NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 4, 2023

by | Aug 4, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 4, 2023

The Oilers put Connor McDavid’s former agent in charge of hockey operations, Kyle Dubas will remain the Penguins’ general manager, Mike Babcock admits to making mistakes with the Leafs, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Edmonton Oilers announced Jeff Jackson has been named as their new CEO of Hockey operations. Jackson is a former NHL player and the former agent of Oilers captain Connor McDavid.

Jackson will report directly to Oilers owner Darryl Katz and will serve as the club’s alternate governor. He will be assisted in his role by Paul Coffey, who’s been with the Oilers for over a year as a special advisor to Katz. Ken Holland remains as general manager and will report directly to Jackson.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This hiring is also being seen as the Oilers m a step closer to solidifying McDavid’s future with the club. His contract expires at the end of the 2025-26 season.

Jackson acknowledged his close relationship with McDavid but stressed that it will be different now. He feels the goal is to ensure they keep the Oilers’ core group together. That will include Leon Draisaitl, whose contract expires in 2025.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins have made Kyle Dubas their general manager on a full-time basis. Dubas was hired as president of hockey operations in June and was serving as interim general manager. Trevor Daley and Amanda Kessel were named special assistants to Dubas in a series of promotions announced yesterday.

Pittsburgh Penguins hockey ops president and GM Kyle Dubas (NHL.com).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dubas said he believed it was in the interest of continuity that he remain in both roles for now. He didn’t rule out finding a new general manager in future off-seasons.

SPORTSNET: Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Mike Babcock admitted to making mistakes during his tenure as coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs during an interview with the FAN Morning Show.

“Do I like how I was talked about after I left? No,” said Babcock. “Do I think I did anything wrong? Absolutely.” He added that he wasn’t trying to hide from anything he’s done and will own up to any mistakes and learn from them.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Babcock didn’t get into specifics about his mistakes. He faced allegations of bullying players during his tenure with the Leafs and during his time behind the Detroit Red Wings bench.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev wasn’t happy about how recent comments he made during a recent interview with a Russian news outlet were mistranslated and posted to Instagram by @nhlbreakers.

In the now-deleted post, Sergachev is quoted as saying, “Wow, Toronto wins one series in 19 years then immediately loses, they deserve no credit, no other team would celebrate such a thing.”

In a post on his Instagram account, Sergachev insisted he said no such thing. He said he was asked if Toronto’s physical play during their first-round series accounted for a couple of Lightning defensemen getting injured. He said he replied, “No, it just happens sometimes people get hurt by accident, and I don’t want to give them credit.”

When asked why not, Sergachev said he didn’t think they deserve credit. When the reporter noted it was the first time in 19 years the Leafs got past the first round, the blueliner said that he replied, “Here true, good on them! But didn’t go thru the second round, I don’t see a reason to celebrate.”

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of the Leafs, Milan Lucic said they and the Chicago Blackhawks were interested in signing him when he became an unrestricted free agent on July 1. The 35-year-old winger signed with the Boston Bruins, returning to the club where he began his NHL career and enjoyed his biggest successes.

THE PROVINCE: Former Vancouver Canucks defenseman Ethan Bear said he’s recovering well from his recent shoulder surgery. An unrestricted free agent, he’s received inquiries from other clubs but would love to return to the Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bear will be sidelined until December. He’ll likely get a new contract with a club around then as injuries start to take their toll on defense corps around the league.

THE ATHLETIC: Ian Mendes did a feature on Taylor Dixon, the creator of the Puckdoku puzzle game that’s taken hockey fans by storm this summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I recently became a fan of Puckdoku and usually start my day solving the latest puzzle before going to work. It’s a lot of fun and a great way to test your knowledge of NHL players past and present. Go to puckdoku.com to check it out!










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 14, 2023

by | Jan 14, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 14, 2023

Oilers captain Connor McDavid celebrates his birthday with a three-point performance, the Jets’ Cole Perfetti sets a franchise rookie record, Connor Bedard is named the top North American skater in midseason prospect rankings, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid celebrated his 26th birthday with two goals and an assist in a 7-1 drubbing of the San Jose Sharks. Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each had a goal and two assists as the Oilers (23-18-3) hold the final Western Conference playoff berth with 49 points, opening a four-point lead over the St. Louis Blues. The Sharks fell to 13-23-8 on the season.

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid is riding a 12-game points streak. He’s currently the league leader in goals (37), assists (45) and points (82) in just 44 games.

The Winnipeg Jets picked up their seventh win in their last eight games by dropping the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-1. Mark Scheifele scored twice while Cole Perfetti collected three assists. With 57 points, the Jets (28-14-1) are tied with the second-place Dallas Stars in the Western Conference but the latter holds that spot with 22 regulation wins. The 21-14-6 Penguins remain one point up on the New York Islanders for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot with 48 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Perfetti became the first rookie in Jets history to have multiple games with three-plus assists in a single season. He’s tied with Arizona’s Matias Maccelli for most assists (19) among this season’s rookies and third in rookie points with 25.

New Jersey Devils forwards Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt each tallied two goals in a 6-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Damon Severson collected three assists while Vitek Vanecek stopped 31 shots for the Devils (27-12-3) as they moved to within two points of the Metropolitan Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes with 57 points. Adam Henrique and Trevor Zegras replied for the Ducks as they fell to 12-27-4.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Connor Bedard of the WHL’s Regina Pats is the No. 1 North American skater as NHL Central Scouting released its midseason rankings of the top prospects. The 17-year-old center is the WHL’s leading scorer and was named MVP of the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship. He could become the first WHL player to be chosen as the NHL’s first overall draft pick since Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in 2011.

Leo Carlsson, a center with Orebro HK of the Swedish Hockey League, is ranked No. 1 among international skaters.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bedard is the crown jewel of the 2023 prospect class. He could become the most impressive draft pick since Connor McDavid was chosen first overall by the Oilers in 2015.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: The Blackhawks sent winger Lukas Reichel back to their AHL affiliate in Rockford in anticipation of Patrick Kane’s return to the lineup. Kane’s missed three games with a lower-body injury.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Golden Knights captain Mark Stone is listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury suffered during Thursday’s game against the Florida Panthers.

NHL.COM: Arizona Coyotes forward Clayton Keller was fined $5,000.00 by the department of player safety for cross-checking Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Brannstrom on Thursday.

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev was fined $5,000.00 for roughing Vancouver Canucks winger Conor Garland during Thursday’s game between the two clubs.

THE PROVINCE: The NHL Players Association is looking into concerns raised over treatment received by Vancouver Canucks winger Tanner Pearson for a broken hand suffered earlier this season. Reports emerged claiming Pearson has undergone three or four procedures and could be sidelined for the remainder of this season. That’s raised speculation that the situation could be career-ending.

Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes on Thursday suggested Pearson’s injury “wasn’t handled properly.” He clarified his remarks the following day, saying he wasn’t trying to direct blame at anyone and was expressing concern for his teammate.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sportsnet reported the Canucks are conducting an internal investigation into the handling of Pearson’s injury.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Flyers coach John Tortorella has banned players from using Ipads on the bench during games to evaluate or review their play. He considers them distracting and wants his players’ attention focused elsewhere, preferring they be more engaged with each other.

Someone mentioned that Tortorella will be perceived as “old school” because of his approach. “I don’t give a flying s**t how I’m perceived,” he said.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tortorella made it clear a long time ago that he didn’t care about the perception of fans and media over how he does his job.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: Former NHL forward Brian Gionta has joined the Niagara University hockey coaching staff as director of player development. Gionta spent 16 seasons in the NHL and retired as a player in 2018. He was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2019.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 14, 2022

by | Nov 14, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 14, 2022

Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev ties a league record, the Bruins set a franchise record, an update on Senators blueliner Thomas Chabot and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev tied a league record in his club’s 6-3 victory over the Washington Capitals. Sergachev scored twice and collected two assists in the first period, tying Bobby Orr as the only blueliners to collect multiple goals and multiple assists in the opening period of a game. The Lightning’s record improved to 8-6-1 while the Capitals fall to 7-8-2.

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev (NHL Images).

The Boston Bruins set a franchise record by winning their ninth straight home game to open a season by defeating the Vancouver Canucks 5-2. Hampus Lindholm collected three assists, Linus Ullmark made 29 saves and Pavel Zacha scored what proved to be the winning goal as the Bruins (14-2-0) regained sole possession of first place in the overall standings with 28 points. J.T. Miller and Sheldon Dries replied for the 4-9-3 Canucks, who’ve now lost three straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks forward Vasily Podkolzin left the game with an apparent head injury following a fight with the Bruins’ A.J. Greer.

An overtime goal by Mark Scheifele lifted the Winnipeg Jets (9-4-1) over the Seattle Kraken by a score of 3-2. Scheifele tallied twice while Blake Wheeler picked up his 300th career goal when he tied the game in the dying seconds of regulation. Jordan Eberle and Brandon Tanev replied for the 8-5-3 Kraken.

The Dallas Stars bolstered their record to 9-5-1 by dropping the Philadelphia Flyers 5-1. Joe Pavelski and Esa Lindell each had a goal and two assists while Jake Oettinger kicked out 37 shots for the win. Travis Konecny scored for the Flyers, who fall to 7-6-2 as they’ve lost three straight games.

Shootout goals by Nick Bonino and Alexander Barabanov gave the San Jose Sharks a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Wild. The Sharks overcame a 2-0 deficit on third-period goals by Steven Lorentz and Nico Sturm as they improve to 5-9-3. Frederick Gaudreau and Connor Dewar tallied for the Wild (7-6-2).

New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin stopped 31 shots while Adam Fox had a goal and an assist to beat the Arizona Coyotes 4-1. The Rangers’ record is now 8-6-3 while the Coyotes fall to 6-8-1. Clayton Keller scored the Coyotes’ only goal.

HEADLINES

DAILY FACEOFF: Ottawa Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot will be sidelined for at least a week with a concussion suffered during Saturday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chabot’s absence significantly weakens an already thin Senators’ defense corps. They’ll be fortunate if their blueline workhorse is out for just a week. He will miss three upcoming games at a time when the 5-8-1 Sens are trying to climb out of the basement in the Atlantic Division.

Calgary Flames forward Blake Coleman was fined $5,000.00 for slew-footing Winnipeg Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois on Saturday.

NHL.COM: The Los Angeles Kings placed winger Brendan Lemieux has been placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury.

TRIBLIVE.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins have sent defenseman Mark Friedman to their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.










Notable NHL Free Agent Signings and Trades – July 13, 2022

by | Jul 13, 2022

Notable NHL Free Agent Signings and Trades – July 13, 2022

The following is a list of notable NHL free-agent signings and trades during the opening day of free agency. This list will be updated throughout the day as details become available. I’ll also be doing live grades of today’s biggest signings on Bleacher Report.

Columbus Blue Jackets sign Johnny Gaudreau to a seven-year, $66.5 million contract.

Seattle Kraken sign defenseman Justin Schultz to a two-year, $6 million contract.

Vegas Golden Knights trade winger Max Pacioretty and defenseman Dylan Coghlan to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for future considerations.

Ottawa Senators trade winger Connor Brown to the Washington Capitals in exchange for a second-round pick in 2024.

San Jose Sharks sign center Nico Sturm to a three-year, $6 million contract.

Detroit Red Wings sign David Perron to a two-year, $9.5 million contract.

Detroit Red Wings sign Dominik Kubalik to a two-year, $5 million contract.

Seattle Kraken sign Andre Burakovsky to a five-year, $27.5 million contract.

Detroit Red Wings sign Ben Chiarot to a four-year, $19 million contract.

Pittsburgh Penguins sign Jan Rutta to a three-year, $8.25 million contract.

Florida Panthers sign Eric and Marc Staal to identical one-year, $750K contracts.

Colorado Avalanche sign winger Artturi Lehkonen to a five-year, $22.5 million contract.

Dallas Stars sign winger Mason Marchment to a four-year, $18 million contract.

Tampa Bay Lightning sign Ian Cole to a one-year, $3 million contract.

Washington Capitals sign Charlie Lindgren to a three-year, $3.3 million contract.

Columbus Blue Jackets sign Erik Gudbranson to a four-year, $16 million contract.

Tampa Bay Lightning sign Mikhail Sergachev to an eight-year, $68 million contract extension effective 2023-24.

The Lightning signed center Anthony Cirelli to an eight-year, $50 million contract extension effective 2023-24.

The Lightning signed defenseman Erik Cernak to an eight-year, $41.6 million contract extension effective 2023-24.

Washington Capitals sign goaltender Darcy Kuemper to a five-year, $26.26 million contract.

San Jose Sharks trade defenseman Brent Burns and center Lane Pederson to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for winger Steven Lorentz, goaltender Eetu Makiniemi and a conditional 2023 third-round pick. The Sharks also retain 33 percent of Burns’ $8 million annual average value through 2024-25.

New York Rangers sign center Vincent Trocheck to a seven-year, $39.38 million contract.

Detroit Red Wings sign forward Andrew Copp to a five-year, $28.13 million contract.

Vancouver Canucks sign winger Ilya Mikheyev to a four-year, $19 million contract.

Chicago Blackhawks sign forwards Max Domi and Andreas Athanasiou to one-year contracts worth $3 million apiece.

St. Louis Blues re-sign defenseman Nick Leddy to a four-year, $16 million contract.

Ottawa Senators sign forward Claude Giroux to a three-year contract with an annual cap hit of $6.5 million.

Edmonton Oilers signed goaltender Jack Campbell to a five-year contract with an annual salary-cap hit of $5 million (as per TSN’s Darren Dreger).

Buffalo Sabres re-sign restricted free agent winger Victor Olofsson to a two-year contract with an annual average value of $4.75 million.

Toronto Maple Leafs sign goaltender Ilya Samsonov to a one-year, $1.8 million deal (as per Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli).

New Jersey Devils trade winger Pavel Zacha to the Boston Bruins in exchange for Erik Haula (as per TSN’s Darren Dreger and Daily Faceoff).

Colorado Avalanche signed defenseman Josh Manson to a four-year contract with an annual average value of $4.5 million (as per TSN’s Pierre LeBrun).

St. Louis Blues sign forward Robert Thomas to an eight-year, $64 million contract extension (as per Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli).










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 5, 2022

by | Jul 5, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 5, 2022

The Canadiens leave all options open with the first-overall pick as the 2022 draft approaches, the Sharks name Mike Grier as their new GM, Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk rescinds his trade request, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes is stirring up intrigue over what he’ll do with the first-overall pick in the upcoming 2022 NHL Draft. He claimed he hasn’t decided yet if he’ll choose center Shane Wright of the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs, winger Juraj Slavkovsky of Liiga club TPS in Finland, or center Logan Cooley of the U.S. National Team Development Program.

“We’re trying to evaluate how a player projects,” said Hughes. He adds they’re being open-minded and flexible over which is the right situation for those players. The Canadiens GM also didn’t rule out trading the pick or swinging a deal with the New Jersey Devils to end up with the first- and second-overall picks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hughes is doing what any GM worth his salt would do with the first-overall pick in a draft where there is no generational player like Connor McDavid available. He’ll get a very good player with that pick if he keeps it regardless of whether he chooses Wright, Slavkovsky or Cooley.

Hughes could surprise us by trading that pick, and if he can land the Devils’ pick without giving up a young core player such as Nick Suzuki or Cole Caufield it’ll be an impressive move. However, I doubt he’ll be able to pull that off. I anticipate he’ll retain the first-overall pick and use it to select Wright given the Habs’ ongoing need for quality depth at center.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: cited ESPN NHL insider Kevin Weekes reporting the Sharks will name Mike Grier as their new general manager on Tuesday. He’ll become the first black person in NHL history to become the GM of a team.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Weekes has a solid record for breaking NHL news. Grier spent 14 seasons from 1996-97 to 2010-11 as an NHL player with the Sharks, Edmonton Oilers, Washington Capitals and Buffalo Sabres. He went on to serve as an assistant coach with the Chicago Blackhawks, New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers and in 2021 was named the Rangers’ hockey operations advisor.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: cited TSN’s Ryan Rishaug reporting Jake DeBrusk’s agent claiming his client has rescinded his trade request. The Bruins signed the 25-year-old winger in March to a two-year contract extension.

Boston Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Interesting to note that DeBrusk withdrew his trade request after the Bruins fired head coach Bruce Cassidy. Make of that what you will.

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports Evander Kane’s grievance hearing with the San Jose Sharks over the January termination of his contract isn’t likely to be scheduled before free agency begins on July 13.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: LeBrun wonders if the two sides might reach an agreement on a settlement before then. That might be possible now that the Sharks finally have a new general manager in place.

TSN’s Darren Dreger reports Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev has changed agents and is now represented by Dan Milstein. Dreger’s colleague Chris Johnston reports Sergachev is expected to sign a contract extension in the coming weeks.

Pierre LeBrun reports pending UFA winger Ilya Mikheyev’s agent (Dan Milstein) may seek a multi-year deal worth between $4.75 million to $5.5 million annually. The 27-year-old Mikheyev spent the past three seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, tallying a career-high 21 goals and 32 points in 53 games in 2021-22.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mikheyev is a good depth forward but he’s not worth that much. Nevertheless, we shouldn’t underestimate the ability of NHL general managers to succumb to action fever and overpay for second-tier talent in the opening days of free agency.

NHL.COM: The Winnipeg Jets have appointed Scott Arniel as an associate coach under new bench boss Rick Bowness.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Flyers goaltender Ivan Fedotov is apparently going to be serving in the Russian Navy. After being detained in St. Petersburg last Friday for allegedly dodging the draft, he was reportedly hospitalized with what his attorney called stress-induced gastritis. He was then sent to a Russian naval base near the Arctic Circle.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fedotov, 25, played for CSKA Moscow last season but signed a one-year entry-level contract in May with the Flyers. There are rumors his gastritis was in fact poisoning but there’s no confirmation of this.

Fedotov’s plight is raising concerns that he’s being used as an example to other young Russian players thinking of leaving their KHL clubs to play in the NHL while Russia is at war with Ukraine. It could affect whether Russian prospects are chosen in the upcoming NHL Draft.

CALGARY SUN: The city of Calgary is continuing to work with the Flames in hope of finding a resolution toward the construction of a new arena to replace the aging Saddledome. A third-party intermediary called the Event Centre Visioning Group is continuing talks with both sides with the intention of getting them back to the negotiating table.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 6, 2021

by | Nov 6, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 6, 2021

​Oilers stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl enjoy multi-point performances against the Rangers, Carey Price will soon return to the Canadiens, Brady Tkachuk named captain of the Senators, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Connor McDavid’s game-tying goal set the stage for Leon Draisaitl’s overtime winner as the Edmonton Oilers overcame 4-1 and 5-4 deficits to defeat the New York Rangers 6-5. McDavid, Draisaitl and Tyson Barrie each finished the night with a goal and two assists while Jesse Puljujarvi tallied twice and Darnell Nurse collected three assists for the Oilers. Mika Zibanejad scored two goals for the Rangers. Before the game, the Oilers honored former defenseman Kevin Lowe by retiring his No. 4 jersey.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid’s highlight-reel goal was another example of why he’s the best hockey player in the world right now. He stickhandled through four Rangers inside the New York blueline at high speed before tucking the puck past a sprawling Alexandar Georgiev. Draisaitl (23 points) and McDavid (22) are currently the NHL’s leading scorers.

Unanswered goals by Matt Duchene and Philip Tomasino lifted the Nashville Predators to a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Predators goalie Juuse Saros made 26 saves while teammate Mikael Granlund picked up two assists. Brock Boeser and Nils Hoglander scored for the Canucks.

The Winnipeg Jets downed the Chicago Blackhawks 5-1. Andrew Copp collected three assists while Kyle Connor and Nikolaj Ehlers each had a goal and an assist. The Jets (6-2-2) are off to their best start since relocating to Winnipeg in 2011 while the sad-sack Blackhawks fall to 1-9-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Something’s gotta give for the Blackhawks soon. It could be a trade or a coaching change but this is a team badly in need of a shakeup. Another month of this and they can kiss their already fading playoff chances goodbye. Then again, whatever they do will probably already be too late to reverse their fortunes this season.

Anaheim Ducks goaltender Anthony Stolarz made 28 saves to backstop his club over the Arizona Coyotes 3-1. Adam Henrique had a goal and an assist for the Ducks, who honored team captain Ryan Getzlaf before the game for becoming the highest-scoring player in team history. The Coyotes have yet to win a game this season, sitting 0-10-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game highlighted two rebuilding clubs going in different directions. The Ducks (5-4-3) are off to a better than expected start while the Coyotes are feeling the effects of management’s offseason teardown moves that depleted the club’s depth, especially in goal. The Ducks still aren’t guaranteed to reach the playoffs but they’re showing early signs of becoming more competitive. The Coyotes, meanwhile, are going to endure a very long and difficult season.

The Los Angeles Kings nipped the New Jersey Devils 3-2 on an overtime goal by Alex Iafallo. Adrian Kempe and Arthur Kaliyev also scored for the Kings while Jesper Bratt and Pavel Zacha replied for the Devils.

HEADLINES

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens goaltender Carey Price will rejoin the club on Monday following a 30-day stint in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program. However, there’s no timetable for when he’ll return to action.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Price was recovering from offseason knee surgery prior to entering the program. It will likely take some time, perhaps several weeks, before he’s ready for game action. Nevertheless, it’s good to see that Price feels well enough mentally to make this first step toward resuming his career.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators named Brady Tkachuk as their new captain on Friday. The Senators also placed winger Auston Watson in COVID protocol.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators haven’t had a team captain since trading Erik Karlsson to the San Jose Sharks in 2018. It’s an unsurprising choice as it had been speculated Tkachuk or Thomas Chabot would be named captain at some point this season. He leads by example on the ice and has become the face of the franchise.

Brady’s brother, Calgary Flames winger Matthew Tkachuk was fined $5,000.00 for high-sticking Dallas Stars defenseman John Klingberg.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets winger Patrik Laine will be sidelined for four-to-six weeks with a strained oblique.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A tough setback for Laine, who was off to a good start with 10 points in nine games before the injury. He had just 21 points in 45 games with the Jackets last season.

NBC SPORTS WASHINGTON: Capitals forward Anthony Mantha is sidelined indefinitely after undergoing shoulder surgery.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Injuries continue to plague Mantha, who’s been sidelined in recent years with an injured lung, a broken hand, a fractured finger and a groin injury.

STLTODAY.COM: The St. Louis Blues placed Torey Krug and Niko Mikkola in COVID protocol and announced center Brayden Schenn will be sidelined for two games with an upper-body injury. Ryan O’Reilly has come out of COVID protocol.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: The NHL department of player safety handed down a two-game suspension to Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev for an illegal hit to the head of Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner on Thursday.

NBC SPORTS BAY AREA: The San Jose Sharks reassigned winger William Eklund to his Swedish Hockey League club, Djurgardens IF, to save a year of the 19-year-old rookie’s contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a difficult decision by the Sharks. Eklund collected four assists in nine games and show considerable potential. The youngster is disappointed by the move but I expect he’ll be back full-time with the Sharks next season.