NHL Morning Coffee Headlines and Rumors – June 14, 2026
The latest on the Hurricanes and Golden Knights on the eve of Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, the Devils gauge the trade market for Jacob Markstrom, the latest Dylan Larkin speculation, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines and Rumors.
THE ATHLETIC: Sean Gentille listed three keys for the Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights for Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final on Sunday.
Whether Mitch Marner can restart his push for the Conn Smythe Trophy and dealing with the absence of two-way center William Karlsson are among the keys for the Golden Knights.
Vegas Golden Knights winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).
Since his hat trick performance in Game 3, Marner has only one point in five-on-five play. Meanwhile, Karlsson will miss Game 6 (and possibly Game 7 if required) with an upper-body injury.
Meanwhile, Gentille wondered how Hurricanes forward Nikolaj Ehlers follows up his “worst game” of the playoffs. He also wondered if their struggling power play can produce as well as it did in Game 5, when they scored twice with the man advantage.
Ehlers had three assists in Game 5, but also took two uncharacteristic delay-of-game penalties, with the first resulting in a Golden Knights goal.
TSN: Hurricanes former starting goaltender Frederik Andersen remained the team’s third-stringer during practice on Saturday. Brandon Bussi will be their starter for the third straight game, while Pyotr Kochetkov will serve as his backup.
Bussi replaced Andersen after the latter gave up four goals in the second period of Game 3.
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella is doubling down on Carter Hart as his starting goaltender. Despite Hart giving up at least four goals in each of the previous five games in this series, Tortorella believes the netminder has a better game in him.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes can become Stanley Cup champions with a win in Game 6 on Sunday in Las Vegas. A win for the Golden Knights will force the seventh and deciding game on Wednesday.
ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports sources claim the New Jersey Devils are gauging the trade market for goaltender Jacob Markstrom. He also indicated that a deal isn’t imminent.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: A lack of quality goaltending depth in this summer’s free-agent market could push teams into the trade market for help.
Markstrom’s coming off a difficult season, finishing with a record of 23-19-1, a 3.07 goals-against average, and an .883 save percentage. He’s in the final season of his six-year contract with an average annual value of $6 million and a full no-movement clause. He starts a two-year contract extension on July 1 with an average annual value of $6 million and a 20-team no-trade list in 2026-27 and a 5-team NTC in 2027-28.
MLIVE.COM: Ansar Khan believes the Detroit Red Wings must land a first-line center for Dylan Larkin. Proposed packages of draft picks, prospects, wingers or goaltenders won’t address their need for a suitable replacement for Larkin.
SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman recently reported the Florida Panthers have made an offer for Larkin, but he didn’t reveal the details.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s unlikely the Red Wings will get a first-line center straight up for Larkin. They’ll either have to swing a three-team deal or use whatever assets they receive and try to make a separate move to address that need.
DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Kevin Allen speculated that Larkin’s addition in the trade market could delay the New York Rangers’ efforts to trade Vincent Trocheck. He noted that the Red Wings’ interest in the 33-year-old center could intensify if they don’t get a center back in the Larkin trade.
BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of Trocheck, Jack Studley believes he’ll remain on the Boston Bruins radar as they search for a No. 1 center this summer.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Larkin has a three-team trade list, though his camp is reportedly open to expanding it. Teams seeking a first-line center that aren’t among his preferred destinations could continue to pursue Trocheck, but the latter will likely have to wait until the Larkin saga is settled.
SPORTSNET: Michael Amato listed four players who could become contract buyout candidates this summer.
Center Jesperi Kotkaniemi of the Carolina Hurricanes tops that list, followed by winger Ondrej Palat of the New York Islanders, forward Jordan Greenway of the Buffalo Sabres, and winger Brendan Gallagher of the Montreal Canadiens.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kotkaniemi and Palat are the more likely buyout candidates.
Kotkaniemi has four years left on his deal with an AAV of $4.82 million. He’s been a healthy scratch throughout this postseason.
Palat has a year left on his deal with a $6 million cap hit. The Islanders acquired him from the Devils at midseason, but the move did little to improve his performance.
Gallagher has a year left on his contract with a cap hit of $65 million. He’s been linked to the Vancouver Canucks in the rumor mill, but the Canadiens might have to retain part of his salary. Greenway (one year, $4 million cap hit) could still have value in the trade market.
JK also has the U26 1/3 buy out window closing after July 1. They didn’t play him to keep him healthy for the buy out.
Greenway being bought out is unlikely. He can be retained for the buy out amount and traded for positive return.
What sort of positive return Dan?
I suppose, when you’re 6′ 6″ 230 lbs and a 2nd round pick, there will be some semblance of interest. But not only is he frequently absent due to injuries, his offensive contributions when he is available which, over 475gp, work out to 82-game averages of 10g 19a 29pts, say he’s no better than a 4th liner. And I just don’t see too many teams giving up anything significant for a 4th line LW costing $4 mil off the cap, even if it is just for 1 year.
He could still fetch a 6th or 7th round pick. Even future considerations is better than a buyout…
Nobody touches KK or Gallagher for free.
Greenway was just another bad trade by the Sabres, one of many the past decade. Time to cut bait, if there is a taker out there
SixSeven,
Habs won’t give up assets for Gallagher. They have enough cap space to let him sit the whole season like they did with Patrick Laine. If they trade him, there will be no salary retained.They were not looking for a trade, he asked for it.
Worst case scenario, they buy him out and let him choose were he wants to play.
If a team agrees to take his whole salary, he could go for future considerations, if not, he could agree for the termination of his contract.
But, no way they’re giving up assets for him.
I think the Canucks might take on the full Gallagher salary if they move out a veteran (very little space on current roster). Maybe for free, maybe as part of a deal sending a veteran to Montreal if that somehow worked.
The problem with Jacks theory is Trochek is not a 1st line ctr. If bruins are going to give up top picks and young assets they be best do it for a legit 1 ctr or just be patient and let Hagens grow into it
MrBruin4,do you see Hagens developing into a player like Hughes,Keller,Cooley,Hischier all players his size?And No. 1 centers on their teams.
Sr
Yes I do see him being a 1st line guy. Probably not as good defensively as Nico. But someone who will get points regularly for bruins. I probably think 2 years or so to get there
I think if bruins can’t pick up the ctr they should let Hagens start with Pasta and Geekie and let them get some chemistry to see if they fit
Kells plays wing not center…the C stands for Captain.
Teams looking for Goaltending could have 3 potential candidates in Hellybuck,Markstrom and Binnington. Interesting in what readers say about the center position. Everyone is looking for a first line center. Teams that have one are searching for a second line center . How many legitimate first line centers are there in the league now. Of the 32 teams which ones have a legitimate first line center that plays in all situations.
Could Kotkaniemi produce more offensively elsewhere?
He’s one of those young players we talked about a few weeks ago, a young guy who might flourish in the right situation somewhere else.
Red Wings buyout Compher and then sign JK to replace Compher’s lack of production. 😒
Compher was another Yzerman mistake. Sign a player expecting him to fill a role he was not able to fill
Possibly, I suppose. But, heading into his 9th season he has 82-game averages of 12g 20a 32 pts and, like Jordan Greenway, that is 3rd/4th line production at a cost of $4,820,000 per off the cap for 4 more seasons.
I don’t see anyone offering up anything tangible based on the off chance that maybe he breaks out for them.
The fact Brind’Amour has used him in just 2 of their 18 playoff games says a lot.
If he’s bought out and doesn’t then move to Europe to finish off his playing days, some team will likely sign him at a bargain-basement cap hit to see if there’s anything salvageable,
The price of a revenge signing by Carolina belt the Habs off the hook for a bad draft selection.
Probably
If a player requests a trade with a NTC they should tell him to drop it and let all teams have a chance, why do gm’s give these out like candy. Now they are in trouble getting back little or next to nothing because there are only a few teams he will go to. Stop giving out NTC and the problem will be solved.
As for a fair deal how about Barzal for Larkin even up. Both are around same age and contracts line up.
Maybe Detroit is on Matty’s 22 no-trade list………
If you’re a Free Agent, and – all else being equal – one team offers you $4M per year and a NTC, and the other team offers you $4M and no NTC, which do you think the player will choose?
It’s a benefit. If you don’t offer it, the other GM will. And there goes your FA signing.
Sometimes I think folks need to step back from the whole 1C/2C argument. 3C is an obvious different role. Look at a team like Minnesota who had a decent season without a star in the middle. Trochek is a top 6 on a lot of teams. Not going to get a single player equal to Larkin. Detroit was a rumored landing spot for Trochek before Larkin asked out. Plenty of teams looking for depth down the middle.
Well, I don’t think Larkin is looking to go to NYR, so think of a 3 team trade.
JZ. Doesn’t mean Detroit couldn’t still deal for him. Also, never say never. “Contenders” is always debatable year to year. Last 2 President trophy winners and Stanley Cup champs were 3 of the 8 teams at bottom of league standings.
I continue to think 6’ 3” 210lb C Shane Pinto, who turns 26 y/o in November and who is cost-controlled for the next 4 seasons at $7.5 mil per, will be dealt over the summer. Despite the fact he has been playing largely 3rd line minutes b/o Stutzle and Cozens, and with wingers on a team that has been actively looking for upgrades at both LW and RW – in other words, not exactly known for their scoring ability – he has put up quite decent offensive stats. He is a a very good 2-way C who primarily faces – and mostly shuts down – the opposition’s top line., and is perfectly capable of playing a top 2 role on most teams.
A fair deal would see a top 4 RD OR a high- upside winger along with a high draft pick coming back.
If KK is bought out, LAK are the team that should jump all over him and they will reap the benefits of a player who has been mis-handled.
The kid has talent, work ethic but ruined from day 1.
In Montreal he was thrown into 1C when he should have had another year in Europe to put some meat on his bones.
He was too skilled to keep down but he was a bambi on ice, not mature enough physically.
Getting thrown into the QO nonsense by Carolina didn’t help, a huge overpay that he couldn’t live up to. Got Trocheck released on cap crunch, got a long term contract as an ego driven owner didn’t want to admit failure.
Necas didn’t get the icetime or pay that he deserved while they kept pushing KK.
He’s made a ton of undeserved money, way too much pressure, a 25 y/o who has 7 years in the league beating down on him.
Afresh start without lofty expectations with a low contract would give him the chance to shine, in LA he could be their 1C in year 2 of a contract.
I’d take him in a flash in Montreal but those bridges have been burned, pressure would be relentless with no chance for success.
I have to agree with your description as to how Kotkaniemi’s been mishandled, Habfan30.
I know I’ve taken jabs at the fact he was drafted 3rd overall in 2018 … but in all fairness you have to consider that it was no secret that Habs GM Marc Bergevin was facing a SEVERE shortage of quality pivots at that time, and although Kotkaniemi had initially been ranked around mid Round 1 by Central Scouting, his play in Finland’s top league as well as at the Under-18 Worlds, had Montreal’s top scout, Trevor Timmons, citing his high hockey-IQ and excellent 200-foot game leading up to the draft.
An if you look back at that 2018 draft, no matter which way you cut it, he turned out to be THE best C selected, with Barrett Hayton, who went 5th to Arizona, the only other one that turned out to be remotely useful. And there were 8 centers taken in Round 1, with another 9 going in Round 2.
Yeah, just a little agreement there HF30.
He may well have been rushed into a 2C role too fast in Montreal but he was given lots of chances in Carolina. He scored 18 goals one year there but hat was an outlier and he never found another level in his 5 years there.
Your comment about him being bambi on ice is telling. He is rated at less than the 50th percentile in skating speed which may explain a lot. And his hardest shot is also rated at < 50th percentile.
Hard to see where he fits: to score you have to skate and shot well. Can't see a fit as a bottom 6 either. Too bad, I never blamed the kid for signing with the 'Canes.
KK should ignore with Seattle after buyout. He can play with old Finn teammate who was taken 2OA the year after him. Same initials. Similar career path.
George: I read comments re Simmons and the Chayka press conference too late last night to respond.
Spot on, mate. What was Simmons supposed to do with the comments he got, sit on them? He’s a journalist, not a PR rep for the Leafs.
Yeah, LJ, certainly in my memory I have never seen anything even remotely as negative as the reaction from multiple and varied sources on the hiring of a GM, with elements of the GTA media even citing it as THE most scrutinized GM hiring in the team’s long history. And that includes the 2003 hiring of the complete neophyte John Ferguson, Jr. !
Besides Ferraro, Gambadoro and Yandle, others in the hockey world who expressed disbelief include one-time NHL exec Neil Smith and another Arizona-based hockey writer, Craig Morgan. Smith, in fact, not only questioned Chayka’s track record, but openly expressed his doubts that he possesses the ability to make the moves necessary to get the Leafs back into the playoff mix. Morgan thought Chayka had ruined any decent reputation he may have had with his handling of the Coyotes so much that he could actually be blackballed around the league!
For a reporter like Simmons, who doesn’t hold back when he sniffs a story, that sort of widespread reaction was like waving a red flag in front of a bull.
And then there is the alleged interest by the Oil in hiring Babcock. I keep checking my calendar to see if it is both groundhog day and April 01.
And we … among others … could wind up eating crow if both turn out to be beneficial moves.
I don’t THINK so … but I’ve been wrong enough times with my opinions, so who knows for certain?
True George.
But f Chayka or Babcock are successful in the future it doesn’t mean past criticism was wrong.
I spent a lot of my career working in leadership development with management teams. The only time I saw significant change in a person is when they went through a life changing event, distinct from maturation and life learning we all go through.
It rarely happened. My acquired wisdom imparted to CEOs was: identify the traits and competencies you need and hire those with them, don’t try to implant them.
Steve Simmons is a sensationalist, a provocateur not a reporter, Toronto’s older version of Montreal’s Brendan Kelly.
He’s been doing the bs for over a decade, eg his Phil Kessel hotdog story that was bs.
He’s the print version of what used to be called a shock jock.
A reporter doesn’t have to be a shill for the team, they have to report .
Simmons claims his job is to be read, that’s what click bait is.
A reporter’s job isn’t to make up sh*t so people talk about him.
I don’t know Pelley from a hole in the wall, but given his job as President and CEO of MLSE he is going to hire the person he feels will bring success for his team. He makes the decision, he gathers the information, he does his due diligence.
Simmons spoke to 20 people who disagree…..so????
Who were they?
What knowledge do they have?
I’d be surprised if anybody reputable would discuss the hiring with him.
He didn’t ask a question, he loaded a gun and fired, made a lot of noise. Pelley showed how smart a guy he is, dodged and didn’t fire back.
We’ll see in time if Chayka was the right hire.
In the meantime Simmons is laughing because he’s talked about and remains relevant on other people’s back.
Then there’s the reporter in Montreal who gave a Hart Trophy vote to Suzuki but that’s all right
I guess.
I’m sure Suzuki was embarrassed.
Well, there’s one instance where our opinions take a definitely different split in the road … lol.
For what’s worth, here’s the Web account as to whether or not the widespread condemnation of his hiring was justified:
“Whether the negative opinions on John Chayka’s hiring by the Toronto Maple Leafs are “justified” depends on how you weigh his analytics-driven approach against his divisive past in the league. The skepticism is rooted in some very real facts, though optimists point to his unique situation.
The Case For Why the Criticism Was Justified -The “Blacklist” and Contract Breach: The most valid concern is his controversial exit from the Arizona Coyotes in 2020. He was hit with a one-year league suspension after he was found guilty of “conduct detrimental to the league”—specifically, interviewing for other jobs without his owner’s permission.
The Reputation Around the League: When the Leafs hired Chayka, a journalist famously polled 20 league insiders, with 19 of them viewing the hire negatively and using words like “liar,” “con artist,” and “salesman”. Many peers were put off by his youthful arrogance and a perceived over-reliance on a “smartest guy in the room” persona.
Lack of Recent Experience: When Toronto made the hire, Chayka had been out of the NHL for five years. During his time away, he was largely focused on business ventures, including owning and operating franchises like Wendy’s and Tim Hortons.
Mixed Track Record: While hailed as an analytics whiz, his drafting record in Arizona included highly scrutinized picks (like taking Barrett Hayton over Quinn Hughes in 2018).
The Case For Why the Criticism Was Exaggerated – The Restrictive Arizona Environment: Those defending the hire point out that in Arizona, Chayka was operating a budget team perpetually on the brink of relocation. Despite the restricted resources, he managed to acquire valuable core pieces like Clayton Keller and Jacob Chychrun.
A Blank Check in Toronto: Supporters suggest that Chayka never had the opportunity to run a team with a full war chest. Now, he has every possible resource available to spend right up to the cap.
The “Outsider” Advantage: Because expectations for the organization had dipped, the overwhelming skepticism actually took some of the immediate heat off him, giving him a “nobody believes in us” underdog advantage to reshape the front office. Ultimately, the heavy backlash was justified in the sense that Chayka carried a lot of “baggage” for a high-profile market. However, only his performance in Toronto will determine if he truly deserved the harsh labels or if he was just misunderstood.”
Now we wait to see who’s right.
BCLeaf Fan
Sammi Silber, the reporter who gave a Hart Trophy vote to Suzuki……is a WASHINTON beat reporter for The Hockey News.
Born in Maryland, lives in Washington, has no connection to Montreal.
Then again you might be doing a Steve Simmons impersonation with that factoid of yours.
Well, let’s be accurate here, HF30: what Simmons said was : My job isn’t to be liked, it’s to be read.” Not sure why that got you going, every print media reporter’s job is to be read.
Nor was Simmons alone in his surprise, as George has noted. So I don’t think it is so easy to brush Simmons aside, or to dismiss the legitimacy of his sources.
Me? I don’t care. But the fact that the Leafs hired a guy for GM who was out of the league for 6 years is a head scratcher.
LJ,
I said I don’t know Pelley from a hole in the wall, I’ll add that that the same goes for Chayka.
Time will tell if he was the right choice,
Avg life span for a GM in the NHL is 4.5 years, even less for coaches.
Simmons question at a press conference wasn’t bright or daring, it was designed as a provocation, a stunt.
Was there any expectation of Pelley drilling down the due diligence that he did, the how’s and why’s behind his decision?? Of course not!!
It turned a press conference into a clown show with Simmons making himself the talking point.
Sorry that’s not reporting, I take him as seriously as I take Brendan Kelly.
So, in your eyes, a sports reporter has to be a Casper Milquetoast who only writes positive things about all aspects of the team he covers.
Name ONE lie Simmons made up. Ever. B.S.
At the quality end of the spectrum, there aren’t enough players. Half the #1 centers in the league are below median at that position (even tho worls class atheletes). A few #2 Centers are above the #1 median. #3 centers are a very different role and different type of player on many teams. Being forced to take a risk on a trade, push a youngster faster than you should, overpay a veteran, or live with a compromise is a hard fact of life for a GM. People bring up the “change of scenery” argument because it appears to have worked often enough to be valid. My favorite is the suspicion that a few professional scouts can detect fixable flaws in a player’s game that the coaches on their team can fix….but it is also true that players at the same position can have quite different responsibilities in differently coached systems. Larkin doesn’t seem the kind of player that plays the game Florida played when they won their cups….through you, not around you, or in your face al la Marchant.
Doesn’t seem like a fit, tho Barkov can play with anyone, I think.
Mock Trade: Larkin and Sebastian Cossa to the Mammoth for Tij Iginla, Cole Beaudoin, Barrett Hayton, and a 2027 second-round pick.
The Athletic’s Max Bultman and Corey Pronman recently commented on potential Larkin deals and see a deal with the Mammoth has a legit possibility.
I think this may open up to other vets leaving Detroit as the “compete now” time will be delayed.
Why would any team trade their 1C for a 30y/o Larkin with 5 more years on contract, on the back 9 of his career????
A guy who has made the playoffs once in an 11 year career, the last year of a great run by the franchise, so it isn’t his great leadership qualities that will get a team to pony up their 1C for him.
They can get picks, prospects, young NHL regulars but that’s about it.
He signed an 8 yr contract 3 years ago, time to put the big boy pants on and carry the team into the playoffs instead of bugging out.
Right on!
A consistent 30-40 goal scorer who is 29 and a solid 2 way player is a very valuable asset. Iginla is not their 1C, he is potentially a top 2c in the league. No guarantee.
Mammoth want to win. Saying that Larkin is the reason the team hasn’t made the playoffs because of his leadership is silly, it’s a team game and the team has not been strong enough around him to actually have a chance. Not that he couldn’t be better but he’s a far cry from the issues with the red wings.
Well, in 2025 Suzuki asked Hughes to keep the line up intact. Hughes said: Go win some hockey games.
So Suzuki put the Habs on his back and did just that.
Larkin didn’t.
No team will give up a number one or two center for Larkin. Unless there’s a team out there that wants to make a bold move. And will this team be in Larkin’s list?
This has to be a hard pill to swallow for any fan of Hockeytown. Detroit is supposed to be a preferred destination. I’d still play there.
All comes back to the GM and his inability to build a winner. But the folks in Detroit won’t question him.
WHO is giving them their 1C???????????????
Your rant has no relevance to the proposal. 🙄
Trying to think of who makes sense for Markstrom. Maybe package Markstrom and Nemec and another player or pick to Toronto for Knies and Woll
Don’t see the Leafs giving up Knies at all, bad signal to Matthews. Particularly as the Leafs are trying to stabilize their goaltending and Markstrom is 36.
Jordan Greenways problem was a lingering core muscle issue and a hernia. He tried playing through it last season with the therapy route. It didn’t work and he was shut down and had surgery last season. Come last July he was still having issues and they had to do another surgery which kept him out the beginning of the season. When he did come back Lindy gave him some days off during the compressed schedule.
At the time he signed his current contract, at the trade deadline, he and Jason Zucker both indicated they loved playing for the Sabres and resigned. At the time it looked like a wise investment ,even though it was an overpayment but it was for 2 years.
Greenway is 4th line player but he brings grit and experience to the team. He was a leader in the locker room and on the ice. He also has that physicality they needed as well as being an excellent penalty killer. The Jeff Skinner buyout hit this upcoming season of $6.4 million is the real killer.If the Sabres are unable to resign Alex Tuch I don’t necessarily think Greenway will be moved till maybe later in the season if at all.
First of, Lyle, is everything ok? Normally you second post is done 1530 CET like clockwork.
I don’t see a path that isn’t a buyout of KK given the economics of doing it now.
Markstrom wasn’t great this year but he started to turn it around after the new years, and the D in front of him didn’t play great either.
Yzerman will hold on to Larkin until he gets what he wants
Everything’s fine, Kent. Today was one of those rare days where there wasn’t much NHL news and rumors so I just combined them.
@Lyle, whether you like it or not, you are a big part of all your readers every day life, so when things happen out of character, we notice 😉