NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 14, 2024

by | Oct 14, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 14, 2024

The Jets, Stars, Flames and Golden Knights pick up their third straight wins to open the season. Check out the details and the latest injury updates, waiver news and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Kyle Connor lifted the Winnipeg Jets past the Minnesota Wild 2-1. Mark Scheifele had a goal and an assist and Connor Hellebucyk made 26 saves for the win. Jake Middleton scored for the Wild while Filip Gustavsson stopped 33 shots.

Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets are 3-0-0 partly because of Scheifele’s red-hot offensive play. He’s second in goals with four and points with six among all NHL skaters.

The Wild played without center Joel Eriksson Ek (broken nose) and defenseman Jared Spurgeon (lower-body injury). They also face a logjam in goal with Gustavsson, Marc-Andre Fleury and Jesper Wallstedt. That could result in Wallstedt bouncing between the Wild and their AHL affiliate for salary-cap reasons because he’s waiver-exempt this season.

The Dallas Stars picked up their third straight win by blanking the Seattle Kraken 2-0. Casey DeSmith turned in a 25-save shutout in his debut with the Stars while Sam Steel and Wyatt Johnston were the goal scorers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars defenseman Matt Dumba missed this game with a lower-body injury suffered during Saturday’s game against the New York Islanders. He’s listed as day-to-day.

Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson had a goal and two assists in a 4-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Dan Vladar turned aside 25 shots while Anthony Mantha now has four points in his first three games with a goal in this contest. Jeff Skinner scored his first with the Oilers, who are still seeking their first win of the season. They had back-to-back goals called back for goaltender interference and offside.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers remain out of sorts to start the season. They’re struggling partly due to the offseason departures of depth players Dylan Holloway, Philip Broberg, Warren Foegele, Ryan McLeod, Vincent Desharnais and Cody Ceci, who all played crucial roles in their march to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.

One would expect the Flames to struggle this season after trading away key veterans like Jacob Markstrom, Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev, Elias Lindholm, Andrew Mangipane and Nikita Zadorov throughout 2023-24. During training camp, center Nazem Kadri boldly stated his team would surprise folks this season. They’re doing just that thus far with a 3-0-0 start.

The Vegas Golden Knights are 3-0-0 after downing the Anaheim Ducks 3-1. Tomas Hertl snapped a 1-1 tie in the third period while Ilya Samsonov made 22 saves in his debut with the Golden Knights. Troy Terry replied for the Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights center Jack Eichel collected an assist to sit atop the league’s scoring leaders with seven points.

IN OTHER NEWS…

STLTODAY.COM: Jordan Binnington holds the Blues franchise record for goalies with four season-opening wins. He’s also closing in on some other Blues goaltending milestones.

Binnington is tied with Curtis Joseph for third in games played and for second in starts with 275. With 146 wins, he’s two behind Jake Allen for second place and five away from career leader Mike Liut. He also needs 455 more saves to pass Joseph for second all-time.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hockey-Reference shows Binnington now in sole possession of third place for games played by a Blues goalie with 282.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Detroit Red Wings placed goaltender Ville Husso on waivers. The Montreal Canadiens did the same with forward Alex Barre-Boulet.

CBS SPORTS: Red Wings forward Christian Fischer will miss Monday’s game against the New York Rangers with an upper-body injury. He’s listed as day-to-day.

BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: The Sabres announced that the 2024-25 inductee into their Hall of Fame is former player and broadcaster Rob Ray. He spent 14 seasons and 889 regular-season games with the Sabres. He’s been part of their broadcast team since 2003-24.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to Ray on receiving this honor. During his 16 NHL seasons with the Sabres and Ottawa Senators, he was a popular enforcer, amassing 3,207 PIMs in 900 total NHL regular-season games.

YARDBARKER: Former NHL forward Riley Sheahan announced his retirement at age 32. Sheahan spent 12 seasons in the NHL with the Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida Panthers, Oilers, Sabres and Kraken, amassing 74 goals and 120 assists for 194 points in 637 regular-season games and seven points in 33 playoff contests.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 13, 2024

by | Oct 13, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 13, 2024

The Flames pay an emotional pregame tribute to Johnny Gaudreau, Evgeni Malkin reaches another milestone, the Avs and Oilers continue to struggle, Utah HC wins again, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Calgary Flames held an emotional pregame ceremony to honor the late Johnny Gaudreau before skating to a 6-3 home-opening win against the Philadelphia Flyers. Jonathan Huberdeau led the way with two goals and two assists. Nazem Kadri tallied twice and Dustin Wolf got the win with a 37-save performance. Travis Konecny had two goals for the Flyers.

Calgary Flames honor Johnny Gaudreau (NHL.com).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gaudreau spent nine of his 11 NHL seasons with the Flames before signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2022. A drunk driver killed him and his brother Matthew in August.

During the ceremony, Gaudreau’s family shared a heartfelt message to the Flames and the city of Calgary, expressing their “deepest gratitude” to the team and the city for their support.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander scored two goals in a 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Mitch Marner had a goal and an assist for the Leafs. Penguins center Evgeni Malkin collected two assists to reach his 1,300th career NHL point.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs center John Tavares missed this game due to illness. Penguins winger Bryan Rust made his season debut after missing his club’s first two games with a lower-body injury.

The Columbus Blue Jackets upset the Colorado Avalanche 6-4. Sean Monahan, Kirill Marchenko and Yegor Chinakhov each had a goal and two assists for the Blue Jackets. Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev was pulled for the second straight game after giving up three goals on nine shots. His replacement, Justus Annunen, fared little better, allowing two goals on 13 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar defended Georgiev following this game, expressing “full faith” that he’ll bounce back. The 28-year-old netminder has shown he can rebound from some bad performances but his erratic play since last season is becoming a cause for concern among Avalanche followers.

Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard scored his first of the season and picked up two assists in a 5-2 upset of the Edmonton Oilers. Teuvo Teravainen had two goals and two assists, Seth Jones had a goal and two assists, and Petr Mrazek turned aside 36 shots for the Blackhawks. Corey Perry and Leon Draisaitl scored for the Oilers and Calvin Pickard allowed five goals on 20 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A well-deserved win for the rebuilding Blackhawks against a Stanley Cup finalist still searching for its groove two games into this season. The Oilers also got off to a flat start last season before they turned things around but it took a coaching change to wake them out. Current bench boss Kris Knoblauch isn’t in danger of losing his job at this stage in the season but that risk could increase if his players don’t elevate their play over the next few weeks.

The Utah Hockey Club upset the New York Rangers 6-5 on an overtime goal by Clayton Keller, who finished the night with two goals and an assist. Dylan Guenther also scored his fifth of the season for Utah, extending his goal streak to three games. Artemi Panarin tallied twice for the Rangers and Adam Fox had three helpers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Utah is 3-0-0 to start the season.

Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger had a 34-save shutout to blank the New York Islanders 3-0. Tyler Seguin tallied twice and Jamie Benn also scored for the Stars. Semyon Varlamov made 24 saves for the Islanders.

David Pastrnak’s overtime goal lifted the Boston Bruins to a 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. Jeremy Swayman made 33 saves and Elias Lindholm also scored for the Bruins. Trevor Moore opened the scoring for the Kings and Darcy Kuemper stopped 23 shots.

The Buffalo Sabres picked up their first win of the season by dropping the Florida Panthers 5-2. Devon Levi turned aside 23 shots and Alex Tuch had a goal and an assist for the Sabres. The Panthers played without captain Aleksander Barkov (lower-body injury) and winger Matthew Tkachuk (illness).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Barkov injured his leg during the final minutes of the Panthers’ 3-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Thursday. He will be sidelined for two to three weeks.

Detroit Red Wings goaltender Cam Talbot turned in a 42-save performance to shut out the Nashville Predators 3-0. J.T. Compher, Andrew Copp and Dylan Larkin were the goal scorers for the Red Wings as they picked up their first win of the season. Steven Stamkos is still seeking his first point since joining the Predators as a free agent in July.

The Montreal Canadiens got two goals from Cole Caufield to end a nine-game losing skid to the Ottawa Senators with a 4-1 win. Sam Montembeault kicked out 24 shots and rookie defenseman Lane Hutson picked up two assists for the Canadiens. Tim Stutzle scored for the Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Caufield has four goals in his first three games of this season.

New Jersey Devils forward Paul Cotter scored two goals to extend his goal streak to four games in a 5-3 victory over the Washington Capitals. Stefan Noesen and Erik Haula each collected three assists for the Devils. Dylan Strome and John Carlson each had a goal and an assist for the Capitals, who also lost defenseman Matt Roy in the second period with a lower-body injury.

Seattle Kraken captain Jordan Eberle scored two goals, including the 300th of his NHL career and the winner in a shootout, to lead his club to a 5-4 victory over the Minnesota Wild. Joey Daccord stopped 34 shots for the Kraken. Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and two assists while his teammates Mats Zuccarello and Matt Boldy each had a goal and an assist.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek was injured in the second period when he caught an elbow in the nose from Kraken defenseman Adam Larsson. There was no call on the play. He returned for one shift in the third period and didn’t travel with his teammates to Winnipeg for their Sunday game against the Jets.

The Anaheim Ducks blanked the San Jose Sharks 2-0. Lukas Dostal turned in a 30-save shutout while Isac Lundestrom and Trevor Zegras did the scoring. Before this game, the Sharks announced rookie center Macklin Celebrini was placed on injured reserve with a lower-body ailment believed to be a hip injury. There is no word on when he’ll return.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This news came two days after Celebrini scored a goal and collected an assist while logging over 17 minutes of ice time in his first NHL game. It’s uncertain when he suffered the injury during that game.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 12, 2024

by | Oct 12, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – October 12, 2024

Check out the latest on Ducks forward Trevor Zegras and Stars goalie Jake Oettinger in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: Andrew Knoll wondered if Trevor Zegras remains part of the Anaheim Duck’s nucleus after a disappointing, injury-shortened 2023-24 campaign in which he was the subject of trade rumors.

The Ducks are flush at center with Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish anchoring their top-six forwards. Zegras, 23, has played on both the left and right wings and is being challenged to improve his all-around game.

Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras (NHL Images).

Zegras is entering the second season of his three-year contract with an annual average value of $5.75 million. Nevertheless, Knoll suggests this season could be critical for his future with the Ducks and his capability of reaching a high level of NHL stardom.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek denied he was shopping Zegras or received any trade calls from other clubs. That didn’t stop the young forward from popping up in the rumor mill.

An improved effort by Zegras this season could restore his place among the Ducks’ foundation of budding young stars. It could also increase his value to other teams before the March 7 trade deadline.

Zegras isn’t the only Duck showing up in recent trade speculation. Defenseman Cam Fowler reportedly had discussions with management about his future in Anaheim, including the possibility of a trade. Goaltender John Gibson has also been the topic of media trade chatter.

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli and Tyler Yaremchuk discussed what Jake Oettinger’s next contract might look like. The 25-year-old Dallas Stars goaltender can become a restricted free agent in July.

Yaremchuk suggested the next contract for Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers would be the high level while Jeremy Swayman of the Boston Bruins could be the floor for elite goaltenders.

Swayman signed an eight-year deal last Sunday worth an AAV of $8.25 million. If Shesterkin’s next AAV is $12 million, Yaremchuk speculated Oettinger could seek the middle ground, perhaps around $9 million to $9.25 million.

Seravalli said the Stars and Oettinger haven’t started contract extension talks. Given how the market for goalie contracts is changing, he suggests the Stars should open those discussions sooner instead of later.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Swayman’s new contract will be the baseline for Oettinger, who has a larger body of work. He could use Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy ($9.5 million AAV) or Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky ($10 million) as a comparable if he backstops the Stars to the Stanley Cup next spring.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 11, 2024

by | Oct 11, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 11, 2024

Recaps of Thursday’s games include milestone games for Sharks rookie Macklin Celebrini and the Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin. Get the details on these and other stories in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Macklin Celebrini had a goal and an assist in his NHL debut but his San Jose Sharks blew a three-goal lead to fall 5-4 to the St. Louis Blues. Brayden Schenn tallied the winner in overtime for the Blues after teammates Radek Faksa, Ryan Suter and Justin Faulk scored in the third period. Tyler Toffoli also had a goal and an assist for the Sharks.

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The first-overall pick in this year’s draft, Celebrini (18 years, 119 days) became the third-youngest player to notch multiple points in his NHL debut, following Nathan MacKinnon (18 years, 31 days) and Bobby Carpenter (18 years, 67 days).

Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin collected two assists, including the 800th of his NHL career, in a 6-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby also picked up two assists, Anthony Beauvillier tallied twice, and Erik Karlsson had a goal and an assist. Alex DeBrincat scored two goals and picked up an assist for the Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A solid bounce-back effort for Pittsburgh following their 6-0 season-opening loss to the New York Rangers the night before. Penguins netminder Joel Blomqvist picked up his first NHL win with a 29-save performance.

Shaky goaltending and sloppy defensive play continue to be a problem for Detroit, who pulled goalie Ville Husso after he surrendered four goals on 14 shots. Red Wings defenseman Jeff Petry left this game in the second period with an upper-body injury.

Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar had a natural hat trick to defeat the Buffalo Sabres 3-1. Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper got the win with a 32-save performance. Alex Tuch scored for the Sabres, who’ve dropped their first three games of the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres dominated the first two periods and took a 1-0 lead into the third before the wheels fell off.

The Boston Bruins beat the Montreal Canadiens 6-4 for their first win of the season. Elias Lindholm and Cole Koepke each had a goal and two assists, Mark Kastelic scored twice, and Jeremy Swayman made 20 saves in his season debut for the Bruins. Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher had two goals and rookie defenseman Lane Hutson collected two assists.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Defensive mistakes continue to plague the Canadiens while goalie Cayden Primeau’s weak glove hand remains an issue.

Canadiens prospect Oliver Kapanen made his NHL debut in this game. A loophole in the IIHF transfer agreement with the NHL could enable the Habs to send him to their AHL affiliate in Laval instead of returning him to his Swedish club if he stays on their roster for 60 consecutive days.

Linus Ullmark kicked out 30 shots in his debut with the Ottawa Senators in a 3-1 win over the Florida Panthers. Tim Stutzle netted two goals as Travis Green picked up his first win as head coach of the Senators. Gustav Forsling replied for the Panthers, who also lost captain Aleksander Barkov to a lower-body injury late in the third period as he attempted to prevent Stutzle’s empty-net goal. He’ll be reevaluated on Friday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ullmark looked sharp in this game, especially in the third with the Panthers outshooting the Senators 16-9.

The Toronto Maple Leafs doubled up the New Jersey Devils 4-2. Max Pacioretty scored his first goal with the Leafs while rookie goalie Dennis Hildeby won his NHL debut with a 23-save effort, giving Craig Berube his first win as Leafs coach. Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier replied for the Devils.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs stars Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitch Marner have been held scoreless through their first two games of this season. Meanwhile, the Devils announced defenseman Santeri Hatakka underwent successful shoulder surgery on Thursday but released no timetable for his return.

Dallas Stars forward Mason Marchment scored twice and Logan Stankoven had three assists as their club held on for a 4-3 victory over the Nashville Predators. Jonathan Marchessault had two assists in his debut with Nashville and Filip Forsberg had a goal and an assist for the Predators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Steven Stamkos and Brady Skjei were held scoreless in their first games with the Predators.

The Utah Hockey Club picked up their second straight win by nipping the New York Islanders 5-4. Dylan Guenther scored twice, including the winner in overtime. Josh Doan tied the game for Utah with less than two minutes remaining in the third period. Anthony Duclair had a goal and an assist and Noah Dobson two assists for the Islanders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Special teams made the difference for Utah, going two-for-two on the power play and killing off five of six penalties.

Minnesota Wild forward Matt Boldy had a goal and two assists to lead his club to a 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Filip Gustavsson turned aside 31 shots for the Wild. Kent Johnson had a goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blue Jackets also announced yesterday that captain Boone Jenner underwent shoulder surgery on Wednesday and could be sidelined for six months.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TAMPA BAY TIMES: The Lightning’s home opener on Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes has been postponed in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton. Their season-opener is on Friday against the Hurricanes in Raleigh, NC.

CBS SPORTS: Speaking of the Hurricanes, they moved Jesper Fast (neck) to long-term injury reserve.

TSN: The Winnipeg Jets placed goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen on waivers. Eric Comrie will back up starter Connor Hellebuyck.

SPORTSNET: The Edmonton Oilers placed forward Raphael Lavoie on waivers. It’s the third time he’s been on waivers this week, starting with the Oilers losing him to the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday, only to reclaim him off waivers on Wednesday.

TSN: Donnie Marshall, the last surviving member of the Montreal Canadiens dynasty of the late-1950s, passed away at age 92.

Playing his first NHL game in 1951-52, Marshall entered his first full season in 1954-55, winning five straight Stanley Cups with the Canadiens from 1955-56 to 1959-60.

He also played for the New York Rangers, Buffalo Sabres, and Toronto Maple Leafs before retiring at the end of the 1971-72 season. He finished with 265 goals and 324 assists for 589 points in 1,176 regular-season games and 23 points in 94 playoff contests.

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










NHL Rumor Mill – October 9, 2024

by | Oct 9, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – October 9, 2024

In today’s NHL Rumor Mill: reaction to Igor Shesterkin rejecting the Rangers’ contract offer, plus the latest on Stars goalie Jake Oettinger, the Leafs and Blue Jackets.

WHAT NEXT AFTER SHESTERKIN REJECTS RANGERS OFFER?

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reacted to yesterday’s report of Igor Shesterkin rejecting the New York Rangers’ contract extension offer of eight years at $11 million annually.

LeBrun indicated the Rangers’ season opener (Oct. 9) was considered an unofficial deadline as Shesterkin might not negotiate during the regular season. That puts some pressure on the Rangers to try and get a deal done before then. However, he stressed that this deadline isn’t 100 percent, pointing out that an agreement could still be reached during the season.

New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (NHL Images).

According to LeBrun, dialogue continues between Rangers management and the Shesterkin camp. What’s certain is he will become the NHL’s highest-paid goalie, whether it’s with the Rangers or somebody else, suggesting the average annual value will come in between $11 million and $12 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Shesterkin reportedly seeks $12 million annually. That would make him the highest-paid goaltender in NHL history.

LeBrun’s colleague Chris Johnston indicated Shesterkin might not insist on an eight-year contract. He wondered if the 28-year-old goalie would accept something a little shorter if the Rangers agreed to pay him $12 million.

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli reports Shesterkin’s representatives believe they can get around $12 million annually or more on the open market. However, he wondered if the 2022 Vezina Trophy winner would want to leave a good team in New York that has a chance to win.

NEW YORK POST: Mollie Walker reports sources claim Shesterkin’s camp isn’t pleased that the offer to their client was leaked to the media.

Larry Brooks wonders if the Rangers were responsible for the leak, suggesting it would be “extremely disappointing” to create unnecessary controversy on the eve of their season opener.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Regardless of who leaked this offer, it’s clear the Rangers remain intent on signing Shesterkin and are willing to make him the league’s highest-paid goalie. The question now is whether the two sides can agree on the dollars.

A $1 million difference seems to exist between the two sides. It shouldn’t be too difficult to bridge that gap. Shesterkin could get more on the open market but that doesn’t mean he’ll join any club willing to pay it.

COULD OETTINGER BE SEEKING SWAYMAN MONEY?

TSN: Pierre LeBrun believes Jake Oettinger was probably paying close attention to Jeremy Swayman’s new contract with the Boston Bruins.

The 25-year-old Dallas Stars goalie is a restricted free agent on July 1. That would put him in the same position as Swayman before he signed an eight-year, $66-million deal with the Bruins on Monday.

LeBrun reports there’s been no meaningful contract talks yet between Oettinger and Stars management. He believes the goalie will prefer to wait until the end of this season but wouldn’t be surprised if Stars general manager Jim Nill tried to get this going during the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oettinger will get as much, if not more, than Swayman, especially if he backstops the Stars to the Stanley Cup. He’s helped them reach the Western Conference Final twice and played a key role in the Stars being among the top teams in the league.

UPDATES ON THE LEAFS AND BLUE JACKETS

TSN: LeBrun reports there have been contract discussions between the Toronto Maple Leafs and center John Tavares. He doesn’t think anything’s imminent but talks could pick up again later in the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tavares, 34, is slated to become a UFA next summer. He’s earning an AAV of $11 million on his current deal but won’t get anything close to that on his next deal. However, he seems keen to finish his career as a Leaf, something management could be willing to do for the right price.

LeBrun also recently tweeted that the Columbus Blue Jackets had been in trade talks with teams during training camp looking for help at forward. However, their recent signings of Kevin Labanc and Zach Aston-Reese should be it for them for now.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 8, 2024

by | Oct 8, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 8, 2024

The North American portion of the 2024-25 regular season begins on Tuesday. Check out the latest injury updates, contract signings, waiver claims, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL NORTH AMERICAN SCHEDULE BEGINS TUESDAY

NHL.COM: The NHL season began last week in Prague, Czechia between the Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils in the 2024 NHL Global Series. The North American portion of the schedule begins Tuesday with a triple header televised nationally in Canada and the United States.

The schedule opens with the Seattle Kraken hosting the St. Louis Blues at 4:30 ET. It will be a historic game as Seattle assistant coach Jessica Campbell becomes the first woman in NHL history to serve in a behind-the-bench capacity.

The Florida Panthers will raise their 2024 Stanley Cup banner at home before facing off against the Boston Bruins starting at 7 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: South Florida is outside the cone of concern for the approaching Hurricane Milton. For now, this game appears likely to be played as scheduled in Sunrise.

Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Lightning have been forced to evacuate. They were expected to depart for Raleigh, North Carolina, on Monday evening with most players bringing along their family and pets. Some made private arrangements to evacuate their families.

The tripleheader concludes with the Utah Hockey Club making its debut by hosting the Chicago Blackhawks at Delta Center in Salt Lake City.

INJURY UPDATES

TSN: The Vancouver Canucks announced forward Dakota Joshua and goaltender Thatcher Demko were placed on the club’s injured non-roster list. Joshua missed training camp recovering from surgery for testicular cancer while Demko’s been dealing with a rare muscle injury in his knee.

Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s speculation both players could be sidelined three-to-four weeks.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars head coach Pete DeBoer and winger Jason Robertson returned to the club on Monday. DeBoer underwent an appendectomy two weeks ago and dealt with some minor complications during his recovery. Robertson was sidelined recovering from offseason surgery to remove a cyst from his foot.

CBS SPORTS: The Anaheim Ducks placed goaltender John Gibson (abdomen) on injury reserve. Meanwhile, San Jose Sharks defenseman Marc-Eduoard Vlasic is week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of the Sharks, rookie center Macklin Celebrini is good to go for their season opener on Oct. 10. He was sidelined last week by a lower-body injury.

TSN: The Calgary Flames placed winger Yegor Sharangovich on injured reserve. He’s listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers winger Artemi Panarin returned to practice on Monday for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury during a preseason game last week. Meanwhile, the Rangers placed defenseman Ryan Lindgren (upper body) on injured reserve and winger Jimmy Vesey (lower body) on long-term injury reserve (LTIR).

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins placed forward Bryan Rust and Blake Lizotte and goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic on IR and placed forward Matt Nieto (knee surgery) on LTIR.

NHL.COM: The Buffalo Sabres placed forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel on IR with a lower-body injury.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs placed Calle Jarnkrok, Jani Hakanpaa and Dakota Mermis on LTIR and put Conor Dewar and Fraser Minten on IR.

LATEST NOTABLE CONTRACT SIGNINGS

TORONTO SUN: The Leafs signed winger Max Pacioretty to a one-year contract worth $873,770 and forward Steven Lorentz to a one-year deal worth $775K. They also signed defenseman Cade Webber to a two-year contract extension.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pacioretty and Lorentz attended Leafs training camp on professional tryout offers (PTOs).

DAILY FACEOFF: The Minnesota Wild signed goaltender Jesper Wallstedt to a two-year, $4.4 million contract extension. The average annual value (AAV) is $2.2 million commencing in 2025-26.

The Washington Capitals signed winger Jakub Vrana to a one-year, $775K contract. He attended Capitals training camp on a PTO.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Winger Austin Watson turned his PTO with the Red Wings into a one-year, two-way contract with the club.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TSN: The Anaheim Ducks claimed goaltender James Reimer off waivers from the Buffalo Sabres.

Forward Zach Aston-Reese was claimed off waivers by the Columbus Blue Jackets from the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Golden Knights claimed forward Raphael Lavoie from the Edmonton Oilers.

The Vancouver Canucks reclaimed goaltender Jiri Patera from the Boston Bruins, who had claimed Patera off waivers from the Canucks last week.

THE WINNIPEG SUN: Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck missed practice on Monday for family reasons. He’s expected to be ready for their season opener against the Oilers on Wednesday.

THE SCORE: Jett Luchanko is set to become the youngest roster player in Philadelphia Flyers history. He was chosen 13th overall in this year’s draft and turned 18 on Aug. 21.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators returned Carter Yakemchuk to the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen. Chosen seventh overall in this year’s draft, the 18-year-old defenseman had a strong training camp and performed well in preseason action. However, management felt it best for his long-term development that he return to the Hitmen where he’ll get more playing time this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A smart decision by the Senators. Despite his preseason play, Yakemchuk likely would’ve seen limited action in regular-season play. He’ll be in a better position next season for a full-time roster spot among their top-four blueliners.

RDS: Former NHL player Mike Ribeiro pleaded guilty to one count of indecent assault in Texas on Monday. The charge was connected to an event that occurred in June 2021 resulting in Ribeiro being acquitted on two counts of sexual assault earlier this year.

The jury was unable to agree on the final charge. The process of selecting a new jury was slated for Monday but the two sides reached an agreement in which Ribeiro admitted under oath that he sexually touched the victim without her consent.

Ribeiro will avoid prison and must pay a $4,000 fine.