NHL Rumor Mill – February 21, 2022

by | Feb 21, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – February 21, 2022

​Will the Lightning or Wild make moves at the trade deadline? Which Sharks could become trade candidates? Find out in today’s NHL rumor mill.

WILL LIGHTNING OR WILD BECOME TRADE DEADLINE BUYERS?

THE ATHLETIC: Joe Smith recently examined whether the Tampa Bay Lightning will make any moves by the March 21 trade deadline. General manager Julien BriseBois indicated nothing was off the table if a move could be made to improve their chances of winning the Stanley Cup for the third straight year.

Complicating things, however, is the fact that the Lightning has no cap space for this season and very little for next season. Making additions would mean subtracting someone from their roster and they’ve already got some very good value contracts. They also like the additions they made last summer in Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Corey Perry and Zach Bogosian.

If BriseBois makes a move, Smith believes it’ll be for depth players along the lines of his acquisitions of Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow two years ago. He thinks the Bolts GM would part with multiple high picks if it means landing an impact player, especially one who could become a replacement for pending unrestricted free agent winger Ondrej Palat.

Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin (NHL.com).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: BriseBois could be a buyer if one or more of his players carrying a significant cap hit winds up on long-term injury reserve for the remainder of the regular season. While that worked to their advantage last season when Nikita Kucherov missed the entire 2020-21 regular season recovering from hip surgery, they might not get a similar opportunity again. If he makes an addition, it’ll be an affordable depth player. The Lightning still has a very talented roster that could make a run for a third Cup.

Pierre LeBrun last week reported Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin is remaining patient and examining his options as the trade deadline approaches. He’d prefer to retain his draft picks because he’s still building up the club’s prospect pipeline. His club’s lofty position in the Western Conference standings also allows him to take time to evaluate his roster’s needs.

Guerin downplayed the notion his club needs depth at center. He’s also reluctant to tinker too much with the Wild’s tight team chemistry. It’s possible he trades for a depth forward than a high-end piece like Philadelphia’s Claude Giroux, Dallas’ Joe Pavelski or San Jose’s Tomas Hertl.

The Wild GM also has to keep in mind the cap constraints he faces after this season as a result of buying out Zach Parise and Ryan Suter last summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’d still keep an eye on the Wild, especially if they start to wobble over the next few weeks. Still, there won’t be much reason to make a big addition if they continue playing well leading up to March 21.

LATEST ON THE SHARKS

NBC SPORTS BAY AREA: Sheng Peng examines which San Jose Sharks players could become trade candidates (besides Tomas Hertl) if the club becomes a seller by the March trade deadline. They could include Andrew Cogliano, Nick Bonino, James Reimer, Matt Nieto and Alexander Barabanov.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Peng spoke with two NHL scouts and a league executive about the possible returns for those players. It appears they would fetch third-to-fifth-round picks. Bonino, Nieto and Reimer each have a year remaining on their contracts.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 21, 2022

by | Feb 21, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 21, 2022

​The Panthers remain on course for a franchise-best season, the Hurricanes and Rangers gain points in tight Metropolitan Division, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov had a goal and two assists to lead his club over the Chicago Blackhawks 5-2. Jonathan Huberdeau collected two assists and Aaron Ekblad had a goal and an assist as the Panthers remain on track for their best record in franchise history. With 75 points, they lead the Eastern Conference and sit one point behind the league-leading Colorado Avalanche.

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers look very much like a Stanley Cup contender. They’ve dominated throughout this season and could become an even tougher opponent if general manager Bill Zito’s rumored efforts to add a top-four defenseman prove successful.

The Carolina Hurricanes got third-period goals from Jesper Fast and Sebastian Aho to hold off the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3. Antti Raanta picked up the win with a 31-save performance. The Hurricanes sit in first place in the Metropolitan Division with 70 points and sit three behind the Panthers in the Eastern Conference standings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes are another Eastern club that must be considered among this season’s Cup contenders. It’ll be interesting to see if GM Don Waddell makes a move or two before the March 21 trade deadline to bolster his roster for the postseason.

New York Rangers forwards Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome each had a goal and an assist to lead their club to a 2-1 win over the Ottawa Senators. Igor Shesterkin kicked out 29 shots for the Rangers (69 points), who moved within one point of the second-place Penguins in the Metropolitan.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speaking of teams that could be busy at the trade deadline, the Rangers have plenty of deadline cap space and depth in prospects and promising players to swing a significant deal or two by March 21. It remains to be seen if GM Chris Drury will take advantage of it.

The Minnesota Wild thumped the Edmonton Oilers 7-3, handing the latter their first loss under interim coach Jay Woodcroft. Kevin Fiala scored two goals and added an assist as the Wild (65 points) moved one point ahead of the St. Louis Blues into second place in the Central Division. The Oilers remain in third place in the Pacific Division with 59 points. They’d won five straight under Woodcroft prior to this contest.

Jack Eichel tallied his first goal with the Vegas Golden Knights in a 4-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Logan Thompson got the win with a 35-save performance. Eichel and Max Pacioretty each had a goal and an assist. The Golden Knights (62 points) move two points behind the first-place Calgary Flames in the Pacific Division while the Sharks (49 points) are 10 points out of the final wild-card berth in the Western Conference.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks could soon become sellers in the trade market if they can’t gain ground in the standings over the next two or three weeks. That could stoke the trade speculation about Sharks center Tomas Hertl if he and the Sharks fail to reach an agreement on a contract extension.

The Dallas Stars fail to gain ground in the race for the final Western playoff spot after dropping a 3-1 decision to the Arizona Coyotes. Scott Wedgewood made 32 saves while Nick Schmaltz had a goal and two assists for the Coyotes. With 56 points, the Stars are three behind the Los Angeles Kings, who hold the final wild-card berth.

Goaltender J-F Berube made 33 saves in his first NHL start in four years to backstop the Columbus Blue Jackets over the Buffalo Sabres 7-3. Dean Kukan and Brendan Gaunce each had three-point performances while Patrik Laine picked up two assists.

Speaking of goalies getting wins in their first start in nearly four years, Andrew Hammond made 30 saves as the Montreal Canadiens nipped the New York Islanders 3-2. Cole Caufield and Rem Pitlick tallied in the shootout as the Canadiens have won two straight for the first time this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That loss may be the final nail in the coffin for the Islanders (43 points) as they sit 17 points behind the Boston Bruins for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot. They have four games in hand on the Bruins but this appears to be a bridge too far for the Isles, who are likely to become sellers by the March trade deadline.

IN OTHER NEWS…

LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS: Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf missed his last two games with a lower-body injury.

NHL.COM: The league’s department of player safety fined Edmonton Oilers defenseman Markus Niemelainen $2,043.75 for cross-checking Winnipeg Jets forward Kristian Vesalainen on Saturday.

TSN: One day after being acquired from the Arizona Coyotes by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ryan Dzingel has been placed on waivers. If he clears, he’ll be sent to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies.










NHL Rumor Mill – February 15, 2022

by | Feb 15, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – February 15, 2022

​Claude Giroux to the Avalanche? What goaltending options are available to the Capitals? Do the Penguins need to shop for a backup? Find out in today’s NHL rumor mill.

LATEST ON GIROUX

Philadelphia Flyers captain Claude Giroux (NHL Images).

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW’S Adrian Dater yesterday tweeted he was told Claude Giroux has informed Philadelphia Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher he wants to go to the Colorado Avalanche. Failing that, the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues would be acceptable alternatives.

THE DENVER POST: Sean Keeler believes Avalanche GM Joe Sakic must make a trade to improve his club’s chances of winning the Stanley Cup this year. He considers Giroux the best choice but also suggested Dallas Stars forward Joe Pavelski as an option if they can’t land the Flyers captain.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche have less than $1.7 million in projected trade deadline cap space. Pulling this off will require the Flyers to retain a healthy chunk of the remainder of Giroux’s $8.25 million cap hit. That could mean involving a third team to broker the deal and spread the cap hit around.

The same goes for Pavelski ($7 million cap hit) though he might not be as costly to acquire as Giroux, provided the Stars are willing to deal with a division rival. They’re still very much on the hunt for a wild-card berth in the Western Conference and could be reluctant to part with him.

WHAT GOALIE OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE TO THE CAPITALS?

THE ATHLETIC: A reader asked Tarik El-Bashir what the Washington Capitals will do to address their inconsistent goaltending which has contributed to their recent slide in the Eastern Conference standings. He wondered if they’re in the market for a rental such as the Chicago Blackhawks’ Marc-Andre Fleury or target a veteran starter under contract beyond this season such as the Los Angeles Kings’ Jonathan Quick or the New York Islanders’ Semyon Varlamov.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli last week reported the Capitals made a “full-court press” for Fleury but it doesn’t appear that’s going to happen, prompting observers to speculate the 2021 Vezina Trophy winner nixed a trade to Washington. The Kings are in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race so I don’t see them parting with Quick, whose performance has improved this season.

Varlamov, however, could be available if the Islanders fail to gain ground in the Eastern Conference standings, provided he’ll waive his 16-team no-trade clause to return to the team where he began his NHL career. The Capitals, however, only have just over $1.9 million in deadline cap space. They might have to move some salary to accommodate the remainder of Varlamov’s $5 million cap hit for this season or convince Isles GM Lou Lamoriello to retain some salary in the deal.

DO THE PENGUINS NEED TO SHOP FOR A BACKUP?

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Dan Kingerski recently reported the improved performance of Casey DeSmith over his last two games could lessen the need for the Penguins to pursue a reliable backup if he can maintain that level of play. It would also free up assets for GM Ron Hextall to pursue a middle-six winger or a defensive blueliner.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 15, 2022

by | Feb 15, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 15, 2022

​Milestone nights for the Leafs Mitch Marner, the Wild’s Matt Boldy and the Oilers’ Stuart Skinner, Jack Eichel to make his Golden Knights’ debut on Wednesday, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner reached 400 career points with a goal and two assists in his club’s 6-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken. He joins the Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid as the second player from the 2015 NHL Draft to achieve that milestone. With 65 points, the Leafs are three points behind the second-place Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).

Minnesota Wild rookie winger Matt Boldy tallied his first career NHL hat trick in a 7-4 romp over the Detroit Red Wings. Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov scored twice and collected an assist as his club opened a three-point lead over the Nashville Predators (60 points) for second place in the Central Division. The Wings (50 points) remain seven points out of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot. Wild defenseman Matt Dumba missed this game and could be sidelined for several weeks with a lower-body injury.

Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner kicked out 20 shots for his first career NHL shutout to blank the San Jose Sharks 3-0. Oilers forward Evander Kane was held scoreless in his first game against his former club since the recent termination of his contract. The Oilers (53 points) moved within two points of the Anaheim Ducks for the final Western Conference while the Sharks (48 points) remain seven points back.

Marc-Andre Fleury turned in a 31-save performance to backstop his Chicago Blackhawks to a 3-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Alex DeBrincat snapped a 1-1 tie in the third and Brandon Hagel got the insurance marker. The loss leaves the Jets (48 points) seven points away from a Western wild-card berth. Jets defenseman Neal Pionk missed this game due to border restrictions as he’s ineligible for one more day to cross the border despite emerging from COVID protocol last Thursday.

HEADLINES

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Jack Eichel will make his long-awaited debut with the Golden Knights when the club faces the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday. The Golden Knights also placed winger Mark Stone (lower-back injury) on long-term injury reserve, clearing sufficient cap space for Eichel to return to action. Acquired from the Buffalo Sabres last November, the 25-year-old center had been recovering from neck surgery.

The Golden Knights also announced defenseman Alec Martinez remains sidelined by a facial injury that’s taken longer than expected to recover from. He’s been out since Nov.11 after suffering a facial laceration during a game against the Minnesota Wild.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With defenseman Jake Bischoff (716K) already on LTIR for the season, the addition of Stone’s $9.5 million cap hit ensures sufficient cap room for the Golden Knights to activate Eichel ($10 million AAV). It’s uncertain how long Stone will remain sidelined but it will stoke complaints from some fans and pundits if he’s out for the regular season but returns for the playoffs when the salary cap doesn’t count.

Yes, it’s a legalized form of salary-cap circumvention which we saw in 2015 with the Chicago Blackhawks (Patrick Kane) and the Tampa Bay Lightning (Nikita Kucherov) in 2021. Once again, it’s worth remembering that the league closely monitors players on LTIR with uncertain recovery timelines to ensure a fully healthy player isn’t being held out of the lineup solely for cap purposes.

The NHL had an opportunity to address that loophole during the 2020 extension to the collective bargaining agreement. The issue either didn’t come up during negotiations with the NHL Players Association or else sufficient numbers of team owners had no problem with it. Just remember, folks, it could one day benefit your team.

NHL.COM: Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom, Columbus Blue Jackets winger Patrik Laine, and New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier are the league’s three starts for the week ending Feb. 13.

SPORTSNET: The Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators could return to full capacity in their respective arenas on March 1 as the province of Ontario eases restrictions on large indoor gatherings provided public health and health system indicators continue to improve.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 13, 2022

by | Feb 13, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 13, 2022

Recaps of Saturday’s action, updates on Nathan MacKinnon, Erik Karlsson and Tomas Hertl, the Canadiens acquire Andrew Hammond, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The red-hot Calgary Flames picked up their sixth straight victory by downing the New York Islanders 5-2. Adam Ruzicka had a goal and an assist while Johnny Gaudreau collected two assists. Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin made 24 saves replacing Semyon Varlamov after the latter was placed in COVID protocol following pre-game warmups. With 58 points, the Flames sit one behind the first-place Vegas Golden Knights in the Pacific Division.

Winnipeg Jets captain Blake Wheeler (NHL Images)

Winnipeg Jets captain Blake Wheeler scored twice and added three assists as he rallied his club from a 2-0 deficit to a 5-2 win over the Nashville Predators. Mark Scheifele scored and collected two assists for the Jets (48 points) as they sit seven points out of a Western Conference wild-card berth. The Predators (60 points) slid one point behind the Minnesota Wild into third place in the Central Division. Predators defenseman Mark Borowiecki was ejected in the first period for elbowing Jets forward Evgeny Svechnikov in the face, who was forced to leave the game with an injury.

A 51- save performance by Thatcher Demko carried the Vancouver Canucks to a 3-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Brock Boeser and J.T. Miller each had a goal and an assist for the Canucks while the Leafs Auston Matthews tallied his 32nd of the season. Defenseman Travis Hamonic returned to action for the first time since Dec. 8 for the Canucks (50 points), who sit five points out of the final wild-card berth in the Western Conference. The Leafs, meanwhile, remain in third place in the Atlantic Division with 63 points.

The Minnesota Wild held off the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 to extend their home points streak to 12 games. Kevin Fiala tallied a goal and an assist for the Wild while Andrei Svechnikov netted both Hurricanes goals. Wild blueliner Matt Dumba returned from an upper-body injury suffered on Jan. 30. With 61 points, the Wild sit second in the Central Division while the Hurricanes (67 points) hold a one-point lead for first place in the Metropolitan Division.

St. Louis Blues forward Brayden Schenn collected two assists and Oskar Sundqvist had a goal and an assist in a 5-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks, who were held to just 16 shots in this contest. The Blues hold the first Western Conference wild-card spot with 59 points.

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman picked up his first win since Jan. 2 with a 30-save shutout to blank the Ottawa Senators 2-0. The Bruins got first-period goals by Trent Frederic and Curtis Lazar. Matt Murray made 35 saves for the Senators. With 57 points, the Bruins are four behind the Washington Capitals for the first wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference. Senators forward Austin Watson faces a hearing today for interference on Bruins defenseman Jack Ahcan when he appeared to catch Ahcan in the head with a high hit.

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin had three assists in a 4-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Wings goalie Thomas Greiss made 32 saves in his first game since Jan. 9 as his club sits seven points behind the Bruins, who hold the final Eastern wild-card berth.

Patrik Laine’s power-play goal in the dying seconds of regulation gave the Columbus Blue Jackets a 2-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A heartbreaking loss for the Canadiens, whose performance has noticeably improved under new head coach Martin St. Louis. Cole Caufield has definitely benefited from playing for St. Louis, scoring two goals in as many games after managing just one in 30 previous contests this season.

HEADLINES

THE DENVER POST: Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon will return to action today against the Dallas Stars after being sidelined since Jan.26 by a broken nose and concussion.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Tomas Hertl’s agent has been in contract extension talks with the Sharks, but the 28-year-old center has yet to decide if he’s staying. Hertl is slated to become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end and could cost at least $7 million annually to re-sign.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As I’ve noted in the rumor mill, much could depend on how much cap space the Sharks have for next season following the outcome of Evander Kane’s grievance over his contract termination. A date for that hearing has yet to be determined.

The Sharks did get some good news as sidelined defenseman Erik Karlsson could return from surgery on his left forearm earlier than anticipated. He was expected to be re-evaluated by mid-March. However, defenseman Jaycob Megna underwent surgery to repair a displaced fracture and is likely out for four-to-six weeks.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: The Montreal Canadiens traded minor-league forward Brandon Baddock to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for goaltender Andrew Hammond.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This move allows the Canadiens to send struggling young goalie Cayden Primeau back to their AHL affiliate in Laval.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins assistant coach Todd Reirden will undergo knee surgery on Monday after suffering a fall shoveling out his driveway during the All-Star weekend. He’s expected to be sidelined for some time.










NHL Rumor Mill – February 7, 2022

by | Feb 7, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – February 7, 2022

Leafs GM Kyle Dubas and Hurricanes GM Don Waddell outline their plans for the trade deadline plus some suggested trade destinations for Claude Giroux in today’s NHL rumor mill.

LATEST ON THE LEAFS AND HURRICANES

TORONTO SUN: Terry Koshan reports Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas wants to see what a healthy and complete roster can do in the coming weeks before reaching any decisions regarding potential moves before the March 21 trade deadline.

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas (NHL.com)

Dubas hopes to see how young defensemen Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren fare over the next several weeks. The Leafs GM would prefer adding players with term remaining on their contracts. However, he pointed out salary cap limitations will have an effect upon whatever decisions he makes before the deadline. Dubas would prefer retaining his draft picks but they could be in play if necessary.

THE ATHLETIC: Jonas Siegel believes Dubas will be aggressive at the trade deadline to address an apparent need on the blueline or to shore up other roster weaknesses that could crop up before the trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs are in “win-now” mode this season, perhaps more so than in previous years given their inability to get past the first round. Another early postseason exit could spell the end of Dubas’ tenure as general manager. He’s proven adept at salary-cap gymnastics in the past and I don’t doubt he’ll find some cap flexibility to make a deal that helps his club.

We can expect to hear the Leafs being linked to a number of notable trade candidates in the coming weeks. They’ve already been tied to Anaheim Ducks defenseman Josh Manson despite being on his “no-trade” list.

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports Carolina Hurricanes GM Don Waddell isn’t feeling any urgency to make a deal right now simply for the sake of doing so. The Hurricanes are on pace for a franchise record of 124 points this season. He’s also not feeling any pressure to react to whatever his division or conference rivals do.

LeBrun points out the Hurricanes are deep in young prospects to draw upon for trade bait to address any need that could arise. He speculates their priority could be adding a left-side defenseman though it remains to be seen if it’s a 4/5 blueliner or a 6/7 rearguard.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It wouldn’t be surprising if Waddell swings a deal or two before the trade deadline. Still, he can afford to take his time with his club playing as well as it is. If his roster remains healthy he could stand pat or make an affordable minor depth addition.

SUGGESTED TRADE DESTINATIONS FOR GIROUX

THE SCORE: John Matisz listed the Calgary Flames, Minnesota Wild, Boston Bruins and Colorado Avalanche as his suggested trade destinations for Claude Giroux. The versatile 34-year-old Philadelphia Flyers forward is an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Speculation over Giroux’s future in Philadelphia has been growing with the Flyers near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. General manager Chuck Fletcher has left it up to Giroux to decide if he’ll waive his no-movement clause.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames need secondary scoring, the Wild and Bruins need reliable second-line centers while the Avalanche could use Giroux’s two-way skills on their second line. Whether any of those clubs are on his no-trade list and if they can afford the Flyers’ asking price (which could be a first-round pick and a top prospect) remains to be seen.