NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 5, 2025
Check out the latest on Oilers captain Connor McDavid, Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman, Maple Leafs forward Scott Laughton, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
TSN: Connor McDavid told Ryan Rishaug that there is nothing new to report regarding his contract extension negotiations with the Edmonton Oilers. The 28-year-old superstar center is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next July.
McDavid said that everything is currently status quo. He’s in no rush, as he’s working through it with his family and his agent. He explained that this is a well-thought-out process for both sides to get a deal done that makes sense for him and the organization.
Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).
The Oilers captain dismissed the notion that his negotiations might be a distraction for his teammates. “We’re all professional hockey players. We’re all adults; this is a mature group. If guys can’t play with Ryan Rishaug talking about a contract, then we’re probably in the wrong line of work here, we’re probably in the wrong business.”
McDavid also indicated that he’s focused on the upcoming season. He said he’s excited about it, adding that he felt he and his teammates have something to prove.
SPORTSNET: Mark Spector reported McDavid will focus on shooting the puck more this season after tallying only 26 goals last season. He wants to prove that his career-high 64-goal performance in 2022-23 wasn’t a one-off.
“Ultimately, I want to help this team win, and I’m happy to play the passer role. I’m always going to be that player,” McDavid said. “But I’d like to be a little bit more – not necessarily selfish – but assertive with my chances.”
EDMONTON JOURNAL: Jim Matheson reports Leon Draisaitl is eager to see his friend and teammate sign an extension.
“Of course I want him here as long as possible, and I want to do it (win) with him,” said Draisaitl, who is entering the first season of his eight-year contract. Nevertheless, he understands that McDavid’s decision comes down to what’s best for him and his family.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid’s contract situation might not be a distraction for his teammates, but it will become a regular subject of conjecture for fans and media for as long as he remains unsigned.
BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Jeremy Swayman said he’s a changed man going into this season. The 26-year-old Bruins goaltender is hoping to rebound from a disappointing performance in 2024-25.
Swayman’s contract negotiations with management led to him missing training camp and preseason before an agreement was finally reached before the start of last season. He struggled to regain his form, and his inconsistency contributed to the Bruins missing the playoffs last season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Swayman’s performance will be a key factor in whether the Bruins can bounce back and contend for a postseason berth this season.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Scott Laughton is looking forward to his first full season with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 31-year-old forward was acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers before the March trade deadline.
Laughton spent the offseason focusing on improving the small details of his game. He’s hoping that an improved performance will lead to a contract extension. The veteran forward is in the final season of his current deal with an annual cap hit of $3 million.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Laughton could seek over $5 million annually on his next deal, especially if he performs well in his contract year.
DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Former Red Wings forward Klim Kostin remains an unrestricted free agent. He blames his inability to land a new contract on his role with the Wings last season. The 26-year-old winger claims he was instructed by the team brass to act as an on-ice enforcer. He believes that has hurt his reputation as a player.
RG.ORG: Former NHL defenseman Josh Gorges is looking forward to his new role as head coach of his former junior team, the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets. Among the young players he’ll be working with is Montreal Canadiens prospect center Hayden Paupanekis, who stands out for his size and skillset.
Gorges spent over seven of his 13-season NHL career with the Canadiens from 2006-07 to 2013-14. He reflected on his time with the Habs and with goaltender Carey Price. “You don’t really appreciate what he did and who he is until you don’t have him around anymore,” Gorges said, going on to praise Price’s puckhandling abilities. “Half the time, he made better breakout plays than I did.”
TAMPA BAY TIMES: Former Lightning forward Pat Maroon has rejoined the club as an alumni brand ambassador and television analyst. Maroon spent four seasons with the Lightning from 2019-20 to 2022-23, helping them win two Stanley Cups.
SPORTSNET: Marco Scandella announced his retirement from the NHL after 14 seasons. The 35-year-old defenseman played with the Minnesota Wild, Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens, and St. Louis Blues from 2010-11 to 2023-24. He had 170 points in 784 regular-season games and nine points in 56 playoff contests.
With training camps set to start opening as early as tomorrow (Vancouver in Stockholm) and the rest over the next 4 days – https://www.espn.com/nhl/s/campprimer.html – Klim Kostin isn’t the only one hoping for one more crack. So far, just 6 have been signed to P.T.O.s with 5 different teams (and who can still be offered contracts by any team):
NYR- LW Connor Sheary 33y/o 5’ 8” 182lbs;
St.Louis – LW Milan Lucic 37y/o 6’3” 235lbs;
Carolina – RW Givani Smith 27y/o 6’ 2” 214lbs & LD Oliver Kylington 28 y/o 6’ 185lbs;
Minnesota – LD Jack Johnson 38y/o 6’ 2” 225lbs;
Columbus – LD Brendan Smith 36y/o 6’ 2” 200lbs;
Wonder which among what’s left will get either a P.T.O, a firm job offer in the NHL, a European deal or retire? (* not yet cleared to return by the NHL)
C
Robby Fabbri 29 y/o 5’ 11” 185lbs; Kevin Rooney 32y/o 6’ 2” 200lbs; Evgeny Kuznetsov 33 y/o 6’ 1” 200lbs; Luke Glendening 36y/o 5’ 11 190lbs; *Dillon Dubé 27y/o 5’ 11” 185lbs; *Michael McLeod 27y/o 6’ 2” 190lbs;
LW
Max Pacioretty 36y/o 6’ 2” 216lbs; Noah Gregor 26y/o 6’ 190lbs; Klim Klostin 26 y/o LW/C 6’ 4” 230lbs;
RW
Jack Roslovic 28y/o 6’ 1” 195lbs; Brett Leason 26y/o 6’ 5” 220lbs; 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; Georgii Romanov 25y/o 6’ 5” 207lbs; James Reimer 37y/o 6’ 2” 200lbs; *Carter Hart 27y/o 6’ 2” 200lbs.
I’m surprised the strapping Leason hasn’t been signed to a League min contract yet
He can always be waived if performance doesn’t dictate
Mid 20’s, huge, Rightie
82 game pace 7-16-23 on lower minutes for Ducks
$775 K, 1 year, waived if performance unworthy; that would be a low risk signing
Similarly, also a strapping lad, also mid 20’s; Leftie (who can play both wings) with potential; Kostin
1 yr at $775 K is a very low risk (can be waived) move with potential fair return
I certainly enjoyed Klim Kostin when he was an Oiler. He was easily a fan fav and a valuable bottom 6 option. I haven’t followed him post Oilers.
But like others on the list, is he a good fit for a stronger team? If not, does a weaker team want to slot him in or instead get games in on some of their younger players who may have more upside?
So many variables to balance leaving some capable nhlers out of work.
1Oilerfan, Kostin’s claim that he was instructed by Detroit team brass to act as an on-ice enforcer isn’t born out by his rather pedestrian PIM records. In fact, his high-water mark in that regard was before his Detroit days with 66 PIM in 57gp in Edmonton. Since then, he’s had 36 PIM in 33gp with Detroit in 2023-24 and 15 PIM in 19gp after moving over to San Jose that season, then 27 PIM in 35gp with San Jose this past season.
As for his offensive capabilities, in 103 gp with St. Louis and Edmonton he had scored 16g and 16a 32pts for 82-game averages of 13 each, and when, as a pending RFA, was dealt to Detroit by the Oilers along with Kailer Yamomoto for “future considerations” the weird stuff began. After not even initially tending him a QO, for reason’s known only to Yzerman he abruptly changed his mind and signed him to a 2-year $4 mil deal @ $2 mil per! For that he delivered 3g 1a 4 pts in 33gp … and certainly didn’t exactly put anyone in mind of John Ferguson. In March 2024 Yzerman dealt him to San Jose for Radim Simek and a 7th round pick.
Maybe, now that he’s an unsigned UFA, it’s that 2-year $4 mil deal that is at the root cause of his continued search for a new home, in that no one is offering anywhere near that, and he’s convinced himself that he’s worth more than a basic $750,000 deal.
George O…fair points. I had forget that 2 yr contract from the wings.
“Vancouver in Stockholm”? Not sure where you got that from George, they will be back in Penticton BC again this year.
LMAO – I Want My Curtains Back, the friggin’ Web did it to me again!
I simply Googled “when do the NHL training camps open for each team?” and got this ESPN link, with the only actual date showing being “Tuesday August 29.”
https://www.espn.com/nhl/s/campprimer.html
I naturally assumed that that was this year, but when I saw your post and checked my calendar for August, the 29th THIS year was a Friday.
Not sure now what flipping year Vancouver was in Stockholm.
LOL. If that’s AI in action we’ve got nothing to worry about for a while anyway.
Just for the heck of it I Googled the question “why is it so difficult to get one response showing the opening date for each NHL team’s 2025 training camps?” and got this
“It’s difficult to get one response showing all NHL team training camp opening dates for 2025 because these dates are not all released at once and can change due to factors like the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) or other league-wide considerations. You must typically check each team’s official website for their specific schedule, often closer to the start of camp, as “all dates and times are subject to change”.
Why Information Isn’t Centralized:
• Team-Specific Information:
Training camp dates are released by individual teams rather than being consolidated into one league-wide announcement.
• Flexibility and Changes:
Dates are frequently subject to change for various reasons, including the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), player participation in international events, or other unforeseen circumstances, making a single, static list impractical.
• Late Announcements:
Official schedules, including the exact dates for training camp, are typically announced by teams much closer to the actual event.”
Uh-huh! Of course, no mention is made about why we get outdated lists when it should be obvious we’re seeking CURRENT situations.
One thing that caught my eye in that link I posted above – Florida set to open their camp Sept 9 in “Hull, Quebec.”
Just across the bridge from Ottawa, the name “Hull” hasn’t been in use since Jan 2002 when the Quebec communities of Aylmer, Masson-Angers, Buckingham and Gatineau amalgamated to form the City of Gatneau.
Ryan Rishaug better start eating more if he wants to have that Bruce Garrioch look. He’s certainly starting to mimic his reporting style.
For most players it is relatively simple as they have much less control over their future. Everyone wants the freedom McDavid has but I dont think we appreciate the weight it carries when he has control over all facets.
The more time I spend thinking about it, the more I respect and maybe understand McDavid’s approach.
He is unique in that he likely has the ability to set the term and salary. He could say 20 (is that the max?)x 8 and get it.
So part of that freedom comes in im finding that magic number in terms of salary. What is fair in terms of the being the top player in the game and leaving the team with cap space. Keep in mind that he is also part of a union and his deal will influence the league and players as well. That is noteworthy and added pressure.
The more challenging is likely term. He has the ability to influence the team to remain a consistent contender by taking a shorter term as has been much talked about. With his drive and being down 0 and 2 in cup finals I dont think he will be happy unless his career finishes with at least 3 cup wins. So that is 3 in the next 10 when at some point his play will begin to deteriote as well, a very tall order. I believe him wanting to do this all on edm but can edm continue to give him that opportunity? As a fan, I say unlikely.
The oilers are in that position to give him as good a chance as anywhere else outside of maybe Florida right now. But for how long, 1 season, 3 seasons, 5? Will he be OK in a situation like crosby is in today?
Finally the family component. Is Lauren open and willing to move? And if so…when is ideal. Again Mcdavid is one of few players where he has that level of control. Does he and Lauren want children? With children will either want to move them once they start school? So even if he is full on board for at least one more extension when would be the best time to re-evaluate the team or going elsewhere? I think this is what he refers to as working it through with family.
And knowing the team will likely simply accept his terms when he is ready … why would he feel pressure to rush?
I think the team made a mistep in not having a time frame set. But maybe they do have one. Maybe its oct, maybe its Xmas. Who knows.
The Oilers have a big 3 of McDavid, Draisaitl and Bouchard who have reached the SCF two years in a row, given their ages they’ll be contenders for another five years or more.
Swayman a changed man. He better be Superman because he is going to have to lead the league in shutouts for that team to reach the playoffs. Their forwards are that challenged.
I wish I could disagree with you SR, but can’t.
B’s scored 222 goals last year, worst in the east.
All but one playoff team in either conference had a negative goal differential, which is par for the course and the way it is almost every year.
Any reason to think they will score more than that this season? McAvoy and Lindholm on the back end for an entire season will help, if that actually happens. No Marchand, and guys like Coyle, Brazeau and Frederic who have the ability to chip in offence in the bottom 6 are gone.
Most likely a wash in the goals for department and finish with a similar # IMO. It could also be worse.
So they almost surely need give up fewer than that to make the playoffs. Last year Tampa gave up 219 and NJ 222 in the east for the only 2. B’s gave up 272 last year.
Call me skeptical they can do that in the GA department.
A better attitude can help out of the gate, and a better Swayman would help a lot. But looking at that roster, one would have to think it will be a struggle to get in.
Swayman will need to stand on his head for 55 plus games, and if he does he should get plenty of Vezina votes. I’m also not sure they will be better defensively next year, although I’m hopeful. Some quality defensively responsible forwards are gone, as is Carlo.
Hope I’m wrong.