NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 22, 2025
The Penguins defeat the Blue Jackets, updates on Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and J.T. Miller, a potential expansion option emerges, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby extended his points streak to six games with a goal and an assist to defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-3. Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell each had a goal and an assist while Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 44 shots.
Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).
Boone Jenner, Justin Danforth and Kent Johnson replied for the Jackets, who are winless in their last six (0-5-1) and remain three points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby tallied his 25th goal of the season, marking the 15th time he’s reached that milestone in his 20-season NHL career. He’s ninth on the all-time list.
Gordie Howe leads the pack (20 seasons), followed by Washington’s Alex Ovechkin (19), the only other active NHL player among the top 10. Jaromir Jagr (18), Mike Gartner (17), Teemu Selanne, Brendan Shanahan, Brett Hull, and Marcel Dionne (16) also sit ahead of Crosby.
EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers forwards Connor McDavid (upper-body injury) and Leon Draisaitl (undisclosed) will be sidelined for a week. Head coach Kris Knoblach said the club wants both players to be 100 percent healthy going into the playoffs, which begin on Apr. 19.
SPORTSNET: Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner has been cleared to return to action after leaving Thursday’s game to the Winnipeg Jets for concussion protocol following a collision in the crease.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Recently-acquired Oilers forward Trent Frederic remains sidelined for another two weeks with a lower-body injury.
NEW YORK POST: Rangers forward J.T. Miller has no hard feelings or ill will toward the Vancouver Canucks despite leaving his former club on a sour note. Miller spent over five seasons with the Canucks but reports of a conflict with teammate Elias Pettersson led to his trade to the Rangers two months ago.
Miller faces his former team on Saturday for the first time since the trade. He praised the Canucks organization, saying they treated him with the utmost respect. Miller also said he and his family loved the city of Vancouver and he appreciated the support he received from Canucks fans during his time there.
DAILY FACEOFF: Nashville Predators head coach Andrew Brunette called out some of his veteran players for their poor performance of late, saying he wanted to see more professionalism from them down the stretch. The Predators are poised to miss the playoffs for the second time in three years.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Last summer’s signings of free agents Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei prompted speculation the Predators would push for a Stanley Cup this season. It’ll be interesting to see what changes they make following this disappointing campaign.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Red Wings defenseman Erik Gustafsson is likely out for the remainder of the regular season with an undisclosed injury.
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The NHL has met with a group led by billionaire Dan Friedkin to discuss its interest in bringing a franchise to Houston, Texas. ESPN reports the Friedkin group has become a leading candidate for a franchise if the league expands beyond 32 teams.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has repeatedly said the league isn’t currently in a formal expansion process. However, multiple groups in Atlanta have also expressed an interest in bringing back a franchise.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Barring unforeseen economic issues, expansion to Houston and Atlanta will likely occur by the end of this decade.
OTTAWA SUN: The Senators’ talks with Ottawa’s National Capital Commission to finalize the purchase of LeBreton Flats are reportedly making progess. The club intends to use the site to construct a new arena and entertainment complex in downtown Ottawa.
EDMONTON JOURNAL: A statue of Hall-of-Famer Wayne Gretzky outside Edmonton’s Rogers Place was recently defaced with feces.
Gretzky has faced considerable criticism in Canada for his friendship with US President Donald Trump amid the latter’s calls for the country to become America’s 51st state. However, it’s unclear if the vandalism was meant as a political statement.
Can you imagine if Houston gets awarded a franchise. Fla.,TB,Dallas,Houston,SJ,Anaheim,LA sounds like a nice place to play. Sandals,golf shoes,and skates,what a life.
Sr, great comment I’ve lived in the sun belt since 1988 having moved from the St. Louis area where some winters it would snow in late December and melt in March. Certainly not Canadian weather but rough nonetheless.
Now anything resembling winter is treated as novelty here in the south. Every February my wife and I go to Tampa for 2 weeks and go from the beach to a Bolts game or two and there’s nothing like it.
Oh boy, let’s weaken the product some more shall we?
Expansion is inevitable given that the other major sports franchises have 30+ teams in the US , and the NHL does not.
That said, it means at least two things:
You can’t keep adding players to new franchises without watering down the product. Adding water to scotch may make for 34 equal tasting shots, but with diminished strength. And enjoyment.
It will bring on board more franchises with no state taxes, further exacerbating a disadvantage for other teams. We’ve had a debate here about other factors counting, but the issue is prominent enough now that it has been raised in the mainstream sports media.
For those that hear expansion water downs the product and makes light of it don’t get that if we keep adding teams, it only means that weakness or lack of player(s) you have in your line up will almost always be there unless you like to weaken an area of strength (as LJ says, water down) to help another (34 equal and flat tasting shots).
32 teams is already too much. If the goal for the NHL is to continuing to expand then they should begin to look at themselves like a FIFA and become an umbrella for multiple clubs who eventually play via championship league type playoffs for the cup. This is a dumb idea, but so is continuing expanding.
Nashville has a coaching problem or a pro scouting one.
They picked up ufa players but they aren’t fitting in. Brady Skjei was the star pick up after great years in Carolina just isn’t fitting into the system.
They traded away Alex Carrier who is playing like a stud in Montreal, a systems casualty. -14 in Nashville and +7 in Montreal.
Sidney Crosby getting closer breaking Wayne Gretzky record.
Habfan30, Put Boston and Seattle in the same category in relation to free agent signings.
Sr,
Boston is different, it was obvious to all but fanboys like you that they were bad signings.
You defended them and were upset at the critique.
Habfan30 all those players from those 3 teams were all needs!Similar to your boy Dvorak,Savard and Laine,not to mention your second line center Dach through a trade.Hope you find that second line center you keep advertising for!
Gretzky has destroyed his legacy and for what? His silence is deafening.
Go Ovie!
On a hockey level, George, go Ovie indeed.
But if the comment was with regards to Gretzky’s political affiliations, remember who Ovie is a fan of.
In that regard, pthhht to them both.
Heh. Seems like Gretzky’s “friend” in Washington is also a fan of Ovie’s fan. Great world we live in. Thank God I’m on the way out!
That was funny!
Blessed are the young, LJ, for they shall inherit the national debt.
“NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has repeatedly said the league isn’t currently in a formal expansion process. However, multiple groups in Atlanta have also expressed an interest in bringing back a franchise.”
Gary
Please retire ASAP
Houston is a great idea.
a 3-peat in Atlanta is just a nightmare waiting to happen.
Arizona and Atlanta are NOT hockey markets. Have never been hockey markets. Will never be hockey markets.
Betman is stuck on Population = hockey franchise sucess.
He was repeatedly told that Phoenix and Atlanta were NOT going to work.
They were right, he was wrong.
Die by the sword. He will never admit his mistakes.
Betman’s job in a nutshell is to maximize profits for the NHL
Atlanta and Arizona were going to be failures, and absolutely ended up to be failures; costing the entire NHL hundreds of $Ms
Houston will be a great move.
Maximizing NHL revenues can in no way include another Atlanta team.
Gary, please retire. NOW!!
If maximizing profits was the game, a second GTA team would appear instantly. It’s never been about maximizing profits.
Agree and disagree Brock
Agree that 2nd team in Toronto would have the biggest increase in league revenues over any other location
Disagree re it hasn’t been about maximizing profits.
There is only one (and one ever) individual who has blocked that maximizing profits notion. That’s Gary
He in no way wants another Canadian franchise.
He has stood his ground on never admitting his mistakes that have cost players and owners hundreds of $M (citing just two here: Arizona and Atlanta)
If he had put another Toronto team in instead of the failure in Arizona; League revenues (and therefore Owners profits; players salaries etc) would have been much much higher; and for two decades at least
Did you copy and paste one of Pengy’s old rants?
If Pengy has posted similarly in the past; I fully agree with him.
Retire Gary. A S A P
Not so much agreeing with him or not … but rather using the exact same words.
If the National Hockey League and present owners see additional profitability and increased revenues in expansion, then more power to all.
Expansion to 36 teams would work with the four 9-tdivisions spread across two conference.
Expansion to 40 teams would need eight 5-team divisions spread across two conferences. Eight 4-team divisions spread across two conferences should be worth considering now. The winner of each division play in their conference postseason, while the next four teams with the best records fill up wild card berths.
Expansion cities:
* Atlanta, Georgia
* Hartford, Connecticut
* Houston, Texas
* Kansas City, Missouri
* Milwaukee, Wisconsin
* New Orleans, Louisiana
* Phoenix, Arizona
* Québec City, Québec
This could be a monster year for two icons.
Ovi could break Gretzky’s record for goals.
Crosby with 4 more points in the last 14/15 games will pass Gretz in 20 straight seasons averaging a point a game no one has ever done that..Gretz 19 years.
Good luck to both..