NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 19, 2024

by | Nov 19, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 19, 2024

An injury to Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin overshadows his second straight multigoal game, a milestone game for Sharks rookie Macklin Celebrini, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF TUESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored twice in a 6-2 victory over the Utah Hockey Club but left in the third period with an injured left leg following a knee-on-knee collision with Utah forward Jack McBain. Dylan Strome and Brandon Duhaime each had a goal and an assist for the Capitals (13-4-1), who moved into first place in the Eastern Conference with 27 points. McBain and Nick Bjugstad scored for Utah.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin tied Jaromir Jagr’s NHL record of most goaltenders scored on as Utah’s Connor Ingram became the 178th goalie to give up a goal to the Capitals captain. The 39-year-old Ovechkin leads all NHL scorers with 15 goals and sits at 868 career goals, putting him 26 goals behind Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894.

There was no update on Ovechkin’s condition following the game. Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery said his captain was being evaluated and they’ll know more on Tuesday.

Off the ice, Utah had the highest single-day merchandise sale ever at the Delta Center. It was also the second-best single-game merchandise sale in NHL history.

San Jose Sharks rookie Macklin Celebrini scored in overtime for his first NHL game-winning goal to nip the Detroit Red Wings 5-4. William Eklund tallied twice for the Sharks as they snapped a three-game winless skid (0-1-2). Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin had a goal and an assist as his club has dropped five of their last six contests (0-4-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks recalled goaltender Yaroslav Askarov to back up starter Mackenzie Blackwood in this contest. Backup Vitek Vanecek is still recuperating from an injury suffered during Saturday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar sniped two goals as his club held off the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2. Casey Mittelstadt had a goal and an assist as the Avs picked up their fifth win in their last seven games. Owen Tippett and Tyson Foerster scored for the Flyers as their three-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Referee Mitch Dunning was stretchered from this game following a violent collision with Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson. He was taken to a hospital for precautionary reasons and his neurological functions were normal. Dunning was communicative and had control of his extremities.

The Montreal Canadiens got a 30-save shutout from Sam Montembeault in a 3-0 upset of the Edmonton Oilers. Brendan Gallagher, Kaiden Guhle and Jake Evans scored for the Canadiens, who’ve won three of their last four contests. Calvin Pickard turned aside 22 shots for the Oilers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Oilers announced defenseman Darnell Nurse will be sidelined for five to 10 days after a hit to the head by Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ryan Reaves on Saturday. Reaves received a five-game suspension.

The Canadiens honored broadcaster Pierre Houde in a pregame ceremony to commemorate his recent induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Shorthanded goals by Mathieu Olivier and Justin Danforth powered the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 5-1 upset of the Boston Bruins. Elvis Merzlikins kicked out 28 shots for the Blue Jackets while teammate Sean Monahan collected two assists. Charlie Coyle had the only goal for the Bruins, who were booed off the ice by their unhappy fans. They have just two wins in their last seven contests (2-3-2).

Anaheim Ducks winger Brett Leason had a goal and two assists as his club doubled up the Dallas Stars 4-2. Lukas Dostal stopped 34 shots for the Ducks as they’ve won three of their last four games. Esa Lindell and Matt Duchene scored for the Stars as their three-game win streak is over.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, Dallas Stars forward Mason Marchment, and Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy were the league’s three stars for the week ending Nov. 17.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews continues to recuperate from an upper-body injury that has sidelined him since Nov. 3. The earliest he might return to action is Sunday against Utah.

TSN: Leafs forward Calle Jarnkrok underwent groin surgery and is considered month-to-month. He has yet to play a game this season.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: Islanders defenseman Mike Reilly will undergo heart surgery due to a preexisting condition that was discovered during treatment of a concussion suffered on Nov. 1 against the Buffalo Sabres. The heart condition is not related to the injury he suffered in Buffalo.

TRIBLIVE.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang is listed as day-to-day due to illness.

THE SCORE: Chicago Blackhawks winger Taylor Hall admitted he was surprised to learn he was a healthy scratch for Saturday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks. He and head coach Luke Richardson have since spoken about the incident and cleared the air, with Richardson admitting he could’ve handled the situation better.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hall has struggled thus far this season with just six points in 17 games. He played only 10 games in 2023-24 before undergoing season-ending knee surgery.

STLTODAY: The Blues placed winger Kasperi Kapanen on waivers Monday afternoon. This move could signal one of their sidelined players is ready to rejoin the lineup.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Devils placed forward Nathan Bastian on long-term injury reserve and moved forward Curtis Lazar to injured reserve.

BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: The Sabres have sent goaltender Devon Levi to their AHL affiliate in Rochester and announced winger Jordan Greenway is week-to-week with a middle-body injury.

ROTOWIRE: The Winnipeg Jets removed defenseman Ville Heinola from injured reserve and sent him to their AHL affiliate for a conditioning stint. An ankle injury has sidelined him since training camp.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 19, 2024

by | Aug 19, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 19, 2024

Taylor Hall hopes to be a difference-maker for the Blackhawks, the Oilers trade Cody Ceci to the Sharks and acquire Vasily Podkolzin from the Canucks, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Taylor Hall hopes to be a difference-maker this season for the Blackhawks after missing most of last season recovering from ACL surgery on his right knee.

The Blackhawks acquired Hall last summer from the Boston Bruins to ease the offensive burden for rookie center Connor Bedard. However, the 33-year-old winger was in only 10 games before undergoing surgery in November.

Chicago Blackhawks winger Taylor Hall (NHL Images).

Now recovered, Hall is confident he can be “a solid contributor” to the Blackhawks, citing his offseason preparations.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hall is also in the final year of his contract. A solid bounce-back effort could make him a valuable trade chip for the Blackhawks at the trade deadline, and bolster his stock in next summer’s free-agent market.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers traded defenseman Cody Ceci and a 2025 third-round pick to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for defenseman Ty Emberson.

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks traded winger Vasily Podkolzin to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round pick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ceci, 30 is in the final season of his contract with a cap hit of $3.25 million. The 24-year-old Emberson is on a one-year, $950K contract.

Podkolzin is signed through 2025-26 with an annual cap hit of $1 million. Chosen 10th overall by the Canucks in the 2019 NHL Draft, Podkolzin had a promising NHL debut with 14 goals and 26 points in 79 games during the 2021-22 season. However, he struggled in the next two seasons, in part because the Canucks went through three head coaches during that time.

These moves created a stir among Oilers followers. Their club has until Tuesday to match the offers sheets signed by defenseman Philip Broberg and winger Dylan Holloway with the St. Louis Blues.

Puckpedia indicates these moves mean the Oilers can match both offer sheets if Evander Kane undergoes surgery and is placed on long-term injury reserve. However, they’ll have to make a trade once Kane comes off LTIR to become cap-compliant. If they match Broberg but not Holloway, they won’t have to make another trade once Kane comes off LTIR.

Ceci’s departure and the acquisition of Podkolzin suggest they’re retaining Broberg and parting ways with Holloway. We’ll find out for sure by no later than Tuesday.

THE SCORE: San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky looks forward to seeing competition among top prospects Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith as they attempt to land full-time roster spots in training camp next month.

Celebrini, 18, was the first-overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. Smith, 19, was selected fourth overall in the 2023 draft. Both centers are expected to play significant roles for the rebuilding Sharks.

Sharks general manager Mike Grier said his plan is for Celebrini and Smith to play their natural center position rather than move them to the wing.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Celebrini and Smith could become contenders for the Calder Memorial Trophy if things pan out as hoped for the Sharks this season.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins won’t be playing for his native Latvia in their upcoming Olympic qualifying tournament for personal reasons.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Merzlikins could be focused on preparing for the upcoming NHL season. He’s coming off a tumultuous campaign with the Blue Jackets, at one point asking to be traded before withdrawing the request. The 30-year-old netminder will be trying to establish himself as the Blue Jackets starting goaltender.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: Lance Lysowski examines the Sabres’ blueline depth to determine who their defense pairings could be this season.

He expects new head coach Lindy Ruff to pair top blueliner Rasmus Dahlin with Mattias Samuelsson. Bowen Byram and Owen Power could be their second pairing, leaving Henri Jokiharju, Connor Clifton, Jacob Bryson and Dennis Gilbert jockeying for the third pairing.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 24, 2023

by | Nov 24, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 24, 2023

Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin believes he and Penguins captain Sidney Crosby “saved the NHL”, the Blackhawks’ Taylor Hall is done for the season while the club is silent over Corey Perry’s absence. Details on these and other stories and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NOTE: There were no NHL games on Thursday due to the American Thanksgiving holiday. Action resumes on Friday with 15 games.

THE ATHLETIC: Reflecting on his long NHL career, Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin believes he and Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby saved the league as it emerged from a season-killing lockout.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images)

“We saved the NHL,” said Ovechkin. He noted that today’s generation of superstars hasn’t yet overshadowed his accomplishments and those of his longtime rival Crosby.

“We saved the league. Now they come in and I guess we’re old news,” said Ovechkin. “But we saved it. It’s up to those guys to come in and prove me wrong that we’re not the best.”

Crosby’s response was more understated. “Hopefully, we’re still a little bit away from being pushed out of the way,” he said.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The NHL was in a bad place entering the 2005-06 season. Fans and pundits were disgusted by the lockout that cost an entire season. The league no longer had a national US cable TV contract with ESPN. Wayne Gretzky, hockey’s greatest star, was long retired. His rival, Mario Lemieux, lasted just 26 games into the ’05-’06 campaign before retiring for the second and final time.

Ovechkin and Crosby entered the NHL at the same time that season, sparking a rivalry as they quickly became the league’s biggest stars. They helped the NHL not only recover but thrive and grow, adding two new clubs since 2017, returning to ESPN two years ago, setting an attendance record last season (22.4 million), and tapping into other lucrative new revenue streams.

Now in the twilight of their careers, Ovechkin and Crosby aren’t playing at the dominating level of their playing prime but they’re still among the league’s best. Ovechkin’s 42 goals last season were among the league’s top 10 as he continues his chase of Gretzky’s goal record. Meanwhile, Crosby was among the top 20 in points with 93. While younger stars are now outperforming them, the duo remains the NHL’s most recognizable stars.

CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: Blackhawks winger Taylor Hall will miss the remainder of this season as he undergoes surgery on his right knee.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hall played just 10 games this season with two goals and four points. He has one season remaining on his contract and will be eligible to become an unrestricted free agent in July 2025.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: Speaking of the Blackhawks, they’re keeping silent as to why winger Corey Perry was a healthy scratch and Wednesday and his absence from Thursday’s practice. Head coach Luke Richardson said the reason was an internal decision for now and wouldn’t answer any more questions about the matter.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blackhawks are getting scolded in some corners of social media for their lack of transparency. Here’s hoping Perry’s absence isn’t anything serious.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs placed defenseman John Klingberg on long-term injured reserve with an undisclosed injury. The move allows them to activate blueliner Conor Timmins off LTIR. Klingberg underwent double hip surgery in 2014 and there’s speculation he’s hindered by the same issue. It’s unclear if he’ll return to action this season.

SPECTOR’S NOT: The Leafs will have over $3.375 million in trade deadline cap space if Klingberg is indeed done for the season.

CBS SPORTS: The Tampa Bay Lightning placed goaltender Matt Tomkins on waivers as starter Andrei Vasilevskiy is expected to return to action on Friday against the Carolina Hurricanes.

SPORTSNET’S Greg Balloch shared an announcement from Vaughn Custom Sports that former NHL goaltender Andy Moog has been diagnosed with cancer. Moog asked them to share the news with the hockey community.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Moog played 713 regular-season games with the Edmonton Oilers, Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars and Montreal Canadiens from 1980-81 to 1997-98, winning 372 games as well as three Stanley Cups with the Oilers and the Jennings Trophy with the Bruins in 1989-90. Here’s hoping he makes a full recovery.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 24, 2023

by | Oct 24, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 24, 2023

The Canadiens defeat the Sabres, the three stars of the week are revealed, plus the latest on Taylor Hall, Patrik Laine and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAP

NHL.COM: Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jake Allen made 36 saves to backstop his club to a 3-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Brendan Gallagher and Tanner Pearson each had a goal and an assist and Justin Barron tallied his first of the season for the Canadiens as their record improved to 3-1-1. Jeff Skinner replied for the Sabres as they fell to 2-4-0.

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jake Allen (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens defenseman David Savard left the game in the third period following a solid penalty-killing effort when he blocked two hard shots by Tage Thompson. One of them broke one of Savard’s skate blades but the other struck the blueliner on the left hand. An update on his status could be announced on Tuesday.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Detroit Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat, Colorado Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev and Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart are the league’s three stars for the week ending October 22, 2023.

THE SCORE: Chicago Blackhawks winger Taylor Hall is once again listed as week-to-week after aggravating a shoulder injury suffered on Oct. 11 against the Boston Bruins. He only missed one game at that time.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Columbus Blue Jackets placed forward Patrik Laine (upper body) on injured reserve retroactive to Oct. 20. He suffered the injury after being elbowed in the head by Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson, who is appealing a four-game suspension for the infraction.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Arizona Coyotes announced winger Jason Zucker is week-to-week with a lower-body injury that he suffered during Sunday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks.

CAP FRIENDLY: Speaking of the Ducks, they placed defenseman Jamie Drysdale (lower body) on injured reserve retroactive to Oct. 15.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Devils recalled defenseman Cal Foote from their AHL affiliate in Utica and placed forward Tomas Nosek (lower body) on IR.

WINNIPEG SUN: Jets head coach Rick Bowness has taken a leave of absence after his wife Judy suffered a seizure on Sunday. She was taken to a hospital where she is undergoing further testing.

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: Bruins rookie center Matthew Poitras is making the case to stick with the club for the entire 2023-24 season. A second-round pick by the Bruins in the 2022 draft, the 19-year-old Poitras has two goals and an assist in his five games thus far.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins can keep Poitras on the roster for four more games after which they must decide whether to retain him for the entire season or return him to the OHL’s Guelph Storm. If they keep him, his entry-level contract begins on his 10th game of the season.

It makes sense from a salary-cap perspective to return Poitras to the OHL. However, he’s made that decision difficult to justify given his on-ice performance thus far.

TSN: NHL veteran forward Sam Gagner signed a one-year AHL contract with the Bakersfield Condors, who are the minor-league affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers. The 34-year-old has played 1, 015 NHL games with seven NHL clubs including the Oilers. He’s also done previous stints in the AHL with Lehigh Valley, Toronto and Bakersfield.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report also indicated that Gagner is trying to resume his playing career after undergoing season-ending double hip surgery in March. He signed a PTO with the Oilers but didn’t appear in any preseason games as he continues to rehab.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Ken Hitchcock and Ed Belfour were inducted Sunday into the Dallas Stars Hall of Fame. Hitchcock coached the Stars to the Stanley Cup in 1999 when Belfour was their starting goaltender. Hitchcock will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November. Belfour was inducted in 2011.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 16, 2023

by | Oct 16, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 16, 2023

The Senators defeated the Lightning, the Ducks upset the Hurricanes, plus the latest on the Blackhawks’ Taylor Hall, the Penguins’ Reilly Smith, the Rangers’ Ryan Lindgren and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk scored twice and collected an assist to defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-2. Vladimir Tarasenko tallied his first goal with the Senators and added an assist. Anthony Cirelli and Tanner Jeannot replied for the Lightning, who played without captain Steven Stamkos as he missed this game with a lower-body injury.

Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk (NHL Images).

The Anaheim Ducks upset the Carolina Hurricanes 6-3 to give Greg Cronin his first win as an NHL head coach. Frank Vatrano led the way with a hat trick, Cam Fowler, Mason McTavish and Ryan Strome each had two points and rookie Pavel Mintyukov scored his first NHL goal. Teuvo Teravainen scored twice for the Hurricanes.

HEADLINES

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Taylor Hall will return to the Chicago Blackhawks lineup on Monday when they face the Maple Leafs in Toronto. Hall missed one game following a shoulder injury from a hit by Boston Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo last Wednesday.

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE: Left wing Reilly Smith has already fit in well on Evgeni Malkin’s line in his first three games with the Penguins. Acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights in June, the 32-year-old Smith has three points in as many games and is drawing praise for his strong play at both ends of the rink.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren was sidelined by an undisclosed upper-body injury ahead of his club’s 5-3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday. He’s listed as day-to-day.

CBS SPORTS: Former Anaheim Ducks winger Max Comtois has signed a minor-league contract with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. It’s believed the deal contains an out-clause if he gets an offer from an NHL club. The Wolves are currently not affiliated with an NHL club.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 12, 2023

by | Oct 12, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 12, 2023

Milestone performances for Toronto’s Auston Matthews and Chicago’s Connor Bedard while the Sabres sign Owen Power and the Devils ink Lindy Ruff to contract extensions. Get the details on these and other stories in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews collected a hat trick, including his 300th career goal, in a 6-5 season-opening win over the Montreal Canadiens. Mitch Marner netted the winner in a shootout after the Leafs overcame a 5-3 deficit in the third period while John Tavares had three assists. Alex Newhook scored twice in his first game with the Canadiens after being acquired from the Colorado Avalanche in the offseason.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There was sloppy defense and goaltending by both clubs in this game. However, it proved more costly to the Canadiens as they also blew an early 2-0 lead.

Speaking of the Canadiens, Cap Friendly indicates they demoted winger Joel Armia to their AHL affiliate in Laval and recalled defenseman Arber Xhekaj, who collected an assist and got the better of Leafs enforcer Ryan Reaves during their first-period tussle.

Chicago Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard tallied his first-ever NHL goal but his club fell 3-1 to the Boston Bruins. David Pastrnak scored the tying and winning goals for the Bruins while Linus Ullmark stopped 20 shots for the win.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks winger Taylor Hall suffered an upper-body injury following a hit by Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo. He’s listed as week-to-week.

The Vancouver Canucks crushed the Edmonton Oilers 8-1. Brock Boeser scored four goals while Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller each had a goal and three assists. Leon Draisaitl netted the sole Oilers goal while goalies Jack Campbell and Stuart Skinner each gave up four goals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers are predicted to be a Stanley Cup contender this season but they were outperformed by the Canucks in every aspect of this contest. They’re obviously better than this and should use this game as motivation for a better effort in their next contest. Meanwhile, the Canucks couldn’t have asked for a better season-opening performance, especially Boeser given his struggles last season.

Colorado Avalanche winger Mikko Rantanen scored twice and collected two assists in a 5-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and two assists while Alexandar Georgiev stopped 34 shots for the win. Carl Grundstrom and Quinton Byfield replied for the Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I only saw the highlights of this contest but Rantanen and MacKinnon were dominating for the Avalanche. Cale Makar also picked up two points in this game for Colorado. Before this match, the Kings announced that winger Viktor Arvidsson would miss at least two games with a lower-body injury.

The Calgary Flames got a 34-save performance from Jacob Markstrom and two late goals by Elias Lindholm and Andrew Mangiapane to upset the Winnipeg Jets 5-3. Lindholm and Mangiapane each finished with three points for the Flames. Kyle Connor, Alex Iafallo and Mark Scheifele replied for the Jets, who outshot the Flames 37-22.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets deserved a better fate as they were the better team in this game. However, the Flames got outstanding goaltending and clutch scoring to take this one.

Carolina Hurricanes defensemen Brady Skjei and Jaccob Slavin scored in the third period to lift their club to a 5-3 win over the Ottawa Senators. Skjei and Jordan Staal each had a goal and an assist while Frederik Andersen made 27 saves. Joonas Korpisalo stopped 37 shots for the Senators.

HEADLINES

THE BUFFALO NEWS: On the eve of their season opener, the Sabres signed defenseman Owen Power to a seven-year, $58.45 million contract extension effective next season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nobody should be surprised by this move. The Sabres indicated they were working on re-signing Power after getting Rasmus Dahlin under contract on Sept. 22 for an eight-year, $88-million contract.

Power, 20, is in the final season of his entry-level contract. His salary will jump from an average of just over $916K to $8.35 million per season. Chosen first overall in the 2021 NHL draft, he was a finalist for the Calder Trophy last season.

The Sabres now have their two top defensemen under contract covering them through most of their playing prime. The duo will be crucial factors in this club’s hopes to become a Stanley Cup contender over the next seven years.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Devils yesterday announced they reached an agreement with head coach Lindy Ruff on a multi-year contract extension that begins in 2024-25. Ruff is currently in the final season of a four-year deal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report didn’t indicate for how many years but wouldn’t surprise me if it’s another three-year contract with a one-year extension option.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: More bad news for San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture as he suffered a setback in his recovery from a lower-body injury that will keep him out of his club’s opening games of the season. Sharks coach David Quinn said Couture will undergo more tests and evaluation.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Flyers forward Scott Laughton intends to take a stand against the NHL banning the use of Pride Tape during theme celebrations this season. “You’ll probably see me with the Pride Tape on that night,” said Laughton. “It’s not going to affect the way I go about it. If they want to say something, they can, but it’s not going to make a difference in what I do every night for the Pride community.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The league should leave it up to the players if they’ll participate in on-ice support by wearing themed jerseys or using special tape on their sticks during warmups on Pride Night. It’ll be interesting to see if other players around the league follow Laughton’s lead.

NHL.COM: Vegas Golden Knights forward Brett Howden received a two-game suspension for an illegal hit to the head of Seattle Kraken forward Brandon Tanev on Tuesday.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of the Golden Knights, forward William Carrier could be sidelined with an upper-body injury after leaving Tuesday’s season opener.

TSN: The Columbus Blue Jackets signed forward Justin Danforth to a one-year, $1.1 million contract extension through 2024-25.

NHL.COM: Speaking of the Blue Jackets, they named Josef Boumedienne as assistant coach and signed assistant coaches Jared Boll and Steve McCarthy to one-year contract extensions.

STLTODAY.COM: The Blues’ current roster retool hasn’t adversely affected them at the gate. Team owner Tom Stillman said the club remains on par in season ticket sales where they’ve been when the club’s come off a playoff run.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s because they’ve got a solid fan base in St. Louis that has supported this franchise for years.