NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 2, 2025
Updates on Rangers captain J.T. Miller and Flames winger Jonathan Huberdeau, the Oilers acquire Connor Ingram, the Maple Leafs topped Sportico’s latest franchise valuations, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
NEW YORK POST: The Rangers are taking a cautious approach with J.T. Miller as he recuperates from a lower-body injury suffered during practice on Monday. The Rangers captain is listed as day-to-day and won’t play in Thursday’s preseason game against the New Jersey Devils.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The goal is to have Miller ready for their season opener on Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
TSN: Calgary Flames winger Jonathan Huberdeau left Wednesday’s preseason game against the Vancouver Canucks. He suffered an undisclosed injury after crashing into the Canucks net. He was on the ice for several minutes but left under his own power. There was no postgame update regarding his condition.
Calgary Flames winger Jonathan Huberdeau (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames are hoping that Huberdeau’s injury isn’t serious. His playmaking abilities will be crucial to the Flames’ hopes of reaching the playoffs this season.
EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers acquired goaltender Connor Ingram from the Utah Mammoth on Wednesday for future considerations. The Mammoth will retain $800K of his $1.95 million cap hit.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers acquired Ingram to bolster their goaltending depth, which has been considered a weakness over the past two seasons. Having cleared waivers with the Mammoth earlier this week, he’s going directly to the Oilers’ AHL affiliate in Bakersfield.
SPORTSNET: The Toronto Maple Leafs are the NHL’s most valuable franchise. According to Sportico’s latest franchise valuations, the Leafs are worth $4.25 billion, up 16 percent from last year’s mark of $3.66 billion.
The New York Rangers are second at $3.65 billion, the Montreal Canadiens third ($3.3 billion), the Boston Bruins fourth ($3 billion), and the Los Angeles Kings are fifth ($2.96 billion).
The Edmonton Oilers are sixth at $2.76 billion, followed by the Chicago Blackhawks ($2.74 billion), the Philadelphia Flyers ($2.66 billion), the Washington Capitals ($2.3 billion), and the Detroit Red Wings ($2.11 billion).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Click this link to see the complete list. A notable fact is that the average value of an NHL franchise has risen to $2.1 billion.
The Athletic’s James Mirtle observed that the valuation gap is finally narrowing between the league’s have and have-not franchises.
“It attracts better, well-heeled ownership,” Mirtle writes.“Which in turn leads to more stability for the league overall and higher revenues for individual markets that traditionally haven’t produced big dollars at the game.”
DAILY FACEOFF: Evgeny Kuznetsov has put his desire to return to the NHL on hold, signing a one-year contract with KHL club Metallurg Magnitogorsk.
THE DENVER POST: Erik Johnson announced his retirement after 17 NHL seasons with the St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche, and Philadelphia Flyers, spending 14 seasons with the Avalanche.
Johnson netted 348 points in 1,023 NHL regular-season games and 13 points in 58 playoff contests. He helped the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup in 2021-22. He played 731 regular-season games with the Avs, sitting second to Adam Foote for the most games by a defenseman (967) in franchise history.
RG.ORG: San Jose Sharks center Michael Misa is focused on improving his 200-foot game as he approaches his NHL rookie season. The 18-year-old center was chosen second overall in this year’s NHL Draft, and compares his game to Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares and former Boston Bruins great Patrice Bergeron.
DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: James van Riemsdyk has rejoined his Red Wings teammates after taking time off to deal with a family matter. His wife gave birth to twins two weeks ago, but some complications required an additional stay in the hospital. The 36-year-old winger signed with the Red Wings this summer as a free agent.
THE BUFFALO NEWS: Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen re-aggravated a lower-body injury during Wednesday’s preseason game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: No word yet regarding the severity of Luukkonen’s injury. If he’s out long term, they could turn to Alexandar Georgiev or Alex Lyon as their starter for the coming season.
THE SEATTLE TIMES: Kraken defenseman Ryker Evans is sidelined until November with an upper-body injury.
MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Ottawa Senators forwards Hayden Hodgson and Nick Cousins were fined for their actions during Tuesday’s preseason game against the Montreal Canadiens.
Hodgson was fined over $2,000 for boarding Canadiens forward Alex Newhook, while Cousins was fined over $2,100 for slashing Canadiens rookie winger Ivan Demidov.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Demidov left the game favoring his right wrist, but he wasn’t seriously injured. The 19-year-old winger is expected to be in the lineup for the Canadiens’ final preseason game on Saturday against the Senators.
THE TENNESSEAN: Nashville Predators rookie forward Matthew Wood is listed as week to week with a lower-body injury. Meanwhile, the Predators claimed winger Tyson Jost off waivers from the Carolina Hurricanes.
DAILY FACEOFF: 38 players were placed on waivers on Wednesday.
Mammoth must have really wanted to punt Ingram
“We’ll pay $800 K of his Salary and you don’t have to give us *anything”
*”future considerations” ???
Has anybody here ever seen “future considerations” actually (on the books) paid out?
It’s got to be something like down the road one GM picks up the tab on a very expensive restaurant bill between the two
Since the trade is formally registered as “future considerations”; is there someone at head office tracking these fake “chits”?? LOL
8787 – it is pretty interesting.
So Utah instead of paying 1.95 for a goalie they dont expect to use pays now only 800k
That amount is key for the oilers as it reduces the amount to 1.15 m, the most that can be buried in the ahl without any amount counting against their cap.
So Utah wins saving actual dollars. Edmonton wins getting depth that does not impact their cap until he gets called up…if he ever does.
The player gets a fresh star
Win win win
For the oilers the cap hit comes off the books unless he is call up because of the retention by Utah
It gives Ingram a fresh start.
Win for all 3 parties.
Future considerations often end up being moving a contract that has no nhl chance. In this case the Utah saving a million in cash is their real value side of the deal.
Leafs worth $4.3 B!
Bettman,
Here’s a novel revenue generating idea
2nd franchise in Toronto, but charge franchise expansion fee of $3 B (worth it to new franchise) instead and f $1.8 B – $2 B for Houston
That’s almost 5 times what Krakken paid; 2 1/2 times what Smith paid for Mammoth
New owner in Toronto won’t even balk at $3 B
Much more than any franchise in Houston would pay
$3 B—- each owner gets almost $100 M
8787 there are more considerations in franchise location not the least of which is how a new franchise in the Toronto are would impact owners of the Leafs, Habs, Sens as well as Sabres and Wings.
You are not going to create new fans you are going to shift existing fans from established teams in the market to a new team.
Won’t happen.
Why would the prospective buyer pay $3B for a team in a market that will split revenue with the Leafs, at best? Aren’t the Leafs worth $4.3B?
I disagree a bit with you 1Oilerfan, as I don’t think it impacts the Sens and Habs much, but for sure the Leafs.
I dunno, but if I was a longtime Leaf fan and didn’t live in Hamilton, Mississauga, or wherever this team would end up I don’t think I would switch who I rooted for. But new fans, and the young folks, absolutely. Heck I live in Edmonton and still root for the B’s first. But I do attend games and root for the Oil once the B’s are realistically out, which will likely be around Xmas this year.
I was always with the new team in S Ontario idea, but NHL might be pricing themselves out of that market? Becoming a tough call now.
Man… the owners must just hate the job bettmans done over the years.
Imagine how much these teams would be worth if hockey was more broadly popular across the US though. Sure the franchises are gaining value, but the NHL is the clear cut 4th league with MLS possibly surpassing it sooner than later.
So Barry Trotz, sitting on $9,341,039 in cap reserve, believes 27y/o 5’ 11” 187lb left-shot C Tyson Jost – just claimed on waivers from Carolina – can maybe help his team get off to a good start in trying to reverse last season’s disaster, more so than one of the few young bright lights in his system – RW Luke Evangelista?
Jost, a Round 1 20th overall pick by Colorado in 2016, has played in 495 career games with 4 different teams with 61g 88a 149pts for 82-game averages of 10g 15a 25 pts, and will be joining his 5th team over the past 4 seasons!
23 y/o Evangelista, meanwhile, has played 172 games for Nashville with 33g 53a 86pts for 82-game averages of 16g 25a 41pts. Coming off an ELC of $797,500 and a season with 10g 22a 32pts in 68gp, a drop-off from the 16 potted the previous season – and that with almost the identical deployment and ice time – both his 7.4 shooting percentage (7.4%) and 2.0 points scored per hour were career lows. But he was far from career drop-off stats among that bunch.
So I doubt neither he nor his agent are seeking a huge increase over a long term. Realistically, a 2-year show-me bridge deal at around $2.5 mil per would probably suffice in their eyes … so what the heck is the hold-up there? I, of course, don’t pretend have any inside knowledge of the discussions, offers and demands … but with a team that seriously under-performed from top to bottom last season, it’s not a good look.
Jost actually a 10th overall – not 20th.
“Hodgson was fined over $2,000 for boarding Canadiens forward Alex Newhook, while Cousins was fined over $2,100 for slashing Canadiens rookie winger Ivan Demidov.”
FYI there’s a growing feeling in Montreal of not wanting any pre-season games with Ottawa.
The Sens frequently dress players with a snowball’s chance in hell of making the team who’s only intent is to tryout for roles in Shoresy.
Habs do dress AHL players as well but they are guys who will be recalled at some point.
While a finger is pointed at Florian Xhekaj, as I mentioned yesterday his 24 goals last year were higher than any Belleville Senator.
I don’t know what these two clubs think are doing lol.
Sens dont seem to have that reaction to other clubs in pre season. Montreal doesnt seem to either.
That said it is a rivalry i am looking forward to seeing play out all season.
Can’t argue with that habfan30. Sebrango’s hit from behind was inexcusable too.
Now I see where they have called up from the Belleville camp Hamara, Pettersson, Bourgault, Donovan and Boucher for Saturday night.
Just play friggin’ hockey without the macho s^%t. It solves absolutely nothing.
Hayden Hodgson hit was so pointless and not even his assignment
Wow. Zito does it again. Just signed LD Niko Mikkola – this season costing $2.5 mil AAV – to an 8 year extension @ $5 mil aav to kick in next season.
That panthers team is going to be a problem for the next 3-5 years, not sure what the plan in goal will be but wow.
With the cap rising and their top 7 forwards locked up with their top 4 d locked up, they are going to get nothing but better,
It’s time to start calling them a dynasty, 3 straight finals and back to back cups & probably the best GM in the league right now,
Yes we are set for awhile now. 10 years I couldn’t give my seats away. Now friends ask me for tickets to the playoffs. I tell them to check seatgeek,LOL. Amazing how he has turned this team around in 5 years. yet he has never won the Jim Gregory award. ( Best GM).
Also today, Verbeek signed a LD as well in 2019 2nd round pick 39th overall Jackson Lacombe to an 8 year extension to kick in next year at $9,000,000 per. Quite a jump from his current $925,000 ELC which sort of matches the jump he made in offensive production. In 73gp prior to last season he had 2g 15a 17 pts, and last season upped that to 14g 29a 43pts.
That’s a BIG leap in faith for the Ducks.
If teams were up for sale I don’t believe for a second the Oilers would go for more than Chicago, Detroit or Philadelphia. That’s pure recency and roster delusion.
I’ll give you the recency Brock, it has to be helping the valuation. But, the Oilers sold out every game during the “Decade of Darkness”. Its a hockey mad town, corporate support, spanky new arena with ticket prices that are high, plenty of boxes, and folks willing to pay for them. Long waiting list for season tix.
Agree that the upside in the main centers you mention should be higher, but if you can be that bad, for that long, and still sell out, the floor is high in Edmonton.