NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 28, 2023

by | Feb 28, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 28, 2023

Connor McDavid reaches 50 goals and leads the three stars of the week, the Leafs acquire two players from the Blackhawks, an update on Erik Karlsson and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid scored twice to reach the 50-goal plateau for the first time but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Boston Bruins from winning the game 3-2. Pavel Zacha snapped a 2-2 tie with 30 seconds remaining in the third period as the Bruins picked up their seventh straight win and improved to 46-8-5 to open a nine-point lead atop the overall standings with 97 points. The Oilers (32-21-8) remain in third place in the Pacific Division with 72 points.

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid is the first player to reach 50 goals this season and holds an eight-goal lead over Boston’s David Pastrnak. He also remains the points leader with 115, sitting well ahead of teammate Leon Draisaitl, who sits in second place with 89 points.

Bruins winger and former Oiler Taylor Hall missed this game as he’s returned to Boston with a lower-body injury. He’s listed as day-to-day.

The Colorado Avalanche collected their sixth straight victory by blanking the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 with a 31-save shutout by Alexandar Georgiev. Mikko Rantanen scored twice to reach the 40-goal plateau for the first time in his career as the Avalanche (34-19-5) sit in second place in the Central Division with 72 points, three back of the division-leading Dallas Stars. The Golden Knights (35-19-6) hold a two-point lead over the Los Angeles Kings for first place in the Pacific Division with 76 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights goalie Laurent Brossoit missed this game with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. Meanwhile, Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon said it’s too early to determine whether captain Mark Stone will return to action this season. He’s been sidelined indefinitely since undergoing back surgery on Jan. 31.

Speaking of the Stars, they dropped a 5-4 decision to the Vancouver Canucks on an overtime goal by Andrei Kuzmenko. The Stars (31-16-13) had rallied back from a 4-2 deficit to force the extra frame on goals by Roope Hintz and Nils Lundkvist. Anthony Beauvillier and Quinn Hughes each had three points for the 24-31-5 Canucks, who got a 34-save performance from Thatcher Demko in his first game since being sidelined by a lower-body injury on Dec. 1.

Ottawa Senators forward Claude Giroux had a goal and three assists to lead his club to a 6-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Thomas Chabot had three points and Brady Tkachuk tallied his 25th goal of the season for the 29-26-5 Senators (62 points) as they sit five points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Tyler Bertuzzi and David Perron replied for the Red Wings (28-23-8) as they remain three points behind the Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings activated winger Lucas Raymond off injured reserve for this game but placed defenseman Jordan Oesterle on IR.

The Anaheim Ducks doubled up the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2, snapping the latter’s five-game win streak. Troy Terry had a goal and an assist for the 20-34-7 Ducks as they stretched their win streak to three games. Max Domi and Tyler Johnson each had two points for the 21-33-5 Blackhawks.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark and Anaheim Ducks goalie John Gibson are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Feb. 26.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs acquired defenseman Jake McCabe, forward Sam Lafferty, a conditional fifth-round pick in 2024 and a conditional fifth-rounder in 2025 from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for a conditional first-round pick in 2025 (top-10 protected), a second-round pick in 2026 and forwards Joey Anderson and Pavel Gogolev. The Blackhawks also retained 50 percent of McCabe’s $4 million cap hit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas continues shoring up his roster with this move coming on the heels of his acquisition of Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari from the St. Louis Blues. Unlike those two, McCabe has two years left on his contract while Lafferty is signed through next season.

Some observers have criticized Dubas for trading away too much of his club’s future in his recent moves. For the Leafs GM, however, the future is now. In the final year of his contract, he has to deliver if he hopes to garner an extension. He’ll be out of a job if the Leafs fail once again to get out of the first round. The further the Leafs go in this year’s postseason, the better his chances of staying in his job.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson acknowledged the recent trade of winger Timo Meier to New Jersey indicate there’s no quick turnaround coming for his club’s fortunes.

“I’ve been around the game long enough to understand what needs to be done from an organizational perspective, and it just sucks that it happened to be where I’m at in this stage of my career.”

Karlsson said he hasn’t been approached by management about waiving his no-movement clause. General manager Mike Grier admitted it would be difficult to move the 32-year-old defenseman’s hefty contract before the approaching trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Karlsson’s on pace for a career-high 105-point season. There’s plenty of interest in him, especially from the Edmonton Oilers. However, his $11.5 million annually through 2026-27 remains a significant obstacle in the path to a trade.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Flyers winger Travis Konecny will be out for an extended period of time with an upper-body injury.

TSN: Florida Panthers forwards Aleksander Barkov and Sam Bennett will be sidelined until this weekend with minor injuries.

TSN: The New Jersey Devils placed goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood (lower body) on injured reserve.

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks traded defenseman Riley Stillman to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for prospect forward Josh Bloom.










NHL Rumor Mill – February 27, 2023

by | Feb 27, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – February 27, 2023

An update on Patrick Kane, the Capitals remain linked to Jakob Chychrun, plus speculation about the Wild and Senators in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

UPDATE ON PATRICK KANE

TSN’s Chris Johnston reported Sunday that all indications suggest a trade of Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane to the New York Rangers will eventually come to fruition. However, the deal likely won’t be executed until Wednesday. He suggested it could even come down to the 3 pm ET deadline on Friday due to the salary-cap implications.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers are juggling their roster to squeeze as much projected deadline cap space as possible here. They trade Vitali Kravtsov on Saturday to the Vancouver Canucks and demoted Jake Leschyshyn to their AHL affiliate after he cleared waivers on Sunday. They also benched Ryan Carpenter and Braden Schneider yesterday for cap purposes.

The bigger question is which team will become the third-party broker and what will it cost the Rangers. The Blackhawks are expected to retain half of Kane’s $10.5 million cap hit but the Blueshirts need a third team to pick up half of the remainder. They’ll likely have to part with a draft pick in that deal to make it happen.

CAPITALS STILL LINKED TO CHYCHRUN

THE ATHLETIC: On Saturday, Tarik El-Bashir noted TSN’s Darren Dreger reporting that Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun was a “player of interest” for the Washington Capitals. It’s unclear if Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan will meet the Coyotes’ asking price but a source said Chychrun is exactly the type of player he’s hoping to add in the coming days.

Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun (NHL Images).

El-Bashir pointed out that the Capitals hold two first-round picks in this year’s draft. MacLellan could be willing to include the pick he received from the Boston Bruins last week in a deal for a player such as Chychrun. He doesn’t want to move his own pick as that could become a very high one depending on how the rest of the season plays out.

MacLellan is also receiving calls for players on expiring contracts. However, he’s not interested in moving them for meager returns. He could even re-sign them for the right price.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Coyotes reportedly seek two first-rounders as part of the return for Chychrun. If they don’t budge off that we won’t see him suiting up with the Capitals by March 3.

WILL THE WILD MAKE A BIG DEADLINE MOVE?

TWINCITIES.COM: Dane Mizutani believes Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin must make a big swing at a deal before the Friday trade deadline. The Western Conference appears wide open this season and the Wild are within striking distance of the first-place Dallas Stars in the Central Division.

Mizutani felt all options should be on the table even if it means paying a big price for a rental such as Patrick Kane or a player with term on his contract like the Vancouver Canucks’ Brock Boeser. If Guerin goes the latter route, it’ll mean moving out a player signed beyond this season given the Wild’s salary-cap crunch starting in 2023-24.

THE ATHLETIC: Joe Smith reports the Wild’s improved play of late has motivated Guerin to be “very active” at this year’s trade deadline. He’d ideally like to add a forward.

Guerin has maintained his position that he doesn’t want to move his first-round picks or top prospects, which took them out of the running for someone like Timo Meier, who was traded yesterday by the San Jose Sharks to the New Jersey Devils. Smith indicated the Wild aren’t in on Kane and it appears unlikely they can make the dollars work to bring Boeser home to Minnesota.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Guerin’s twice used his cap space to broker third-party deals involving Ryan O’Reilly and Dmitry Orlov. With over $11 million in projected cap room (as per Cap Friendly), he can afford to add one or two players to his roster. However, he could end up having to settle for depth players if he’s not going to part with a first-rounder or a high-quality prospect.

SENATORS WEIGHING ALL OPTIONS AS THE DEADLINE APPROACHES

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports Senators GM Pierre Dorion and his staff are considering all their options as the Friday trade deadline draws near. They could buy, sell or stand pat depending on the club’s performance during two crucial games this week against the Detroit Red Wings, who are ahead of them in the race for a wild-card spot.

The priority remains to find a No. 1 defenseman but there aren’t many available and a number of other clubs are in the market for the same commodity. They have no new discussions with the Arizona Coyotes about Jakob Chychrun though that could change if the Coyotes are willing to reduce their asking price of two first-rounders and a high-end prospect. Asking prices are also high for Nashville’s Mattias Ekholm and Vancouver’s Luke Schenn.

If the Senators become sellers they could peddle pending free-agent goaltender Cam Talbot. However, they’d need to get a goalie back to help them finish the season. Winger Austin Watson could also draw some interest in the trade market.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – February 26, 2023

by | Feb 26, 2023

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – February 26, 2023

The Blackhawks and Rangers are believed working on a Patrick Kane deal, the latest on Timo Meier, what’s next for the Jets and Predators, the Flyers are shopping James van Riemsdyk, plus the latest on the Oilers, Blue Jackets, Senators and Leafs in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

BLACKHAWKS & RANGERS WORKING ON PATRICK KANE TRADE

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the New York Rangers have started moves to clear cap space in anticipation of acquiring Patrick Kane from the Chicago Blackhawks. They traded winger Vitali Kravtsov to the Vancouver Canucks and placed forward Jake Leschyshyn on waivers. However, there’s nothing official yet regarding Kane and the Rangers.

Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane (NHL Images).

He believes the earliest the Rangers could acquire Kane would be Tuesday when they would’ve accrued sufficient cap space. However, that could become as early as Sunday if Ryan Lindgren ends up on long-term injury reserve after he was injured during Saturday’s game against Washington.

TSN: Chris Johnston reported Kane would not play in Saturday’s game against the San Jose Sharks as he returned home to Chicago. His agent said the decision was a collective one based on the situation.

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks reports Rangers general manager Chris Drury still has to find a third team to broker this deal and spread around Kane’s $10.5 million cap hit after the Blackhawks retain half of it. Brooks feels this deal could be inevitable with Kane perhaps joining the Rangers lineup by Wednesday.

THE ATHLETIC: Scott Powers and Mark Lazerus report Drury remains stuck to his position of not parting with a first-round pick in June’s draft or any upcoming year or surrendering prime prospect Brennan Othmann. They also suspect the Rangers GM could be unwilling to part with prospects Matthew Robertson, Will Cuylle, Dylan Garand or perhaps even Adam Sykora.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It doesn’t sound like the Blackhawks will get much of a return for the Rangers for Kane. At this stage, a second-round pick and defenseman Zac Jones could be the main pieces of a return based on recent speculations.

LATEST ON TIMO MEIER

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the leading contenders for Timo Meier (New Jersey, Carolina, Vegas) want to get an answer from the San Jose Sharks. As of Saturday, the Devils remain the lead contenders while the Hurricanes don’t sound as likely though Friedman cautioned that could always change. Some teams wanted to make a contract extension for Meier as part of the deal but that doesn’t sound as likely now.

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reported things seemed to be heating up on the Meier trade front. The list of suitors is shrinking as the Sharks zero in on what they want to do.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sheng Peng cited a source claiming the Golden Knights are “in hard for Meier.” Peng remains doubtful they can win a bidding war citing the lack of depth in Grade-A prospects within their system. One option could be for the Golden Knights to become a middle-man team that re-routes Meier to another club. There is the possibility of Vegas offering up their 2023 first-rounder plus a future unprotected first-rounder in a package offer.

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Luke DeCock reports the Hurricanes have the cap space to spare, the prospects to dangle and could perhaps part with their 2023 first-rounder for a roster upgrade. Meier would make sense as the pending restricted free agent would be a “sort-of” rental but the asking price would be expensive. DeCock believes the Hurricanes would be willing to move a prospect such as Jack Drury or Scott Morrow but not both while Alexander Nikishin is untouchable.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It sounds like Meier could be moved well before Friday’s 3 PM ET deadline. The Devils remain the favorite but I don’t rule out the Hurricanes. The St. Louis Blues are reportedly willing to offer up two of their three first-rounders in this year’s draft but not their own pick, which could be a deal-breaker for the Sharks. I don’t see the Golden Knights having a realistic chance unless the Devils, Hurricanes and Blues drop out.

PREDATORS ARE SELLERS

THE TENNESSEAN: Paul Skrbina reports Nashville Predators GM David Poile confirms his club is a seller after shipping winger Nino Niederreiter to the Winnipeg Jets. Poile isn’t going to forecast anything and won’t just make a trade for the sake of doing so. However, he adds that most teams know he’s willing to listen to offers.

SPORTSNET: Jeff Marek believes captain Roman Josi, goaltender Juuse Saros and winger Filip Forsberg are the only untouchables. He anticipates defenseman Dante Fabbro could be moved this week with the San Jose Sharks as a leading contender for his services. Teams have been calling about power forward Tanner Jeannot. Marek wondered if the Dallas Stars could pursue him though the asking price is high.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jeannot might be drawing interest from contenders but he might not be available. Poile opened contract extension talks recently with his agent. Unless those discussions have gone south, Jeannot could also be untouchable.

WHAT NEXT FOR THE JETS

SPORTSNET: Ken Wiebe expects the Winnipeg Jets will have a busy week leading up to deadline day after acquiring Nino Niederreiter on Saturday. They could have up to $5.5 million in accrued cap space by Friday to add one or two more players, though Timo Meier isn’t expected to be one of them given the Sharks’ high asking price and the difficulty of working out a contract extension. A middle-six forward like St. Louis’ Ivan Barbashev or Arizona’s Nick Bjugstad could make sense.

THE ATHLETIC: Murat Ates also believes the Jets aren’t done shopping before Friday’s deadline. He also sees them looking at rental players like Barbashev, Bjugstad or Vancouver’s Luke Schenn. James van Riemsdyk would be worthwhile if the Flyers agree to retain half of his $7 million cap hit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I don’t believe the Jets are done here. They’ve got sufficient cap space and wouldn’t have to give up a lot to land that middle-six forward.

COULD THE OILERS AND BLUE JACKETS BECOME TRADE PARTNERS?

THE ATHLETIC: Daniel Nugent-Bowman believes the Edmonton Oilers must do something to improve their defense after watching their dispiriting 6-5 loss on Saturday to the Columbus Blue Jackets. He feels they can’t just stand pat or pick around the edges at the trade deadline.

The odds of acquiring Erik Karlsson from the San Jose Sharks seem minuscule while it’s unlikely they can pry Jakob Chychrun away from the Arizona Coyotes.

Aaron Portzline, meanwhile, wondered if the Oilers could become a destination for Blue Jackets defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov now that the deal with the Boston Bruins has fallen by the wayside. He wondered if packaging Gavrikov with goaltender Joonas Korpisalo might convince Oilers GM Ken Holland to part with his 2023 first-round pick along with picks and prospects. The Jackets would also have to acquire winger Jesse Puljujarvi and his $3 million cap hit to make the dollars work for the cap-strapped Oilers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers clearly have to do something to improve their defense. I don’t see how Karlsson is possible given his expensive contract and the high asking price that the Sharks would set for him. The Coyotes remain steadfast in their demand for two first-rounders plus a top prospect for Chychrun.

Gavrikov could help the Oilers. He has his critics but I don’t believe he could do any worse than what they’ve already got playing left-side defense on their second pairing. They can’t afford Korpisalo what with Jack Campbell and his $5 million cap hit already on their books.

FLYERS SHOPPING JAMES VAN RIEMSDYK

SPORTSNET: Jeff Marek reports the Philadelphia Flyers have let teams know that James van Riemsdyk is available. Teams like the Vegas Golden Knights, Minnesota Wild, Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets have been lined to the 33-year-old winger, though Marek isn’t certain if the Jets’ acquisition of Nino Niederreiter changes things for them.

SENATORS, LEAFS SHOPPING FOR DEFENSEMEN

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the Ottawa Senators are in the market for a right-side defenseman. He believes they have a little bit of flexibility to add a blueliner with some term remaining on his contract.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are committed to seeing what the trade market is for defensemen. There’s a surplus of blueliners in the market right now and cap-strapped teams like the Leafs could be hoping the prices come down as sellers get squeezed.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel and James Mirtle believe the Leafs must shore up their defense for a matchup with the Boston Bruins or Tampa Bay Lightning in the playoffs. They indicated that Canucks blueliner (and former Leafs) Luke Schenn is among their targets. Another enticing option would be Nashville’s Mattias Ekholm if the Predators are willing to move him and retain some salary.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 26, 2023

by | Feb 26, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 26, 2023

Bruins goalie Linus Ullmark scores in his 30th win of the season, the Sharks retire Patrick Marleau’s number, the Jets acquire Nino Niederreiter, the Blues claim Kasperi Kapanen off waivers, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark celebrated his 30th win of the season by scoring an empty-net goal in a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Ullmark had 26 saves while Hampus Lindholm and Brad Marchand also scored for the 45-8-5 Bruins, who opened a nine-point lead over the Carolina Hurricanes for first place in the overall standings with 95 points. Brock Boeser scored for Vancouver as they dropped to 23-31-5 on the season. Canucks defenseman Ethan Bear left the game in the first period with an upper-body injury.

Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Canucks acquired winger Vitali Kravtsov from the New York Rangers in exchange for winger Will Lockwood and a seventh-round pick in 2026. The 23-year-old Kravtsov was the ninth overall pick in the 2018 draft but struggled to establish himself with the Rangers. He becomes an affordable reclamation project for the rebuilding Canucks. The Rangers, meanwhile, shed some cap space ($875K) for perhaps another move at the March 3 trade deadline.

Speaking of the Hurricanes, their five-game winning streak ended after dropping a 3-2 decision to the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson kicked out 51 shots while Trevor Zegras and Ryan Strome each collected two assists for the 19-34-7 Ducks. Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Jesper Fast replied for the Hurricanes (39-11-8) as they sit second in the overall standings with 86 points.

As for the Rangers, their winless skid stretched for four games (0-3-1) after falling 6-3 to the Washington Capitals. Evgeny Kuznetsov scored twice and collected two assists while T.J. Oshie also tallied twice for the 29-26-6 Capitals as they sit one point out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 64 points. Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad each had two points for 33-17-9 Rangers as they sit in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 75 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren left the game in the first period with an injured left shoulder following a hit into the boards by Oshie. Earlier in the day, they also placed forward Jake Leschyshyn on waivers in what’s expected to be a cost-cutting move for the upcoming trade deadline.

The Pittsburgh Penguins reclaimed that final Eastern wild-card spot with a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Blues on an overtime goal by Bryan Rust to snap their four-game losing skid. Rust, Evgeni Malkin and Marcus Pettersson each had a goal and an assist as the Penguins (65 points) improved to 28-21-9. Jordan Binnington made 45 saves for the Blues as they fell to 26-28-5.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Blues claimed winger Kasperi Kapanen off waivers from the Penguins. The 26-year-old winger did not play in this game. The Blues did the Penguins a favor as this move cleared Kapanen’s $3.2 million cap hit through 2023-24 off their books, providing some cap flexibility to perhaps make a move before the trade deadline.

A four-point performance by Connor McDavid couldn’t prevent the Edmonton Oilers from falling 6-5 to the Columbus Blue Jackets. McDavid scored twice and set up two other goals as his Oilers overcame a 4-0 deficit to tie the game but Columbus rallied with two more goals and held on for the win. Jack Roslovic also had two goals and two assists as the Blue Jackets improved to 19-35-5. The Oilers (32-20-8) sit third in the Pacific Division with 72 points.

New Jersey Devils goalie Akira Schmid made 23 saves for his first NHL shutout in a 7-0 drubbing of the Philadelphia Flyers. Jonas Siegenthaler had a goal and two assists while Dawson Mercer scored to extend his goal streak to six games for the Devils (39-15-5) as they sit three points back of the Hurricanes with 83 points. The 23-28-10 Flyers played without winger Travis Konecny (upper body) as he was placed on injured reserve.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers winger James van Riemsdyk didn’t play in this game. Head coach John Tortorella claimed he was “a little banged-up.” The 33-year-old van Riemsdyk is expected to be moved by the March 3 trade deadline.

The Dallas Stars ended a five-game losing streak by nipping the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 on shootout goals by Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz, who also tallied the game-tying goal with 38 seconds remaining in regulation. Jake Oettinger stopped 41 shots for the 31-16-12 Stars as they hold a three-point lead over the Winnipeg Jets for first place in the Central Division with 74 points. Jack Eichel netted his 20th goal of the season for the Golden Knights (35-18-6) as they sit atop the Western Conference standings with 76 points.

Tampa Bay Lightning netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy made 45 saves to blank the Detroit Red Wings 3-0. Brayden Point, Nikita Kucherov and Alex Killorn were the goal scorers as the Lightning improved to 37-17-4 and sit two points behind the second-place Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division with 78 points. Detroit (28-22-8) sits one point out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 64 points. Red Wings forward Michael Rasmussen left the game in the first period with a lower-body injury.

The Colorado Avalanche beat the Calgary Flames 4-1. Mikko Rantanen scored for the fourth straight game while Alexandar Georgiev made 28 saves as the Avalanche (33-19-5) moved past the Winnipeg Jets into second place in the Central Division with 71 points. Tyler Toffoli scored his 25th goal of the season as his Flames fell to 27-21-12 and four points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 66 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche also acquired minor-league goaltender Keith Kinkaid from the Bruins in exchange for forward Shane Bowers. Bringing in Kinkaid could be an insurance move as Pavel Francouz remains sidelined with a lower-body injury.

The Ottawa Senators swept their season series with the Montreal Canadiens with a 5-2 win. Derick Brassard had a goal and an assist while Mads Sogaard stopped 30 shots as the Senators improved to 28-26-4 to sit five points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot with 60 points. Nick Suzuki tallied his 20th goal of the season for the 25-30-4 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens also announced defenseman Arber Xhekaj will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery. Center Kirby Dach is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury while forward Joel Armia is day-to-day with an upper respiratory infection.

Chicago Blackhawks goalie Petr Mrazek turned aside 45 shots in a 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharks on a shootout goal by Philipp Kurashev. The Blackhawks improved to 21-32-5 while San Jose sank to 18-30-12. Before the game, the Sharks retired Patrick Marleau’s No. 12 in a pregame ceremony.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marleau is the Sharks’ all-time leader with 1,607 games played, 522 goals and 1,111 points. He’s also second in assists with 589. Marleau is the first player in franchise history to have his number retired.

IN OTHER NEWS…

WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets acquired winger Nino Niederreiter from the Nashville Predators in exchange for a 2024 second-round pick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A nice pickup by the Jets to bolster their scoring depth. The 30-year-old Niederreiter is a big-bodied winger who is on pace (18 goals) to reach the 20-goal plateau for the sixth time in his career. He’s not a rental player as he carries a $4 million annual cap hit through 2023-24. The Jets might not be done making moves as Cap Friendly shows they’ve got over $5.4 million in projected trade deadline cap space.

SPORTSNET: The Buffalo Sabres placed winger Alex Tuch on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This could be a big blow to the Sabres’ playoff hopes. Tuch is second in scoring with 28 goals and 62 points. This could prompt management to shop for a replacement if he’s sidelined for a long period.

TSN: The Toronto Maple Leafs will send a second-round pick in 2025 to the Arizona Coyotes to complete last February’s trade that sent forward Nick Ritchie to the Coyotes in exchange for defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin and forward Ryan Dzingel.










NHL Rumor Mill – February 24, 2023

by | Feb 24, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – February 24, 2023

Could Patrick Kane end up with the Rangers? Are the Penguins interested in Jakob Chychrun or peddling Jeff Petry? What’s the latest on Vladislav Gavrikov and Brock Boeser? What about the Senators, Flyers and Capitals? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

COULD PATRICK KANE STILL END UP WITH THE RANGERS?

TSN: Chris Johnston reports the hockey world is still waiting for Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane to decide whether he’ll waive his no-movement clause before the March 3 trade deadline. Johnston believes the New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars could be keeping tabs on the 34-year-old Kane.

NEW YORK POST: Mollie Walker reports the Rangers’ decision to sit Vitali Kravtsov and Jake Leschyshyn for “roster management reasons” prompted speculation they were getting closer to acquiring Kane. It would require a three-team trade to pull this off with the Blackhawks retaining 50 percent of Kane’s $10.5 million salary-cap hit and the Rangers and another club splitting the remainder.

Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane (NHL Images).

Walker also believes the Rangers would have to waive another player even if Kravtsov and Leschyshyn went to the Blackhawks. Another option would be waiving Kravtsov and Leschyshyn on Saturday and then waiting until March 3 to acquire Kane as the Rangers will have accrued sufficient cap space by that time to squeeze in the remainder of his cap hit in a three-team deal.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: Stefen Rosner cited a source claiming the Rangers and Blackhawks are hammering out the framework of a deal that would send Kane to New York. Kravtsov and Zachary Jones are named as part of the return to Chicago with a third team involved to spread Kane’s cap hit around.

ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports Kane’s agent, Pat Brisson, said there are “plenty of contenders” interested in his client.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane to New York won’t be easy to pull off but it’s not impossible. I don’t rule it out if Rangers general manager Chris Drury doesn’t have to give up a first-round pick, a top prospect or a young roster player like Alexis Lafreniere or Kaapo Kakko. Drury could end up with considerable leverage if the Rangers are Kane’s only preferred destination. In that case, the Blackhawks will have to accept whatever the Blueshirts are willing to offer as it’s expected that they’re going to honor Kane’s wishes.

THE LATEST ON THE PENGUINS

THE ATHLETIC: Rob Rossi reports sources are claiming that Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan wants GM Ron Hextall to trade for Jakob Chychrun. However, Hextall is unwilling to do this because the Arizona Coyotes want him to include the Penguins’ 2025 and 2026 first-round picks as part of the return for the 24-year-old defenseman.

Rossi also noted the Penguins would have difficulty fitting Chychrun’s $4.6 million annual average value within their limited salary-cap payroll for this season. It would require the Coyotes retaining half of his cap hit or the Penguins sending a salaried player to Arizona. Hextall has informed the other NHL general managers that Kasperi Kapanen is available.

TSN: Pierre LeBrun noted a recent rumor flying around claiming the Penguins might be willing to part with defenseman Jeff Petry, who carries an AAV of $6.25 million through 2024-25. LeBrun indicated they’re not expected to make the 35-year-old blueliner available at the deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hextall’s in a difficult position here. His club is sinking in the standings and could fall completely out of playoff contention without a big move to improve the roster. Chychrun could help but the Penguins GM would be sacrificing two major pieces that will be necessary to rebuild the roster once Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang reach the end of their careers.

As for Petry, his cap hit, age, 15-team no-trade clause and the decline in his production would make him a tough sell with so many teams carrying little or no cap space this season.

SENATORS NOT INTERESTED IN CHYCHRUN

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the Ottawa Senators are in the market for a defenseman as well as a center leading up to the trade deadline. However, they’re not among the suitors for Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun. They’ve been linked to him for some time but Senators management considers the Coyotes’ asking price to be too high.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch has reported the same thing for weeks now. The Senators were interested in Chychrun but not at the cost of two first-rounders and a high-end prospect.

UPDATES ON GAVRIKOV AND BOESER

THE ATHLETIC: Aaron Portzline reports that multiple team and league sources confirmed that the Columbus Blue Jackets believed they had a deal in place that would’ve shipped defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov to the Boston Bruins. Instead, the Bruins acquired blueliner Dmitry Orlov from the Washington Capitals.

The Jackets have held Gavrikov out of the lineup for over a week now for “trade-related reasons”. It’s unclear if he’ll return to the lineup for Saturday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers. Portzline indicates the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings and Toronto Maple Leafs are in the market for a left-side blueliner.

Portzline also noted there is speculation linking the Blue Jackets to Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun. The Coyotes seek at least a first-round pick as part of the return but there’s no way the Blue Jackets are parting with their 2023 first-rounder as it could become the first-overall selection.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I believe Gavrikov will still get traded but the Blue Jackets might not get the type of return similar to what they had lined up with the Bruins. Still, they could use the following week to see if they can stoke a bidding war between the interested clubs.

SPORTSNET: Iain MacIntyre reports Brock Boeser’s agent, Ben Hankinson, has been working with Vancouver Canucks management trying to find a trade for the 25-year-old winger. However, his $6.65 million salary cap hit through 2024-25 is a major obstacle. Canucks GM Patrik Allvin said he still values Boeser and doesn’t want to force anything.

Hankinson said Boeser would fit in well with the Minnesota Wild. However, the Canucks would have to retain a significant portion of the Minnesota native’s cap hit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks were believed unwilling to retain any portion of Boeser’s salary. However, MacIntyre noted that Allvin didn’t rule it out in a recent interview, saying it depended on the deal and what’s included.

Boeser to Minnesota is possible if the Canucks are willing to retain half of his cap hit. That would also mean the Wild having to give up a significant asset in return. Allvin could seek a top prospect like Jesper Wallstedt, Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren or Brock Faber.

UPDATE ON THE FLYERS

TSN: Chris Johnston believes Philadelphia Flyers winger James van Riemsdyk could be a “Plan B” option for teams that lose out in the bidding for San Jose Sharks winger Timo Meier. Those could include the Carolina Hurricanes, Winnipeg Jets or Vegas Golden Knights. He also thinks teams that aren’t in on Meier, like the Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild, could be keeping tabs on van Riemsdyk.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: van Riemsdyk isn’t a 70-plus point performer like Meier but he’s an experienced, big-bodied winger with playoff experience who has reached or exceeded 20 goals seven times in his career, including 24 last season. He’s on an expiring contract with a $7 million cap hit but the Flyers will likely retain half of it for the right offer.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Jordan Hall cited Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reporting Joel Farabee’s camp has expressed their displeasure to Flyers management over how this season has unfolded under head coach John Tortorella.

Farabee has struggled this season in part because of neck surgery last summer throwing off his offseason training program. He’s managed just nine goals and 17 assists in 59 games this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Seravalli listed Farabee at No. 20 on his updated trade targets list. He’s in the first year of a six-year, $30 million contract so I don’t see him getting moved at the deadline. Still, it’ll be worthwhile to keep an eye on this situation.

Farabee isn’t the only player who’s had some difficulty with Tortorella. Kevin Hayes has surfaced occasionally in the rumor mill after he was scratched from a couple of games earlier in the season.

WHAT NEXT FOR THE CAPITALS?

THE ATHLETIC: Tarik El-Bashir looked at who else could be on the trade block for the Washington Capitals after they dealt Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway to the Boston Bruins on Thursday. Anthony Mantha, Lars Eller, Conor Sheary and Marcus Johansson are among those who could be available.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: All but Mantha are slated to become unrestricted free agents this summer. Mantha has another year remaining on his contract. With a dozen players eligible for UFA status this summer, it’s probably a safe bet that Capitals management will be listening to offers for them.










NHL Rumor Mill (Part 2) – February 23, 2023

by | Feb 23, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill (Part 2) – February 23, 2023

Check out the latest on Brock Boeser, Sam Reinhart, Mattias Ekholm, J.T. Miller, Boone Jenner, Adam Henrique and more in Part 2 of today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

MORE “32 THOUGHTS” TRADE RUMORS

SPORTSNET: With the March 3 trade deadline over a week away, Elliotte Friedman examined each NHL club.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: We looked at the first 16 teams in Part 1 earlier today. Here’s a summary of the remaining 16 clubs.

Calgary Flames: They looked into acquiring Vancouver’s Luke Schenn but the price looks like it was higher than they wanted to pay. The Flames also kicked tires on Vancouver winger Brock Boeser.

Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Calgary Sun’s Wes Gilbertson observed the Flames are in a difficult position here given their position sitting just outside of a Western Conference wild-card berth. General manager Brad Treliving appears to be in wait-and-see mode with the club’s performance over the next seven days likely to decide whether he buys or sells.

Buffalo Sabres: Friedman believes they should do something no matter how small to bring in someone to help their roster.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres GM Kevyn Adams isn’t likely to make a major acquisition by the deadline. However, with his rebuilding club sitting tantalizingly close to a playoff spot, I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t make an affordable rental addition to add a little more experience and leadership to the room.

Nashville Predators: Friedman doubts forward Tanner Jeannot is going anywhere with the club opening talks on a long-term contract extension. It would take a “strong package” to pry away defenseman Mattias Ekholm.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s believed GM David Poile is willing to listen on most of his players. However, he’d got a lot of veterans on expensive long-term deals and those types of players usually don’t move before the trade deadline. And no, I don’t see him peddling goaltender Juuse Saros or captain Roman Josi. Moving on…

New York Islanders: Friedman isn’t sure what GM Lou Lamoriello could be up to. He’s already made a major move by acquiring Bo Horvat. He doesn’t see pending free-agent defenseman Scott Mayfield getting moved while they’re still in playoff contention.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I wouldn’t rule out Lamoriello making another addition if the Isles can strengthen their grip on the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot. It won’t be as big a splash as the Horvat deal but one that provides some affordable depth. Much could depend on how long center Mathew Barzal will be sidelined by his lower-body injury.

Florida Panthers: They’ve climbed back into the playoff race and winger Anthony Duclair should soon return to the lineup. Friedman’s heard Sam Reinhart’s name come up in the rumor mill but isn’t sure about the timing.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Reinhart would be a trade chip if the Panthers were still wallowing near the bottom of the standings. He’s not going anywhere now that they’ve played their way back into the playoff race. GM Bill Zito could be a buyer but getting Duclair back into the lineup could be just as good as acquiring someone via trade.

Washington Capitals: GM Brian MacLellan is open to discussing his pending unrestricted free agents in the trade market. He’s not close to a new contract with Dmitry Orlov. Other UFAs include Garnet Hathaway, Connor Sheary, Marcus Johansson and Trevor van Riemsdyk.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals are just two points out of a wild-card spot with Alex Ovechkin returning to the lineup following the death of his father. I expect MacLellan will remain patient for the next week to see how his club responds.

Ottawa Senators: Friedman pointed out they’ve inquired about every available defenseman this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli said the Senators have also expressed an interest in St. Louis defenseman Colton Parayko. Also, their shipping away Nikita Zaitsev to Chicago for “future considerations” (and including two draft picks in the deal) suggests they could be preparing for a significant acquisition. Maybe it’s Parayko or another notable defenseman. We’ll see…

St. Louis Blues: They’ve now got three first-round picks in the 2023 draft. It’s believed they’ve inquired about San Jose’s Timo Meier and Arizona’s Jakob Chychrun. If Meier’s unavailable, Friedman also wondered if GM Doug Armstrong might pursue Alex DeBrincat if he doesn’t re-sign with Ottawa.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch believes the Blues must clear more salary-cap space if they intend on making a quick rebuild. Trading away Ryan O’Reilly, Vladimir Tarasenko, Niko Mikkola and Noel Acciari didn’t free up any cap room for next season because they were all on expiring contracts. Thomas wondered if Armstrong would try to trade a defenseman such as Colton Parayko or Torey Krug but noted they’ve got expensive contracts with full no-trade protection.

Philadelphia Flyers: Friedman doesn’t see forward Travis Konecny going anywhere. James van Riemsdyk’s a scoring option for a few teams. Kevin Hayes is available and Felix Sandstrom could end up on waivers. The Flyers are looking for centers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A pending UFA, van Riemsdyk’s a goner though I expect interested clubs will want the Flyers to retain half of his $7 million salary-cap hit. Hayes carries a $7.1 million cap hit through 2025-26 with a 12-team no-trade clause. That’s a contract that gets moved in the offseason, not the trade deadline.

Montreal Canadiens: Injuries to Sean Monahan and Joel Edmundson rule them out as trade chips. Winger Evgenii Dadonov might go for a later-round draft pick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The expectation is the Canadiens could have a quiet trade deadline. It would be a different story if Monahan and Edmundson were healthy and productive. GM Kent Hughes could surprise us but unless he’s shopping someone like Josh Anderson I don’t see him making many moves this year.

Vancouver Canucks: Defenseman Luke Schenn has been held out of the lineup for trade-related reasons. Friedman’s getting mixed messages regarding Washington’s supposed interest in Brock Boeser. Teams want to see what they’ll do with J.T. Miller but Friedman considers it unlikely that anything happens with him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Schenn is the most likely to go given his affordable salary ($800K) and his playoff experience. The Canucks could probably move Boeser at the trade deadline if they agree to retain half of his $6.65 million cap hit. Miller’s no-trade clause doesn’t kick in until July 1 but I agree that he’s unlikely to be moved.

Arizona Coyotes: Jakob Chychrun’s been held out of the lineup for trade-related reasons since mid-February. Friedman doubts Boston is in on him because of salary-cap issues. That leaves Columbus, Los Angeles, St. Louis and perhaps Winnipeg as possible destinations. Shayne Gostisbehere is another Coyotes defenseman worth watching.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was assumed Chychrun was heading to the Kings earlier this month but that appears to have fallen through for now. I still expect he’s going to get moved by deadline day. Gostisbehere is also likely to be on the move.

San Jose Sharks: Suitors for Timo Meier include Carolina, New Jersey, St. Louis, Vegas and Winnipeg. Freidman wondered if it could cost Western suitors more for Meier than Eastern ones. Erik Karlsson to Edmonton appears unlikely. Pending free agents such as Nick Bonino and James Reimer are worth watching.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Meier’s a goner, it’s just a question of where. The Devils, Hurricanes and Blues appear to be the front-runners. Karlsson’s not going anywhere because his hefty contract is too difficult to move in-season. It won’t be easy to shop him this summer. I think Bonino and Reimer will be changing teams by March 3.

Chicago Blackhawks: Patrick Kane’s decision regarding a trade is expected any day now. It’s down to picking one team to get traded to or making a decision to look after his health beyond this season and address his nagging hip issue.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In Part One, I noted that there remains a possibility Kane ends up with the New York Rangers after all. We’ll find out soon enough if that’s the case and how they’ll pull it off.

Columbus Blue Jackets: Vladislav Gavrikov has been taken out of the lineup for trade-related reasons. Friedman wondered if the Blue Jackets will try to pursue Arizona’s Jakob Chychrun. Joonas Korpisalo and the sidelined Gustav Nyquist could also become trade candidates. Some teams have looked at Boone Jenner but there aren’t many who can handle his contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gavrikov is gone given his UFA status and affordable $2.8 million cap hit. Chychrun to Columbus makes no sense if reports that he doesn’t want to go there are true unless the Jackets intend to flip him to another team. A team in need of cap flexibility could acquire Nyquist’s contract, put him on LTIR and use the savings to add another player.

Anaheim Ducks: John Klingberg is available. Friedman believes it’s time to move Maxime Comtois. He also believes the Ducks and goalie John Gibson would love to find a way to get him to a new home. There are also teams interested in Adam Henrique but the Ducks could demand a premium to retain salary.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks GM Pat Verbeek was very busy leading up to last year’s trade deadline, shipping out Hampus Lindholm, Josh Manson and Rickard Rakell. It’ll be interesting to see what moves he makes this year and what returns he might get.

Gibson’s hefty contract means he’s not moving at the deadline. Henrique has a year left on his deal with a $5.8 million cap hit and a 12-team no-trade clause. Comtois is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights carrying an affordable $2.037 million cap hit.