NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 3, 2022

by | Nov 3, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 3, 2022

The Leafs defeated the Flyers while the Sabres down the Penguins, an update on the Senators going up for sale, several players talk about injury disclosures, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: John Tavares tallied a hat trick as the Toronto Maple Leafs snapped a four-game winless skid with a 5-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Tavares also collected an assist while Auston Matthews had a goal and an assist as the Leafs improved their record to 5-4-2. Flyers goalie Felix Sandstrom made 39 saves as his club’s record is now 5-3-2.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That loud exhale you heard across Canada last night was the sigh of relief coming from Leafs fans after a week spent fretting over the club’s 4-4-2 record through October. The Leafs aren’t out of the woods yet as they face the league-leading Boston Bruins, the Carolina Hurricanes and the Vegas Golden Knights in their upcoming contests. Victories against those clubs will go a long way toward soothing the jangled nerves of Leafs Nation.

The Buffalo Sabres scored five unanswered third-period goals to overcome a 3-1 deficit and trounce the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-1. Victor Olofsson scored twice while Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power and Jeff Skinner each collected two points for the Sabres (7-3-0). Jason Zucker, Josh Archibald and Jake Guentzel replied for the Penguins, who fall to 4-5-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres outshot the Penguins 33-21 and never quit even when they fell behind 3-1. Once they made it 3-2 you could sense the momentum was shifting. After winning four of their first five games, the Penguins seem at a loss following this game to explain why they’ve dropped six straight contests. They looked slow, confused and completely unable to contain the surging Sabres.

HEADLINES

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports league sources are claiming that multiple groups, including a group of Toronto investors, are interested in purchasing the Senators once the club goes up for sale. However, it’s not believed there is anyone based in Ottawa with the ability to buy the team on their own.

The sale could come in between $750 million and $1 billion. Garrioch cited the recent sale of the Penguins for $900 million and the upcoming sale of the Nashville Predators at $750 million.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman wants to keep the club in Ottawa, especially with the potential for a downtown arena in the future. The Senators’ current ownership has made a bid to build a new arena at LeBreton Flats.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Garrioch also cited a report in People Magazine claiming Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds is interested in purchasing the club and keeping them in Ottawa.

SPORTSNET: Wayne Scanlan believes the LeBreton project holds the key to the Senators’ future in Ottawa. Sources told him the sale of the club could occur before the arena deal is approved but new ownership will want assurances that the project will go through.

TSN: Several NHL players weighed in on the future of injury disclosures. Teams currently tend to release vague reports of “upper-body” or “lower-body” injuries. The NHL’s betting partners haven’t yet pressured the league for more transparency but the day could be coming when more details about injuries will be publicly known.

Some players, such as the Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid and Washington Capitals’ Darcy Kuemper, acknowledged it could go that way. Others, such as the Colorado Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon and Columbus Blue Jackets’ Zach Werenski, worry that too much disclosure could result in opponents attempting to target injured players.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Minor ailments and injuries can be disguised but not the obvious ones like the Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl’s “lower-body injury” (ankle) noted in the article. As time goes on, especially with the NHL partnered with betting companies, I expect we’ll see more specifics about injuries.

WASHINGTON HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of injuries, the Capitals placed T.J. Oshie, John Carlson and Beck Malenstyn on injured reserve and recalled Sonny Milano and two others from their AHL affiliate in Hershey.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Aaron Ekblad (groin injury) has returned to practice with his Panthers teammates for the first time since Oct. 17. He’s aiming to return to action by Nov. 12.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The Bruins have called up Keith Kinkaid to replace Jeremy Swayman, who remains sidelined with a suspected knee injury.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: The Blackhawks have signed goaltender Dylan Wells to a one-year, two-way contract. With Alex Stalock (concussion) and Petr Mrazek (groin) sidelined, they were down to Arvid Soderblom as their only healthy goalie.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Carolina Hurricanes winger Max Pacioretty is trying to sell his Las Vegas mansion for nearly $12 million. Pacioretty was traded by the Vegas Golden Knights to the Hurricanes in July.

NHL.COM: The department of player safety fined Anaheim Ducks center Trevor Zegras $1,500.00 for slashing San Jose Sharks defenseman Matt Benning. They also fined New York Islanders forward Casey Cizikas $5,000.00 for interference on Blackhawks goalie Alex Stalock.

TRIBLIVE.COM: Actor Andrew Duncan, who played announcer Jim Carr in the 1977 movie “Slap Shot”, has died. His age and cause of death were not revealed.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Duncan’s family, friends and co-stars. His character in Slap Shot was among the many who helped make that film a cult classic. Check out this link for his most memorable scene.










Notable NHL Headlines – September 28, 2022

by | Sep 28, 2022

Notable NHL Headlines – September 28, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares (NHL Images).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 8, 2022

by | Aug 8, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 8, 2022

The latest on Jonathan Huberdeau, John Tavares, Jonathan Drouin and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: Steve Macfarlane believes the Flames should name a captain for the coming season after playing without one in 2021-22. He suggests Jonathan Huberdeau for the role with Johnny Gaudreau departing via free agency and Matthew Tkachuk traded to Florida last month.

Calgary Flames winger Jonathan Huberdeau (NHL Images).

Acquired from the Panthers in the Tkachuk trade, Macfarlane points out Huberdeau quickly embraced his identity as a Flames. He’s made his intentions clear that he wants to be a leader on and off the ice.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames could decide to play without a captain for the coming season before reaching a decision on who should wear the “C”. Then again, they could make that determination after evaluating their players in training camp and preseason play. Though Huberdeau hasn’t yet played a game for the Flames, his experience should make him a front-runner for the job.

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares said he’s free of the body aches that plagued him since last summer. The 31-year-old took part in a charity game last week in Barrie, Ontario that helped to raise $155K in conjunction with the John Tavares Foundation.

Tavares remains determined to lead the Leafs in overcoming their recent playoff disappointments. He also praised management for keeping most of the club’s core intact while finding ways to fill the holes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I don’t doubt Tavares’ resolution to helping his club finally stage a deep playoff run. Whether they’ve got the goaltending this coming season to pull it off remains to be seen.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Jonathan Drouin is looking forward to playing a full season under Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis. The 27-year-old winger played only two games with St. Louis behind the bench last season before a wrist injury sidelined him for the remainder of the 2021-22 schedule.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This season will be a crucial one for Drouin. He’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. He’ll need a healthy and productive performance if he hopes to garner a new deal with the Canadiens or to boost his free-agent stock.

WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets avoided salary arbitration with winger Mason Appleton as the two sides agreed to a three-year deal with an average annual value of $2.166 million. Appleton was scheduled for an arbitration hearing on Aug. 11.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 26, 2022

by | Jul 26, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 26, 2022

Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar are open to long-term deals with the Flames while John Tavares is working on improving his quickness. Details plus the latest contract signings in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

CALGARY SUN: Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar indicated they’re open to signing long-term contracts with the Flames. The pair made those remarks during their introductory Zoom press conferences as the club’s newest members. Both were acquired as part of the return in last Friday’s trade that sent Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers.

Florida Panthers traded winger Jonathan Huberdeau to the Calgary Flames on July 23 (NHL Images).

Huberdeau and Weegar are both slated to become unrestricted free agents next summer. Huberdeau indicated his agent has already begun talking about a new contract with general manager Brad Treliving. Weegar said he’s looking forward to his agent speaking with Treliving and seeing what’s going on.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flames fans may be cautious about believing those comments. After all, Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk professed their love of living and playing in Calgary. The former departed for Columbus via free agency while the latter forced a trade to Florida when he declined to discuss a long-term deal with the Flames.

Huberdeau and Weegar are trying to say the right thing here but they’re still dealing with how quickly their own fortunes have changed. On Friday, they were members of the Panthers and three days later they’re fielding questions from the Calgary media over whether they’re open to signing with their new team.

A lot will depend on how well they adapt to playing with the Flames in the coming season and how much the club is willing to pay to keep them in the fold. If they aren’t a good fit it’s doubtful management will offer up big-money extensions. In that case, the talk will be about where they could be shipped at the February trade deadline and what kind of a return they’ll fetch.

TORONTO STAR: Maple Leafs captain John Tavares is hoping to be leaner and quicker when he reports to training camp in September. He’s been working with the team’s development staff on a new program designed to make him quicker and lighter on his skates.

Tavares said he’s feeling good physically this year. His offseason training last year was hindered by his recovery from a concussion suffered in the 2021 playoffs.

MLIVE.COM: The Detroit Red Wings announced defenseman Mark Pysyk recently underwent surgery to report a torn Achilles tendon. He’s expected to miss four-to-six months. As a result, the Wings signed free-agent defenseman Robert Hagg to a one-year, $800K contract.

NHL.COM: Speaking of the Wings, they signed a five-year extension of their affiliation agreement with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Anaheim Ducks avoided salary arbitration with Isac Lundestrom, signing the 22-year-old forward to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $1.4 million.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Carolina Hurricanes signed free-agent winger Ryan Dzingel to a one-year, two-way contract worth $750K at the NHL level.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 25, 2022

by | Apr 25, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 25, 2022

Lightning snap Panthers win streak, the Canadiens and their fans salute Guy Lafleur, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin suffers an injury, Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf plays his final game, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: Nikita Kucherov had a five-point performance while teammates Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman each collected four points as the Tampa Bay Lightning doubled up the Florida Panthers 8-4, snapping the latter’s 13-game winning streak. Kucherov, Stamkos and Nicholas Paul each tallied two goals for the Lightning, who sit in third place in the Atlantic Division with 106 points. Sam Reinhart scored twice for the Panthers, who still maintain a four-point lead over the Colorado Avalanche for first place in the overall standings with 120 points.

Speaking of the Avalanche, they dropped their fourth straight game by falling 4-1 to the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck made 30 saves for his 200th career victory while Kyle Connor scored his 45th goal of the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The absence of core players Gabriel Landeskog, Mikko Rantanen and Devon Toews to injury and illness has contributed to the Avs’ recent slide. The Avs could also be experiencing difficulty remaining motivated playing in meaningless games this late in the regular season.

The Montreal Montreal Canadiens honored the memory of their late star Guy Lafleur (NHL.com).

The Boston Bruins got two goals from Patrice Bergeron and Erik Haula to defeat the Montreal Canadiens 5-3. However, this match was overshadowed by an emotional pre-game ceremony honoring the life and legacy of Canadiens icon Guy Lafleur, who passed away on Friday at age 70. Montreal fans followed the video tribute with a 10-minute standing ovation and chants of “Guy! Guy! Guy!” The Bruins (103 points) hold a three-point lead over the Washington Capitals for the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lafleur meant so much to Montrealers, Quebecers and Canadiens fans around the world. The outpouring of emotion following his death is a testament to how his exciting style of play resonated with fans to this day. The province of Quebec announced it will stage a national funeral for Lafleur. His body will lie in state at the Bell Centre for two days before the funeral on May 3.

Meanwhile, the Capitals dropped a 4-3 decision to the Toronto Maple Leafs on a shootout goal by Alex Kerfoot. Leafs star Auston Matthews collected two assists but remains at 58 goals on the season. Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin left the game with an upper-body injury in the third period after crashing into the boards following a breakaway scoring attempt. The club had no immediate word on his condition. The Leafs are in second place in the Atlantic with 111 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs captain John Tavares and defenseman Timothy Liljegren missed the game. Tavares was given the night off while Liljegren is dealing with a minor issue.

Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf picked up an assist in his final NHL game but his club dropped a 6-3 decision to the St. Louis Blues. Ivan Barbashev had a goal and two assists while Vladimir Tarasenko, Jordan Kyrou and Justin Faulk each collected two points for the Blues, who sit in third place in the Central Division with 109 points. Blues center Tyler Bozak returned to action for the first time since being sidelined by a lower-body injury on March 13.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Getzlaf is hanging up his skates after 17 seasons with the Ducks. He’s their franchise leader in points, assists, playoff scoring and games played and has been their captain for the past 12 seasons. He also helped them win their first-ever Stanley Cup in 2007 and finishes with 1,019 points. Don’t be surprised if he ends up in a front-office job with the Ducks.

An overtime goal by Dmitry Kulikov lifted the Minnesota Wild over the Nashville Predators 5-4. Joel Erikson Ek scored twice and picked up an assist while Kirill Kaprizov and Kevin Fiala each had two points. The Wild are tied with the Blues but hold second place in the Central with a game in hand. Filip Forsberg and Mikael Granlund each had three points as the Predators hold the first wild-card berth in the Western Conference with 94 points.

The Vegas Golden Knights’ playoff hopes suffered a blow after blowing a 4-2 lead in the third period to fall 5-4 to the San Jose Sharks on a shootout goal by Thomas Bordeleau. Nick Bonino and Timo Meier scored in the final minutes of regulation to tie the game. The Golden Knights (90 points) gained a point to sit three back of the Dallas Stars for the final Western wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Both clubs each have three games remaining but the Golden Knights need the extra point a win would’ve given them to draw closer to the Stars. Vegas goaltender Robin Lehner dressed for the game amid reports he requires knee surgery but was the backup to Logan Thompson. William Carrier returned to the Golden Knights lineup for the first time since being sidelined by a lower-body injury on March 26.

The Carolina Hurricanes downed the New York Islanders 5-2. With 112 points, they’ve opened a four-point lead over the New York Rangers for first place in the Metropolitan Division. It was a costly victory, however, as goaltender Antti Raanta left the game with a lower-body injury in the second period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes starter Frederik Andersen is also sidelined with a lower-body injury. They’re hoping to have him back in the lineup when the playoffs begin next week.

Philadelphia Flyers rookie Noah Cates scored twice and collected an assist while Martin Jones made 37 saves to upset the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-1. The loss leaves the Penguins (101 points) holding a one-point lead over the Capitals for third place in the Metro Division.

The Edmonton Oilers missed an opportunity to clinch second place in the Pacific Division by falling 5-2 to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Jakub Voracek and Oliver Bjorkstrand each had three-point performances for the Blue Jackets. Oilers captain Connor McDavid collected two assists and holds a three-point lead over the Panthers’ Jonathan Huberdeau for first place in the NHL scoring race with 118 points. The Oilers hold a two-point lead over the third-place Los Angeles Kings in the Pacific with 98 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse missed this contest as he’s listed as day-to-day with a minor lower-body injury. Blue Jackets forward Yegor Chinakhov returned to action after being sidelined by an upper-body injury since April 2.

Detroit Red Wings goalie Alex Nedeljkovic had a 17-save shutout to blank the New Jersey Devils 3-0. Tyler Bertuzzi had a goal and an assist.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 14, 2021

by | Dec 14, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 14, 2021

COVID-19 outbreak forces postponement of three Flames games, the three stars of the week are revealed plus updates on Blake Wheeler, Aleksander Barkov and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

CALGARY SUN: Three Flames games (including last night’s scheduled match against the Chicago Blackhawks) were postponed after six players (Elias Lindholm, Andrew Mangiapane, Chris Tanev, Nikita Zadorov, Brad Richardson and Adam Ruzicka) and one member of the training staff tested positive for COVID-19. Flames general manager Brad Treliving said the players were doing well and asymptomatic but expressed concern for them and their families.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames are the third team since mid-November to have games postponed because of COVID-19, joining the Ottawa Senators and New York Islanders. Future outbreaks among other clubs resulting in postponements could adversely affect the schedule. That could jeopardize NHL participation in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics in February. The league has until Jan. 10 to opt out without suffering financial penalties.

SPORTSNET: Speaking of the Winter Olympics, several NHL stars have joined Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo expressing concern over the possibility of spending a lengthy period quarantined in Beijing should they test positive for COVID-19 during the Olympics.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares (NHL Images).

Toronto Maple Leafs captain and potential Team Canada candidate John Tavares said he felt more uneasy about potentially going to Beijing than he did several weeks or months ago. Teammate Auston Matthews, who is already selected for Team USA, shared those concerns. Meanwhile, Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury said it would be an honor to be selected for Canada’s squad but he’d like more clarity about the COVID protocols for the Winter Olympics.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chinese law states those who test positive for COVID-19 must quarantine for three to five weeks. There’s no word yet as to whether that will also apply to Olympic athletes from other countries. Clarification is expected in the coming weeks and could be a determining factor for some NHL stars selected to participate in the Winter Games.

Meanwhile, COVID-19 continues to make its presence felt with some other NHL teams.

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Carolina Hurricanes forwards Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis entered COVID protocol yesterday. Defensemen Brett Pesce and Tony DeAngelo are expected to rejoin the roster today after being sidelined since Nov. 28 by the coronavirus.

SPORTSNET: Christian Jaros joined New Jersey Devils teammates Nico Hischier and Ryan Graves in COVID protocol. Forward Yegor Sherangovich has not entered protocol but was withheld from practice yesterday for precautionary reasons.

THE DETROIT FREE PRESS: Tyler Bertuzzi is rejoining the Red Wings after emerging from a 10-day COVID quarantine. The only unvaccinated player in the league, Bertuzzi isn’t reconsidering his position, saying he now has “natural immunity” from the coronavirus.

The US Centers for Disease Control says unvaccinated people who previously had COVID-19 are 2.34 times more likely to get reinfected than vaccinated people who’ve had it. Food for thought.

Speaking of the Red Wings, they signed Robby Fabbri to a three-year, $12 million contract extension. The annual average value is $4 million. The 25-year-old forward was slated to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

NHL.COM: Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko, Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho and Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Dec. 12.

WINNIPEG SUN: Jets captain Blake Wheeler will be sidelined for weeks with an apparent right-leg injury.

THE ATHLETIC: Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov has returned to injured reserve after missing the last two games with an upper-body injury. He returned to the lineup last Tuesday after missing eight games with a knee injury.

The Panthers also claimed goaltender Jonas Johansson off waivers from the Colorado Avalanche.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bringing in Johansson likely means promising Spencer Knight could be heading to the Panthers’ AHL affiliate in Charlotte. Sergei Bobrovsky’s solid performance has limited Knight to just nine starts this season. There’s no fear of losing him to another club because he’s exempt from waivers.

SPORTSNET: Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman is listed as day-to-day but hasn’t been ruled out from tonight’s game against his former club, the Toronto Maple Leafs.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars placed goaltender Anton Khudobin on waivers yesterday. If he clears it’s expected he’ll be sent to their AHL affiliate.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Khudobin struggled this season and was a healthy scratch in several recent games as the club stuck with the tandem of Braden Holtby and Jake Oettinger. Teams were reportedly interested in trading for him but wanted to see him play more games first. Sending him to the minors will allow him to get some games in while also clearing room for the Stars to recall another player if needed.

NHL.COM: The St. Louis Blues placed David Perron, Robert Thomas and Brayden Schenn on injured reserve, activated Tyler Bozak and Justin Faulk from COVID protocol, and recalled forward Alexei Toropchenko from their AHL affiliate in Springfield.

The Los Angeles Kings recently placed defenseman Alexander Edler (lower body) on injured reserve.