NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 13, 2023

by | Jul 13, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 13, 2023

The latest on Matthew Tkachuk, Spencer Knight, and Nick Foligno, a roundup of notable contract signings, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

DAILY FACEOFF: Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk is still recuperating from injuries received during the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He suffered a fractured sternum and four broken ribs.

The best-case scenery for Tkachuk’s recovery is he could begin some upper-body workouts at the end of July. Nevertheless, he’ll spend his offseason focused on healing and training once he’s medically cleared to do so and hopes to be ready for training camp in September.

Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Given the severity of Tkachuk’s injuries and his shortened offseason, Panthers fans should expect that his performance at the start of 2023-24 might not be at the same level that made him a Hart Trophy finalist last season.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of the Panthers, goaltender Spencer Knight spoke publicly on Wednesday for the first time since leaving the club in February for personal reasons. He received special permission from the NHL to participate in the club’s prospect development camp as he works toward returning to action in 2023-24.

Knight felt it was important for him to get back with the team and resume organized hockey activities. He declined to speak about why he left the club and entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program but indicated he would do so when the time is right. It has been stressed that it was not due to drug or alcohol abuse.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It sounds like Knight needed time to deal with mental health issues. Here’s hoping he makes a full recovery and resumes his NHL career.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Former Bruins forward Nick Foligno was not happy about being a healthy scratch for Game 7 of their first-round series against the Panthers. The 35-year-old winger signed with the Chicago Blackhawks after they acquired his rights from the Bruins last month.

Foligno said he spoke with Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery about it. He indicated that the decision didn’t sit well with him. “It never will,” he said.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: The Anaheim Ducks signed Leo Carlsson to an entry-level contract. The 18-year-old center was the second-overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. He could play for the Ducks, their AHL affiliate in San Diego or return to Sweden next season.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of 2023 first-rounders signing entry-level deals, the Red Wings inked center Nate Danielson. He was chosen ninth overall by the Wings.

STLTODAY.COM: Oskar Sundqvist is returning to the St. Louis Blues, signing a one-year, $775K contract. The 29-year-old forward spent nearly five seasons with the Blues prior to being traded to Detroit in 2021-22.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The Bruins signed former New Jersey Devils forward Jesper Boqvist to a one-year, $775K contract.

DAILY FACEOFF: Goaltender Thomas Greiss has announced his retirement after 14 NHL seasons with the San Jose Sharks, Arizona Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Islanders, Detroit Red Wings and St. Louis Blues. He finishes with a record of 162 wins, 130 losses and 37 overtime losses with a 2.77 goals-against average, a .911 save percentage and 16 shutouts.

LAS VEGAS SUN: The Golden Knights hired Dominique Ducharme and Joel Ward as their new assistant coaches. Ducharme is the former head coach of the Montreal Canadiens. Ward, an 11-year NHL veteran, spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach with the Golden Knights AHL affiliate in Henderson, Nevada.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Arizona Coyotes hired Blaine Forsythe as an assistant coach. He spent the past 17 seasons with the Washington Capitals.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Kenny McCudden has resigned as a Blue Jackets assistant coach. He’d been with the club since 2015.

THE PROVINCE: Former NHL player Brendan Leipsic has reportedly applied for Russian citizenship, according to the head coach and owner of KHL club SKA St. Petersburg. Originally from Winnipeg, Leipsic has played in the KHL since 2020 after being released by the Capitals for making misogynistic comments about women and disparaging current and former teammates on a private group chat that was leaked on Instagram.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 8, 2023

by | Jul 8, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 8, 2023

Spencer Knight to take part in the Panthers development camp, “Spittin’ Chiclets” hosts criticize Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello, the latest free-agent signings and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Goaltender Spencer Knight’s road to returning to the Panthers next season will go through the club’s upcoming prospect development camp.

Knight, 22, missed the final months of the Panthers’ 2022-23 season after entering the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program. The three-year NHL veteran has been granted a special provision to take part in their prospect development camp to get in some on-ice work.

Florida Panthers goaltender Spencer Knight (NHL Images).

Expected to join the Panthers for training camp in September, Knight will have to compete for the backup goaltender spot with recently-signed Anthony Stolarz. His new three-year contract ($4.5 million average annual value) began on July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Knight was considered Panthers starter Sergei Bobrovsky’s successor but struggled last season before going into the player assistance program. While his contract suggests he’s got the backup job locked up, he’ll still have to outperform Stolarz in training camp and preseason play.

NEW YORK POST: “Spittin’ Chiclets” podcast hosts Paul Bissonnette and Ryan Whitney are not fans of the offseason moves made by New York Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello.

“I think the Islanders are going to be f**king horrible,” said Whitney. Bissonnette, meanwhile, was critical of Lamoriello bringing back Semyon Varlamov, Scott Mayfield and Pierre Engvall on long-term contracts.

“He has checked the f**k out,” said Bissonette of Lamoriello. “The Islanders are going to get relegated this season, that’s how bad they’re going to be.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: What say you, Islanders fans? Do you agree or disagree with BizNasty and Whitney? Let us know in the comments below.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Seattle Kraken avoided arbitration with Will Borgen by signing the 26-year-old defenseman to a two-year, $5.4 million contract with an average annual value of $2.7 million. They also signed unrestricted free-agent forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare to a one-year, $775K contract.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins signed UFA forward Andreas Johnsson to a one-year, $800K contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins president of hockey ops Kyle Dubas knows Johnsson well. He played for the Toronto Maple Leafs for three seasons, two of those during Dubas’ tenure as their general manager.

Speaking of the Penguins, they signed UFA forward Vinnie Hinostroza to a one-year, $775K contract.

SPORTSNET: Adam Vingan looked at four of the best remaining bargain in this summer’s UFA market.

Winger Tomas Tatar topped the list following his 20-goal performance last season with the New Jersey Devils. He’s followed by former Detroit Red Wings forward Filip Zadina, whose contract was terminated earlier this week.

Center Pius Suter and defenseman Caleb Jones round out Vingan’s list.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: The Stanley Cup has been engraved with 52 names of the Vegas Golden Knights 2022-23 championship roster. Twenty-six are players with the rest being ownership, coaches, trainers and management.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 22, 2023

by | Jun 22, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 22, 2023

The 2023 Hockey Hall of Fame inductees are announced, salary cap only rising by $1 million for 2023-24, plus updates on Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Josh Bailey and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

2023 HOCKEY HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES ANNOUNCED

NHL.COM: Henrik Lundqvist, Tom Barrasso, Pierre Turgeon and Mike Vernon were the former NHL players among the inductees in the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023. Canadian women’s star Caroline Ouellette, former NHL coach Ken Hitchcock and former Colorado Avalanche general manager Pierre Lacroix were also among the seven inductees. The formal induction ceremony will be held in Toronto at the Hockey Hall of Fame on Nov. 13.

Tom Barrasso is among the seven inductees into the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023 (NHL.com).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to all the inductees for this well-deserved honor.

It was long-overdue recognition for Barrasso, Turgeon and Vernon after being passed over for years. None of them say it coming. When Vernon got the call from Hall of Fame chairman Lanny McDonald, he joked that he thought McDonald was inviting him for a golf game. Barrasso, meanwhile, admitted he wasn’t sitting by the phone awaiting the call.

Once again, deserving former NHL stars such as Alexander Mogilny, Butch Goring, Patrik Elias, Rod Brind’Amour and Keith Tkachuk were passed over. Perhaps one of them will get their due next year.

TSN: As expected, the NHL salary cap for 2023-24 is going to rise by just $1 million to $83.5 million. The cap has been flattened since 2020-21 as part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for extending the collective bargaining agreement.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As per the MOU, the cap remained at $81.5 million in 2020-21 and 2021-22, rising to $82.5 million in 2022-23 and $83.5 million in 2023-24. There was some hope that the cap would increase by more than the projected $1 million if the players had fully repaid the escrow owed to the team owners resulting from the pandemic-shortened seasons of 2019-20 and 2020-21.

Following the 2023-24 season, the salary cap is projected to significantly increase by at least $4 million. It could rise even higher given the boost to hockey-related revenue over the past two years arising from new broadcasting deals and the addition of the Seattle Kraken.

NHL.COM: The Buffalo Sabres hope to re-sign Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power to contract extensions and the feeling is mutual. Both defensemen have a year remaining on their respective contracts and can re-sign on July 1.

Dahlin is slated to become a restricted free agent next July with arbitration rights coming off his three-year bridge contract. At the same time, Power will be completing his entry-level contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Coming off their best season in years, this is a heady time for the Sabres and their fans. After years of often painful rebuilding, the club is on the cusp of becoming a playoff contender thanks to exciting young talent like Dahlin and Power.

The Sabres already have forwards Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens under reasonable long-term contracts. Getting Dahlin and Power locked up to lengthy new deals will ensure this team has a solid base of core talent to build on going forward.

GOPHNX.COM’s Craig Morgan tweeted that sources said there is no truth to reports suggesting the Arizona Coyotes have an interest in New York Islanders winger Josh Bailey.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Coyotes have a history of taking troublesome contracts from cap-strapped teams packaged with draft picks which they’ve stockpiled to build up their prospect pipeline. However, the Bailey rumor sounds like some folks were spitballing for ways that the Islanders can free up cap space for next season.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Vancouver Canucks GM Patrik Allvin said Tanner Pearson is making progress in his recovery from a hand injury that sidelined him for most of last season. He indicated that the 30-year-old winger is preparing himself for training camp in September.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pearson’s playing career was thought to be in jeopardy after an infection set in requiring another surgical procedure.

DAILY FACEOFF: Florida Panthers GM Bill Zito said he’s spoken with Spencer Knight and expects the promising 22-year-old goaltender to be back with the club next season. Knight played 21 games this season before entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program in February and remained there for the remainder of the regular season and the playoffs.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers have hired Phil Housley and Dan Muse to their coaching staff. A Hall-of-Fame defenseman Housley is the former head coach of the Buffalo Sabres.

DAILY FACEOFF: Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment chairman Larry Tannebaum is set to sell 25 percent of his stake in the company to OMERS, a pension plan for Ontario municipal employees.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: The Blue Jackets signed forward Mathieu Olivier to a two-year, $2.2 million contract extension.

NHL.COM: The Hershey Bears are the 2023 AHL champions following a thrilling 3-2 overtime win over the Coachella Valley Firebirds in Game 7 of the Calder Cup Final.

Mike Vecchione tallied the winner for the Bears, who are the affiliate of the Washington Capitals. Connor McMichael and Hendrix Lapierre also scored for the Bears.

Bears goaltender Hunter Shepard was awarded the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the most valuable player.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to the Bears on winning their 12th Calder Cup in franchise history. The Firebirds deserve a round of applause for reaching the Final in just their first season of operation. They’re the affiliate of the Seattle Kraken.










NHL Rumor Mill – June 14, 2023

by | Jun 14, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – June 14, 2023

A look ahead at the offseason for the Golden Knights and Panthers plus the latest on the Red Wings in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WHAT NEXT FOR THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS AND PANTHERS

ESPN.COM: Kristen Shilton and Ryan S. Clark examined the key offseason factors facing the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers following the completion of the Stanley Cup Final.

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill (NHL Images).

Clark wonders about what becomes of Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill and forward Ivan Barbashev. Both are eligible for unrestricted free-agent status on July 1. Forward Brett Howden, who skated on Vegas’ second line in the postseason, is a restricted free agent.

Barbashev indicated he wants to return to Vegas. The Golden Knights offered Hill a new contract but he wanted to wait until the end of the season to have those discussions. If they re-sign Hill, they’ll have three goalies under contract for next season in Robin Lehner and Logan Thompson.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cap Friendly indicates the Golden Knights have over $3.4 million in projected cap space with 20 active roster players under contract for 2023-24.

Trading Lehner and his $5 million average annual value through 2024-25 and re-signing Hill would address their goalie issue. However, that’s likely a tough sell given Lehner missed this season recovering from hip surgery as well as his personal ongoing financial problems.

Buying out Lehner is an option provided he is medically cleared during the upcoming buyout period of June 15 to June 30. It would provide the Golden Knights with $4.25 million in savings for 2023-24. They’d face a $2.25 million cap hit in 2024-25 followed by $1.75 million in each of the final two seasons. With the salary cap projected to rise substantially starting in 2024-25, they could afford to carry that buyout.

Shilton believes the Panthers need a small refresh. Noting that Sam Reinhart and Brandon Montour had strong performances this season, she speculates they could get contract extensions soon than later.

They’ll also have to determine how to balance the goalie tandem of Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight. She also thinks that they need defensive help citing the lack of experienced blueliners beyond Montour, Aaron Ekblad and Gustav Forsling signed for next season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers have over $10.2 million in projected cap room with 16 active roster players under contract for next season. That should provide some room to make some depth additions to the defense corps.

They could get more if they tried to move Knight and his $4.5 million cap hit through 2025-26. He left the club in February to join the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.

However, they were quite keen on Knight as an heir apparent to Bobrovsky, whose $10 million AAV through 2025-26 and full no-movement clause ensures he’s not going anywhere.

I think the Panthers will stick with Knight and give him an opportunity to get his career back on track. That will mean looking elsewhere if they wish to free up cap room for other additions this summer.

LATEST ON THE RED WINGS

MLIVE.COM: Ansar Khan suggested 10 right-shot defensemen that could be free-agent targets for the Detroit Red Wings. Boston’s Connor Clifton, Minnesota’s Matt Dumba and Florida’s Radko Gudas topped his list.

Ottawa’s Travis Hamonic, Toronto’s Justin Holl, and Colorado’s Erik Johnson were also on Khan’s list, followed by Minnesota’s John Klingberg, the New York Islanders Scott Mayfield, Toronto’s Luke Schenn and Anaheim’s Kevin Shattenkirk.

Khan doubts the Wild will have the cap space to sign Dumba. Hamonic appears to want to stay in Ottawa while Schenn would like to remain in Toronto. The Ducks are thin on defense and could re-sign Shattenkirk.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Khan noted that the Red Wings need blueline help for their second power-play unit. Klingberg might be able to help them in that regard if, as Khan points out, the salary and terms are right.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 25, 2023

by | Feb 25, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 25, 2023

The Sabres move into a wild-card berth, Brad Marchand gets another fine, Erik Cernak gets a suspension, Penguins GM Ron Hextall responds to his critics, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Buffalo Sabres moved into the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with a 3-1 win over the Florida Panthers. Craig Anderson made 53 saves, Jeff Skinner scored twice to reach 600 career points and Tage Thompson collected three assists as the Sabres improved to 30-23-4 (64 points) to sit ahead of the Detroit Red Wings (28-21-8). Anthony Duclair had an assist in his season debut with the Panthers, who also have 64 points but drop to 29-26-6.

Buffalo Sabres winger Jeff Skinner (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The race for the Eastern Conference wild-card berths is heating up. Five points separate the New York Islanders (67 points) and the Washington Capitals (62 points) with the Sabres, Red Wings, Panthers and Pittsburgh Penguins (63 points) in between. The Capitals and Penguins, however, are fading while the Sabres, Wings and Panthers are surging.

Earlier in the day, the NHL and NHL Players Association released a joint statement indicating that Panthers goaltender Spencer Knight was taking a personal leave of absence to receive care from the Players’ Assistance Program. Best wishes to Knight as he undergoes treatment.

Carolina Hurricanes goalie Antti Raanta stopped 32 shots to shut out the Ottawa Senators 4-0. Brent Burns, Seth Jarvis, Martin Necas and Brady Skjei scored for the 39-10-8 Hurricanes (86 points) as they sit seven points behind the league-leading Boston Bruins in the overall standings. The Senators slipped to 27-26-4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Raanta’s record is 9-0-1 at home while the Hurricanes are 14-1-1 in the last 16 contests.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and an assist for his sixth straight multi-point game in a 5-1 romp over the Winnipeg Jets. Mikko Rantanen and J.T. Compher also each had a goal and an assist as the 32-19-5 Avalanche (69 points) sit one point behind the Seattle Kraken while opening a three-point lead over the Calgary Flames in the final Western Conference wild-card spot. Mason Appleton scored for the Jets (35-23-1), who’ve dropped four of their last five but remain one point behind the first-place Dallas Stars in the Central Division with 71 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The only reason the Jets are still close behind the Stars is that the latter has won just two of their last 10 games. The news got worse for the Jets as they announced before this game that rookie Cole Perfetti will be sidelined for the remainder of the regular season with an undisclosed injury.

An overtime goal by William Nylander lifted the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Minnesota Wild 2-1. David Kampf also scored for the Leafs and Ilya Samsonov kicked out 24 shots as they improved to 36-15-8 to hold a four-point lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning for second place in the Atlantic Division with 80 points. Brandon Duhaime replied for the Wild (32-21-6) as they sit in third place in the Central with 70 points, just one back of the second-place Jets.

The Los Angeles Kings scored three goals in the second period as they held off the New York Islanders by a score of 3-2. Phillip Danault, Arthur Kaliyev and Gabriel Vilardi scored for the 33-19-8 Kings. They hold a two-point lead over the Edmonton Oilers for second place in the Pacific Division with 74 points and sit one point back of the first-place Vegas Golden Knights. Noah Dobson and Adam Pelech replied for the Islanders (30-25-7) as they hold the first wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference with 67 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick picked up his 370th career win to surpass Tom Barrasso for the third-most wins by an American-born NHL goaltender. John Vanbiesbrouck is second with 374 and Ryan Miller holds first place with 391.

Montreal Canadiens winger Jesse Ylonen had a goal and an assist in a 5-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Chris Tierney also scored in his first game with Montreal after being claimed off waivers on Thursday. The Canadiens (25-29-4) have won five of their last seven games while the Flyers (23-27-10) have dropped six of their last seven contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers winger Joel Farabee dismissed rumors yesterday claiming his representatives have expressed their displeasure over how their client’s season is going under head coach John Tortorella.

“I think for me right now, I’m 100 percent committed to being a Flyer,” said Farabee. Tortorella, meanwhile, was more blunt, telling reporters that if Farabee’s agent is leaking information he should “just shut up,” adding he “doesn’t give a damn” what he thinks.

HEADLINES

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins winger Brad Marchand was fined $5,000.00 for a dangerous trip on Seattle Kraken winger Oliver Bjorkstrand.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak received a two-game suspension for elbowing Buffalo Sabres captain Kyle Okposo.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins general manager Ron Hextall downplayed calls from some fans calling for his firing as his club slides in the standings. He said it won’t change how he conducts business, adding that he won’t spend big assets like a first-round pick to add a rental player before the March 3 trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hextall didn’t say he wouldn’t trade a first-round pick for a player under contract beyond this season. That’s what he’s likely shopping for if he’s looking for help in the trade market.

Speaking of the Penguins, they place winger Kasperi Kapanen on waivers.

THE SCORE: St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas took offense over head coach Craig Berube accusing his core players of not caring about the team during their loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday. “I’ve been a part of this team for a long time,” said Thomas. “What he said couldn’t be further from the truth. I know everyone in that room cares.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Berube doubled down with his comments on Friday, saying he hoped his comments sparked a response from his players. Meanwhile, general manager Doug Armstrong sought to diffuse the situation by saying the club needs to come to grips with the current situation, puts its past behind them and turn the page.










Notable NHL Headlines – September 28, 2022

by | Sep 28, 2022

Notable NHL Headlines – September 28, 2022

Five days after being sidelined by Hurricane Fiona, Spector’s Hockey is back with the latest notable NHL headlines.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Did you miss me? Because I sure missed all of you!

It’s been difficult for everyone here on Prince Edward Island and for others in Atlantic Canada affected by Hurricane Fiona. My family and I emerged unscathed with no damage to our home or property but many of my neighbors and fellow Islanders weren’t so lucky.

Repairs and cleanup are ongoing but in some cases, it could take weeks. Please spare a thought or prayers for those who still have a lot of work ahead of them to get back to normal. If you wish to make donations to aid those affected by Hurricane Fiona you can follow this link.

I’m grateful to two of my friends for providing me with a place to work until my electricity and internet are restored in the (hopefully) new future. A big thank you to the crews at Maritime Electric and everyone else working hard to get everyone back online.

The following is a brief summary of noteworthy NHL news of the last couple of days. I hope to be back with the daily morning coffee headlines starting Thursday, September 29.

THE SCORE: The NHL salary cap could rise by as much as $10 million by 2025-26. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and Rory Boylen, the cap is projected to increase to $83.5 million for 2023-24, to between $87.5 million and $88 million for 2024-25, and to approximately $92 million by 2025-26.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: And I’m sure we’ll see NHL teams (especially the general managers) being far more prudent spenders and show restraint when signing new contracts over that period…Nahhhhh!

TSN: Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares recently suffered an oblique strain and will be out for three weeks.

PHILADELPHIA HOCKEY NOW: Flyers center Sean Couturier will not require surgery for an ongoing back injury. However, he remains sidelined week-to-week.

TRIBLIVE.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Jeff Petry was fined $5,000.00 for roughing Detroit Red Wings forward Jonatan Berggren during preseason play on Tuesday. The Wings won that game 6-2.

VANCOUVER HOCKEY NOW: Canucks winger Brock Boeser is out three-to-four weeks following surgery to repair a hand injury. TSN reports teammate Ilya Mikheyev suffered a lower-body injury during Monday’s preseason game against the Calgary Flames. He’s listed as week-to-week.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Injuries continue to dog Boeser, who inked a three-year deal worth an average annual value of $6.65 million with the Canucks this summer.

THE PROVINCE: Canucks chairman and governor Francesco Aquilini denies allegations of child abuse by his own children. The NHL is monitoring the situation. The allegations arose during an open hearing earlier this week over whether Aquilini is still responsible for paying for his three youngest children’s education. He and his wife divorced in 2013.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers signed Spencer Knight to a three-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $4.5 million beginning in 2023-24. Along with Sergei Bobrovsky ($10 million AAV through 2025-26), the Panthers have the highest-paid goalie tandem in the league.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: One of those two will become an expensive backup over that period.

TSN: The Columbus Blue Jackets signed defenseman Andrew Peeke to a three-year, $8.25 million contract extension.

TSN: The Colorado Avalanche released Alexander Galchenyuk from his professional tryout offer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This could spell the end of Galchenyuk’s NHL career. He was the third overall pick in the 2012 Draft by the Montreal Canadiens. After several seasons in Montreal, he’s bounced from the Habs to the Arizona Coyotes (twice), Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: The Lightning moved their training camp to Nashville ahead of Hurricane Ian bearing down on Florida. They postponed two home preseason games earlier this week.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Despite missing the playoffs last season, the Golden Knights remain among the hottest tickets in the secondary market. They’re fourth in demand among the 32 NHL clubs on the ticket resale marketplace StubHub.