NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 26, 2024

by | May 26, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 26, 2024

The Stars down the Oilers to tie the Western Conference Final, the latest on the Panthers and Rangers ahead of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAP

NHL.COM: The Dallas Stars defeated the Edmonton Oilers 3-1 in Game 2 of the Western Conference Final, tying the series at one game apiece. Stars captain Jamie Benn opened the scoring early in the first period but the Oilers’ Connor Brown tallied less than a minute later. Mason Marchment scored the winning goal early in the third period and Esa Lindell put the game away with an empty netter.

The series shifts to Edmonton for the next two games with Game 3 on Monday, May 27 at 8:30 pm EDT.

Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Edmonton dominated the first period, outshooting Dallas 16-4. Thanks to goaltender Jake Oettinger, the Stars’ defense weathered the storm, limiting the Oilers to 13 shots over the next two periods. They also held the Oilers’ top offensive players without a point.

The Oilers are puzzled by the lack of penalty calls on the Stars. Their lethal powerplay had just three opportunities with the man advantage in this series thus far. When asked about it, Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch acknowledged it’s tougher to draw penalties in the playoffs. “The standard is the same for both teams. I’m not saying it’s unfair to us, but we would like the same standard.”

HEADLINES

NEW YORK POST: Rangers winger Jimmy Vesey is listed as week-to-week after suffering an apparent shoulder injury in Game 2 on Friday. Veteran winger Blake Wheeler could replace Vesey for Game 3 on Sunday in Florida at 3 pm EDT.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: New York winger Kaapo Kakko was a healthy scratch in Game 2, raising questions about his role with the team going forward in this postseason and perhaps beyond. He has two points in 11 games during this postseason.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers dropped Game 2 to the Rangers but received solid performances from Gus Forsling, Ryan Lomberg, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

THE SCORE: Reports indicate the Columbus Blue Jackets are poised to hire Don Waddell for their top hockey operations position. His exact title has yet to be determined.

Waddell resigned Friday as president and general manager of the Carolina Hurricanes.

IIHF.COM: San Jose Sharks defenseman Jan Rutta received a one-game suspension for elbowing Sweden’s Isac Lundestrom during Saturday’s game between Czechia and Sweden in the IIHF World Championships. Rutta will miss Sunday’s gold-medal game between Czechia and Switzerland.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 25, 2024

by | May 25, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 25, 2024

The Rangers tie the Eastern Conference Final at a game apiece, Don Waddell steps down as Hurricanes GM, the Blackhawks and Islanders swap 2024 first-round picks, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAP

NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Barclay Goodrow gave the New York Rangers a 2-1 victory over the Florida Panthers, tying the Eastern Conference Final at a game apiece. Vincent Trocheck opened the scoring and finished with two points and Igor Shesterkin stopped 26 shots for the win. Carter Verhaeghe scored for the Panthers and Sergei Bobrovsky turned aside 28 shots. The series shifts to Florida for the next two games with Game 3 on Sunday, May 26 at 3 pm EDT.

New York Rangers forward Vincent Trocheck (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A better effort from the Rangers following their flat performance in Game 1. They were more engaged and physical with improved puck movement. The Panthers expected this, making for a well-balanced game that should be a harbinger of what’s to come in this series.

Rangers forward Jimmy Vesey left the game in the second period following a hard hit to the shoulder by Panthers forward Ryan Lomberg. There was no post-game update other than he suffered an upper-body injury.

PLAYOFF NOTEBOOK

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers and Dallas Stars face big decisions about two sidelined players heading into Game 2 of the Western Conference Final on Saturday.

Oilers center Adam Henrique is close to returning from a lower-body injury. Stars center Roope Hintz has resumed skating after missing the last three games with an upper-body injury.

HEADLINES

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Don Waddell stepped down on Friday as president and general manager of the Carolina Hurricanes after six seasons. Assistant GM Eric Tulsky takes over from Waddell on an interim basis while a search is underway for a full-time replacement.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This announcement followed reports that Waddell was permitted to speak with other teams, including the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Hurricanes are considered to be at a crossroads with nine players slated to become unrestricted free agents and six others due to become restricted free agents. This will be an interesting offseason in Carolina.

NHL.COM: The Chicago Blackhawks and New York Islanders swapped draft picks on Friday. The Blackhawks receive a 2024 first-round pick (18th overall) and a 2024 second-rounder (50th overall) while the Islanders get a 2024 first-rounder (20th overall) and two 2024 second-round picks (#54 and #61).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This deal raised questions among fans of both clubs on social media.

The Athletic’s Arthur Staple and Scott Powers believe the Blackhawks saw the value of moving up two spots in the first round and four in the second.

As for the Islanders, they could package that extra second-rounder with a player they’d like to move to escape a burdensome contract like Jean-Gabriel Pageau or Anders Lee. It could also be used as draft capital to acquire a top-six forward.

WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets promoted Scott Arniel to replace the retired Rick Bowness as their new head coach. He spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach. 

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks have brought back Manny Malhotra as head coach of their AHL affiliate in Abbotsford. Malhotra played three seasons with the Canucks during his 16-season playing career. He was also part of their coaching staff from 2016 until joining the Toronto Maple Leafs as an assistant coach in 2020.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 5, 2023

by | Jan 5, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 5, 2023

Kirill Kaprizov leads the Wild over the Lightning, the Red Wings make some roster moves, the 2023 Winter Classic ratings improve over last season’s, plus updates on Nicklas Backstrom, Max Pacioretty and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov scored twice and Calen Addison had a three-point performance in a 5-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Kaprizov has 22 goals on the season as the Wild (22-13-2) move to within three points of the second-place Winnipeg Jets in the Central Division with 46 points. The Lightning (24-12-1, 49 points) remain four points back of the second-place Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division. The Lightning’s Brayden Point also tallied his 22nd goal of the season.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov (NHL Images).

The New Jersey Devils defeated the Detroit Red Wings 5-1. Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, Dougie Hamilton and Alexander Holtz each had a goal and an assist for the Devils (24-11-3), who hold a three-point lead over the New York Rangers for second place in the Metropolitan Division with 51 points. Lucas Raymond replied for the Red Wings, who fell to 16-13-7 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings forward Robby Fabbri made his season debut since suffering a lower-body injury last March. Jakub Vrana cleared waivers and was assigned to the AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids while goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic was assigned to Grand Rapids on a conditioning stint.

No surprise that Vrana cleared waivers. With a large number of teams carrying less than $3 million in salary-cap space, there were no takers for his $5.25 million annual cap hit through 2023-24.

Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson turned in a 35-save shutout to upset the Dallas Stars 2-0. Mason McTavish scored and collected an assist on Adam Henrique’s goal as the Ducks sit with a record of 11-24-4. The Stars (23-11-6, 52 points) remain two points behind the Western Conference-leading Vegas Golden Knights.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: 1.8 million viewers tuned in on Jan. 2 to watch the Boston Bruins down the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 in the 2023 NHL Winter Classic at Fenway Park. That’s up 31 percent over the 2022 event.

ESPN.COM: The NHL has revamped its All-Star Game selection process to make it more inclusive for fans. The league’s hockey operations department has selected the first 32 All-Stars (one from each team), leaving the fans to vote for the rest.

THE ATHLETIC: Nickas Backstrom and Tom Wilson are close to making their season debuts for the Washington Capitals. Backstrom has been recovering from hip resurfacing in June while Wilson underwent surgery on his right knee in May.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals will have to free up cap room when Backstrom and his $9.2 million AAV come off long-term injury reserve. They could put defenseman John Carlson ($8 million) on LTIR as he’s sidelined indefinitely with a facial injury suffered on Dec. 23.

SPORTSNET: Max Pacioretty could soon make his season debut with the Carolina Hurricanes as the club activated him off LTIR. The 34-year-old winger has been sidelined since suffering a torn Achilles during offseason training.

DAILY FACEOFF: Boston Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk reportedly suffered a fractured fibula. It’s uncertain if he suffered the injury during the Winter Classic (when he scored both goals for the Bruins) or sometime afterward.

PHILLY.COM: The Flyers activated goaltender Carter Hart from injured reserve. He’d been sidelined with a concussion since Dec. 23.

OTTAWA SUN: Cam Talbot is willing to re-sign with the Senators. The 35-year-old goaltender is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He’s interested in signing a contract extension but indicated there haven’t been any formal discussions yet.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That conversation might not happen until the end of the season. Much will depend on how the Senators end the season and if Pierre Dorion remains general manager under the club’s new ownership. It’s expected the team will have a new owner in place sometime in March.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers signed winger Jimmy Vesey to a two-year, $1.6 million contract extension. The average annual value is $800K.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 10, 2022

by | Oct 10, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 10, 2022

Lightning suspends Ian Cole pending an investigation into sexual abuse allegations, Wayne Simmonds and Mike Reilly are among those on the waiver wire, the Blues trade Klim Kostin to the Oilers, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: The Lightning suspended Ian Cole pending the result of a league investigation into allegations against him of sexual abuse.

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Ian Cole (NHL Images).

A woman using the alias “Emily Smith” recently took to social media accusing the 33-year-old defenseman of engaging in a sexual relationship with her that started when she was a minor. She claimed Cole had manipulated her over a four-year period.

Cole denied the allegations in a statement on Sunday. He and the Lightning indicated they would fully cooperate with the league’s investigation.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No timetable has been given by the league as to when it will complete its investigation. As the report indicates, this is the latest black eye for the sport as it reels from numerous reports of sexual abuse claims.

Former Chicago Blackhawks forward Kyle Beach came forward last year as the player suing the club for mishandling his allegations he’d been sexually assaulted by their former video coach in 2010.

Hockey Canada is being grilled by a Canadian parliamentary committee over its handling of sexual assault allegations against members of Canada’s 2003 and 2018 World Junior teams. Some of those players may have gone on to NHL careers.

Meanwhile, the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors fired head athletic trainer Chad Drown after he was charged with “contacting a minor to commit a sexual offense”. The Condors are the affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers, who released a statement supporting the decision to fire Drown.

DAILY FACEOFF: Toronto Maple Leafs winger Wayne Simmonds, Boston Bruins forward Nick Foligno and defenseman Mike Reilly are among the notable players placed on waivers Sunday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs also let it be known that Simmonds was available for a trade. I’ll have more about that in today’s Rumor Mill update. Foligno isn’t likely to be claimed given his declining performance and $3.8 million cap hit for this season.

Reilly’s puck-moving skills could see him end up with a different team later today. He hits the waiver wire because sidelined defenseman Matt Grzelcyk is expected to return to action much sooner than expected.

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH: The Blues traded forward Klim Kostin to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for defenseman Dmitri Samorukov.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A former first-round pick (2017), Kostin struggled to crack the Blues lineup. Perhaps he’ll have better luck with the Oilers as they’re in need of depth on right wing. They also made this move because Kostin carries a slightly more affordable contract. The Blues, meanwhile, are expected to send Samorukov to their AHL affiliate in Springfield.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs yesterday signed winger Zach Aston-Reese to a one-year deal worth over $840K.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers signed winger Jimmy Vesey to a one-year, $750K contract. It’s his second tenure with the Blueshirts as he spent the first three seasons of his NHL career with them.

TSN: The NHL department of player safety fined New York Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov $5,000.00 for charging Rangers center Vincent Trocheck during a preseason game on Saturday.

ARIZONA SPORTS: The Coyotes claimed defenseman Juuso Valimaki off waivers yesterday from the Calgary Flames.

GOPHNX.COM‘s Craig Morgan reports the Coyotes are expected to release forward Alex Chiasson from his professional tryout offer.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 3, 2022

by | Sep 3, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 3, 2022

The Canucks sign J.T. Miller to a seven-year contract extension, the Jets ink Sam Gagner to a one-year deal, the Oilers add Ryan Murray on a one-year contract, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

VANCOUVER HOCKEY NOW: The Canucks signed J.T. Miller on Friday to a seven-year, $56 million contract extension that goes into effect in 2023-24. The average annual value is $8 million and includes a no-movement clause throughout the deal, with a full no-trade clause for the first four years and a modified NTC over the final three.

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

Miller, 29, is in the final season of his current contract with an AAV of $5.25 million. He would’ve become an unrestricted free agent next July. As a result, he was the subject of media trade speculation for months amid reports that Canucks management wanted to retool around younger, more affordable talent.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Miller tallied a team-leading, career-best 99 points last season. If his production were to drop to between 70-80 points for the coming season, he still would’ve been in line for over $9 million annually if he had hit the open market next summer. His strong two-way game and ability to play center or left wing would’ve drawn plenty of suitors willing to pay big bucks for his services.

Miller’s agent, Brian Bartlett, said this deal came together very quickly after weeks of on-and-off negotiations. He indicated that his client wanted to stay in Vancouver and help the Canucks win the Stanley Cup. It was also Miller’s idea to accept less than market value.

Nevertheless, this is a hefty long-term investment by the Canucks on a talented player who will be 30 when this deal goes into effect. He should still provide solid value for them in the first half but that contract could become burdensome against their cap in the latter years when his performance will likely decline.

Miller’s new contract could also affect efforts to re-sign captain Bo Horvat, who is slated to become a UFA next summer. Cap Friendly indicates they have over $68 million invested in 14 players for 2023-24 with the cap expected to increase by just $1 million to $83.5 million. Horvat’s current AAV is $5.5 million and he could seek around $7.5 million annually, which would take a big bite out of their cap space.

Still, the Canucks were willing to spend to keep their best player in the fold. The move signals to their fans that they believe they’re a playoff contender heading into the coming season and beyond. If Miller can help them become Cup contenders, it will be money well spent.

WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets signed free agent Sam Gagner to a one-year, $750K contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A good, affordable depth move by the Jets. The 33-year-old Gagner can play at center or right wing and still has solid two-way skills. He’s coming off a respectable 31-point performance last season with the rebuilding Detroit Red Wings.

TSN: The Edmonton Oilers signed defenseman Ryan Murray to a one-year, $750K deal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chosen second overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2012 NHL Draft, Murray’s NHL career has been frequently hampered by injuries. The most recent was a fractured hand last season while playing with the Colorado Avalanche. Still, he should be a decent cost-effective depth addition on the Oilers’ third pairing.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers are bringing back Jimmy Vesey on a professional tryout contract. He began his NHL career with the Blueshirts in 2016-17 and spent three seasons with them before moving on to the Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks and New Jersey Devils.

STLTODAY.COM: The St. Louis Blues are bringing Tyler Pitlick to training camp later this month on a professional tryout offer. The well-traveled forward has played for the Dallas Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, Arizona Coyotes, Calgary Flames and Montreal Canadiens over the past four seasons.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 11, 2021

by | Oct 11, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 11, 2021

The Rangers sign Mika Zibanejad to a lucrative contract extension, Zdeno Chara and Zach Parise officially sign with the Islanders, a large number of players hit the waiver wire, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers yesterday announced Mika Zibanejad signed an eight-year contract extension worth $68 million. The annual average value is $8.5 million. This deal will keep Zibanejad with the Rangers until he’s 36. By keeping his AAV under $9 million, it provided the Blueshirts with some cap flexibility to re-sign key players such as Adam Fox in the near future.

New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Post’s Larry Brooks indicated Zibanejad’s new deal is a little longer than Rangers’ management preferred. However, it was necessary to reach that $8.5 million cap hit as he likely would’ve received up to $10 million annually on the open market. As per Cap Friendly, they now have over $62 million invested in 16 players for 2022-23 with Fox, Ryan Strome, Kaapo Kakko and Alexandar Georgiev among the notables slated for new contracts next summer.

Zibanejad thrived since being traded to the Rangers in 2016, including a career-best 41 goals and 75 points in 57 games in 2019-20. He had a slow start last season following a bout of COVID-19 but finished strong with 50 points in 56 contests.

This signing should also take the Rangers out of the Jack Eichel sweepstakes. I’ll have more on that in today’s Rumor Mill. Brooks believes the only way it happens is if the Sabres retain 40-50 percent of Eichel’s $10 million AAV which isn’t going to happen.

DAILY FACEOFF: The New York Islanders officially announced the signings of Zdeno Chara and Zach Parise. They’re both on one-year, one-way contracts with an annual average value of $1.5 million. They’ll receive a base salary of $750K plus $750K in bonuses.

Frank Seravalli reported Erik Gustafsson has returned to the Chicago Blackhawks. The 29-year-old defenseman signed a one-year deal believed to be worth $800K.

Forty-three players hit the waiver wire yesterday. Vancouver Canucks defenseman Travis Hamonic and Edmonton Oilers forward Kyle Turris are the two notable names on that list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hamonic was absent from the Canucks training camp and preseason for reasons related to the NHL’s vaccination protocols. Unvaccinated players face restrictions that could prevent them from participating in road games, which could also result in them being suspended without pay.

There was talk of the Canucks attempting to trade Hamonic. He’s on a two-year, $6 million contract with an eight-team no-trade clause.

THE PROVINCE: Speaking of the Canucks, they traded defenseman Olli Juolevi to the Florida Panthers for defenseman Noah Juulsen and forward Juho Lammiko.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s a trade of young players who failed to pan out with their previous teams. Injuries also hampered the development of Juolevi and Juulsen. The latter is now on his third team in two seasons.

THE SCORE: Vegas Golden Knights president of hockey operations George McPhee accused player agent Allan Walsh of attempting to sabotage efforts to trade Marc-Andre Fleury by telling other clubs his client was considering retirement.

McPhee praised Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon’s handling of the situation. While acknowledging Fleury learned of his trade to the Chicago Blackhawks on social media, McPhee said they spoke with the goalie’s camp leading up to the deal. They stopped communicating with them when Walsh started telling other clubs Fleury planned to retire.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll be interesting to hear Walsh’s side of the story. The agent generated some controversy during the 2020 playoffs by posting an image on Twitter of Fleury with a photoshopped sword running through his back and head coach Pete DeBoer’s name on the blade. The suggestion was DeBoer stabbed his client in the back by giving Robin Lehner more playing time in the postseason. That image was removed at Fleury’s request.

SPORTSNET: New Jersey Devils goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood returned to practice yesterday after clearing all COVID-19 protocols. He’d received an inconclusive COVID test on Thursday. He said he “still has some things to do” before deciding one way or the other on getting vaccinated, “but I’m probably going to be getting the shot in the next couple of weeks.” He’s the only unvaccinated member of the Devils.

TSN: Speaking of the Devils, they signed forward Jimmy Vesey to a one-year, $800K contract.

NBC SPORTS WASHINGTON: Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette indicated captain Alex Ovechkin is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. He doesn’t consider it serious, suggesting the 36-year-old winger could be in the lineup for their season opener on Wednesday against the New York Rangers.

THE DENVER POST: The Avalanche signed defenseman Jack Johnson to a one-year, $750K contract.

SPORTSNET: Ottawa Senators forward Austin Watson is expected to be sidelined roughly four weeks with an injured ankle.

TRIBLIVE.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Mark Friedman was fined $1,812.50 for spearing Columbus Blue Jackets forward Sean Kuraly during Saturday’s preseason game.

Former NHL forward Frans Nielsen signed with DEL club Eisbaren Berlin. The 37-year-old center tallied 473 points in 925 career NHL games with the New York Islanders and Detroit Red Wings.