NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 13, 2026
The Golden Knights push the Ducks to the brink of elimination, the Sabres tie their series with the Canadiens, the finalists for GM of the Year are announced, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
RECAPS OF TUESDAY’S PLAYOFF ACTION
NHL.COM: Vegas Golden Knights winger Pavel Dorofeyev scored twice, including the winner in overtime, to give his club a 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks in Game 5 of their second-round series. Tomas Hertl had a goal and an assist while Jack Eichel collected two assists for the Golden Knights, who hold a 3-2 lead in the series. Beckett Sennecke and Olen Zellweger scored while Mason McTavish and Cutter Gauthier each had two assists for the Ducks.
Vegas Golden Knights winger Pavel Dorofeyev (NHL Images).
The Golden Knights can win this series in Game 6, which will be held in Anaheim on Thursday, May 14.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was an entertaining, closely contested game. Zellweger’s goal tied it to force overtime late in the third, but Dorofeyev was the star of this one with his clutch scoring for the Golden Knights.
Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb was ejected for interference when he laid out Ducks center Ryan Poehling with a big hit when the latter no longer had possession of the puck. Poehling was helped from the ice and didn’t return.
The Golden Knights played this game without team captain Mark Stone, who remains sidelined with an undisclosed injury suffered during Game 3 of this series.
Game 6 will be a big test for the Ducks as they try to counter the Golden Knights’ experience to force Game 7 back in Las Vegas.
The Buffalo Sabres knotted their series with the Montreal Canadiens at two games apiece with a 3-2 win. Zach Benson snapped a 2-2 tie with a third-period power-play goal, Tage Thompson had a goal and an assist, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 28 shots in his return to the Sabres’ net. Alex Newhook extended his goal streak to three games while Cole Caufield tallied his second straight power-play goal for the Canadiens. Game 5 is in Buffalo on Thursday.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Thompson’s goal was a flukey one. With the Canadiens up 2-1 in the second period, he fired a dump-in from center ice that took a weird bounce off a stanchion that surprised Habs goalie Jakub Dobes, bouncing off his right pad into the net. It was a game-changer that set the stage for Benson’s winner in the third.
The Canadiens were flat through the first half of the opening period, but they had the better of the play for most of the game. They also had seven power-play opportunities but only scored on one of them, while the Sabres went 2-for-4 with the man advantage. Luukkonen was outstanding for the Sabres, who regained home-ice advantage as the series narrowed to a best-of-three.
HEADLINES
NHL.COM: Bill Guerin of the Minnesota Wild, Chris MacFarland of the Colorado Avalanche, and Pat Verbeek of the Anaheim Ducks are the finalists for the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award. The award is given annually based on a vote of NHL general managers and a panel of league executives, print, and broadcast media.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Guerin and MacFarland got the nod for their trades this season, including the Wild’s acquisition of superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes in December and the Avalanche’s obtaining Nazem Kadri, Nicolas Roy, Brett Kulak, and Nick Blankenburg before the trade deadline.
Verbeek also made a splash by landing defenseman John Carlson from the Washington Capitals, but he’d be my choice because of his work rebuilding the Ducks, who returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2017-18.
HOCKEY 24/7: Frank Seravalli reported the Edmonton Oilers sought permission from the Vegas Golden Knights to speak with their former head coach Bruce Cassidy, who was fired in March. However, the Golden Knights have thus far withheld permission from their division rival.
Seravalli said the Golden Knights haven’t outright rejected the Oilers’ request, but they’re keeping the Oilers waiting as they continue their second-round series with the Ducks. Cassidy is also reportedly being targeted by the Los Angeles Kings.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cassidy remains under contract with the Golden Knights, which is why teams must seek permission to speak with him. Seravalli speculates this could prompt a call from league commissioner Gary Bettman to sort this out.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman believes this is a weird bit of gamesmanship by the Golden Knights in line with their front-office reputation for ruthlessness. It’s garnered a mix of puzzlement and criticism around the league, with those in the latter camp (myself included) considering it an unprofessional, classless act.
This also isn’t a good look for the Oilers, who are searching for a new bench boss while leaving their current coach, Kris Knoblauch, twisting in the wind.
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: The Blue Jackets signed center Charlie Coyle to a six-year, $36 million contract worth an average annual value of $6 million. Coyle, 34, was slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He’s completing a six-year deal with an AAV of $5.25 million.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blue Jackets are trying to maintain a roster that narrowly missed the playoffs in each of the last two seasons. Coyle played a key role with his versatility, leadership, and two-way play.
Nevertheless, this contract won’t age well. The salary increase is marginal, and the Blue Jackets can afford it in the short term, but six years is way too long for a player at this stage of his career. He’s also getting a full no-movement clause for the first four years.
This contract could complicate things for the Blue Jackets down the road if they need cap room to retain or acquire a better player.
SPORTSNET: Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson was fined $5,000 by the NHL for butt-ending Minnesota Wild forward Michael McCarron during Game 4 of their playoff series on Monday.
Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek and defenseman Jonas Brodin will remain sidelined by injuries for Game 5 against the Avalanche.
TSN: Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby will replace New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal on Team Canada in the upcoming 2026 IIHF World Championship. Barzal is coping with a minor, preexisting injury.
BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy has been suspended from the first six games of the Bruins’ 2026-27 regular-season schedule for slashing Buffalo Sabres forward Zach Benson during Game 6 of their first-round series.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The incident happened late in that game when Benson took McAvoy’s skates out from under him with a slew-foot move, sending him crashing into the end boards. An infuriated McAvoy got up, charged at Benson, and leveled a two-handed chop of his stick to Benson’s upper body.
McAvoy’s anger was understandable as he could’ve been injured, but that didn’t justify his subsequent action.
NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Flyers winger Owen Tippett revealed that he missed his club’s second-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes with an internal-bleeding issue. He said that he was dealing with a sports hernia injury during their first-round series with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tippett said he’s confident he’ll make a full recovery and will be ready for training camp in September.
PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Flyers rookie forward Porter Martone will be joining Team Canada for the 2026 IIHF World Championship.
THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Kraken have hired Sportsology Group to conduct an audit of its hockey operations department, including the organizational structure, scouting, and player development departments.
I’ve seen a lot worse and less punishment.
Charlie got it hard. I’m not happy with Mac’s suspension he’s not a dirty player. Has there ever been any big trades during the playoffs I can’t recall very many
I don’t recall even one “big” trade, John. There have, however, probably been the odd minor-type deal.
Jarmo should get some recognition in the Adams conversation. Just by being appointed to the job, he sparked a Buffalo team to compete and win their way to be Atlantic Division winners!
Apparently, Cassidy has permission to speak to the Kings!
The Vegas stance on Cassidy is not surprising to me. Over the many years I’ve been following hockey their “management” – by far – has cornered the market on being prime A-Holes at every opportunity, whether it’s dealing with the opposition OR internal actions.
Any bad luck that wants to venture their way is fine with this viewer.
Gonna be very interesting to see how they manage their cap crunch this summer and who they unceremoniously kick to the curb.
As for the Oilers, they should have known that Vegas would act like pr*^ks. When have they ever done otherwise?
And on that topic, what makes THEIR management believe that Cassidy can and will do a better job with such an imbalanced roster caused by THEIR mishandling of the cap where, next season with the cap at $104,000,000, they are spending a full 63% of that cap on 7 players?
That leaves an average of $2,382,813 for each of the other 16 roster spots … which, of course, drops exponentially for the rest if 3 or 4 get something in excess of that.
Meanwhile, as Lyle points out, Knoblauch and his crew are dangling in the wind.
Bowman should be the one to get the axe.
Vegas has only $3,787,500 (Petro’s SELTIR figured in) in space and yet to sign Dorofeyev and Anderson. Those 2 will require $16 to $19M!!!
Time for other teams to feast on their mismanagement!
Has any team feasted on their “mismanagement “ yet?
Agree on Bowman George, I would axe Jackson while you’re at it. Katz is probably looking at the calendar with the draft, free agency and Cassidy’s availability being why he hasn’t.
Yet.
I like Knoblauch and 2 straight cup finals is nothing to sneeze at. Good ole Sask boy from Imperial, a town of 372 people in last census. I actually played with a guy from their back in the day and he was a good dude, even if his nickname was Rude Dog. Super nice guy.
But I understand why the Oil fired him, I think the 2 stars weren’t impressed this season. At least they sure sounded like it. Whether it was the brutal PK, or a lack of accountability with the players, systems, whatever it was.
Should these 2 be basically making that decision? Probably not, but the Oil are pot committed to them as they need to be.
Every in season coach that is hired was spoken to before they fired the other guy. They obviously did with Knoblauch too. But this is the off season.
I’ll bet $20 right now that the Oil will hire Cassidy, and this too will pass.
I agree George. For all of the success the Vegas organization has had, they’re classless and unprofessional all the way.
Your stance on Vegas here seems contradictory to your very vocal views on hockey as a business vs sentimentality. You have stated teams shouldn’t be loyal to their stars/players but do what’s best overall for the team to win. Vegas does what’s best overall to win and it’s classless? How’s it just business in one case but classless in the other?
How does not allowing Cassidy to speak to the Oilers help them win? You might be able to win the short term argument, and it’s an obvious one, but the long term one would be difficult.
Treating people like that never works long term, in any industry where you don’t have a monopoly or close to it.
Like never, because you lose quality people and struggle to attract them.
If they are that worried about losing him to another team, like the Oilers, why did they fire him? How is that for a contradiction?
It is classless, every coach and player in the NHL knows it too. Is that a problem long term?
Out here in the real world, if you fire someone with a non compete clause, they are free to work wherever they want. Because you fired them so WTF are you afraid of?
One letter from a lawyer, if the company is really that stupid, and it’s over. The law is clear in Canada. Can’t speak to the US.
That is different than a contract you are still being paid, but same principle applies I would think. But don’t know that.
Plus they don’t have to pay them. Which also tells you this decision was by ownership, not the paid management.
Pretty confident they will relent.
Chris stop pointing out valid points. I don’t get the hate for Vegas unless it’s just normal rivalry hatred. They seem to be doing everything, and I mean everything allowable to win.
Just as an FYI, when a coach is replaced, he’s not fired like you or I would be. They are still under contract but have been relived of his coaching position but still under contract with the team. How that team uses them or not is up to the team holding that employment contract. Vegas has all the rights to say no…
But I can’t help wonder, nor do I know if it’s legal, if Vegas would say yes if they were monetarily motivated. Like if the team offered X amount of millions of dollars to have them release the contracted coach. I wonder if the coach can terminate the contract or have an out clause with a penalty which the new team would probably be happy to pay.
Ray on the noncompete clauses in contracts, usually speculate a time frame after being fired or let go or relieved when they can engage again in that business.
I’ve seen many noncompete clauses, and all of them have had some sort of time frame where you’re not allowed under certain circumstances to regain employment and compete against them…it’s industry driven and depending on the business sector which usually dictates the terms.
Bribe out in Toronto
Berube ***
I suspect the first name on their list for coaching is Bruce Cassidy. If I were Cassidy, stay away from Toronto.
but maybe he demands $7M x 5 and negotiating rights if fired!
Maybe Vegas delays giving them permission to speak to Cassidy as well. Would be in keeping with their modus operandi!
Somebody should offer sheet Dorofeyev. That’ll learn them.
worst ownership and management in NHL Vegas,Edmonton ,Vancouver,Ottawa ,Toronto.Did I miss anyone
I think it’s unfair you include Ottawa in that group. Since Andalauer took over things have been very good in Ottawa I’d say.
NYR, Seattle, New Jersey, NYI, Calgary,
How is Buffalo not on the list and Vegas is?
You shouldn’t include Ottawa. For a smaller market, they are doing well…could they be better? Yes.
I guess it’s also what metric are you basing it on. Is it quality of product and roster, or will it be measured in wins, or the money they make – jersey sales!
As for Coyle, the Jackets have narrowly missed the playoffs two years running and cannot afford to take a step back. They could not afford to lose Coyle as it would be nearly impossible to replace him.
I agree with Lyle that the last 2 or 3 years of the deal will likely stink. But on the open market he’d easily get at least $7m. AAV although for 3-4 years tops. So he took more money spread over a longer term. With the cap likely to increase further by significant amounts the Jackets probably figured it would help to lower the cap hit now and the rising cap would make years 5 and 6 easier to absorb. Similar to what Florida did with Marchand. Expect to see more veteran deals like that over the next few years.
Agree Howard, or they are on LTIR for the last 2 seasons.
Especially Marchand, the guy has missed some time over the last few years.
Hip surgery one recent off season as well. Not the replacement/resurfacing kind, but still a significant surgery.
I would guess he already has issues to some extent.