NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 8, 2026
The latest on Oilers center Leon Draisaitl and Bruins forward Pavel Zacha, an update on the Predators’ search for a new general manager, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
TSN: Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl clarified the critical comments he made about his club’s performance following its 4-3 loss to the Calgary Flames on Wednesday.
Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl (NHL Images).
At the time, Draisaitl said the NHL is too hard for the Oilers to be lollygagging through games, adding that the team’s improvement begins with the coaching staff. He felt the club wasn’t defending well enough, and that there were many things it wasn’t doing well enough to win.
On Saturday, Draisaitl told TSN’s Ryan Rishaug that he spoke out of frustration and was trying to send the message that the team has to play better.
“I said in that interview, I said our leadership had to be better, and talking about the leadership group – I’m part of that, so I can be a lot better,” Draisaitl said. “That goes for our coaches, that goes for everybody in our organization. We all have to step up.”
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some observers believe Draisaitl should have left those remarks in the dressing room for his teammates, rather than publicly airing them before the press. Regardless, he’s not wrong in his assessment of the Oilers’ recent performance. Their sloppy play (especially defensively) cost them games against teams they should’ve defeated.
The Oilers went into the Olympic break sitting second in the Pacific Division with 64 points, but only four up on the Los Angeles Kings, who sit ninth overall in the Western Conference standings.
BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins forward Pavel Zacha will not play for Team Czechia in the upcoming men’s Olympic hockey tournament. Zacha, 28, suffered an upper-body injury on Jan. 29 and has not returned to action since.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s a tough blow for Zacha, who was obviously looking forward to playing for his country in the Olympics.
Injuries also sidelined Canada’s Anthony Cirelli and Brayden Point (Tampa Bay Lightning), Finland’s Aleksander Barkov (Florida Panthers) and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (Buffalo Sabres), Latvia’s Rodrigo Abols (Philadelphia Flyers), Sweden’s Leo Carlsson (Anaheim Ducks) and Jonas Brodin (Minnesota Wild), and the United States’ Seth Jones (Florida Panthers).
THE TENNESSEAN: Creative Artists Agency (CAA), hired by the Nashville Predators to help the club find a new general manager, informed the team on Feb. 6 that it will no longer be involved.
CAA withdrew after the NHL Players’ Association expressed concern about a potential conflict of interest involving certified agents. Several Predators players, including forwards Filip Forsberg and Jonathan Marchessault, are represented by CAA agents.
The Predators’ search for a new general manager began last week after GM Barry Trotz announced he would be stepping down for family reasons as soon as a suitable replacement could be found.
FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers face a daunting challenge to clinch a playoff berth this season.
Entering the Olympic break, the Panthers are eight points out of a wildcard berth in the Eastern Conference. They must win at least 18 of their remaining 25 games and collect some “loser points” along the way.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Injuries have walloped the Panthers this season, with several core players (including Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk) sidelined for lengthy periods. Three straight Stanley Cup Final appearances resulted in shortened offseasons, which have also likely taken a toll.
NHL.COM: The league’s department of player safety fined Nashville Predators forward Michael McCarron $2,343.75 on Friday for slashing Washington Capitals defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk on Thursday.
DAILY FACEOFF: The St. Louis Blues claimed forward Jack Finley off waivers from the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. Due to the Olympic roster freeze (Feb. 4 to 22), Finley doesn’t have to report to the Blues until Feb. 17.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Players can be sent down to the AHL if they are waiver exempt, except for players who appeared in 16 of the team’s 20 NHL games before the freeze, or have been on the roster for 80 league days before Jan. 21.
Is this common practice in the NHL when teams are hiring for management positions to hire agencies that are also players agents?In the Nashville case let Nick Saban do the hiring. He was pretty successful evaluating and coaching in his last job!
A scan of the Oilers games played to date shows these 5 losses at home and 9 on the road against teams not currently in playoff positions:
At Home
3-4 to Calgary in OT
2-5 to Philadelphia
3-4 to Los Angeles
1-2 to New Jersey
2-5 to Toronto
On The Road
3-5 at New Jersey
3-4 at Vancouver in OT
3-4 at NY Rangers in OT
2-3 at St. Louis
4-5 at Columbus
4-7 at Washington
2-3 at Calgary
3-4 at Nashville
3-4 at Calgary
So, in those 14 they pick up 3 points while being outscored 59 to 38.
League-wise they are at the very bottom of the top half in the standings playing at a .552 % pace, lower than the 4 teams directly behind them who each have games in hand.
In those 14 losses to current non-playoff teams, the 3 points out of a possible 28 is a .107 % pace!
Their overall record is 28 22 8 64 points .552 198gf 194ga +4 which, if continued at that pace to the end over the possible 48 points left to them, would give them 91 points. And that is looking more and more like the Western Conference WC cut-off point.
Deducting their records for those 14 losses from their overall record would give them a 28 11 5 61pts record and .693 % pace and 160gf 135ga +25.
It’s no wonder Draisaitl is frustrated.
May as well list their winning record against those current non-playoff teams while I’m at it.
At Home
3-1 over Vancouver
3-2 over Chicago
5-4 over Columbus
6-3 over Florida
6-2 over Winnipeg
5-1 over Calgary
6-2 over Columbus
5-0 over St. Louis
6-5 over Washington
4-3 over San Jose
On The Road
2-0 over NY Ranger
3-2 over Ottawa
6-3 over Toronto
3-1 over Winnipeg
4-3 over Winnipeg
4-1 over Chicago
6-0 over Vancouver
That 17-0-0 winning record, coupled with the losing one, is 17 11 3 118gf 94ga when playing current non-playoff teams – a .597% pace. Which means their overall record against current playoff teams is 11-11-5 27 pts .500 % pace with 80gf 100ga -20.
The Oilers have 24 games left in their schedule as follows:
Current Non-Playoff Teams
At Home: Ottawa, Nashville, San Jose, Florida, Chicago, Vancouver
On The Road: L.A., San Jose, St. Louis, San Jose, L.A.
Current Playoff Teams
At Home: Carolina, Tampa, Anaheim, Seattle, Vegas, Colorado
On The Road: Anaheim, Vegas, Colorado, Dallas, Utah, Vegas, Utah
The Panthers prove why it’s so hard to pull off a true dynasty and why there’s been so few of them. Many people have used the term “modern day” dynasty for other teams that have fell short but it’s not the same.
Agree, Kinger.
The biggest, single factor mitigating against repeating dynasties like those of the Habs and Islanders, is the cap.
Cup-winning teams are always smack up against the cap, and when a team wins 2 in a row they find themselves unable to free up sufficient cap to re-up top RFAs or, if they do re-up them, they also have to try and move out one of their top cap hits .. and that’s extremely difficult to do if they’re trade or movement-protected.
In short, the cap has been the great equalizer in that sense.
It’s a triumph for the league, and difficult for the fans of teams that win. Both Florida teams have paid the price…three cups and then near misses or teams that can do no better than one and done. That the Lightning stayed close was motly Vasy — The Panther’s greater falloff seems much due to Bobs declining play. But I am happy for fans in places like Buffalo, and Montreal, and Detroit, that can see a reversal of thier fortunes. Its hardest for Toronto and Carolina…and perhaps Edmonton, as you pay the same cap-constrainment price for trying and missing as you do for winning a couple of times