NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 8, 2024

by | Nov 8, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 8, 2024

Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck reaches a career milestone, the Panthers, Hurricanes and Wild each reach the 20-point plateau, the Sabres upset the Rangers, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 35 saves for his second straight shutout (and the 40th of his NHL career) as his club held on to blank the Colorado Avalanche 1-0. Gabriel Vilardi scored the only goal at 1:06 of the first period for the Jets, who extended their league-leading record to 13-1-0 (26 points). Avalanche goalie Alexandar Georgiev stopped 27 shots.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hellebuyck became the sixth US-born goaltender to record 40 career shutouts, joining Jonathan Quick (66 shutouts), Ryan Miller (44), Craig Anderson (43), Frankie Brimsek and John Vanbiesbrouck (40 each).

The shutout snapped the 13-game season-opening points streaks of Avalanche stars Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon. Cale Makar suffered an injury against the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday but played over 25 minutes in this contest, recording two shots on net.

The Florida Panthers picked up their sixth straight win with a 6-2 victory over the Nashville Predators, handing the latter their fifth loss in their last six games. Carter Verhaeghe scored two goals and collected an assist, Aleksander Barkov picked up three assists and Sam Reinhart extended his goal streak to five games. Steven Stamkos and Juuso Parssinen replied for the Predators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers sit atop the Eastern Conference with a record of 10-3-1 (21 points). Predators forward Colton Sissons missed this game as he’s day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

Carolina Hurricanes netminder Pyotr Kochetkov turned aside 35 shots to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-1. The Hurricanes picked up their eighth straight victory as Jack Roslovic scored twice and picked up an assist and Jalen Chatfield had three assists. Blake Lizotte scored for the Penguins.

The Buffalo Sabres romped to a 6-1 upset of the New York Rangers. Zach Benson had a goal and an assist and Jack Quinn picked up two assists for the Sabres. Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin got the hook early in the second period after giving up five goals on 12 shots.

An overtime goal by Brad Marchand lifted the Boston Bruins over the Calgary Flames 4-3. Bruins forward Pavel Zacha had a goal and an assist while Joona Korpisalo made 34 saves for the win. The Flames forced the extra frame by overcoming a two-goal deficit on third-period goals by Yegor Sherangovich and Nazem Kadri.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flames winger Anthony Mantha missed this game with a lower-body injury and was placed on injured reserve.

Dallas Stars forwards Logan Stankoven and Sam Steel each had a goal and an assist in a 3-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Tyler Seguin also scored and Jake Oettinger made 25 saves for the Stars. Tyler Bertuzzi replied for the Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stankoven leads all rookie scorers with 12 points.

The Minnesota Wild got three assists from Kirill Kaprizov to drop the San Jose Sharks 5-2. Matt Boldy tallied twice for the Wild, who sit second in the Western Conference with a record of 9-2-2 (20 points). Sharks rookie Macklin Celebrini scored both goals for the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks defenseman Jake Walman missed this game with an upper-body injury. He missed their previous contest for non-hockey reasons.

Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes had a goal and an assist as his club doubled up the Los Angeles Kings 4-2. Canucks winger Brock Boeser left this game midway through the first period following a blindside hit to the head by Kings forward Tanner Jeannot. There was no update on his condition following the game. Quinton Byfield and Vladislav Gavrikov scored for the Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jeannot received a match penalty for his illegal hit on Boeser. The incident will be reviewed by the league but remains to be seen whether he receives supplemental discipline.

A shootout goal by Owen Tippett lifted the Philadelphia Flyers to a 2-1 upset of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Tipett also scored in regulation while Ivan Fedotov made 23 saves for his first NHL victory. Nikita Kucherov replied for the Lightning, who played without Brayden Point as he remains sidelined by a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers rookie Matvei Michkov was a healthy scratch as head coach John Tortorella expressed concerns over Michkov’s play at even strength. The 19-year-old winger is second among NHL rookie scorers with 10 points, seven of which were on the power play. He was held to one assist in his last five games.

The Utah Hockey Club defeated the St. Louis Blues 4-2 as Dylan Guenther scored the go-ahead goal late in the third period. Guenther finished the night with two points. Colton Parayko and Jordan Kyrou tallied for the Blues.

New Jersey Devils forwards Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt each collected three points in a 5-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens, handing the latter their fifth straight loss (0-4-1). Alex Newhook scored twice for the struggling Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens’ leading scorers have been shut down lately. Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield have no points in their last three games while Juraj Slafkovsky was held to an assist in his last four contests. Meanwhile, the Devils reassigned defenseman Simon Nemec to their AHL affiliate in Utica. He’d been a healthy scratch for over two weeks.

The New York Islanders doubled up the Ottawa Senators 4-2. Bo Horvat led the way with a goal and two assists while Semyon Varlamov stopped 28 shots for the win. Nick Jensen and Drake Batherson replied for the Senators, who’ve dropped five of their last seven games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators forward Tim Stutzle was cut above his right eye after taking a puck to the face in the first period. He left the game but returned at the start of the second period, finishing the game with two assists.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews missed practice on Thursday as he remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Leafs coach Craig Berube hasn’t ruled out Matthews from their upcoming two games against the Detroit Red Wings on Friday and the Canadiens on Saturday.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Seattle Kraken goaltender Philipp Grubauer is listed as day-to-day after suffering what the club called “an unfortunate accident” at home. He’s expected to return within the next couple of days.

RG.ORG: Former New Jersey Devils forward John Madden remains puzzled as to why former teammate Alexander Mogilny continues to be passed over for induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

“It was crazy how many key goals he scored for us at the right moments, at the right time, whether it was regular season or playoffs; he just had that knack for burying goals that mattered,” said Madden. He considers Mogilny “one of the best players not to be in the Hockey Hall of Fame.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Madden’s not the only person wondering why the Hall of Fame has continually passed over Mogilny since his first year of eligibility in 2009. A growing number of fans and pundits have openly questioned the Hall’s ongoing snub of one of the most skillful and exciting forwards to play the game.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The NCAA has voted to allow major junior players to maintain college eligibility if they are not signed to a pro contract. This decision allows players in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), which includes the QMJHL, OHL and WHL to transfer to NCAA teams beginning next season.

The move would enable players drafted by NHL teams out of the CHL to play NCAA Division I hockey as their next step in developing their game before signing a professional contract. How it will impact other leagues like the United States Hockey League (USHL) or the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) remains to be seen.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 7, 2024

by | Nov 7, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 7, 2024

Alex Ovechkin extends his goal streak, Connor McDavid returns from injury sooner than expected, and the latest on Cale Makar, Gabriel Landeskog, Dylan Holloway, Thatcher Demko and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored the winning goal and picked up an assist as his club nipped the Nashville Predators 3-2. Ovechkin extended his goals streak to five games and Dylan Strome collected two assists for the Capitals, who sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 18 points. Juuso Parssinen and Steven Stamkos scored for the Predators, who’ve dropped four of their last five games (1-3-1).

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin needs 34 goals to break Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894 goals. He has eight goals in 12 games this season.

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Noah Hanifin scored twice in the third period as his club doubled up the Edmonton Oilers 4-2. Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev each finished with three points as their team sits atop the Pacific Division with 19 points in 13 games. Brett Kulak and Zach Hyman replied for the Oilers (6-7-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers captain Connor McDavid returned to action after missing 10 days with an ankle injury. He was originally expected to be sidelined for up to three weeks. He played over 21 minutes but was held scoreless.

The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1. Dylan Larkin and Alex DeBrincat each had a goal and an assist and Cam Talbot stopped 29 shots for the Wings. Nick Foligno scored for the Blackhawks.

HEADLINES

THE DENVER POST: Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said Cale Makar is ok after suffering a lower-body injury on Tuesday against the Seattle Kraken. He traveled with the Avs and could play Thursday against the Winnipeg Jets.

TSN: Bednar also said captain Gabriel Landeskog suffered a setback as he attempts a comeback after knee surgeries sidelined him for the past two seasons. Bednar said it’s part of the on-again, off-again recovery process and remains hopeful Landeskog can return to action this season.

SPORTSNET: St. Louis Blues forward Dylan Holloway suffered no ill effects from taking a puck to the neck in Tuesday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He left the game on a stretcher and was taken to a hospital for observation but was released and rejoined his teammates in practice yesterday. Holloway hopes to play against Utah on Thursday.

TSN: Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko participated in some practice drills on Wednesday with some of his teammates. It’s the latest step in his recovery from a nagging knee injury that has sidelined him since Game 1 of the opening round of the 2024 playoffs.

DAILY FACEOFF: Canucks defenseman Derek Forbort is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Dallas Stars forward Mason Marchment is out day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.

OTTAWA SUN: Center Shane Pinto and defenseman Artem Zub could return to the Senators lineup for Thursday’s contest with the New York Islanders. Zub has missed nine games with a concussion while Pinto was out six games with an undisclosed ailment.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky said defenseman Jake Walman was a healthy scratch from Tuesday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets for non-hockey reasons. “Jake did not play because of hockey play,” said Warsofsky. “There was nothing to do with that. It was something in between (us) that we’ll keep in-house.”.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Walman’s absence raised eyebrows given his role on the Sharks. He logs the second-most minutes and is their best offensive defenseman.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: The Canadiens have loaned forward Oliver Kapanen to Timra IK in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Devils announced they’ve relieved Kevin Dineen of his duties as head coach of their AHL affiliate in Utica. Assistant coach Ryan Parent takes over on an interim basis for the rest of the season. The move comes as Utica is off to one of the worst starts (0-9-1) in franchise history.

ESPN.COM: Emily Kaplan recently examined several key issues potentially at stake in the next round of collective bargaining between the NHL and NHL Players’ Association. The current agreement will expire in September 2026.

The players hope for a bigger slice of the growing revenue pie. Many would like to see escrow eliminated. They’d also like to get a cut of future expansion fees. Some players wonder if the league might implement a luxury tax given the willingness of some teams to spend over the salary cap.

Some players would like to see the preseason shortened and expand the regular season to 84 games if it means starting the season earlier. Others would like to see the playoff schedule return to the 1-8 seeding by conference.

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the CBA negotiations are expected to start in the New Year. NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly will summarize the main points he’s learned from meeting with individual general managers at the upcoming GMs meeting.

The general managers would like to tweak the salary arbitration process and revise the compensation rates for offer sheets. One GM would like to see them revisit term limits on player contracts.

LeBrun doesn’t feel either side wants to have a big war in this round of CBA negotiations. He believes they want this to go smoothly.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kaplan cited one player saying growing league revenue was the priority and doesn’t want to squabble about points. That is the main factor for both sides. Revenue has grown significantly in recent years and neither side wants to do anything that could jeopardize that growth.

There will be some tweaks coming out of the next round of CBA but nothing that will require a work stoppage. There is no rancor between the two sides and no sense of foreboding compared to the lead-up to the three previous lockouts. Some think an agreement could be reached next summer.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 26, 2024

by | Jun 26, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 26, 2024

Pavel Datsyuk, Shea Weber, and Jeremy Roenick are among seven new Hockey Hall of Fame inductees, the Avalanche sign Casey Mittelstadt, the Jets re-up Dylan DeMelo, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Pavel Datsyuk, Shea Weber and Jeremy Roenick were the former NHL stars elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Pavel Datsyuk and Shea Weber have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame (NHL.com)

Former United States women’s national team forwards Natalie Darwitz and Krissy Wendell-Pohl were also inducted in the player category.

Former Nashville Predators general manager David Poile and current NHL senior executive vice-president Colin Campbell were elected into the builder category.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to the inductees for this well-deserved honor.

Meanwhile, Alexander Mogilny’s ongoing snub by the Hall of Fame is getting ridiculous.

Many of Mogilny’s former Vancouver Canucks teammates have called for his inclusion. He was a five-time All-Star, earning an appearance on all four NHL teams he played for in his career (Buffalo, Vancouver, New Jersey, Toronto). He’s among a handful of players to score over 70 goals in a season.

For whatever reason, Mogilny continues to be passed over. Maybe he’ll get his due next year.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche signed center Casey Mittlestadt to a three-year contract extension with an average annual value of $5.75 million. Mittestadt, 25, was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres before the March trade deadline. He was slated to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mittestadt was coming off back-to-back 50-plus point seasons. He quickly fit well within the Avs’ lineup. The young center was coming off a three-year deal with an AAV of $2.5 million.

This is a win for both sides here. Mittelstadt gets a significant raise and an opportunity to become an unrestricted free agent at age 28 when he’ll still be in his playing prime. The Avalanche, meanwhile, look up their second-line center at a reasonable rate. They also buy some time to grow more cap room to attempt to re-sign him down the road.

WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets signed Dylan DeMelo to a four-year contract extension with an AAV of $4.9 million. The 31-year-old defenseman was completing a four-year, $12 million contract and was due to become a UFA on July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: DeMelo was a key part of the Jets blueline corps pairing with the puck-moving Josh Morrissey.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: On Tuesday, the Flyers officially announced that top prospect Matvei Michkov had officially terminated his contract with KHL club SKA St. Petersburg. The 19-year-old winger will join the Flyers for the 2024-25 season.

TSN: The Detroit Red Wings traded defenseman Jake Walman and a 2024 second-round draft pick to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for future considerations. Walman, 28, has two seasons remaining on his contract with an AAV of $3.4 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Can you say, “salary dump”, kids? I knew you could!

SPORTSNET: Hockey Canada officially named Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper as head coach of Canada’s team at the NHL’s 4Nations Face-Off next February and of its Men’s Olympic team in 2026.

SPORTICO: Arizona Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo has told his remaining executives he is dissolving what’s left of the franchise. He will no longer pursue the construction of a new NHL-worthy arena in the Phoenix area. The franchise should be disbanded within a month.

The hockey operations and players were sold to Utah Jazz owners Ryan and Ashley Smith in April and moved to Utah, where they will play the 2024-25 season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: And with that, the Coyotes saga comes to a close. Some observers still believe the NHL will one day return to Arizona. That won’t occur until a suitable arena is constructed and that’s not happening in the foreseeable future.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 7, 2023

by | Dec 7, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 7, 2023

The resurgent Oilers win again as Connor McDavid rises in the points race, the Golden Knights regain first place in the overall standings, Patrick Kane to make his debut with the Red Wings on Thursday, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The resurgent Edmonton Oilers picked up their fifth straight win by thumping the Carolina Hurricanes 6-1. Zach Hyman tallied a hat trick while Connor McDavid and Mattias Janmark each collected three assists as the Oilers improved their record to 10-12-1. Jordan Staal scored for the 14-10-1 Hurricanes.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A big reason why the Oilers have improved is McDavid is healthy and scoring again. With 32 points, he’s tied with the Florida Panthers’ Sam Reinhart for 10th in the scoring race. He’s 12 points behind Nikita Kucherov, who leads the race with 44 points. At McDavid’s current pace, the Oilers captain could overtake the Tampa Bay Lightning winger by the time the calendar flips to January.

Meanwhile, Staal and Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour weren’t pleased with their club’s effort in this contest. Brind’Amour called their performance “a bad game from start to finish”, calling out the play of his best players. Staal, meanwhile, called it “embarrassing,” saying their lack of pushback was “just all-around crap.”

Speaking of Kucherov, he extended his points streak to 11 games with a goal and an assist to lead the Lightning over the Pittsburgh Penguins by a score of 3-1. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 24 shots as the Bolts improved to 12-10-5. Jake Guentzel scored for the Penguins (11-11-3) as they’ve lost three straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins’ punchless power play is a big reason behind their struggles this season. Evgeni Malkin lamented his club’s inability to cash in with the man advantage, having gone 0-33 since Nov. 11. Hard to believe with a team sporting proven scorers such as Malkin, Guentzel, Sidney Crosby and offseason acquisition Erik Karlsson, but these guys can’t buy a power-play goal right now.

A four-goal second period lifted the Vegas Golden Knights to a 6-3 win over the St. Louis Blues. Jack Eichel, William Karlsson and Keegan Kolesar each had a goal and an assist as the Golden Knights (17-5-5) retook first place in the overall standings with 39 points. Jordan Binnington stopped 43 shots while Jordan Kyrou had a goal and an assist for the 13-11-1 Blues.

The Florida Panthers held off the Dallas Stars by a score of 5-4. Evan Rodrigues scored twice and set up two others while Sam Reinhart had a goal and two assists for the 15-8-2 Panthers. Mason Marchment and Thomas Harley each had a goal and an assist for the Stars (14-7-3), who’ve dropped three of their last four games.

HEADLINES

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Patrick Kane will make his season debut with the Red Wings on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks at Little Caesars Arena. He’s expected to be on a line with J.T. Compher and Alex DeBrincat, his former linemate during their days with the Chicago Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It will be Kane’s first game since May 1. He’s coming off a hip resurfacing procedure in June. It’ll be interesting to see how well he plays and how the Wings manage his playing time in this upcoming contest.

NHL.COM: Speaking of the Red Wings, defenseman Jake Walman was fined $2,500.00 by the department of player safety for high-sticking Buffalo Sabres winger Jeff Skinner on Tuesday.

TSN: Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman John Klingberg will undergo season-ending hip surgery at the end of December. The 31-year-old signed a one-year, $4.15 million contract with the Leafs during the offseason but hasn’t played since Nov. 11 and was placed on long-term injury reserve on Nov. 23.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With Klingberg on LTIR for the rest of the season, expect the Leafs to use the salary-cap savings to find a replacement on the blueline.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators have brought back former coach Jacques Martin as a senior advisor to lend a hand to their coaching staff.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Columbus Blue Jackets placed goaltender Elvis Merzlikins (illness), defenseman Adam Boqvist (shoulder strain) and forward Cole Sillinger (upper body) on injured reserve.

WGR 550: The Buffalo Sabres added some depth to their bottom-six forwards by acquiring Eric Robinson from the Columbus Blue Jackets for a conditional 2025 seventh-round draft pick.

THE ATHLETIC: Ian Mendes analyzed NHL attendance during the first quarter of this season to see which clubs have made the biggest gains and losses year-over-year after the pandemic skewed attendance figures in three consecutive seasons.

Overall, Mendes finds the numbers paints “a fairly upbeat picture” of NHL attendance. Fifteen of the league’s 32 clubs were at 99 percent or better in the first two months of this season. Ten teams had averaged between 91 percent and 98 percent. Six others averaged between 75.6 percent and 89.5 percent. Mendes omitted the Arizona Coyotes because they play in a 4,600-seat arena, though he pointed out that they sold all 11 home games thus far.

All but six teams (Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, San Jose Sharks, Winnipeg Jets and Washington Capitals) saw increases in attendance. The Lightning and Bruins were at full capacity while the latter four saw their attendance drop, with the Jets and Capitals encountering the biggest declines.

The biggest risers were the Chicago Blackhawks, New Jersey Devils, Florida Panthers and Buffalo Sabres. The Blackhawks improved thanks to the presence of highly-touted rookie Connor Bedard while last season’s performances by the other three accounted for their attendance bumps. The Los Angeles Kings, Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers also saw significant improvement.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The struggles of the Flames and Sharks account for their attendance declines.

Mendes cites colleague Murat Ates indicating the Jets are a small-market club that doesn’t sell as many corporate season tickets and thus are affected by factors such as day-to-day economic issues for their fans, customer service and a feeling ownership got complacent when their arena was full.

The Capitals’ decline was a surprise despite their competitive team this season. Mendes noted they only had one game in which attendance dipped below 16,000.

SPORTSNET: The Montreal Canadiens are receiving a backlash for charging their fans $195.00 to meet their mascot Youppi.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens aren’t forcing their fans to pay to meet their mascot. They can take it or leave it. Still, when one considers the high cost of attending their games, paying to meet Youppi seems to have crossed the line with a number of their followers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 18, 2023

by | Nov 18, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 18, 2023

William Nylander continues his points streak as the Leafs rally to beat the Red Wings in Sweden while Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour return to the Panthers lineup. Details on these and other stories in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs winger William Nylander extended his season-opening points streak to 16 games in a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Global Series in Sweden. The Leafs were down 2-0 but Nylander rallied his teammates in the third period with a goal and two assists and was named the game’s first star. John Tavares also had a goal and two assists as the Leafs improved to 9-5-2. Daniel Sprong and Lucas Raymond scored for the 8-6-3 Red Wings.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nylander has been the Leafs’ best player thus far this season. He’s their leading scorer with 25 points and sits second in goals with 11. He’s also among the league leaders in both categories. At this pace, he’ll become a serious candidate for the Hart Memorial Trophy as his team’s MVP.

Nylander’s strong performance in his contract year will also make the cost of re-signing him even more expensive for the Leafs. Reports out of Toronto since July claimed his camp was seeking an annual average value of $10 million. That figure could be between $11 million and $12 million now.

Red Wings defenseman Jake Walman left this game in the second period with an apparent upper-body injury. There was no postgame update on his condition.

Florida Panthers defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour made their season debuts as their club nipped the Anaheim Ducks 2-1. Eetu Luostarinen and Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored for the Panthers (11-5-1) as Anthony Stolarz made 34 saves for the win. Frank Vatrano replied for the Ducks (9-8-0) as John Gibson stopped 33 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ekblad and Montour had been sidelined by offseason shoulder surgeries. They were held scoreless but their return to the blueline was a welcome sight for the Panthers.

It was a costly win for the Panthers as team captain Aleksander Barkov left the game with an injured left knee in the third period after Ducks defenseman Jackson Lacombe stuck out his leg and struck Barkov. Lacome was initially assessed a five-minute major but it was reduced on review to two minutes. There was no postgame update on Barkov’s condition.

The Winnipeg Jets held off the Buffalo Sabres by a score of 3-2. Connor Hellebuyck turned aside 26 shots, Cole Perfetti extended his goal streak to five games while Nino Niederreiter and Vladislav Namestnikov each collected two assists for the 9-5-2 Jets. Alex Tuch and JJ Peterka replied for the Sabres as they slipped to 7-9-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres activated goaltender Eric Comrie and winger Zach Benson off injured reserve for this game while placing center Tage Thompson (left-hand injury) on IR.

HEADLINES

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Arizona Coyotes center Barrett Hayton will be sidelined for four to six weeks as he undergoes surgery for an upper-body injury suffered against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday.

Hayton’s teammate Matias Maccelli also left that game after being struck in the face by a puck. While he required “major dental surgery” he’s expected to be okay though it’s uncertain as to when he’ll return to the lineup.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj is listed as day-to-day after leaving Thursday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights with an apparent injury to his left shoulder.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There was concern that Xhekaj could miss considerable time if the injury was serious. That’s understandable considering he underwent season-ending surgery to his right shoulder in February. This news suggests that he might not be laid up for too long.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sharks center Nico Sturm will miss the next two games as he takes a leave of absence to attend to a personal matter.

WASHINGTON HOCKEY NOW: Capitals defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk (lower-body injury) and winger Anthony Mantha (ruptured eardrum) will return to the lineup for today’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins backup goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic scored a goal for the club’s AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Friday against the Providence Bruins. It’s the second time he’s scored in AHL action during his career. He’s on loan to the Penguins’ farm team on a conditioning stint.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The government of Quebec is facing criticism for paying upwards of $7 million to the Los Angeles Kings to play two preseason games next season in Quebec City against the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers.

Critics believe that money could’ve been better spent on more pressing issues, especially when it was revealed that the Montreal Canadiens were willing to play some preseason games in Quebec City for free.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Someone on social media joked that Quebec City wanted to see real NHL teams rather than the Canadiens. It’s part of the province’s efforts to bring a team back to Quebec City. However, it’s unlikely to succeed given the more lucrative markets in Houston, Atlanta and Salt Lake City that are expected to be the next destinations for NHL expansion franchises. 










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 1, 2023

by | Mar 1, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 1, 2023

Anze Kopitar has a four-goal performance as the Kings reportedly ship Jonathan Quick to the Blue Jackets, the Wild acquire Gustav Nyquist, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar scored four goals as his club overcame a 5-3 deficit to defeat the Winnipeg Jets 6-5. Adrian Kempe scored the winning goal in the shootout as the Kings improved to 34-20-8 to sit in second place in the Pacific Division with 76 points. Josh Morrissey scored two goals and collected two assists and Kevin Stenlund also tallied twice as the Jets (35-24-2) hold the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 72 points.

Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar (NHL Images).

The Boston Bruins picked up their eighth straight win by nipping the Calgary Flames 4-3 on an overtime goal by Charlie McAvoy. Linus Ullmark kicked out 54 shots while Dmitry Orlov scored twice and collected an assist for the 47-8-5 Bruins as they opened a 13-point lead over the Carolina Hurricanes for first place in the overall standings with 99 points. The Flames sank to 27-21-13 with 67 points to sit five back of the Jets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins forward Nick Foligno left the game with a leg injury in the second period following a questionable hit by Flames defenseman Nikita Zadorov.

Third-period goals by Sidney Crosby, Jason Zucker and Bryan Rust carried the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 3-1 victory over the Nashville Predators for their third straight win. The Penguins (30-21-9) hold the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 69 points while the Predators dropped to 29-23-6 and sit seven points back of the Jets in the Western Conference.

A 39-save performance by Filip Gustavsson gave the Minnesota Wild a 2-1 win over the New York Islanders with Frederick Gaudreau tallying the winner in the shootout. Ryan Reaves scored in regulation for the Wild as they improved to 34-21-6 to move into second place in the Central Division with 74 points. Josh Bailey tallied for the Islanders (31-25-8) as they hold the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 70 points.

The Seattle Kraken snapped a three-game losing skid by dropping the St. Louis Blues by a score of 5-3. Morgan Geekie scored twice and Martin Jones made 22 saves for his first win since Jan. 25 as the Kraken (33-21-6) hold third place in the Pacific Division with 72 points. Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich each had a goal and an assist as the Blues fell to 26-29-5.

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 28 shots in a 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Eric Staal had a goal and an assist as the Panthers (30-26-6) sit three points behind the Penguins in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Brayden Point replied for the 37-19-4 Lightning as they sit in third place in the Atlantic Division with 78 points.

The Ottawa Senators kept their playoff hopes alive by thumping the Detroit Red Wings 6-1. Austin Watson scored two goals and Tim Stutzle had a goal and two assists as the Senators improved to 30-26-4 (64 points) to sit five points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot. Dominik Kubalik scored for the Red Wings as they fell to 28-24-8 (64 points). Wings defenseman Filip Hronek left the game in the second period with an upper-body injury.

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Eric Robinson netted his first career NHL hat trick in a 5-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Elvis Merzlikins turned aside 38 shots for the 20-35-6 Blue Jackets, who sat out goalie Joonas Korpisalo from this game for “trade-related reasons”. Jack Quinn had a goal and an assist for the 31-24-4 Sabres as they sit three points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot. Their home record has dropped to 12-16-2 on the season.

The Montreal Canadiens got a 38-save performance from Jake Allen to defeat the San Jose Sharks 3-1. Christian Dvorak had a goal and an assist for the 26-30-4 Canadiens while the Sharks sank to 18-31-12.

Arizona Coyotes forward Nick Schmaltz scored for the fourth straight game in a 4-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Schmaltz and Clayton Keller each finished with two points for the 21-30-9 Coyotes. Andreas Athanasiou tallied for the 21-34-5 Blackhawks. The Coyotes held center Nick Bjugstad from this game for “trade-related reasons”.

HEADLINES

DAILY FACEOFF: The Los Angeles Kings have reportedly traded goaltender Jonathan Quick and a 2023 first-round pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for goalie Joonas Korpisalo and defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov.

**UPDATE:  TSN’s Darren Dreger reports the Blue Jackets will receive a conditional first-round pick in 2023 and a third-round pick in 2024 as part of the return along with Quick. The condition on the first-rounder is based on the unlikely possibility of the Kings missing the playoffs this season.**

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report suggests there could be more pieces involved in this trade but the centerpiece of this deal is the Kings moving on from Quick while bringing in Korpisalo and Gavrikov.

Quick was the Kings’ long-time starter who backstopped them to the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014. However, the pending free agent struggled this season which prompted this move to shore up their goaltending depth. Korpisalo has put solid numbers since December behind a porous Blue Jackets defense.

The Kings were in the market for a left-side defenseman and reportedly had an interest in the Arizona Coyotes’ Jakob Chychrun. The two clubs were said to have discussed a trade but those talks evidently fell through, forcing them to turn to Gavrikov. He lacks Chychrun’s offensive skills but plays a responsible defensive game.

As for the Blue Jackets, they get a first-round pick in this year’s draft and likely more assets to put toward rebuilding their roster. Quick, who was said to be unhappy about moving to one of the worst teams in the league, faces an uncertain future given his free-agent status on July 1 and the decline in his performance this season.

TSN: The Minnesota Wild acquired forward Gustav Nyquist from the Blue Jackets in exchange for a 2023 fifth-rounder.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nyquist remains sidelined by a shoulder injury but is expected to return to action before the playoffs. He’s an experience two-way forward with 53 points last season. His production declined this season but the Wild are gambling that he’ll regain his form in Minnesota.

NBC SPORTS BAY AREA: The San Jose Sharks acquired the rights of prospect defenseman Henry Thrun from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a 2024 third-round pick. The Sharks have until Aug. 15 to sign Thrun to an entry-level contract or he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings signed defenseman Jake Walman to a three-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $3.4 million. He was slated to become a UFA on July 1.

WASHINGTON HOCKEY NOW: The Capitals signed defenseman Nick Jensen to a three-year deal worth an AAV of $4.05 million.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers defenseman K’Andre Miller receive a three-game suspension for spitting on Kings defenseman Drew Doughty on Sunday.

TSN: Dallas Stars defenseman Colin Miller was fined $5,000.00 for elbowing Vancouver Canucks center Nils Aman. Canucks defenseman Christian Wolanin was fined over $2,000.00 for slashing Stars forward Ty Dellandrea.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Anaheim Ducks claimed defenseman Scott Harrington off waivers from the New Jersey Devils. Harrington was acquired by the Devils along with Timo Meier on Sunday.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins placed forward Brock McGinn and defenseman Mark Friedman on waivers.

TSN: The NHL sent a memo to teams yesterday indicating they will be closely scrutinizing trades involving injured players who are acquired with the intent of keeping them on long-term injury reserve until the playoffs. The league isn’t banning such moves outright but wishes to ensure such moves don’t circumvent the salary cap.