NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 1, 2026
The latest on the league’s expansion plans, the latest notable contract signings, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
THE SICK PODCAST: On Wednesday, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told “The Eye Test Podcast” hosts Pierre McGuire and Jimmy Murphy that the league and the owners are “primarily interested” in an expansion franchise in Houston, Texas.
Daly also said they haven’t ruled out Austin, Texas, as an expansion destination, noting that the latter has become an “up-and-coming market” that doesn’t have one of the major four pro sports franchises in it. However, he stressed that they are in the early stages of the process.
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly (NHL.com).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Houston remains the front-runner unless there is difficulty for prospective ownership to come up with the $2 billion franchise fee. It’s also rumored that the league could return to Atlanta by the end of the decade.
Regarding the NHL’s new slate of weekday afternoon games in Europe, Daly indicated it’s part of the league’s plan to grow and market their product internationally. As for expansion into Europe, Daly didn’t rule out that possibility, but noted that there is currently no timetable due to obstacles to making that work over the course of an 84-game schedule.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Expansion into Europe is a more distant possibility than moving into other North American markets. The franchise fees, travel costs, and extra time zones are among the likely obstacles.
Daly also said the NHL remains interested in returning to Quebec City with an expansion franchise. However, they’ve yet to find a potential owner willing to operate a franchise long-term in that market. Daly also rejected the notion that the lower value of the Canadian dollar was a major obstacle to bringing a franchise to Quebec City, citing the strength of the other seven Canadian NHL markets.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Daly’s comments about Quebec City dispel the belief that the league no longer sees it as a market for an expansion franchise. Finding a suitable owner is an understandable hurdle given the high cost of the franchise fee.
It could be more affordable to relocate a franchise to Quebec City. However, there’s no indication that the league has any plans to move one of its teams to a new market.
SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sheng Peng reported the Sharks re-sign forward Collin Graf to a three-year, $12.75 million contract. Graf, 23, had completed his three-year entry-level contract. He’ll earn an average annual value of $4.25 million.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Graf had a promising sophomore season with 21 goals and 25 assists for 46 points in 81 games. Peng noted that he logged just over 200 shorthanded minutes, sitting seventh in the league in that category. Sharks general manager Mike Grier praised his versatility and work ethic.
Graf is getting a slightly higher AAV than the two-year, $7.8 million contract ($3.9 million) he was projected to receive. However, he got less than the $6.5 million on the projected seven-year, $45.5 million contract.
PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins signed forward Tommy Novak to a three-year contract extension worth an AAV of $4.65 million starting in 2027-28. He’s earning $3.5 million on his current contract.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Novak exceeded the 40-point plateau last season, marking the third time he’s done so in his five-season NHL career.
DAILY FACEOFF: Former Florida Panthers winger Tomas Nosek signed with Czech team Dynamo Pardubice. The 33-year-old spent 11 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, Vegas Golden Knights, Boston Bruins, and the Panthers, winning the Stanley Cup with them in 2024-25.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nosek’s NHL career is likely over. The checking-line forward had 47 goals and 73 assists for 120 points in 514 games, and 17 points in 68 postseason contests.
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Earlier this week, the Blue Jackets hired Don Granato and Cody Ward as assistant coaches. Granato is the former head coach of the Buffalo Sabres, while Ward is the former assistant video coach for the San Jose Sharks.
SPORTSNET: On Thursday, the International Ice Hockey Federation upheld its ban on Russian participation for the 2026-27 season. Russia has been banned from participating in IIHF tournaments since invading Ukraine in February 2022.
So invasion and war crimes is a problem, even if I do feel for at least some of the Russian players
It’s only a problem if the country isn’t the United States
You noticed that too….
In terms of existing NHL-size arenas already in place in locations with no NHL team, plus the metro populations to suggest they could consistently fill the arenas, along with the necessary corporate establishment, there are, realistically, just these 5:
Houston – Toyota Center 17,800 seats – metro pop. 7.8 mil
Cleveland – Rocket Arena 18,924 seats – metro pop. 2.2 mil
Kansas City (Miss & Kansas) – T-Mobile Arena 17,548 seats – metro pop. 2.3 mil
Tulsa, Ok – BOK Center 17,096 seats – metro pop. 1.1 mil
Hartford, Ct – Peoples Bank Arena 15,564 – metro pop. 1.2 mil
Atlanta has the population (6.5 mil metro) but following renovations to State Farm Arena (home of the NBA’s Hawks), it is no longer configured for hockey. There are, however, progressing plans for a new arena associated with the massive Gathering At South Forsyth project.
Then, of course, there is that location close to Bettman’s heart – metro Phoenix with a pop of 5.3 mil …but no concrete plans to erect a suitable arena using taxpayer’s money! Austin, Texas, with a metro population of 2.5 mil, would also need a new arena, and so is a real long shot at this juncture.
These 5 locations currently have arenas that are at least comparable to the mid- to smaller-size ones now in the NHL – but with metro populations below 1 million:
Quebec City – Videotron Center 18,259 seats – metro pop. 866,000
Hamilton, Ontario – T.D. Coliseum 17,383 seats – metro pop, 871,200
Des Moines, Iowa – Casey’s Center 15,600 seats – metro pop. 758,539
Madison, Wisc. – Kohl Center 15,237 seats – metro pop. 710,000
Saskatoon/Regina, Sask – SaskTel Center 15,15 seats – metro pop.622,000.
Perhaps, some time in the far future, there will be a tiered structure along the lines of English Football that will encompass these smaller location. Just don’t plan on being around long enough to witness it first hand.
The main factor for being an option for expansion is the corporate support in any given market. I think gate revenue is and should play a minor role and will be set by the market, corporate sponsorship will be the franchise’s main income source.
George, what about San Antonio? It has an arena and a population of approx 1.6 million. They had an AHL team, the Rampage, up until 2020.
Personally, I don’t see it as an NHL expansion city. Austin would be a better choice. Also, the Frost Bank center was built in the early 2000s.
Hammer_of_the_Gods, San Antonio certainly has the metro population (around 2.8 mil) AND the corporate structure to adequately support an NHL franchise, but it’s my understanding that their arena would require major retrofitting to be able to host both the NBA’s Spurs (their top capacity is 18,418) and an NHL team. Consequently, they’d come in well back of Houston in terms of NHL expansion.
I can see Hamilton work, think of all the Leaf haters cheering for Hamilton if it came to be lol
The start-up fees are daunting, but absent that your last five markets are interesting. Being “the only game in town” is an interesting dynamic. For Madison, the Green Bay Packers are an interesting model. If the English model fails, because relegation is unthinkable, how about a “B” league that gets the last wildccard spot? Hockey wants to grow, somehow.
I can see something along those lines materializing in years to come, Richard, giving the so-called “B” locations some hope to pull an upset (and move up the following season)?
Sort of like the English FA Cup challenges. Way, way back, in fact (1893-1914), the Stanley Cup began as a formal challenge set-up.
Dont like the Novak signing.
That looks about right for a third line center!
The NHL should shift more of its focus towards player development and growing the sport before it adds teams.
Currently there’s 32 teams and maybe 25 first line centers. How many legitimate starting goaltenders are there? 10? 15?
There’s a talent gap and adding more teams will just water down the final product.
I believe what Daly said regarding Quebec City falls firmly into a category called “lip service”. No one is paying $2 billion USD, let alone CAD, for a team there.
Couldn’t agree more.
If I haven’t said so…. VERY GLAD TO SEE YOU BACK!
A constant refrain despite no evidence that the game is watered down by expansion.
The original six was the high water mark for talent?
If you could morph the entire 1966 league players into the NHL today, by far most wouldn’t make the cut and the ones that did would be marginal.
Too small, too slow, no conditioning, no shot.
Players are bigger, faster, stronger from a growing pool of Europeans and Americans. The leagues are not the domain of Canada anymore.
Finns, Swedes, Germans, Swiss, American and of course Russians come out of major development programs.
The talent pool is growing and improving.
Totally agree.
And if there is to be further expansion in the near future (2-3 years), I would bet on Houston and Atlanta.
Both could, however, get teams through re-location of existing franchises, and there it would most likely involve Winnipeg (wouldn’t that be ironic – back to Atlanta!) and Ottawa.
HF30:
The players are bigger faster and stronger only if you compare today’s players to those of decades gone by. Of course today’s players are better than the original six.
Expansion is what, 2 years away? The comparison is today’s players against today’s players. If there was such an abundance of talent then why, as PaJaDa points out, the dearth of quality centers? Or RDH? Or goaltending?
Even with the loser point system to try and manufacture artificial parity, nearly 20% of the league had a winning percentage of less than .500. How is that so if there is so much talent around?
Rebuilds take, what, 5+ years on average? This is because the strength of first round picks is found in top 16, and even by then the % of success drops after the first 5 picks.
You are a student of the game, so have a look at how puckpedia, as one site, values picks: the first overall pick is valued at 100; the 33 rd is 14, 7 times less. This difference is year over year, because not all new talent is equal.
If there was such a strong stream of readily available talent then the value of draft picks would be much closer in value, the standings would be much more bunched, and there would be a much closer gap between the elite players and the rest of the league.
The loser pt system is on the nearly the same level as the participation trophy. 🫤
LJ,
I disagree that there’s a dearth of players at any position.
You have teams that are stocked up on positions that are supposedly scarce.
There might be a shortage of players that are superior to what they have, or are costlier than one wants to spend.
In the “old days” there wasn’t parity among the teams, there was a shortage of C and RHD then as well.
More hockey players shoot L than R it really is as simple as that. The mantra in the “old days” was you need strength down the middle and not all teams had it.
Puckpedia draft rankings do nothing for me, mostly ranking not fully grown boys and projecting futures Collin Graff, mentioned today is a good example, he was undrafted twice because he was too small and slight, he’s 6’1 190 now with a nice contract.
For some reason different teams have trouble finding the right pieces, scouting, culture, policy, who knows. draft by need vs best player available debate has gone on for years.
Right here there are constant jibes about overvaluing prospects when fans see kids in AHL and NCAA as being ready for NHL and are resistant to trading them.
Not only are the players there, they are coming up so quickly that ware giving up on them before they have the chance to be NHLers. At 23y/o the kid is washed up because there are 18-20y/o pushing.
To be honest, if 2 expansion teams could pick 2 prospects from every team instead of roster players they’d be a pretty good team, stocked at every position in their first season and GMs would be freaking out.
I doubt Ottawa moves, I could have seen Calgary but I think they just signed an agreement to stay to get a new arena
Why would you ever suggest Calgary moves after they have an 35 commitment. Just a dumb remark.
Hey … no need for that, H.
I believe Kent says clearly that he thought about Calgary at one time, but that that changed following their new arena deal.