for the Blue Jackets. The Golden Knights hold the final Western wildcard with a record of 38-25-7 (83 points) while the Blue Jackets slipped to 23-36-12.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill left this game with an undisclosed injury in the third period. There was no update on his condition following the game.

The St. Louis Blues kept their playoff hopes alive with an overtime goal by Brandon Saad to nip the Minnesota Wild 5-4. Jordan Kyrou tallied a hat trick and Pavel Buchnevich picked up three assists for the 38-30-3 Blues as they sit four points behind the Golden Knights with 79 points. Marco Rossi scored two goals for the 34-28-9 Wild.

Speaking of keeping playoff hopes alive, the New York Islanders ended a six-game skid with a 6-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Cal Clutterbuck scored twice while Mathew Barzal and Hudson Fasching had a goal and two assists each for the Islanders (30-25-15) as they’re three points back of the Red Wings with 75 points. The Jets dropped to 44-21-5 but hold third place in the Central Division with 93 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck got the hook in the second period after giving up five goals on 26 shots. However, it’s fair to say that his teammates let him down, playing terribly in front of him.

The Ottawa Senators ended a three-game skid by downing the New Jersey Devils 5-2. Brady Tkachuk, Thomas Chabot and Mathieu Joseph collected two points each for the 29-36-4 Senators. Jesper Bratt and Tomas Nosek replied for the 34-33-4 Devils.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No disrespect to the Senators but the Devils should’ve taken this must-win game. With 72 points, they’re six points out of the final Eastern wildcard berth. Losing to one of the league’s worst teams could be the final nail in the coffin for the Devils’ postseason hopes.

A four-goal rally culminated in a 5-4 overtime victory for the Chicago Blackhawks over the San Jose Sharks. Seth Jones scored twice, including the game-winner for the 20-46-5 Blackhawks. Fabian Zetterlund and Thomas Bordeleau scored two goals each for the 16-46-8 Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is a season of suck for the Sharks but there is a glimmer of hope for their future. Top prospect Will Smith scored four goals for Boston College in a 6-2 win over Boston University to win the NCAA Hockey East Championship. Smith leads the NCAA this season with 67 points.










NHL Rumor Mill – March 23, 2024

by | Mar 23, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – March 23, 2024

Check out the latest on the Blackhawks and Senators in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

FREE-AGENT TARGETS FOR THE BLACKHAWKS

THE ATHLETIC: Scott Powers believes the Chicago Blackhawks must bring in some forwards this summer who can provide support for franchise star Connor Bedard.

His suggested options include Jonathan Marchessault of the Vegas Golden Knights, Teuvo Teravainen of the Carolina Hurricanes, Tyler Bertuzzi of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Jake DeBrusk of the Boston Bruins or Tyler Toffoli of the Winnipeg Jets.

Vegas Golden Knights winger Jonathan Marchessault (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blackhawks attempted to add experienced depth last summer by acquiring Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno and signing Corey Perry. Hall suffered a season-ending knee injury but still has a year left on his contract. Foligno played well enough to earn a two-year extension. Perry’s contract was terminated last November following an off-ice incident.

The Blackhawks have plenty of cap space ($38.2 million) to make one or two additions up front via free agency. Most of those players would come in on short-term contracts as the Hawks continue to promote younger players into their lineup.

Landing any of those players on Powers’ list will depend on the type of contracts they’re seeking and if they want to join a rebuilding team. Playing with a rising star like Bedard could be enticing for some players.

LATEST ON THE SENATORS

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch looked at the Senators’ top-five head coaching candidates for next season.

Toronto Marlies’ head coach John Gruden topped Garrioch’s list. He was also head coach of the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs from 2016 to 2018 when they were owned by Michael Andlauer, who bought the Senators last year. Senators general manager Steve Staios was the Bulldogs’ GM at the same time that Gruden was their coach.

Former San Jose Sharks head coach Todd McLellan, former Minnesota Wild bench boss Dean Evason, and former St. Louis Blues coach Craig Berube are also on Garrioch’s list, followed by Philadelphia Flyers assistant coach Brad Shaw.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Andlauer stuck with who he knew best by having Staios take over as general manager last November. It wouldn’t be shocking if they hired Gruden provided the Toronto Maple Leafs would allow him to speak to the Senators about their head-coaching job.

SPORTSNET: Wayne Scanlan reports Senators assistant coach Daniel Alfredsson said he hasn’t thought about if he’d like to take over the head-coaching role. He’s been busy adjusting to what he called a steep learning curve from the coaching side of things.

The former Senators captain was hired on an interim basis along with head coach Jacques Martin back in December.

Alfredsson admitted he has caught the coaching bug, hinting that this season might not be his last behind the bench. However, he might not be the ideal candidate to take over the reins as the Senators’ head coach.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maybe the new head coach will keep Alfredsson as an assistant coach.

Garrioch also speculated whether the Senators might attempt to improve their goaltending during the offseason. He doesn’t see them buying out the remaining four years of Joonas Korpisalo’s contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators are stuck with Korpisalo. Perhaps they’ll try to ditch backup Anton Forsberg and bring in a more reliable backup.

The defense also needs improvement, especially on the right side where Garrioch believes they need a “rugged top-four blueliner.” He doesn’t see the Senators trading blueliner Thomas Chabot unless they’re willing to retain part of his $8 million average annual value. Rearguard Jakob Chychrun’s future remains murky.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s no secret the Senators are interested in signing Dallas Stars defenseman Chris Tanev if he becomes a free agent on July 1. Chabot’s contract is tough to move. Staios has said he’d like to re-sign Chychrun but I wouldn’t be shocked if he was traded this summer for a player who can provide immediate help to their roster.

Changes also need to be made among the forward lines. Garrioch doesn’t expect Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Shane Pinto, Drake Batherson, Ridly Grieg and Claude Giroux to be moved. However, the checking lines could use more depth.










NHL Rumor Mill – March 21, 2024

by | Mar 21, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – March 21, 2024

The latest on Erik Karlsson, Johnny Gaudreau and the Senators’ goaltending situation in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST ON ERIK KARLSSON

THE ATHLETIC: Josh Yohe and Ian Mendes examined whether a trade involving Erik Karlsson would make sense for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman recently mused about whether the Senators might contemplate a reunion with Karlsson, who spent his first nine NHL seasons in Ottawa. The 33-year-old Penguins defenseman dismissed the idea when asked about it last week.

Yohe believes the Penguins would consider moving Karlsson as they’ve got too many players over 30 with expensive contracts. Mendes cites Karlsson’s ongoing ties to Ottawa and the Senators need for a right shot among their top-four defensemen. Acquiring the three-time Norris Trophy winner would mean trading Thomas Chabot or Jakob Chychrun.

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson (NHL Images).

The Penguins would want a return that helps them get younger quickly. However, the Senators would want them to retain part of Karlsson’s contract, which would raise the Penguins’ asking price.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ve summarized a detailed examination of a Karlsson-to-Ottawa trade scenario by Yohe and Mendes. Both agree it would be a complicated affair requiring flexibility to ensure a fair deal for both clubs.

I don’t see Karlsson getting traded to the Senators. They’re a different club than the one he was traded from seven years ago. His contract is far too expensive and the Senators likely want a more affordable, defensive-minded blueliner.

COULD THE BLUE JACKETS ATTEMPT TO TRADE JOHNNY GAUDREAU?

BOSTON GLOBE: Kevin Paul Dupont recently noted the ongoing decline in the offensive production of Columbus Blue Jackets winger Johnny Gaudreau.

Heading into last weekend, the 30-year-old Gaudreau had just 10 goals and 47 points. He has five seasons remaining on his contract with an average annual value of $9.75 million.

Dupont doesn’t rule out the next Blue Jackets general manager trying to move Gaudreau to a team of the winger’s liking, “albeit with the Jackets retaining, say, one-third of his salary.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ve learned never to say never when moving high-salaried, under-performing players. The projected $4.4 million increase in the salary cap for 2024-25 could increase the odds of the Jackets finding a suitable trade partner for Gaudreau if they made him available in this summer’s trade market.

However, trading Gaudreau would still be a daunting challenge. His declining production hurts his trade value, he carries a full no-movement clause, and an interested club would likely want the Jackets to retain more than one-third of his annual cap hit or include a couple of sweeteners like a draft pick and a quality prospect.

WILL THE SENATORS PURSUE A GOALTENDER?

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch believes the Senators’ goaltending must improve next season or nothing will. As of March 18, they had the worst combined save percentage (.887) and sat 28th with an average goals-against per game of 3.53.

Garrioch believes Senators general manager Steve Staios may have “kicked some tires” on goaltenders before the March 8 trade deadline. He indicated there was speculation one of them was Boston’s Linus Ullmark. The Bruins have to decide on whether to trade Ullmark this summer.

The Senators have starting goalie Joonas Korpisalo under contract for four more years. Garrioch dismissed the notion of a contract buyout. “The hope is that he can come back next season better prepared to play with more consistency.” The Senators could attempt instead to move Anton Forsberg and replace him with a more reliable backup.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ullmark, 30, also carries an average annual value of $5 million next season and is a year away from unrestricted free-agent eligibility. He also carries a 16-team no-trade clause that becomes a 15-team NTC on July 1.