NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 2, 2024

by | Oct 2, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 2, 2024

Recapping Tuesday’s preseason action, the Canadiens get some good news on Patrik Laine’s condition. notable news from the latest Board of Governors meeting, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

RECAPS OF TUESDAY’S NHL PRESEASON GAMES

NHL.COM: The San Jose Sharks lost to the Utah Hockey Club 3-1 and lost promising center Macklin Celebrini to a lower-body injury. Celebrini, 18, crashed hard into the end boards during the second period. He played one more shift before leaving the game. Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky had no update on the youngster’s condition following the game.

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (NHL Images)

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin left in the first period with a lower-body injury during his club’s 5-4 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Kevin Labanc had two goals and an assist for the Devils.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said Panarin was still be evaluated following the game. It’s the second time in this preseason that a lower-body injury has sidelined the high-scoring winger.

Ottawa Senators forwards Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk suffered injuries during their 5-4 win over the Montreal Canadiens. During the second period, Stutzle was on the receiving end of a late blindside hit by Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj. Tkachuk was hurt during the subsequent tussle with Xhekaj, who received a match penalty for the second straight preseason game. Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot left in the third period for precautionary reasons.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stutzle, Tkachuk, and Chabot will all be re-evaluated on Wednesday. The injury news overshadowed the return of defenseman Artem Zub and oft-injured forward Josh Norris to the Senators’ lineup for this game.

Xhekaj was fined for his actions against Toronto Maple Leafs forward Cedric Pare following his knee-on-knee hit on Canadiens winger Patrik Laine. He could be suspended for his dangerous hit on Stutzle.

Speaking of the Canadiens, they got some good news on Laine as what appeared to be a season-ending knee injury was a sprain that will sidelined him for two-to-three months. Considering the circumstances, Laine was lucky to avoid a more serious injury.

Canadiens prospect defenseman David Reinbacher also suffered a knee injury during that Leafs game. He didn’t get off as lucky, facing a five-to-six-month recovery following knee surgery.

The Boston Bruins got a tie-breaking goal from Tyler Johnson in the third period to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-1. Bruins captain Brad Marchand played over four minutes in his preseason debut before leaving the game with an illness.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and three assists as his club rolled to a 7-2 drubbing of the Chicago Blackhawks. Jared Spurgeon tallied twice and Mats Zuccarello collected three assists for the Wild. Connor Bedard scored the Blackhawks’ second goal.

Detroit Red Wings prospect Nate Danielson tallied the go-ahead goal late in the third period to lift his club to a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Goaltender Ville Husso kicked out 43 shots for the Red Wings.

The Columbus Blue Jackets got two assists from Adam Fantilli to down the St. Louis Blues 3-1. Blues goalie Joel Hofer stopped 32 shots.

Zach Aston-Reese scored twice for the Vegas Golden Knights as they thumped the Colorado Avalanche 6-1.

HEADLINES

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun provided highlights from the latest NHL Board of Governors meeting.

League commissioner Gary Bettman said he’d be happy if negotiations for an extension to the collective bargaining agreement were completed by the 2025 Stanley Cup Final. However, he said there’s been no discussion with the NHLPA regarding a timetable for those talks.

LeBrun indicated that Bettman recently said CBA talks could start as early as November, though he noted both sides still had homework to do. The commissioner also believes the relationship with the PA is “in a good place.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The current CBA expires in September 2026. There’s plenty of time to negotiate an extension and little apparent rancor between the two sides. Fingers crossed it stays that way once they start getting down to serious discussions.

Bettman also made an early projection on next season’s salary cap, suggesting it could come in at $92.5 million. This season’s cap is $88 million.

The commissioner also said the topic of expansion never came up during this meeting, saying it is not a front-burner issue.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: LeBrun believes expansion is eventually coming down the road “to Atlanta and maybe Houston.” He also didn’t rule out a return to Arizona. “But not quite yet.”

SPORTSNET: The NHL and NHLPA have agreed that the Columbus Blue Jackets will not need to reach this season’s $65 million salary cap minimum by the roster deadline of Oct. 7. This exemption comes with the expectation that the Blue Jackets will rise about the cap floor “in a reasonable time.”

The death of winger Johnny Gaudreau removed his $9.75 million annual average value through 2028-29 from their payroll. The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline reports the Jackets are expected to be under the cap minimum by $1.4 million when the season begins.

RG.ORG: Jimmy Murphy reports Anaheim Ducks head coach Greg Cronin expects more of a competitive effort from Trevor Zegras this season. The 23-year-old forward struggled through an injury-shortened 2023-24 campaign. Cronin acknowledged Zegras’ offensive skills but wants to see a better effort from him battling for pucks along the boards and in front of the net.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Zegras’ willingness to “get his nose dirty” was questioned before last season. His performance this season could determine whether he still fits within the Ducks’ long-range plans.

CBS SPORTS: Speaking of the Ducks, winger Troy Terry missed practice yesterday with a lower-body injury and is considered day-to-day.

THE SCORE: Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella didn’t mince words when asked about the state of his goaltending. “It scares the crap out of me,” said the outspoken Flyers bench boss.

Tortorella praised Samuel Ersson but pointed out that this is his first full season as their starter. Backup Ivan Fedotov is also beginning his first full NHL season. There’s also uncertainty as to where Aleksei Kolosov fits into the equation.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 3, 2023

by | Aug 3, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 3, 2023

David Krejci is expected to retire, Ryan Ellis’ career is likely over, Troy Terry agrees to a seven-year contract with the Ducks, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines. 

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: David Krejci could follow Patrice Bergeron into retirement. A source told Jimmy Murphy that the 37-year-old Boston Bruins center could soon hang up his skates, though he could play for the Czechia National Team in 2024.

Boston Bruins center David Krejci (NHL Images).

Murphy’s source claims Krejci will announce his NHL retirement very soon but is keeping it low-key as he left the Bruins in 2021-22 to play in his native country. He was coaxed into returning to Boston last season, finishing with 56 points in 70 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Krejci may also be giving the Bruins organization an opportunity to catch its breath after dealing with Bergeron’s recent decision to call it a career. Management probably already knows what he has in mind as their offseason roster moves have been made as though Krejci and Bergeron wouldn’t be back.

THE SCORE: Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy believes Brad Marchand has what it takes to replace Bergeron as Boston’s captain. Cassidy, who coached Marchand and the Bruins for six seasons until his firing in June 2022, told “The Cam & Strick Podcast” that he thinks the 35-year-old winger would be “a great leader in terms of leading by example, will to win, been there done it.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cassidy also thinks that Marchand’s biggest challenge if named the Bruins captain will be learning how to deal with younger players given the high expectations he sets for himself and his teammates.

We still don’t know who the Bruins will tap as Bergeron’s successor. They could go with Marchand or perhaps opt for someone younger such as David Pastrnak or Charlie McAvoy.

NHL.COM: Keith Jones, the Philadelphia Flyers president of hockey operations, said defenseman Ryan Ellis’ playing career could be over due to a torn psoas muscle. “It’s a tough time. It’s a very, really difficult time. I’m very sympathetic to what he’s gone through,” said Jones, whose own NHL career was ended by a knee injury in 2000.

Jones had some good news regarding forwards Sean Couturier and Cam Atkinson. Both players missed last season due to injuries but are expected to join their teammates when training camp opens next month.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ellis’ ongoing absence leaves a gaping hole on the Flyers’ blueline that could take years to adequately address. However, the potential returns of Couturier and Atkinson to their forward lines should make them a more competitive club this season.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Anaheim Ducks avoided salary arbitration with Troy Terry as the two sides agreed to a seven-year, $49 million contract with an average annual value of $7 million. The contract also comes with a 10-team no-trade clause starting in 2025-26.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Terry led the Ducks in scoring (67 points) during his 2021-22 breakout season and was second in scoring last season with 61 points despite missing 12 games to injury and the birth of his first child. With the NHL salary cap projected to significantly rise in the coming years, Terry’s contract could prove to be an affordable investment for the Ducks if he maintains his current level of production.

The Ducks’ focus now shifts to re-signing Terry’s linemate Trevor Zegras. He’s coming off his entry-level contract and could seek a more lucrative long-term deal.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: The Ducks also got some bad news yesterday as center Isac Lundestrom is expected to be sidelined for six months with a torn Achilles suffered during training in Sweden. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This could send the Ducks into the free-agent market in search of an experienced penalty-killing center on an affordable one-year contract.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins avoided arbitration with Drew O’Connor, signing the winger to a two-year contract with a $925K AAV.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: And with that, the 2023 NHL arbitration cases are completed. The settlement of O’Connor’s case will open up a 48-hour window for the Penguins to buy out a contract. I’ll have more about that in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets signed Rasmus Kupari to a two-year, $2 million contract worth an AAV of $1 million. The 23-year-old forward was among the three players that the Jets received from the Los Angeles Kings in the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade in June.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Former NHL winger Josh Ho-Sang is reportedly considering retirement. A first-round pick of the New York Islanders (28th overall) in the 2014 Draft, Ho-Sang spent parts of three seasons with the Islanders between 2016-17 and 2018-19.

Ho-Sang, 27, played one game last season with KHL team Ufa Salavat Yulayev before being sidelined by a significant injury, returning for four playoff games. In 2021-22, he had 35 points in 47 games for the AHL’s Toronto Marlies and played for Canada’s 2022 Olympic Team with three points in five games.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 1, 2023

by | Aug 1, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 1, 2023

The Wild avoid arbitration with Filip Gustavsson, the Ducks and Troy Terry are far apart in their arbitration filings, and the Kraken’s Alex Wennberg calls out vile social media comments made against himself and his family. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

STARTRIBUNE.COM: The Minnesota Wild avoided arbitration with goaltender Filip Gustavsson as the two sides reached an agreement on a three-year, $11.25 million contract. The average annual value is $3.75 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gustavsson’s arbitration hearing was scheduled for Aug. 4. The 25-year-old goalie is getting over $3 million per season more than what he was making on his previous contract. He earned it with a career-best performance in 2022-23, outplaying veteran Marc-Andre Fleury with a record of 22-9-7 in 39 games played with a 2.10 goals-against average, a .931 save percentage and three shutouts.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson (NHL Images).

The Wild will likely start the season with Gustavsson as their 1-A netminder and Fleury as their 1-B. If the former carries over his strong 2022-23 play into this season, it won’t be surprising if the latter ends up getting fewer starts as he’s shifted into a backup role. Fleury turns 39 in November and is in the final season of his contract.

THE SCORE: The Anaheim Ducks and Troy Terry are far apart in their arbitration filings. The Ducks are seeking $4.5 million on a one-year contract while the winger seeks $8 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Terry enjoyed a breakout performance in 2021-22, leading the rebuilding Ducks with 37 goals and 67 points. His production dipped a bit last season with 23 goals and 61 points but he missed 12 games to injury and the birth of his first child.

Terry’s earned a raise over the $1.45 million annual cap hit of his last contract but it’s doubtful he’ll get $8 million. His agent probably filed that amount knowing that arbiters tend to settle on a middle-ground total.

CAP FRIENDLY: Terry’s arbitration hearing is scheduled for Aug. 2.

Boston Bruins forward Trent Frederic’s hearing is slated for today.

Edmonton Oilers center Ryan McLeod, Pittsburgh Penguins winger Drew O’Connor and New York Rangers defenseman Brandon Scanlin’s hearings are scheduled for Aug. 4.

YAHOO! SPORTS: Seattle Kraken forward Alex Wennberg and his wife have called out the “BookTok” TikTok community over vile comments that have sexualized and harassed the player and his family for months.

Wennberg issued a statement noting that he’s been media trained to “bite my tongue and leave it”. However, he felt he had to speak up after people posted what he called “vile comments” on his wife’s Instagram account and on photos of the couple’s child.

He expressed his support of the BookTok community writing books and fiction about hockey but felt the aggressive language about real-life players crossed the line.

Felicia Weeren, Wennberg’s wife, recently called out the community for comments toward her husband that were sexually predatory and harassing. Wennberg and Weeren pointed out that some fans went so far as to direct message players with crass remarks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A player and his family should not be subject to harassment by so-called “fans” on social media. It remains to be seen if Wennberg’s statement will put a stop to the comments directed toward him and his family. The Kraken hasn’t publicly indicated what they intend to do regarding this issue.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Devils signed defenseman Kevin Bahl to a two-year contract extension worth an AAV of $1.05 million.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: The Canadiens agreed to a one-year, two-way contract with forward Jesse Ylonen. The 23-year-old will earn $750K at the NHL level.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs inked winger Nick Abruzzese to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775K at the NHL level.

TRIBLIVE.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins have promoted Amanda Kessel to the role of special assistant to president of hockey operations and general manager. Kessel is the younger sister of former Penguins winger Phil Kessel. She is also one of the most prolific players in the history of the U.S. Women’s National Team.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: The Blackhawks will honor team owner Rocky Wirtz with two public ceremonies on Aug. 9 at the United Center. Wirtz passed away last week at age 70 following a brief illness. A private ceremony will be held on Aug. 8.

THE ATHLETIC: The Wirtz Corporation is purchasing the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 6, 2023

by | Jul 6, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 6, 2023

Jeremy Swayman, Troy Terry and Vince Dunn are among 22 players filing for arbitration, Vladimir Tarasenko changes agents, Alain Vigneault, Patric Hornqvist, Darren Helm and Michael Stone retire, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHLPA.COM: Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman, Anaheim Ducks winger Troy Terry and Seattle Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn are among 22 players who filed for salary arbitration by the 5 pm ET deadline on July 5.

The deadline for club-elected salary arbitration notification is 5 pm ET on July 6.

The salary arbitration period begins on July 20 and ends on Aug. 4. A schedule for those hearings will be released shortly.

Here is the complete list of players who filed for arbitration:

Morgan Barron (Winnipeg Jets)
Will Borgen (Seattle Kraken)
Noah Cates (Philadelphia Flyers)
Ross Colton (Colorado Avalanche)
Brandon Duhaime (Minnesota Wild)
Vince Dunn (Seattle Kraken)
Cale Fleury (Seattle Kraken)
Trent Frederic (Boston Bruins)
Filip Gustavsson (Minnesota Wild)
Brett Howden (Vegas Golden Knights)
Tanner Jeannot (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Philipp Kurashev (Chicago Blackhawks)
Jack McBain (Arizona Coyotes)
Ryan McLeod (Edmonton Oilers)
Ian Mitchell (Boston Bruins)
Drew O’Connor (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Ilya Samsonov (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Brandon Scanlin (New York Rangers)
Jeremy Swayman (Boston Bruins)
Troy Terry (Anaheim Ducks)
Alexei Toropchenko (St. Louis Blues)
Gabriel Vilardi (Winnipeg Jets)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll be surprising if any of these filings end up going to arbitration. Players and teams usually file to use their dates with an arbiter as a deadline to complete their contract negotiations. It’s expected that all of them will agree to new contracts before their scheduled hearings.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman yesterday reported that Vladimir Tarasenko has replaced agent Paul Theofanus with agents Pat Brisson and J.P. Barry. This means the unrestricted free-agent winger has no deal yet with any team and his process of negotiation begins anew.

Vladimir Tarasenko (NHL Images).

NEW YORK POST’s Larry Brooks tweeted that Tarasenko had multiple offers of varying lengths with average annual values between $5.5 million and $6 million from teams ranging from contenders to rebuilding clubs. The Carolina Hurricanes were among those bidders. However, the 31-year-old winger rejected those offers and changed agents.

Brooks also indicated that Tarasenko had wanted to remain with the New York Rangers. However, the club lacks the cap space to make it happen.

THE ATHLETIC: Jeremy Rutherford also reports that it’s back to square one for Tarasenko as his new representatives attempt to find the right fit for the UFA winger. They’ve been reaching out to clubs, including those that previously made offers to Tarasenko.

There were reports Tarasenko was close to signing a deal with the Carolina Hurricanes before changing agents. The Hurricanes declined to comment but Rutherford indicates his new representatives have reached out to the club and are waiting for a reply.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tarasenko remains the best player available in this summer’s thin UFA market. He’s coming off an eight-year contract with an AAV of $7.5 million.

Tarasenko will still generate plenty of interest. However, the high number of clubs with limited salary-cap space could make it difficult for him to find better offers than those he reportedly received before changing agents.

RDS: Former NHL coach Alain Vigneault has no interest in pursuing another head-coaching job. The 62-year-old remains under contract with the Philadelphia Flyers but was fired as their head coach in Dec. 2021. He now considers himself a retiree and wants to move on and enjoy his life.

Vigneault ranks 15th in NHL history for games coached (1,363) and is tenth in wins with 722. He spent 19 seasons as a head coach with the Montreal Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers and the Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Vigneault won the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year in 2006-07 and guided the Canucks to the 2011 Stanley Cup Final and the Rangers to the 2014 Cup Final. He leads all Canucks coaches with 313 wins. Best wishes to Vigneault in his retirement.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers winger Patric Hornqvist has announced his retirement, citing the concussions he suffered in December that ended his 2022-23 season. He spent 15 seasons in the NHL with the Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers.

In 901 games, Hornqvist tallied 264 goals and 543 points, winning back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Penguins in 2016 and 2017. He scored the Cup-clinching goal for the Penguins against the Predators in the 2017 Final.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche forward Darren Helm is calling it a career after 16 NHL seasons with the Detroit Red Wings and the Avalanche. In 823 games, Helm tallied 119 goals and 266 points as a checking-line center, winning a Stanley Cup with Detroit in 2018 and with the Avs in 2022.

CALGARY SUN: Defenseman Michael Stone has announced his retirement and is joining the Flames as part of their player development team. He played 552 games and netted 145 points skating with the Arizona Coyotes and the Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Hornqvist, Helm and Stone in their future endeavors.

WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets signed restricted free-agent defenseman Dylan Samberg to a two-year, $2.8 million contract.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Philadelphia Flyers signed defenseman Victor Mete to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775K at the NHL level.

NHL.COM: David Reinbacher signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Montreal Canadiens. The 18-year-old Austrian defenseman was chosen fifth overall by the Canadiens in the 2023 NHL Draft.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings promoted Kris Draper to assistant general manager. He will still retain his title of director of amateur scouting.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 28, 2023

by | Mar 28, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 28, 2023

Oilers Stars Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid reach scoring milestones, Matt Boldy nets his second hat trick of the month, the three stars of the week are revealed, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Edmonton Oilers nipped the Arizona Coyotes 5-4 as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins snapped a 4-4 tie in the third period. Nugent-Hopkins, Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard each had a goal and an assist for the 42-23-9 Oilers as they hold third place in the Pacific Division with 93 points. Barrett Hayton and Mattias Macelli each scored two goals while Lawson Crouse collected three assists for the 27-36-13 Coyotes.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Draisaitl became the fourth-fastest active player to reach 300 career goals. Teammate Connor McDavid collected his career-best 80th assist of the season and is the first player to reach 140 points in a season since Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr in 1995-96.

Minnesota Wild winger Matt Boldy collected his second hat trick of the month and his first natural one of his career in a 5-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 35 shots as the Wild (43-22-9) hold a one-point lead over the Colorado Avalanche for first place in the Central Division with 95 points. Jaden Schwartz tallied for the Kraken as they hold the first Western Conference wild-card spot with 88 points.

The Colorado Avalanche remained one point back of the Wild by defeating the Anaheim Ducks 5-1. Nathan MacKinnon and Bowen Byram each had a goal and an assist for the 44-23-6 Avalanche. Doug Grant replied for the 23-41-10 Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks center Trevor Zegras left this game with a lower-body injury in the second period. The Ducks were already playing without Troy Terry as he was out of this contest for personal reasons.

New York Islanders winger Kyle Palmieri tallied twice and collected an assist in a 5-1 win over the New Jersey Devils. Ilya Sorokin stopped 30 shots as the Islanders improved to 38-28-9 and hold a three-point lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 85 points. Erik Haula replied for the Devils (46-20-8) as they remain three points back of the first-place Carolina Hurricanes in the Metropolitan Division with 100 points.

The Ottawa Senators kept their playoff hopes alive while dealing a blow to the Florida Panthers with a 5-2 victory. Brady Tkachuk had a goal and an assist while Mads Sogaard turned aside 32 shots as the Senators (36-33-5) sit five points behind Pittsburgh with 77 points. Gustav Forsling scored both goals for the 36-31-7 Panthers as they remain three points behind the Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers forward Sam Bennett missed his fourth straight game with an undisclosed injury.

A shootout goal by Michael Pezzetta lifted the Montreal Canadiens to a 4-3 upset of the Buffalo Sabres. Brendan Gallagher’s game-tying goal was also the 200th goal of his career for the 30-38-6 Canadiens. Rookie Lukas Rousek scored his first goal and collected his first assist in his first NHL game for the 35-31-7 Sabres, who set five points behind the Penguins for that final Eastern wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pezzetta delighted Canadiens fans by riding his stick “Tiger Williams style” to celebrate his game-winner. The Sabres played without Tage Thompson as he’s listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Ilya Lybushkin was the only Sabre who declined to take part in the club’s Pride Night warmups.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: The New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs didn’t play on Monday night but both clubs clinched playoff berths. The Rangers secured their spot due to Monday’s losses by the Panthers and Sabres while the Leafs are in due to the Panthers’ loss.

Los Angeles Kings winger Viktor Arvidsson, Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki, and Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending March 26.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: The Golden Knights set an NHL record following their win against the Edmonton Oilers by becoming the first team to win four straight games with four different goaltenders. Jiri Patera, Jonathan Quick, Logan Thompson and Laurent Brossoit gained those respective wins.

DETROIT FREE PRESS: Red Wings goaltender Ville Husso and forward Robby Fabbri are sidelined by injuries for the rest of the season.

TSN: Columbus Blue Jackets defensemen Nick Blankenburg and Erik Gudbranson and forward Mathieu Olivier are also done for the season due to injuries.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The front office changes continue for the Flyers as Dave Scott is stepping down as chairman of the club’s parent company (Comcast Spectacor) and governor of the franchise. Dan Hilferty will take over as Scott’s successor.

OTTAWA SUN: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said he’ll leave it up to the Senators’ new owner where, and if, they’ll build a new arena for the franchise. He stressed that the club won’t be leaving Ottawa. “If this team is going to move, the only move that will be permitted is to downtown,” he said. Bettman doesn’t want to back the new owner into a corner regarding a new arena.

The Senators signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Capital Commission to build a new arena at LeBreton Flats which is as close to the downtown core. However, Ottawa mayor Mark Sutcliffe last week said it wasn’t the only possible site for an arena.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bettman also said there are six ownership groups bidding for the Senators. The new owner could be announced by late April at the earliest.

SPORTSNET: Hockey Hall of Famer Igor Larionov suggests Russia should withdraw from the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) in order to negotiate directly with the NHL for the release of its players to represent their country in international tournaments. The IIHF has suspended Russia over its ongoing war with Ukraine.

TSN: Speaking of international competition, Hockey Canada has deemed all players from Canada’s 2018 World Junior Team will be ineligible to participate in the 2023 World Hockey Championship until an investigation into an alleged group sexual assault is completed.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 11, 2023

by | Feb 11, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 11, 2023

Penguins star Evgeni Malkin reaches a points milestone, Vladimir Tarasenko scored in his Rangers debut, the latest on Patrick Kane and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin collected two assists to become the third player in franchise history to reach 1,200 career points in a 6-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Pierre-Olivier Joseph scored twice and collected an assist as the Penguins (26-16-9) vaulted over the Washington Capitals into the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 61 points. Mason McTavish had a goal and an assist for the Ducks as they dropped to 17-30-6.

Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Ducks placed winger Troy Terry (upper body) on injured reserve.

Vladimir Tarasenko scored in his debut with the New York Rangers as they picked up their fourth straight win by down the Seattle Kraken 6-3. Vincent Trocheck, Kaapo Kakko and Ryan Lindgren each had a goal and an assist for the Rangers, who improved to 30-14-8 (68 points) and sit four points behind the second-place New Jersey Devils in the Metropolitan Division. Oliver Bjorkstrand and Vince Dunn each had two points for the 29-18-5 Kraken as they dropped their third straight game and slipped to third place in the Pacific Division with 63 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As expected, Tarasenko skated on the Rangers’ top line alongside Mika Zibanejad (who also scored in this contest) and Artemi Panarin (one assist). He indicated that he received no contract offer from the Blues prior to the trade to the Rangers.

Meanwhile, the Kraken and the Edmonton Oilers have identical records. However, the latter moved into second place in the Pacific with 27 regulation wins.

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov turned in a 30-save shutout in a 3-0 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. John Tavares scored twice for the 32-13-8 Leafs (72 points) as they widened their lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning for second place in the Atlantic Division by four points. Joonas Korpisalo stopped 38 shots for the Blue Jackets (15-33-4) as they remain mired at the bottom of the overall standings.

An overtime goal by Caleb Jones lifted the Chicago Blackhawks over the Arizona Coyotes by a score of 4-3. Andreas Athanasiou had a goal and two assists for the 16-29-5 Blackhawks. Coyotes forward Clayton Keller also had a goal and two assists as his club dropped to 17-30-6.

HEADLINES

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane wasn’t pleased when he heard that the Rangers acquired Vladimir Tarasenko on Thursday. “It’s not like the happiest I’ve been to hear about a trade,” he said. Kane indicated the Rangers were a team he was interested in if he was going to be traded.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane’s comments are an indication that he’s leaning toward accepting a trade before the March 3 deadline. He and teammate Jonathan Toews are reportedly supposed to make a decision by mid-February whether they’ll waive their no-movement clauses. It sounds like Kane already has a list of preferred trade destinations with the Rangers probably at the top.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond could miss Saturday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks after suffering a lower-body injury during practice on Friday. Defenseman Jake Walman is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning defenseman Ian Cole was fined $5,000.00 by the NHL department of player safety for kneeing Colorado Avalanche forward Andrew Cogliano during Thursday’s game.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: The Canadiens re-signed defenseman Jordan Harris to a two-year, $2.8 million contract extension. The average annual value is $1.4 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some Canadiens followers went on social media suggesting this was more than what Harris deserved. Perhaps they initially confused that $2.8 million as his new annual cap hit. On his current two-year contract (entry-level), the 22-year-old blueliner is earning an AAV of $842,500 (not counting performance bonuses). $1.4 million is a reasonable raise.

LA HOCKEY NOW: The Kings signed goalie Pheonix Copley to a one-year, $1.5 million contract extension.

TSN: The Florida Panthers signed defenseman Josh Mahura to a one-year, one-way contract extension. Cap Friendly indicates his new deal is worth $925K.