NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 2, 2025
Hockey Canada invites 42 NHL players to their National Teams orientation camp, a list of the top remaining unrestricted free agents, the Kings re-sign Alex Laferriere, the latest on Leafs winger Nick Robertson, and more in today’s Morning Coffee Headlines.
TSN: Hockey Canada invited 92 players from its’ mens’, womens’, and para hockey teams to attend its National Teams Orientation Camp in preparation for the 2026 Winter Olympics. The camp will be held from Aug. 26-28 in Calgary.
Forty-two NHL players (three goaltenders, 13 defensemen, and 26 forwards) were selected by Team Canada general manager Doug Armstrong and his staff:
Goaltenders: Jordan Binnington, St. Louis Blues; Adin Hill, Vegas Golden Knights; Sam Montembeault, Montreal Canadiens.
Team Canada center Connor McDavid celebrates his winning goal in the 4 Nations Face-Off (NHL.com).
Defensemen: Evan Bouchard, Edmonton Oilers; Noah Dobson, Montreal Canadiens; Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings; Aaron Ekblad, Florida Panthers; Thomas Harley, Dallas Stars; Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche; Brandon Montour, Seattle Kraken; Josh Morrissey, Winnipeg Jets; Colton Parayko, St. Louis Blues; Travis Sanheim, Philadelphia Flyers; Shea Theodore, Vegas Golden Knights; Devon Toews, Colorado Avalanche; MacKenzie Weegar, Calgary Flames.
Forward: Connor Bedard, Chicago Blackhawks; Sam Bennett, Florida Panthers; Quinton Byfield, Los Angeles Kings; Macklin Celebrini, San Jose Sharks; Anthony Cirelli, Tampa Bay Lightning; Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins; Brandon Hagel, Tampa Bay Lightning; Bo Horvat, New York Islanders; Zach Hyman, Edmonton Oilers; Seth Jarvis, Carolina Hurricanes; Wyatt Johnston, Dallas Stars; Travis Konecny, Philadelphia Flyers; Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche; Brad Marchand, Florida Panthers; Mitch Marner, Vegas Golden Knights; Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers; Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Edmonton Oilers; Brayden Point, Tampa Bay Lightning; Sam Reinhart, Florida Panthers; Mark Scheifele, Winnipeg Jets; Mark Stone, Vegas Golden Knights; Nick Suzuki, Montreal Canadiens; John Tavares, Toronto Maple Leafs; Robert Thomas, St. Louis Blues; Carter Verhaeghe, Florida Panthers; Tom Wilson, Washington Capitals.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Many of these players were part of Canada’s gold-medal squad in last February’s 4 Nations Face-Off. Most of that 4 Nations group will be selected for the 2026 Winter Olympics team.
DAILY FACEOFF: Forward Jack Roslovic, defenseman Matt Grzelcyk, and winger Max Pacioretty remain among the noteworthy players still available in this summer’s unrestricted free-agent market.
Other notables include winger Victor Olofsson, goaltender James Reimer, winger Luke Kunin, netminder Ilya Samsonov, and center Evgeny Kuznetsov.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some of these players will be signed to low-cost, one-year contracts before training camp opens in mid-September. The others will get professional tryout offers (PTOs), or face the choice of retirement or continuing their playing careers in Europe.
MAYOR’S MANOR: The Los Angeles Kings signed forward Alex Laferriere to a three-year contract with an average annual value of $4.1 million.
Laferriere, 23, was a restricted free agent after completing his entry-level contract last season. He enjoyed a promising sophomore campaign in 2024-25, netting 19 goals and 42 points in 77 games.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings have their full 23-man roster under contract for this season. Management’s focus will shift to signing first-line forward Adrian Kempe to a contract extension. The 28-year-old winger carries a $5.5 million salary-cap hit this season and is UFA-eligible next summer.
Team captain Anze Kopitar is also due to become a UFA next summer, but he intends to finish his career with the Kings.
TORONTO SUN: cited Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reporting there is a $1 million cap between Nick Robertson and the Maple Leafs as they prepare for his arbitration hearing on Aug. 3.
Friedman claims the Robertson camp seeks $2.25 million, while the Maple Leafs are countering with $1.25 million.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Robertson is the last player scheduled for salary arbitration this summer. The others all reached agreements on new contracts before their hearings.
EDMONTON JOURNAL: Former Oilers defenseman and captain Jason Smith was named the new head coach of the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings on July 31.
Smith spent 15 seasons in the NHL, eight of those with the Oilers from 1998-99 to 2006-07. His previous head-coaching job was with the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets from 2016 to 2019. He was also an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Flyers’ AHL affiliate in Lehigh Valley.
THE ATHLETIC’s Aaron Portzline reported on July 31 that former NHL player Stefan Matteau has joined the coaching staff of the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters.
I suspect the arb decision on Robertson will be slightly higher than the midpoint of the two sides; somewhere in the $1.8 M -$1.9 M range.
Leafs DO have that space; but do they want him at that Cap hit?
Had he been offer sheeted (can’t now due to Arb) in that $1.8 M – $1.9 M range; the compensation wound have been a 3rd
They don’t seem to play him the minutes that his abilities would warrant; and there is already some angst on the two sides (he previously asked for a trade).
So if he does get awarded in that range, would Leafs trade him for a 3rd?
For a receiving team, I think he’d do much better in a new environment with more minutes, and definitely worth a 3rd
No, I am NOT saying for Pens. We don’t need any more tiny players.
I am saying for 30 other teams
I don’t think that they can trade him after the arbitration decision until January first?
I think who asked for the arb may influence that.
On Offer sheets one can not be traded for a year.
Once a player is signed after arbitration he can be traded like any other.
Team has to accept the arbitration decision because it doesn’t fall above the limit which is $4.85m aav
Excellent estimate 8787 – $1.8 for 1 year after which he becomes an RFA again – with arbitration, although he made it unanimous among this year’s arbitration-eligible players by avoiding it like the plague.
https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/maple-leafs-settle-with-forward-nick-robertson-to-avoid-arbitration/
Now the Leafs have 23 signed – 14F 7D 2G – and $1,919,722 in cap reserve.
On another topic – offer-sheets – the only really viable one could be 6′ 200lb RW Alexander Holtz of Vegas. Coming off an ELC of $894,167, he didn’t have a particularly eye-opening season with 4g 8a 12pts in 53gp, but with NJ in 2023-24 he did pot 16g 12a 28pts in 82gp.
And with Vegas sitting $7,638,571 over the cap and only Pietrangelo’s $8,800,000 as a means of complying on opening day – by a margin of $1,161,429, a re-building team could offer $2,340,037 – which would only cost a 3rd round pick – and so put a bit of a squeeze on Vegas.
I, for one, would love to see it.
Meant to add that he was a 1st round pick – 7th overall – in 2020. so a gamble costing a 3rd pick isn’t all that much of a risk for a re-building team, all things considered.
@ 8787 Where do you see the best fits for Karlsson?
I heard he will only waive for two teams not sure who they are but my four spots are these?
Carolina Vegas Dallas Toronto
He needs a good team, a good team structure, and a good coach and a solid defensive partner to shield him each shift.
Carolina Brindamor Slavin
Toronto Berube Riley or Tanev
Vegas Cassidy McNabb Whitecloud Hanafin
Dallas Heiskanen
Pittsburgh can retain up to 35 % of Karlsson’s salary according to nhl rules…………….
I hope they move him before the season starts…
Where do you think he goes?
alexis lafrenière went from being a dark horse to be invited to the 4nations to not being included in the Olympic camp….
hoping this kid refinds his game
Odd that only 3 goalies where invited. I understand for a variety of reason they are more than likely the 3 that go…but…its not hard to fathom one struggling and or one injured.
I am not sure i like positioning it as though it’s already their spots…its not a big deal but I would have Included Thompson and maybe another.
A team like Boston who is desperate for offensive players should consider this. He would have a much better chance to play in the top 9 at least!
Agree re Bruins; but I see him as a top 9 guy on most teams; with a little luck perhaps sparing in on a 2nd line
To me, he is ripe for a much better output season, ANYWHERE outside of Toronto (save of course here as we don’t need anymore pipsqueaks !!!)
Just a question. Reading that Hockey Canada has invited 42 players and of course associated coaches, trainers, equipment staff etc to a pre camp get together. I also see Getzlaf has been added a a player something …something. Nothing against him personally.
It got me thinking of the enormous costs involved that Hockey Canada foots the bill for.
Is there any body out there responsible for counting the beans or do they just have a blank check.
Hockey is expensive for kids to play and registration costs are high.
Maybe we try to help out the kids a little more by being a little more frugal at that level. Jmo