NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 28, 2023

by | Jan 28, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 28, 2023

Recaps of Friday’s game, Auston Matthews sidelined for at least three weeks, updates on Gabriel Landeskog and Cole Caufield plus some potentially bad news for hockey-related revenue in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Carolina Hurricanes got a 5-4 overtime win over the San Jose Sharks with Martin Necas scoring the tying and winning goals. Sebastian Aho also scored twice for the Hurricanes (31-9-8), who sit in first place in the Metropolitan Division with 70 points. Michael Eyssimont had a goal and two assists for the Sharks as they dropped to 14-25-11 on the season.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Necas became the first player in Hurricanes/Whalers history to score an overtime goal in consecutive games and the fifth player in NHL history to score the tying goal in the final minute of regulation and the game-winner in the first minute of overtime.

New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes scored twice (including the winner in overtime) in a 3-2 victory against the Dallas Stars. Goaltender Vitek Vanecek made 33 saves for his ninth straight win as the Devils (32-13-4) sit two points behind the Hurricanes in second place in the Metro Division. Roope Hintz tallied his 20th goal of the season for the 28-13-10 Stars, who hold a three-point lead over the Winnipeg Jets for first overall in the Western Conference with 66 points.

The Calgary Flames got a 29-save performance from Dan Vlader to beat the Seattle Kraken 5-2. Vladar tied a franchise record for the most games without a regulation loss with 13. Elias Lindholm and Blake Coleman each had a goal and two assists as the 24-17-9 Flames held the first wild-card berth in the Western Conference with 57 points. Martin Jones made 33 saves for the Kraken (28-15-5) as they sit in second place in the Pacific Division with 61 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Kraken announced rookie center Matty Beniers will be sidelined for two games with an undisclosed injury and is considered day-to-day.

Los Angeles Kings goalie Pheonix Copley kicked out a career-high 45 shots to hold off the Florida Panthers 4-3. Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist as the Kings improved to 28-17-6 and moved into sole possession of first place in the Pacific Division with 62 points. Carter Verhaeghe and Matthew Tkachuk each had two points as the Panthers slipped to 23-22-6 and remain five points out of the final Eastern Conference playoff berth with 52 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov was named to the Atlantic Division roster for the upcoming 2023 NHL All-Star Game as a replacement for sidelined Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews. Speaking of the Leafs and Matthews…

Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk tallied twice to thump the Maple Leafs by a score of 6-2, snapping the latter’s points streak at five games. Anton Forsberg stopped 33 shots for the 22-23-6 Senators. William Nylander scored his 27th goal of the season for the Leafs (30-12-8), who are tied with the New Jersey Devils for third place in the Eastern Conference but the Devils hold a game in hand.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The reason Barkov is replacing Matthews in the All-Star Game is that the Leafs center is sidelined for at least three weeks with a knee sprain suffered Wednesday against the New York Rangers.

The New York Rangers downed the Vegas Golden Knights 4-1 with Jaroslav Halak making 33 saves to win his fifth straight start. Vincent Trocheck had a goal and an assist for the Rangers (27-14-8) as they sit in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 62 points. Phil Kessel replied for the 29-18-3 Golden Knights, who are tied with the Kraken for second in the Pacific Division but the latter holds two games in hand.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights activated defenseman Shea Theodore and forward William Carrier off injured reserve for this game.

New York Islanders netminder Ilya Sorokin turned in a 23-save shutout to blank the Detroit Red Wings 2-0, ending his club’s six-game winless skid. Anders Lee and Brock Nelson scored as the Islanders improved to 24-22-5, sitting four points out of the final Eastern playoff spot. The Wings fell to 21-19-8 and sit seven points out of that wild-card spot.

The Vancouver Canucks beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2. Elias Pettersson tallied twice and Bo Horvat collected a career-high four assists for the 20-26-3 Canucks. Kirill Marchenko scored both goals for the 15-31-3 Blue Jackets, who sit in last place in the overall standings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Following the game, the Canucks announced forward Ilya Mikheyev will undergo season-ending knee surgery next week. Earlier in the day, the Blue Jackets announced winger Gustav Nyquist was sidelined indefinitely with an undisclosed injury.

HEADLINES

THE DENVER POST’s Bennett Durando reports Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog (knee injury) could start skating under team supervision following the upcoming All-Star break. However, there is no definitive start date.

TSN: Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield told reporters yesterday that he injured his shoulder twice before undergoing season-ending surgery. The first time was on Dec. 23 against the Dallas Stars and on Jan. 3 against the Nashville Predators. Both times, he was able to pop it back into place.

Three different doctors subsequently recommended having surgery or risking further damage to the shoulder. The surgery will take place on Feb. 1. Caufield admitted he would’ve continued playing if the Canadiens were in playoff contention.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens’ placement near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings turns out to be a blessing in disguise. Caufield could’ve wound up suffering more serious damage that would’ve meant a much longer recovery period that would’ve stretched well into next season.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Speaking of the injury-plagued Canadiens, they’ve called up prospect Owen Beck on an emergency basis after Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach and Christian Dvorak missed practice on Friday for medical treatment.

Pat Hickey reports the looming bankruptcy of US sports network Bally Sports Regional Networks could have an adverse effect on the NHL’s hockey-related revenue. Los Angeles, Anaheim, Arizona, Dallas, St. Louis, Nashville, Minnesota, Detroit, Carolina, Columbus, Tampa Bay and Florida are the NHL markets directly affected.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hickey pointed out the network owes a number of sports teams billions of dollars in rights fees. While it’s unknown how much money is owed to those NHL teams, Hickey speculated that it could have a negative effect on HRR that drives down the salary cap, ensuring players pay more in escrow to offset the difference.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 26, 2023

by | Jan 26, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 26, 2023

The Leafs, Hurricanes and Blues Jackets each collect 3-2 overtime wins, the surging Kraken take over first place in the Pacific Division, the Avalanche and Sharks make a four-player trade, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner scored 19 seconds into overtime in a 3-2 win over the New York Rangers after teammate Timothy Liljegren tied it late in the third period. The Leafs improved their record to 30-11-8 and are tied with the Carolina Hurricanes with 68 points. Filip Chytil tallied twice for the 26-14-8 Rangers as they sit in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 60 points.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).

Speaking of the Hurricanes, they got an overtime goal from Martin Necas to beat the Dallas Stars by a score of 3-2. Sebastian Aho scored his 200th career NHL goal as they extended their points streak to six games. The Hurricanes (30-9-8) sit second overall in the overall standings with two games in hand over the Maple Leafs. Jason Robertson scored his 33rd goal of the season for the 28-13-9 Stars as they hold a two-point lead over the Winnipeg Jets for first place in the Western Conference with 65 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen left this game following the first period with an upper-body injury. There was no post-game update as to the severity of his injury. He was activated off long-term injury reserve on Jan. 11 after missing over two months with a lower-body injury.

The Columbus Blue Jackets also picked up 3-2 overtime victory by downing the Edmonton Oilers thanks to Kent Johnson’s winning goal. Joonas Korpisalo made 34 saves as the Blue Jackets improved to 15-30-3 on the season. Zach Hyman tallied his 25th goal of the season for the 27-18-4 Oilers, who hold the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 58 points.

Seattle Kraken winger Oliver Bjorkstrand scored twice and Jared McCann collected three points to crush the Vancouver Canucks 6-1 and move into first place in the Pacific Division with 61 points. It was the first loss for Rick Tocchet since taking over as Vancouver’s head coach on Sunday. The Canucks slipped to 19-26-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kraken rookie Matty Beniers left the game with an upper-body injury. No update was provided as to his condition.

The Ottawa Senators got goals by Shane Pinto and Claude Giroux to hold off the New York Islanders 2-1, handing the latter their sixth straight loss. Brock Nelson replied for the Islanders (23-22-5) as they sit five points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot with 51 points. The Senators improved to 21-23-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello shouldered the blame for his club’s struggles this season. He also expressed confidence in his coaching staff. Meanwhile, Senators goaltender Cam Talbot left the game midway through the second period with a leg injury. The club is expected to have an update on his condition on Thursday.

HEADLINES

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW/SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Colorado Avalanche acquired defenseman Ryan Merkley and forward Matt Nieto from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for defenseman Jacob MacDonald and forward Martin Kaut.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nieto previously played for Colorado from 2016-17 to 2019-20 and is being brought in to improve the Avalanche’s penalty kill. Merkley and Kaut are two young players in need of a fresh start after struggling to stick with their former clubs. Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now believes MacDonald’s inclusion in this swap suggests sidelined defensemen Bowen Byram and Josh Manson could be returning to the Avs’ lineup soon.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry will be sidelined with an undisclosed injury until after the upcoming All-Star break. The club recalled goalie Dustin Tokarski.

CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: Flames defenseman Chris Tanev (upper-body injury) is also sidelined until the All-Star break.

ARIZONA SPORTS: Coyotes signed defenseman Juuso Valimaki to a one-year contract extension worth $1 million. He was also fined $4,189.19 by the NHL department of player safety for slashing Anaheim Ducks forward Max Jones.










NHL Rumor Mill – January 25, 2023

by | Jan 25, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – January 25, 2023

Check out the latest on Bo Horvat, Ryan O’Reilly, Timo Meier and Max Domi plus updates on the Hurricanes, Lightning and Senators in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

UPDATE ON HORVAT, O’REILLY, MEIER AND DOMI

SPORTSNET: During the Jan. 25 episode of “32 Thoughts”, Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek discussed potential trade destinations for Bo Horvat. The 27-year-old Vancouver Canucks center is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Friedman thinks everyone is wondering if the Boston Bruins could make a pitch for Horvat. He believes the New Jersey Devils would be more interested in San Jose Sharks winger Timo Meier because they’ve got Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes at center. The Detroit Red Wings could be an option depending on the state of contract talks with center Dylan Larkin.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa believes the Bruins acquiring Horvat is complex but doable. Getting the Canucks to retain part of his $5.5 million cap hit, finding the right player to offer up as part of the return, sending a contract back to Vancouver and parting with a prospect such as Fabian Lysell are among the multiple factors in play.

I don’t rule out the possibility of the Bruins landing Horvat. However, there are other clubs that could have fewer hoops to jump through with better assets to offer up for the Canucks captain.

Friedman also reported that the Canucks haven’t allowed potential suitors to talk to Horvat’s agent about a contract extension. He believes they’re trying to determine which clubs have serious interest and are willing to meet their asking price.

TSN: Darren Dreger said Ryan O’Reilly is “officially in play” in the trade market. This comes while the St. Louis Blues captain is currently sidelined until mid-February but the Blues are willing to gauge his value. Dreger speculates the asking price could involve “draft picks, you’re talking about a prospect, the draft pick could be determined by the quality of the prospect.”

St. Louis Blues captain Ryan O’Reilly (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: O’Reilly’s solid reputation as a two-way center and leader will make him a player of interest in the trade market despite his injury and offensive struggles in the first half of this season. Nevertheless, clubs will want to see how well he performs once he returns to action before they start making offers before the March 3 trade deadline.

Pierre LeBrun reports the San Jose Sharks have not yet granted permission to Timo Meier’s agent to speak directly to teams interested in a trade where a contract extension could be part of the deal. It’s not out of the question that the Sharks could try to sign the restricted free-agent winger but they haven’t yet put an offer on the table.

LeBrun suggests contenders like the Toronto Maple Leafs would make sense. The Carolina Hurricanes have some interest while the Buffalo Sabres have also reached out to the Sharks about Meier.

SPORTSNET: During his Jan. 23 “32 Thoughts” podcast, Elliotte Friedman told Jeff Marek that he believes the New Jersey Devils are among the teams interested in Meier.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes are in a better position cap-wise and prospect-wise than the Leafs for Meier. The Sabres, however, could outbid both clubs. They are loaded with cap space and promising young players to tempt the Sharks.

Given the salary-cap congestion around the league, Chris Johnston believes teams will be looking at a value player such as the Chicago Blackhawks’ Max Domi. He’s a pending unrestricted free agent carrying an affordable $3 million contract who is putting up good numbers this season.

LATEST ON THE LIGHTNING, HURRICANES AND SENATORS

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports Tampa Bay Lightning GM Julien BriseBrois lacks a first-round pick in 2023 and 2024 or a second-round pick in order to make a big splash at the trade deadline. If he makes a move it’ll likely be a dollar-in, dollar-out swap like his acquisition of Nick Paul at last year’s deadline. BriseBrois said he’s unconcerned over whether rivals like the Boston Bruins or Toronto Maple Leafs make a big splash.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: BriseBrois has proven a very savvy dealer at the trade deadline over the past three years. Despite his lack of draft capital to use as trade bait, he could find a creative way to add a good depth player or two by the deadline.

THE ATHLETIC: LeBrun also reported the Carolina Hurricanes could have $10 million to work with at the trade deadline if they placed sidelined winger Max Pacioretty on long-term injured reserve. GM Don Waddell said his team will explore the trade market but they’re not in a rush to get a deal done.

LeBrun doesn’t believe we should rule out the Hurricanes on pending UFAs like Bo Horvat, Ryan O’Reilly or Vladimir Tarasenko. However, he believes they would want a shot at re-signing that player to get involved. That’s why he thinks they might look at the Sharks’ Timo Meier given his RFA status.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: LeBrun recently said the Hurricanes had spoken with the Canucks about Bo Horvat but the asking price was too high. He also pointed out that Waddell usually doesn’t pursue big-ticket pending UFAs at the deadline, preferring instead players with term remaining on their contracts. Any moves that he makes will depend on the depth of talent available in the trade market and the asking prices for them.

TSN: Darren Dreger reports Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion is still looking for a defenseman. While he’d ideally like a blueliner with term remaining on his contract he’s also interested in unrestricted free agents. He could have an opportunity to re-sign that UFA or perhaps flip him at the March 3 trade deadline. Dreger also said Dorion is also exploring all of his own UFAs including goaltender Cam Talbot.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 25, 2023

by | Jan 25, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 25, 2023

The Penguins’ Kris Letang returns to action with a four-point performance, the Bruins reach a league milestone, the Canucks win their first game under new coach Rick Tocchet, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang returned to action after an 11-game absence with an overtime goal in a 7-6 victory over the Florida Panthers. Letang finished with two goals and two assists while Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Danton Heinen each had a goal and two assists for the Penguins (24-15-8) as they moved into the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 56 points.

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Carter Verhaeghe scored twice and Aaron Ekblad had a goal and two assists as the 23-21-6 Panthers sit four points behind the Washington Capitals for the final Eastern wild-card spot with 52 points. Florida forward Sam Bennett missed this game with a lower-body injury while Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry was a late scratch with an undisclosed injury.

Speaking of the Capitals, they dropped a 3-2 decision to the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev stopped 37 shots while Nathan MacKinnon picked up an assist for his 700th career point as the Avalanche (26-17-3) have won six straight games to move into third place in the Central Division with 55 points. Alex Ovechkin returned to action with his 31st goal of the season but his Capitals slipped to 25-19-6.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals and Penguins each have 56 points but the latter holds three games in hand. Ovechkin returned from a lower-body injury but admitted he wasn’t at 100 percent. Capitals winger Tom Wilson left this game with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day while Nicklas Backstrom missed this contest with a non-COVID-related illness.

The league-leading Boston Bruins became the fastest team in NHL history to reach 80 points in a season (47 games) by doubling up the Montreal Canadiens 4-2. David Pastrnak had a goal and three assists while Patrice Bergeron snapped a 2-2 tie with the winning goal as the Bruins improved to 38-5-4 to hold a 14-point lead over the Carolina Hurricanes in the overall standings. Kirby Dach scored both goals for the Canadiens as they dropped to 20-25-3.

Rick Tocchet picked up his first win as the new head coach of the Vancouver Canucks as they downed the Chicago Blackhawks by a score of 5-2. Andrei Kuzmenko tallied twice for the Canucks (19-25-4). Petr Mrazek stopped 43 shots for the Blackhawks as they dropped to 14-28-4 to sit second-last in the overall standings with 32 points.

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy picked up his 250th career win with a 33-save performance in a 4-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild. Corey Perry netted two goals as the Lightning (30-15-1) sit in third place in the Atlantic Division. Joel Eriksson Ek had two points for the 25-17-4 Wild as they tumbled one point behind the Calgary Flames for the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 54 points.

The New Jersey Devils nipped the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2. Dougie Hamilton scored the tying goals and then scored in overtime for the second straight game as the Devils (31-12-4) moved into a tie with the Hurricanes with 66 points. Goalie Logan Thompson kicked out 33 shots for the 29-17-3 Golden Knights as they cling to first place in the Pacific Division with 61 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights activated Brett Howden (lower body) off injured reserve.

An overtime goal by Kevin Fiala lifted the Los Angeles Kings to a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Anze Kopitar scored two goals as the 27-17-6 Kings move one point behind Vegas in the Pacific Division. Carter Hart stopped 34 shots while James van Riemsdyk had a goal and an assist for the Flyers, who slipped to 20-21-8.

The Nashville Predators nipped the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 as Tanner Jeannot snapped a 1-1 tie in the third period. Cody Glass also scored for the Predators (23-18-6) as they moved to within three points of a Western Conference wild-card berth with 52 points. Pierre-Luc Dubois replied for the 31-17-1 Jets as they sit one point behind the Central Division-leading Dallas Stars with 63 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Logan Stanley returned to the Jets lineup for the first time since being sidelined by a lower-body injury on Dec. 9.

Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson had a goal and two assists as his club picked up their fourth straight win by holding off the St. Louis Blues 5-3. Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch each had a goal and an assist for the Sabres (25-19-3) to move within three points of the final Eastern wild-card spot with 53 points. The Blues slipped to 23-22-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blues activated Vladimir Tarasenko, Torey Krug and Logan Brown off injured reserve for this contest. They also placed winger Pavel Buchnevich (ankle) on IR.

The Detroit Red Wings defeated the San Jose Sharks 3-2 on an overtime goal by Andrew Copp. Michael Rasmussen had a goal and an assist as the Wings improved to 20-18-8. Erik Karlsson collected two assists for the Sharks as they dropped to 14-25-10 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Red Wings activated forward Matt Luff off injured reserve and assigned him to their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids.

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler scored twice in a 5-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes. Anthony Stolarz got the win for the Ducks (14-29-5) with a 37-save performance. Barrett Hayton had a goal and an assist for the 15-28-5 Coyotes, who’ve dropped 12 of their last 14 games.

HEADLINES

MONTREAL GAZETTE: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman took questions from the media yesterday on a variety of topics prior to the Bruins-Canadiens game.

Bettman dismissed the notion of teams deliberately tanking this season to improve their odds of winning the draft lottery. “Nobody tanks because we have a weighted lottery,” said Bettman. “You’re not going to lose games to increase your odds by a couple of percentage points. That’s silly.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Finishing dead last is no guarantee of winning the lottery but it doesn’t hurt your chances despite what Bettman says.

Bettman also said it is conceivable that next season’s salary cap could rise by more than the projected $1 million if the outstanding escrow still owed to the owners from the players is paid off by the end of this season. However, he cautions that will depend on whether their projected revenues come in higher than anticipated.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: We won’t learn for certain what it will be until sometime in June. General managers are preparing for next season expecting a $1 million hike rather than a significant increase.

DAILY FACEOFF: Hall-of-Fame goaltender Roberto Luongo will participate as a “celebrity goaltender” in the breakaway challenge during the skills competition at the 2023 NHL All-Star Game on Feb. 3.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators have rallied to support assistant coach Bob Jones after he was diagnosed with ALS, otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devastating news for Jones and the Senators organization. My best wishes to Jones and his family as he battles this disease.










NHL Rumor Mill – January 23, 2023

by | Jan 23, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – January 23, 2023

Would Anthony Duclair or Vladimir Tarasenko be worthwhile trade targets for the Flames? Could the Kraken become trade deadline buyers? What’s the latest on the Senators? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SHOULD THE FLAMES LOOK AT DUCLAIR OR TARASENKO?

THE ATHLETIC: Eric Duhatschek noted the Calgary Flames still haven’t found a suitable replacement for Johnny Gaudreau after the winger signed last summer with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He wondered if the Florida Panthers’ Anthony Duclair or the St. Louis Blues’ Vladimir Tarasenko would fit for the Flames.

Duclair is expected to soon return to action from a torn Achilles tendon while the Panthers are trying to stay in the Eastern playoff race. Duhatschek believes that discussion should wait until it’s determined Duclair hasn’t suffered any lingering effect from his injury as well as where the Panthers are in the standings.

St, Louis Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko (NHL Images)

Duhatschek wondered how well Tarasenko would respond to playing under Flames coach Darryl Sutter’s demanding system. He noted, however, that Marian Gaborik thrived under Sutter with the Los Angeles Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames have been rumored to be in the market for a top-six winger for some time. There was speculation linking them to Montreal’s Josh Anderson but the Canadiens appear unwilling to part with him.

Tarasenko seems a more likely option for the Flames than Duclair as the Panthers reportedly wish to keep him. Tarasenko is an unrestricted free agent this summer who reportedly never rescinded his 2021 trade request. Whether the Flames can find a way to take on the remainder of his $7.5 million cap hit and meet the Blues’ asking price remains to be seen.

WILL THE KRAKEN BECOME DEADLINE BUYERS?

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Geoff Baker recently reported that Kraken general manager Ron Francis is keeping an eye on this season’s March 3 trade deadline. Carrying three second-round picks in his year’s draft, Francis could use one or two of them to add a talented player.

The Kraken’s blue-line depth remains thin and they’ve been lucky to be relatively healthy over the course of this season. He pointed out they went 3-3-1 over the seven games Jamie Oleksiak was sidelined by a November injury and a December suspension.

Baker noted that Anaheim Ducks defenseman John Klingberg has been linked to the Kraken in the trade rumor mill. He’s under a one-year, $7 million contract and becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kraken jockeying with the Vegas Golden Knights for first place in the Pacific Division. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Francis goes shopping to shore up his blueline depth before March 3.

Klingberg might be an option for Francis. He could also make a pitch for Jakob Chychrun but I doubt he’d meet the Arizona Coyotes’ asking price of two first-rounders and a high-end prospect. Perhaps Chychrun’s teammate Shayne Gostisbehere could be a trade target.

SENATORS SCOUTING KINGS

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO’s Charlie Roumeliotis reported Ottawa Senators GM Pierre Dorion was in attendance for yesterday’s game between the Los Angeles Kings and Chicago Blackhawks. Dorion also attended the Kings’ game against the Dallas Stars on Thursday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings are loaded with right-shot defensemen. Apart from Drew Doughty and Sean Durzi, they could be willing to part with one of them. Perhaps Sean Walker or Matt Roy might be available.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 19, 2023

by | Jan 19, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 19, 2023

Lightning captain Steven Stamkos tallies his 500th goal, Erik Karlsson leads the Sharks to an upset win over the Stars, the Canadiens hope to re-sign Cole Caufield to a long-term contract, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos scored his 500th career goal with a hat-trick performance in a 5-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point each had a goal and an assist for the Lightning (29-13-1, 59 points), who sit two points behind the second-place Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division. J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes each had two points for the Canucks as they slipped to 18-23-3 on the season.

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stamkos also reached the 20-goal plateau for the 13th time in his 15-season NHL career. He’s the third active player to score 500 career goals, joining Washington’s Alex Ovechkin (810) and Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby (538).

The San Jose Sharks overcame a 3-0 deficit to upset the Dallas Stars 5-3. Erik Karlsson led the way for the Sharks (14-23-9) with a goal and three assists while James Reimer made 33 saves. Jason Robertson scored his 30th goal of the season for the Stars (26-13-7) as they remain stuck in second place in the Central Division with 59 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Robertson also set a Stars record by becoming the fastest Dallas player to reach 30 goals in a season (46 games), breaking Mike Modano’s previous record of 30 in 48 games in 1993-94.

The league-leading Boston Bruins (35-5-4) picked up their third straight victory with a 4-1 win over the New York Islanders. Charlie McAvoy had a goal and an assist while Linus Ullmark kicked out 25 shots for the Bruins. With 74 points, they hold a 12-point lead over the Carolina Hurricanes in the overall standings. The Islanders dropped to 23-19-4 (50 points) to sit one point back of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

Speaking of the Penguins, they dropped a 5-4 decision to the Ottawa Senators on an overtime goal by Brady Tkachuk, who finished the night with four points. Thomas Chabot collected three assists as the Senators improved to 20-21-3. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin each had three-point performances for the 22-15-7 Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins recently moved defenseman Kris Letang to injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 28. Meanwhile, the Senators placed blueliner Artem Zub (lower body) on IR.

Colorado Avalanche forwards Artturi Lehkonen and Mikko Rantanen each scored twice to douse the Calgary Flames 4-1. Nathan MacKinnon collected two assists for the fourth straight game while Alexandar Georgiev kicked out 34 shots as the Avalanche (23-17-3, 49 points) move to within two points of the Flames (21-16-9, 51 points) for the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche played this game without defenseman Cale Makar, who is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. Avs blueliners Erik Johnson skated in his 900th career NHL game.

HEADLINES

SPORTSNET: Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes said his club hopes to sign Cole Caufield to a long-term contract during his midseason state-of-the-franchise press conference on Wednesday. The 22-year-old sophomore winger leads the Canadiens with 26 goals in 45 games this season. He’s in the final season of his entry-level contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Caufield is going to get a significant pay raise. It’s just a question of how much his average annual value will be.

The Canadiens could prefer signing Caufield to between $7.5 million and $8 million annually to keep his salary within range of linemate Nick Suzuki’s $7.875 million AAV. Caufield’s agent, however, could seek between $9 million and $10 million annually, especially if the young winger reaches 50 goals this season.

TSN: The Canadiens also announced rookie winger Juraj Slavkovsky has been sidelined for three months with a lower-body injury that won’t require surgery. Forward Jake Evans (lower body) will miss eight to 10 weeks.

Forwards Jonathan Drouin and Joel Armia are both out until the All-Star break with upper-body injuries. Meanwhile, goaltender Jake Allen (upper body) will be sidelined for at least a week.

TSN: The Buffalo Sabres placed forward Vinnie Hinostroza on waivers. The Nashville Predators also placed forward Mike McCarron on waivers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres had been trying to trade Hinostroza. McCarron recently received clearance to return to action after completing a stint in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.

NHL.COM: The Detroit Red Wings acquired center Jasper Weatherby from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for forward Kyle Criscuolo. Weatherby, 24, played 50 games with the Sharks last season.