NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 10, 2025
The Flames sign goalie Dustin Wolf to a seven-year contract extension, plus the latest on Blackhawks center Connor Bedard, Kings winger Adrian Kempe, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
CALGARY SUN: The Flames signed goaltender Dustin Wolf to a seven-year, $52.5 million contract extension on Tuesday. Wolf, 24, is in the final season of his entry-level contract. The average annual value of his new deal is $7.5 million.
Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wolf got this contract because of his performance last season. Thanks to his stellar goaltending, the retooling Flames exceeded expectations, coming within a whisker of reaching the 2025 postseason. His efforts made him the runner-up for the Calder Memorial Trophy.
NHL.COM: Connor Bedard said his contract extension talks with the Chicago Blackhawks are going well. The 20-year-old center is in the final season of his entry-level deal.
“It’s nothing crazy,” Bedard told reporters during the NHL/NHLPA North American Player Media Tour on Tuesday. “We’re both comfortable with where we’re at. They know I want to be there; I know they want me. So, it’s really not on my mind that much, and I just think when it happens, it happens.”
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bedard played coy when asked if the deal could come before the start of the upcoming season. “We’ll see,” he said.
TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports Adrian Kempe wants to stay with the Los Angeles Kings. The 28-year-old winger is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next July.
Kempe told reporters that there is no rush on either side for a contract extension. However, he expects talks will pick up over the next several weeks or months.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kempe is in the final season of a four-year contract with an AAV of $5.5 million. He was their leading scorer in each of the last two seasons and their leading goal scorer in 2022-23 with a career-high 41 goals.
Another season with 30 goals and 70 points could put him in line to earn between $9 million and $10 million annually on his next contract.
THE BOSTON GLOBE’s Conor Ryan reports Bruins general manager Don Sweeney confirmed his club will start this season without a captain. “I think somebody will eventually emerge as the guy that should be the next captain,” Sweeney said.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The last Bruins captain was Brad Marchand until he was traded to the Florida Panthers on March 7. Winger David Pastrnak and defenseman Charlie McAvoy are the likely front-runners for the role.
THE ATHLETIC: Aaron Portzline reported Columbus Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell said there’s been no contract extension talks with center Adam Fantilli.
Like Chicago’s Connor Bedard, the 20-year-old Fantilli is in the final season of his entry-level deal. Waddell stated a new contract won’t happen before the season begins, adding that the center’s camp isn’t in any hurry to get a deal done.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: We shouldn’t read too much into that. Both sides could be waiting to see how this season unfolds before opening contract talks.
Fantilli had a solid sophomore campaign last season, tallying a career-best 30 goals and 54 points. If he builds on that performance, he’ll be in line for a substantial raise on his next contract.
DAILY FACEOFF: The Florida Panthers have invited forward Noah Gregor to training camp on a professional tryout offer (PTO). Gregor, 27, split last season between the Ottawa Senators and San Jose Sharks, collecting seven points in 52 games.
RG.ORG: Marco D’Amico reports St. Louis Blues prospect Justin Carbonneau hopes to crack the Blues’ roster and earn an entry-level contract. The 18-year-old right wing was chosen in the first round (19th overall) by St. Louis.
TVA SPORTS: The Montreal Canadiens will hold an “Andrei Markov Night” on Dec. 3 to honor the former Habs defenseman. Markov spent the entirety of his 16-season NHL career with the Canadiens, playing 990 regular-season games between 2000 and 2017 before ending his playing career in the KHL.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Markov was the linchpin of the Canadiens’ blueline for most of his career. He’s sixth all-time among their franchise leaders in games played.
ESPN.COM: NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said the league is waiting for a “fully baked plan” from an ownership group in Atlanta before having its Board of Governors consider bringing an expansion team to the city.
Daly indicated the league met with multiple groups in July that are seeking to bring a franchise back to the city. Atlanta hosted an NHL team from 1972-73 to 1979-80, and another from 1999-2000 to 2010-11.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some wonder why the NHL would consider returning to Atlanta when the Flames and Thrashers failed in that market. The short answer is because it’s the seventh-largest metropolitan area in the United States. A better-run franchise could become a significant money maker there.
TSN: Daly also said the league has closed its investigation into Evander Kane spending last season on long-term injury reserve before joining the Edmonton Oilers for the playoffs. He indicated the Oilers will not face discipline as a result.
The deputy commissioner also expects a decision soon from the league on the status of five former Hockey Canada players acquitted of sexual assault in a high-profile case earlier this year.
Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube, and Callan Foote were acquitted on July 24. Following the decision, the NHL indicated the players were ineligible to return to the league until it had reviewed the findings.
Meanwhile, the NHL and NHLPA announced that they will contribute $4 million annually to the newly established Retired Players Emergency Healthcare and Wellness Fund.
The NHL should NOT go back for a 3-peat in Atlanta
It’s not the size of the population.
Bettman keeps hining in on population size as a driver to success.
If population WAS the be all and end all; then the NHL should expand into North America’s largest urban population with over 23 million ; that’s one urban population.
At over 23 million, that urban population (one City!) is only surpassed individually by 2 States (Cal, Fla) in each of their TOTAL populations.
Why not move there? Because there are not, nor WILL there be enough Hockey fans.
Atlanta does not, nor will not, have enough hockey fans
Betman was warned repeatedly about going into Phoenix, He didn’t listen, we know the results.
After the failure was already showing in the desert, he was once again told not to go into Atlsnta. Failure again.
He just won’t listen.
His mandate, plain and simple , is to maximize total revenues. An Atlanta move won’t do that.
For almost 3 decades he’s refused to have an expansion team in s place that would (and by s huge margin) have the largest single increase in revenues (that being a 2nd Toronto team).
Atlanta is completely the wrong move.
Since he’s completely refusing any new franchises in Canada, the next expansion team should be Houston; then consideration (true consideration) of probably 10 other US cities; before looking at Atlanta
Re “the NHL and NHLPA announced that they will contribute $4 million annually to the newly established Retired Players Emergency Healthcare and Wellness Fund.” :
Excellent to hear.
Does anybody know if that’s $4 M EACH in contributions? $2 M each for a total of $4 M? Or if NHL is contributing all of the $4 M?
Re playing status decision for the 5 “soon”; this should have happed a day or two after the judges ruling. Gary has had his investigator’s reports for eons. How long did he need to read the Judges summations?
Who care how long it takes? Those players, young as they were, allowed themselves to be in an unacceptable situation. They remained in it and participated in it. In doing so, they subjected themselves to the court of public opinion, like it or not. I honestly couldn’t care less if they ever get the ok to play again.
Some people’s sense of justice is to NEVER allow a second chance or speak of forgiveness. You would think that their actions were worse than murder.
Johnny: good comments.
But why do they need forgiveness?
Who is the spokesperson for the universe who says it was unacceptable? Worse than Old Testament, taliban like scorn from the self appointed righteous. The circumstances are not my cuppa, but everyone in the room was there voluntarily. They don’t need a permission slip from the likes of Some Old Guy.
Funny, isn’t it, how you and Pengy share the same intense aversion to Atlanta? Virtually a cut and paste word for word.
Atlanta thrashers attendance wasn’t bad though many here probably don’t even remember it and all they know is the franchise was sold and moved to Winnipeg.
Atlanta’s inaugural season drew avg 17,000 fans
It fluctuated but over their 11 yrs averaged 15,000 fans
The Atlanta Flames were short lived but their attendance was between a high of 14,000 and 10,000 in the 70’s before being sold and relocated to Calgary.
Both times poor planning by management and not enough financing to make a go of it. The Flames had arena issues, the Thrashers had a bickering ownership groups.
The fans are there, and at least one of the bids has serious money and is a local.
” … and at least one of the bids has serious money and is a local.” indeed – something totally lacking in Houston or any other potential site – so far.
The Georgia interest has presented a well-developed plan with investor groups, site control, and county support, along with plans for arena development at The Gathering in the southern portion of Forsyth County, a large suburban area in metro Atlanta hailed for its ongoing growth and development, particularly in “The Gathering” mixed-use entertainment region.
Tick … tick … tick …. the clock’s winding down on the opening of training camp/pre-season games and I can’t recall the last time we’ve reached this stage with upwards of 5 RFAs still awaiting contracts.
Only Vegas with RW Alexander Holtz is in a bit of an immediate bind, given that they are $7,638,571 over the cap with 22 players committed to – 13F 7D 2G. RW Alexander Holtz, when signed, would round out their 23-man roster. But with Pietrangelo’s $8.8 mil per cap hit due to go on LTIR by opening night, they can’t give Holtz anything more than $1,161,429 per without remaining over the cap. Now, while Holtz’s production this past season can best be described as “modest” in the extreme (53gp with Vegas – 4g 8a 12pts and 16 in the AHL with 7g 6a 13 pts), he did pot 16g 12a 28pts with NJ in 2023-24 and he and his agent – considering he likely didn’t see all that much ice-time after going to Vegas in a trade, and coming off an expire ELC of $894,167, probably think he deserves more than a paltry $267,262 raise. Why no re-building team has extended an offer sheet of $1.5 mil – with no compensation needed – to land a former 1st Round pick (7th overall) in 2020 is itself a puzzle.
New Jersey is also facing a cap crunch, but at least there they can stall things until a bit into the season. They have $6,131,667 in reserve with 7D showing on the main roster, and when Hughes is signed one of Casey or Nemac – both in the $900,000 ELC range – would be optioned, giving them just over $7 mil in reserve. If LD Luke Hughes exceeds that by up to $1 mil, they do have the probable LTIR option involving Kovacevik and his $4 mil per cap hit to start at least. before deciding on another necessary move when Kovacevic is ready to play.
For the other three, however, the delays in signings suggests wide disparities between demands and offers, most likely involving term since each has more than enough in cap reserve. The largest settlement of the 3 will easily be that of 6” 1” 220lb C Mason McTavish, a 1st R id pick 3rd overall in 2021 coming off an ELC of $894,167 and 22g 30a 52pts in 76gp last season. With $20,538,811 in cap space and 22 signed – 12F 7D 3G – I can’t believe Anaheim would even consider dealing him – which has been suggested – so, which side is rthe hold-up?
Then there’s 6’ 185lb RW Luke Evangelista in Nashville, a 2nd Rd pick 42nd overall in 2020 coming off his ELC of $797,500 after 68gp 10g 22a 32pts. A bridge in the range of $3.5 mil would seem to be the obvious move here, and the Predators have more than enough with $9,341,039 and 22 signed – 12F 8D 2G. The least highest would have to be 6’ 175lb LD Wyatt Kaiser, a 3rd Rd pick 81st overall in 2020 coming off his ELC of $916,667 and 4g 4a 8pts in 57gp with the Hawks and 17 AHL gp with -0g 3a 3pts. Chicago. with 22 signed – 12F 7D 3G – has a whopping $18,662,024 in reserve, so what th e heck is the hold up here?
Not at all. They can get a second chance. They can go get “normal” jobs and live long happy lives. But as public figures, do you want kids potentially looking up the these guys?
Dustin Wolf had a great year last year.
The big new contract might be premature for those who remember Andrew Raycroft.
Or jeremy swayman?
Or Andrew Hammond, aka the Hamburglar.
How does Hammond compare to the Wolf/Swayman multi-year huge deals?
After an incredible stretch in 2014-15 where he came up with a 1.79gaa and 0.9431 save% over 24gp, he was given a 3-year deal @ an AVV of $1.35 mil per, following which he signed several deals at the league minimum.
As a Flame fan HabFan30 watching Wolf this last year at the NHL level confirmed this kid has elite skills. It just wasnt this last year confirmed this, all previous leagues he’s played in,including the AHL, he has won the Goaltender of the Year awards & MVP. Nothing phases this kid he reminds us so much of Kipper. Most Flame fans are thrilled with the deal & wished it could have been an 8 year extension. This contract could be a steal by the time our new arena opens.
Three P.T.O.s signed today (so far) –
Montreal – 25y/o 6’ 4”185lb G Kevin Manbdolese – hasn’t played in NHL since 2022-23 with Ottawa – past season 19gp with Colorado Eagles of AHL 2.87gaa 0.903 save %
Florida – 30y/o 5’ 10” 195lb C Tyler Motte – last season 55gp with Detroit 4g 5a 9pts, and 30y/o 6’ 6” 230lbs LD Ben Harpur – last played in NHL in 2022-23 with NYR and past season with Hartford AHL
That brings to 17 UFAs signed to P.T.O.s with 9 different teams (and who can still be offered contracts by any team):
Florida – in addition to above 2, LW Noah Gregor 26y/o 6’ 190lbs;
NYR- LW Connor Sheary 33y/o 5’ 8” 182lbs;
St.Louis – LW Milan Lucic 37y/o 6’3” 235lbs;
New Jersey – C Kevin Rooney 32y/o 6’ 2” 200lbs; C Luke Glendening 36y/o 5’ 11 190lbs; G Georgii Romanov 25y/o 6’ 5” 207lbs; G Adam Scheel 26 y/o 6’ 4” 200lbs;
Carolina – RW Givani Smith 27y/o 6’ 2” 214lbs & LD Oliver Kylington 28 y/o 6’ 185lbs; RW Kevin Labanc 29y/o 5” 11” 185lbs;
Minnesota – LD Jack Johnson 38y/o 6’ 2” 225lbs; RW Brett Leason 26y/o 6’ 5” 220lbs;
Columbus – LD Brendan Smith 36y/o 6’ 2” 200lbs;
Nashville – C Dylan Gambrell 29y/o 6’ 190lbs
and Montreal as above.
Looks like these UFAs (* these awaiting NHL clearance to resume their careers – if any) will either be last-minute signings or P.T.Os, sign independent deals with minor league teams across North America or somewhere in Europe – or perhaps come to the realization that their playing days are over (joined by those released from their P.T.O.):
C
Robby Fabbri 29 y/o 5’ 11” 185lbs; Evgeny Kuznetsov 33 y/o 6’ 1” 200lbs; *Dillon Dubé 27y/o 5’ 11” 185lbs; *Michael McLeod 27y/o 6’ 2” 190lbs;
LW
Max Pacioretty 36y/o 6’ 2” 216lbs; Klim Klostin 26 y/o LW/C 6’ 4” 230lbs;
RW
Jack Roslovic 28y/o 6’ 1” 195lbs RW/C; Craig Smith 36y/o RW/C 6’ 1” 205lbs;
LD
Matt Grzelcyk 31 y/o 5′ 10″ 180lbs; Marc-Edouard Vlasic 38y/o 6’ 1” 205lbs; Jon Merrill 33y/o 6’ 3” 205lbs Minnesota;
RD
*Cal Foote 26y/o 6’ 3” 225lbs;
G
Ilya Samsonov 28y/o 6’ 3” 205lbs; Alexander Georgiev 29y/o 6’ 1” 180lbs; James Reimer 37y/o 6’ 2” 200lbs; *Carter Hart 27y/o 6’ 2” 200lbs.
Habs signed G Kevin Mandolese to a PTO.
Re yesterdays discussion of why give PTOs to players that have no chance of making the team.
Habs have 3 Goalies why do they need this guy?
He’s RFA, never made the NHL but if his character is good, might assign him to Laval (AHL) or Trois-Rivieres (ECHL)
My thinking exactly, Habfan30. Like the rest, these are aimed at being primarily depth signings at best. He didn’t nave bad marks last season in the AHL.
Glad to see that the Habs are going to have a Markov send off. His departure from the Habs did not end well. Despite his taciturn nature he was an excellent puck mover who made his defensive partners better; just ask Mike Komisarek and the Leafs.
It’s going to be a special night for sure, LJ. Hopefully Komisarek shows up with a nice gift for Markov. Something to show how grateful he is for that $22.5 million dollar contract Markov got for him.
Too bad they couldn’t find a way to squeeze him into 10 games after 2016-17 to get him to an even 1,000.
What’s the word for when you can’t stand someone, yet you admire them all at the same time?
That’s how I felt about Markov and Emelin.
Those two can suck it…..respectively.
LOL. Ambivalence?
SOP: LOL!
Perhaps the word is grudging?
so, “grudgingly ambivalent”?