NHL Daily: Matt Carle, Craig Cunningham, Thatcher Demko
By Ryan Ritchie
NHL Daily: After being placed on waivers with the intention of buying out his contract (by Nashville), Matt Carle has decided to hang up the skates announcing his retirement, Craig Cunningham is showing signs of progression in Tucson, an open letter to Canucks top goalie prospect Thatcher Demko, 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.
Black Friday offered 11 games on the NHL schedule, many of which began earlier in the day. Things got kick-started at 1pm (et) as the New York Rangers edged the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2. In other notable results, Minnesota put a beating on the Cup Champion Penguins 6-2 as Devan Dubnyk continues his dominance between the pipes. Nashville also had a convincing win over Winnipeg 5-1. Red Wings defenseman Mike Green scored the OT winner in a high-scoring 5-4 finish versus New Jersey. Lastly, the Oilers a point on the board after taking an early lead in Arizona. They wound up losing 3-2 in a shootout.
Here is your highlight of the night:
NHL Daily: Morning Coffee Headlines
Carle Retires
Shortly after being waived with the intention of buying out his contract (by Nashville), veteran defenseman Matt Carle announced his retirement from the NHL. He played for San Jose, Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, and Nashville. [USA Today]
Open Letter to Demko
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Union and Blue
Gerald Morton over at The Canuck Way wrote an open letter to Vancouver’s top goalie prospect Thatcher Demko. It’s an interesting read that helps show the pain and desperation that Canucks fans are feeling these days. [The Canuck Way]
Lucic Provides Cunningham Update
Long-time friend of Craig Cunningham, Milan Lucic made sure to take a chance to see his good buddy in the hospital while the Oilers were down in the Desert. He rented a car and drove to Tucson and while Craig still remains unconscious and in critical condition, Milan noted that he’s progressed a lot since the incident last weekend. [NHL.com]
Lindell Helps Lift the Stars
Defenseman Esa Lindell helped carry the Dallas Stars to a 2-1 victory over Vancouver on Friday. It wasn’t a great performance overall for the team, but the young Finn stood out with a goal and an assist. Here’s one of those guys that could secure a spot on the protection list in expansion with a solid 2016-17 campaign. [Blackout Dallas]
Player Stock Rising/Dropping
The Hockey News released a list of players who are currently rising and falling in the NHL. Among the risers are Connor McDavid and David Pastrnak (among others), while the fallers include Anthony Duclair and Alex Steen. [The Hockey News]
Zaitsev 20-Game Sample
Conor Peniston-Bird over at Editor in Leaf gave somewhat of a review/report card on Russian defenseman Nikita Zaitsev at the 20-game mark. While impressed with his play, Conor believes Mike Babcock needs to find him a more defensive-minded partner to allow his offensive side to flourish a little more. [Editor in Leaf]
NHL Daily Morning Rant
The past two NHL daily morning rants were centered around the potential bigger names that could be available to Las Vegas in next June’s expansion draft. The Vegas Golden Knights are set to select one player from each team, and GM George McPhee has already stated he would rather waste a pick than take on bad contracts (something old expansion clubs were basically forced to do).
We looked at goaltending and defense already, leaving the forwards for last. It’s important to note that many mock drafts have included New York Rangers F Rick Nash as a way for the club to shed a massive contract. It seems the NYR will be forced to protect Nash, which could make things interesting on Broadway.
Next: Week 7 NHL Power Rankings
Potential Notable Forwards That Might be Available to Las Vegas:
Jakob Silfverberg (ANA), Jimmy Hayes (BOS), Tyler Ennis (BUF), Andreas Athanasiou/or Anthony Mantha (DET), Craig Smith/or Colin Wilson (NSH), Oscar Lindberg/or Jesper Fast (NYR), Zack Smith (OTT), Joel Ward (SJ), Nail Yakupov/David Perron (STL), Alex Killorn/Vladislav Namestnikov/J.T. Brown (TB), Alex Burmistrov/or Adam Lowry (WPG)
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