NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 18, 2025
In today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines: the Bruins’ David Pastrnak and the Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk are among the notable sidelined players as training camps open, and the latest contract signings.
LATEST INJURY UPDATES AS NHL TRAINING CAMPS OPEN
BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: David Pastrnak will miss the start of Bruins training camp while dealing with tendonitis. The 29-year-old winger is expected to return to full practice next week.
FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers forwards Matthew Tkachuk and Tomas Nosek will be sidelined for the upcoming start of the regular season. He’s expected to be out at least through December.
Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk (NHL Images).
Tkachuk is recovering from surgery in August to repair a sports hernia and torn adductor muscle. Nosek suffered a knee injury during offseason training and is expected to be out for months.
THE ATHLETIC’s Jeremy Rutherford reports St. Louis Blues defenseman Torey Krug failed his medical and there is no expectation he’ll play this season. The Blues are expected to place him on in-season long-term injury reserve (LTIR).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Krug missed all of last season following surgery last September to address pre-arthritic changes in his left ankle. His contract runs through 2026-27, but his playing career is over. He’ll likely remain on LTIR for the remainder of his contract.
EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers winger Zach Hyman is no longer wearing a cast on his right arm. He underwent season-ending surgery after dislocating and tearing ligaments in his wrist during the 2025 Western Conference Final.
Hyman is skating on his own, but he isn’t ready to join his teammates for the start of training camp. It’s uncertain if he’ll play in any of the Oilers’ eight preseason games. His goal remains their season opener on Oct. 8.
DAILY FACEOFF: Seattle Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour is out one to two weeks following the removal of a bursa from his ankle.
COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche players Logan O’Connor, Samuel Girard, and Mackenzie Blackwood will all miss the start of training camp with injuries. Girard (lower body) and Blackwood (undisclosed) are expected to be back at or around the beginning of the regular season next month, but O’Connor (hip surgery) isn’t slated to return until early November.
DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson will miss training camp and the entire preseason with a lower-body injury. He’s expected to return around the start of the regular season.
TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning forward Nick Paul underwent surgery last Friday for an upper-body injury. He’s expected to be sidelined until early November.
TSN: Ottawa Senators forward Lars Eller will miss the start of training camp following a minor abdominal procedure.
TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs forward Max Domi is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
DAILY FACEOFF: Buffalo Sabres winger Jordan Greenway underwent core surgery in July and could miss most of training camp. Teammate Alex Tuch is day-to-day with a minor injury.
Pittsburgh Penguins forwards Rutger McGroarty and Noel Acciari will be in attendance at training camp, but aren’t yet medically cleared to participate. McGroarty and Acciari were shut down late last season due to injuries. General manager Kyle Dubas is expected to provide more details on Thursday.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Given the grueling offseason training regimens of most players, some of the injuries listed above may have been the result of overtraining. Proper rest and recuperation are just as important.
LATEST NOTABLE CONTRACT SIGNINGS
CALGARY SUN: The Flames signed captain Mikael Backlund to a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $3.25 million. “That’s the goal and the dream – I don’t want to play for another team,” Backlund said.
Speaking of his family, the 36-year-old center said he and his family love living in Calgary. “This is where our heart is at.” He also believes the Flames have a bright future and he wants to be part of it.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Backlund has spent his entire 17-season NHL career with the Flames. He’s second all-time among their franchise leaders with 1,066 games played. If he stays healthy, he will break Jarome Iginla’s record of 1,219.
Backlund is in the final season of a two-year contract with an AAV of $4.5 million. His new contract comes with a full no-movement clause through December 31, 2027, followed by a 10-team no-trade list.
CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: The Blackhawks signed defenseman Wyatt Kaiser to a two-year contract with an AAV of $1.7 million. Kaiser, 23, completed his entry-level contract last season.
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH: The Blues signed fourth-line forward Nathan Walker to a two-year extension with an AAV of $887,500.
PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins signed forward Robby Fabbri to a professional tryout offer (PTO).
Also missing the start of Ottawa’s training camp is RD Nick Jensen, although he is regarded as “way ahead of schedule” in his recovery from May hip surgery.
If Eller needs time to “catch up” to the rest, this could be an opportunity for big C Stephen Halliday who had a very good AHL season with Belleville.
I love the extension for Backlund. I know i mentioned it before in relation to Crosby and any talk about him playing elsewhere but there is something special about players spending their entire careers with one team.
I hope as an Oiler fan I can say the same about some of the players on the current roster. While there are bigger names, RNH is the name that pops into my head as most apt to retire as an Oiler and in many ways may be the most heart breaking if he was to finish his career elsewhere.
In an article in Daily Faceoff (2025-26 NHL Team Preview: Ottawa Senators), Mike Gould has this to say about veteran RD Artem Zub “The Sens are better defensively than you might think. They tied the Colorado Avalanche and finished one spot ahead of the Oilers with just 234 goals allowed in 2024-25, putting them firmly in the upper half of the league in that category. Sanderson and Thomas Chabot obviously deserve plenty of credit for that, but arguably even more should go to Artem Zub, who has consistently delivered for this Sens team through good times and bad and against basically any level of competition. Zub doesn’t get nearly enough recognition for being one of the very best shutdown defenders in the entire league, but he’ll get more and more respect as Ottawa continues to make its presence felt in the postseason.”
That’s the polar opposite of what Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun seems to feel about Zub because in his articles, when referring to the core of the team. he NEVER mentions Zub. And it can’t be accidental, since he does it consistently. This morning for example, he writes “The clock is ticking on the core of captain Brady Tkachuk, centre Tim Stutzle and defencemen Thomas Chabot and Jake Sanderson, along with Drake Batherson, Ridly Greig, Shane Pinto and Cozens.”
The 6’ 3” 200lb shot-blocking Zub is heading into his 6th season with the team, having played 306 games with 19g 65a 84pts , and has never experienced a negative in +/- with a combined +15, while playing in the top pairing. I’d say that that qualifies his as an integral part of the core.
Pretty sure Bruce and others last year in Ottawa media mused about trading or buying Zub out. Ottawa is mildly “flush” with defensive depth at the moment but Zub is critical to it all. He’s essentially a younger more mobile version of Hamonic. Jake Sanderson is fantastic, but just starting to tap into his offensive side. He needs the steady Eddy Methot’esque guy with him. Same with Chabbot. Look what a smooth skating smart defender like Jensen did for Chabbot last year. I’d never even heard of Jordan Spence so we’ll see what’s up with him. Might be a sneaky good pick up. And of course Yak….Matinpalo….heck even Klevin….
Dark G, among the positives for Ottawa in that rookie tournament in Montreal was a notable rise in their development of 3 D prospects, led by big (6’ 4” 210lbs) RD Carter Yakemchuk, who demonstrated a hoped-for improvement in the defensive aspects of his game. He only appeared in the Toronto game but that was because he’s expected to see plenty of action in the main pre-season games.
Also catching management’s attention were LD 6’ 2” 205lbs Jorian Donovan. a 5th Rd 136th overall pick in 2022, and 6’ 190lbs LD Tomas Hamara, a 3rd Rd pick 87th overall in 2022. They join the recently re-signed RFA LD Donovan Sebrango – 6’ 2” 220lbs who will likely be the first LD call-up if and when necessary.
Further down in the system is 1st Rd pick 23rd overall in 2025 6’ 2” 195lbs RD Logan Hensler at U. of Wisconsin, 4th Rd pick 108th overall in 2023 6’ 3” 205lbs RD oyt Stanley at Cornell U, and Rd 2 39th overall in 2024 6” 7” 215lbs LD Gabriel Eliasson of the Barrie Colts in the OHL.
All prospects still … but a good crop nevertheless of back-enders for development.
George: This is what the Athletic had to say about Yaremchuk:
His potential is real as a big right-shot D who is going to run a PP1 and score in the NHL, but some scouts still wonder if his skating and defence will ever be more than average. Brent Burns is probably the best-case scenario, but it’s not one everyone is willing to bet on.
“I would put Yakemchuk down one group. He’s an incomplete player that leans offense,” said one scout.”
Doesn’t seem flattering but then the article has him above Reinbacher, by a tick.
For what it’s worth …
LJ, I don’t disagree with those assessments and, in fact, it’s why I refer to him – and the others – as prospects because, right now, that’s all they are until they prove otherwise at the NHL level.
Having said that, his offense is such that, in a league (the WHL in this case) where upwards of 80-90% will never see the light of the day in the NHL, and playing with a bunch who want to win at that level, it’s hard not to lean towards your strengths. And that’s especially true in Major Junior where they play almost as many games as the NHL and so much less time practicing and learning. Unlike College hockey in the U.S. where they play far less games and so s[pend more time practicing and learning.
If he doesn’t crack the line-up after the pre-season, his time in the AHL will be spent focusing on his defensive game and skating (which, to this observer, is overblown by some critics.)
Time will tell.
George,
From my perspective, hearing last year that Zub might be traded or bought out, I immediately thought the Habs should jump all over that.
Keep in mind that was with both Mailloux and Reinbacher in line to move up.
The guy is a top 4 RHD that Sens fans on this site identified early though the league doesn’t know who he is.
You may well be frustrated by my not liking so many of your trade/acquisition suggestions, but here we go again.
The reason, I am coming to believe, is that I want to see our prospects and young players given a chance to show what they can do. You, less so.
Acquiring Zub, last year or this, means that we don’t get to see if Struble or Xhejak progress and which is worth keeping – it can’t be both. How likely is it the league doesn’t know Zub is a top 4D? 31 GMs napping??
Then there is Reinbacher (who will need time in Laval) and Engstrom, who got positive comments from the two prospects game.
The reduced pre season means prospects get less audition time. You have said in the past that they need to grab the opportunity, which is correct — if there is a legit one available.
The Habs are clearly willing to see how Dach does at center, and if not him, Newhook, before they start shipping picks and prospects out to get what would certainly be a pressing need of a 2C..
That “let’s not get ahead of our plan” approach IMO is consistent with the stated objectives of Hughes and Gorton long term vision. Whack a mole player acquisition is not.
We’ll see if I am correct as the season unfolds.
George – could the differing opinions on Zub and the his inclusion as part of the core be related to his durability? He has missed 65 games over the last 3 seasons.
I am not sure how the stats and wins with and without him looks but that may be a project you may be interested in exploring.
1Oilerfan, you could point out the same durability observation for Thomas Chabot who has missed as many or more over his 8 seasons. Keeping in mind that several of the 5 seasons Zub has played were pretty dreadful team-wise, they have an all-time record of 141-139-26 in games in which he has played, for a .503 % pace. In the 78 games he has missed over that stretch – often as a result of putting his body on the line blocking shots – they have gone 36-37-5, for a .494 % pace.
Then like you George i am stumped why he isn’t getting his due 🙂
Only – for some unknown reason – by Garrioch. I think his teammates – and the opposition – join Gould in recognizing his abilities.
Notwithstanding the earlier and near exhausting non tax debate, here is a fresh quote about it from Marchant regarding the Panthers’ roster, from Sportsnet, yesterday:
“If we were not in a no-tax state, it wouldn’t work out, probably for two guys. Two guys probably would be leaving in that situation,” Marchand said. “That’s a benefit that this team has that we able to utilize and make work. I’m thrilled to be here for the next six years.”
So what’s your point, LJ?
The argument/debate was not about whether teams in no-tax states have an advantage in re-signing players compared to other teams. Of course they do. Just like players who play for Canadian teams and/or reside in Canada have the advantage of the exchange rate because they’re paid in American dollars. Just like New York and Los Angeles have an advantage because of their big-city appeal.
The debate was the ridiculous claim that teams in no-tax states had an advantage in building Stanley Cup champions, which just isn’t true.
And if Marchand were being honest, he wouldn’t have wanted a trade to the Panthers back when they sucked on toast. The main reason he left Boston was because they didn’t want to give him a deal longer than three years. The Panthers were willing to give him much more, plus they’re also a Stanley Cup champion and considered the favorite to win it again this season. The no-tax situation is just icing on the cake.