NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 2, 2023

by | Jun 2, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 2, 2023

The Penguins hire Kyle Dubas as team president, Leafs introduce Brad Treliving as their new GM, Patrick Kane undergoes hip procedure plus the latest on the Stanley Cup Finalists and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins yesterday announced the hiring of former Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas as their new president of hockey operations.

Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas (NHL Images).

There is no word yet on who will become the Penguins’ new general manager. Three current assistant general managers (Tampa Bay’s Mathiew Darche, Dallas’ Steve Greeley and Seattle’s Jason Botterill) are believed in the running.

There’s speculation Jason Spezza could be a candidate. Spezza worked last season with Dubas as a special assistant. He quit that role after Dubas was fired by the Leafs.

During his introductory press conference yesterday, Dubas indicated he’ll be handling the role of Penguins general manager until July while he searches for someone to fill that role permanently.

Dubas indicated he’ll try to meet with goaltender Tristan Jarry, who is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He said that winning the Metropolitan Division is a top priority and has no plans to replace head coach Mike Sullivan, who’s signed through 2026-27.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those aren’t the only issues facing Dubas with the Penguins.

He and whoever he hires as GM must build up the roster depth around aging stars Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. They must also rebuild their depleted prospect pool.

Dubas must also decide whether he’ll keep his club’s 2023 first-round pick (14th overall) and use to to select a promising young player or attempt to trade it for more immediate roster help. While the Penguins have over $20 million in cap space this summer, he should still attempt to create more cap flexibility by finding a way to shed the contracts of Jeff Carter and Mikael Granlund.

THE SCORE: The Toronto Maple Leafs formally introduced Brad Treliving as their new general manager to the Toronto media yesterday.

Among Treliving’s priorities is signing Leafs superstar Auston Matthews to a contract extension. He also intends to meet with Sheldon Keefe to discuss his future as Leafs head coach. Like Matthews, Keefe has a year remaining on this contract.

Treliving also addressed the notion of trading one of the Leafs “core four” forwards of Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and captain John Tavares. He didn’t rule out a trade but also sounded like he’d be fine with heading into next season with those four in the lineup.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In other words, Treliving’s going to evaluate everything before making any big decisions. That’s understandable as he’s just taking over and needs time to consider all his options and what might work best for the Maple Leafs.

Whatever Treliving wants to do will require the blessing of team president Brendan Shanahan, who reportedly would prefer to give the core four and Keefe another opportunity to make a run for the Stanley Cup. It’ll be interesting to see how things unfold in the coming weeks.

SPORTSNET: Free agent winger Patrick Kane underwent hip resurfacing surgery on Thursday. His recovery is four-to-six months which could see him miss training camp in September but could see his return to action early in the 2023-24 season.

Kane’s agent, Pat Brisson, said his client is expected to make a full recovery. It’s not immediately clear how that surgery will affect the 34-year-old winger’s value in the free-agent market when it opens on July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Interested clubs could take a wait-and-see approach. Some might attempt to leverage his surgery to sign Kane to an affordable one-year “show me” contract with the promise of a more lucrative extension if he plays well following his return to action.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Turning to the Stanley Cup Finalists, Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone is held in high regard by GM Kelly McCrimmon, head coach Bruce Cassidy and his teammates. McCrimmon calls him “the straw that stirs the drink.”

DAILY FACEOFF: Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill’s performance in the 2023 playoffs will earn him a significant pay raise over his current contract. He could get a three or four-year deal worth between $4 million and $5 million annually.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hill is completing a two-year contract with an average annual value of $2.175 million. He’s due to become a UFA on July 1.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Meanwhile, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice has maintained a simple motto for his players: “Work your ass off and have fun.” He’s also let his guard down from time to time and allowed his players to see him having fun as well.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers have been a “loosey-goosey” bunch throughout this postseason because they’ve been the underdog against more heavily-favored opponents. When you’re not under as much pressure to succeed as your opponent, it can work in your favor. We’ll find out soon enough if that will help carry the Panthers over the Golden Knights in the upcoming Stanley Cup Final.

THE SCORE: Good news for Vancouver Canucks fans as Elias Pettersson’s agent believes contract extension talks will start this summer. Pettersson is a year away from becoming a restricted free agent with arbitration rights. His current average annual value is $7.35 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pettersson will be due a substantial pay raise on a long-term contract. The 24-year-old center is coming off a career-best 102-point season, becoming the first Canuck to reach the 100-point plateau since Daniel Sedin in 2010-11.

TVA SPORTS: Montreal Canadiens winger Juraj Slafkovsky, 19, graduated from high school on Wednesday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The past year-and-a-half has been a whirlwind of achievements for young Slafkovsky. He was named the MVP of the 2022 Men’s Olympic Hockey tournament helping Slovakia win the bronze medal, became the first-overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, and made his NHL debut with the Montreal Canadiens in 2022-23 before a knee injury cut short his season.

SPORTSNET: The NHL and NHL Players Association reached an agreement on a one-summer trial arrangement amending the collective bargaining agreement to allow for limited on-ice training from coaching staff in the offseason. The current rule stipulates that clubs are not allowed to have coaches or hockey operations staff participate in on-ice offseason training sessions.

This comes after the Vancouver Canucks were fined $50,000.00 in May for violating the CBA as they hosted on-ice training sessions with Daniel and Henrik Sedin, who also hold player development roles within the organization. This penalty will not be rescinded by this trial agreement.

THE MERCURY NEWS: Long-time San Jose Sharks radio play-by-play man Dan Rusanowsky is the latest recipient of the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for outstanding contributions as a hockey broadcaster. Sports journalist Mark Mulvoy was also honored with the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award for excellence in hockey journalism.










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.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 16, 2023

by | Jan 16, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 16, 2023

The Jets move into first place in the Western Conference during Sunday’s action, the Canucks and Canadiens also emerge as winners during Sunday’s action, former Canuck Gino Odjick passes away, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Winnipeg Jets took over first place in the Western Conference with a 2-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes. Pierre-Luc Dubois and Blake Wheeler scored for Winnipeg while Clayton Keller replied for Arizona. The Jets (29-14-1) has won eight of their last nine games and hold a one-point lead over the Vegas Golden Knights with 59 points. The Coyotes (13-25-5) have lost nine straight games.

Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson scored in the shootout to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 after overcoming 2-0 and 3-2 deficits. Brock Boeser scored at 19:43 of the third to send the game into overtime and the shootout rounds as the Canucks sit at 18-22-3 on the season. Jaccob Slavin collected two assists for the Hurricanes (27-9-8). With 62 points, they hold a three-point lead over the New Jersey Devils for first place in the Metropolitan Division.

The Montreal Canadiens upset the New York Rangers 2-1 on Cole Caufield’s third-period goal. Kirby Dach also scored and Sam Montembeault picked up the win with a 38-save performance for the 18-23-3 Canadiens. Artemi Panarin scored for the Rangers (24-13-7) as their seven-game points streak ended. With 55 points, they sit four points behind the Devils in third place in the Metropolitan Division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens rookie Juraj Slafkovsky suffered a lower-body injury in this game and will be evaluated in Montreal.

Former NHL enforcer Gino Odjick (NHL.com).

HEADLINES

THE PROVINCE: Former Vancouver Canucks enforcer Gino Odjick passed away on Sunday from a heart attack at age 52. Odjick was diagnosed in 2014 with amyloidosis, a rare heart condition that produced protein deposits in the heart. The initial diagnosis nearly killed him.

Odjick spent 12 NHL seasons with the Canucks, New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadiens. Eight of those seasons were spent in Vancouver, where he became a fan favorite and a beloved teammate known for his good humor and friendly nature. In 605 career games, he scored 64 goals and 137 points with 2,567 penalty minutes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Odjick’s family, friends and former teammates. He was among the league’s most feared enforcers on the ice but was respected by opponents and renowned for his kindness to fans and teammates.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Saturday that word around the league is the Bruins and David Pastrnak had made progress in contract extension talks. Bruins general manager Don Sweeney subsequently said he had no update to provide about those talks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ll be very surprised if Pastrnak departs Boston as an unrestricted free agent in July. He wants to stay and the Bruins want to keep him. The dollars are likely what’s causing talks to progress slowly.

Pastrnak is earning an average annual value of $6.66 million on his current deal. That proved to be a bargain for the Bruins given his status among the league’s elite goal scorers. He’s in line to earn over $11 million annually on his next deal. That’s how much Auston Matthews is currently making with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

I’ve read and heard complaints from some Bruins fans (or those claiming to be Bruins fans) that Pastrnak is being greedy and should accept a hometown discount to stay in Boston. The bottom line is the market for former Richard Trophy winners currently on pace to reach 60 goals this season is over $11 million. If the Bruins won’t pay it, other clubs will happily step up to do so in July.

ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports the Minnesota Wild are making some ground in contract discussions with Matthew Boldy. The 21-year-old sophomore winger is in the final season of his entry-level contract and has 29 points in 41 games this season.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators got some good news as center Josh Norris is expected to return to action this week. He’s been sidelined by a shoulder injury since October.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner was sued for $3.9 million by a Wisconsin company for allegedly failing to repay a business months before he filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Lehner and his wife cited up to $50 million in debts, most of those business-related.

CBS SPORTS: Speaking of the Golden Knights, winger William Carrier is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury and will miss Monday’s game against the Dallas Stars.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings placed goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic on waivers yesterday to create roster room for returning winger Filip Zadina. Nedeljkovic is currently with their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids on a conditioning stint and carries an average annual value of $3 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nedeljkovic was supplanted as the Red Wings starter by offseason acquisition Ville Husso this season while Magnus Hellberg has played well in a backup role. If unclaimed, he’s expected to remain in Grand Rapids for the foreseeable future.

NHL.COM: The Tampa Bay Lightning assigned forward Rudolfs Balcers to their AHL affiliate in Syracuse for conditioning. He’s played just three games with the Lightning after being claimed off waivers from the Florida Panthers on Nov. 12.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 26, 2022

by | Nov 26, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 26, 2022

The Bruins set a season-opening wins record, the Kraken continues to win through November, the Stars’ Jason Robertson takes over the goal-scoring lead, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Boston Bruins became the first team in league history to open the season with 12 straight home victories by overcoming a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 on an overtime goal by David Pastrnak. David Krejci scored twice as the Bruins (18-3-0) sit in first place in the overall standings with 36 points. Stefen Noesen and Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored for the Hurricanes, who drop to 10-6-5.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a costly win for the Bruins as goaltender Linus Ullmark left the game in the third period with an apparent injury to his right arm. Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said the goalie had full range of motion in his arm and is “pretty confident” Ullmark is ok. For now, he’s considered day-to-day.

Seattle Kraken winger Andre Burakovsky scored twice as his club doubled up the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2. Adam Larsson collected two assists for the Kraken (12-5-3), who’ve won eight of their last 10 games to sit third overall in the Western Conference with 27 points. Nicolas Roy and Phil Kessel replied for the Golden Knights, who sit atop the west with a record of 16-5-1 and 33 points. Vegas center Brett Howden missed this game with a lower-body injury.

An overtime goal by Josh Morrissey lifted the Winnipeg Jets over the Dallas Stars by a score of 5-4. The Stars rallied to tie the game on two straight third-period goals by Jason Robertson, who takes over the NHL goals-scoring lead with 18. The Stars (12-5-4) sit second in the West with 28 points while the 12-6-1 Jets are fifth overall with 25 points.

The New Jersey Devils picked up their ninth straight road victory with a 3-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres. All the scoring took place in the second period with Jack Hughes, Jesper Boqvist and Tomas Tatar tallying for the Devils (17-4-0) while Victor Olofsson replied for the 9-12-0 Sabres. With 34 points, the Devils are two behind the first-place Bruins in the Eastern Conference.

William Nylander scored what proved to be the game-winner as the Toronto Maple Leafs held off the Minnesota Wild 4-3. John Tavares collected two assists for the 12-5-5 Leafs while Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello each had a goal and an assist for the Wild as they drop to 9-9-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs wore shoulder patches on their sweaters to honor Borje Salming, who passed away on Thursday from ALS. Nylander dedicated his winning goal to his late countryman.

The Tampa Bay Lightning got two goals from Brayden Point and three assists from Nikita Kucherov to down the St. Louis Blues by a score of 5-2. The Lightning (12-7-1) has won five of their last six contests. Pavel Buchenich and Jordan Kyrou were the goal scorers for the Blues as they fall to 10-10-0.

A two-goal performance by Ryan Poehling powered the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Teddy Blueger collected three helpers while Sidney Crosby also scored for the Penguins (11-7-3). Kevin Hayes had the lone goal for the Flyers (7-9-5), who are now winless in their last nine contests.

Washington Capitals goaltender Darcy Kuemper made 32 saves to shut out the Calgary Flames 3-0. Alex Ovechkin and TJ Oshie each had a goal and an assist, Sonny Milano picked up two assists and Evgeny Kuznetsov scored for the Capitals, who improve to 9-10-3 while the Flames drop to 9-8-3.

A third-period goal by Brock Nelson lifted the New York Islanders to a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Mathew Barzal collected two assists for the Isles (14-8-0) as they’ve won three straight games. Johnny Gaudreau and Kent Johnson each had two points for the 7-12-1 Blue Jackets.

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Filip Hronek extended his goal streak to four games as his club defeated the Arizona Coyotes 4-3 on a shootout goal by Dylan Larkin. Lucas Raymond and Tyler Bertuzzi each had two assists for the Wings (11-5-4). Jakob Chychun scored his first of the season for the 7-9-3 Coyotes.

The Los Angeles Kings got a goal and an assist from Viktor Arvidsson and Jaret Anderson-Dolan in a 5-2 win over the San Jose Sharks. Jonathan Quick made 29 saves and Phillip Danault tallied his seventh goal of the season for the 12-9-2 Kings. James Riemer stopped 24 shots for the Sharks as they fall to 7-13-3.

Montreal Canadiens winger Kirby Dach scored the winning goal in a shootout over his former club in a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Nick Suzuki and Joel Edmundson had two goals and Sean Monahan collected two assists for the Canadiens as they improve to 11-9-1 while Caleb Jones and Taylor Raddysh replied for the 6-10-4 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens rookie Juraj Slafkovsky left the game in the third period following a high hit by Jason Dickinson. He would later return to the bench but didn’t see any further action in this game. As for the Blackhawks, they announced earlier in the day that forward Sam Lafferty will miss several games with an upper-body injury.

The Ottawa Senators snapped a three-game losing skid with a 5-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Derick Brassard and Mathieu Joseph led the way as they each had a goal and two assists for the Senators (7-12-1). Max Jones had the lone goal for the 6-14-1 Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators goalie Anton Forsberg didn’t dress for this game as he’s listed as day-to-day with a minor lower-body injury.

THE TENNESSEAN: The Colorado Avalanche-Nashville Predators game scheduled for yesterday was postponed due to a water main break at Bridgestone Arena. The game will be rescheduled for a later date.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 10, 2022

by | Nov 10, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 10, 2022

The Penguins end a lengthy losing skid, Evander Kane goes on LTIR after a serious wrist injury, Charlie McAvoy could be poised to return soon and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Two power-play goals by Kirill Kaprizov lifted the Minnesota Wild to a 4-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Filip Gustavsson stopped 31 shots for his first win with the Wild as their record improved to 6-6-1 while the Ducks fall to 4-9-1.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, Kaprizov was fined $5,000.00 by the NHL’s department of player safety for high-sticking Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty. Anaheim Ducks star Trevor Zegras scored another lacrosse-style goal but “The Michigan” was overturned on a coach’s challenge as his teammate Dmitry Kulikov was ruled offside on the play.

Florida Panthers goaltender Spencer Knight made 40 saves to shut out the Carolina Hurricanes 3-0. Nick Cousins, Aleksander Barkov and Sam Bennett were the goal scorers as the Panthers improved to 8-5-1 while the Hurricanes are 8-4-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a milestone night for Panthers forward Eric Staal and head coach Paul Maurice. Staal skated in his 1,300th career NHL game while Maurice moved into sixth place among NHL coaches for career wins with 783. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes were without goalie Frederik Andersen as he returned to Carolina for treatment regarding an undisclosed injury.

The Pittsburgh Penguins snapped a seven-game losing skid with a 4-1 victory over the Washington Capitals. Casey DeSmith stopped 24 shots while Jake Guentzel had a goal and an assist for the Penguins (5-6-2) while the Capitals fall to 6-7-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins captain Sidney Crosby recorded his 901st career assist to tie Bryan Trottier for 19th on the career assist list. He’s also one point back of Trottier (1,425) for 17th on the all-time points list.

Montreal Canadiens winger Kirby Dach scored twice in a 5-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Nick Suzuki had a goal and an assist and Sam Montembeault kicked out 31 shots for the win as the Canadiens rise to 7-6-1 while the Canucks fall to 4-7-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens played without rookie winger Juraj Slafkovsky. He received a two-game suspension for boarding Detroit Red Wings forward Matt Luff, who will be sidelined for 10-12 weeks. Meanwhile, Canadiens winger Josh Anderson served the second game of his two-game suspension for boarding Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo.

HEADLINES

DAILY FACEOFF: Edmonton Oilers winger Evander Kane was placed on long-term injury reserve following surgery to repair a deep cut on his wrist suffered during Tuesday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. In a statement, Kane thanked the doctors, paramedics and training staffs for both teams.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane was fortunate not to suffer more serious damage to his wrist. While it appears he won’t suffer any permanent effects from the injury, his absence will leave a big gap at left wing on their top scoring line.

SPORTSNET: Isaiah Meyer-Crothers released a statement through the Hockey Diversity Alliance claiming he’s seen no proof that Mitchell Miller has changed his ways. Meyer-Crothers suffered years of racist bullying from Miller, culminating in the latter pleading guilty at age 14 in juvenile court in 2016 to one count of assault and one count of violation of the Ohio Safe Schools Act.

Meyer-Crothers, who is Black and has developmental disabilities, said Miller recently contacted him by text to apologize and to say he was doing community work to help youth. “I told him, ‘That’s all cool but where is the proof though? He didn’t give me any (proof)”, said Meyer-Crothers. “All the lies I have been told from him for so many years I don’t believe what Mitchell told me.”

Mitchell signed an entry-level contract last Friday with the Boston Bruins but they rescinded the deal on Monday following sweeping criticism from team captain Patrice Bergeron and the Bruins’ fan base. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman also weighed in by saying that Miller wasn’t currently eligible to play in the league without major changes.

Meyer-Crothers detailed the years of abuse he suffered by Miller and the toll it has taken on him and his family. He indicated Miller’s friends continued to abuse him even after Mitchell was expelled from school. He also said he recently received racist and abusive messages on social media.

“Mitchell isn’t my friend. It hurts my heart what he did to me. So I just wanted to tell everyone – when Mitchell says we’re friends it isn’t true,” wrote Meyer-Crothers. “I can’t take more of this.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins’ signing of Miller and their clumsy handling of the aftermath poured salt on emotional wounds for Meyer-Crothers and his family that haven’t fully healed. All because management didn’t conduct due diligence in vetting Miller before signing him.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Canadiens prospect defenseman Logan Mailloux will also require clearance by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman before he can play in the league. He remains on an entry-level contract with the Canadiens and currently plays with the OHL’s London Knights. Canadiens president Jeff Gorton said he and Mailloux knew that Bettman’s approval would be required since the Canadiens drafted him and when he signed his contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mailloux withdrew from the 2021 NHL Draft following a report that – while playing in Sweden in 2020 – he was charged and fined by Swedish police after he secretly photographed a young woman engaged in a consensual sex act with him and shared it with his teammates. The Canadiens drafted him anyway and faced considerable criticism throughout the hockey community.

The report also said Mailloux has been more open and transparent about his ongoings since being drafted, along with signs of growth and accountability. Earlier this year, he discussed his participation in the Canadiens’ Respect and Consent program, indicating he’s undergone therapy and met with Sheldon Kennedy, the former NHL player and sexual abuse survivor who co-founded the Respect Group.

The Canadiens continue to evaluate Mailloux but it will be up to him to prove to everyone, especially Bettman, that he’s sufficiently grown as a person to earn the right to play in the NHL.

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: The Bruins placed defenseman Mike Reilly on waivers as Charlie McAvoy is getting close to returning from offseason shoulder surgery.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli believes McAvoy could make his season debut as early as tonight’s game against Calgary. We’ll find out soon enough if that’s the case.

DALLAS HOCKEY NOW: The Stars have sent Matt Murray to their AHL affiliate to make room for goaltender Jake Oettinger, who’s been sidelined for five games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Murray is not to be confused with Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Matt Murray nor are the two related.

TORONTO STAR: Speaking of the Leafs’ Matt Murray, he could be ready to return from a groin injury by Saturday. The injury limited him to just one game this season.










NHL Rumor Mill – November 2, 2022

by | Nov 2, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – November 2, 2022

How will the Canadiens address their surplus of forwards? What’s the latest on the Senators’ contract talks with Alex Formenton? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST ON THE CANADIENS

THE ATHLETIC: Arpon Basu reports the Montreal Canadiens will face a delicate balancing act of managing their surplus of forwards this season. They’re currently carrying 15 forwards but will have to move one of them once defenseman Joel Edmundson returns from injury.

The Canadiens could send rookie Juraj Slafkovsky to their AHL affiliate as he’s exempt from waivers. However, the 18-year-old winger’s performance thus far doesn’t merit demotion.

Montreal Canadiens winger Evgenii Dadonov (NHL Images)

Basu believes they don’t want to put affordable forward Michael Pezzetta on waivers because he’d likely be claimed by another club. He speculates it could instead be a veteran such as Jonathan Drouin, Evgenii Dadonov or Mike Hoffman who could get waived and demoted.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Stu Cowan believes Dadonov could become the odd man out among the Canadiens forwards. He suggested a trade would be best for the 33-year-old winger as he clearly doesn’t have a future in Montreal.

Dadonov was a healthy scratch during their 7-4 win over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday and didn’t practice or play with the club against Minnesota on Tuesday. Cowan points out the Russian winger has no points in eight games and carries a cap hit of $5 million for this season, though he’ll earn $6.5 million in actual salary.

TVA SPORTS: Marc-Andre Perreault reports Dadonov’s absence was due to a non-COVID-related illness.

Perreault also spoke with Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes during last night’s game against the Wild. Hughes told him Dadonov’s agent called him on Friday to discuss his client’s situation, something he understood as a former agent himself. Perreault reported Dadonov met with Hughes on Saturday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dadonov hasn’t really done much this season to earn more playing time with the Canadiens. As Cowan pointed out, his performance combined with his contract makes him tough to move at this stage of the season. The Habs will have to retain part of his cap hit if they want to do that right now.

Slafkovsky has made steady improvement thus far but the Canadiens will soon have to reach a decision with the 18-year-old winger. He’s played seven games and can only play two more before the Canadiens can send him down to Laval if they want to push the start of his entry-level contract ahead to next season. That would be the easiest way to address the issue but Basu doesn’t believe that would be the right decision.

They could put Dadonov, Drouin or Hoffman on waivers and demote one of them, though that means they’ll only get $1.125 million in cap relief by doing so. Those three have been disappointing thus far with a grand total of four points between them. Finding a taker for one of them in the trade market is a daunting challenge.

UPDATE ON FORMENTON’S CONTRACT TALKS WITH THE SENATORS

TSN: Darren Dreger reports there hasn’t been much progress in contract talks between the Ottawa Senators and Alex Formenton. He claimed the Senators “have reasons for slow-playing this situation”. However, they have until Dec. 1 to sign Formenton or else he becomes unavailable to play the remainder of this season.

Dreger said some believe a trade is more likely. He also suggested, “Europe, long term, could be an option as well”.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Formenton is a 23-year-old winger who completed his entry-level contract last season. He’s a restricted free agent lacking arbitration rights who showed promise last season with 18 goals and 32 points in 79 games.

It’s been radio silence from the Senators and Formenton’s camp on this situation. That’s sparked speculation that he could be one of the players involved in the sexual assault allegations leveled against members of Canada’s 2018 World Junior team. Formenton didn’t attend training camp and hasn’t made any statements or conducted any interviews.

Whatever the reason behind the stalemate, the clock is ticking regarding his playing status in the NHL for this season.