NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 20, 2024

by | Jul 20, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 20, 2024

The “no state tax” issue, Kyle Okposo forced to cancel Stanley Cup appearance, the Red Wings re-sign Joe Veleno, the latest salary arbitration news, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE ATHLETIC: Eric Duhatshek reports little appetite around the NHL to make changes to the salary cap addressing the issue of teams with no state tax having an advantage in signing players over those with state and provincial tax.

Duhatschek indicates it would be “an incredibly complex system” involving tax laws in the 18 different states, five Canadian provinces, and the District of Columbia, where the NHL operates.

A change of that magnitude must be made through collective bargaining between the league and the NHL Players Association. The next round of CBA talks will begin in 2026.

Duhatschek noted this became an issue when the Florida Panthers became a very good team. He also cited an NHL executive accusing clubs complaining about the tax advantage of Florida teams as “a bunch of crybabies” trying to defend their mediocre team-building records.

The 2024 Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers (NHL.com).

This executive believes the Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Vegas Golden Knights built their teams better and that’s why they became Stanley Cup Champions, not because of a “no tax state” advantage.

The Lightning drafted better, finding value in players like Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Ondrej Palat and Alex Killorn that other teams passed over in the draft.

Meanwhile, the Panthers struck gold in the trade market, acquiring Carter Verhaeghe, Gustav Forsling, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Sam Bennett, Brandon Montour and Matthew Tkachuk.

As for the Golden Knights, they did a great job in the 2017 expansion draft, acquiring draft capital and young talent that made them immediately competitive.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ve been skeptical of this recent complaint about a“no state tax” advantage. The Lightning, Panthers and Golden Knights simply did a better job building their championship rosters.

The Lightning and Panthers have been around for 30 years. They were non-contenders for most of that period, especially the Panthers. It was when they finally brought in stable ownership and management that they became champions.

However, the salary cap remains the great leveler. The Lightning endured it over the past three years while the Panthers and Golden Knights began to feel its pinch this summer.

Salary cap constraints forced the Lightning to shed salaries to maintain their core players. It cut into their roster depth, eventually knocking them from their perch as Stanley Cup contenders.

The cost of maintaining a Cup contender was felt by the Panthers this summer by the departure of Montour. Verhaeghe, Bennett and Aaron Ekblad could be next to leave given their UFA eligibility next summer.

Wheeling and dealing in the trade market built the Golden Knights into a Cup champion in 2022-23. However, they felt the bite of the salary cap this summer with the departures of Jonathan Marchessault, Chandler Stephenson and William Carrier. They could soon run out of tradeable assets and cap room to make the major deals for expensive talent that built them into a champion.

The Nashville Predators, Dallas Stars, and Seattle Kraken garnered no championship advantage playing in no-tax states.

The Predators peaked in 2018, winning the Presidents’ Trophy a year after reaching the Stanley Cup Final. They landed three of this summer’s biggest UFAs, signing Steven Stamkos, Brady Skjei and Marchessault. Those moves could make them better but doesn’t guarantee a championship.

Meanwhile, the Stars have been in Dallas for over 30 years and have had their share of highs and lows, including a Cup in 1999. No one’s grumbled about their supposed advantage playing in a “no-tax state”. 

Meanwhile, the Kraken didn’t enjoy the same success out of the gate as the Golden Knights, mainly because rival clubs did a better job protecting assets in the expansion draft.

SPORTSNET: Travel issues affected Kyle Okposo’s day with the Stanley Cup. He had to cancel an event in Minnetonka, Minnesota due to the grounding of US flights on Friday because of the global IT outage affecting airlines. The 37-year-old forward was crushed by the news, though efforts are being made for him to have his day with the Cup.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings avoided salary arbitration with forward Joe Veleno as the two sides agreed to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $2.275 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Veleno is among six of the 14 players who filed for arbitration to settle with their clubs before their hearings. The others were Jake Christiansen and Jet Greaves of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Jack Drury of the Carolina Hurricanes, Ty Emberson of the San Jose Sharks, and JJ Moser of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The NHLPA has decided against releasing the scheduled dates of the hearings for those who filed for arbitration. The arbitration period runs from July 20 to Aug. 4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Most of these cases are settled before their scheduled hearings, a trend that seems to be continuing this year. The notable players still unsigned include the Hurricanes’ Martin Necas, the New York Rangers’ Ryan Lindgren, and the Buffalo Sabres’ Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.

TORONTO STAR: The Maple Leafs recently announced they hired Mark Leach as their new director of amateur scouting.

Leach spent the past 11 seasons with the Dallas Stars. He was instrumental in their selections of Miro Heiskanen, Jason Robertson, Jake Oettinger, Thomas Harley, Wyatt Johnston and Logan Stankoven.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs could see a notable improvement at the draft table in the coming years given Leach’s impressive ability to find quality talent for the Stars.










NHL Rumor Mill – July 18, 2024

by | Jul 18, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – July 18, 2024

A look at some notable trade and free-agent rumors facing several Western Conference clubs in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SPORTSNET: Ryan Dixon recently examined lingering offseason questions facing the NHL’s Western Conference teams. Among them were some notable trade and free-agent speculation.

Dixon wondered if the Anaheim Ducks would trade Trevor Zegras. Trade speculation started last fall during their contentious contract negotiations. The 23-year-old was limited to 31 games by injuries last season. He’s an imperfect player but his offensive skills continue to draw interest.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek has consistently denied the trade rumors, claiming he hasn’t shopped Zegras nor received any trade offers. He’s under no pressure to move the young winger, who has two seasons remaining on his contract. Zegras will remain with the Ducks this season.

The Calgary Flames are now rebuilding their roster. Dixon wondered if they might take on a bloated contract or two from a cap-strapped club in return for a draft pick or a prospect.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With over $20 million in cap space and 22 active roster players under contract, the Flames are well-positioned to make that type of deal. Whether they want to is another matter. The earliest we could see such a move is in September or early October as teams with limited cap space or over the $88 million cap look to shed salary before the start of the season.

Colorado Avalanche winger Mikko Rantanen is a year away from becoming an unrestricted free agent. Dixon wonders if the two sides will hammer out a contract extension this summer.

Colorado Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s been quiet on the Rantanen front. The Avalanche faces some short and long-term salary cap uncertainty given Gabriel Landeskog’s attempt at a comeback from knee injuries and Valeri Nichushkin’s returning to the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program. Both are on long-term contracts. The Avs could be waiting for cap clarification before opening extension talks with Rantanen.

Dixon wondered if the Dallas Stars might scour the trade market for a defenseman.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Keep an eye on this situation. The depth among the Stars’ right-shot defensemen drops sharply behind Miro Heiskanen with free-agent additions Ilya Lyubushkin and Matt Dumba signed to fill those gaps.

Arthur Kaliyev’s future with the Los Angeles Kings could be coming to an end. He’s been on the outs with the club and is a restricted free agent.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kaliyev is coming off an entry-level contract and has been the subject of frequent trade speculation. Don’t be surprised if he ends up traded before the start of the season.

Goaltender Filip Gustavsson could be a trade candidate after the Minnesota Wild re-signed Marc-Andre Fleury and promising Jesper Wallstedt waiting in the wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gustavsson surfaced in the rumor mill during the spring but trade speculation about him dried up weeks ago. The Wild could retain him for another season and send Wallstedt back to the minors. 

Dixon pondered the possibility of the Nashville Predators trading goalie Yaroslav Askarov after they signed Juuse Saros to a contract extension and signed free-agent backup Scott Wedgewood.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Predators GM Barry Trotz will set a high asking price for Askarov, who has potential as an NHL starter. Trotz can afford to be patient as he waits for a club seeking goaltending depth to come calling, which could lead to Askarov starting this season with their AHL affiliate.

The Utah Hockey Club made some significant additions to their blueline by acquiring Mikhail Sergachev, John Marino and Ian Cole. Flush with cap space, draft picks and prospects, they might not be done making additions.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Utah GM Bill Armstrong prioritized improving his defense corps this summer. Having addressed that issue, he could shift his focus to other roster areas. Still, he could also keep his powder dry and see what unfolds during this season.

Dixon also wondered if the Vancouver Canucks will work out an extension with winger Brock Boeser.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Boeser made it clear he wants to play for the Canucks despite being the subject of trade rumors leading up to last season. He’s the only core player due for a new contract by next summer.

The Canucks have over $12 million in projected cap space based on a cap of $88 million, but it’s projected it could rise to $92 million for 2025-26. That will give them plenty of room to re-sign Boeser. However, his injury history could have management adopt a wait-and-see approach to this season.

The Vegas Golden Knights have limited cap space for 2024-25. Nevertheless, Dixon wonders if they might have a crafty move up their sleeve to bolster their roster.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Vegas’ depth chart took a beating this summer with the departures of Jonathan Marchessault, Chandler Stephenson, Logan Thompson, Alec Martinez, William Carrier, Michael Amadio and Anthony Mantha. They brought in Victor Olofsson, Alexander Holtz, Ilya Samsonov and Akira Schmid.

The Golden Knights are over the cap by $3.6 million but they’ll get cap relief with Robin Lehner and his $5 million cap hit on long-term injury reserve. They lack room to make a significant addition unless they ship out a salaried player in return.

Recent trade history indicates sleeping on the Golden Knights isn’t wise. However, they will struggle to pull off a major deal this summer.

Dixon concludes by wondering when the Winnipeg Jets intend to trade winger Nikolaj Ehlers and prospect forward Rutger McGroarty. They still have some roster holes to fill and either player could fetch a suitable return.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ehlers has a year left on his contract while the Jets still hold McGroarty’s rights. They won’t be in any rush to move either player this summer but one or both could be moved as we get closer to the start of the season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 17, 2024

by | Jul 17, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 17, 2024

Stars winger Joe Pavelski retires, Blues defenseman Torey Krug faces a potentially season-ending injury, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Joe Pavelski officially announced his retirement after 18 NHL seasons with the San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars.

Dallas Stars winger Joe Pavelski (NHL Images).

The 40-year-old winger netted 476 goals and 592 assists for 1,068 points in 1,332 regular-season games, sitting sixth all-time among American-born players. He also tallied 74 goals and 69 assists for 143 points in 201 playoff contests.

Pavelski appeared in seven Conference Finals and two Stanley Cup Finals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Most of Pavelski’s stats were accumulated during his 13 seasons with the Sharks. He’s second among their all-time leaders with 355 goals, third in points with 761, and fourth in games played with 963. Pavelski played a significant role in the Sharks’ rise as a Western Conference powerhouse from 2007-08 to 2010-11 and their run to the 2016 Stanley Cup Final.

The Sharks reportedly looked into bringing Pavelski back next season but he’d made up his mind that it was time to retire. He was a model of consistency throughout his career, exceeding the 60-point plateau 11 times, including a 67-point performance last season.

Pavelski will be remembered among the best American-born players in NHL history. One day soon, he will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

STLTODAY.COM: Blues defenseman Torey Krug was diagnosed with pre-arthritic changes in his left ankle and will be re-evaluated in six to eight weeks. The injury is a cumulative result of a bone fracture earlier in Krug’s playing career.

If Krug requires surgery, he will be sidelined for the 2024-25 season. That would enable left-shot defenseman Scott Perunovich to receive more playing time.

Krug carries an average annual value of $6.5 million. He would be eligible to be placed on long-term injury reserve if he’s sidelined for the season. However, the Blues currently have more than $7 million in salary-cap space, meaning they would only place him on LTIR to free up more cap room.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford indicated Krug was being mentioned in trade rumors after the Blues signed Ryan Suter last week to a one-year contract. That created a logjam of nine defensemen on one-way contracts. Rutherford points out there won’t be a trade market for Krug even if he agrees to waive his no-trade clause.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars will induct Brenden Morrow and Jim Lites into their Hall of Fame in October.

Morrow spent 13 of his 15 NHL seasons with the Stars, seven as team captain. Lites was president and CEO of the Sharks from 2011 until 2020 when he was named team chairman.

The Stars also signed 2024 first-round pick Emil Hemming to a three-year entry-level contract. Hemming was selected 29th overall by the Stars.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: The Islanders signed forward Simon Holmstrom to a one-year, $850K contract.

THE GAZETTE: The Montreal Canadiens hired former Columbus Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent as the new bench boss of their AHL affiliate in Laval.

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks signed goaltender Arturs Silovs to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $850K. Silovs, 23, stepped in during the first round of the Canucks series against the Nashville Predators after Thatcher Demko and Casey DeSmith were sidelined, backstopping them to a six-game series victory.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Flyers goaltending prospect Alexei Kolosov didn’t appear in the club’s recent prospect development camp and is reportedly attempting to get out of his NHL contract.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 9, 2024

by | Jul 9, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 9, 2024

A look at the most interesting salary arbitration cases, the Capitals make a notable front-office change, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

SPORTSNET: Ryan Dixon looked at some of the more interesting potential salary arbitration cases worth watching. Fourteen players filed for arbitration by the July 5 deadline. There were no club-elected arbitration cases.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas (NHL Images).

Topping the list is Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas. The 25-year-old has featured prominently in the rumor mill as reports emerged about his unhappiness skating as a third-line winger. There’s also been a management change as Eric Tulsky took over as general manager from Don Waddell.

Other notable cases that could be worth monitoring include New York Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren, Buffalo Sabres starting goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Tampa Bay Lightning blueliner J.J. Moser, and Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kirill Marchenko.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Moser’s could be interesting because he was recently acquired from the Utah Hockey Club. The Lightning sees him as a replacement for Mikhail Sergachev, who was swapped for Moser, prospect center Conor Geekie, and two draft picks.

The Bolts won’t pay Moser as much as Sergachev ($8.5 million annually) but the 24-year-old Swiss blueliner will seek a significant raise coming off his entry-level contract.

Most of these cases are settled well before their scheduled arbitration hearings between July 20 and Aug. 4. Sometimes, one or two end up going before an arbitrator. 

TSN: The Washington Capitals named Chris Patrick as their new general manager while long-time GM Brian MacLellan remains as president of hockey operations. Patrick, 48, has worked in various roles with the Capitals, spending the past three seasons as assistant GM.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report indicates this follows a recent trend around the league where an established general manager moves upstairs and cedes day-to-day operations. MacLellan will still maintain oversight over any significant roster decisions. He’d served as GM since 2014 and helped them win their first Stanley Cup in 2018.

MacLellan improved the Capitals roster in recent weeks, swapping goalie Darcy Kuemper for center Pierre-Luc Dubois, acquiring defenseman Jakob Chychrun from the Ottawa Senators, winger Andrew Mangiapane from the Calgary Flames, and netminder Logan Thompson from the Vegas Golden Knights. He also signed top-four defenseman Matt Roy.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin discussed the “Seattle Incident” during the 2023 playoffs with a Russian interviewer. His comments were made before he was placed in stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program on May 14 and suspended for six months.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nichushkin left the Avalanche during their 2023 first-round series with the Seattle Kraken after a team doctor discovered an intoxicated woman in the winger’s Seattle hotel room, and called an ambulance to take her to a hospital. The club did not acknowledge the police report or indicate if Nichushkin was punished. The league indicated it was satisfied with how the situation was handled.

Nichushkin said he was receiving treatments for a shoulder injury at the time that required injections. He claimed he wasn’t scheduled to play for the remainder of the series against the Kraken, saying he hung out with some friends that night and then flew back to Denver. Nichushkin stated the girl in his hotel room had nothing to do with him. He also said the team told him not to comment about the incident at the time, something he now claims was a mistake.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It remains to be seen if Nichushkin faces any repercussions for these comments.

TSN: The Utah Hockey Club re-signed forward Barrett Hayton to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $2.65 million.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Former Flyers goaltender Carter Hart could sign with a KHL team. He is among five players charged in the 2018 Hockey Canada sexual assault case and is currently awaiting trial. The Flyers opted not to qualify Hart’s rights on July 1, making him an unrestricted free agent.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Former Calgary Flames winger Dillon Dube is among those five players. He signed a one-year contract with KHL club HC Dinamo Minsk. The report stated it’s unclear if extraneous circumstances allowed Dube to leave Canada before facing trial.

BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: The Sabres signed 2024 first-round pick Konsta Helenius to a three-year entry-level contract. The 18-year-old center was chosen 14th overall.

KUKLA’S KORNER: The Dallas Stars entered into a seven-year agreement with A Parent Media Co. Inc. (APMC) to stream all their regional games free of charge. Starting this season, the games will be broadcast on the newly formed VICTORY+, a free direct-to-consumer streaming service created for fans by APMC with the Dallas Stars.

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: The Carolina Hurricanes named Doug Warf their new team president. He will oversee the club’s business operations and the operation of PNC Arena. He succeeds Don Waddell, who recently stepped down to join the Columbus Blue Jackets.










Notable Trades – Day 2 Of The 2024 NHL Draft

by | Jun 29, 2024

Notable Trades – Day 2 Of The 2024 NHL Draft

The Tampa Bay Lightning traded Mikhail Sergachev to the Utah Hockey Club in exchange for JJ Moser, Conor Geekie, a second-round pick in the 2025 draft that originally belonged to the Toronto Maple Leafs, and a seventh-rounder in this year’s draft.

Tampa Bay Lightning trade Mikhail Sergachev to Utah Hockey Club (NHL Images).

The Vegas Golden Knights traded goaltender Logan Thompson to the Washington Capitals for pick No. 83 in this year’s draft and a 2025 third-rounder. 

The New Jersey Devils traded goaltender Akira Schmid and forward Alexander Holtz to the Vegas Golden Knights for forward Paul Cotter and a 2025 third-round pick. 

Toronto Maple Leafs acquired the rights to defenseman Chris Tanev from the Dallas Stars in exchange for minor-league forward Max Ellis and a seventh-round pick in the 2026 Draft. 

The Utah Hockey Club trades the 49th overall pick and a 2025 second-rounder (originally belonging to the Edmonton Oilers) to the New Jersey Devils for defenseman John Marino and a fifth-rounder that originally belonged to the Colorado Avalanche.

Los Angeles Kings acquire winger Tanner Jeannot from the Tampa Bay Lightning in return for a pick in this year’s draft (#118) and a second-round pick in 2025. 

The St. Louis Blues have traded forward Kevin Hayes and a 2025 second-rounder to the Pittsburgh Penguins for future considerations. 

Buffalo Sabres acquired forward Beck Malenstyn from the Washington Capitals in exchange for a second-round pick (43rd overall) in this year’s draft. 

 










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 22, 2024

by | Jun 22, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 22, 2024

The Oilers defeat the Panthers to force Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Final, injury updates on Dylan Larkin, Roope Hintz and Chris Tanev, Andrew Cogliano retires, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAP

NHL.COM: There will be a seventh and deciding game in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final as the Edmonton Oilers defeated the Florida Panthers 5-1, tying the series at three games apiece.

Zach Hyman scored his 16th goal in this postseason, Warren Foegele had a goal and an assist, Adam Henrique tallied what proved to be the winning goal, and Stuart Skinner made 20 saves for the win. Hyman leads all active NHL players for the most goals in one playoff year. The record is 19 held by Reggie Leach and Jari Kurri.

Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman (NHL Images).

Florida captain Aleksander Barkov scored in the second period to cut Edmonton’s lead to 2-1. However, the goal was overturned as offside following a coach’s challenge by Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch, much to the fury of Panthers bench boss Paul Maurice.

“I have no idea (if they got it right),” said Maurice in his postgame press conference. “It may well have been offside. The lines person informed me that it was the last clip that they got where they made the decision that shows it’s offside. I don’t have those.” He went on to explain he was upset based on the video he saw at the bench.

The call was a game-changer. Hyman made it 3-0 later in the period for Edmonton. Barkov got the Panthers on the board early in the third but the Oilers managed to hang on, putting the game away on empty-net goals by Ryan McLeod and Darnell Nurse, with Skinner getting an assist on the final goal.

Game 7 is in Florida on Monday, June 24 at 8 pm EDT.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers made history by becoming the first team since the 1945 Toronto Maple Leafs to overcome a 3-0 deficit in the Stanley Cup Final to tie the series. That occurred just three years after the 1942 Leafs did the same thing and went on to win the Cup.

History didn’t repeat for the ’45 Leafs as they lost Game 7 to the Detroit Red Wings. The Oilers, however, have a golden opportunity to become just the second team since the ’42 Leafs to overcome a 3-0 deficit to win the Cup.

Robert Tychowski of the Edmonton Journal points out the Oilers have gone 11-2 throughout Games 4, 5, 6, and 7 of this postseason. “When the money is on the table, they find an extra gear that nobody has been able to match.”

The Panthers look nothing like the dominant force that rolled through the first three rounds and had the Oilers on the ropes after Game 3 of this series. Edmonton’s defense has neutralized Florida’s offense, especially on the power play. After outscoring Edmonton 11-4 in the first three games, they’ve been outscored 18-5 over the past three contests.

Florida did manage to shut down Connor McDavid for the first time since Game 1. However, the Oilers didn’t need their captain to carry them as he had in the last two games. That’s a bad sign for the Panthers heading into Game 7. Keeping McDavid contained no longer assures victory in this series.

HEADLINES

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin recently underwent surgery to repair an upper-body injury. The procedure should not interfere with his readiness for 2024-25.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars general manager Jim Nill confirmed Roope Hintz, Chris Tanev, Tyler Seguin and Jani Hakanpaa battled injuries during their run to the Western Conference Final. Fortunately, none of them will require offseason surgery.

TSN: The Columbus Blue Jackets signed forward Yegor Chinakhov to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $2.1 million. The 23-year-old was slated to become a restricted free agent on July 1. He scored 16 goals and 29 points in 53 games this season.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Forward Andrew Cogliano announced his retirement on Friday and is joining the Avalanche’s front office in a player development role. Cogliano, 37, spent 17 seasons in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers, Anaheim Ducks, Dallas Stars, San Jose Sharks and the Avalanche, helping the latter win the Stanley Cup in 2021-22. He has 494 points in 1,294 regular-season games and 40 points in 131 postseason contests.

TSN: Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Mark Giordano hopes to continue his playing career for a few more seasons. The 40-year-old blueliner is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. The former Norris Trophy winner has 577 points in 1,148 career regular-season games. He’s completing a two-year, $1.8 million contract with the Leafs.

ARIZONA SPORTS: The Arizona Coyotes released a statement on Friday indicating they will explore all their legal options after the state canceled a land auction they expected to win for a new arena.

This could be the final blow for Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo’s efforts to bring back an NHL franchise to Arizona. The club was relocated to Utah following its sale to Utah Jazz owners Ryan and Ashley Smith in April.