NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 24, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 24, 2025

Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin keeps moving closer to Wayne Gretzky’s goal record, the Red Wings unveil their Quarter-Century Team, Wild owner Craig Leipold jumps the gun on commissioner Gary Bettman’s retirement plans, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF THURSDAY’S NHL ACTION

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored his 875th regular-season goal into an empty net in a 3-0 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Charlie Lindgren turned in a 22-save shutout while Aliaksei Protas and Ethan Frank tallied unassisted goals for the Capitals, who picked up their sixth straight win and sit first overall in the standings with 71 points. Kraken goalie Joey Daccord stopped 30 shots in his 100th regular-season game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin needs 20 goals to break Gretzky’s record of 894. With 34 games remaining in the Capitals’ regular-season schedule, he could break the record by April.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen turned aside 18 shots for his 300th regular-season win as his club downed the Columbus Blue Jackets 7-4. Seth Jarvis scored twice and collected two assists and Sebastian Aho had a goal and two assists for the Hurricanes, who sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 63 points. Kent Johnson and James van Riemsdyk each had a goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets (53 points) as they cling to the final wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Andersen became the second-fastest goalie in NHL history to reach 300 career wins (501 games played). Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightnings holds that record with 490 games played.

Edmonton Oilers forwards Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman each collected three points in a 6-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a goal and an assist for the Oilers (63 points) as they snapped a two-game losing skid to sit one point behind the Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights. Brock Boeser and Filip Hronek replied for the Canucks (50 points), who’ve dropped four of their last five and sit three points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Draisaitl tallied his league-leading 35th goal and extended his home points streak to 17 games. Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood left this game for undisclosed reasons early in the second period.

Meanwhile, the Golden Knights ended a four-game losing skid (0-3-1) by doubling up the St. Louis Blues 4-2. Mark Stone had a goal and an assist while Tomas Hertl scored in his fourth straight game to extend his points streak to seven games. Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas scored for the Blues (50 points), who also sit three points out of the final Western wild card.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights played without center William Karlsson as he’s week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg matched a franchise record by scoring in his seventh straight game in a 6-5 win over the San Jose Sharks. Forsberg finished the night with two goals while Fedor Svechkov snapped a 5-5 tie in the third period as the Predators picked up their fifth straight win. Sharks goalie Yaroslav Askarov gave up six goals on 38 shots against his former club.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Predators forward Cole Smith received a game misconduct for a hit to the head of San Jose forward Ty Dellandrea during the second period. Dellandrea had to be helped from the ice by the Sharks medical staff and was ruled out of the remainder of this game with an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, Sharks forwards Klim Kostin and Nico Sturm missed this game as both are sidelined week-to-week with injuries.

The New York Rangers extended their points streak to 10 games (7-0-3) by thumping the Philadelphia Flyers 6-1. Igor Shesterkin made 33 saves while Adam Fox, K’Andre Miller, Filip Chytil and Reilly Smith each had a goal and an assist for the Rangers. Owen Tippett scored for the Flyers as their three-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Given up for dead after a six-week collapse in the standings, the Rangers (52 points) have climbed back into the Eastern playoff race, sitting one point behind the Blue Jackets for the final wild-card spot. The Flyers (50 points) are three points out.

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin got a goal and an assist in his 700th regular-season game in a 4-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Moritz Seider collected two assists as the Wings snapped a three-game losing skid. They sit four points behind the Blue Jackets. Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault kicked out 41 shots in the loss as his club is also one point back of the Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings forward Patrick Kane missed this game with an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

The Boston Bruins blanked the Ottawa Senators 2-0, handing the latter their second straight shutout loss. Bruins goalie Joonas Korpisalo made 29 saves against his former team while Morgan Geekie and David Pastrnak scored the only goals. Anton Forsberg gave up only one goal on 24 shots for the Senators, who are tied with the Rangers and Canadiens with 52 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins starter Jeremy Swayman missed this game with a minor upper-body injury. They called up Michael DiPietro to back up Korpisalo.

Senators winger David Perron returned to action for the first time in two months. They placed goalie Linus Ullmark on long-term injury reserve to accommodate Perron’s return. Meanwhile, it was a lousy day for Sens forward Claude Giroux as he was the victim of car theft for the second time in four months.

Anaheim Ducks forwards Mason McTavish and Alex Killorn each scored two goals to drop the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-1 and snap a four-game losing skid. John Gibson stopped 31 shots for the Ducks. Michael Bunting replied for the Penguins, who’ve lost nine of their last 12 contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins (48 points) are five points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot. Winger Bryan Rust left this game with an undisclosed injury.

The Utah Hockey Club got a 26-save shutout from goalie Karel Vejmelka in a 4-0 win over the Minnesota Wild. Barrett Hayton tallied twice for Utah to extend their winning streak to three games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild sit second in the Central Division with 60 points but they’ve lost four of their last five games.

Calgary Flames forwards Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri each had a goal and two assists to beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-2. Dustin Wolf made 32 saves for the win as the Flames (53 points) hold a three-point lead over the Canucks in the final Western Conference wild-card spot. Mattias Samuelsson and Tage Thompson scored for the Sabres, who have lost three of their last four.

HEADLINES

THE ATHLETIC: Michael Russo and Chris Johnston report Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold said the executive committee of the NHL’s Board of Governors has been planning for the retirement of league commissioner Gary Bettman.

The longest-tenured commissioner in North American pro sports, Bettman was hired by the NHL in 1992. Leipold claims the BoG is in the process of finding Bettman’s successor.

Leipold, however, hadn’t realized the 72-year-old Bettman hadn’t formally announced his retirement plans. The commissioner told The Athletic he hasn’t decided when he’ll retire but brought it up for the first time to the executive committee ahead of last month’s BoG meeting in Florida.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leipold put Bettman and the league in an awkward spot by jumping the gun. Nevertheless, Bettman will inevitably retire at some point, perhaps before the end of this decade.

Bettman’s not going anywhere before a new collective bargaining agreement is hammered out with the NHL Players’ Association. The current CBA is set to expire in September 2026 but Bettman has announced the two sides intend to begin discussions next month. He could set his retirement plans in motion after that.

NHL.COM: The Detroit Red Wings unveiled their Quarter-Century Team on Thursday.

The First Team features forwards Steve Yzerman, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, defensemen Nicklas Lidstrom and Niklas Kronwall, and goaltender Chris Osgood.

Forwards Sergei Fedorov, Brendan Shanahan and Dylan Larkin, defensemen Chris Chelios and Bryan Rafalski, and goalie Dominik Hasek comprised the Second Team.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom could be sidelined for weeks with an ankle injury suffered during Wednesday’s game against the Boston Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Losing their starting goalie is a big blow to the Devils. If he’s sidelined for a lengthy period it could affect their plans for the trade deadline.

THE SCORE: New York Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury. Fortunately, he won’t require surgery.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders have struggled to remain in the playoff chase. Losing their top defenseman is a significant setback that could turn this club into a trade-deadline seller if it hampers their efforts to qualify for the postseason.

THE DENVER POST: Colorado Avalanche forward Miles Wood is expected to return to action on Saturday against the Boston Bruins. He’s been sidelined since Nov. 27 by a back injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 9, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 9, 2024

A look at the most interesting salary arbitration cases, the Capitals make a notable front-office change, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

SPORTSNET: Ryan Dixon looked at some of the more interesting potential salary arbitration cases worth watching. Fourteen players filed for arbitration by the July 5 deadline. There were no club-elected arbitration cases.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas (NHL Images).

Topping the list is Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas. The 25-year-old has featured prominently in the rumor mill as reports emerged about his unhappiness skating as a third-line winger. There’s also been a management change as Eric Tulsky took over as general manager from Don Waddell.

Other notable cases that could be worth monitoring include New York Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren, Buffalo Sabres starting goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Tampa Bay Lightning blueliner J.J. Moser, and Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kirill Marchenko.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Moser’s could be interesting because he was recently acquired from the Utah Hockey Club. The Lightning sees him as a replacement for Mikhail Sergachev, who was swapped for Moser, prospect center Conor Geekie, and two draft picks.

The Bolts won’t pay Moser as much as Sergachev ($8.5 million annually) but the 24-year-old Swiss blueliner will seek a significant raise coming off his entry-level contract.

Most of these cases are settled well before their scheduled arbitration hearings between July 20 and Aug. 4. Sometimes, one or two end up going before an arbitrator. 

TSN: The Washington Capitals named Chris Patrick as their new general manager while long-time GM Brian MacLellan remains as president of hockey operations. Patrick, 48, has worked in various roles with the Capitals, spending the past three seasons as assistant GM.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report indicates this follows a recent trend around the league where an established general manager moves upstairs and cedes day-to-day operations. MacLellan will still maintain oversight over any significant roster decisions. He’d served as GM since 2014 and helped them win their first Stanley Cup in 2018.

MacLellan improved the Capitals roster in recent weeks, swapping goalie Darcy Kuemper for center Pierre-Luc Dubois, acquiring defenseman Jakob Chychrun from the Ottawa Senators, winger Andrew Mangiapane from the Calgary Flames, and netminder Logan Thompson from the Vegas Golden Knights. He also signed top-four defenseman Matt Roy.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin discussed the “Seattle Incident” during the 2023 playoffs with a Russian interviewer. His comments were made before he was placed in stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program on May 14 and suspended for six months.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nichushkin left the Avalanche during their 2023 first-round series with the Seattle Kraken after a team doctor discovered an intoxicated woman in the winger’s Seattle hotel room, and called an ambulance to take her to a hospital. The club did not acknowledge the police report or indicate if Nichushkin was punished. The league indicated it was satisfied with how the situation was handled.

Nichushkin said he was receiving treatments for a shoulder injury at the time that required injections. He claimed he wasn’t scheduled to play for the remainder of the series against the Kraken, saying he hung out with some friends that night and then flew back to Denver. Nichushkin stated the girl in his hotel room had nothing to do with him. He also said the team told him not to comment about the incident at the time, something he now claims was a mistake.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It remains to be seen if Nichushkin faces any repercussions for these comments.

TSN: The Utah Hockey Club re-signed forward Barrett Hayton to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $2.65 million.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Former Flyers goaltender Carter Hart could sign with a KHL team. He is among five players charged in the 2018 Hockey Canada sexual assault case and is currently awaiting trial. The Flyers opted not to qualify Hart’s rights on July 1, making him an unrestricted free agent.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Former Calgary Flames winger Dillon Dube is among those five players. He signed a one-year contract with KHL club HC Dinamo Minsk. The report stated it’s unclear if extraneous circumstances allowed Dube to leave Canada before facing trial.

BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: The Sabres signed 2024 first-round pick Konsta Helenius to a three-year entry-level contract. The 18-year-old center was chosen 14th overall.

KUKLA’S KORNER: The Dallas Stars entered into a seven-year agreement with A Parent Media Co. Inc. (APMC) to stream all their regional games free of charge. Starting this season, the games will be broadcast on the newly formed VICTORY+, a free direct-to-consumer streaming service created for fans by APMC with the Dallas Stars.

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: The Carolina Hurricanes named Doug Warf their new team president. He will oversee the club’s business operations and the operation of PNC Arena. He succeeds Don Waddell, who recently stepped down to join the Columbus Blue Jackets.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 8, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 8, 2024

Sidney Crosby and the Penguins could be close to a contract extension, plus the latest on the Leafs, Red Wings, Lightning and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE ATHLETIC: Rob Rossi cites sources claiming Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins are closing in on a contract extension. Both sides are confident a deal will be agreed upon and formalized soon.

Crosby, who turns 37 in August, remains intent on finishing his career with the Penguins, despite missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

The full details of Crosby’s new contract are unknown. Previous reports suggested it could be a three-year deal with an average annual value of $10 million. It will require a “35-plus” designation, which prevents a team from front-loading a contract that is at least two years in length or delaying a signing bonus to or after the second season.

Crosby’s current average annual value is $8.7 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Confirmation of Crosby’s new contract could come this week, maybe as early as today. Some observers raised eyebrows last week when July 1 came and went with no sign of a deal. Sometimes, reaching an agreement on a new contract takes a little longer than expected.

The “35-plus” designation also means the Penguins won’t garner any cap relief if they were to buy out that new contract.

TORONTO STAR: Bruce Arthur and Dave Feschuk examine what’s gone wrong for the Maple Leafs under team president Brendan Shanahan. “The Shanaplan” invested heavily in the “Core Four” of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander.

The Leafs’ regular season record is exemplary, boasting a .636 win percentage since 2016-17 which is the NHL’s third-highest. No team has scored more goals (2,117) and they have the third-best power play percentage (24.1) over that time.

It’s a different in the playoffs. They ranked last in goals (150) among 16 playoff teams that have played over 40 postseason games during that period. They’re 15th among those clubs in power-play percentage (16.9).

No one doubts the individual skills of the “Core Four”, it’s the combination that has been less than the sum of its parts. Their defenders point to the Leafs’ lack of a true starting goaltender or a proven No. 1 defenseman or depth scoring. The counterpoint is those four could’ve taken a little less money, leaving more to address those issues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Of all those signings, the Tavares deal is the one that hurt the most. Again, I’m not making Tavares the scapegoat. The Leafs pursued him and offered him $11 million annually for seven years. He didn’t force them to sign him to that contract and I don’t blame him for taking the opportunity to play for his hometown club.

The Leafs were coming off a season (2017-18) with the third-best regular-season offense (3.29 goals per game) in the league when they signed Tavares. There was no reason to pursue a scoring center when their pressing needs at the time were right-side blueline depth and reliable playoff goaltending.

That $11 million could’ve and should’ve been put toward addressing those needs. I said it before and after they signed Tavares. That contract handcuffed their efforts to bolster their depth elsewhere in the lineup.

TORONTO SUN: Steve Simmons wonders what happened to Steve Yzerman’s golden touch that built the Tampa Bay Lightning into a Stanley Cup champion. Since becoming general manager of the Detroit Red Wings, that club has missed the playoffs five straight years.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ve been wondering about that as well. Granted, Yzerman took over a mess in Detroit. He faced a similar scenario when he became the Lightning’s GM but he had Hall-of-Famer Martin St. Louis and future Hall-of-Famers Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman to build around.

Nevertheless, Yzerman drafted or acquired most of the players who formed the core of the Lightning’s back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021. So far, he hasn’t had the same level of success with the Red Wings.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Eduardo A. Encina believes Lightning GM Julien BriseBois’ recent difficult decisions make the Lightning his team and could define his legacy. They include letting franchise player Steven Stamkos depart as a free agent and trading defenseman Mikhail Sergachev.

BriseBois inherited the roster core that went on to win Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021 from former GM Steve Yzerman, even though he was Yzerman’s right-hand man. Salary-cap constraints forced him to make tough choices that will shape the direction of this team.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: BriseBois and the Lightning benefited from the lack of a state tax in retaining many of those core players. Nevertheless, a flattened salary cap over the previous four seasons forced him to trade or cut loose some complementary players important to the Bolts’ success.

Encina points out that BriseBois is banking on Jake Guentzel replacing Stamkos, J.J. Moser filling Sergachev’s skates on the blueline and promising center Conor Geekie meeting expectations. If those gambles pan out, he’ll look like a genius. If not, they could eventually lead to his dismissal.

THE SCORE: Speaking of Mikhail Sergachev, he said he was in shock when he learned the Lightning had traded him to the Utah Hockey Club. However, he’s looking forward to a leadership role with an up-and-coming franchise.

Talking to my agent, talking to some players, and talking to (Utah forward Clayton) Keller, everybody said great things about Utah and the new franchise,” said Sergachev. “It’s pretty amazing, honestly. “The whole setup, the city. I’m very excited. It’s a big opportunity for me to prove myself, be a leader. I’m looking forward to it.”

THE TENNESSEAN: Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi is focusing more on the mental side of the game as part of his offseason training. He still works out five days a week, but his primary focus is mental exercise and meditation.

The more you take care of your mental side, the better you are as a person and as a hockey player,” said Josi.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The Flyers signed defenseman Egor Zamula to a two-year with an AAV of $1.7 million.

 










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 1, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 1, 2024

The free-agent market opens at noon ET. Before the signing frenzy begins, check out the latest recent notable signings, contract buyouts and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

REINHART, GUENTZEL, KANE AMONG EARLY CONTRACT SIGNINGS

SPORTSNET: Sam Reinhart and the Florida Panthers have agreed to an eight-year contract before the midnight ET deadline for eight-year extensions. Financial terms weren’t disclosed but will be officially announced on July 1.

Florida Panthers winger Sam Reinhart (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman recently speculated the average annual value would be $9 million. We’ll find out later today if that’s the case but it wouldn’t be surprising. It would give Reinhart the third-highest AAV among Panthers skaters, behind Aleksander Barkov ($10 million) and Matthew Tkachuk ($9.5 million).

Jake Guentzel and the Tampa Bay Lightning agreed to a new contract on Sunday just hours after his rights were traded to the Lightning by the Carolina Hurricanes. Terms were unknown but will be officially announced later on July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Guentzel signing likely means the end of Steven Stamkos’ 16-season career with the Lightning. Stamkos’ agent indicated that his client is heading to free agency.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings and Patrick Kane agreed to a one-year contract. It comes with a $4 million base salary and $2.5 million in bonuses.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The 35-year-old Kane enjoyed a bounce-back season with the Red Wings after undergoing a hip resurfacing procedure last June. It’s rumored the New York Rangers were interested in bringing Kane back for another season but wouldn’t go as high as the Wings with the base salary.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs reached an agreement with Max Domi on a four-year contract with an AAV of $3.75 million. It contains a $3.5 million signing bonus in the first year and a 13-team no-trade list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: An affordable signing for Toronto. After a slow start, Domi fit in well with the Leafs last season, netting 47 points in 80 games.

The Leafs also re-signed Timothy Liljegren to a two-year contract with an AAV of $3 million. The 25-year-old defenseman was slated to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Leafs are reportedly close to signing Chris Tanev to a multi-year contract worth an annual salary-cap hit of $5 million. They acquired the signing rights to the 34-year-old defenseman from the Dallas Stars on Saturday.

SPORTSNET: The Utah Hockey Club and Sean Durzi agreed to a four-year contract extension with an annual salary cap hit of $6 million. The 25-year-old defenseman averaged over 23 minutes of ice time while leading his club’s blueliners with 41 points.

NASHVILLE HOCKEY NOW: The Predators are close to signing defenseman Alexandre Carrier to a new contract. Terms were not disclosed.

MARCHESSAULT, BERTUZZI, KYLINGTON HEADED TO MARKET

LAS VEGAS SUN: Jonathan Marchessault is heading to free agency. The 33-year-old winger was unable to reach a deal with the Vegas Golden Knights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marchessault was among the few original members of the Golden Knights (aka “The Golden Misfits”) on their roster last season. The 33-year-old winger is their franchise scoring leader and won the Conn Smythe Trophy leading them to the Stanley Cup last year. He’ll draw plenty of attention in the free-agent market with Reinhart, Guentzel and Kane off the board.

TORONTO SUN: Tyler Bertuzzi is moving on and won’t be signing with the Maple Leafs. The 29-year-old forward completed a one-year, $5.5 million contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Like Domi, Bertuzzi had a slow start with the Leafs last season but finished strong with 21 goals and 43 points. He shouldn’t have any difficulty finding a new club willing to pay him a multi-year deal for around $5.5 million.

TSN’s Salim Nadim Valji reports defenseman Oliver Kylington, 27, is heading to free agency.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kylington was a Masterton Trophy nominee last season after returning to action following two seasons dealing with mental health issues.

NOTABLE CONTRACT BUYOUTS

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers placed Jack Campbell on unconditional waivers Sunday before buying out the remaining three years of his contract. The 32-year-old goaltender carried an AAV of $5 million. The buyout will count as $1.1 million against the Oilers’ cap payroll this season, $2.3 million in 2025-26, $2.6 million in 2026-27, dropping to $1.5 million for each of the remaining three years.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Campbell was signed two years ago to fill the Oilers’ starting goaltender role. Inconsistent play in 2022-23 cost him that job to Stuart Skinner. He spent most of last season with the Oilers AHL affiliate in Bakersfield. It remains to be seen if the 32-year-old netminder lands with another NHL club this summer.

WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets placed defenseman Nate Schmidt on unconditional waivers on Sunday before buying out the remaining year of his contract. The 32-year-old had a cap hit of $5.95 million for 2024-25. This buyout will count as $2.716 million against the Jets’ cap payroll this season and $1.616 million in 2025-26.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some folks expressed surprise on social media that the Jets didn’t trade Schmidt, retaining salary in the deal. There may have been no market for him.

IN OTHER NEWS…

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: The Canadiens traded defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic to the New Jersey Devils for a 2026 fourth-round pick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens appear to be making room for one of their promising young blueliners for this season. This move also clears over $766K from their cap payroll.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs forward Nick Robertson has informed management he has no intention of signing with the club and has requested a trade.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Robertson is completing his entry-level contract. The 22-year-old winger is the younger brother of Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson. He’s struggled to crack the Leafs lineup full-time partly because of injuries.

Robertson lacks arbitration rights so his only leverage is to refuse to sign until traded. We’ll see if the Leafs find a new home for him this summer or engage in a contract standoff.

THE SCORE: Four of the five players involved in the 2018 Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal were not tendered qualifying offers yesterday. Carter Hart, Dillon Dube, Cal Foote and Michael McLeod will become unrestricted free agents today.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A trial date for their case has not yet been set. Don’t expect those players to receive any contract offers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 30, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 30, 2024

Aftermath of the 2024 Draft, Steven Stamkos is heading to free agency, the Sabres will buy out Jeff Skinner, reaction to several notable trades at the draft including Mikhail Sergachev, Kevin Hayes and Chris Tanev, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

**UPDATE** The Carolina Hurricanes trade Jake Guentzel’s signing rights to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick. 

AFTERMATH OF THE 2024 NHL DRAFT

NHL.COM: Saturday saw the completion of the 2024 NHL Draft as the 32 teams made their selections in rounds two through seven.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: You can see the complete list of picks by following the above link. FloHockey’s Chris Peters breaks down the selections by teams and grades how they did at the draft table.

Among the noteworthy selections on Saturday were those projected to be potential first-overall picks entering this draft who wound up being chosen in the second round.

They included winger Igor Chernyshov of KHL club Moscow Dynamo being chosen 33rd overall by the San Jose Sharks, Brandon Wheat Kings defenseman Charlie Elick selected 36th by the Columbus Blue Jackets, Medicine Hat Tigers winger Andrew Basha picked 41st by the Calgary Flames, Prince Albert Raiders winger Ryder Ritchie going 45th overall with the Minnesota Wild, and winger Nikita Artamonov of KHL club Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod going to the Carolina Hurricanes and 50th overall.

One of the notable stories of the first round on Friday was Jarome Iginla’s son Tij being chosen sixth overall by the Utah Hockey Club. On Saturday, another former NHL team captain’s son took a big step toward the NHL as the Montreal Canadiens selected center Aatos Koivu of TPS Jr in Finland in the third round (70th overall). His father, Saku Koivu, played 13 seasons for the Canadiens and served as their captain from 1999-2000 to 2008-09.

SPORTSNET: Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos appears headed to free agency on Monday. Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois and Stamkos’ agent Don Meehan independently confirmed their respective positions hadn’t changed despite two noteworthy cost-cutting trades by the Lightning during the draft.

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stamkos’ 16 seasons with the Lightning will end when free agency begins on Monday at noon ET barring a last-minute breakthrough. The 34-year-old winger will attract plenty of interest on the open market. He’s already been linked to the Carolina Hurricanes, Nashville Predators, and New York Rangers.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: The Sabres announced they’ve begun buying out the final three years of Jeff Skinner’s contract. They will pay two-thirds of the remaining $22 million on his contract, which will count against their salary-cap payroll for the next six years.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report also indicates it will give the Sabres $31 million in cap room for 2024-25. They could use some of it in this summer’s trade and free-agent markets.

NHL.COM: The Utah Hockey Club has shifted from rebuilding to ramping up their roster by acquiring defensemen Mikhail Sergachev from the Tampa Bay Lightning and John Marino from the New Jersey Devils.

SPORTSNET: The Tampa Bay Lightning freed up over $11 million in salary-cap space by trading Sergachev to Utah and winger Tanner Jeannot to the Los Angeles Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning got a solid return for Sergachev, acquiring defenseman JJ Moser, promising young center Conor Geekie and two draft picks. They didn’t fare as well with Jeannot. They got back a 2024 fourth-rounder and a 2025 second-rounder in a move that was a straightforward salary dump. They shipped defenseman Cal Foote, a conditional 2025 first-rounder, a 2024 second-rounder, and three picks in 2023 to the Predators for Jeannot before the 2023 NHL trade deadline.

The Sergachev trade was partly because BriseBois reacquired aging blueliner Ryan McDonagh and his full $6.75 million cap hit from the Predators.

Jeannot was not a good fit with the Lightning last season. The Kings hope he can regain his form and provides some additional grit and scoring to their lineup.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs acquired the signing rights to Chris Tanev. They have until noon ET on Monday to agree to a new contract before the 34-year-old defenseman becomes an unrestricted free agent.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report also indicates the Leafs could be interested in adding another pending UFA defenseman like Nikita Zadorov, Oliver Ekman-Larsson or Matt Roy.

STLTODAY.COM: Trading Kevin Hayes to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday freed up an additional $3.571 million, giving the Blues about $15.5 million in cap space for next season. It also means they’ll have to add another center as they’re a little thin at that position.

THE ATHLETIC: Jeremy Rutherford suggested clearing Hayes from their books could help the Blues sign Pavel Buchnevich to a contract extension. The 29-year-old winger is a year away from UFA eligibility.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Dan Kingerski suggests Hayes should improve the Penguins in the faceoff circle. He could skate on the second line with Evgeny Malkin or play a down-line role at center.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Logan Thompson learned an hour before an autograph signing at Sphere in Las Vegas that the Golden Knights had traded him to the Washington Capitals. Thompson said he had reached the stage in his career where he wanted to prove himself as a No. 1 goalie but felt it wouldn’t happen with Adin Hill holding that position with the Golden Knights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Thompson could’ve blown off the autograph session but did it anyway despite the awkward timing of his trade. A classy move on his part.

The Golden Knights acquired another goaltender when they got Akira Schmid (along with forward Alexander Holtz) from the New Jersey Devils. Schmid will likely serve as their third goalie as management considers other options to find a suitable backup for Hill.

WINNIPEG FREE PRESS’ Ken Wiebe reports on “X” that Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff indicated Rutger McGroarty won’t attend the club’s prospect development camp next week.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A difference in opinion between the Jets and McGroarty over his path to the NHL has the Jets listening to trade offers for the promising young forward.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The NHL won’t change the qualifying offer rules for the five players involved in the 2018 Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal. That includes Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If those five players don’t receive qualifying offers by 5 pm ET on June 30, they will become unrestricted free agents on July 1.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Utah Hockey Club signed defenseman Juuso Valimaki to a two-year contract extension.

NEW YORK POST: The Islanders are parting ways with assistant coach Doug Houda, who ran their defense and power play. His replacement will be named on Monday.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Former Avalanche goaltender Pavel Francouz is returning to the organization in an as-yet undefined role. Francouz hasn’t officially retired as a player but said in April that injuries have ended his playing career.










Notable Trades – Day 2 Of The 2024 NHL Draft

Notable Trades – Day 2 Of The 2024 NHL Draft

The Tampa Bay Lightning traded Mikhail Sergachev to the Utah Hockey Club in exchange for JJ Moser, Conor Geekie, a second-round pick in the 2025 draft that originally belonged to the Toronto Maple Leafs, and a seventh-rounder in this year’s draft.

Tampa Bay Lightning trade Mikhail Sergachev to Utah Hockey Club (NHL Images).

The Vegas Golden Knights traded goaltender Logan Thompson to the Washington Capitals for pick No. 83 in this year’s draft and a 2025 third-rounder. 

The New Jersey Devils traded goaltender Akira Schmid and forward Alexander Holtz to the Vegas Golden Knights for forward Paul Cotter and a 2025 third-round pick. 

Toronto Maple Leafs acquired the rights to defenseman Chris Tanev from the Dallas Stars in exchange for minor-league forward Max Ellis and a seventh-round pick in the 2026 Draft. 

The Utah Hockey Club trades the 49th overall pick and a 2025 second-rounder (originally belonging to the Edmonton Oilers) to the New Jersey Devils for defenseman John Marino and a fifth-rounder that originally belonged to the Colorado Avalanche.

Los Angeles Kings acquire winger Tanner Jeannot from the Tampa Bay Lightning in return for a pick in this year’s draft (#118) and a second-round pick in 2025. 

The St. Louis Blues have traded forward Kevin Hayes and a 2025 second-rounder to the Pittsburgh Penguins for future considerations. 

Buffalo Sabres acquired forward Beck Malenstyn from the Washington Capitals in exchange for a second-round pick (43rd overall) in this year’s draft.