NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 4, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 4, 2025

The Senators pick up their fifth straight win, the three stars of the week, Wild center Ryan Hartman suspended, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Ottawa Senators collected their fifth straight win by downing the Nashville Predators 5-2. Three unanswered third-period goals by Shane Pinto, David Perron and Ridly Greig carried the Senators (62 points) to victory, opening a three-point lead over the Detroit Red Wings for third in the Atlantic Division. Predators goalie Juuse Saros stopped 34 shots while teammate Filip Forsberg had a goal and an assist.

Ottawa Senators center Tim Stutzle (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Predators captain Roman Josi set the franchise record for games played with 957. Senators center Tim Stutzle became the youngest player in franchise history to reach the 300-point milestone (23 years, 19 days) and the third fastest to do so (338 games played), sitting behind Jason Spezza (277 games) and Alexei Yashin (332).

Senators forward Josh Norris missed this game as he’s sidelined for several weeks with a mid-body injury. Predators forward Luke Evangelista didn’t play as he’s listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin, Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson, and Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson are the league’s three stars for the week ending Feb. 2, 2025.

Minnesota Wild center Ryan Hartman received a 10-game suspension from the department of player safety for roughing Senators center Tim Stutzle on Saturday, driving Stutzle’s head into the ice following a faceoff draw.

DAILY FACEOFF: New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal is sidelined indefinitely with a lower-body injury and defenseman Scott Mayfield is day-to-day (lower body).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Barzal and Mayfield join injured teammates Noah Dobson, Ryan Pulock, Semyon Varlamov, Mike Reilly, and Marcus Hogberg. Those lengthy absences threaten to derail the Islanders’ efforts to secure a playoff spot.

NHL.COM: Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kirill Marchenko is sidelined indefinitely with a broken jaw.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jackets are already missing Sean Monahan, Yegor Chinakhov, Erik Gudbranson and captain Boone Jenner, though the latter is expected to return to the lineup later this month. Marchenko’s absence is a significant blow. The 24-year-old winger is the Jackets’ leading goal scorer (21) and is second in points with 55.

CBS SPORTS: Colorado Avalanche winger Valeri Nichuskin (lower body) was placed on injured reserve.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The White House honored the defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers in a ceremony yesterday.

THE TENNESSEAN: Former Nashville Predators forward Martin Erat was charged with DUI and leaving the scene of an accident in Nolensville, Tennessee on Saturday. No injuries were reported during the incident.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 12, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 12, 2025

Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin and Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck reach new milestones. Get the details plus recaps from a busy Saturday in the NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored an empty-netter for his 873rd NHL regular-season goal in a 4-1 victory over the Nashville Predators. Ovechkin added an assist to finish with two points while Logan Thompson got the win with a 32-save performance as the Capitals regained first place in the overall standings with 61 points. Filip Forsberg scored for the Predators, who’ve dropped five of their last seven games.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin needs 22 goals to break Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894. He also joined Gordie Howe and Ron Francis as the only players in NHL history to record 20 20-goal seasons. Howe is the all-time leader with 22 seasons. Before this game, the Capitals placed goalie Charlie Lindgren (upper body) on injured reserve and recalled netminder Hunter Shepard.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 22 saves for his league-leading sixth shutout of the season to blank the Colorado Avalanche 3-0. Nikolaj Ehlers scored two goals and Mark Scheifele collected his team-leading 25th goal. Mackenzie Blackwood made 26 saves for the Avalanche as they dropped into the first wild-card berth in the Western Conference with 53 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hellebuyck tied his franchise record for most shutouts in a season and tied Craig Anderson for the third-most shutouts by an American goaltender (43) in NHL history. He trailed Jonathan Quick (62) and Ryan Miller (44). The Jets lead the Western Conference with 61 points but sit second in the overall standings as the Capitals have a game in hand.

An overtime goal by David Pastrnak lifted the Boston Bruins to a 4-3 victory over the Florida Panthers. Pastrnak finished with 2 goals and an assist while Jeremy Swayman kicked out 40 shots for the Bruins as they snapped a six-game winless skid (0-5-1) and cling to the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 47 points. Sam Reinhart tallied twice for the Panthers, who sit second in the Atlantic Division with 53 points.

The Seattle Kraken scored six unanswered goals to defeat the Buffalo Sabres 6-2. Kaapo Kakko led the way with two goals while Joey Daccord turned aside 33 shots as the Kraken ended a four-game winless streak (0-3-1). Sam Lafferty and Jack Quinn scored for the Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kakko had 10 points in 30 games before the New York Rangers traded him last month to Seattle. He has seven points in 10 games with the Kraken.

Ottawa Senators rookie goaltender Leevi Merilainen made 29 saves for his first NHL shutout in a 5-0 rout of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Claude Giroux collected three assists for the Senators as they ended a four-game winless stretch (0-3-1). Penguins goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic gave up five goals on 17 shots and was replaced by Tristan Jarry in the second period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 43 points, the Senators are three points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot, sitting one point back of the Penguins.

The Vancouver Canucks blanked the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-0. Kevin Lankinen stopped 20 shots for the shutout while Brock Boeser, Quinn Hughes and Kiefer Sherwood tallied for the Canucks (48 points) as they maintained their grip on the final Western wild-card berth and ended a four-game winless skid (0-2-2). It’s the Leafs second straight defeat following a five-game win streak but they remain first in the Atlantic Division with 56 points.

A shootout goal by Jason Robertson gave the Dallas Stars a 2-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Jamie Benn scored in regulation and Jake Oettinger stopped 30 shots to extend their win streak to seven games. Canadiens winger Patrik Laine scored his ninth power-play goal of the season as he returned to action after missing four games with flu-like symptoms while Samuel Montembault kicked out 34 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens and Penguins each have 44 points, leaving both clubs two points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot. Montreal’s win streak ended at three games but they have points in their last four contests.

Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Jet Greaves made 31 saves as his club extended their win streak to a season-high four games with a 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Adam Fantilli and Cole Sillinger scored for the Blue Jackets. Colton Parayko replied for the Blues, who’ve dropped three of their last four contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blue Jackets hold the final Eastern wild-card spot with 46 points.

The New Jersey Devils got an overtime goal by Stefan Noesen to nip the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2. Ondrej Palat and Jack Hughes scored in regulation for the Devils while Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov replied for the Lightning.

Philadelphia Flyers netminder Samuel Ersson made 22 saves to shut out the Anaheim Ducks 6-0. Travis Konecny had four assists while Jamie Drysdale had a goal and an assist against his former club. Ducks winger Cutter Gauthier was heavily booed and jeered by Flyers fans in his first game in Philadelphia. His refusal to play for the Flyers led to his trade to the Ducks for Drysdale last January.

A third-period goal by Zach Hyman capped a three-goal rally by the Edmonton Oilers in a 4-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Leon Draisaitl and Vasily Podkolzin each collected two points as the Oilers sit second in the Pacific Division with 55 points. Nick Foligno and Teuvo Teravainen each had a goal and an assist for the Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers winger Jeff Skinner was a healthy scratch for the second time in seven games. The 32-year-old has seven goals and 15 points in 40 games, putting him on pace for one of his lowest-scoring seasons.

New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal scored with 1:25 remaining in the third period to lift his team over the Utah Hockey Club by a score of 2-1. Brock Nelson scored the tying goal earlier in the third period after Nick Schmaltz opened the scoring for Utah in the second period. The Islanders have won three straight while Utah is 1-2-1 in their last four.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders starter Ilya Sorokin missed this game due to illness. Jakub Skarek was called up as an emergency backup for Marcus Hogberg.

The Calgary Flames held off the Los Angeles Kings 2-1, snapping the latter’s five-game win streak. Calgary goalie Dustin Wolf turned aside 31 shots while Matt Coronato and Jonathan Huberdeau were the goal scorers as the Flames (47 points) remain one point behind the Canucks for the final Western wild-card berth. Jacob Moverare scored for the Kings, who remain in third place in the Pacific Division with 53 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames unveiled their Quarter Century Team before this game.

The First Team comprises forwards Jarome Iginla, Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk, defensemen Mark Giordano and Robyn Regehr, and goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff.

Forwards Sean Monahan, Craig Conroy and Mikael Backlund, blueliners Rasmus Andersson and Dion Phaneuf, and goaltender Jacob Markstrom made up the Second Team.

New York Rangers netminder Igor Shesterkin stopped 29 shots while Vincent Trocheck and Adam Edstrom scored in a 2-1 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. Mark Stone opened the scoring for Vegas, who’ve lost two straight but remain in first place in the Pacific Division with 59 points. The Rangers are 4-1-1 in their last six contests.

The Minnesota Wild got a 36-save performance by Marc-Andre Fleury to beat the San Jose Sharks 3-1. Mats Zuccarello had a goal and an assist for the Wild, who’ve won five of their last six games. William Eklund replied for the Sharks, who’ve dropped three straight.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 10, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 10, 2025

Sidney Crosby moves up the all-time points leader list as the Penguins reveal their Quarter-Century Team, Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski extends his home points streak, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING THURSDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby scored a goal and picked up two assists to move into ninth on the NHL all-time points list, leading his club over the Edmonton Oilers 5-3. Bryan Rust also had a goal and two assists and Alex Nedeljkovic kicked out 40 shots as the Penguins snapped a four-game winless skid (0-3-1). Leon Draisaitl tallied twice and Connor McDavid collected three assists as the Oilers’ win streak ended at four games.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby has 1,643 career regular-season points, surpassing Hall-of-Famer Joe Sakic (1,641). He’s 80 points behind Penguins legend Mario Lemieux (1,723).

Crosby is also part of the Penguins’ First Team as they revealed their Quarter-Century Team, joining forwards Evgeni Malkin and Jake Guentzel, defensemen Kris Letang and Sergei Gonchar, and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.

Lemieux was on the Second Team with forwards Phil Kessel and Chris Kunitz, defensemen Brooks Orpik and Brian Dumoulin, and goaltender Matt Murray.

Some might be surprised to see Lemieux on the Second Team. That’s because his greatest seasons were between 1984-85 and 1996-97 before he retired for the first time. He’d be on the First Team of the Penguins’ All-Time Greatest Team.

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski extended his home points streak to 16 games with a goal and an assist in a 6-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Rookies Denton Mateychuk and Luca Del Bel Belluz also had a goal and an assist each as the Blue Jackets hold the final Eastern wild-card berth with 44 points. Eeli Tolvanen scored both Kraken goals as they’re winless in four games (0-3-1).

A hat trick by captain Jordan Staal carried the Carolina Hurricanes to a 6-3 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs, snapping the latter’s five-game win streak. Jordan Martinook collected three assists and Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 30 shots for the Hurricanes. Nick Robertson, William Nylander and Auston Matthews scored for the Leafs.

The Dallas Stars picked up their sixth straight win with a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Jason Robertson had two assists and Casey DeSmith made 27 saves as the Stars sit third in the Central Division with 53 points. Morgan Frost scored for the Flyers as they’re 0-3-1 in their last four contests.

A 30-save shutout from Ilya Sorokin allowed the New York Islanders to upset the league-leading Vegas Golden Knights 4-0. Brock Nelson scored and added an assist while Isles captain Anders Lee scored in his 800th NHL game. The loss snapped the Golden Knights’ three-game win streak, leaving them one point ahead of the Winnipeg Jets with 59 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sorokin became the third goaltender in Islanders history to reach the 20-shutout plateau, joining Glenn Resch (25) and Billy Smith (22). It shouldn’t take long before he surpasses those two.

Colorado Avalanche stars Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen each had a goal and an assist in a 6-1 drubbing of the Minnesota Wild. Logan O’Connor also had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche. Zach Bogosian tallied the Wild’s only goal as their four-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild were without several key players as Kirill Kaprizov, Jared Spurgeon, Brock Faber and Jonas Brodin are sidelined by injuries.

An overtime goal by Sam Carrick (the first of his NHL career) lifted the New York Rangers over the New Jersey Devils 3-2. Igor Shesterkin made 21 saves as he returned from a four-game absence due to injury while Adam Fox had a goal and an assist for the Rangers. Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt scored for the Devils, who’ve dropped five of their last six.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers also got some positive news about Filip Chytil. The upper-body injury he suffered on Tuesday against the Stars might not be as serious as originally feared. Chytil skipped practice on Wednesday but participated in the club’s optional skate on Thursday.

The Tampa Bay Lightning downed the Boston Bruins 4-1, handing the latter their sixth straight defeat. Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy made 11 of his 27 saves in the third period. Empty-net goals by Brandon Hagel and Brayden Point clinched the victory for the Lightning. Mason Lohrei scored for the Bruins.

Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 35 saves in a 4-0 blanking of the Ottawa Senators. Jack Quinn scored two goals and Ryan McLeod had a goal and two assists for the Sabres. The Senators have dropped six of their last seven games (1-5-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators fans booed their team off the ice following this contest. Before their current slump, they held the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with a record of 18-13-2 (38 points). They’re currently three points out of that spot with a record of 19-18-3.

The Senators also lost winger Noah Gregor, who left the game with a lower-body injury.

Four straight first-period goals powered the St. Louis Blues to a 6-2 romp over the Anaheim Ducks, ending a two-game losing skid. Robert Thomas scored twice while Jordan Kyrou and Pavel Buchnevich each had a goal and an assist for the Blues. Ducks goalie John Gibson replaced Lukas Dostal early in the second period after the latter gave up six goals on 22 shots.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TSN: Montreal Canadiens winger Patrik Laine remains sidelined with flu-like symptoms. His last game was on Dec. 31.

DETROIT FREE PRESS: Red Wings goaltender Alex Lyon is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Nashville Predators forward Luke Evangelista will be sidelined for four weeks with a lower-body injury.

DAILY FACEOFF: Utah Hockey Club recalled goaltender Connor Ingram from his two-week conditioning stint with their AHL affiliate in Tucson.

ESPN.COM: As Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin chases Wayne Gretzky’s goal record, Greg Wyshynski profiled Mike Knuble, the only NHL player to be a teammate of both men.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 17, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 17, 2024

Sidney Crosby talks about his new contract with the Penguins, the Red Wings re-sign Lucas Raymond and Jonatan Berggren, plus the latest on Ilya Sorokin, Alex Ovechkin and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Sidney Crosby spoke to the media on Monday after signing a two-year contract extension worth $8.7 million per season with the Penguins.

Crosby claimed the negotiations went smoothly. The 37-year-old center indicated the number of years on the deal was the sticking point on his part given the difficulty in determining how much longer he’ll be playing, adding he wanted it to make sense for himself and the team.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

The Penguins captain also received assurances from general manager Kyle Dubas that the ownership was committed to building a winning franchise.

You want to try to find every way possible to get back in (to the playoffs) and make sure we compete for the Stanley Cup,” said Crosby. “So I think that was reassuring to hear, and that helped.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby’s comments indicate Penguins management will keep retooling the roster rather than rebuild. The focus this summer was adding more youth to the lineup and restocking their depleted prospect pool.

The Penguins captain made Dubas’ job easier by accepting less than market value, maintaining his usual average annual value of $8.7 million. Speculation out of Pittsburgh earlier this summer suggested Crosby could get a three-year extension with an annual cap hit of $10 million.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings signed winger Lucas Raymond to an eight-year contract with an AAV of $8.075 million.

Raymond, 22, was a restricted free agent coming off his entry-level contract. He led the Wings last season with a career-high 72 points. The young Swede was red-hot down the stretch, scoring seven goals and five assists in the Wings’ final eight games and 14 goals over their final 18 contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Raymond bounced back from a disappointing 45-point sophomore season in 2022-23 following his promising 57-point debut. His performance last season suggests bigger things ahead for the skillful young winger.

Raymond’s new contract puts him just below captain Dylan Larkin’s team-leading AAV of $8.75 million.

The Wings still have Moritz Seider to re-sign but his new deal should be announced before they hit the ice for training camp on Thursday. He’ll also likely get an eight-year contract while his AAV could be just under Larkin’s.

TSN: The Wings also signed defenseman Jonatan Berggren to a one-year contract worth $875K.

NEW YORK POST: Islanders head coach Patrick Roy inadvertently revealed starting goaltender Ilya Sorokin underwent offseason back surgery.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s why Sorokin struggled in 2023-24 following strong performances over the previous three seasons, including being named a finalist for the Vezina Trophy in 2022-23.

Isles GM Lou Lamoriello recently said Sorokin is expected to miss only a few days of training camp. Nevertheless, he’ll now be under increased scrutiny by fans and pundits as the start of the season approaches.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin left Monday’s informal skate with his teammates after several minutes in apparent discomfort and didn’t return.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No word from the team or Ovechkin regarding his condition. The report indicates he’s scheduled to speak with the media on Thursday. His early departure may have been for precautionary reasons.

Ovechkin turned 39 today.

TSN: Winger Cutter Gauthier is looking forward to his first full season with the Anaheim Ducks and putting behind the drama that led to his midseason trade from the Philadelphia Flyers.

Gauthier, 20, forced the trade after telling the Flyers he wouldn’t play for them. He claimed he and his family received death threats in the weeks and months following the trade.

At the end of the day, I don’t really care what other people think,” said Gauthier. “It’s what I think and feel as a person and what my family thinks. I can’t let all the outside noise distract me or else I’m going nowhere.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Being upset that a promising young player doesn’t want to play for your team is one thing. Feel free to voice your displeasure by booing him whenever he plays the Flyers in Philadelphia.

Making death threats is beyond the pale.

If you’re that triggered over Gauthier spurning the Flyers, step back, take some deep breaths, and seriously evaluate where you are in your life right now. That rage has no place in our game or society.

And if that friendly advice upsets you, leave this site and don’t come back.

TSN: Montreal Canadiens forward Kirby Dach said he’s fully recovered from the knee injury that ended his 2023-24 campaign just two games in.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A healthy Dach will be crucial to the Canadiens’ hope of significant improvement this season. The 23-year-old could be reunited with Juraj Slafkovsky or recently-acquired winger Patrik Laine could be a linemate.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche forward Logan O’Connor said he’s good to go after undergoing season-ending hip surgery in March.

THE PROVINCE: The Canucks recently signed journeyman goaltender Dylan Ferguson to a professional tryout offer (PTO). He has three NHL games under his belt (one with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017-18 and two with the Ottawa Senators in 2022-23. The 25-year-old spent last season with KHL club Dinamo Minsk.










NHL Headlines and Rumors – September 14, 2024

NHL Headlines and Rumors – September 14, 2024

Check out the latest on Ilya Sorokin, Phil Kessel, the latest Flyers speculation, and more in today’s NHL Headlines and Rumors.

DAILY FACEOFF: New York Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello said Ilya Sorokin suffered an injury during offseason training. The 29-year-old goaltender is skating and could miss the first couple of days of training camp. Lamoriello doesn’t believe Sorokin’s ailment will keep him out of the lineup for the regular season.

New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported last week that Sorokin was dealing with something. We’ll likely learn more about his status following his training camp medical next week.

NEW YORK POST: Speaking of the Islanders, they’ve invited winger Matt Martin to training camp on a professional tryout offer (PTO).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Martin, 35, spent 13 of his 15 NHL seasons with the Islanders.

SPORTSNET: Phil Kessel isn’t ready to hang up his skates. Elliotte Friedman reports the 36-year-old winger still hopes for another NHL opportunity. The league’s reigning Ironman’s last NHL game was an Apr. 13, 2023 playoff contest with the Vegas Golden Knights.

The report suggests interest in Kessel among NHL clubs is lacking given his age and that he missed all of last season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maybe someone will take a chance on Kessel with a PTO but it’s unlikely that he’ll land a job at this stage.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen won’t be a full participant when training camp opens next week. The 29-year-old had shoulder surgery during the offseason and there’s no timetable for his return.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avs were already facing the start of the season without Valeri Nichushkin as he’s in Stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program and remains suspended until mid-November. Team captain Gabriel Landeskog hopes to stage a comeback from knee surgeries but his status remains uncertain.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The Flyers hired Wayne Simmonds as a community relations ambassador and hockey operations consultant. Simmonds, 36, spent nearly eight seasons with the Flyers, scoring 203 goals and 175 assists for 378 points in 584 games.

THE ATHLETIC: Speaking of the Flyers, Kevin Kurz believes forward Joel Farabee will be in the spotlight early on this season. The 24-year-old forward struggled last season and Kurz doesn’t have him pencilled in among their top-six forwards.

Training camp will determine how things shake out. Kurz suggests Farabee and his $5 million average annual value through 2026-27 could hit the trade block if the Flyers try to free up cap space for next season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Farabee sometimes popped up in last season’s rumor mill due to his inconsistent production. This season could determine if he has a future in Philadelphia beyond this season.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Rob Couch suggests Flyers prospect goaltender Alexei Kolosov could be a good option for the Nashville Predators to replace the departed Yaroslav Askarov, who was traded last month to the San Jose Sharks.

Kolosov, 22, is not attending Flyers training camp despite being on an entry-level contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s believed the Flyers will toll Kolosov’s contract a year if he stays in Europe this season. However, they might be willing to entertain trade offers for him.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs performance coach Greg Harden passed away Thursday from complications due to surgery. He was 75.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Harden’s family, friends and the Leafs organization.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 13, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 13, 2024

More concern about the league’s “no-tax” states, the Lightning’s Victor Hedman talks about Steven Stamkos’ departure, the latest on Jonathan Marchessault leaving Las Vegas, an update on Luke Hughes, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE ATHLETIC: Michael Russo reports NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said the league continues to monitor the issue of teams in “no-tax” states having an advantage over other clubs who must pay more to sign players. However, he indicated there are no easy solutions, pointing out that players make decisions on where to play for a variety of reasons.

Daly said Thursday that it’s still too early to determine if this is an issue to be addressed. He added that he’s spoken to the NHL Players Association about the matter and the mutual feeling is that addressing it would prove complicated.

If the league adjusted the salary cap for no-tax teams, it raises questions about what happens to a player who subsequently gets traded or demoted to the minors. It would also be difficult to determine how much of a “hometown discount” a player took to sign with one of those clubs.

NHLPA Executive Director Marty Walsh doesn’t see this situation as much of a problem, agreeing with Daly that it would be complicated to address. He also noted that there hasn’t been a similar debate about this issue in other sports leagues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This became an issue because the Florida Panthers, once a league laughingstock, won the Stanley Cup this year.

Last season, folks were complaining about the Vegas Golden Knights using long-term injury reserve to their advantage to win the Stanley Cup, even though every team in the league has the same opportunity to avail themselves of LTIR (and have done so) in similar circumstances. The same complaint was raised about the Lightning in 2021.

By the way, the Lightning and Golden Knights also play in no-tax states. Scarcely a peep was raised about that.

The Panthers, Lightning, Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators have been around for decades. Their supposed advantage was never an issue when they spent years as also-rans or first-round-and-out clubs. Once they become champions or contenders, suddenly, it’s a problem. Heck, no one mentioned it when the Stars won the Cup in 1999 and the Predators reached the 2017 Cup Final.

The Golden Knights have been a perennial playoff club since their inception, in part because they fleeced several teams with savvy trades to land quality players before their expansion draft.

The Seattle Kraken haven’t been as successful in their brief history as their non-tax peers. Nevertheless, it’s only a matter of time until someone starts attributing any of the Kraken’s future achievements to playing in a no-tax state.

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (NHL Images).

Good management is the real reason behind the varying degrees of success most of those clubs have enjoyed.

SPORTSNET: Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman said his team will miss former captain Steven Stamkos, who signed with the Nashville Predators this summer. Hedman also said he’ll miss Stamkos more as a friend.

Hedman praised Stamkos’ legacy with the Lightning, which includes leading the club to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. He also said there will be plenty of focus on how the Bolts handle the departure of their long-time captain.

The 33-year-old defenseman is also considered Stamkos’ likely successor as team captain. “We’ll cross that bridge when it comes to that” he said.

THE SCORE: Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon explained his reluctance to sign Jonathan Marchessault to a five-year contract was why the 33-year-old winger departed to Nashville as a free agent.

We emotionally are attached to the players that have helped us have success, and yet there’s just no supporting data that justify, or in our minds, demonstrate a reason to have wingers that age like that at the end of their career.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This comes within a couple of days of Marchessault saying his departure was over the length of a contract extension, suggesting the Golden Knights lack loyalty to their players in pursuit of the Stanley Cup.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils defenseman Luke Hughes suffered a left shoulder injury during offseason training. His expected recovery timeline is six to eight weeks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Injuries were a key reason why the Devils missed the playoffs last season. Hughes was among the few highlights in a disappointing 2023-24 campaign, finishing third among rookie scorers with 47 points. They will feel his absence during the opening weeks of this season.

NEW YORK POST: The Islanders claiming Ilya Sorokin’s absence from an informal veterans skate on Thursday has nothing to do with an off-ice issue. Last week, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman speculated was “battling something” but didn’t elaborate.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Isles signed veteran goalie Keith Kinkaid to a professional tryout offer (PTO) yesterday, raising more questions about Sorokin’s status as training camp approaches.

SPORTSNET: Calgary Flames goaltender Dan Vladar said he’s pain-free following season-ending hip surgery in March. He intends to challenge the promising Dustin Wolf for the vacant starter’s job.

CALGARY SUN: Speaking of the Flames, they signed forward Jakob Pelletier to a one-year, two-way contract worth $800K at the NHL level.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs prospect Ben Danford left a rookie scrimmage yesterday after suffering a head injury when he was knocked head-first into the boards. He was being evaluated but there was no further word about his condition.

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: A new naming rights agreement has changed the name of the Carolina Hurricanes’ home venue from PNC Arena to the Lenovo Center.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Former San Jose Sharks goaltender Alex Stalock has retired and will begin a career in broadcasting with the Sharks Audio Network.

Stalock, 37, played 179 games in the NHL, 63 with the Sharks from 2010-11 to 2015-16 and 2021-22. He also played with the Minnesota Wild and Chicago Blackhawks. He finished with a record of 70 wins, 65 losses and 20 overtime losses, with a 2.70 goals-against average, a save percentage of .908, and 11 shutouts.

THE PROVINCE: Former NHL winger Stephen Peat passed away on Sep. 12 from injuries suffered when he was struck by a car over two weeks ago in Langley, BC. He was 44 years old.

Peat played 130 NHL games with the Washington Capitals from 2001-02 to 2005-06, amassing 10 points and 234 penalty minutes as an enforcer. He struggled with addiction and homelessness following his playing career.

His friends believe those issues were the result of CTE suffered during his playing career, but that can only be confirmed by posthumous examination of the brain.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Peat’s family, friends, former teammates and coaches.