NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 2, 2022

by | Oct 2, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 2, 2022

Recapping notable news from Saturday’s preseason games, the Canadiens sign Jake Allen to a contract extension, the Jets unveil a statue of Dale Hawerchuk, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

PRESEASON HIGHLIGHTS AND NOTABLE HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Alex DeBrincat scored twice, including the winner in overtime, as the Ottawa Senators overcame a 4-2 deficit to defeat the Montreal Canadiens 5-4. Those goals were DeBrincat’s first with the Senators since being acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks in July.

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jake Allen (NHL Images).

Speaking of the Canadiens, they signed Jake Allen to a two-year contract extension.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cap Friendly indicates Allen is also getting a pay raise, going from an average annual value of $2.875 million to $3.85 million. He also gets a seven-team no-trade list for 2023-24 and a three-team no-trade for 2024-25.

Allen told reporters he’s happy to stay with the Canadiens and help them with their rebuilding program. He sees himself as a mentor to goalies Cayden Primeau and Sam Montembeault.

And speaking of the Senators, goaltender Cam Talbot missed this game with an undisclosed injury. He’s listed as day-to-day and isn’t expected to be sidelined for long.

WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets unveiled a statue honoring the late Hall-of-Famer Dale Hawerchuk prior to Saturday’s preseason game against the Edmonton Oilers. Hawerchuk was drafted by the original Jets in 1981 and spent nine seasons with the club, becoming one of the greatest players in franchise history. He died of stomach cancer in 2020.

Two goals by Brent Burns (including the game-winner) enabled the Carolina Hurricanes to nip the Florida Panthers 4-3. Burns was acquired from the San Jose Sharks in July.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Taylor Hall and Fabian Lysell suffered minor injuries during the Boston Bruins’ 4-0 preseason victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. They’re expected to be sidelined for only one or two days.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: As for the Flyers, their injury woes continue as goaltender Felix Sandstrom left the game with a lower-body injury. Starter Carter Hart is currently out with an injury but is expected to be ready for the Flyers’ season-opener on Oct. 13.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TRIBLIVE.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins forwards Jeff Carter and Teddy Blueger remain listed as day-to-day with injuries suffered scrimmages last week.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Carolina Hurricanes signed Calvin de Haan to a one-year, one-way, $850K contract. The 31-year-old defenseman had been in camp on a professional tryout offer.

Nathan Beaulieu’s PTO with the Anaheim Ducks earned the 29-year-old blueliner a one-year, one-way deal worth $850K.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Kraken unveiled Buoy, a blue scraggly sea-troll as their new mascot.

NHL.COM: Dominik Zrim is among several new hirings by the San Jose Sharks. Zrim founded the website CapFriendly in 2015 and becomes the Sharks’ director of salary cap management/CBA compliance.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations, Dominik, and good luck with your new job.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 13, 2022

by | Aug 13, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 13, 2022

The latest on J.T. Miller, how David Krejci’s return to the Bruins helps Taylor Hall, the Blackhawks sign their final two RFAs, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

VANCOUVER HOCKEY NOW: Canucks star J.T. Miller wants to stay in Vancouver but he isn’t sure that’s going to happen. Appearing on John Scott’s “Dropping The Gloves” podcast, the 29-year-old forward said he wants a new contract with the Canucks but he understands if it’s not meant to be.

Vancouver Canucks forward J.T. Miller (NHL Images).

Miller is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July. “Trust me, I’d like to have a deal done in Vancouver and be there, but I have to respect everybody’s vision and if it doesn’t line up, it kind of is-what-it-is,” said Miller. He also indicated that the two sides aren’t as close in contract talks as they’d like to be.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Miller will be 30 by the time his current contract expires. It could cost up to $9 million per season on a seven-year deal to keep him in Vancouver.

If Miller was between 25 and 28 years old perhaps he’d have that contract extension by now. However, there’s a legitimate concern that his performance will decline once he reaches his mid-30s, which would turn that contract into a salary-cap burden for the Canucks.

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: Much of the linemate talk about David Krejci’s return to the Bruins is focused on David Pastrnak but left wing Taylor Hall could benefit more from the 36-year-old center’s NHL comeback.

Joining the Bruins late in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season, Hall had 14 points in 16 regular-season games skating alongside Krejci on the second line. He had 20 goals last season with Charlie Coyle and Erik Haula as his center. Hall could reach 30 in the coming season with Krejci as his linemate.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins could have two potent scoring lines with Krejci centering Hall and Pastrnak while Patrice Bergeron returns to the first-line center position with Jake DeBrusk on right wing and Brad Marchand on the left side once he returns from offseason surgery by late November.

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: The Blackhawks signed their last two restricted free agents in Caleb Jones and Philipp Kurashev. Jones agreed to a one-year, $1.35 million contract while Kurashev inked a one-year deal worth $750K.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cap Friendly shows the Blackhawks have all their roster players under contract for the coming season with $8.49 million in projected salary-cap space when the regular season begins in October.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks announced Scott Gordon and Ryan Warsofsky as their new assistant coaches. Thomas Speer is their new goalie coach while Nick Gialdini will be their video coach.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 31, 2022

by | Mar 31, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 31, 2022

Connor McDavid reaches 100 points again, Leon Draisaitl and Chris Kreider make the race for the Richard Trophy interesting, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Connor McDavid netted his league-leading 100th point of the season and Leon Draisaitl tallied his 49th goal of the campaign as the Edmonton Oilers downed the Los Angeles Kings 4-3. Both players also scored in the shootout for the Oilers. Alexander Edler and Carl Grundstrom each had two points for the Kings (82 points), who hold a one-point lead over the Oilers for second place in the Pacific Division.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

An overtime goal by Andrew Copp lifted the New York Rangers over the Detroit Red Wings 5-4. Chris Kreider’s game-tying goal was his 46th of the season while Artemi Panarin had a goal and two assists for the Rangers (93 points) as they sit three points behind the first-place Carolina Hurricanes in the Metropolitan Division.

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Logan Thompson made 22 saves for his first NHL shutout to blank the Seattle Kraken 3-0. Shea Theodore, Michael Amadio and Jonathan Marchessault were the goal scorers as the Golden Knights (78 points) regained the final wild-card berth in the Western Conference, sitting one point up on the Dallas Stars.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kraken became the fourth team officially eliminated from playoff contention, joining the Arizona Coyotes, Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers.

Blake Wheeler potted the deciding goal in the shootout in the Winnipeg Jets’ 3-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Connor Hellebuyck got the win with a 35-save performance while Zemgus Girgensons scored twice for the Sabres. The Jets have won seven of their last 10 games and sit two points behind the Golden Knights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets played without leading scorer Kyle Connor and defenseman Nate Schmidt after both entered COVID protocol yesterday.

The St. Louis Blues regained third place in the Central Division by holding off the Vancouver Canucks 4-3. Ryan O’Reilly had a goal and an assist for the Blues, who sit three points behind the second-place Minnesota Wild with 83 points. With 73 points, the Canucks are five points behind the Golden Knights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s the second straight loss for the Canucks, putting their playoff hopes in jeopardy. Earlier in the day, they also learned forward Nils Hoglander may be done for the season after suffering a groin injury during practice on March 16.

Arizona Coyotes goaltender Karel Vejmelka made 39 saves and Jan Jenik scored two goals in a 5-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks. It was a costly win for the Coyotes as leading scorer Clayton Keller was stretchered from the game in the third period after falling awkwardly into the boards. Keller was transported to a hospital for further examination.

HEADLINES

OTTAWA SUN: Anthony LeBlanc, the Senators president of business operations, confirmed the club had held talks with Quebec City, but only about entering a joint bid to host the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship.

A report in La Presse yesterday claimed NHL commissioner Gary Bettman had spoken to the Quebec government about the Senators playing five of its home games in Quebec City next season. LeBlanc said the possibility of playing neutral site games there was floated but never really discussed. “The idea that we (Senators) are going to be playing in Quebec City is very disingenuous,” said LeBlanc.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some folks seem to be jumping to conclusions by taking this story as an indication the Senators could be relocated to Quebec City. Coming two days after the death of Senators owner Eugene Melnyk, the La Presse report stirred unease for a fan base that is, according to the Ottawa Sun’s Ken Warren, insecure over the franchise’s future in Ottawa.

Part of that is uncertainty over what Melnyk’s successors intend to do with the Senators. However, Bettman recently indicated an ownership structure is in place and he anticipated the franchise will continue operating as it has. Part of it could also be tied to the late Melnyk’s attempts to build a new arena in downtown Ottawa.

If the Melnyk family decides to sell the Senators, the priority will be to find a buyer who will keep the team in its current location. Any sale of the franchise has to be approved by the NHL board of governors.

NHL.COM: The NHL department of player safety fined Boston Bruins winger Taylor Hall $5,000.00 for roughing Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin on Tuesday. Nashville Predators forward Tanner Jeannot was fined $2,000.00 for kneeing Ottawa Senators winger Brady Tkachuk on Tuesday.

CBS SPORTS: The Maple Leafs placed winger Ondrej Kase on long-term injury reserve. He’s been sidelined by a concussion since March 19.

SPORTSNET: Former NHL player Jake Virtanen will go to trial starting on July 18 for sexual assault charges.