NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 25, 2024

by | Mar 25, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 25, 2024

The Oilers’ Zach Hyman and the Panthers’ Sam Reinhart reach the 50-goal plateau, Nathan MacKinnon sets an Avalanche scoring record and the Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin reaches another goal-scoring milestone. Get the details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman scored his 50th goal of the season in a 5-3 loss to the Ottawa Senators. Jakob Chychrun scored twice while Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson had a goal and two assists each for the 30-36-4 Senators. Evan Bouchard collected three assists for the Oilers (42-23-4), who hold second place in the Pacific Division with 88 points.

Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hyman is the seventh player in Oilers’ history to score 50 goals in a season, joining Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Jari Kurri, Glenn Anderson, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

Speaking of 50-goal seasons, Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart scored twice to reach that milestone as his club downed the Philadelphia Flyers 4-1. Brandon Montour picked up three assists for the Panthers (46-20-5) as they snapped a four-game losing skid to sit third in the overall standings with 97 points. Bobby Brink scored for the 36-27-9 Flyers, who hold third place in the Metropolitan Division with 81 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Reinhart joins Pavel Bure as the only two players in Panthers history with 50-goal seasons. He and Hyman are eight goals behind Toronto’s Auston Matthews in the race for the Richard Trophy.

Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and two assists as his Colorado Avalanche overcame a 4-0 deficit for a 5-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jonathan Drouin scored twice, including the winner in overtime as the Avalanche improved to 46-20-5 to hold first place in the Central Division (97 points) and move into fourth in the overall standings. Sidney Crosby had a goal and three assists for the 30-30-10 Penguins, who’ve won just twice in their last 10 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon moved past Joe Sakic to set the Avalanche single-season points record (122). He needs 18 points to break Peter Stastny’s all-time franchise record of 139 points. The Avalanche center sits one point behind Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov in the race for the Art Ross Trophy. MacKinnon also extended his home points streak to 34 games and his overall points streak to 18 games.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored two goals as his club blanked the Winnipeg Jets 3-0. Charlie Lindgren turned in a 27-save shutout for the Capitals (35-26-9) as they moved one point ahead of the Detroit Red Wings into the final Eastern Conference wildcard berth with 79 points. The Jets (44-22-5)have lost three straight and remain in third place in the Central Division with 93 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin eclipsed the 25-goal plateau to join Gordie Howe and Jaromir Jagr as the only players in NHL history to accomplish that feat 18 times. Speaking of the Capitals, they honored winger T.J. Oshie in a pregame ceremony for recently reaching the 1,000 career regular-season game plateau.

The Carolina Hurricanes got a 32-save performance from Frederik Andersen in a 2-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Sebastian Aho and Brady Skjei scored for the 45-20-7 Hurricanes (97 points) as they sit one point behind the Metropolitan Division-leading New York Rangers and one point behind the league-leading Vancouver Canucks. Joseph Woll kicked out 41 shots for the Leafs (40-21-9) as they hold third place in the Atlantic Division with 89 points.

Dallas Stars forwards Tyler Seguin and Matt Duchene had a goal and two assists each to double up the Arizona Coyotes 4-2. Miro Heiskanen snapped a 2-2 tie in the third period and Joel Oettinger made 26 saves for the Stars (44-19-6) as they hold second place in the Central Division with 97 points and sixth place in the overall standings. Clayton Keller tallied his 30th goal of the season for the 29-37-5 Coyotes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s the second straight season that Keller has reached the 30-goal plateau.

An overtime goal by Anthony Cirelli lifted the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Anthony Duclair and Luke Glendening also scored for the Lightning (39-25-7) as they hold the first Eastern wildcard spot with 85 points. Lukas Dostal stopped 24 shots for the 24-43-4 Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning were without defenseman Victor Hedman and center Brayden Point as they’re day-to-day with lower-body injuries. Meanwhile, Duclair has fit in well with the Lightning since being acquired from the San Jose Sharks before the trade deadline. He has five goals and nine points in his seven games with the Bolts.

The New Jersey Devils got a 36-save shutout from Kaapo Kahkonen to defeat the New York Islanders 4-0. Timo Meier and Jack Hughes had a goal and an assist each as the Devils improved to 35-33-4 (74 points) to sit five points behind the Capitals for that final Eastern wildcard. Islanders captain Anders Lee was ejected in the second period for a knee-on-knee hit to Devils captain Nico Hischier, who left the game but returned for the third period. The 30-26-15 Isles (75 points) are four points back of the Capitals.

Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson had a goal and an assist in a 4-1 victory over the Calgary Flames. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 32 shots for the 34-33-5 Sabres. Jonathan Huberdeau replied for the 33-32-5 Flames.

The Montreal Canadiens erupted for four first-period goals as they cruised to a 5-1 win over the Seattle Kraken, extending the latter’s winless skid to eight games (0-6-2). Alex Newhook scored twice and Kaiden Guhle had a goal and two assists for the 26-32-12 Canadiens. Jordan Eberle scored for the 28-29-13 Kraken.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 23, 2024

by | Mar 23, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 23, 2024

A high-scoring tilt between the Capitals and Hurricanes highlights Friday’s action, Tom Wilson is suspended again, and the latest on the Golden Knights’ Jonathan Marchessault in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

NHL.COM: A shootout goal by Dylan Strome gave the Washington Capitals a 7-6 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. Sonny Milano tallied his first NHL hat trick, Strome collected three assists and Alex Ovechkin had a goal and an assist for the 34-25-9 Capitals (77 points), who moved within one point of the Detroit Red Wings for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

Washington Capitals forward Sonny Milano (NHL Images).

Sebastian Aho had a hat trick for the 44-20-7 Hurricanes (including his 30th goal of the season) and Jake Guentzel had three assists. With 95 points, the Hurricanes are one point behind the Metropolitan Division-leading New York Rangers and two back of the league-leading Boston Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals played without winger Tom Wilson as he’s serving a six-game suspension for high-sticking Toronto Maple Leafs forward Noah Gregor. This is the sixth suspension in his 11-season NHL career. He’s also been fined three times.

During the first period, the Capitals honored Evgeny Kuznetsov with a video tribute as he received a standing ovation from the fans. He was shipped to the Hurricanes before the March trade deadline after 11 seasons with the Capitals.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and an assist to help his club defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-1. Mikko Rantanen scored twice and collected an assist for the Avalanche (45-20-5) as they picked up their eighth straight win and took over first place in the Central Division with 95 points. Elvis Merzlikins stopped 45 shots for the 23-35-12 Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon extended his home points streak to 33 games and 17 games overall. He’s in second place in the scoring race with 119 points, three back of Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov.

Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn scored two goals in a 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jason Robertson had two assists for the 43-19-9 Stars, who’ve won three straight and sit second in the Central with 95 points. Michael Bunting had a goal and an assist for the 30-30-9 Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ageless wonder Joe Pavelski tallied his 25th goal of the season for the Stars. The 39-year-old winger has reached that milestone 12 times, the third-most among American-born scorers. Keith Tkachuk and Mike Modano are the leaders with 13 seasons.

The Arizona Coyotes nipped the Seattle Kraken 2-1. Dylan Guenther scored in overtime after Clayton Keller tied the game late in the third for the 29-36-5 Coyotes. Ryker Evans scored his first NHL goal for the 28-28-13 Kraken.

ASSOCIATED PRESS: Jonathan Marchessault is enjoying a career-best season in his contract year. He’s in the final season of a six-year, $30-million contract and has a single-season high of 38 goals, just five short of the franchise record.

Marchessault’s agent, Pat Brisson, said he’s had several discussions with Golden Knights management during the season. However, he doesn’t expect anything to happen until after this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Winner of the 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy, Marchessault is an original Golden Knights and their most reliable scorer throughout his tenure in Vegas. The 33-year-old will draw plenty of interest in the free-agent market, though his age could make suitors reluctant to sign him longer than four years.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: St. Louis Blues defenseman Nick Leddy will be suiting up for his 1,000th career NHL regular-season game on Saturday afternoon against the Minnesota Wild.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leddy will be joining an exclusive club. Of the roughly 7,500 players to appear in at least one game in the NHL’s long history, he will become the 391st to have played 1,000 games.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 21, 2024

by | Mar 21, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 21, 2024

A five-point performance by the Leafs’ Auston Matthews, Kings captain Anze Kopitar reaches a points milestone, Hall-of-Famer Lanny McDonald talks about his near-death experience, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews scored twice and collected three assists in a 7-3 victory over the Washington Capitals. Max Domi had four assists while William Nylander and John Tavares had a goal and two assists each for the 39-20-9 Maple Leafs, who sit third in the Atlantic Division with 87 points. Alex Ovechkin scored twice for the 33-26-9 Capitals (75 points), who remain one point behind the Detroit Red Wings for the final Eastern Conference wildcard berth.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthews has a league-leading 57 goals, nine up on Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart. Some pundits are suggesting he could reach 70. He still has some distance to cover to reach that milestone but he’s within reach of 65, which was Ovechkin’s career high and the most scored by an NHL player in the salary-cap era.

Leafs defenseman T.J. Brodie was a healthy scratch from this game while teammate Ryan Reaves missed this contest with an eye injury. Capitals forwards T.J. Oshie (upper body) and Aliaksei Protas (lower body) missed this game and are listed as day-to-day.

Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist to reach 1,200 regular-season points as his club blanked the Minnesota Wild 6-0. Kevin Fiala, Phillip Danault and Viktor Arvidsson also had a goal and an assist each while David Rittich turned in a 31-save shutout for the 36-22-11 Kings, who sit third in the Pacific Division with 83 points. The 34-28-8 Wild (73 points) are three points behind the Vegas Golden Knights for the final Western Conference wildcard spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The third period got rough with 12 players (six from each team) receiving misconduct penalties.

Arvidsson returned to action for the Kings after being sidelined since Feb. 20. Meanwhile, Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin missed this game with a lower-body injury.

The Dallas Stars rolled to a 5-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes. Jason Robertson had a goal and an assist and Tyler Seguin scored in his return to the Stars lineup after missing 11 games with a lower-body injury. With a record of 42-19-9, the Stars sit third in the Central Division with 93 points. Clayton Keller tallied his 28th goal of the season for the 28-36-5 Coyotes.

HEADLINES

SPORTSNET: Hall-of-Famer Lanny McDonald revealed he was near death after suffering a heart attack at the Calgary airport six weeks ago. Doctors told the 71-year-old that he would’ve died if the episode had taken place minutes earlier on the plane or minutes later in the parking lot.

The quick response from two passing nurses and a policeman saved McDonald’s life. The policeman worked so hard administering CPR that he fractured McDonald’s sternum and several of his ribs.

McDonald underwent quadruple bypass surgery four days later and had a pacemaker installed eight days later.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to McDonald and his family in his recovery.

DAILY FACEOFF: NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly insists the science is still lacking regarding the link to CTE and repeated blows to the head.

The question was raised following the suicide of Chris Simon earlier this week. Simon’s family issued a statement expressing their strong belief that the former NHL enforcer suffered from CTE attributed to his playing career.

CTE can only be diagnosed posthumously. In a document submitted to an Ottawa court in 2017, Simon claimed he suffered from symptoms including depression, anxiety and PTSD.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Mayo Clinic, Columbia University, the US National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control, the NHS in the United Kingdom, Boston University and the Alzheimer’s Association are among those that would disagree with Daly.

THE SCORE: Speaking of Daly, he said the league probably wouldn’t have enough time to relocate the Arizona Coyotes if their owner fails to win June’s land auction. The Coyotes have been playing in Arizona State University’s 5,000-seat Mullett Arena while their ownership attempts to find a location to build a new arena.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s been reported that relocation would be “on the table” if the Coyotes owner doesn’t win that land auction.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens forward Joshua Roy has been sidelined indefinitely with an injured right hand. He suffered the injury blocking a shot during Tuesday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers.

TSN: Boston University center Macklin Celebrini was named the NCAA’s Hockey East Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year. The 17-year-old Celebrini is projected as the top prospect in this year’s draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The San Jose Sharks could land Celebrini. They’re currently last in the overall standings and would have the best odds of winning the draft lottery.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 17, 2024

by | Mar 17, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 17, 2024

A five-point game for the Rangers’ Artemi Panarin, the Bruins regain first place in the overall standings and milestone performances for the Canucks’ Quinn Hughes, the Capitals T.J. Oshie and the Oilers’ Corey Perry in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Detroit Red Wings snapped their seven-game losing skid by defeating the Buffalo Sabres 4-1. Patrick Kane snapped a 1-1 tie while James Reimer made 25 saves for the 34-27-6 Red Wings, who hold sole possession of the final Eastern Conference wildcard berth with 74 points. Tage Thompson scored his 20th goal of the season for the 32-31-5 Sabres as they sit five points back of the Wings.

Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk’s hat trick powered his club to a 4-3 overtime victory over the New York Islanders. Tkachuk’s game-winner was also his 30th goal of the season for the 28-33-4 Senators and the third straight season he’s reached that plateau. Bo Horvat sent the game into overtime for the Islanders (29-22-15) as they sit one one behind the Wings.

The Washington Capitals remain in the Eastern Conference playoff chase by nipping the Vancouver Canucks 2-1. Alex Ovechkin broke a 1-1 tie with his 841st career goal for the Capitals (32-25-9) as they move ahead of the Islanders and one point back of the Wings with 73 points. Brock Boeser tallied his 36th goal of the season for the Western Conference-leading Canucks (42-18-8) as they slipped into fourth in the overall standings with 92 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Quinn Hughes collected an assist to set a new single-season points record for Canucks defensemen with 77, breaking his old record of 76 set last season. Meanwhile, Capitals winger T.J. Oshie played in his 1,000th career NHL game.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin (NHL Images).

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin scored two goals and collected three assists in a 7-4 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Chris Kreider and K’Andre Miller each had a goal and two assists for the Metropolitan Division-leading Rangers (44-19-4) as they moved ahead of the Canucks into third in the overall standings with 92 points. Bryan Rust and Lars Eller each had a goal and an assist for the 29-28-9 Penguins.

The Boston Bruins held off the Philadelphia Flyers 6-5 to take over sole possession of first place in the overall standings with 95 points. Charlie Coyle scored twice and Jake DeBrusk had a goal and an assist for the 40-14-15 Bruins. Joel Farabee tallied two goals and Owen Tippett collected three assists for the Flyers (34-26-8) as they cling to third place in the Metropolitan Division with 76 points).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers now hold a three-point lead over the ninth-place Capitals.

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos scored two goals and picked up two assists as his club beat the Florida Panthers 5-3. Andrei Vasilevskiy kicked out 47 shots and Nikita Kucherov netted his 40th goal of the season for the Lightning (35-25-6) as they hold the first Eastern wildcard berth with 78 points. Sam Reinhart tallied twice to reach 48 goals on the season for the 45-19-4 Panthers, who dropped one point behind the league-leading Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers forwards Sam Bennett and Evan Rodrigues returned to the lineup. Rodrigues missed two games with an ankle injury while Bennett was sidelined for one contest with an undisclosed injury.

Colorado Avalanche center Artturi Lehkonen scored with one second left in overtime in a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Sean Walker tallied two goals for the Central Division-leading Avalanche (43-20-5) as they hold fifth place in the overall standings with 91 points. Stuart Skinner stopped 40 shots for the 40-21-4 Oilers, who hold second place in the Pacific Division with 84 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers winger Corey Perry collected an assist for his 900th career point.

The Dallas Stars kept pace with the Avalanche by downing the Los Angeles Kings 4-1. Wyatt Johnston scored for the fourth straight game as Scott Wedgewood turned aside 27 shots for the 41-19-9 Stars as they sit second in the Central with 91 points. Kevin Fiala replied for the 34-22-11 Kings, who hold third place in the Pacific Division with 79 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars honored franchise Hall-of-Famer Mike Modano by unveiling a statue of him. He played all but one of his 21 NHL seasons with the Stars and is their franchise leader in goals, assists and points. They retired his No. 9 in 2014.

Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi scored two third-period goals in a 4-1 win over the Seattle Kraken, extending their points streak to 14 games. Filip Forsberg had a goal and an assist for the Predators (39-25-4) as they hold the first Western Conference wildcard berth with 82 points. Andre Burakovsky scored for the 28-26-12 Kraken.

The St. Louis Blues remain in the Western wildcard hunt after taming the Minnesota Wild 3-2 on a shootout goal by Jordan Kyrou, who also had a goal and an assist in regulation. Robert Thomas collected an assist for his 300th career point as the 35-29-3 Blues (73 points) sit four points behind the Vegas Golden Knights for the final wildcard spot. Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and an assist for the Wild (33-27-8) as they sit one point up on the Blues and three back of Vegas.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Jake Guentzel’s shootout goal completed a three-goal rally in a 5-4 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Sebastian Aho scored two unanswered third-period goals to tie the game, setting the stage for Guentzel’s winner as the Hurricanes (41-20-6) sit second in the Metro Division with 88 points. John Tavares had a goal and an assist for the 38-19-6 Leafs, who sit third in the Atlantic Division with 85 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes winger Teuvo Teravainen missed this game with an upper-body injury. Before this game, the Hurricanes announced they’d signed goaltender Spencer Martin to a one-year, $775K contract extension.

The Calgary Flames kept their fading playoff hopes alive with a 5-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Mikael Backlund tallied twice for the 33-29-5 Flames (71 points) as they sit six points out of the final Western wildcard spot. Cole Caufield scored his 20th goal of the season for the 25-31-11 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Canadiens announced that head coach Martin St. Louis was taking an indefinite leave of absence for family reasons. Meanwhile, Flames Hall-of-Famer Lanny McDonald received a standing ovation in his return to the Saddledome since suffering a cardiac event last month. The 71-year-old McDonald waved and gave a thumbs-up to the fans.

A three-goal first period powered the Arizona Coyotes to a 4-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Clayton Keller had a goal and an assist and Karel Vejmelka turned aside 37 shots for the 28-35-5 Coyotes. Nick DeSimone scored for the 32-31-4 Devils (68 points) as they sit six points out of the final Eastern wildcard spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: During this game, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported relocation could be on the table for the Arizona Coyotes if they lose a land auction scheduled for June. The Coyotes intend to build a new arena on that parcel of land and are keen to win the auction. If they don’t, however, Friedman indicated that “the status quo cannot continue”. The club is said to be preparing for both scenarios.

The Columbus Blue Jackets doubled up the San Jose Sharks 4-2. Alex Nylander scored twice and picked up an assist for the 23-33-11 Blue Jackets. Fabian Zetterlund scored his 18th goal of the season for the 16-43-7 Sharks.










NHL Rumor Mill – March 15, 2024

by | Mar 15, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – March 15, 2024

Check out the latest on Sidney Crosby, Erik Karlsson, Jacob Markstrom, Linus Ullmark, Jeremy Swayman, Filip Hronek and more in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST PENGUINS SPECULATION

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman doesn’t see Sidney Crosby walking away from the Pittsburgh Penguins next summer without giving management a chance to turn things around. His guess is the Pens will offer Crosby a two or three-year contract extension this summer worth around $10.5 million annually.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some observers wonder if Crosby might demand a trade to a contender this summer or sign with one next summer as an unrestricted free agent. The Athletic’s Penguins beat writer Rob Rossi maintains that Crosby intends to retire as a Penguin and will sign an extension this summer.

I’m with Rossi on this one. I don’t believe Crosby will demand a trade or sign elsewhere. He’ll finish his NHL career with the Penguins.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Shelly Anderson reports Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson dismissed rumors suggesting he might make his way back to the Ottawa Senators.

“Yeah, that’s Canada for you,” chuckled Karlsson. “I played there for a long time so I kind of know how that game works. They’ve got a lot of things to talk about every day to fill a lot of air time, but they only have a few things to actually discuss.”

Karlsson added, “They like to make up these what-if scenarios. That’s just the way it is, and it’s not something that I really look into or worry about too much.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In other words, Karlsson isn’t heading back to Ottawa for a reunion with the Senators. Moving on…

RUMOR TIDBITS FROM FRIEDMAN’S LATEST “32 THOUGHTS” COLUMN

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman believes this summer’s goalie market will be interesting. He noted the Calgary Flames pulled Jacob Markstrom from the market leading up to last week’s trade deadline as did the Nashville Predators with Juuse Saros. The Boston Bruins looked into moving Linus Ullmark but punted that decision to the offseason.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Markstrom, 34, has two years left on his contract with an annual average value of $6 million and a full no-movement clause. The 30-year-old Ullmark has one year remaining with an AAV of $5 million and a 16-team no-trade list that drops to a 15-team list on July 1. Saros, 28, also has a year left on his contract with a $5 million cap hit but he lacks no-trade protection.

All three clubs could be willing to listen to offers but they will set high asking prices. Ullmark seems the most likely to move as the Bruins will want to free up some cap space this summer.

The Bruins reportedly rejected “at least one ask about Jeremy Swayman.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Swayman is expected to take over as the Bruins’ full-time starter after this season. He’s on a one-year deal worth $3.475 million and has arbitration rights this summer. It’s believed they’ll try to move Ullmark to free up cap room for Swayman’s new long-term contract.

The Tampa Bay Lightning were “incredibly disappointed” that they failed to acquire Noah Hanifin from the Flames. Friedman wouldn’t be surprised if he signed a contract extension with the Vegas Golden Knights. He also believes the Dallas Stars will attempt to re-sign Hanifin’s old teammate Chris Tanev.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cap Friendly indicates the Golden Knights have 15 roster players under contract for 2024-25 with less than $10 million in cap space. They’ll garner another $5 million if Robin Lehner remains on long-term injury reserve. It could cost them half of that cap space to re-sign Hanifin.

Meanwhile, the Stars have a projected $18.3 million in cap space with 12 active roster players under contract. Joe Pavelski and Matt Duchene will be due for new contracts as well as Tanev.

There are “debates” over Filip Hronek’s contract discussions with the Vancouver Canucks. Friedman doesn’t expect those talks to be anywhere near as complicated as Elias Pettersson’s recent negotiations.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The “debates” are over whether Hronek will be paid more than Quinn Hughes. He is pulling in an AAV of $7.85 million through 2026-27. Hronek, 26, is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights earning an AAV of $4.4 million. He’s enjoyed a career-best performance with 45 points in 67 games.

The Canucks have already tabled a contract extension to the Hronek camp. Some observers believe he could seek an AAV of over $8 million. Maybe the Canucks try to tempt him with an eight-year deal worth just under Hughes’ annual cap hit in the hope that he’ll prefer the long-term security.

The Edmonton Oilers showed interest in signing recently acquired forwards Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick to contract extensions.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers have $14.2 million in projected cap space with 13 players under contract. As Friedman said, we’ll see how things shake out during the postseason.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 10, 2024

by | Mar 10, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 10, 2024

The Bruins’ David Pastrnak nets his 40th goal of the season, a hat trick performance by Vegas’ Jonathan Marchessault, a franchise-record performance by the Lightning’s Darren Raddysh, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak tallied his 40th goal of the season in a 5-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Linus Ullmark kicked out 38 shots and Pavel Zacha scored twice and collected an assist for the Bruins (38-13-15) as they sit third in the overall standings with 91 points. Kris Letang scored for the Penguins as they dropped to 28-26-8.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm had two assists in his return to the roster after missing nine games with a lower-body injury.

Vegas Golden Knights winger Jonathan Marchessault (NHL Images).

Jonathan Marchessault scored the go-ahead and insurance goals to complete his hat trick as the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Detroit Red Wings 5-3. Jack Eichel collected three assists for the 34-23-7 Golden Knights as they hold the final Western Conference wildcard spot with 75 points. Michael Rasmussen had a goal and an assist for the slumping Red Wings (33-25-6) as they slipped into the final Eastern Conference wildcard spot with 72 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings have lost five straight games. With captain Dylan Larkin sidelined by an injury, general manager Steve Yzerman could regret not making a significant move at the trade deadline to bolster his roster down the stretch…The Golden Knights placed forward William Carrier on long-term injury reserve. He’s been sidelined for 30 games with an upper-body injury.

The Tampa Bay Lightning’s Darren Raddysh set a single-game franchise record for defensemen with five assists in a 7-0 drubbing of the Philadelphia Flyers. Andrei Vasilevskiy had a 25-save shutout and Victor Hedman scored twice and picked up an assist. The Lightning (34-25-6) moved into the first Eastern wildcard berth with 74 points. The Flyers (33-24-8) remain in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 74 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers Head coach John Tortorella was ejected midway through the first period for arguing with the on-ice officials…Lightning blueliner Erik Cernak left this game with a lower-body injury. There was no postgame update regarding his status.

Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice and picked up an assist in his first game with the Florida Panthers as they downed the Calgary Flames 5-1. Anthony Stolarz stopped 34 shots for the Panthers (44-17-4) as they sit in first place in the overall standings with 92 points. Yegor Sharangovich scored to match his career-high of 46 points as the Flames dropped to 31-27-5.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad and forward Evan Rodrigues left this game with injuries. Ekblad was hurt following a knee-on-knee collision with Tarasenko and Rodrigues injured his left ankle blocking a shot. Both will be evaluated on Sunday.

The Vancouver Canucks blanked the Winnipeg Jets 5-0. Thatcher Demko and Casey DeSmith combined for a 22-save shutout after Demko left the game in the second period with an undisclosed injury. Elias Pettersson and Nils Hoglander each had a goal and an assist as the Canucks (42-17-7) remain in second place in the overall standings with 91 points. Connor Hellebuyck turned aside 32 shots for the 40-18-5 Jets as they sit second in the Central Division with 85 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Following the game, Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said he didn’t think Demko’s injury was serious, but admitted he hadn’t spoken with the team’s medical staff. We could learn more about his condition today.

New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin had a 26-save shutout in a 4-0 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox each had two assists for the Rangers (41-18-6), who sit in first place in the Metropolitan Division with 86 points. Jordan Binnington stopped 35 shots for the 32-29-3 Blues, who have lost three straight games.

The Dallas Stars opened a four-point lead over the Jets for first place in the Central (89 points) as they crowned the Los Angeles Kings 4-1. Jason Robertson and Joe Pavelski each had a goal and an assist for the 40-17-9 Stars. Kevin Fiala replied for the Kings (32-20-11) as they sit third in the Pacific Division with 75 points.

A shootout goal by Alex Tuch lifted the Buffalo Sabres to a 3-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 30 saves for the 30-30-5 Sabres while Oilers’ captain Connor McDavid’s points streak ended at 13 games. Warren Foegele and Ryan McLeod each had a goal and an assist as the Oilers (38-21-3) are in second place in the Pacific Division with 79 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres appeared to have the game won in the dying seconds of overtime but Owen Power’s goal was ruled offside following a coach’s challenge. Both teams were in their dressing rooms during the review and were called back onto the ice to finish the game.

The Carolina Hurricanes tallied three third-period goals to double up the New Jersey Devils 4-2. Teuvo Teravainen had a goal and two assists for the 38-19-6 Hurricanes, who sit second in the Metro with 82 points. Nico Hischier had a goal and an assist for the 31-29-4 Devils.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares snapped a 2-2 tie as this club nipped the Montreal Canadiens 3-2. Max Domi had a goal and an assist for the Leafs (37-19-8) as they hold third place in the Atlantic Division with 82 points. Mike Matheson and Juraj Slakovsky each had two points for the 24-30-10 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs winger Mitch Marner missed this game (day-to-day) with a lower-body injury.

Nashville Predators forward Luke Evangelista scored the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Predators (37-25-3) pushed their points streak to 11 games and hold the first Western wildcard berth with 77 points. Daniil Tarasov kicked out 47 shots for 22-32-10 Blue Jackets.

The Washington Capitals kept their playoff hopes alive with a 4-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Sonny Milano scored for the fifth consecutive game and Charlie Lindgren stopped 31 shots for the 30-23-9 Capitals (69 points), who sit three points out of the final Eastern wildcard berth. Tyler Johnson replied for the 16-43-5 Blackhawks.

San Jose Sharks forward Thomas Bordeleau scored twice as his club beat the Ottawa Senators 2-1. Tim Stutzle replied for the Senators. The Sharks are 16-40-7 while the Senators are 25-33-4.