NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 14, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 14, 2024

Reaction from the Blues signing Oilers’ Broberg and Holloway to offer sheets, Jeff Vinik selling his majority stake of the Lightning, Rangers broadcaster Sam Rosen to retire, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The St. Louis Blues signed Oilers defenseman Philip Broberg and winger Dylan Holloway on Tuesday to offer sheets. Broberg’s is a two-year contract with an average annual value of $4,580,917 while Holloway’s is two years with an AAV of $2,290,457.

The Oilers have seven days from those signings to match those offers. If they don’t, they’ll receive the Blues’ 2025 second-round pick as compensation for Broberg and the Blues’ third-rounder for Holloway.

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Philip Broberg (NHL Images).

They’re above the $88 million salary cap by $341, 667. They’re allowed to be over the cap by 10 percent during the offseason but must be cap-compliant before their season opener.

The Oilers could put Evander Kane (sports hernia issues) on long-term injury reserve if he requires surgery before the start of the season. That would provide them with $5.125 million in cap relief to sign one but not both without making another cost-cutting move.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the first time a team has attempted to sign two players from a rival club at the same time. The Oilers cannot trade Broberg and Holloway during these seven days. If the Oilers match, the players cannot be traded for one year from the date the offers were matched.

The Edmonton Journal’s Bruce McCurdy pointed out the AAVs were designed in such a way as to maximize the respective cap hits while keeping each just below a specific threshold for compensation. Had each offer been a dollar more, it would’ve increased the compensation paid by the Blues.

It’s speculated Kane could undergo surgery with a recovery time of 8-12 weeks but that hasn’t been confirmed. Placing him on LTIR would be a short-term fix because they’ll have to clear sufficient cap space when he’s ready to return to action during the season.

STLTODAY.COM: Matthew DeFranks reports Blues general manager Doug Armstrong also reacquired his club’s 2025 second-round pick yesterday from the Pittsburgh Penguins, which had been dealt to the Penguins in the Kevin Hayes trade last month. They wouldn’t have been allowed to sign Broberg to that offer sheet without that pick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As per the CBA, teams must use their own draft picks as offer-sheet compensation. They’re allowed to reacquire those picks to make this work.

Observers agree this move by the Blues puts the cap-strapped Oilers in a difficult spot. If they don’t match, they’ll lose two former first-round picks who showed promise last season, especially during their run to the Stanley Cup Final.

I’ll have more about the options facing the Oilers and the potential effect this move could have on other clubs with unsigned RFA players in today’s Rumors section.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Jeff Vinik is working on selling his majority stake of the Lightning.

The team will remain under Vinik’s control for the next several seasons and he’ll remain part of the new ownership group.

Doug Ostrover, the co-founder and CEO of Blue Owl Capital, is believed to be the purchase. The Lightning are valued at close to USD $2 billion.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That sale will make Vinik much wealthier and increase the estimated value of other NHL teams.

NEW YORK POST: Long-time Rangers play-by-play man Sam Rosen will retire at the end of the 2024-25 season. It will be the 40th season behind the mike for the 77-year-old Rosen.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rosen called plenty of Rangers’ history during that period, including the club’s Stanley Cup championship run in 1994. He’s earned his place among the NHL’s greatest broadcasters.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW/NASHVILLE HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins acquired center Cody Glass, a 2025 third-round pick, and a 2026 sixth-rounder from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for minor league forward Jordan Frasca.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Glass, 25, was a former first-round pick (sixth overall, 2017) by the Vegas Golden Knights. He struggled to crack Nashville’s lineup last season.

This was a cost-cutting deal by the Predators, freeing up $2.5 million from their cap payroll for 2024-25.

Penguins GM Kyle Dubas continues to stockpile draft picks. He’s also adding a young NHL depth player to his roster while giving up little in return.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars signed free-agent goaltender Magnus Hellberg to a one-year, two-way contract. The 33-year-old Hellberg appeared in 26 NHL games over the past six seasons with the Nashville Predators, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 27, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 27, 2021

Marc-Andre Fleury hopes to remain with the Vegas Golden Knights, Alec Martinez played through injury, Canadiens coach Ducharme should return during Stanley Cup Final and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

Marc-Andre Fleury wants to end his playing career with the Vegas Golden Knights and hopes Robin Lehner does too. He said he’s developed a good relationship with Lehner and is proud of what they accomplished this season. The duo combined to win the William M. Jennings Trophy for the fewest goals allowed (124) during this season.

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (NHL Images).

Lehner also said he and Fleury have grown closer, adding it’s been a privilege to play alongside him. Fleury is entering the final season of his three-year contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fleury surfaced again as a cost-cutting trade candidate following the Golden Knights’ playoff elimination. He has a 10-team no-trade clause, giving the club some flexibility if they wish to shed his $7 million cap hit. Lehner, meanwhile, just completed the first season of a five-year contract.

SPORTSNET: Golden Knights defenseman Alec Martinez said he played through a broken foot for over a month. He still averaged over 22 minutes per game and has a playoffs-leading 72 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Martinez, 33, is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 28. That performance will boost his stock in the free-agent market. It could also earn him a new contract with the Golden Knights if they can free up sufficient cap room to re-sign him.

SPORTSNET: Montreal Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme expected to return for Game 3 of his club’s Stanley Cup Final series with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ducharme’s been in self-isolation following a positive COVID-19 test before Game 3 of the semifinal against the Vegas Golden Knights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some wonder if Ducharme’s return behind the bench could upset the coaching dynamic since the Canadiens advanced to the Final under assistant coach Luke Richardson. They forget it was his coaching that got the Habs to the semifinal in the first place. He’s been in regular contact with his coaching staff and players through videoconferencing between games.

THE ATHLETIC: Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin denied a report claiming contract talks with winger Kirill Kaprizov have gone cold. He said both sides continue working toward a new deal.

TSN: Former Chicago Blackhawks associate coach John Torchetti confirmed a meeting took place during the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs to discuss the alleged sexual assault of two of their players. One of those players recently filed a lawsuit against the team alleging he and a team were sexually assaulted by then-video coach Bradley Aldrich.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning owner Jeff Vinik could miss Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final if it goes that far. He’ll be in Rhode Island as his son is getting married the following day.

CBS PITTSBURGH: Former Penguins forward Beau Bennett announced his retirement. A first-round pick of the Penguins in 2010 (20th overall), he spent four seasons (2012-13 to 2015-16) with the organization followed by one with the New Jersey Devils and another with the St. Louis Blues. In 200 NHL games, Bennett tallied 20 goals and 64 points and won a Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2016.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Bennett in his future endeavors.