NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 15, 2023

by | Jan 15, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 15, 2023

The Kraken set a league record for consecutive road wins, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin ties another scoring record, the Blue Jackets’ Patrik Laine nets a notable hat trick, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Seattle Kraken became the first team in NHL history to sweep a seven-game road trip by downing the Chicago Blackhawks 8-5. Jared McCann scored three times while Matty Beniers had a goal and an assist as the Kraken (26-12-4) moved into second place in the Pacific Division with 56 points. Seth Jones had three assists and Taylor Raddysh had a goal and two assists for the 11-26-4 Blackhawks as they sink to the bottom of the overall standings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kraken are riding an eight-game win streak. Seattle winger Jordan Eberle collected an assist in what was his 900th career NHL game. Teammate Jaden Schwartz missed this game and is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin tied an NHL record for the most 30-goal seasons but his club dropped a 3-1 decision to the Philadelphia Flyers. Ovechkin and Mike Gartner each have 17 30-goal seasons. Carter Hart made 39 saves and Scott Laughton had a goal and an assist for the Flyers as they improved to 18-18-7. The Capitals (23-16-6) hold the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 52 points.

The Columbus Blue Jackets snapped a 10-game road losing skid by holding off the Detroit Red Wings by a score of 4-3. Patrik Laine netted the 10th hat trick of his career while Johnny Gaudreau collected two assists for the 13-27-3 Blue Jackets. Olli Maatta, Jake Walman and Lucas Raymond scored third-period goals for the Red Wings as they slipped to 18-16-7.

A late goal by Matt Grzelcyk lifted the Boston Bruins to a 4-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. David Pastrnak scored his 33rd goal of the season as the league-league Bruins (33-5-4) maintained a nine-point lead over the Carolina Hurricanes with 70 points. Mitch Marner and Michael Bunting each had two points for the 26-11-7 Maple Leafs, who sit in second place in the Atlantic Division with 59 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Following the game, the Bruins announced they reached an agreement with winger Pavel Zacha on a four-year contract worth an average annual value of $4.75 million. Zacha, 25, was acquired from the New Jersey Devils last summer and has five goals and 25 points in 42 games this season as the Bruins’ third-line left winger. He’s completing a one-year, $3.5 million deal.

As for the Hurricanes, they got a 34-save performance from Frederik Andersen to nip the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1. Brady Skjei and Jalen Chatfield scored for the Hurricanes as they improved to 27-9-7 and sit atop the Metropolitan Division with 61 points. Rickard Rakell replied for the Penguins (21-15-6) as they’ve dropped eight of their last 10 contests. With 48 points, they’ve fallen one point of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes winger Max Pacioretty missed this game with a lower-body injury and will likely miss Sunday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks. He could return for Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Wild. Meanwhile, Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson remains sidelined by illness.

Speaking of road records, the New Jersey Devils became the first team in league history to win 17 of their first 20 road games in a season with a 5-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Jack Hughes, Ryan Graves and Yegor Sherangovich each had two points while MacKenzie Blackwood stopped 35 shots as the Devils (28-12-3) sit two points back of the Hurricanes in the Metro Division. Kevin Fiala and Anze Kopitar replied for the Kings (25-15-6) as they slipped to third place in the Pacific Division with 56 points.

The New York Islanders, meanwhile, vaulted one point ahead of the Penguins into that wild-card spot by holding off the Montreal Canadiens by a 2-1 score. Casey Cizikas and Anthony Beauvillier scored first-period goals for the 23-18-3 Islanders. Sam Montembeault turned aside 36 shots while Nick Suzuki scored for the 17-23-3 Canadiens, who also lost forward Jake Evans in the first period to an apparent knee injury.

Colorado Avalanche goalie Pavel Francouz turned in a 29-save shutout in a 7-0 drubbing of the Ottawa Senators. Mikko Rantanen, Artturi Lehkonen and Alex Newhook each had two goals as the Avalanche improved to 21-17-3. With 45 points, they’re six back of the Edmonton Oilers for the final Western Conference wild-card spot. The Senators slide to 19-20-3 and also lost defenseman Artum Zub in the second period to a lower-body injury.

The Edmonton Oilers picked up their third straight win by dropping the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3. Leon Draisaitl scored twice while Zach Hyman collected two assists and Mattias Janmark had a goal and an assist. The Oilers (24-18-3) are tied in points with the Calgary Flames but the latter has a game in hand. Logan Thompson made 33 saves for the Golden Knights (28-14-2), who lead the Western Conference with 58 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In other Golden Knights news, Robin Lehner filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy due to his ownership of an exotic snake farm in Missouri. The 31-year-old goaltender underwent hip surgery in August and is sidelined for the season.

Speaking of the Flames, they took a 6-1 lead over the Dallas Stars and held on for a 6-5 victory. Jonathan Huberdeau, Nazem Kadri, and MacKenzie Weegar were among five Flames to collect two points in this contest. The Flames maintained their hold on the first Western Conference wild-card spot with a record of 21-14-9. Joe Pavelski scored two third-period goals for the Stars (25-12-7) as they slipped to second place in the Central Division with 57 points.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point scored twice and collected an assist in a 4-2 win over the St. Louis Blues. Lightning defenseman Nick Perbix left the game in the second period with an undisclosed injury. The Bolts (27-13-1) sit third in the Atlantic Division with 55 points while the Blues (21-20-3) slipped to 45 points and six points out of a Western wild-card spot.

The Minnesota Wild got a 27-save effort from Marc-Andre Fleury to defeat the Arizona Coyotes 2-1. Mats Zuccarello and Frederick Gaudreau scored for the Wild (24-14-4) as they sit in third place in the Central Division with 52 points. Lawson Crouse replied for the Coyotes as they dropped their eighth straight and fell to 13-24-5 on the season.

Florida Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky made 35 saves (including 14 in the third period) in a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Aleksander Barkov scored what proved to be the game-winner while Aaron Ekblad had a goal and an assist for the 20-20-4 Panthers. Bo Horvat tallied his 30th goal of the season as his Canucks fell to 17-22-3.

Third-period goals by Kyle Okposo and Jack Quinn lifted the Buffalo Sabres over the Nashville Predators by a score of 5-3. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen kicked out 38 shots as the Sabres improved to 21-18-2. Ryan Johansen had a goal and an assist as the Predators slipped to 19-17-6.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 22, 2022

by | Dec 22, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 22, 2022

Roman Josi becomes the Predators’ all-time leading scorer, Golden Knights captain Mark Stone makes franchise history, Oilers captain Connor McDavid extends his points streak, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi became his club’s all-time leading scorer in a 4-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Josi scored the game-winning goal and collected an assist to reach 567 career points, surpassing David Legwand’s 566 points. Juuse Saros made 37 saves for the win as the Predators improved to 14-13-4. Connor Murphy had a goal and an assist for the Blackhawks (7-20-4), who remain last overall in the standings.

Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi.

Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone made franchise history in his club’s 5-2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes. Stone became the first Golden Knights player to score a power-play goal and a shorthanded goal in the same game as he finished the night with three points. Vegas (23-11-1) sits in first place in the Western Conference and second in the overall standings with 47 points.

The New Jersey Devils snapped a five-game losing skid with three unanswered third-period goals to double up the Florida Panthers 4-2. Jesper Bratt scored twice and Mackenzie Blackwood made 34 saves in his first start since Nov. 3. The Devils (22-9-2) sit in third place in the Eastern Conference with 46 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said winger Patric Hornqvist could remain sidelined long-term as he continues to recover from a concussion suffered on Dec. 3 against the Seattle Kraken.

Three unanswered third-period goals by Warren Foegele, Connor McDavid and Mattias Janmark lifted the Edmonton Oilers over the Dallas Stars 6-3. Janmark scored twice, McDavid extended his points streak to 14 games and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a three-point performance for the Oilers (18-14-2). Mason Marchment had two assists for the 19-9-6 Stars, who hold a one-point lead with points over the Winnipeg Jets for first place in the Central Division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars were without winger Denis Gurianov, who’s on an indefinite leave of absence for family reasons.

The Detroit Red Wings scored four goals in the third period in a 7-4 romp over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Michael Rasmussen scored twice and added two assists while Dylan Larkin tallied twice as the Red Wings (14-11-7) snapped a six-game winless skid. Nikita Kucherov had a goal and an assist for the Lightning (20-11-1) as they sit in third place in the Atlantic Division with 41 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the NHL department of player safety fined Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev $5,000.00 for slashing Toronto Maple Leafs winger Michael Bunting during Tuesday’s game between the two clubs.

An overtime goal by Mikko Rantanen lifted the Colorado Avalanche to a 2-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Artturi Lehkonen scored the tying goal for the Avs (18-11-2) as they hold the first wild-card berth in the Western Conference with 38 points. Jake Allen made 34 saves for the 15-15-3 Canadiens.

Minnesota Wild forward Matt Boldy had a goal and two assists in a 4-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. The Wild (19-11-2) sit in third place in the Central Division with 40 points, three behind the second-place Winnipeg Jets. Lukas Dostal stopped 38 shots for the 9-22-3 Ducks.

IN OTHER NEWS…

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators signed Artum Zub to a four-year contract extension. The 27-year-old defenseman will earn an average annual value of $4.6 million starting in 2023-24.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Zub is completing a two-year deal with a $2.5 million AAV. He’s become an invaluable part of the Senators’ defense corps. Injuries have limited him to 14 games so far this season but he netted 22 points in 81 games in 2021-22.

The Senators’ blueline is better with a healthy Zub in the lineup. One could quibble over the AAV on his new contract but it’s not extravagant and the term of the contract is reasonable.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets forward Yegor Chinakhov is sidelined by a high ankle sprain. The club announced he will miss approximately six weeks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chinakhov is the 11th Blue Jackets regular currently sidelined by injuries. Among the notables are Zach Werenski, Jakub Voracek, Boone Jenner and Elvis Merzlikins.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: The Islanders placed forward Cal Clutterbuck on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 16.

NHL.COM: The Tampa Bay Lightning-Buffalo Sabres game scheduled for Dec. 23 has been postponed due to inclement weather expected for Buffalo on that day. It has been rescheduled to March 4, 2023.

THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER: The Flyers game with the Sabres scheduled for March 4 has been rescheduled to Jan. 9, 2023.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 6, 2022

by | Dec 6, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 6, 2022

The Golden Knights snap the Bruins’ home win streak, the Canucks rally from a 4-goal deficit to down the Canadiens, the three stars of the week are revealed and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Boston Bruins’ 14-game home winning streak came to an end as the Vegas Golden Knights defeated them 4-3 on a shootout goal by Reilly Smith. Vegas had jumped to a 3-0 lead with Paul Cotter scoring twice but the Bruins rallied to tie the game on goals by Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak and Taylor Hall. Logan Thompson made 40 saves for the Golden Knights (19-7-1) as they lead the Western Conference with 39 points. The Bruins (20-3-1) picked up a point to hold first place in the overall standings (41 points) with a game in hand over the New Jersey Devils.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy picked up the win in his first game against the Bruins since they fired him as head coach in the off-season. He received a standing ovation from Boston fans during a video tribute in the first period.

Jack Eichel missed this game for the Golden Knights as he’s listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Teammate Alex Pietrangelo missed his fourth straight game due to personal reasons.

Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson (NHL Images).

Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson scored in overtime as his club overcame 4-0 and 6-5 deficits to beat the Montreal Canadiens 7-6. Pettersson finished the night with three points while Ilya Mikheyev scored twice as the Canucks improved to 11-12-3. Nick Suzuki and Jordan Harris each had two points for the 12-11-2 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens entered this game with winger Brendan Gallagher sidelined for two weeks with a lower-body injury and defenseman David Savard out with an upper-body injury. Center Sean Monahan left the game in the second period and was spotted after the game wearing a walking boot cast on his right foot. He’s been nursing that injury since the start of this road trip.

The Philadelphia Flyers upset the Colorado Avalanche by a score of 5-3. Kevin Hayes, Scott Laughton and Travis Sanheim each had two points and Carter Hart made 29 saves for the Flyers (9-12-5). Alex Newhook tallied twice for the Avalanche (13-9-1), who also lost center Nathan MacKinnon in the first period with an apparent wrist injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There was no update on MacKinnon’s condition following the game. The Avalanche went into this game already shorthanded with Valeri Nichushkin, Gabriel Landeskog, Bo Byram, Evan Rodrigues, Darren Helm and Kurtis MacDermid among their sidelined players.

Three unanswered third-period goals by K’Andre Miller, Alexis Lafreniere and Chris Kreider lifted the New York Rangers to a 6-4 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Lafreniere, Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck finished the night with two points apiece as the Rangers improved to 12-10-5. Jordan Kyrou had two points for the Blues (11-14-0) as they’ve dropped four straight.

A third-period goal by Nic Dowd snapped a 2-2 tie as the Washington Capitals nipped the Edmonton Oilers 3-2. Lars Eller and TJ Oshie also scored for the 11-12-4 Capitals. Stuart Skinner stopped 47 shots for the Oilers (14-12-0) while Connor McDavid scored to extend his points streak to six games. He leads the league with 48 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kailer Yamamoto returned to action after missing 11 games with an undisclosed injury.

The Calgary Flames downed the Arizona Coyotes 3-2 on a third-period power-play goal by Nazem Kadri, who finished the night with three points. Jakob Chychrun and Shayne Gostisbehere each had a goal and an assist for the Coyotes (7-12-4) while the Flames improved to 12-10-3.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, Buffalo Sabres center Dylan Cozens and Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Dec. 4, 2022.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets winger Jakub Voracek acknowledged his playing days might be over due to concussion symptoms. The 33-year-old winger said he has a history of head injuries. He added there’s a slim chance he might be able to resume his playing career but it won’t be happening anytime soon.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Voracek has a year remaining on his contract but he’ll likely finish that on long-term injury reserve. He’s had a productive career with 806 points in 1,058 NHL games over 15 seasons but he has to put his health and well-being first.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers have placed winger Patric Hornqvist on LTIR after he suffered a concussion during Saturday’s game against the Seattle Kraken. He’ll be sidelined for at least 10 games and 24 days.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The move also provides the Panthers with some short-term salary cap relief for Anthony Duclair’s expected return to action later this month.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators defenseman Artem Zub could be sidelined for a month with a broken jaw. He suffered the injury when he was struck in the face by a puck during Friday’s game against the New York Rangers. Zub missed eight games earlier this season with an upper-body injury.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Kraken have recalled Shane Wright from his stint with their AHL affiliate in time for Tuesday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nice dramatic touch by Kraken management. The Canadiens passed over Wright during the opening round of the 2022 NHL Draft, using the first-overall pick to select Juraj Slafkovsky, who’ll be in the lineup for this contest.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: The Canadiens and Carey Price have apologized for the goaltender’s recent support of a pro-gun organization on social media just days before the Dec. 6 anniversary of the 1989 Polytechnique Massacre in Montreal. On that date, 14 women were killed and another 10 were wounded by a lone gunman armed with a legally purchased semi-automatic rifle.

Over the weekend, Price posted a message on Instagram expressing his support of the Canadian Coalition for Firearms Rights’ opposition to a proposed federal gun control bill (C-21). The bill originally targeted handguns but an amendment was tacked on that would focus on a number of rifles used for hunting. The government is still listening to feedback to ensure the bill doesn’t target hunting rifles or shotguns.

Price faced a backlash for his remarks over both the timing of his post and for supporting the CCFR, who recently ran a promo code “POLY” for 10 percent off merchandise purchases. According to a survivor of the Polytechnique shooting, the promo code mocked the massacre.

In their apology, the Canadiens announced they would make a donation to the “Week of the White Rose” campaign. The team also claimed Price was unaware of the Polytechnique anniversary. Meanwhile, Price followed up on social media claiming he meant no disrespect and didn’t agree with the CCFR’s promo code campaign. An avid hunter, he said he stood by his fellow hunters and sport shooters who have legally purchased firearms and use them safely.

Unlike the United States, Canadian citizens do not have a constitutional right to bear arms.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Commenters are asked to limit their replies to this story to Price’s remarks and the Canadiens’ response. I don’t want to see this derail off-topic into a broad debate on your personal views about gun control.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 19, 2022

by | Nov 19, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 19, 2022

The Canucks defeated the Kings plus updates on Auston Matthews, Philipp Grubauer, Scott Wedgewood and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Vancouver Canucks got two-goal performances from Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser to defeat the Los Angeles Kings 4-1. Thatcher Demko made 37 saves for the Canucks as their record improves to 6-9-3. Blake Lizotte replied for the Kings as they drop to 11-8-1. Prior to this game, the Canucks activated Curtis Lazar off injured reserve.

Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks need their young stars like Pettersson, Boeser and Demko to step up if they hope to get back on a winning track and rise in the standings. This performance was a good start but they’ll need more of this on a consistent basis.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews is okay after limping off the ice during practice yesterday when he took a shot off his foot.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Kraken have activated goaltender Philipp Grubauer off injured reserve. He’d been sidelined since Oct. 21 with a lower-body injury.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars goalie Scott Wedgewood is listed as day-to-day and could resume practice today. He was stretchered from the ice during Thursday’s game against the Florida Panthers with a back injury. However, he did not need to go to a hospital and was walking around following the game.

WGR 550: The Buffalo Sabres have called up netminder Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to replace Eric Comrie, who is expected to be sidelined for weeks with a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Luukkonen was tabbed as the Sabres’ future starter but he’s had difficulties seizing the role. His recall comes at a time when the club is once again fading from a hot start to the season.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Golden Knights forward Nicolas Roy has a lower-body injury that could keep him out of their next two games against the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks.

OTTAWA SUN: Some good news for the Senators blueline as defenseman Artem Zub could return to action on Saturday against the New Jersey Devils. He’s been sidelined since Oct. 27 with an upper-body injury and has gone 2-6-1 without him in the lineup.

CBS SPORTS: Speaking of Senators’ defensemen, Nikita Zaitsev cleared waivers on Nov. 10 and was sent to their AHL affiliate in Belleville on Friday.

OTTAWA SUN: Staying on the topic of Ottawa blueliners, former Senator Wade Redden will be the first player inducted into their Ring of Honour on Dec. 11. Redden, who now works for the club in a development role, played 838 games in 11 seasons with the Sens from 1996-97 to 2007-08. He is fifth all-time among their scorers with 410 points and their all-time leader in plus-minus at plus-159.










NHL Rumor Mill – November 15, 2022

by | Nov 15, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – November 15, 2022

Four unexpected early-season trade candidates plus speculation over how the Leafs will replace the sidelined Jake Muzzin in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

FOUR UNEXPECTED EARLY-SEASON TRADE CANDIDATES

SPORTSNET: Rory Boylen lists the Vancouver Canucks Bo Horvat and Thatcher Demko, St. Louis Blues captain Ryan O’Reilly and San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson as four trade candidates we didn’t expect to see.

Horvat, 27, is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July. With the Canucks struggling, his future in Vancouver has come under question. There’s speculation it could cost them $8 million annually for eight seasons to re-sign their captain.

As for Demko, Boylen indicates he’s not the sole reason behind the Canucks’ difficulties this season. However, the 26-year-old goaltender’s inconsistent play has been a contributing factor that could take him out of the franchise’s core of untouchable players.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With the losses piling up in Vancouver there’s a sense that something’s gotta give. There’s talk that head coach Bruce Boudreau could be replaced which seems the more likely option given how difficult it is at this stage of the schedule to swing a season-saving trade.

Of the two, Horvat is the more likely trade candidate given his contract status. Demko’s struggles are tied in part to the porous defense in front of him. Besides, trading Demko would only create the additional headache of finding a suitable replacement carrying an annual cap hit comparable to his reasonable $5 million per season.

If Canucks management shakes up the roster I suspect it’ll be in the New Year when we get closer to the March 3 trade deadline. Horvat would draw considerable interest from playoff contenders and should fetch a quality return.

San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson (NHL Images).

Like Horvat, O’Reilly is due to become a UFA next summer. He turns 32 in February and will be in line for a hefty new deal. However, the Blues are transitioning toward younger talent while O’Reilly is struggling to score this season. They could peddle their captain if it looks like they’ll miss the playoffs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: O’Reilly has stated he wants to remain with the Blues beyond this season. I doubt he’ll be going anywhere if the Blues rebound and are a playoff contender by the trade deadline. Whether he and Blues management can agree to a contract extension is another matter.

If they’re out of contention by then it wouldn’t be surprising if GM Doug Armstrong trades him. He has parted ways with previous captains, letting Alex Pietrangelo and David Backes depart via free agency. Armstrong could look at getting something for O’Reilly rather than lose him for nothing.

Karlsson’s terrific start to this season for the lowly Sharks has sparked some musings about his trade status. Boylen observed first-year GM Mike Grier traded away Brent Burns to Carolina in July. Karlsson carries a hefty $11.5 million cap hit and a full no-movement clause. However, a trade might be possible if he’s willing to waive the clause to join a playoff contender and if the Sharks are willing to retain a healthy chunk of his cap hit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Burns was easier to move because his contract was shorter and more affordable than Karlsson’s. He’s signed through 2024-25 with an average annual value of $8 million, which made retaining $2.7 million of that AAV easier to do. Karlsson is signed through 2026-27, which is a far longer period to be carrying dead cap space.

I’m not saying Karlsson can’t or won’t be traded, only that his contract won’t be easy to move. I think Grier will want to retain as little of that big cap hit as possible.

WILL THE LEAFS SEEK A REPLACEMENT FOR MUZZIN?

TORONTO SUN: With Leafs defenseman Jake Muzzin sidelined until at least February by a cervical spine injury, Terry Koshan believes GM Kyle Dubas should determine what’s available in the trade market regarding veteran blueliners.

THE JEFF MAREK SHOW (stick tap to “NHL Watcher”): Marek suggested Anaheim Ducks rearguards John Klingberg and Kevin Shattenkirk as trade options to replace Muzzin. Elliotte Friedman disagreed as he doesn’t believe they’re the type of defenders the Leafs need.

Friedman also noted the Leafs have been tied to Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun. However, he expressed concern over Chychrun’s injury history and the Coyotes’ high asking price.

THE ATHLETIC: Jonas Siegel suggested pending UFAs such as the Washington Capitals Dmitry Orlov, the Ottawa Senators’ Artem Zub and the New York Islanders Scott Mayfield. He also mentioned the Chicago Blackhawks’ Connor Murphy, who has three more seasons left on his contract with an AAV of $4.4 million. However, he wondered if it could cost them a defenseman like Timothy Liljegren or Rasmus Sandin or perhaps forward Nick Robertson in order to get a serious return.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Koshan and The Toronto Star’s Dave Feschuk reported Dubas intends to see if Liljegren and Sandin can elevate their play before going the trade route. They’ve managed to make do with Muzzin missing most of this season thus far. T.J. Brodie is also sidelined but he’s expected to be out for just a couple of weeks.

Dubas won’t go shopping for help as long as the Leafs can keep their heads above water while Muzzin is sidelined. If the blueliner is ruled out for the remainder of the regular season during his February re-evaluation, the Leafs GM will keep him on long-term injury reserve and probably use the cap relief to bring in a rental defenseman. The trade market will likely contain better options by that point.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 29, 2022

by | Oct 29, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 29, 2022

The Bruins and Golden Knights get identical shutout victories, Islanders winger Josh Bailey scores in a milestone game, the Hurricanes trade Ethan Bear to the Canucks, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Boston Bruins goalie Linus Ullmark stopped 30 shots for his first shutout of the season in a 4-0 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets, dropping the latter’s record to 3-6-0. David Pastrnak had a goal and an assist to move into first place in the NHL scoring race with 17 points while the Bruins lead the league with a record of 8-1-0.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Brad Marchand took a scheduled game off from this one after making his season debut on Thursday. He underwent double hip surgery in May.

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Logan Thompson made 29 saves for his league-leading second shutout of the season to blank the Anaheim Ducks 4-0. Reilly Smith and William Karlsson each had a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights, who are 7-2-1 thus far this season. The Ducks, meanwhile, fell to 1-6-1.

New York Islanders winger Josh Bailey scored in his 1,000th career NHL game in a 6-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. Brock Nelson tallied twice and Ilya Sorokin made 33 saves for the Islanders, who improved their record to 4-4-0. Brent Burns scored his first goal for the Hurricanes, who are 4-2-1 in their first seven games.

An overtime goal by Blake Wheeler gave the Winnipeg Jets a 3-2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes, spoiling the latter’s home opener at the 5,000-seat Mullet Arena in Tempe. The Coyotes (2-4-1) opened the scoring on two goals by Christian Fischer but the Jets (5-3-0) rallied on goals by Cole Perfetti and Mark Scheifele to set the stage for Wheeler’s winner.

Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat scored twice to lead his club over the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-1. Spencer Martin turned aside 34 shots to give the Canucks their second win of the season (2-5-2) while the Penguins (4-3-1) have dropped three straight games.

The New Jersey Devils got a 24-save shutout from Vitek Vanecek and a goal from Jack Hughes to upset the Colorado Avalanche 1-0. The win moves the Devils to 5-3-0 while the Avs drop to 4-3-1. The Avalanche were without winger Valeri Nichushkin, who is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. 

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: The Carolina Hurricanes traded defenseman Ethan Bear and prospect forward Lane Pederson to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a fifth-round pick in 2023. The Hurricanes also retained 18 percent of Bear’s $2.2 million salary for this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This move wasn’t unexpected. The Hurricanes had been shopping Bear for several weeks as he became the odd man out on their deep defense corps. The Canucks were in the market for a right-side defenseman and were reportedly quite interested in Bear.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The NHL department of player safety suspended Red Wings forward Michael Rasmussen for two games for high-sticking Boston Bruins center David Krejci, who is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers center Filip Chytil has resumed practicing with his teammates but is still expected to miss the next two games with what is believed to be a head injury.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators defenseman Artum Zub is out for one-to-two weeks with an upper-body injury.