NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 6, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 6, 2022

Recaps of Wednesday’s preseason games, Hockey Canada faces growing criticism as sponsors distance themselves from the organization, the Stars sign Jason Robertson to a four-year contract, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I underwent surgery on Oct. 5 to repair damaged tendons in my left hand. It was similar to the procedure I had in February. As a result, it could take a little longer to post my daily updates over the next few days. Please bear with me. As always, I appreciate your support.

RECAPS OF PRESEASON GAMES

NHL.COM: A third-period goal by Mike Reilly broke a 4-4 tie as the Boston Bruins nipped the New York Rangers 5-4. Bruins forwards David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha each had a goal and two assists. Mika Zibanejad and Kaapo Kakko both scored twice for the Rangers.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (NHL Images).

The Washington Capitals doubled up the Detroit Red Wings 4-2 on third-period goals by Connor Brown and Alex Ovechkin. It was a costly win for the Capitals as winger T.J. Oshie left the game in the second period with an upper-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: We could hear an update on Oshie’s status later today after he’s been reevaluated by the Capitals’ medical staff.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender David Rittich made 37 saves to backstop his club to a 5-0 shutout of the Calgary Flames. Kyle Connor scored twice and Nikolaj Ehlers had a goal and two assists.

Third-period goals by Logan O’Connor and Mikko Rantanen lifted the Colorado Avalanche over the Dallas Stars 2-1. Alexandar Georgiev got the win with a 32-save performance.

Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson scored two third-period goals (including the game-winner) in a 5-4 win over the Edmonton Oilers. Canucks captain Bo Horvat collected three assists. Oilers captain Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist.

SPONSORS AND TWO PROVINCES WITHDRAW SUPPORT FROM HOCKEY CANADA.

CBC.CA: Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said it “boggles the mind” that Hockey Canada continues to defend its leadership amid ongoing accusations of its mishandling of sexual assault allegations against a number of junior hockey players.

Parents across the country are losing faith or have lost faith in Hockey Canada,” said Trudeau. “Certainly, politicians here in Ottawa have lost in Hockey Canada.”

Canada’s sports minister Pascale St-Onge believed mass resignations by Hockey Canada’s leadership are necessary to restore trust in the organization. If they continue to dig in its heels, she called upon Hockey Canada’s voting members to clean house.

THE GLOBE AND MAIL: Hockey Quebec and the Ontario Hockey Federation are pulling their support from Hockey Canada and moving to withhold registration fees from the national federation. Meanwhile, Tim Hortons, Telus and Scotiabank announced Wednesday that they will be suspending their sponsorship of men’s hockey for the 2022-23 season.

TSN: Rick Westhead reports a group of Hockey Canada’s sponsors is discussing the possibility of permanently suspending their business relationships with the national sports organization, using the “reputational damage” clauses in their contracts.

THE ATHLETIC: Ken Volden, a senior executive at TSN, acknowledged that the network’s business operations have been affected by its coverage of the Hockey Canada scandal. However, the network will continue to pursue the story.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The ongoing damage to Hockey Canada worsens the longer it continues to keep its head in the sand. Suppose the outcry by politicians and the public won’t force the organization to implement change in its leadership. In that case, the withdrawal of funding by the provinces and major corporate sponsors should do it.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars signed winger Jason Robertson to a four-year, $31 million contract. The average annual value is $7.75 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Robertson gets a hefty raise over his entry-level AAV of $894K. He earned it by becoming one of the Stars’ top players. He was a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy in 2020-21 with 45 points in 51 games and tallied 41 goals and 79 points as a sophomore last season.

This deal also sets up the 23-year-old for a more lucrative payday on a longer-term contract. He’ll earn $9.3 million in actual salary in the final year of this deal, meaning it’ll cost the Stars that much to qualify his rights.

Speaking of the Stars, goaltender Anton Khudobin has a clean bill of health after recovering from off-season hip surgery. He could be showcased for a trade or placed on waivers and demoted to their AHL affiliate Texas.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Scott Wedgewood has nailed down the backup role behind young starter Jake Oettinger.

TSN: Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki and teammates Joel Armia and Emil Heineman are listed as day-to-day with upper-body injuries. The Canadiens also announced the signing of 2021 first-round pick Logan Mailloux to an entry-level contract. He will spend the coming season with his junior team in London, Ontario.

The Columbus Blue Jackets released center Victor Rask from his professional tryout offer.

THE SCORE: Seattle Kraken general manager Ron Francis isn’t ruling out Shane Wright playing the full season in the NHL. The 18-year-old center was considered the top prospect heading into the 2022 draft but was selected fourth overall by the Kraken.

DAILY FACEOFF: The NHL department of player safety fined Arizona Coyotes forward Michael Carone $2,027.23 for roughing Vegas Golden Knights forward Gage Quinney in a preseason game on Tuesday.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 15, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 15, 2022

Nazem Kadri spurned a more lucrative deal to sign with the Flames, the Senators signed Tyler Motte, the Blackhawks announced the date for Marian Hossa’s jersey retirement and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports Nazem Kadri is believed to have turned down an offer from a club earlier in this summer’s free-agent period that would’ve paid him $8.5 million per season. Kadri, 31, signed a seven-year deal last month with the Calgary Flames worth an average annual value of $7 million.

Calgary Flames center Nazem Kadri (NHL Images).

At the time, Kadri’s agent, Darren Ferris, told Flames general manager Brad Treliving that his client’s decision came down to three teams. LeBrun claims the New York Islanders were definitely interested in the former Colorado Avalanche center.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: According to LeBrun, Kadri’s decision not to sign with the team making the bigger offer was because the fit “obviously wasn’t right for him.” He didn’t indicate which team made that offer.

LeBrun also believes that Kadri likely waited to see if Isles GM Lou Lamoriello could free up the necessary cap space to sign him.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators signed Tyler Motte to a one-year, $1.35 million contract. The 27-year-old checking-line forward split last season with the Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers, helping the latter reach the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A low-cost signing that provides more experienced depth to the Senators’ checking lines.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: The Blackhawks announced they’ll retire Marian Hossa’s No. 81 during a ceremony on Nov. 20 prior to their game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at the United Center.

Hossa will become the eighth player in franchise history to have his number retired. The Hall-of-Famer spent eight of his 19 NHL seasons with the Blackhawks, winning three Stanley Cups between 2010 and 2015.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hossa also briefly played for the Penguins in 2018, helping them reach that year’s Stanley Cup Final.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: It appears goaltender Andrew Hammond won’t be joining the Panthers on a professional tryout offer. He’s reportedly going to sign with KHL club Traktor Chelyabinsk though it hasn’t been confirmed yet. Hammond, 34, split last season with the Montreal Canadiens and New Jersey Devils.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Arizona Coyotes signed winger Alex Chiasson to a professional tryout offer. Former Boston Bruins forward Zach Senyshyn has accepted a PTO with the New Jersey Devils. The Columbus Blue Jackets signed Victor Rask to a PTO. The 29-year-old center split last season between the Minnesota Wild and Seattle Kraken.

Speaking of the Blue Jackets, THE ATHLETIC’s Aaron Portzline reported they’ve hired former NHL defenseman Roman Polak as a European-based scout.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets head equipment manager Tim Leroy is no longer with the club. He’d been in that role since their inaugural season in 2000.

TSN: Nathan Gerbe has retired as an NHL player after 11 seasons to join the Nashville Predators as their forward development coach. One of the NHL’s smallest players at 5’4”, Gerbe played 435 games with the Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets, scoring 63 goals and 151 points.

Speaking of the Predators, they’ve hired Ronda Engelhardt as a North American scout based out of Minnesota. She becomes their first female scout.

CALGARY SUN: Reports indicate the roof of the Saddledome is showing signs of deterioration with netting put up as a precaution. Meanwhile, a committee tasked with finding a replacement for the aging arena has reportedly made some progress.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A crumbling Saddledome could spur along negotiations to hammer out an agreement for a new arena.










NHL Rumor Mill – September 12, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – September 12, 2022

An updated list of the top available unrestricted free agents in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: With NHL training camps starting next week, Steven Ellis lists the top-10 players still available in the unrestricted free agent market.

Evan Rodrigues tops the list. The 28-year-old forward plays center or wing and is coming off a career-best 43-point performance. His previous contract was a one-year deal worth $1 million.

Free agent defenseman P.K. Subban (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman recently linked Rodrigues to the Anaheim Ducks and Calgary Flames. Earlier in the month, the Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins wondered if the Oilers might attempt to sign the veteran forward to a professional tryout offer but that was prior to their recent signing of Justin Bailey to a PTO.

Sonny Milano and P.K. Subban sit second and third on Ellis’ list. A skillful left winger, the 26-year-old Milano earned $1.7 million last season. Subban, 33, isn’t the star he once was but could still bring value to a team’s blueline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There hasn’t been much recent talk about where Milano could end up. He could return to the Ducks on a cheaper one-year contract.

Subban is the most recognizable name on Ellis’ list. The decline in his skills means his days of big-money contracts are over. Earlier this month, The Athletic’s Marc Antoine Godin dismissed the notion of a reunion between Subban and the Montreal Canadiens, suggesting the Habs instead look at Anton Stralman if they want to add a right-shot free agent defenseman.

Speaking of Stralman, he’s number 5 on Ellis’ list behind winger Tyler Motte.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s been quiet in recent weeks regarding these two. Like most on this list, they could either end up signing one-year contracts on the eve of training camp or sign professional tryout offers in hopes of earning one-year deals before the start of the regular season.

Center Tyler Ennis, winger Daniel Sprong, winger Alex Galchenyuk, center Victor Rask and winger Alex Chiasson round out the remainder of Ellis’ list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: These players haven’t surfaced much in the rumor mill. They seem more likely to be PTO candidates leading up to training camp.










Trade Tracker – 2022 NHL Trade Deadline

Trade Tracker – 2022 NHL Trade Deadline

The following is the list of players traded on March 21, 2022. The trade deadline is 3 pm ET. Check in regularly as this list will be updated throughout today until the last trades are officially announced.

Vegas Golden Knights trade forward Evgenii Dadonov to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for the LTIR contract of Ryan Kesler, defenseman John Moore and a conditional second-round pick in 2023 or 2024.

Seattle Kraken acquire forward Victor Rask from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for future consideration.

Columbus Blue Jackets trade forward Max Domi to the Carolina Hurricanes in a three-team trade involving the Florida Panthers. The Hurricanes also received defense prospect Tyler Inamoto, the Blue Jackets received defense prospect Aiden Hreschuk, and the Panthers received forward prospect Egor Korshkov and a sixth-round pick in the 2022 NHL draft.

The New York Rangers acquire forward Andrew Copp and a sixth-rounder in 2023 from the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for minor-league center Morgan Barron, a conditional second-round pick in 2022 (becomes a first-rounder if the Rangers win two rounds in 2022 playoffs), a conditional second-rounder in 2022 or 2023 and a fifth-rounder in 2023.

Tampa Bay Lightning acquire Riley Nash for the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for future considerations.

Edmonton Oilers acquire forward Derick Brassard from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2023.

Calgary Flames acquire center Ryan Carpenter from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick in 2024.

Ottawa Senators acquire goaltender Michael McNiven from the Calgary Flames for future considerations.

Chicago Blackhawks trade goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to the Minnesota Wild (NHL Images)

New York Rangers acquire forward Nick Merkley from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for defenseman Anthony Bitetto.

The Pittsburgh Penguins acquire winger Rickard Rakell from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for forwards Zach Aston-Reese and Dominik Simon, a 2022 second-round pick and a prospect.

The Rangers also acquire forward Tyler Motte from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a 2023 fourth-rounder.

Detroit Red Wings ship forward Vladislav Namestnikov to the Dallas Stars in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2024.

Montreal Canadiens trade goaltender Andrew Hammond to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for minor-league center Nate Schnarr.

Colorado Avalanche acquires forward Andrew Cogliano from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a 2024 fifth-rounder.

The Washington Capitals acquire Johan Larsson from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for a 2023 third-round pick.

Ottawa Senators trade Zach Sanford to the Winnipeg Jets for a 2022 fifth-round pick.

St. Louis Blues acquire defenseman Nick Leddy and minor-league blueliner Luke Witkowski from the Detroit Red Wings for winger Oskar Sundqvist, defenseman Jake Walman and a 2023 second-round pick.

Montreal Canadiens trade forward Artturi Lehkonen to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for defense prospect Justin Barron and a 2024 second-round pick.

Edmonton Oilers acquire defenseman Brett Kulak from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for defenseman William Lagesson and a conditional second-round pick in 2022 or 2023.

Boston Bruins trade winger Zach Senyshyn and a fifth-rounder in the 2022 draft to the Ottawa Senators for defenseman Josh Brown and a seventh-rounder in 2022.

The New York Rangers acquire defenseman Justin Braun from the Philadelphia Flyers for a third-round pick in 2023.

Chicago Blackhawks trade goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for a conditional 2022 second-round draft pick that becomes a first-rounder if the Wild reach the Western Conference Final. 

Minnesota Wild trade goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen and a fifth-round pick to the San Jose Sharks for defenseman Jacob Middleton.

The Seattle Kraken trade forward Marcus Johansson to the Washington Capitals in exchange for forward Daniel Sprong, a 2022-fourth-round pick and a 2023 sixth-rounder.

The Winnipeg Jets trade center Nathan Smith and Bryan Little’s LTIR contract to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for a 2022 fourth-round pick.

Winnipeg Jets trade defenseman Nathan Beaulieu to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a conditional 2022 seventh-round pick.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 5, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 5, 2022

Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar scores a dazzling highlight-reel game-winner, Ducks winger Troy Terry continues his high-scoring ways, Dougie Hamilton is sidelined by a broken jaw, the latest COVID updates & more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Cale Makar lifted the Colorado Avalanche over the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 with a brilliant highlight-reel overtime goal. Makar wasn’t the only Avalanche defenseman to hit the score sheet as Erik Johnson also tallied twice. Alex DeBrincat scored two goals for the Blackhawks, who are winless (0-2-3) in their last five games.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (NHL Images).

Anaheim Ducks winger Troy Terry netted his first career NHL hat trick to lead his club over the Philadelphia Flyers 4-1. Terry exceeded the 20-goal plateau for the first time and sits third in the goal-scoring race with 21. John Gibson picked up the win with 28 saves. The Flyers were without Claude Giroux and Ivan Provorov as both were placed on the COVID protocol list.

A three-point effort by Ondrej Palat (two goals, one assist) powered the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Columbus Blue Jackets 7-2. Brayden Point also had three points (one goal, two assists) as the Lightning (49 points) regained first place in the overall standings. The depleted Blue Jackets were without Zach Werenski (COVID protocol), Elvis Merzlikins (lower-body injury), Alexandre Texier and Jake Bean (non-COVID illness).

The Florida Panthers got a 47-save performance from Sergei Bobrovsky and two goals from Patric Hornqvist in a 6-2 victory over the Calgary Flames. Florida defenseman Brandon Montour collected three assists. The win vaults the Panthers (48 points) into second place in the overall standings. Flames winger Johnny Gaudreau scored to extend his road points streak to 11 games.

Third-period goals by David Pastrnak and Brandon Carlo lifted the Boston Bruins over the New Jersey Devils 5-3. The Bruins (36 points) have won three straight and remain one point ahead of the Detroit Red Wings for the final wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference. Earlier in the day, the Devils placed defenseman Dougie Hamilton on injured reserve as he will undergo surgery this week to repair a broken jaw. Team captain Nico Hischier also missed this game with a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Losing Hamilton could be a crushing blow to the Devils’ hopes of climbing back into the playoff chase. He sits third among their scoring leaders with 20 points in 30 games. With 31 points, the Devils are five points out of a wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference. 

Speaking of the Red Wings, they ended a 100-game shorthanded goal drought by scoring twice on the penalty kill in a 37-second span in a 6-2 drubbing of the San Jose Sharks. Pius Suter and Tyler Bertuzzi scored those shorthanded tallies as both of them finished the night with two goals.

Filip Forsberg scored twice as the Nashville Predators held off the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2. The win moves the Predators into first place in the Central Division with 44 points. William Karlsson had a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights.

The Winnipeg Jets picked up their third straight victory by beating the Arizona Coyotes 3-1. Mark Scheifele collected two assists and Pierre-Luc Dubois scored what proved to be the game-winning goal. Coyotes goaltender Karel Vejmelka kept the game close with a 46-save effort.

HEADLINES

SPORTSNET: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid was among several players to be placed on the COVID protocol list. Others include Boston Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk, Buffalo Sabres forward Alex Tuch and the Philadelphia Flyers Claude Giroux and Ivan Provorov.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs are breathing a sigh of relief as center Auston Matthews tested negative for COVID-19 following a PCR test. While he missed practice yesterday, the Leafs star could be in the lineup for tonight’s game against the Oilers.

NHL.COM: The league has postponed the Blue Jackets vs New York Islanders and Red Wings vs Flyers games originally scheduled for Jan. 18. Three previously postponed Islanders games (vs the Flyers and two against the Leafs) have been rescheduled for Jan. 18, Jan. 22, and Apr. 17.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Tuukka Rask’s agent said his client has not yet signed a contract with the Bruins. Rumors claimed the two sides had an agreement in place on a tentative one-year deal. However, it’s believed they could have a new deal soon. The free-agent goaltender has been rehabbing from offseason hip surgery with the Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: You can find more info on Rask later this morning in the Rumors section.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Minnesota Wild placed forward Victor Rask on waivers yesterday.

TSN: The Anaheim Ducks’ search committee for a new general manager includes Ducks Hall-of-Famers Scott Niedermayer and Paul Kariya.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning owner Jeff Vinik sold a minority stake of the franchise to Arctos Sports Partners. The sale was approved by the NHL on Dec. 31.










NHL Rumor Mill – November 20, 2021

NHL Rumor Mill – November 20, 2021

Check out the latest on the Penguins, Wild and Senators in today’s NHL rumor mill.

LATEST ON THE PENGUINS

THE ATHLETIC: In a recent mailbag segment, Josh Yohe was asked if the Pittsburgh Penguins could become sellers at the 2022 trade deadline if they don’t make the playoffs. He didn’t dismiss the possibility of a rebuild but felt they’re not at that point yet.

Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jake Guentzel (NHL Images).

Asked if Jake Guentzel, Bryan Rust and Brian Dumoulin could become deadline trade chips if the Penguins were out of contention, Yohe replied he could envision them being available for the right price, especially Rust as he’s eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. He also mused about whether general manager Ron Hextall would attempt to peddle pending UFAs Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Dan Kingerski believes the Penguins need a course correction to snap out of their early-season struggles. He feels they need a right-side defenseman, a scoring winger for Jeff Carter and a spark plug player similar to former Penguins forwards like Patric Hornqvist or Brandon Tanev.

In the wake of the Penguins’ impending sale to the Fenway Group, Kingerski wondered what effect that could have upon the future of Malkin and Letang in Pittsburgh.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It will be interesting to see what changes there are (if any) once the Fenway Group takes over ownership of the Penguins. The longer Malkin and Letang go without new contracts, the more speculation about their trade status as the deadline approaches.

Management could be reluctant to move Malkin, Letang, Rust or any other pending free agents if the Penguins hold a playoff berth by deadline day. We’ll have to wait until the calendar flips to January 2022 to perhaps begin to get a clearer picture of their plans.

THE ATHLETIC: In a recent mailbag segment, Michael Russo was asked about the future of winger Jordan Greenway. He could be moved before next season to make room for promising wingers like Matthew Boldy and Adam Beckman.

Greenway’s a pending restricted free agent in the midst of an underwhelming start to this season. Russo believes he’ll be moved at some point before next season and expects the Wild would seek futures in return.

Russo also said the Wild are trying to move center Victor Rask but haven’t found any takers yet.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Greenway, 24, is a 6’6”, 231-pound left winger who was showing some potential as a big playmaker over the last two years. However, he has just three assists in 12 games this season and facing criticism for not being more physically engaged and driving the offense. With a cap hit of $2.1 million, he could be an affordable option for clubs seeking size and offense at left wing.

OTTAWA SUN: Earlier this week, Ken Warren speculated over whether the Senators will pursue a trade for a center to replace the sidelined Colin White and Shane Pinto.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators have been rumored to be in the market for a center for some time. GM Pierre Dorion could be shopping around but finding a suitable deal this early in the season won’t be easy.