NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 16, 2025
The latest on Mika Zibanejad and Sidney Crosby, the Sharks hire Joe Thornton in a development role, and the latest contract signings in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
NEW YORK POST: Where Mika Zibanejad plays under new head coach Mike Sullivan could determine the outcome of the 2025-26 season for the Rangers.
New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad (NHL Images).
Zibanejad struggled while playing at center for most of 2024-25. The 14-year NHL veteran’s performance improved when shifted to right wing alongside J.T. Miller late in the season. He was also employed as a right winger while playing for Sweden during the 2025 IIHF World Championship.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Barring a significant improvement by Zibanejad at center, it likely won’t take Sullivan long to determine which position the 32-year-old is best suited for in the coming season.
What do you think, Rangers fans? Let us know in the comments section below.
THE ATHLETIC: Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby had a hand in the Columbus Blue Jackets’ hiring of their new head equipment manager.
Paul DeFazio spent over 25 years in the Penguins’ organization. Crosby’s endorsement helped him land the job with Columbus. Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell said Penguins GM Kyle Dubas also backed DeFazio’s application.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It certainly doesn’t hurt to have Crosby and Dubas as recommendations on your job application. Classy move by the Penguins captain to help out his former equipment manager.
SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of hirings, the San Jose Sharks have brought in former star Joe Thornton as a player development coach and hockey operations advisor.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Thornton played 15 of his 24-season NHL career with the Sharks. He’s their single-season leader with 92 assists and 114 points, and their all-time leader with 804 assists. Thornton will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November.
DAILY FACEOFF: The Utah Mammoth have brought back forward Michael Carcone, signing him to a one-year, $775,000 contract.
Speaking of the Sharks, they signed defenseman Jack Thompson earlier this week to a one-year, two-way deal worth $800,000 at the NHL level.
The Carolina Hurricanes inked forward Skyler Brind’Amour to a one-year, two-way deal worth $775,000 at the NHL level.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Brind’Amour, 25, is the son of Carolina head coach Rod Brind’Amour. He played two games with the Hurricanes last season, spending most of his time with their AHL affiliate in Chicago.
CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: The Blackhawks signed center Anton Frondell to a three-year entry-level contract. Chosen third overall in this year’s draft, the 18-year-old Frondell is expected to spend this season with Djurgardens IF in the Swedish Hockey League.
THE BUFFALO NEWS: The Sabres signed defenseman Radim Mrtka to a three-year entry-level deal. He was chosen ninth overall in this year’s draft.
The best for the top 6 is to have Zibanejad at wing, something like:
Lafreniere-Trocheck-Panarin
Cuylle-JT-Zib
But then it probably means the 3rd line has to rely on Parsinen in a set up like:
Othman-Pars-Raddysh
Edstron-Carrick-Rempe
It likely also means that Perreault is in the AHL as he really needs to play with top-6 finishers to utilize his passing/vision skills.
But if Zib can play 3C it spreads the offense better like:
Laf-Troch-Panarin
Cuylle-JT-Perreault
Othman-Zib-Raddysh
Edstrom-Carrick-Rempe
Bench/subs are Berard & Brodzinski, and Parsinen is likely in AHL to develop better as full time center. Berard can sub in for any of Perreault/Othman/Raddysh. Brodz can sub in for the same plus Carrick.
As much as I want to see Perreault play in the top 6, I’d probably start with Zib on RW alongside JT and have Perreault start in the AHL and play top line. If JT/Zib carry the momentum from the 2nd half, you ride it out. If Zib is not keeping up, then he moves to 3C and Perrault comes up after having plenty of AHL ice time for the first month or so.
After delaying past forward prospects development playing on the 3rd line without much powerplay time I hope they give Perreault early opportunities to play in the top 6
Lafy has a whopping 17 powerplay points in his career
Probably not illegal, as the convoluted process goes, but it certainly doesn’t look good
https://www.msn.com/en-ca/sports/nhl/stanley-cup-final-controversy-emerges-amid-panthers-summer-celebrations/ar-AA1IFibp?ocid=winp1taskbar&cvid=68779cc0b25a4da5ad0653883766f60a&ei=11
No probably about it. The Panthers did nothing wrong under the terms of the CBA. Every team can avail itself of LTIR. Nevertheless, it became a loophole that enabled teams to pad their rosters for the playoffs. They’ll all have one final season to do so before that loophole is close off under the new CBA, starting in 2026-27.
I really wish they all agreed to amend the current CBA to allow that playoff loophole to be closed immediately.
Wonder which – if any – contending teams will try and emulate the Panthers by similarly gearing up in advance of next year’s playoffs? lol
Another coming change is the prospect of seeing an emergency back-up goalie shin e in a game
https://www.msn.com/en-ca/sports/other/hockey-s-beloved-emergency-backup-goalies-face-an-uncertain-future-with-new-nhl-rule/ar-AA1IFbow?ocid=winp1taskbar&cvid=68779cc0b25a4da5ad0653883766f60a&ei=11
Since San Jose won’t need to take advantage of the LTIR for a couple more years – at least – look for them to trade the rights to Logan Couture and his $8 mil per cap hit – which has 2 seasons to run – for a decent return. Florida maybe?
George, there’s no advantage to having a permanently injured LTIR player unless the team needs to reach the cap floor.
The other potential advantage is if the LTIR player returns for the playoffs (i.e. is not permanently injured) and is effective.
No team is going to give San Jose assets for the Couture contract.
Heh … I’m not surprised by what you say, East Van Fan … I continue to be bamboozled by the ins and outs of having an LTIR to utilize.
Didn’t Montreal trade Shea Weber to Vegas in the summer of 2022 for Dadonov, and wasn’t that primarily for Vegas cap relief?
And later, Vegas sent his contract to Arizona only this time so they could reach the cap floor, the same reason Utah recently dealt it to Chicago.
So 3 trades of the same contract – one to use as cap relief and the other 2 to help a team get to the minimum.
Couldn’t San Jose do the same with Couture by sending his contract to a team needing cap relief?
I suppose, where the Sharks are concerned, it’s all academic anyway since they need Couture’s $8 mil to stay above the cap floor.
Looking at the upcoming season, San Jose – with $19,740,832 in cap reserve as of today – has a total cap of $75,759,168 – which would fall way below the floor of $70.6 if they dealt him.
I’ll be so glad when the new rules are implemented! LOL.
George, sorry for the late reply. Not sure if you’ll see this.
I had to look up the Weber-Dadonov trade you were referencing. I think the upside for the Knights there was that they dumped Dadonov’s $5 m salary. The acquisition of Weber’s contract was palatable for them since it could go on LTIR.
Montreal got Dadonov and the flexibility of being a non-LTIR team (which can accrue cap space).
Think of it as our consolation prize for our frustrations about puck over the glass and non-tax.
LOL
Dumb question: did they make any changes to the puck over glass rule? (It should be same as icing, imho.)
I don’t hate the puck over the glass penalty.
Go back a decade and watch how many times players would toss pucks over the glass when they were in trouble or pinned in their own end. It killed flow and momentum. The threat of a penalty has ended that.
Are there some unlucky calls / bounces. Sure, but I’d rather have a few unlucky penalties than 100’s of intentional puck over the glass each game.
I think that one of the LTIR questions should be practice and scrimmage time with the team.
It’s hard to conceive of a player sitting out the whole season and then suit up for the playoffs, going 0 to 100 like Kucherov did for example.
Just missing training camp has it’s impact on players needing to catch up.
In my personal opinion that’s what bothers me most about the LTIR and the new fix doesn’t address that at all.
The new fix does address the late season additions with a team putting a player on LTIR for 20 games or so, at least he’s had 60 games already and is in game shape on return.
Hab fan 30,the practice time and scrimmage time would be tough to monitor!