NHL Daily: Evander Kane, Nathan MacKinnon, Minnesota Wild
By Ryan Ritchie
NHL Daily: Buffalo Sabres forward Evander Kane set to have charges dismissed against him, Nathan MacKinnon needs to re-focus his efforts after hitting a recent slump, Minnesota Wild finish with perfect month in October, and more! (Morning Coffee Headlines)
Grab your morning cup of coffee and join us here at Puck Prose for a compilation of NHL daily links that will help keep you updated with everything going on in the hockey world.
In a rare night of hockey, there were no games on the schedule Monday night. Things start up again tomorrow with a full schedule perhaps highlighted by the first match-up of Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid. With no games, we have no previous night performers to present.
NHL Daily: Morning Coffee Headlines
Sabres Kane to Have Charges Dismissed
Buffalo Sabres forward Evander Kane will reportedly have charges against him dismissed. They stemmed from an incident that occurred at a Buffalo bar with a female earlier in the year. A prosecutor in the case described Kane’s behavior as “arrogant, boorish and surly, but not criminal”. [Toronto Sun]
Wild Finish Perfect Month in October
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Union and Blue
Sitting at 6-2-1 with 13 points for 1st in the Central Division, Minnesota is one of the hottest teams in the NHL right now. Goaltender Devan Dubnyk is riding an unbelievable shutout streak and defenseman Ryan Suter is making an early case for the Norris Trophy. Danny Lambert over at Gone Puck Wild discusses how Minnesota has been so successful early on. [Gone Puck Wild]
Round One of Matthews vs. McDavid
Many in the hockey world are buzzing in anticipation of Tuesday’s match-up that features the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers. It marks the first time 2016 1st overall pick goes head-to-head with 2015 1st overall Connor McDavid. [Detroit Free Press]
MacKinnon Needs to Re-Focus
Ross Sellers over at Mile High Sticking discusses how Nathan MacKinnon started the season out hot, but has since faded into a slump. Sellers explains what is ailing the Avs top forward and suggest he needs to re-focus his efforts with a new month ahead of him. [Mile High Sticking]
D-Day Nearing Closer for Entry-Level Players
That decision day we mentioned last week is nearing even closer now. Names such as Mikhail Sergachev, Thomas Chabot, and Mathew Barzal are just a few to name that could be headed back to junior. [TSN]
Rangers Bottom-Six Stepping Up
Karly Redpath over at Blue Line Station takes a deeper look at the New York Rangers success in October, particularly the production they’re receiving from their bottom-six forwards. Guys like Michael Grabner and J.T. Miller on the third line are just a couple to name having stellar starts to the year. [Blue Line Station]
Next: NHL's Biggest Surprises: Canadiens and Oilers
NHL Daily Morning Rant
We’ve got a new month ahead of us. Here are 10 questions for the month of November:
1. How much will the time off affect Rickard Rakell and Hampus Lindholm upon re-joining the Ducks lineup?
2. Who sticks around with the Coyotes from their rookie crop (Strome, Dvorak, Dauphin, Chychrun)?
3. Who will step up for the Dallas Stars in wake of a large number of injuries? A permanent spot opened with the Hemsky news.
4. Can the Edmonton Oilers keep rolling? How will they respond to adversity if faced with it? Injuries have not been kind to Edmonton in past years.
5. Will Jonathan Marchessault keep producing at a high-rate on the Panthers top line? If so, what does it mean for Florida’s depth chart once Huberdeau eventually returns?
6. Can Peter Budaj keep the Kings competitive enough, or will they be forced to scour the goalie market/hope for one to pop up on waivers.
7. Can Minnesota continue their dominance with the recent loss of Marco Scandella and Zach Parise? Both are considered week-to-week.
8. Will the terrible news surrounding Craig Anderson‘s wife help bring the Sens closer together in their hopes of securing a playoff spot?
9. What type of impact will Ryan Callahan have upon return with Tampa Bay? He missed the previous five months recovering from surgery to fix a labral tear in his hip.
10. Can the Toronto Maple Leafs begin to string a few wins together after a sloppy start to the season? They gave fans reason for optimism holding down a third-period lead in the second last game of the month before taking a beating on the road in Brooklyn.
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