NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 27, 2025
Recaps of Wednesday’s games, the Flyers fire head coach John Tortorella, an update on Brad Marchand, Dylan Cozens is thriving since being traded to the Senators, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: The Dallas Stars got a natural hat trick from Jason Robertson as they held off the Edmonton Oilers 4-3. Roope Hintz collected three assists and Jake Oettinger stopped 41 shots for the Stars, who’ve won their third straight game and sit second in the Central Division with 96 points. Corey Perry and Adam Henrique each had a goal and an assist for the Oilers, who lost goaltender Stuart Skinner following a third-period collision with Stars winger Mikko Rantanen. The loss leaves the Oilers in third place in the Pacific Division with 87 points.
Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Skinner will not be traveling with the Oilers to Seattle after being struck in the head by Rantanen’s knee. His teammates’ tepid response to the incident sparked criticism of the club’s toughness.
Vancouver Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood scored twice and picked up an assist in a 5-2 victory over the New York Islanders. Thatcher Demko made 26 saves while Pius Suter and Drew O’Connor had two assists each for the Canucks (80 points), who sit three points behind the St. Louis Blues for the final Western Conference wild-card berth. Casey Cizikas had a goal and an assist for the Islanders (74 points), who remain one point back of the Montreal Canadiens for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.
The Boston Bruins’ fading playoff hopes took another hit with a 6-2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks. Leo Carlsson tallied twice and Jackson LaCombe had a goal and an assist for the Ducks. David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie replied for the Bruins (69 points), who’ve lost seven straight games and remain six points behind the Canadiens.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov missed this game to return to Boston to deal with a family matter.
New Jersey Devils forward Dawson Mercer scored two goals to lead his club over the Chicago Blackhawks 5-3. Luke Hughes collected three assists as the Devils ended a three-game losing skid. They’re third in the Metropolitan Division with 83 points. Tyler Bertuzzi and Ilya Mikheyev replied for the Blackhawks, who’ve dropped eight of their last nine games.
HEADLINES
**UPDATE** The Philadelphia Flyers relieved John Tortorella of his coaching duties.
FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Brad Marchand is inching closer to his debut with the Panthers. Head coach Paul Maurice said the plan is for the 36-year-old winger to participate in a full team practice on Thursday and be in the lineup for Friday’s game against Utah.
The Panthers acquired Marchand from the Bruins at the March 7 trade deadline. He’s been sidelined with an upper-body injury since March 1.
SPORTSNET: Dylan Cozens has been thriving with the Ottawa Senators. Acquired from the Buffalo Sabres on March 7, he has three goals and five assists for eight points in nine games. The Senators have gone 6-3-0 during that stretch.
THE ATHLETIC: Matthew Fairburn believes the Sabres’ long playoff drought is testing the limits of their fans’ patience. The club is seeing thousands of empty seats in their arena this season, with some season-ticket holders opting not to renew for 2025-26.
Fairburn points out the Sabres are 30th in attendance by average capacity with 84 percent. They’re 27th in average raw attendance with 16, 070. He believes the constant losing hurts the club’s bottom line.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres have been floundering for nearly 15 years under team owner Terry Pegula. Sabres fans are long-suffering but their patience could be nearing the breaking point. Buffalo is a hockey town with a rich history, However, if fan support keeps dwindling, whispers of franchise relocation won’t be far behind.
SPORTSNET: Eric Francis reported on some details for the Calgary Flames’ new arena. Construction began on the 18,400-seat venue eight months ago and is expected to open midway through 2027.
OTTAWA SUN: Senators CEO Cyril Leeder said the club is expected to remain in its current arena for at least five years. Talks are ongoing between the Senators and Ottawa’s National Capital Commission (NCC) to construct a new arena at LeBreton Flats.
Eastern Conference playoff push could come down to the last period,not game of the season.WithBoston limping to the finish line I turn my attention to Edmonton / Frederic ,Toronto/ Carlo,Fla./ Marchand, Colorado/ Coyle ,Minnesota/ Brazeau for playoff action.Hard to believe this team won 65 games 2 years ago!
As I said – at least 3 years ago – I for one won’t be around to see the Senators in a new downtown arena. The wheels of the bureaucracy grind slowly.
A franchise move by the Sabres likely wouldn’t do much to reverse their fortunes if Pegula is still the owner!
Franchises that relocate rarely keep their original owner. See the Coyotes and Thrashers for recent examples.
The Sabres need a house cleaning in the front office and for Pegula to take a hands off approach. They need an experienced president of hockey operations and to replace Kevyn Adams, who keeps building teams just good enough to lose. And Lindy Ruff should retire.
Maybe Shannahan will be available……..
Maybe one day the Leafs won’t be part of a discussion that doesn’t involve them and brought into it by a non fan of the team. It’s so annoying and lazy.
Until someone like Shanny becomes available, I’ll assume you’re considering him based on the complete turn around job he done with the Leafs being one of the most disappointing and dysfunctional organizations where FAs never want to come to one of the most desirable places to play with top class services for its players from top to bottom…these are the views that have been expressed by the many players who have played here while Shanny presided over the team.
Sabres sale; move 100 miles NW
That would be a huge HRR boost for NHL, owners, players
No Divisional change
Two people currently block this from happening.
One is an arrogant Napoleon maniacally focused on a brutally costly 3-Peat in Atlanta; and who will retire in the near future
The other seems to love losing $M’s and $M’s
Neither are making prudent business decisions
87, another opinion you share with Pengy! You guys should meet, lots in common.
I agree with the take that another team would thrive in Southern Ontario. Agree with HF30 on the reason there isn’t.
It would be a shame if the Sabers left Buffalo, but the one thing that could get Pegula to back off and spend some $$ to hire an experienced, proven President of Hockey Ops, & replace the scouts he turfed, player development, in the name of cost cutting, is declining revenue.
Cost cutting will only get you so far, and pretty soon you run out of places to cut. You need to grow revenue, and in the NHL you need to win to grow revenue.
Or have the only franchise in Southern Ontario.
Hi Ray
If Pengy shares that idea; he’s right!
See my response to Habfan 30 below
Expansion needs 100% approval of the governors and TML oppose having another franchise in the GTA. or Hamilton.
Bettman is rather astute and if he wasn’t keeping the governors happy he would be out of a job.
Hi HF30
Sabres to Toronto (2nd team) is not an expansion but a relocation.
It has to pass the board but not in 100% unanimous decision
Zero owners would NOT want more revenues and an increase to the value of their franchise (an automatic happening if there another team in Toronto)
Leafs would actually gain directly in increased merch sales and the TV viewership increases just with the new “in-house” rivalry
Bettman repeatedly refuses another team in Canada; let alone the number 1 spot (for maximizing League revenues)
He holds all the cards
He can’t be ousted as long as he has the support of just 8 governors; and he has at least 8 of them that are personal ties to him and they would never publicly vote against him
When he retires; those personal ties are gone; and 31 owners are given the choice of status quo; OR (1)equal share of at least $700 M in relocation fees;PLUS (2) big increases in annual revenues ; PLUS (3) immediate increases in franchise evaluation (avg Franchise value goes up just with one franchise near tripling in value
What owner would say no? Zero
Now, Pagula
Once Bettman is retired; here Pegula is your choice; remain losing money OR (1) immediately stop the annual losses AND (2) sell your franchise for s big mark-up
It’s a no-brainer
However, right now there are 2 no-brainers still in the NHL:
Gary and Pegula
8787,
The Arizona relocation was voted on by 100% of governors.
Governors prefer expansion to relocation, that’s where the money is.
TML will argue that their revenue will not increase but probably be injured.
TV viewership wouldn’t increase as the draw would be from the existing markets.
While its true that a relocation needs a majority of governors not a unanimous vote, which governor is going to confront the wealthiest team in the league?
Canada isn’t the US, team merch is sold across the country especially TML and Habs merch, so a GTA franchise doesn’t present the $$$.
The owners aren’t stupid and neither is Bettman, if the move you want so badly and present as an economic boost they would be all over it.
What I don’t get about your rants is that you keep on with them like a hamster on a treadmill.
Dubas, Bettman, various Penguin players as if you think repeating them ad nauseum will affect any change.
Rinse and repeat, for sure.
Sorry for my miscommunication Habfan30
What I was referring to was that to pass a relocation motion , 100% do NOT HAVE to agree.
To show solidarity, they have in the past, formally voted that way. Side convos happen ahead of the formal vote and once the motion informally has more than enough to pass; Napoleon takes any dissenters aside and convinces them that a 100% public backing sits better; and their formal rejection of the motion would not change the outcome
There CAN be thumbs down votes (formally and informally)
The formal 100% voting just projects a solidified front
Leafs would literally have no logical argument when complaining injury or loss of revenue. There would be an increase , NOT a decrease
Two teams in Toronto would increase revenues for Leafs across the board
They also net 1/31st of relocation fees
Sincerely
Hamster on a Treadmill
P.S. Dubas needs to jettison Hayes and Accari; and under no circumstance re-up Nieto or Grzylcyck
Just ignore his posts until he actually says something worth reading. His posts aren’t worth anyone’s time shifting through his verbal diarrhea.
People not going to Sabres games is pretty insane being that there is very little else to do in Buffalo and only one other pro sports franchise.
15 years though… that just hurts.
What is this rich hockey history in Buffalo you refer to, Lyle?
LJ, this article presents some compelling evidence.
https://buffalohockeynow.com/2024/07/19/building-team-best-hockey-players-from-buffalo-born-native-patrick-kane-foligno-marchant-orpik/
Before the advent of the Sabres in 1970, the city had a fine pro history, led by the Bisons who had long been one of the annual pillars of the AHL dating back to 1940. Prior to that there was also a Buffalo Bisons team that existed between 1928 and 1936, the year they won the Calder trophy.
Main reasons why they were awarded a franchise, along with Vancouver (who, incidentally, have yet to win a Stanley Cup as well), in 1970.
George, I appreciate the effort. Thank you.
There were some great AHL players, many of whom could or should have played in the NHL.
But it’s not a gold mine of a rich hockey history when the article’s “best first line born in Buffalo roster” is a center who played college hockey.
They have been in the NHL now for 53 years and the highlight of that period is a “no goal” cup appearance.
Just saying …
LJ: “Just saying…”? Yeah, way to gloss over the 1970s, the French Connection, the 1975 Stanley Cup Final run, “The Aud”, Alexander Mogilny’s 76-goal season, Pat Lafontaine, Dale Hawerchuk, “May Day”, Rick Jeanneret, the greatness of The Dominator, and their 2006-07 Presidents’ Trophy season, to name but a few.
Look, I know the Sabres have sucked on toast for the past 14 seasons, but before that, they built a solid NHL history that a lot of clubs would’ve killed to have, with players who became Hall-of-Famers and won numerous individual awards.
You are describing things that apply to any hockey teams that have been in the league for 50 + years, Lyle.
A Stanley Cup run in 1975 is rich history? “May Day” is rich history? A rich history of a 53 year dry spell for the Cup? Which clubs are you saying would love to have that history?
The Toronto Maple Leafs, for one. The last 14 seasons aside, the Sabres had more success than the Leafs between 1970-71 and 2010-11 (the last time the Sabres reached the playoffs). The Sabres qualified for the playoffs in more seasons during that period, reached the Cup Final twice (something the Leafs still haven’t accomplished), won the Presidents’ Trophy (something the Leafs have never done), and had more individual award winners.
LJ you’re a dude who just doesn’t get it. It’s ok, I’m sure you will.
Well, LJ, any team with a Cup drought ,longer than than 53 years, maybe 🙂
You can include Vancouver on the list of not as rich, or at least not any better.
Winnipeg Jets, first version, around since 79, and now Utah. You can even combine the 2 Jet franchises.
Skate in the crease gets called, and the Sabres history might be even richer.
Ok, Lyle. You can bring the Leafs into it, given that they have the longest Stanley Cup drought.
But really, using that sad streak as a comparison is a weak rebuttal.
As for you Ron Moore, I would have to take lessons to care less about your opinion of me. You’re a non-entity as far as I’m concerned.
So, to summarize, LJ: You dismissed the Sabres history as being nothing more than the skate in the crease fiasco of the 1999 Stanley Cup Final. I point out their history is much more than that, providing examples to illustrate the point and indicate there would be teams that would love to have that history. You ask for an example, I provide the Leafs, and using “that sad streak” as a comparison is a weak rebuttal?
Again, from 1970-71 to 2010-11 (40 seasons), the Sabres qualified for the playoffs in more seasons during that period, reached the Cup Final twice (something the Leafs still haven’t accomplished), won the Presidents’ Trophy (something the Leafs have never done), and had more individual award winners. That’s hardly a weak rebuttal.
As I also said, there’s no denying the Sabres have sucked on toast for the past 14 seasons. But to deny the rich history they had before that, a history that was better over that 40 year period than a storied Original Six franchise over the same period, is living in denial.
They should bring a team back to Hartford and resurrect the Whale. There are 2 generations that never heard “Brass Bonanza” and that makes me sad. Let’s remedy this. Bring back the Whale!
773373, Hartford had the best jerseys and fight song in the league.
Here in Edmonton the sports radio PM host plays Brass Bonanza every Friday coming back in after commercial breaks. Calls it positive Fridays.
Outstanding.