NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 9, 2025
Recaps of Monday’s action, the three stars of the week are revealed, injury updates, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
RECAPPING MONDAY’S GAMES
NHL.COM: Detroit Red Wings goaltender John Gibson kicked out 39 shots to shut out the Vancouver Canucks 4-0. James van Riemsdyk scored to extend his goal streak to four games as the Red Wings vaulted into first place in the Atlantic Division with a record of 16-11-3 (35 points). The Canucks dropped to 11-16-3, losing five of their last six games.
Detroit Red Wings goaltender John Gibson (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks winger Nils Hoglander made his season debut after missing 29 games with a lower-body injury.
Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Dennis Hildeby made 29 saves for his first NHL shutout in a 2-0 blanking of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Morgan Rielly and Auston Matthews were the goal scorers as the Maple Leafs (14-11-4) have won four of their last five contests. Jonas Johansson stopped 22 of 23 shots for the 16-11-2 Lightning, who’ve dropped four straight games.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning forward Gage Goncalves was ejected early in the third period for kneeing Maple Leafs defenseman Dakota Mermis. Shortly afterward, Leafs winger Bobby McMann received a match penalty for slashing Lightning forward Oliver Bjorkstrand.
Lightning forwards Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point returned to action after being sidelined by injuries. Earlier in the day, the Lightning moved starting goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy to injured reserve.
Maple Leafs winger Nick Robertson was a healthy scratch for this contest. Head coach Craig Berube said his play had dropped off recently.
The Minnesota Wild defeated the Seattle Kraken 4-1. Joel Eriksson Ek had a goal and two assists, and Filip Gustavsson turned aside 23 shots for the Wild, who improved to 16-9-5. Jordan Eberle replied for the struggling Kraken (11-10-6) as their losing skid reached six games.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Kraken announced that rookie forward Berkly Catton is week-to-week with an upper-body injury. He’s unlikely to be joining Canada for the 2026 World Junior Championship.
Los Angeles Kings winger Joel Armia tallied twice in a 4-2 victory over the Utah Mammoth. Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist for the 14-8-7 Kings. Clayton Keller had a goal and an assist for the Mammoth (14-14-3), who’ve dropped six of their last eight contests.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the struggling Mammoth announced that first-line center Logan Cooley is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury.
The Calgary Flames defeated the Buffalo Sabres 7-4. Nazem Kadri had a goal and two assists, and Yegor Sharangovich tallied twice and picked up an assist for the improving Flames (12-15-4), who’ve won three straight and are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games. Rasmus Dahlin had a goal and an assist for the 11-14-4 Flames.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: After struggling through the opening weeks of this season, the Flames have been red-hot of late (pun intended), sitting only three points out of a wild-card berth in the Western Conference.
HEADLINES
NHL.COM: New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin, Dallas Stars goalie Jake Oettinger, and Florida Panthers winger Carter Verhaeghe are the league’s three stars for the week ending Dec. 7, 2025.
THE SCORE/SPORTSNET: The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) downplayed concerns over the smaller ice surfaces at the two arenas in Milan for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Both rinks will be 60 meters long by 26 meters wide, or approximately 196.85 feet by 85.3 feet. The standard NHL rink is 200 feet by 85 feet (60.96 by 25.908 meters).
The IIHF stated the dimensions of the two rinks are fully consistent with its regulations and the NHL’s requirements for its Global Series rink specifications, adding that the differences are “insignificant.”
Meanwhile, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly is optimistic that the main rink will be completed on time and to league standards. His main concern is with the quality of the ice surface.
Daly said that if the players felt the ice was unsafe, they wouldn’t play. Nevertheless, he doesn’t see anything insurmountable that would prevent the main rink from being completed in time for the Games.
CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: The Blackhawks have sent forward Landon Slaggert and rookie defenseman Sam Rinzel to their AHL affiliate in Rockford.
NHL.COM: Center Craig Smith announced his retirement after 14 NHL seasons with the Nashville Predators, Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars, Chicago Blackhawks, Washington Capitals, and Detroit Red Wings.
In 987 regular-season games from 2011-12 to 2024-25, Smith tallied 220 goals and 232 assists for 452 points. He also had 23 points in 83 playoff games.
OTTAWA CITIZEN: The Senators have hired a firm to lobby the provincial and federal governments to help pay for the team’s planned new arena at LeBreton Flats in Ottawa.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sports teams make enough money to pay for their own arenas, but most have convinced provincial and state governments to pick up a larger chunk of the tab. The Senators’ efforts will likely sway the Ontario government to pay part of the cost.
THE ATHLETIC: surveyed 120 NHL players, in which over 86 percent believe playing in a no-tax state matters. Many cited how teams in Florida convinced many of their best players to sign team-friendly contracts.
Some also suggested that teams in higher-tax states should have a higher salary cap, and those in lower or no-tax states should have a lower cap to balance things out. Some believe it is advantageous to sign in no-tax states because their dollars will go further.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Playing in a warm-weather state with no state tax on a good team is an obvious enticement for players. However, the state has to make money somehow, which means high property taxes, sales taxes, cost-of-living expenses, and fees that can offset some or most of those financial benefits.
Some pundits and fans believe that teams in no-tax states have an advantage over others when it comes to building and maintaining a Stanley Cup contender or champion, citing the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning. However, it hasn’t worked so well for the Seattle Kraken and Nashville Predators.
Speaking of the Panthers, their no-tax advantage didn’t help them from 1997-98 to 2018-19, when they only made the playoffs three times and struggled to retain their best players. It wasn’t until they finally brought in good management and coaches that they turned themselves around.
That’s when being in a no-tax state made it possible for the Panthers to retain most of their key players. It’s easier to convince them to take team-friendly contracts when you’re a winner or a contender.
You make a good argument on the no tax issue. Still, 86% of players disagree with you.
And they’re entitled to their opinion. I just hope they’ve got good accountants to explain the pros and cons to them.
Heh. The easy solution (to end the debate anyway) would be to have franchises located only in “ideal” sunny, golf year-round, no (or low) taxes and minimal travel.
Of course, the ensuing reduction in franchises would mean far fewer jobs for players, coaches, managers, etc. … but hey … at least those that do are comfortable and living high off the hog.
It would be a very tiny league indeed…
Florida sales tax rate is 6%, what’s our HST? Oh yeah, 13%. Florida gasoline under usd $0.70 per liter.
Cost of living is lower in Florida than in Ontario, Quebec or BC.
Except for NHL players in Canada, who are paid in US dollars. As one of them in the survey indicated, the higher taxes in Canada is offset by the fact that their dollars go further.
Too bad no reporters writing these articles about the “advantages” or whatever of playing for a team in a no state tax state, never thought to interview an accountant. One way or another, doing that would add a lot of weight and substance to their article than just rile up fans and end this dumb debate.
Great handle Big Handsome.
I guess we’re gonna debate this again.
2 things can be true at the same time.
Are taxes the only reason a player chooses to play somewhere, of course not. Is being able to pay players (in particular with a NTC) less to stay, or join your team when your competitive window is open an advantage? Of course it is.
If your ownership/MGT is bad (BUF), quality UFA’s won’t come or stay, that’s a given. But TB, FLA aren’t the only teams with good management and core players, and their competitive windows will eventually close as their top core guys age out. It’s just easier to stay a contender longer.
The advantage is that you can add more depth guys for a little less, and keep your and attract stars for quite a bit less. You just can, we just saw it in FLA, and that is an advantage, plain and simple. The players told us that exact fact.
How big of an advantage? I dunno, lots of variables as Lyle mentions above, but it is significant. I would argue the only thing more important is the quality of the team/players and it’s management. So we agree on that Lyle, but there are many teams with good MGT. We’ll see how SJ and CHI do in signing players for less than market if they keep improving, as they are higher tax states.
The advantage comes when you’re good already, and SJ is going to be IMO.
The cap is pretty simple math on it’s face, and a huge factor in managing a team, and to think being able to add more quality, for less, doesn’t help? That’s a tap in, it does.
We now have another simple math # – 86%. We aren’t going to ignore that # too are we? You know, the guys who actually make the decision on where to play as UFA’s?
And yes, players have agents and accountants. Come on now fellas.
“We’ll see how SJ and CHI do in signing players for less than market if they keep improving, as they are higher tax states.”
They can use the Montreal Canadiens as a reference. All their core players are currently signed for under market value. In some cases (hello there, Lane Hutson), well below market value.
https://puckpedia.com/team/montreal-canadiens
Of course, the no-tax states have an advantage because it enables them to convince players to accept less than market value to stay. However, it helps if the team is a winner or a contender, as the Panthers were in recent years and the Lightning before them. During the Panthers’ 21-year stretch as a laughingstock, they struggled to entice talent via free agency. Being in a no-tax state didn’t help them.
Not every player in a no-tax state agrees to a discount. For example, the Panthers have three players (Bobrovsky, Barkov and Tkachuk) earning nearly $30 million. Bobrovsky was the second-highest paid goalie in the league when he signed his current contract back in 2019, and remained that way until Shesterkin signed his contract last season. Barkov’s contract was the 11th highest AAV in its first year in 2022-23, and Tkachuk’s was 25th that same season. Those players took no discounts to sign/re-sign with the Panthers.
I’m certainly not ignoring the results of that survey. Heck, I linked to it, remember? And of course, most of them would love to go where they can make the most money. But the comments made by several of them cited the Panthers as a destination, ignoring struggling clubs in no-tax states like Nashville and Seattle. The Panthers are the flavor of the year right now, because they convinced some of their players to accept less to stay.
However, what struck me from their remarks was that no one seems to have pointed out to them that, while those players won’t be paying a state tax, the potentially higher property taxes (especially in the high-end areas where they’ll live), the possible higher cost of living, and local and city taxes could consume some or most of those savings.
Players do have agents and accountants. Hopefully, they’re listening to them, because they’ll need their advice to navigate through those aforementioned issues.
Anyway, the bottom line is the salary cap is the great equalizer, regardless of where players want to play. It’s affected every Stanley Cup champion and contender, and it will affect the Panthers. How well management handles it will determine how long their championship window stays open, and how long after that they can remain a competitive team.
Ray, your post appeared as I was typing my long missive. Good comments.
Yep: players know. They get advice from their agents, who are often part of a group which provides all sorts of expertise. They also get advice from the NHLPA (though not to the extent that they get pressured into signing for top dollar, as a few have posed).
I remember a player poll a few years ago where the clear majority said Price was the hardest goalie to score on. A few here argued that they knew better.
Hi Lyle, read your post. So basically we agree? I think? Sort of?
Quality of team is most important, and players want to be there and will take less. Check.
No tax states have an advantage. Check. I think it’s more than you, fine, who cares.
Good MGT buys the potential in players before they have proven it, and locks them up early. Or at least the ones they believe in. Good job by Gorton and Hughes, as much as I hate saying it. If they do it again when UFA is nearing, great for them. We agree.
We can debate all day how much of an advantage no tax states have, and it doesn’t matter as not every player is motivated the same or wants the same things. They are not a monolith.
Agree on Bob being overpaid, but I think Barkov gets way more $ if he hit the open market. IMO he is a top 5 C in the NHL. But again, can’t go though every players salary and start comparing we can all find examples to support either theory.
We’ve beat this horse.
Good on Gibby to finally have a very good game, but bad on the Detroit team defense to allow that many shots and high danger chances on him. This game could have easily gone the other way.
Face it, the economy and how much one is able to keep out of their pay check is paramount these days, even to millionaire hockey players!
Probably the only thing to offset the high tax places are the endorsement money they receive in the bigger markets is substantially greater. The greater attention they may receive may be a big pull to many of players as well.
Not to mention if you’re playing for a contender or a champion, which was a big pull for teams in Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles not all that long ago.
Each market has their advantages and disadvantages. However, playing for a winner is a big incentive. If the Panthers still sucked on toast as they did during that 21-year period I noted earlier, there’s no way in hell that Bennett and Ekblad would’ve left money on the table to stay, and Marchand certainly wouldn’t have made them his only trade destination.
So Canadien teams are paying their players nearly 37% higher than other teams because of the exchange rate……….then why haven’t the best players flocked to Canada to sign? Why can’t they attract ALL the best players to bring the Cup to Canada more often?
Are the inflation and cost of living and taxes gobbling up that 37% difference so that it really is not an advantage? Just wondering…….
First of all, players on Canadian teams get paid in USD. Even with the higher taxes (which, as I’ve explained to you before, isn’t that much higher compared to the United States), still see their dollars go further compared to being paid in Canadian.
As I’ve mentioned before, Canada’s top federal rate is 33% while the US federal rate reaches 37%, but when you add provincial taxes, Canadians typically pay 40-53% combined rates versus 37-50% in the US. As in the states, the tax rates in Canada depend on where you live. The higher taxes in Canada go toward things like universal health care and more generous family and unemployment benefits compared to the US.
As for inflation, Canada’s inflation rate in Oct 2025 was 2.2 percent, while in the US it was 3 percent.
https://tradingeconomics.com/country-list/inflation-rate
Many of the NHL’s best players are in Canada already, Johnny. As for why free agents haven’t come to Canadian teams as much, part of has to do with the fishbowl existence of being in a Canadian market compared to the United States, where hockey doesn’t recieve nearly as much attention. A lot of players prefer that anonymity. And yes, some of them prefer playing in warmer climates.
It’s not the nhls problem. If the city or state or providence isn’t run in a way that works to keep talented people / valuable businesses in that area they need to evaluate how they are run. I’m sure high tax states lose more than some nhl free agents to places like Florida. This becomes a political nightmare for the nhl if they start punishing low tax states.
For one thing, the league has no intention of “punishing” low-tax states. Bettman’s said as much. There aren’t that many high tax states losing players to low-tax states.
Nobody cared about “low-tax states” until the Panthers had the audacity to become Stanley Cup champions. Some pundits and fans who should know better sought to use that as an excuse for why the Panthers succeeded, when in fact, it was that they finally brought in management and coaches who knew what they were doing, turning a perennial laughingstock into a three-time finalist and two-time champion. Same thing for the Lightning and the Vegas Golden Knights. Shrewd, sometimes audacious management built their championship teams.
If being in low-tax states was an advantage in building a champion, it certainly hasn’t worked for the Predators and Kraken. And there was a long spell for the Stars when they were also-rans not that long ago.
I was referring to those that suggested that there be different cap levels for teams based on their respective tax situations. Without going too far down the rabbit hole most of those states are very red. Any perception that the nhl is “punishing “ those teams will turn into a big attack by far right mouth pieces. The nhl gonna want no part of that circus.
During the Hughes era the Habs have managed to lock up their core players to long term deals with lower AAV than they could have received on the open market. Especially Matheson. And Quebec is surely not a low tax jurisdiction.
As Lyle notes, taxes are far from the only factor. But even figuring economics, players have top level accountants and tax lawyers to minimize tax hits in the way that most of us don’t. And as Lyle notes and what I’ve often noted, players playing in Canada effectively get a 30% raise as they get paid in US dollars. That’s also a factor.
But it does come down to how a team is run. And how they treat their players. It’s no coincidence that under Hughes and Gorton players are leaving money on the table to stay in Montreal while under Bergevin many players couldn’t get out fast enough.
The fact that some non tax teams haven’t won the Cup does not mean that being a non tax state team isn’t an advantage.
It just means that it isn’t a guarantee of winning the Cup. Big difference.
I just read the article, and players’ comments range from:
“Yes. Severely (an advantage).”
“I think it’s a big thing, especially if you’re a free agent,” one player who responded yes to the question said.
To ones more nuanced and somewhat along Lyle’s comment:
It does matter. It’s not the main factor, but it helps,” one player said. “I remember when I was in Tampa, no one really cared about Tampa and Florida when we weren’t doing well. No one was like, ‘I’ve got to sign there because there’s no state tax.’ Once we started doing well, that became part of the equation.”
Then there are recent examples in Montreal where despite being a high tax province several players signed there because they like what the team is doing (Dobson, Matheson, Hutson).
Seems to me pretty darn clear that being a non tax state team doesn’t guarantee players will sign there, nor that such teams will win a Cup. That has not been the argument.
But it’s also a flat out fact that being a non tax state team is an advantage.
To argue with 88% of the NHL players whose business it is (and all have agents and accountants) are wrong, or that it doesn’t make some difference, is denial. Players know, better than me or anyone else here.
In a league driven by parity in so many ways, such an advantage is meaningful.
LJ, I never said being in a non-tax state wasn’t an advantage. And I’m not arguing with 86 percent of the players in that survey. I’m simply pointing out that, like all markets, no-tax states have advantages and disadvantages, and pointing out that history shows that being in a no-tax state was never an advantage for the Panthers until this decade, when they finally got brought in sound management and coaches. I’m also pointing out that being in a no-tax state doesn’t guarantee a Stanley Cup, as some observers (including some pundits who should know better) seem to believe.
Once again LJ well said!
What remains to be answered, Lyle, is: how someone can suck on toast?
I was just wondering if every Olympics someone in the NHL is going to throw shade on the host country because in reality, they don’t want their stars participating. This is the first time in forever NHL stars are participating in the Olympics, and since then, we heard first how the rink wasn’t being built fast enough and might not be done on time…that was wrong and appears to be on time and will be ready… then we heard they made the rink smaller…when in fact they made it as per directed and is metric size…you know, that unit of measurement used in every country but 3, and now it’s ice quality fears.
So either this is a first because we’ve never heard such BS from past games or as history tells us, the Italians can’t build anything right or good 🙄 or could it really be more like the NHL is purposely making s#it up so they can find any reason not send their stars and rob us fans from watching best on best tournament, one they receive very little monetary compensation, if any, for participating unlike their four nations bulls#it tournament where they rake it in?
Nice work NHL.
There is a lot to like about Olympic Hockey. It is obviously a big deal for the payers — and the fans do watch. The Four Nations was a bit of a revelation as the interest was very high, and i’ve heard it refenced hundreds of times in commentary about players during games this season — it was a high impact event.
But there is a large downside for a major sport to shut itself down in midseason. The best players risk injuries. Teams face disparate impacts depending on how many players they send.
The Schedule is compressed – may impact injuries.
Travel doesn’t work out the same for all teams.
And the Olympic folks seem not to care at all about the asset value of the NHL — preferring it;s
own authority.
I am sure there are many who wish Italy to stumble, providing an excuse to not return……
which is likely to stumble itself as long as players are willing to put “wearing the sweater” into the CBA.
+
Ice quality should be a concern. As with anything new, it takes some time to work the bugs out. Will they have enough time, or will it work perfectly when the compressor is turned on??? I see a lot of crossed fingers!