NHL Rumor Mill – March 22, 2023

by | Mar 22, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – March 22, 2023

The latest speculation on Alex DeBrincat’s next contract, an update on possible suitors for the Senators and the latest on the Blue Jackets in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST ON THE SENATORS

TSN’s Shawn Simpson guesses Alex DeBrincat could be skating with the Ottawa Senators next season on his $9 million qualifying offer.

Ottawa Senators winger Alex DeBrincat (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: DeBrincat is a restricted free agent his summer with arbitration rights who’s also a year away from unrestricted free agent eligibility. His average annual value is $6.4 million but his actual salary this season is $9 million, which is what it’ll cost the Senators to qualify his rights.

The Senators gave up three draft picks (including their 2022 first-rounder) to acquire DeBrincat last summer. General manager Pierre Dorion indicated last month that they’ll see how things go over the remainder of the season. Teams had called about DeBrincat before the March 3 trade deadline but Dorion had no interest in moving the 25-year-old left winger.

It’s believed Senators’ management wants to wait until the new ownership is in place before opening contract discussions with DeBrincat. I think Dorion wants to re-sign him before the June 30th deadline for qualifying offers but his hands are tied until the new owner takes over. If that hasn’t been sorted out before that deadline, Dorion might not have much choice but to qualify DeBrincat for next season and work on an extension beyond 2023-24.

Speaking of the sale of the Senators…

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports six potential suitors for the Senators will be in town this week to get a first-hand look at the city and the team’s operation. Meanwhile, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly are expected to attend Monday’s game between the Senators and Florida Panthers at Canadian Tire Centre and meet with Ottawa mayor Mark Sutcliffe along with officials from the National Capital Commission.

The six interested parties are believed to be Markham-based developer The Remington Group, billionaire Michael Andlauer, Toronto-based Harlo Capital, Los Angeles-based producer Neko Sparks, developer Rocco Tullio and Graeme Rouston, the owner of The Hockey News.

UPDATE ON THE BLUE JACKETS

THE ATHLETIC: Aaron Portzline recently reported the Columbus Blue Jackets moved winger Patrik Laine to center on the first line with Johnny Gaudreau and Kirill Marchenko and bumped center Boone Jenner down to their second line. They could maintain this experiment for what remains of the regular season.

Portzline believes the Blue Jackets could have “a dramatically different look at center ice next season” even if Laine returns to the wing. Checking-line center Dmitry Voronkov is expected to make the jump to the NHL after spending his development years in Russia. Portzline also noted they’re hopeful of landing one of the franchise centers at the top of this summer’s draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jackets are currently at the bottom of the NHL standings, giving them the best odds of winning this year’s draft lottery if they’re still in that position by season’s end.

Connor Bedard of the WHL’s Regina Pats is the top prize and could be ready to make the jump right away into the NHL. Other promising options include the University of Michigan’s Adam Fantilli and versatile Swedish Hockey League forward Leo Carlsson.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 21, 2023

by | Mar 21, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 21, 2023

Aleksander Barkov makes franchise history as the Panthers overtake the Penguins for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth, the three stars of the week are announced plus injury updates and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov collected an assist to become the franchise’s all-time leading scorer (614 points) in a 5-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Carter Verhaeghe scored two goals and Matthew Tkachuk had a goal and two assists for the Panthers, who improved to 36-27-7 and vaulted over the Pittsburgh Penguins into the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 79 points. Dylan Larkin scored his 26th goal of the season for the 30-30-9 Red Wings.

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov (NHL Images).

The Penguins, meanwhile, slipped to 34-26-10 (78 points) by dropping a 2-1 decision to the Ottawa Senators. Rookie goaltender Dylan Ferguson kicked out 48 shots for his first NHL win in just his second career game since 2017-18. Thomas Chabot and Drake Batherson scored for the 34-31-5 Senators, who sit six points behind the Panthers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s a tale of two teams going in different directions. The Panthers have been red-hot over the last 10 games (7-2-1) while the Penguins have dropped four straight and are 4-5-1 in their last 10. The Pens’ injury-depleted defense took another hit when Marcus Petterson was placed on long-term injury reserve.

The Senators, meanwhile, kept their playoff hopes alive but their odds of gaining ground on the Panthers are shrinking with the end of the regular season (April 13) just over three weeks away.

Speaking of teams struggling to reach a wild-card spot, the Calgary Flames were thumped 8-2 by the Los Angeles Kings. Adrian Kempe and Carl Gundstrom each tallied twice for the 41-20-10 Kings as they sit in second place in the Pacific Division with 92 points. Tyler Toffoli and Noah Hanifin replied for the 31-25-15 Flames (77 points) as they remain four points behind the Winnipeg Jets in the Western Conference.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets’ sputtering performance in recent weeks is the only reason the Flames remain in striking distance of that final Western wild-card spot. If the Jets can string a few wins together over the next week or two, the flickering Flames’ postseason hopes will be doused.

Turning to the Flames’ Alberta rival, the Edmonton Oilers picked up their fourth straight win by nipping the San Jose Sharks 5-4 on an overtime goal by Darnell Nurse. Mattias Ekholm scored twice, including the game-tying goal late in the third period as the Oilers (40-23-8) sit four points back of the Kings in the Pacific Division with 88 points. Erik Karlsson tallied twice for the 19-37-15 Sharks.

Colorado Avalanche goalie Alexandar Georgiev stopped 27 shots to shut out the Chicago Blackhawks 5-0. Denis Malgin scored twice and collected an assist as the Avalanche picked up their sixth straight win (41-22-6) to sit second in the Central Division with 88 points, one behind the Dallas Stars. The Blackhawks dropped to 24-40-6.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Georgiev is now tied for the league lead in shutouts with five. The Avalanche played without Cale Makar as he’s listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad, Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar and Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman are the three stars for the week ending March 19.

WASHINGTON HOCKEY NOW: Capitals defenseman John Carlson could be one step closer to returning to action after joining his teammates yesterday wearing a regular practice jersey, indicating he’s cleared for contact.

Carlson, 33, suffered a fractured skull and severed his temporal artery after being struck by a slapshot during a game against the Winnipeg Jets three months ago.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Kraken could open their four-game road trip in Dallas tonight without starting goaltender Philipp Grubauer as he battles a non-COVID-related illness. The Kraken hold the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 83 points.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren is expected to be in the lineup for Tuesday’s games against the Carolina Hurricanes. He’s been sidelined since Feb. 25 by a shoulder injury.

TSN: Toronto Maple Leafs blueliner T.J. Brodie is listed as day-to-day after blocking a shot during Saturday’s game against the Ottawa Senators.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Former Bruins captain Zdeno Chara, 46, will be running next month’s Boston Marathon for charity. It will be the first time Chara has run in a marathon.

USCHO.COM: Carson Briere has been charged with criminal mischief and disorderly conduct after a video emerged showing him pushing a double amputee’s empty wheelchair down a flight of stairs in a bar on March 11. Briere is the son of Philadelphia Flyers assistant general manager Daniel Briere.










NHL Rumor Mill – March 17, 2023

by | Mar 17, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – March 17, 2023

A look at some of this summer’s notable restricted free agents in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SPORTSNET: Luke Fox recently examined where things stand for this summer’s noteworthy NHL restricted free agents. Here’s a look at some of the more interesting cases:

Pierre-Luc Dubois, Winnipeg Jets: Fox noted the “grand suspicion” that the 25-year-old Winnipeg Jets center is biding his time until his eligibility next summer for unrestricted free agent status when it’s believed he’ll sign with the Montreal Canadiens.

Winnipeg Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois (NHL Images).

Fox felt Dubois’ future in Winnipeg would’ve been the subject of more speculation by the trade deadline had the Jets not been enjoying a bounce-back performance this season. Head coach Rick Bowness recently praised Dubois’ performance while expressing the hope that he’ll sign a long-term extension this summer with the Jets.

Dubois’ kept quiet on the matter. Fox believes he could get an average annual salary of $9 million on a long-term pact.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Dubois trade rumors died down after he signed his current one-year, $6 million deal last summer. However, the speculation never fully went away.

Given his strong performance this season, you can bet those rumors will ramp up again in the offseason unless he puts pen to paper and signs a lengthy extension with the Jets.

Timo Meier, New Jersey Devils: It’ll cost the Devils $10 million to qualify the 26-year-old winger’s right unless the two sides agree to a new contract before June 30. Fox indicates that Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald is making a long-term extension for Meier a priority, pointing out that the Devils have sufficient cap space next season to extend him.

Jesper Bratt, New Jersey Devils: Fox also observed that the 24-year-old winger is about to make the Devils pay after agreeing to a one-year, $5.45 million contract last summer. Like Dubois and Meier, he’s a year away from UFA eligibility. After tallying a career-high 73 points in 2021-22, he had 60 points in 68 games this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cap Friendly shows the Devils have $35.6 million in cap space for 2023-24 with 11 players under contract. There’s enough to re-sign Meier and Bratt though it could eat up over $18 million combined. Fitzgerald must also decide if he’s willing to pay Meier and Bratt each more than Jack Hughes’ $8 million AAV. If he’s not, things could get very interesting in New Jersey this summer.

Alex DeBrincat, Ottawa Senators: Fox believes the 26-year-old winger holds all the leverage in contract negotiations with the Senators this summer. His AAV is $6.4 million but in actual salary, he’s earned $9 million this season. He’s also a year away from UFA eligibility. Contract talks will begin following the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fox also noted that Senators GM Pierre Dorion is happy with DeBrincat’s performance this season. Nevertheless, the winger’s name surfaced occasionally in the rumor mill.

Considering the high price that Dorion paid to pry DeBrincat away from the Chicago Blackhawks last summer, a long-term extension worth around $9 million annually seems likely.

Others on Fox’s list included Montreal’s Cole Caufield, Anaheim’s Troy Terry and Trevor Zegras, Seattle’s Vince Dunn, the New York Rangers’ K’Andre Miller and Filip Chytil, Edmonton’s Evan Bouchard and Toronto’s Ilya Samsonov.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those players rarely (if ever) appear regularly in media trade chatter during this season. There’s a chance that contract negotiation for some of them could become more contentious than expected. Nevertheless, I expect those in this group will all be re-signed by their current clubs before training camps open in September.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 16, 2023

by | Mar 16, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 16, 2023

Another scoring milestone for the Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin, the date for the draft lottery is announced, an update on a potential increase in next season’s salary cap, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin reached another scoring milestone in a 5-4 shootout win over the Buffalo Sabres. Ovechkin scored his 402nd career home goal to move into fourth place for the most home goals in NHL history. Evgeny Kuznetsov and T.J. Oshie scored in the shootout for the 33-29-7 Capitals (73 points) as they sit five points behind the New York Islanders for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot. The Sabres (33-28-6) sit one point behind the Capitals.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

Speaking of the Islanders, Kyle Palmieri had a goal and three assists as they downed the Anaheim Ducks 6-3. Brock Nelson scored twice and Zach Parise had a goal and an assist for the 35-27-8 Islanders. Kevin Shattenkirk tallied twice for the 22-36-10 Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders are tied in points (78) with the Pittsburgh Penguins but the latter holds the first-wild spot with three games in hand.

A shootout goal by Nathan MacKinnon lifted the Colorado Avalanche to a 2-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Mikko Rantanen scored in regulation for the Avalanche while Morgan Reilly tallied for the Leafs. The Avalanche (38-22-6) sit third in the Central Division with 82 points while the 40-18-9 Leafs are second in the Atlantic Division with 89 points.

A five-goal second period powered the Minnesota Wild over the St. Louis Blues 8-5. Ryan Hartman led the way with two goals and an assist for the Wild (39-21-8) as they remain four points ahead of the Avalanche in second place in the Central Division with 86 points. Pavel Buchnevich had a hat trick and Jakub Vrana scored twice for the 29-33-5 Blues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues goalie Jordan Binnington gave up five goals and earned a match penalty for charging into the Wild’s celebration of their fifth goal to go after Hartman, sparking a melee that saw the linesmen restrain Binnington and Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury from fighting each other.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: The 2023 draft lottery will be held on May 8 as the league revealed the remaining critical dates for the 2022-23 season following the completion yesterday of the general managers’ meetings in Florida.

Monday, April 17

Start of 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs 

Monday, May 8

2023 NHL Draft Lottery (7 p.m. ET, ESPN, SN, TVAS) 

Saturday, June 3

Tentative start of 2023 Stanley Cup Final (TNT, SN, TVAS) 

Sunday, June 4 – Saturday, June 10

2023 NHL Scouting Combine presented by adidas (Buffalo) 

Monday, June 26

2023 NHL Awards (Bridgestone Arena) 

Wednesday, June 28

Round 1 of 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft (7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT, ESPN, SN, TVAS) (Bridgestone Arena) 

Thursday, June 29

Rounds 2-7 of 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft (11 a.m. ET/10 a.m. CT, NHLN, SN, TVAS) (Bridgestone Arena)

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman speculated the salary cap could rise higher than the projected $1 million to $83.5 million for 2023-24. He indicated it could go up by $4.5 million if hockey-related revenue for the remainder of this season exceeds expectations. That would allow the remaining escrow debt owed by the players to the team owners to be paid in full.

Failing that, Bettman hinted that he’d be willing to meet with the NHL Players Association to discuss artificially increasing the salary cap for next season. Doing so, however, would mean increasing the six percent escrow rates the players are required to pay under the final three seasons of the current collective bargaining agreement.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: How much the players would be willing to increase that rate and for how long will determine whether the cap goes up higher than projected for next season. If they’re unwilling to entertain that option, the cap might only go up by $1 million for 2023-24 if HRR isn’t greater than expected. That means any significant cap increases would have to wait until 2024-25.

TSN: Bettman also said that he anticipates the sale of the Ottawa Senators could take place within a matter of weeks. Phase 2 of the sale process is underway as the number of interested parties is narrowed down.

THE ATHLETIC: Bettman said the league is looking at short- and long-term backup options for dealing with the bankruptcy of the parent company of Bally Sports, which holds regional broadcasting rights for 12 US-based NHL teams. Bally Sports’ coverage is expected to continue for the remainder of this season.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Christian Dvorak is the latest member of the Canadiens to be sidelined for the season. The club announced the 27-year-old center underwent season-ending knee surgery on Wednesday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As of March 10, the Canadiens led the league in man-games lost to injury with 540. Dvorak joins Carey Price, Paul Byron, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Arber Xhekaj, and Jake Evans who are done for the season. Brendan Gallagher, Sean Monahan, and Kirby Dach remain sidelined indefinitely.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins placed defenseman Dmitry Kulikov (lower body) on long-term injury reserve. This will allow the cap-strapped club to recall a player from their AHL affiliate if necessary. Kulikov appeared in four games with the Penguins after being acquired from the Anaheim Ducks at the trade deadline.

SPORTSNET: Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Matthew Knies, Montreal Canadiens prospect Lane Hutson, and Arizona Coyotes prospect Logan Cooley are among this year’s finalists for the Hobey Baker Award honoring the top college hockey player in the United States. 2023 prospect Adam Fantilli is also among the nominees.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fantilli is considered by most scouts as the second-best prospect in this year’s draft.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Carson Briere, son of Flyers interim general manager Daniel Briere, issued an apology for pushing a disabled student’s wheelchair down a flight of stairs at a bar on Saturday. His father also issued a statement saying he was shocked by Carson’s actions in the video, calling it “inexcusable” and that it ran “completely counter to our family’s values of treating people with respect.”

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet intends to implement an offseason conditioning schedule designed to improve his players’ fitness for next season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 10, 2023

by | Mar 10, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 10, 2023

The Stars enjoy a 10-goal performance against the Sabres, the Oilers down the league-leading Bruins, Erik Karlsson sets a career-high for points, Kirill Kaprizov sidelined, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Dallas Stars crushed the Buffalo Sabres 10-4, marking their first 10-goal performance during a road game since October 1985. Jamie Benn and Mason Marchment each had a goal and two assists, Jason Robertson had three assists and Radek Faksa tallied twice for the Stars as they improved to 35-17-13 to sit atop the Central Division with 83 points. Jeff Skinner had a goal and an assist for the Sabres (32-28-4) as they sit six points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 68 points.

San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a costly win for the Stars as Tyler Seguin left the game in the first period after being cut by a skate blade above his left knee. There was no postgame word regarding his condition but he was spotted on crutches following the game.

San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson scored his 20th goal of the season in a 4-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues. Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich each had two points for the 28-31-5 Blues while the Sharks fell to 19-35-12 on the season. Karlsson set a career single-season high with 83 points and reached the 20-goal plateau for the first time since 2014-15.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Karlsson, 32, leads all NHL defensemen this season in goals and points. He’s considered the front-runner for the Norris Trophy as the league’s top blueliner.

The Edmonton Oilers nipped the Boston Bruins 3-2 to snap the latter’s 10-game winning streak. Darnell Nurse tallied the winning goal late in the third period as the Oilers (36-22-8) hold the first Western Conference wild-card spot with 80 points. David Pastrnak had a goal and an assist as the league-leading Bruins (103 points) are at 49-9-5.

An overtime goal by Brock Nelson completed a three-goal rally by the New York Islanders as they dumped the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3. Anders Lee tallied twice and Ilya Sorokin stopped 33 shots as the Islanders (34-25-8) hold the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 76 points, two ahead of the 32-22-10 Penguins as they remain in the final Eastern wild-card spot. Jeff Petry had two assists for the Penguins.

Patrick Kane scored his first goal for the New York Rangers as they downed the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 on a shootout goal by Mika Zibanejad. Kane finished with two points while Artemi Panarin collected three assists for the 36-19-9 as the Rangers sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 81 points. The 26-33-6 Canadiens have dropped five straight all by one goal.

Los Angeles Kings forwards Phillip Danault and Adrian Kempe each scored twice to defeat the Colorado Avalanche 5-2. Anze Kopitar had three assists, Joonas Korpisalo had 28 saves and Trevor Moore collected an assist in his return to the lineup for the 38-20-8 Kings as they sit in second place in the Pacific Division with 84 points. Nathan MacKinnon scored for the Avalanche (35-22-6) as they cling to third place in the Central Division with 76 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speaking of the Avalanche, there’s concern over whether captain Gabriel Landeskog will return in time for the 2023 playoffs. He’s still recovering from the knee injury that has sidelined him for the entire season thus far.

An overtime goal by Alec Martinez lifted the Vegas Golden Knights to a 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Jonathan Quick made 32 saves for the win as the Golden Knights (39-20-6) hold first place in the Pacific (84 points) with a game in hand over the Kings. Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov each had three points for the slumping Lightning (38-21-6) as they sit third in the Atlantic Division with 82 points.

The New Jersey Devils defeated the Washington Capitals 3-2 on a shootout goal by Timo Meier. Dawson Mercer extended his points streak to 11 games with a goal and an assist as the Devils (42-16-6) as they sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 90 points. The Capitals sank to 31-28-7 (69 points) and sit five points behind the Penguins for the final Eastern wild-card berth.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov made 19 saves to shut out the Philadelphia Flyers 1-0. Andrei Svechnikov’s first-period goal held up as the winner as the Hurricanes improved to 43-12-8 and sit second in the overall standings with 94 points. Felix Sandstrom made 28 saves for the 24-30-11 Flyers.

The Ottawa Senators kept their playoff hopes alive with a 5-4 victory over the Seattle Kraken thanks to third-period goals by Claude Giroux and Alex DeBrincat. With 70 points, the 33-27-4 Senators are four points behind the Penguins. Jared McCann tallied twice for the Kraken (37-22-6) as their five-game win streak came to an end. They sit third in the Pacific Division with 80 points.

Arizona Coyotes goalie Ivan Prosvetov kicked out 39 shots for his first NHL win to beat the Nashville Predators 4-1. Clayton Keller collected two assists for the 23-32-10 Coyotes while the Predators (31-24-7) are six points out of the final Western Conference playoff berth with 69 points.

IN OTHER NEWS…

STARTRIBUNE.COM: Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov will be sidelined for three to four weeks with a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kaprizov is the Wild’s leading scorer with 39 goals and 74 points. He’s their main offensive engine so losing him is a significant setback as they jockey for a playoff berth in the Western Conference. How they adapt to his absence will be a big test that could decide their postseason hopes in the very close Western standings.

SPORTSNET: cited a report by Sportico indicating nine different groups have submitted bids to purchase the Ottawa Senators. Some of those bids value the franchise at over $900 million USD.

The list of potential buyers is expected to be narrowed down within the next several days. The Remington Group (a Toronto-based real estate developer) and billionaire Michael Andlauer (minority owner of the Montreal Canadiens) are among the most prominent bidders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It appears the league hasn’t had any difficulty finding suitors willing to pay big bucks to purchase the Senators. Eugene Melnick, the club’s late owner, paid $92 million USD to purchase the team in 2003. Accounting for inflation, that would be worth nearly $150 million in 2023.

TRIBLIVE.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins are planning upgrades to PPG Arena for 2023-24 starting at the conclusion of this season. They include a new video board, LED ribbon boards, sound system, control room, and content management system.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 9, 2023

by | Mar 9, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 9, 2023

Wild extend points streak by downing the Jets, Tony DeAngelo receives a two-game suspension, an update on the sale of the Senators and Hall-of-Famer Henri Richard suffered from CTE. Details and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Minnesota Wild extended their points streak to 11 games (9-0-2) by doubling up the Winnipeg Jets 4-2. Marc-Andre Fleury made 46 saves and Marcus Foligno had a goal and an assist as the Wild (37-21-7) held second place in the Central Division with 81 points. Nino Niederreiter and Logan Stanley replied for the Jets (36-26-3) as they’ve won only twice in their last 10 games and sit in the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 75 points.

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

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a costly win for the Wild as Kirill Kaprizov left the game midway through the third period after Stanley fell on him. There was no postgame update on his condition. Speaking of the Wild, forward Ryan Hartman was fined $4,594.59 for slashing Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson on Tuesday.

The Jets, meanwhile, played without center Pierre-Luc Dubois due to an upper-body injury. It’s hoped he’ll rejoin the club at some point during its three-game road trip.

Vancouver Canucks center J.T. Miller scored twice, including the winner in overtime, in a 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Elias Pettersson collected two assists as the Canucks improved to 27-32-5 on the season. Lukas Dostal made 31 saves for the Ducks as they dropped to 21-35-9.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speaking of the Canucks, they recently re-signed defenseman Guillaume Brisebois to a two-year contract extension.

The Detroit Red Wings snapped a six-game losing skid by nipping the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3. Lucas Raymond and Dominik Kubalik tallied third-period goals as the Wings (29-26-9) rallied for the win. Taylor Raddysh tallied twice for the 22-37-5 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings forward Robby Fabbri left the game in the first period following an inadvertent knee-on-knee collision with Blackhawks forward Tyler Johnson. No word postgame regarding his condition.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Tony DeAngelo received a two-game suspension for spearing Tampa Bay Lightning winger Corey Perry on Tuesday.

San Jose Sharks head coach David Quinn was fined $25,000.00 for comments that demeaned officials resulting in a game misconduct last Saturday.

OTTAWA SUN: Sources reveal the league received at least three bids for the Senators and possibly a fourth. There could be more as league commissioner Gary Bettman recently said as many as 15 groups were given permission to examine the franchise’s finances.

The Remington Group (a Toronto-based real estate development corporation), billionaire Michael Andlauer (part-owner of the Montreal Canadiens and sole owner of the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs), and the Kimel Family (one of Southern Ontario’s biggest real-estate developers) are believed to have made bids for the franchise.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Whoever wins the bidding and purchases the Senators do so with the understanding that the franchise will not be relocated to another city. The club is currently working on a plan that would bring about the construction of a new arena close to downtown Ottawa.

Speaking of the Senators, goaltender Cam Talbot has been sidelined for three weeks with a “mid-body injury.”

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill missed practice yesterday with a lower-body injury.

NHL.COM: The Carolina Hurricanes have recalled goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov on an emergency basis after backup Antti Raanta left Tuesday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens with an injury.

DAILY FACEOFF: NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly denied the league has any plans afoot to expand to 34 teams. His comments come following cryptic tweets by ESPN’s John Buccigross and Kevin Weekes last week showing images of Houston and Atlanta.

“Expansion isn’t our priority right now,” wrote Daly. However, he didn’t rule out the league listening to groups who have interest, including Atlanta and Houston.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I wouldn’t rule out further NHL expansion but I have my doubts they can make it work in Atlanta again. They tried it twice and both times the franchises struggled to draw fans.

TVA SPORTS: A study of the brain of the late Hall-of-Famer Henri Richard revealed he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Richard died in 2020 after suffering from cognitive impairment during the last years of his life. The condition is caused by blows to the head.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has repeatedly rejected the link regarding blows to the head and CTE. This report will likely do little to change his mind.