Oilers captain Connor McDavid wins the Lindsay Award, the latest on the Hurricanes and Golden Knights, Joe Pavelski is among the candidates to become the next coach of the Maple Leafs, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid has won the Ted Lindsay Award, which is given annually to the league’s most outstanding player as voted by the membership of the NHL Players’ Association.
Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images)
SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the fifth time that McDavid has won the Lindsay Award, tying Wayne Gretzky for the most in NHL history. McDavid is also a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy as the most valuable player as voted by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association (PHWA), which he’s won three times.
The Lindsay Award is the second trophy that McDavid has won this season. In April, he won the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s leading scorer for the sixth time.
THE NEWS & OBSERVER: The Carolina Hurricanes face multiple questions as they find themselves down two games to one to the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Final.
The biggest is whether to have Frederik Andersen or Brandon Bussi in net for Game 4 on Tuesday. Andersen has started every game in this postseason for the Hurricanes, but was pulled after the second period in Game 3 after giving up four goals. Bussi played well in the third period as the Canes rallied to force overtime before falling 5-4 in the second OT period.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes played poorly in front of Andersen in Game 3, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he gets the start on Tuesday.
Some argue that Andersen was tired after 16 straight postseason starts, but it’s unlikely that fatigue was a factor in Game 3. Andersen’s workload hasn’t been that heavy in these playoffs. He and his teammates had nearly two weeks off between the second round and the Eastern Conference Final, and they made quick work of their three previous opponents before facing the more experienced Golden Knights.
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb has garnered praise from his teammates and head coach John Tortorella for his toughness in this series.
McNabb left Game 2 in the first period with facial injuries that required a trip to a local hospital for repairs. After receiving over 20 stitches in his nose, he played in Game 3 wearing a protective cage on his mask, logging 35:47 minutes of ice time and collecting two assists.
TSN: Former NHL forward Joe Pavelski is among the candidates to be head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs as the club’s search enters its second phase.
Pavelski played 18 seasons in the NHL with the San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars from 2006-07 to 2023-24, netting 1,068 points in 1,332 regular-season games. However, he has limited coaching experience other than coaching his son Nate at the youth level.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It remains to be seen if Pavelski would get the job, but it shows the Maple Leafs are at least willing to think outside the box a little.
Like Pavelski, Hall of Famer Martin St. Louis’ only coaching experience was working with his sons when the Montreal Canadiens named him head coach in 2021-22. He’s since led that rebuilding team from dead last four years ago to the Eastern Conference Final this season.
RATINGS: Marco D’Amico recently profiled center Caleb Malhotra of the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs. The 18-year-old rookie finished second among the Bulldogs with 84 points.
The son of former NHL player and current Vancouver Canucks coach Manny Malhotra, Caleb hopes to emerge from his father’s shadow and shift the focus onto the player he’s trying to become.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll be interesting to see where Malhotra gets selected in the first round. Most scouting sites have him being chosen in the top 10 between fourth and seventh overall.
BOSTON HERALD: Milan Lucic officially announced his retirement on his 38th birthday (June 7).
Lucic spent 18 seasons in the NHL from 2007-08 to 2023-24 with the Boston Bruins, Los Angeles Kings, Edmonton Oilers, and Calgary Flames. He had 233 goals, 353 assists, 586 points, and 1,301 PIMs in 1,177 regular-season games. Lucic also had 29 goals and 48 assists for 77 points in 136 playoff games, winning the Stanley Cup with Boston in 2011.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lucic’s best seasons were with the Bruins, becoming one of the league’s top power forwards during that time. However, his performance tailed off over the final seven seasons as age, injuries and the faster pace of the game took its toll.
Lucic attempted a comeback with the Blues this season, but that ended after five games with their AHL affiliate in Springfield. He finished this season in England with the Fife Flyers.