NHL Rumor Mill – January 15, 2025

by | Jan 15, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – January 15, 2025

Check out the latest on the Canucks, Stars and Canadiens plus the latest on Ryan O’Reilly, Rasmus Andersson and John Klingberg in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST ON THE CANUCKS

TSN: Chris Johnston reports there’s a sense that the situation between Vancouver Canucks centers Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller is holding up the trade market.

As the Canucks work through their options, sources tell Johnston there’s a sense league-wide that Miller is the most likely to be moved. The 31-year-old center has a no-movement clause and none of this has been his idea. Nevertheless, there’s a belief that he’s more likely to move on if it’s the right situation.

It could take some time for this to occur, meaning there might not be much action in the trade market until it does.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks could eventually decide they’re keeping both players. That will also end the delay in activity in the trade market. It’s simply a matter of how long this plays out.

UPDATE ON THE PREDATORS

Nashville Predators center Ryan O’Reilly (NHL Images).

102.5 THE GAME’s Nick Keiser reports Nashville Predators general manager Barry Trotz expects teams to call him to express an interest in Ryan O’Reilly. Trotz indicated he’ll speak with the 33-year-old center before making a deal. “If we do anything we have to do it with respect,” he said.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: O’Reilly has two years remaining on his contract and lacks no-trade protection. However, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on Saturday that the Predators intend to treat him like he has a no-movement clause.

THE TENNESSEAN: Alex Daugherty believes the struggling Nashville Predators have no hope of reaching the playoffs this season. He thinks Trotz should be a seller at the trade deadline, suggesting Gustav Nyquist, Colton Sissons and Jeremy Lauzon as trade candidates.

Nyquist is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He could fetch a third or fourth-round pick. Sissons has an affordable $2.8 million average annual value through next season and could bring in a prospect and a second-round pick.

Lauzon is currently sidelined but would be a solid addition to a playoff contender’s defense corps once he’s healthy. He’s signed through 2025-26 with an affordable AAV of $2 million and might bring in a first-round pick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nyquist is the most likely of this trio to be shopped by the March 7 trade deadline because of his UFA status. Sissons and Lauzon could also move if Trotz can get the type of returns suggested by Daugherty.

FLAMES AREN’T PEDDLING RASMUS ANDERSSON

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the Calgary Flames aren’t shopping Rasmus Andersson. They’re confused as to why teams are calling about the 28-year-old defenseman. He been telling them that Andersson isn’t available.

The Flames are in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race. Andersson isn’t on an expiring contract and they hope to sign him to an extension starting this summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I noted yesterday that Andersson recently told the Calgary media that he loves living and playing in the Stampede City and doesn’t want to be traded. It seems he’s going to get his wish.

MORE ANTICIPATION THAT THE STARS WILL BE MAJOR DEADLINE BUYERS

TSN: LeBrun believes the Dallas Stars will attempt to add a top-six forward and a top-four defenseman by the March 7 trade deadline. They’re trying to be patient because certain needs could develop that they haven’t identified yet based on injuries.

Tyler Seguin remains sidelined but they haven’t put him on long-term injury reserve yet. They’re trying to accrue cap space and then put his $9.85 million on LTIR, which gives them more cap flexibility to make additions.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Recent reports out of Dallas suggest Seguin could be sidelined for five to six months. It’s only a matter of time until they put him on LTIR and use the savings to stock up in the trade market.

TEAMS ARE INTERESTED IN KLINGBERG

TSN: Darren Dreger reported NHL defenseman John Klingberg is attempting to resume his NHL career. He’s been sidelined for 14 months following hip resurfacing in 2023 but has ramped up his training lately and feels good.

Dreger claims there are five to seven teams that Klingberg must decide on. He lists the Toronto Maple Leafs as the front-runners, with the Edmonton Oilers and Ottawa Senators among the suitors.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Klingberg must sign by the March 7 trade deadline to be eligible to play in the postseason.

CANADIENS NOT SEEKING RENTAL PLAYERS

TVA SPORTS: Montreal Canadiens GM Kent Hughes isn’t going to sacrifice his club’s future for immediate help to make the playoffs this season. He’s not interested in acquiring pending UFA players.

Hughes isn’t ruling out making trades but suggests he’d prefer to acquire players with term remaining on their contracts, pointing to his recent acquisition of defenseman Alexandre Carrier as an example.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 8, 2024

by | Nov 8, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 8, 2024

Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck reaches a career milestone, the Panthers, Hurricanes and Wild each reach the 20-point plateau, the Sabres upset the Rangers, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 35 saves for his second straight shutout (and the 40th of his NHL career) as his club held on to blank the Colorado Avalanche 1-0. Gabriel Vilardi scored the only goal at 1:06 of the first period for the Jets, who extended their league-leading record to 13-1-0 (26 points). Avalanche goalie Alexandar Georgiev stopped 27 shots.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hellebuyck became the sixth US-born goaltender to record 40 career shutouts, joining Jonathan Quick (66 shutouts), Ryan Miller (44), Craig Anderson (43), Frankie Brimsek and John Vanbiesbrouck (40 each).

The shutout snapped the 13-game season-opening points streaks of Avalanche stars Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon. Cale Makar suffered an injury against the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday but played over 25 minutes in this contest, recording two shots on net.

The Florida Panthers picked up their sixth straight win with a 6-2 victory over the Nashville Predators, handing the latter their fifth loss in their last six games. Carter Verhaeghe scored two goals and collected an assist, Aleksander Barkov picked up three assists and Sam Reinhart extended his goal streak to five games. Steven Stamkos and Juuso Parssinen replied for the Predators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers sit atop the Eastern Conference with a record of 10-3-1 (21 points). Predators forward Colton Sissons missed this game as he’s day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

Carolina Hurricanes netminder Pyotr Kochetkov turned aside 35 shots to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-1. The Hurricanes picked up their eighth straight victory as Jack Roslovic scored twice and picked up an assist and Jalen Chatfield had three assists. Blake Lizotte scored for the Penguins.

The Buffalo Sabres romped to a 6-1 upset of the New York Rangers. Zach Benson had a goal and an assist and Jack Quinn picked up two assists for the Sabres. Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin got the hook early in the second period after giving up five goals on 12 shots.

An overtime goal by Brad Marchand lifted the Boston Bruins over the Calgary Flames 4-3. Bruins forward Pavel Zacha had a goal and an assist while Joona Korpisalo made 34 saves for the win. The Flames forced the extra frame by overcoming a two-goal deficit on third-period goals by Yegor Sherangovich and Nazem Kadri.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flames winger Anthony Mantha missed this game with a lower-body injury and was placed on injured reserve.

Dallas Stars forwards Logan Stankoven and Sam Steel each had a goal and an assist in a 3-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Tyler Seguin also scored and Jake Oettinger made 25 saves for the Stars. Tyler Bertuzzi replied for the Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stankoven leads all rookie scorers with 12 points.

The Minnesota Wild got three assists from Kirill Kaprizov to drop the San Jose Sharks 5-2. Matt Boldy tallied twice for the Wild, who sit second in the Western Conference with a record of 9-2-2 (20 points). Sharks rookie Macklin Celebrini scored both goals for the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks defenseman Jake Walman missed this game with an upper-body injury. He missed their previous contest for non-hockey reasons.

Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes had a goal and an assist as his club doubled up the Los Angeles Kings 4-2. Canucks winger Brock Boeser left this game midway through the first period following a blindside hit to the head by Kings forward Tanner Jeannot. There was no update on his condition following the game. Quinton Byfield and Vladislav Gavrikov scored for the Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jeannot received a match penalty for his illegal hit on Boeser. The incident will be reviewed by the league but remains to be seen whether he receives supplemental discipline.

A shootout goal by Owen Tippett lifted the Philadelphia Flyers to a 2-1 upset of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Tipett also scored in regulation while Ivan Fedotov made 23 saves for his first NHL victory. Nikita Kucherov replied for the Lightning, who played without Brayden Point as he remains sidelined by a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers rookie Matvei Michkov was a healthy scratch as head coach John Tortorella expressed concerns over Michkov’s play at even strength. The 19-year-old winger is second among NHL rookie scorers with 10 points, seven of which were on the power play. He was held to one assist in his last five games.

The Utah Hockey Club defeated the St. Louis Blues 4-2 as Dylan Guenther scored the go-ahead goal late in the third period. Guenther finished the night with two points. Colton Parayko and Jordan Kyrou tallied for the Blues.

New Jersey Devils forwards Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt each collected three points in a 5-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens, handing the latter their fifth straight loss (0-4-1). Alex Newhook scored twice for the struggling Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens’ leading scorers have been shut down lately. Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield have no points in their last three games while Juraj Slafkovsky was held to an assist in his last four contests. Meanwhile, the Devils reassigned defenseman Simon Nemec to their AHL affiliate in Utica. He’d been a healthy scratch for over two weeks.

The New York Islanders doubled up the Ottawa Senators 4-2. Bo Horvat led the way with a goal and two assists while Semyon Varlamov stopped 28 shots for the win. Nick Jensen and Drake Batherson replied for the Senators, who’ve dropped five of their last seven games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators forward Tim Stutzle was cut above his right eye after taking a puck to the face in the first period. He left the game but returned at the start of the second period, finishing the game with two assists.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews missed practice on Thursday as he remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Leafs coach Craig Berube hasn’t ruled out Matthews from their upcoming two games against the Detroit Red Wings on Friday and the Canadiens on Saturday.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Seattle Kraken goaltender Philipp Grubauer is listed as day-to-day after suffering what the club called “an unfortunate accident” at home. He’s expected to return within the next couple of days.

RG.ORG: Former New Jersey Devils forward John Madden remains puzzled as to why former teammate Alexander Mogilny continues to be passed over for induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

“It was crazy how many key goals he scored for us at the right moments, at the right time, whether it was regular season or playoffs; he just had that knack for burying goals that mattered,” said Madden. He considers Mogilny “one of the best players not to be in the Hockey Hall of Fame.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Madden’s not the only person wondering why the Hall of Fame has continually passed over Mogilny since his first year of eligibility in 2009. A growing number of fans and pundits have openly questioned the Hall’s ongoing snub of one of the most skillful and exciting forwards to play the game.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The NCAA has voted to allow major junior players to maintain college eligibility if they are not signed to a pro contract. This decision allows players in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), which includes the QMJHL, OHL and WHL to transfer to NCAA teams beginning next season.

The move would enable players drafted by NHL teams out of the CHL to play NCAA Division I hockey as their next step in developing their game before signing a professional contract. How it will impact other leagues like the United States Hockey League (USHL) or the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) remains to be seen.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 9, 2022

by | Apr 9, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 9, 2022

The Panthers earn another comeback win, the Avalanche’s Cale Makar downs the Jets in overtime, 2021 first-overall pick Owen Powers signs with Sabres, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers earned their third multi-goal comeback victory for the third time in their last four games by defeating the Buffalo Sabres 4-3. Sam Bennett netted the winner in the third period while Aleksander Barkov and Claude Giroux each had two points as Florida overcame a 3-1 deficit to pick up their league-leading 30th home win. With 106 points, the Panthers hold a six-point lead over the Carolina Hurricanes for first place in the Eastern Conference.

Speaking of the Hurricanes, they failed to pad their lead in the Metropolitan Division after falling 2-1 to the New York Islanders. Kyle Palmieri tallied the game-winner with 15 seconds remaining in regulation after Carolina center Vincent Trocheck tied the game 32 seconds beforehand. The Hurricanes remain two points up on the New York Rangers for first place in the division.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (NHL Images).

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar tied a franchise record with his third overtime goal of the season in a 5-4 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Makar, Nathan MacKinnon, Andre Burakovsky and Alex Newhook finished the night with two points each as the Avalanche hold first place in the overall standings with 108 points. Mark Scheifele and Nikolaj Ehlers each had two goals and an assist as the Jets (77 points) kept their fading playoff hopes alive to move within seven points of the Dallas Stars for the final Western Conference playoff berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets captain Blake Wheeler missed this game after suffering an undisclosed injury during Wednesday’s loss to the Detroit Red Wings.

The St. Louis Blues overcame a 3-1 deficit to tame the Minnesota Wild 4-3 on an overtime goal by Robert Thomas. Ville Husso kicked out 35 shots for the win as the Blues moved into a tie with the Wild with 92 points, though the latter holds second place in the Central Division with a game in hand. Kirill Kaprizov tallied his 41st goal of the season and only needs one more to tie the franchise record.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No sophomore slump for Kaprizov following his Calder Memorial Trophy season. He’s among the league’s top-10 scorers, proving worthy of the $9 million per season cap hit on his contract while breaking the Wild’s single-season points record.

An overtime goal by Charlie Coyle lifted the Boston Bruins over the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1. Jake DeBrusk opened the scoring and got the primary assist on Coyle’s goal while Linus Ullmark stopped 29 shots for the win. The Bruins moved into third place in the Atlantic Division with 95 points, one ahead of the Lightning.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins got the win with winger David Pastrnak and defenseman Hampus Lindholm on the sidelines. Speaking of the Bolts, they’ve dropped four straight after four consecutive wins.

HEADLINES

WGR 550: The Buffalo Sabres signed top prospect Owen Power to a three-year entry-level contract. Power was the Sabres’ first-round pick (first overall) in the 2021 NHL draft.

NHL.COM: The Columbus Blue Jackets inked prospect Kent Johnson to an entry-level deal. They selected him with the fifth-overall pick in last year’s draft.

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks have secured their backup goaltender for next season by signing Spencer Martin to a two-year, one-way contract.

NHL.COM: The NHL department of player safety fined Edmonton Oilers winger Evander Kane $5,000.00 for kneeing Los Angeles Kings defenseman Sean Durzi during Thursday’s game between the two clubs.

Nashville Predators forward Colton Sissons was fined $2,500.00 for spearing Ottawa Senators center Josh Norris on Thursday.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers forward Tyler Motte is sidelined for the near future with an upper-body injury. He’s expected to return before the end of the regular season on April 29. Forward Filip Chytil is also out with an upper-body injury but is expected to return to action soon.

NHL.COM: Minnesota State goaltender Dryden McKay is the 2022 winner of the Hobey Baker Award as the top college hockey player in the United States. The undrafted McKay will be free to sign with any team following the national championship game on Saturday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McKay is named after Hall-of-Fame goaltender Ken Dryden and wears the same number (29) in his honor.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 22, 2020

by | Jan 22, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 22, 2020

Florida Panthers coach Joel Quenneville returns to Chicago, Artemi Panarin to miss the upcoming NHL All-Star Game, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: Florida Panthers coach Joel Quenneville made a triumphant return to Chicago as his club edged the Blackhawks 4-3. Quenneville, who coached the Hawks from 2008-09 to 2018-19, was honored by the club during the game. The Panthers’ victory was powered by Frank Vatrano’s hat trick, giving them six straight wins. Before the game, the Blackhawks honored Patrick Kane for reaching 1,000 career points. Earlier in the day, eyebrows were raised when Blackhawks’ stars Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith had a physical altercation during practice. Toews downplayed the incident as “just some friendly wrestling.”

Florida Panthers coach Joel Quenneville picked up a win in his return to Chicago (Photo via NHL.com)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers (61 points) maintain their hold on third place in the Atlantic Division, while the Blackhawks (54 points) remain three points out of a wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Justin Williams scored two goals to lead the Carolina Hurricanes to a 4-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Teuvo Teravainen collected three points while Andrei Svechnikov had two assists. The slumping Jets have dropped three in a row.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Williams doesn’t look rusty after taking over half the season off. His return seems to have provided an extra spark for the Hurricanes. The Jets, meanwhile, are three points out of a Western Conference wild-card spot.

The New York Islanders doubled up the New York Rangers 4-2. Thomas Greiss made 40 saves and Josh Bailey had a goal and two assists. Isles center Mathew Barzal was benched during the third period by coach Barry Trotz for not playing within the team framework. Rangers all-star winger Artemi Panarin missed this game with an upper-body injury. He’ll be replaced at the upcoming 2020 NHL All-Star game by teammate Chris Kreider.

Third-period goals by Jake DeBrusk and David Krejci lifted the Boston Bruins to a 3-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights.

Brian Elliott had a 19-save shutout as the Philadelphia Flyers blanked the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-0. The Flyers have won four of their last five contests.

SUN-SENTINEL: The 2021 NHL All-Star Game will reportedly be hosted by the Florida Panthers.

DETROIT FREE PRESS: Red Wings forward Anthony Mantha could miss the remainder of the season with an injured rib cage and shoulder. His last game was Dec. 21 against Toronto.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 24 points in 29 games, Mantha was on his way to eclipsing last season’s 25-goal, 48-point performance in 67 games. His absence is among the reasons behind the Wings’ struggles this season.

CBS SPORTS: Nashville Predators forward Colton Sissons was assigned to their AHL affiliate in Milwaukee on a conditioning stint.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Brandon Manning received a five-game suspension by the AHL for uttering a racial slur during a recent game.