NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 20, 2026
Notable questions facing the Rangers, regular-season games to be played in Germany in 2027-28, the latest on Sergei Bobrovsky, Jaccob Slavin, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
NHL.COM: The New York Rangers entered 2026-27 facing the prospect of how to replace Vincent Trocheck and who centers offseason addition Pavel Dorofeyev among their notable questions to be addressed.
The Rangers traded Trocheck to the Utah Mammoth on July 1, leaving them without a reliable second-line center and key contributor to their power play. Alexis Lafreniere could replace Trocheck on their first PP unit. J.T. Miller could take over as a primary center at even strength.
The New York Rangers acquired Pavel Dorofeyev from the Vegas Golden Knights on June 26. (NHL Images).
Dorofeyev was acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights on June 26, signing a seven-year, $77 million contract. The 25-year-old winger could be on the Rangers’ top PP unit with Miller and Mika Zibanejad.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: This season could be a critical one for the Rangers as their retooling process enters its third year. Failure to qualify for the playoffs could lead to more changes, perhaps starting in their front office.
NHL.COM: The NHL and NHLPA announced that Munich and Cologne will host NHL regular-season games during the 2027-28 campaign as part of the league’s annual Global Series. It’s the first time regular-season games will be played in Germany.
The Boston Bruins will play two games in JJ Peterka’s home city of Munich, while the Edmonton Oilers will play two games in Leon Draisaitl’s native city of Cologne.
The league is also partnering with FC Bayern for a first-of-its-kind multiyear partnership to accelerate the growth of hockey in Germany and the development of FC Bayern in North America.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The NHL continues to make strides in its efforts to promote its brand into European markets. It could be setting the stage for a potential expansion into Europe, though that appears to be years away. For now, it will continue to grow the game there, ensuring a steady stream of the best European talent makes its way to the NHL.
TORONTO SUN: Former NHL goaltender Glenn Healy downplayed concerns among Maple Leafs followers about whether Sergei Bobrovsky’s best years are behind him. He believes the 37-year-old netminder can still be an effective starter for the Leafs, whose experience could be an inspiration for the retooling club.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bobrovsky’s struggles last season with the injury-ravaged Florida Panthers raised concerns that he’s past his prime. A bounce-back performance on his part will be crucial to the Maple Leafs’ hopes of regaining playoff contention this season following their own disappointing performance.
THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin will use his day with the Stanley Cup this weekend to help raise funds, in part, to support the Grayson Murray Foundation.
Murray, a Raleigh native, was a two-time winner on the PGA Tour who died by suicide two years ago. The nonprofit foundation, which has support from the PGA, raises greater awareness and support for mental health and addiction challenges while advancing and funding innovative research and services.
NEW YORK POST: The Rangers signed defenseman Scott Morrow to a one-year, two-way contract worth $850,000 at the NHL level. Morrow, 23, played 29 games with the Rangers last season.
BUFFALO HOCKEY BEAT: Bill Hoppe recently reported Radim Mrtka was praised by his WHL coach over how the Sabres prospect defenseman handled rumors linking him to the St. Louis Blues before the March trade deadline.
Mrtka was reportedly part of the return to the Blues if defenseman Colton Parayko waived his no-movement clause. The deal died when Parayko refused to do so.
According to Seattle Thunderbirds coach Matt O’Dette, Mrtka handled the speculation well, calling him unflappable. “He just kind of goes about his business and kind of shrugged off that distraction a little bit,” O’Dette said.
Mrtka finished what was likely his final season with the Thunderbirds before joining the Sabres’ AHL affiliate in Rochester.
AZ HOCKEY INSIDER: Craig Morgan reports NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told him that the league continues to have an interest in having a franchise return to Phoenix.
The Coyotes played in the Phoenix area from 1996-97 to 2023-24, relocating to Salt Lake City, Utah, in April 2024.
Daly indicated that there is interest among “a number of people in Arizona to bring an NHL franchise back to the Phoenix area.” He indicated that the league has been open and honest that, given the right circumstances, they continue to believe it would be a good market for a successful NHL franchise.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: With the league considering another expansion attempt into Atlanta, it shouldn’t be surprising that they would maintain an interest in Phoenix. Part of the “right circumstances” would be stable, deep-pocketed ownership and the construction of a new NHL-worthy arena in Phoenix. Without either one, there won’t be a return to Phoenix anytime soon.
THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks radio broadcasts will reportedly be moving to Rogers-owned Kiss Radio. The news comes six weeks after the demise of Sportsnet 650.
Not among Lyle’s subject matter above, but I thought some might find this National Post article by Joseph Brean titled “Maple Leafs use tax cap on bonuses to ‘entice’ players to Toronto, ex-NHL star Patrick Marleau tells court” interesting:
https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/hockey-trial-patrick-marleau-toronto-maple-leafs
He and Tavares are fighting the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), which argues these multi-million dollar bonuses are disguised salary and should be taxed at top marginal rates above 50% rather than qualifying as tax-protected “inducements”.”
This is an ongoing story going back to last year. Nothing really new here. Once a decision is reached, I will of course note it.
OK. Just thought the latest testimony by Marleau might be of some interest. I will cease and desist.
Yes this case is and should be of high interest as it will have negative consequences for all Canadian teams if the ruling favors the CRA.
Yes taxes are not a fun business nor interesting and/or riveting but in this case, there a lot riding on it making it a viable story of interest imo, too.
I know what Rogers can kiss.
Ha
Trochek finished season as the 3C for NYR. Biggest loss will be in faceoff circle, as he was their top guy. JT Miller reportedly prefers playing center. After trading Panarin, Lafreniere and Perreault both flourished playing on either side of Zibanejad. That would leave newcomers Dorofeyev and Bjorkstrand playing with Miller. Laba and Veleno will be other centers. IMO, JT Miller has the most to prove this year. Final year of full ntc and Drury retooled team around him as the new leader. Playoffs or bust for both of them.
Morning chrisms. Did you see my response to your query in yesterday’s Rumor thread? Unfortuntely I didn’t get a chance to respond until later that evening.
Yes indeed. Makes sense. Your looking straddle the fine line of hard ass and dumb ass.
Yep. And Verbeek qualifies for the latter in spades!
dont understand the concern with the Rangers at center, they have Zibenejad-Miller (he’s a natural center)-Laba, they should be fine. their wingers and scoring depth should be the concern
Red Wings GM search may be seriously hampered by lack of autonomy
https://octopusthrower.com/this-could-explain-red-wings-stalled-gm-search-01m0add3qx09
and unless the NHL adds entire European division, not just one team, I can’t see how that would work. With a division of teams, NHL teams can schedule a full 2 week trip to Europe to play their games against those teams.
European leagues are fragmented, with the majority encompassing just one country. ICE league based out of Swiss covers several countries. Maybe if the NHL and a European league partnered together and considered the games to count, that might work
NHL gives on propping up Phoenix and Atlanta (3rd time!!!) as future NHL markets but it’s a shame that Quebec keeps getting the shaft. I’m sure ownership can be found to support the team.
The experiences in Phoenix and Atlanta by the league, which are more recent, are all the reason they should be lower on the priority list for expansion. I’d even put Hamilton over those teams on the list, but Houston and Quebec towards the top. Atlanta has failed 2x over different decades, their time has come and gone. Stop letting the broadcasters decide the markets
mikep, if an owner interested in financing a team in Quebec City was evident we would have heard about it by now. But even then, THE main reason that region won’t ever likely get another team is the complete lack of major corporate existence, not to mention a TV market dwarfed by the Houston and Atlanta markets.
And speaking of Atlanta, they DO have the needed corporate structure as well as an interested – and very rich – potential owner, to go along with a major ongoing urban construction program.
Another team in the HUGE GTA region makes more sense than one in Quebec City both from a corporate and TV revenue aspect, and if the NY region can support 3 franchises (I include NJ here), the GTA could easily support 2.
George, if you are including NJ, then the NY Region supports 4 team. Rangers, Islanders, Sabers and Devils
Nhblueshirts94, actually I was referring to NY City – not the state. NJ is close enough to NY City to be included, whereas Buffalo is about 390 miles to the west.
OMG…the Coyotes again. Every excuse has been made for this area. I keep hearing over n over it’s the third largest TV market in the USA. It’s filled with snowbirds…..snow birds WHO..play golf. Cut coupons for tacobell, and Applebees and who are in bed by 7pm.
These are the Tampbay Rays of hockey. Except the Rays are perennially competitive and nobody goes.
Ouch. New building on the Tampa side may finally help the Rays. They and the Lightning played in the same venue for a couple of years and the Lightning outdrew them. But that was long ago and both organizations have new last year managements that look to be capable of building on a long stretch of on the field/rink success and fan friendliness. The teams get together at training each year. Stammer once hit one out at tropicana, baseball players haven’t looked too comfortable on ice.
Reminds me of the great Gordie Howe, who once played semi-pro baseball in Saskatchewan.
Howe became close friends with Al Kaline of the Detroit Tigers and often took batting practice at what was then known as Briggs Stadium. One day, with the Cleveland Indians in town, Cleveland manager Lou Boudreau happened to catch Howe driving pitch after pitch high into the LF upper deck and reportedly tried to sign Howe to a MLB contract on the spot.
And when The Splendid Splinter, Ted Williams, also ran across the same scene when the Red Sox were in town, he was to impressed that he told Howe he was glad he stuck with hockey because if he had chosen baseball he probably would have smashed all of his hitting records.
When corporations chase the dollars, the product suffers. The two commenters above me are 100% right.
If any “new” teams are coming, they’ll be coming from a city that will be losing theirs. Teams now are more like financial assets than toys, so in a league that’s open to expansion, that’s code to a potential new owner (or even existing one) to technically sell or move the team to a more profitable market, one that the league wants.
With about 4 teams too many to fully fill rosters on all the remaining teams, adding new ones will water down the product for years to come…more than it already is.
Is the NHL talent watered down?
You don’t agree Ray? I think when you look at any team, you can point out missing players in predominant positions, ie, centers, defenders such as RHD or goalies all the while gather these talents throughout the world.
I don’t think it’s far fetched to think less teams in the league would equate to teams with a more stacked or better constructed teams with actual good players up and down the line up.
Regardless, expansion is “growth” but not without thinning out the talent pool.
Not because of how many teams. Biggest culprit to lack of nhl ready talent is the chl agreement. And I’ve yet to see anyone advocating for contraction offering up their own team to go first.
Ron, according to the Web
“Whether further National Hockey League expansion waters down the product is a subject of ongoing debate among fans and analysts, with valid arguments on both sides regarding talent depth, roster quality, and competitive balance.
Arguments That Expansion Dilutes the Product
Talent Spreading: Adding more teams divides the elite player pool across more rosters, which can reduce the concentration of star power per team.
Lower Bottom-Tier Play: Critics argue that expansion increases the number of replacement-level or minor-league-caliber players receiving regular minutes, lowering the baseline quality of play.
Diluted Rivalries: A larger league can fracture the historical significance and frequency of traditional matchups.
Arguments That Expansion Does Not Dilute the Product
Global Talent Pool: The growth of hockey internationally means the league draws from a much larger and more skilled global talent base than in previous decades.
Athletic Training: Modern sports science, nutrition, and training methods produce better-conditioned athletes across the board today.
Parity and Revenue: More teams grow the game’s financial footprint and create competitive, engaged markets without a noticeable drop in scoring or entertainment value.”
It’s a question of Pick Your Poison, I guess.
Depending on where exactly another team in the Toronto or Ontario region could or would infringe on the geograhic territorial rights of the Leafs as and Sabres. They could block this move or request a hefty indemnification fee.
Blueshirts the Sabres are not even close to the teams in the New York area.They are approximately 500 miles away.
I hear ya but if the choice is between more teams or better teams…the choice is clearly obvious.
The NHL keeps considering Phoenix and Atlanta because they both have a large corporate base, large enough populations, fan bases that are already supporting professional sports teams.
They both had decent attendance but ownership failed the fans.
Hamilton, like Quebec City doesn’t have the corporate base to draw on or the owner willing to put in the money.
Like most things in life deep pockets are needed to build something successful and maintain it before making money.