NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 5, 2025
Jonathan Toews officially joins the Jets, Vladimir Tarasenko on leaving the Red Wings for the Wild, the top remaining UFAs, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
THE WINNIPEG SUN: Jonathan Toews was formally introduced on Friday as a member of the Winnipeg Jets. The former Chicago Blackhawks captain is staging an NHL comeback following a two-season absence for health reasons.
Toews signed a one-year, bonus-laden contract that could pay the 37-year-old center up to $5 million in 2025-26. He said he would be realistic about his expectations and performance. Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff considers this signing an opportunity instead of a gamble.
In his final season with the Blackhawks, Toews had 15 goals and 16 assists for 31 points in 53 games.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It would be a considerable achievement if Toews produces at a similar pace in his comeback season. He’ll likely start as a third or fourth-line center when the season opens in October.
DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Former Red Wings forward Vladimir Tarasenko said he welcomed the trade to the Minnesota Wild on Monday. “Yeah, we wanted a change,” said the 33-year-old winger. “The trade happened. I don’t even know what else to say. Probably to most questions about the past, I’ll say that the past is behind us.”
Detroit Red Wings traded forward Vladimir Tarasenko to the Minnesota Wild (NHL Images).
Tarasenko blamed the grind of the previous two seasons for the drop in his production in 2024-25. He played for four teams during the span, including a Stanley Cup run with the Florida Panthers in 2024, leaving him little time to properly prepare before joining the Red Wings.
Since Detroit missed the playoffs this year, Tarasenko has more time to prepare for 2025-26. He anticipates his production will improve with the Wild. “I will come and try to help the team in any way possible.”
SPECTOR’S NOTE: After a 23-goal, 55-point performance with the Ottawa Senators and Panthers in 2023-24, Tarasenko’s production fell to 11 goals and 33 points with the Red Wings. He’ll slot in as their third-line right wing but could move up to the second line if the 37-year-old Mats Zuccarello’s performance declines.
DAILY FACEOFF: Forwards Jack Roslovic and Max Pacioretty and defenseman Matt Grzelcyk are the top remaining players in this summer’s unrestricted free agent market.
Other notables include forwards Victor Olofsson, Jeff Skinner and Evgeny Kuznetsov, and goaltenders James Reimer, Ilya Samsonov, and Alexandar Georgiev.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Adam Proteau looked at which Stanley Cup contenders improved, worsened, or remained the same following the start of this summer’s free-agent market.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Apart from Proteau’s take on the Avalanche, I agree with his assessments of the other Cup contenders. Check it out by following the link above and feel free to weigh in with your thoughts.
TSN: The San Jose Sharks drafted Saginaw Spirit forward Michael Misa with the second overall pick in this year’s NHL Draft. Todd Marchant, the Sharks’ director of player development, said they would give the 18-year-old Misa every opportunity to crack the roster for 2025-26.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Misa would be joining a young group of Sharks forwards that includes 2024 first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini, center/winger Will Smith, left wing William Eklund, center/winger Zack Ostapchuk, and center/winger Cameron Lund. His addition could result in Ostapchuk or Lund being demoted to their AHL affiliate.
SPORTSNET: Ottawa Senators defense prospect Carter Yakemchuk hopes to crack the lineup in 2025-26. The 19-year-old Calgary Hitmen blueliner was chosen seventh overall by the Senators in 2024.
“My goal is to make the opening roster. That’s what I want to do, “said Yakemchuk. “I feel like I’ve come a long way, trying to round up my game to be an NHL defenseman one day.”
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The addition of Yakemchuk would provide a boost to the right side of the Senators’ blueline, especially with Nick Jensen expected to miss the start of the season recovering from hip surgery.
TSN: Christian Fischer has announced his retirement as an NHL player. The 28-year-old winger spent nine seasons in the league with the Arizona Coyotes, Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets. He had 62 goals and 75 assists for 137 points in 523 games.
Fischer said that he’d spent the past couple of seasons thinking about what he wanted to do with his life. He indicated that he has a business opportunity in the golf industry with a close friend in Arizona, which would allow him to spend more time with his family.
I thought it might be interesting to see to what extent teams have Dead Cap heading into 2025-26 as a result of buyouts, retention, buried and Bonus Carryover Overage (shown as BCO). Six have $0 devoted to any: Vegas, NYR, Tampa, Colorado, Washington, Florida. Here are the other 26 listed from least to most:
Carolina – $33,000 BCO
NYI – $600,000 – BCO
Boston – $615,000 – BCO
Utah – 650,000 (buyout Ekmann-Larsson)
Toronto – $726,230 (BCO $626,230) + (buried – $100,000 Matt Benning)
Seattle – $795,833 (buyout – Joe Valeno)
Los Angeles – $812,500 (BCO $212,500) + (buyout – Mike Richards – $600,000)
Pittsburgh – $916,667 (buyout – Jack Johnson)
New Jersey – $1,000,000 (BCO)
Columbus – $1,425,000 (buyout – Alex Wennberg $891,667 + Adam Boqvist $533,333)
Winnipeg – $1,616,667 (buyout – Nate Schmidt)
Montreal – $1,752,500 – BCO
Dallas – $1,801,583 (buyout – Ryan Suter $1,433,333) + (BCO $368,250)
Ottawa – $1,875,000 (buyout – Colin White $875,000) + (retained – Korpisalo $1,000,000)
Calgary – $1,875,000 (retained – Jacob Markstrom)
Detroit – $1,920,706 ($871,706 BCO) + (buyout – Abdelkader – $1,055,550)
St. Louis – $2,153,475 BCO
Edmonton – $2,550,000 (buyout – Jack Campbell $2,300,000) + (BCO $250,000)
Anaheim – $2,499,999 (retained – Cam Fowler)
Minnesota – $2,766,666 (BCO – $1,100,000) + (buyout – Zach Parise $833,333) + Ryan Suter $833,333)
Buffalo – $4,444,444 (buyout – Jeff Skinner)
Chicago – $5,233,333 (buyout – T.J. Brodie $3,233,333 + (retained – Seth Jones – $2,500,000)
Vancouver – $5,479,167 (buyout – Ekman-Larsson $4,766,667) + (retained – Ilya Mikhayev – $712,500)
Philadelphia – $6,829,762 (buyout – Cam Atkinson $1,758,333 + (retained – $3,571,429 – Kevin Hayes + $1,500,000 – Laughton)
San Jose – $9,687,500 (buyouts – M-E Vlasic $4,666,667 & Nicolai Knyzhov $466,667) + (retained – Erik Karlsson – $1,500,000 & Tomas Hertl $1,387,500)
Nashville – $10,234,121 (buyout – Matt Duchene – $6,555,556 + Kyle Turris – $2,000,000) + (retained – $1,428,572 – Colton Sissons + Mattias Ekholm – $250,000)
What amazes me George is how much money teams have left after the free agency feast. To see teams like Toronto with almost 5 million to play with and only Robertson left to sign, Pacioretti if he decides to play again and sounding more likely he does. Neither will be big ticket signings. A lot of unspent money teams have and that can’t make the players union happy
You’re not kidding. Almost three quarters of the league are sitting on cap reserves of $4 mil and up to close to $29 mil, and although there are still 32 RFAs to be settled, with the exceptions of Winnipeg (Vilardi and Samberg), Anaheim (McTavish and Helleson), Buffalo (Byram), Minnesota (Rossi), and New Jersey (Hughes) none are looking at substantial raises, and all are easily covered by the cap at hand. Only Florida – currently $2,950,000 over the cap – might be vulnerable to an offer-sheet (Samoskevich) if Tkachuk doesn’t start the season on LTIR.
I suppose some trades over the summer could level things off to some degree, but unless there is an unprecedented flurry of such trades, there looks to be a lot of teams “not spending to the cap” – not just Ottawa.
With so many teams accruing cap space during the season should make for a busy TDL. Oh to be a seller this year
For the sake of the Nashville fans they can only hope Trotz is done buying.
over $10 mil in dead cap – that’s 2 or 3 decent players. San Jose is almost as bad.
Can Tanner Jeannot’s Bruins contact be the Best contract in the league for him and the worst contract in the league for the Bruins
five years $17 million
Scored 13 pts last season
Sweeney blew 26 million on depth & 3rd ..4th line players
He could’ve signed a legit goal scorer and a #2 or #3 Dman … and signed some of his RFA fill the rest of roster in with the younger players … UNLESS the top UFA didn’t want to play in Boston
Totally disagree. Jean not was signed essentially to replace Trent Frederic, who is only one year younger than Jeannot, and who only scored one more goal than Jeannot. At the end of the day, Sweeney signed Jeannot for $450,000 a year less than Frederic, and for five years versus the eight year term for Frederic. Plus Sweeney got prospects and a good draft pick in the process. I would say that is a win for Sweeney.
Joe this would have been the year to look at Middlestadt,Poitras,Lysell,Minton,Merkulov,Kman,Beecher ,Hagens,FarinacciThese free agent signings just blocked their way and put off the inevitable. If Swayman isn t lights out this team will struggle to win 2-1,3-2 games.
Next season are Bruins tanking for lottery pick?
Seems to be the Plan but I’ll bet Sweeney isn’t part of it
Speed that’s what I was thinking especially after signing DiPietro but we’ll know for sure if they trade Swayman or Pasta later in the year for a kings ransom. Those two alone will win you enough games to steer a tank away from the bottom.
Pasta not going anywhere that is pipe dream for Bruin haters. He will be next captain
No. They will be battling for a wild card spot
East is cats and canes. Followed by rest clumped together
Bruins….interesting tidbit…in 2003 a 18 year old kid made his NHL debt .he scored 39pts in his first season and went on to play 19 years …. Patrice Bergeron
Lyle,
I read proteau’s article. You are in disagreement that the Avalanche will be better this year? I believe this guy McFarland is doing what he needs to be successful.
From the article:
“Gavrikov now likely joins Adam Fox to give the Rangers one of the best one-two punches on ‘D.’ And he left enough money on the table for the Rangers to spend to acquire fourth-liner Justin Dowling. It’s little moves like that one, and big moves like the Gavrikov move, that make you optimistic about the Rangers’ playoff chances next year.”
Bearing in mind Proteau based this assessment on free agency signings, the acquisition of Dowling was a tipping point. I stopped reading after this lame piece of absurdity.