NHL Rumor Mill – January 12, 2023

by | Jan 12, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – January 12, 2023

Updates on the asking prices for the Coyotes’ Jakob Chychrun and the Ducks’ John Klingberg plus the latest on the Blackhawks in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

UPDATES ON CHYCHRUN AND KLINGBERG

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports the Arizona Coyotes remain patient on the Jakob Chychrun trade front. With the 24-year-old defenseman signed through 2024-25, they don’t have to move him before the March 3 trade deadline.

Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun (NHL Images).

The Coyotes’ asking price for Chychrun is believed to be two first-round picks plus a prospect. However, LeBrun writes that they’re willing to be flexible regarding the quality of the prospect.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s also talk that the Coyotes are willing to accept a first-round pick plus a former first-round pick. The quality of the latter, however, will still have to be high. A first-round bust won’t suffice.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Jimmy Murphy also reports the Coyotes are willing to be more flexible on specific prospects with interested teams. The one constant is the addition of another 2023 first-round pick. Murphy also reported the Los Angeles Kings, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers have been scouting Coyotes games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Coyotes have just one pick (their own) in the first round of this year’s draft. It’s understandable why they’d want another as the 2023 draft pool is considered to be a deep one.

They’ve also got seven combined picks in the second and third rounds of the 2024 draft and four second-rounders in 2025 to draw on for trade bait if necessary. Perhaps one or two of those get added to a larger Chychrun deal if it comes to pass.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Adam Proteau listed several other Coyotes who could be shopped leading up to March 3. Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, goaltender Karel Vejmelka, forwards Nick Bjugstad and Nick Ritchie and blueliner Troy Stecher could become trade candidates. Proteau also speculated they could weaponize their cap space to become a third-party broker for cap-strapped playoff contenders at the trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gostisbehere, Bjugstad, Ritchie and Stecher are all unrestricted free agents this summer so it wouldn’t surprise me if they’re all skating on other clubs by March 3.

Vejmelka, however, has two more seasons left on his contract and is playing well for the Coyotes. I don’t see them moving him unless they get one hell of an offer.

THE ATHLETIC: LeBrun reports the Anaheim Ducks’ asking price for John Klingberg starts with a first-round draft pick. However, he doesn’t expect anyone will pay that much given the 30-year-old defenseman’s struggles this season.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: Lisa Dillman reports Klingberg knows that he’s trade bait this season. He’s also seen an improvement in his performance since the holiday break in December.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: LeBrun believes Klingberg, who tallied 40-plus points six times in his eight seasons with the Dallas Stars, could regain his form on a playoff contender. The Ducks would probably retain half of his prorated $7 million cap hit if a club meets their asking price. Nevertheless, I don’t see anyone parting with a first-rounder for him unless his production significantly improves over the next couple of months.

LATEST ON THE BLACKHAWKS

THE ATHLETIC: Scott Powers reports Max Domi would like to remain with the Chicago Blackhawks beyond this season. An unrestricted free agent in July, the 27-year-old forward inked a one-year, $3 million contract with the Blackhawks last summer.

Domi understands he could still end up traded to a playoff contender by deadline day. Nevertheless, he said he’d like to stay with the Blackhawks and be a part of their rebuilding program.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The well-traveled Domi seems to have found a home in Chicago. He’s been among their few bright spots in an otherwise miserable season, leading them with 28 points 39 games.

Blackhawks management could move Domi if they get an enticing return that helps them with their rebuilding process. However, I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of him coming back to Chicago next summer as a free agent.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: Charlie Roumeliotis wondered if Blackhawks backup goaltender Alex Stalock would draw any interest in this season’s trade market. He’s put up solid numbers this season with a 6-5-1 record, a 2.54 goals-against average, and a .923 save percentage. Stalock is also among the league’s best puckhandling goalies and carries an affordable $750K cap hit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stalock could indeed draw the attention of cap-strapped playoff contenders looking to bolster their depth between the pipes for the remainder of the season. It’s difficult to tell right now which clubs would make that move but the picture should become clearer in about four-to-six weeks.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 3, 2022

by | Mar 3, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 3, 2022

​The Rangers down the Blues, the Stars get a big win over the Kings, Senators owner pledges support for Ukraine, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Three unanswered third-period goals by Patrik Nemeth, Chris Kreider and Artemi Panarin rallied the New York Rangers to a 5-3 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Kreider’s goal was his 35th of the season and his league-leading 18th on the power play while teammates Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox each collected three points. The Rangers (73 points) sit one point back of the second-place Pittsburgh Penguins in the Metropolitan Division. Ryan O’Reilly and David Perron each had two points for the Blues, who remain in second place in the Central Division with 70 points.

New York Rangers winger Chris Kreider (NHL Images).

Dallas Stars winger Alexander Radulov tallied the winning goal in his 500th career NHL game as his club overcame a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Los Angeles Kings 4-3. Jason Robertson and Ryan Suter also scored for the Stars, who are 3-0-1 in their last four games to hold the final wild-card berth in the Western Conference with 63 points, holding a game in hand over the Edmonton Oilers. The Kings got two goals from Arthur Kaliyev and remain in second place in the Pacific Division with 65 points.

The Seattle Kraken snapped a seven-game losing skid with a 4-3 upset of the Nashville Predators. Colin Blackwell broke a 3-3 tie with the only goal in the third period. Nashville captain Roman Josi collected two assists (including his 500th career point) while Matt Duchene scored twice. The Predators (64 points) sit one point ahead of the Stars in the first Western wild-card spot.

Speaking of teams snapping long losing streaks, the Buffalo Sabres ended their six-game skid by upsetting the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-1, breaking the latter’s three-game win streak. Jeff Skinner had a goal and an assist for the Sabres while Toronto goaltender Petr Mrazek gave up five goals on 31 shots. With 74 points, the Leafs remain one back of the second-place Florida Panthers in the Atlantic Division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs were flatter than pancakes playing in front of a full house in their home arena for the first time since December against an opponent they should’ve easily defeated. That’s not going to soothe jittery Leafs fans concerned over their club’s shaky goaltending, inconsistent defense, and a second line whose center (John Tavares) is mired in a long goal-scoring slump.

HEADLINES

OTTAWA SUN: Senators owner Eugene Melnyk published an open letter yesterday saying he’ll try to support Ukraine in the unprovoked war with Russia. Melnyk has strong ties to the country as his parents were both born in Ukraine. Among the means he’ll use to pledge support is directing some of the funds from the Senators Community Fund 50/50 draws to charitable causes to help Ukraine. The team will also work with the Ukrainian community in Ottawa to facilitate charitable donations to that country.

ESPN.COM: NHL player agent Dan Milstein said his Russian clients are experiencing “disturbing levels” of harassment and believes draft-eligible players are already being discriminated against because of their country’s invasion of Ukraine.

Among his clients is Calgary Flames defenseman Nikita Zadorov, who’s among the few Russian players to speak out publicly against the invasion. However, he’s received derogatory messages to his Instagram account for speaking out.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This war could affect Russian players eligible for this year’s NHL draft if it is still going on when the event is held in July or if Russia has taken control of Ukraine by that point.

Teams could be reluctant to select Russian players if there’s concern about a backlash for doing so from their fans. Those players could also find it difficult to leave Russia if the strict travel restrictions that are part of the tough sanctions imposed by North American and European countries remain in place. It’s also possible the Russian government could prevent those players from leaving the country.

Russian players already under NHL contracts beyond this season will still keep their jobs as the league isn’t expected to ban them from playing. However, those slated to become unrestricted free agents this summer could encounter difficulty finding new contracts with NHL clubs.

Milstein also tweeted yesterday the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) was expected yesterday to ban Russian and Belarussian players from its 2022 import draft. While the CHL announced it was canceling the 2022 Canada-Russia series, no decision has been reached yet regarding the date and format of this year’s import draft.

NBC SPORTS WASHINGTON: Capitals winger Carl Hagelin will be sidelined for an extended period with an injury to his left eye.

ESPN.COM: An injury to James Reimer prompted the San Jose Sharks to acquire goaltender Alex Stalock from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for future considerations. Backup Adin Hill has also been sidelined but is expected to return to the Sharks’ lineup soon.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: The Canadiens traded minor-league goaltender Michael McNiven to the Calgary Flames for future considerations.

TSN: Speaking of the Canadiens, they’re expected to return to full capacity at the Bell Centre on March 12 as pandemic restrictions are eased through Quebec.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 12, 2022

by | Jan 12, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 12, 2022

​Big nights for Evgeni Malkin and Nikita Kucherov, rapper Kodak Black creates a stir at the Canucks-Panthers game, the Oilers confirm interest in free-agent Evander Kane, Tuukka Rask returns to the Bruins & much more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Evgeni Malkin scored twice and collected an assist in his season debut as the Pittsburgh Penguins downed the Anaheim Ducks 4-1. Malkin had been sidelined by offseason knee surgery. Jeff Carter also scored twice for the Penguins (47 points), who hold the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. With 45 points, the Ducks remain three points behind the first-place Vegas Golden Knights in the Pacific Division.

Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (NHL Images).

A hat trick by Nikita Kucherov carried the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 6-1 drubbing of the Buffalo Sabres. Steven Stamkos and Alex Killorn each finished the night with three points as the Lightning (53 points) sit second in the Eastern Conference.

The Florida Panthers 5-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks was overshadowed by a viral video that appeared to show rapper Kodak Black having sex in a luxury box during the game. Panthers forward Sam Reinhart tallied two goals and collected an assist as the Panthers (53 points) hold first place in the overall standings with two games in hand over the Lightning. It was the Canucks first regulation loss under head coach Bruce Boudreau.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There are reports claiming Black’s female companion was merely twerking against him. Regardless, this incident created a stir on Twitter last night.

Nashville Predators forward Matt Duchene scored twice, including the winner in overtime, in a 5-4 victory over the Colorado Avalanche. Nashville winger Luke Kunin also netted two goals. It was the fifth straight win for the Predators, who sit atop the Western Conference with 50 points. Cale Makar had a goal and two assists for the Avalanche, who were playing without blueliner Bowen Byram after he left the club for personal reasons. The Av didn’t release any further details about Byram.

William Nylander opened the scoring and tallied the winning goal in a shootout as the Toronto Maple Leafs nipped the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3. The Golden Knights forced overtime and the shootout by overcoming a 3-1 deficit on third-period goals by William Karlsson and Alex Pietrangelo. Vegas sits second in the Western Conference with 48 points while the Leafs (49 points) sit third in the Atlantic Division.

An overtime goal by Logan Couture lifted the San Jose Sharks over the Detroit Red Wings 3-2. Sharks defenseman Brent Burns collected three assists as his club has moved into the final wild-card berth in the Western Conference with 41 points. The Wings were without captain Dylan Larkin as he’s day-to-day with an upper-body injury. He could return to the lineup for Thursday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets.

The Chicago Blackhawks got a two-goal performance from Alex DeBrincat to double up the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-2. Patrick Kane collected an assist to extend his points streak to five games.

HEADLINES

NBC SPORTS: Player agent Dan Milstein, who represents Evander Kane, expects his client will sign a new contract with an NHL team by this weekend. The San Jose Sharks terminated its contract with the 30-year-old winger citing breach of contract on Sunday. The NHLPA has filed a grievance on Kane’s behalf.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers general manager Ken Holland confirmed he has an interest in Kane and has contacted Milstein. Holland acknowledged the winger’s well-documented personal baggage but said he has a responsibility as a general manager to investigate every situation.

“I would want to get an understanding with what’s going on in that person’s life. I believe in second chances,” said Holland. He also gave head coach Dave Tippett a vote of confidence as the club attempts to reverse its skid in the standings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Holland’s interest in Kane has already drawn some criticism in the Edmonton media. However, there’s speculation the Oilers could have the former Shark under contract soon. Stay tuned…

Speaking of the Oilers, goaltender Alex Stalock is trying to make a comeback. He’s missed this season with a heart condition but has received medical clearance by his doctors to attempt to return to action. He will report to the Oilers’ AHL affiliate in Bakersfield.

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: To no one’s surprise, the Bruins signed Tuukka Rask to a one-year, $1 million contract yesterday. The 34-year-old goaltender had been recovering from offseason hip surgery. The club demoted Jeremy Swayman to their AHL affiliate in Providence to make room for Rask’s new contract.

SPORTSNET: New York Islanders head coach Barry Trotz, Ottawa Senators forward Tim Stutzle, St. Louis Blues forward David Perron and Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore were among the notables to enter the NHL’s COVID protocol yesterday.

OTTAWA SUN: The ongoing loss of hockey-related revenue due to attendance restrictions on Canadian NHL teams is generating concern over its effect upon the league’s hockey-related revenue for this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The salary will rise by $1 million next season to $82.5 million as per the CBA extension regardless of this season’s HRR. However, it will affect the players’ repayment of their debt owed to the NHL owners for maintaining the salary cap at its current level despite the decline of HRR over the past two seasons due to COVID-19. It could take longer than originally projected for the players to make the owners whole, which will affect salary cap projections beyond 2023-24.

THE DETROIT NEWS: Red Wings Hall-of-Famer Nicklas Lidstrom has been hired as the club’s new vice president of hockey operations.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins general manager Ron Hextall was taken to task by Philadelphia Flyers legend and senior advisor Bob Clarke. Appearing on the podcast Cam and Strick yesterday, Clarke claimed Hextall alienated everybody during his tenure as Flyers GM. He accused him of ignoring the Flyers’ scouts by choosing Nolan Patrick over Cale Makar in the 2017 draft and trading Brayden Schenn to the St. Louis Blues. Hextall declined to comment about Clarke’s comments.

NHL.COM: The league yesterday announced the Florida Panthers’ Andrew Brunette, the Colorado Avalanche’s Jared Bednar, the Carolina Hurricanes’ Rod Brind’Amour and the Vegas Golden Knights’ Peter DeBoer have been named as the head coaches for the 2022 NHL All-Star weekend (Feb. 4-5) in Las Vegas.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The NHL appears determined to press on with the All-Star Game despite a plethora of postponed games requiring rescheduling due to the latest wave of COVID-19. The best players from every NHL team in one place for a meaningless game of glorified pond hockey in the middle of a pandemic. What could go wrong?

STARTRIBUNE.COM: The Minnesota Wild signed Jon Merrill to a three-year, $3.6 million contract extension.

NBC SPORTS WASHINGTON: The Capitals re-assigned goaltender Zach Fucale to their AHL affiliate in Hershey now that Vitek Vanecek has recovered from a non-COVID illness.

THE ATHLETIC: Nate Prosser has announced his retirement. The 35-year-old defenseman played 360 NHL games with the Minnesota Wild, St. Louis Blues and Philadelphia Flyers from 2009-10 to 2020-21. He spent over nine seasons with the Wild.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Prosser in his future endeavors.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 23, 2021

by | Sep 23, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 23, 2021

The NHL finds no evidence Evander Kane bet on games, several players remain unvaccinated or partially vaccinated as training camps open plus the latest contract signings, injury updates & more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NO EVIDENCE KANE BET ON GAMES, SAYS NHL

NBC SPORTS BAY AREA: The NHL announced Wednesday it found no evidence San Jose Sharks winger Evander Kane bet on league games. The accusation was leveled by Kane’s estranged wife Anna several weeks ago, prompting the league’s investigation.

San Jose Sharks winger Evander Kane (NHL Images).

However, the NHL is now investigating “additional unrelated allegations involving potential wrongdoing by Mr. Kane” linked to a domestic violence restraining order filed by Anna on Tuesday. The Sharks released a statement yesterday indicating the 30-year-old winger has agreed not to participate in training camp until further notice.

LATEST NHL COVID-19 NEWS

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers defenseman Duncan Keith will miss the opening week of training camp. He’ll be in quarantine until Oct. 1 after traveling to the United States to get a Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccination.

Meanwhile, Oilers general manager Ken Holland said winger Josh Archibald is the only unvaccinated player in training camp. If he remains that way for the coming season, he’ll need a 14-day quarantine to participate in road games in the United States. He will be suspended without pay during that period which won’t count against the club’s salary cap. Archibald could miss 30-plus games and forfeit $600k in wages.

Oilers goaltender Alex Stalock is expected to be sidelined for the entire season due to a heart condition (myocarditis) related to his bout with COVID-19 last November. Holland said there are no plans at this time to seek another veteran goalie.

DETROIT FREE PRESS: Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman said winger Tyler Bertuzzi is the only player on his team to refuse the COVID-19 vaccine. He’ll be unable to travel to Canada under current border restrictions which require a 14-day quarantine for unvaccinated players traveling into the country. He could forfeit $400K of his salary based on those Canadian road games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Holland and Yzerman indicated they aren’t going to force anyone to get vaccinated. The league’s COVID restrictions and the prospect of lost wages, however, could eventually convince Archibald and Bertuzzi to change their minds. Their stance has the potential to create a rift among teammates who could consider them a risk to their health and safety.

Most NHL players are well-conditioned athletes with good odds of avoiding the worst serious symptoms of COVID-19. Stalock’s situation, however, should serve as a warning that they’re not totally immune.

SPORTSNET: Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander is not yet fully vaccinated but will be when the season opens next month. “I had a couple of medical things that I had to take care of but I’ll be vaccinated by the beginning of the season.”

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks defenseman Travis Hamonic was reportedly not in training camp and his absence isn’t injury-related. That led to speculation his absence was related to the league’s COVID protocols but GM Jim Benning said he’ll be in camp.

Benning also acknowledged winger Justin Bailey has tested positive for COVID-19 before crossing the Canada – US border. He’ll have to wait another 10 days before he can join his teammates in Vancouver.

Speaking of the Canucks, they signed winger Alex Chiasson to a professional tryout offer.

TVA SPORTS: Montreal Canadiens forward Jesse Ylonen has changed his mind and agreed to be vaccinated.

TSN: More than a dozen infectious disease and critical care doctors are calling on the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers to drop plans to stage games in full-capacity arenas this season. The province of Alberta is reeling through an unprecedented medical crisis amid the fourth wave of COVID-19.

The Oilers issued a statement indicating fans will require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to gain entry to Rogers Place. They will also insist fans wear masks when not eating or drinking.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Calgary Flames have a mandatory vaccine policy in place for fans attending their games this season.

NOTABLE CONTRACT SIGNINGS

WGR 550: The Buffalo Sabres signed defenseman Rasmus Dahlin to a three-year, $18 million contract. The annual average value is $6 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A fair signing for both sides. Dahlin gets a significant pay raise coming off his entry-level contract while the Sabres commit to a short-term bridge deal. His signing leaves Vancouver’s Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes and Ottawa’s Brady Tkachuk as the only remaining notable restricted free agents.

THE SCORE: The Los Angeles Kings signed goaltender Cal Petersen to a three-year contract extension with an annual average value of $5 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Petersen is the heir apparent to long-time Kings starting goalie Jonathan Quick. He took over the starter’s role last season, appearing in 35 games to Quick’s 22. The latter is signed through 2022-23 with an annual cap hit of $5.8 million.

THE DENVER POST: The Colorado Avalanche signed right wing Logan O’Connor to a three-year, $3.15 million contract extension.

INJURY UPDATES

GOPHNX.com’s Craig Morgan reports Arizona Coyotes winger Phil Kessel is sidelined two-three weeks with a foot injury suffered during offseason training.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews will miss the first part of the upcoming season recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning defenseman Cal Foote will be sidelined by a hand injury for the entire training camp and preseason as well as the first two-to-four weeks of the regular season.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TSN: The St. Louis Blues announced they’ve named Peter Chiarelli as their vice-president of hockey operations while Ken Hitchcock rejoins the club as a coaching consultant.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers confirmed their arena will be called the FLA Live Arena for this season. The club is looking for a new naming rights partner for 2022.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 2, 2021

by | Mar 2, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 2, 2021

Recaps of Monday’s action, the three stars of the week, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: A third-period goal by Vincent Trocheck set the stage for Martin Necas’ overtime winner as the Carolina Hurricanes edged the Florida Panthers 3-2. Necas also collected two assists while Alex Nedeljkovic made 44 saves for the win. The Panthers (30 points) remain in first place in the Discover Central Division, one point ahead of the Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning. They also played with winger Anthony Duclair as he’s sidelined at least a week with a lower-body injury suffered during Saturday’s game against the Hurricanes.

Ottawa Senators winger Drake Batherson scored twice to extend his franchise-record goal streak to six games in a 5-1 upset of the Calgary Flames. Matt Murray got the win with 27 saves and Senators rookie Tim Stutzle picked up two assists. The Flames (22 points) have dropped three of their last four games and remain one point behind the fourth-place Montreal Canadiens in the Scotia North Division.

Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko made 27 saves for his first NHL shutout in a 4-0 upset of the Winnipeg Jets. Elias Pettersson and Nate Schmidt each had a goal and an assist for the Canucks, who moved to within three points of the Canadiens.

Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone (NHL Images).

Mark Stone collected five primary assists as the Vegas Golden Knights overcame a 4-2 deficit to nip the Minnesota Wild 5-4 in overtime, snapping the Wild’s six-game win streak. Max Pacioretty scored twice, including the game-winner. Marcus Foligno tallied twice for the Wild (25 points), who remain two points back of the first-place Golden Knights in the Honda West Division.

The St. Louis Blues got two goals and an assist from Zach Sanford to hold off the Anaheim Ducks 5-4. The Blues sit one point behind the Golden Knights. Ducks forward Isac Lundestrom collected his first career NHL hat trick.

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Michael Hutchinson kicked out 31 shots in a 3-0 shutout over the Edmonton Oilers. William Nylander and Morgan Rielly each had a goal and an assist for the Leafs, who blanked the Oilers for the second straight game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs accomplished this feat with leading goal scorer Auston Matthews and starting goalie Frederik Andersen sidelined by injuries.

The San Jose Sharks scored six unanswered goals in a 6-2 drubbing of the Colorado Avalanche. Evander Kane had a goal and two assists while Timo Meier collected three helpers. The Avalanche played without defenseman Cale Makar, who returned to Denver for further evaluation regarding an upper-body injury suffered during Friday’s game against the Arizona Coyotes.

HEADLINES

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane and Minnesota Wild winger Mats Zuccarello are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Feb. 28.

THE ATHLETIC: Aaron Portzline reports Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen is expected to make public comments today supporting head coach John Tortorella, who’s in the final season of his contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tortorella’s future has become the topic of speculation as the Jackets has dropped five straight games and seven of their last eight, leaving them seven points behind the fourth-place Chicago Blackhawks in the Central.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers claimed goaltender Alex Stalock off waivers yesterday from the Wild.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stalock revealed he was diagnosed with the heart condition myocarditis after testing positive for COVID-19 last November. He received clearance to resume training in mid-January but was unable to regain his spot on the Wild’s goalie tandem. As he’s crossing the US-Canada border he must quarantine for two weeks before joining the Oilers.

THE PROVINCE: Former NHL forward Todd Bertuzzi was arrested for drunk driving in Michigan over the weekend.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 1, 2021

by | Mar 1, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 1, 2021

​Recaps of Sunday’s games feature Patrick Kane and Alain Vigneault reaching career milestones plus updates on Jack Eichel, Auston Matthews, Gabriel Landeskog and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Patrick Kane scored his 400th career goal as the Chicago Blackhawks thumped the Detroit Red Wings 7-2. He had a three-point performance while Alex DeBrincat collected four points and Kevin Lankinen made 44 saves for the Blackhawks. They’ve won six of their last eight games and sit third in the Discover Central Division.

Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane tallied career goal 400 in a 7-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some observers wondered how the Blackhawks would fill the leadership void when team captain Jonathan Toews was sidelined by a mysterious illness. Kane has certainly risen to the occasion. He’s also tied for second with Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl (34 points) in the NHL scoring race.

Philadelphia Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault picked up career win 700 as his club blanked the Buffalo Sabres 3-0. Goalie Carter Hart made 28 saves for the shutout while James van Riemsdyk had a goal and an assist.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Vigneault is tied with Mike Babcock for eighth on the all-time list.

The Boston Bruins got two goals from Charlie Coyle and two assists from David Pastrnak as they defeated the New York Rangers 4-1. Rangers goalie Alexandar Georgiev played most of the game with a scratched left eye suffered in the first period. He went to the bench for repairs and returned to the game.

A 28-save performance by Juuse Saros helped the Nashville Predators down the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1, sweeping their two-game series and handing the Jackets their fifth straight loss. Columbus coach John Tortorella said he wasn’t concerned about his job security in a post-game press conference.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Changes could be coming to the Jackets if they don’t snap out of this tailspin soon. They’re now six points behind the fourth-place Carolina Hurricanes in the Central.

Alex Ovechkin scored the game-winning goal as the Washington Capitals edged the New Jersey Devils 3-2. Capitals goaltender Ilya Samsonov made 19 saves in his first game since coming off the COVID-19 protocol list. Jakub Vrana had a goal and an assist for the Caps. Devils captain Nico Hischier missed the game and is listed as day-to-day after taking a puck to the face on Saturday.

New York Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin made 20 saves for his second straight shutout in a 2-0 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Oliver Wahlstrom and Jean-Gabriel Pageau were the goal scorers.

HEADLINES

THE SCORE: Buffalo Sabres captain Jack Eichel claimed he didn’t get hurt during pregame warmup before Thursday’s loss to the New Jersey Devils, contradicting what coach Ralph Krueger told reporters that night. Eichel said he got hurt in New Jersey on Tuesday, which also forced him to miss Thursday’s game. Krueger said Sunday he wasn’t trying to mislead anyone with his statement on Thursday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This would be at best a minor issue for a normal team. For the floundering Sabres, however, it’s seen by their critics as yet another example of the dysfunction within the club.

TORONTO STAR: The Maple Leafs could face the Edmonton Oilers tonight without center Auston Matthews and goalies Frederik Andersen and Jack Campbell. They’re nursing injuries and listed as day-to-day. Michael Hutchinson will get the call if Andersen and Campbell can’t play.

THE DENVER POST: Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog tied Peter Forsberg for the third-most goals (202) in franchise history during Saturday’s 6-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes.

NBC SPORTS: Florida Panthers winger Brett Connolly and Minnesota Wild goaltender Alex Stalock were placed on waivers yesterday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’m interested to see if a team in need of goalie depth plucks Stalock off the waiver wire. He had decent numbers last season but has been relegated to third-stringer behind Cam Talbot and Kaapo Kahkonen this season.

STLTODAY.COM: Jacob de la Rose became the sixth player on the St. Louis Blues to be placed on injured reserve.

TSN: Four players – Arizona’s John Hayden, Detroit’s Patrik Nemeth, the New York Rangers’ Kaapo Kakko and San Jose’s Tomas Hertl – remain on the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There were calls from some in the media in mid-February for the NHL to pause or reduce the schedule over the growing number of players on the protocol list and the postponement of games as a result. Those numbers have significantly dropped over the last two weeks, suggesting the league’s updated protocols are working.