NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 9, 2026
The league’s best value contracts for 2026-27, plus the latest on Islanders winger Kyle Palmieri, Oilers goaltender Devon Levi, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
SPORTSNET: Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson and winger Ivan Demidov are among Michael Amato’s list of the best value contracts among the NHL’s high-value players.
Hutson, 22, is starting an eight-year contract worth an average annual value of $8.85 million. Meanwhile, the 20-year-old Demidov recently inked an eight-year extension with an AAV of $9.15 million.
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson (NHL Images).
The Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings, and Carolina Hurricanes also each have two young players on value contracts.
Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson, 24, has six years remaining on his deal with an AAV of $8.05 million, and center Tim Stutzle (also 24) has five years left at $8.35 million annually.
Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond (24) has six years left at $8.07 million AAV while defenseman Moritz Seider (25) has five years remaining at $8.55 million AAV.
Hurricanes forwards Jackson Blake and Logan Stankoven are each 23 and have eight-year deals, with the 23-year-old Blake earning $5.11 million annually while Stankoven’s AAV is $6 million.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow the link above for the complete list. Let us know in the comments section if you agree with Amato’s listing or if any players are missing from his list.
NEWSDAY: New York Islanders winger Kyle Palmieri is hoping to be fully recovered from knee surgery in time for training camp in September. The 35-year-old Palmieri underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL that he suffered last November.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Palmieri was enjoying a good start to last season (18 points in 25 games) before the injury. His absence contributed to the low-scoring Islanders missing the playoffs last spring. Given his age and the lengthy recovery period, it could take some time before he returns to form.
EDMONTON JOURNAL: Devon Levi is looking forward to a fresh start with the Oilers after failing to crack the Buffalo Sabres roster on a full-time basis.
Levi was a promising young goalie when the Sabres acquired him from the Florida Panthers in July 2021 as part of the return in the Sam Reinhart trade. He appeared in only 39 games with the Sabres between 2022-23 and 2024-25.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers’ goaltending has been their Achilles’ heel for some time. They brought in recent Stanley Cup champion Frederik Andersen to share the duties with the inconsistent Tristan Jarry. However, the 36-year-old Andersen’s age and lengthy injury history make him a risky addition.
This could provide the 24-year-old Levi with a golden opportunity to establish himself as an NHL goaltender. If he can rise to the occasion, it’ll provide invaluable stability in the crease for the Oilers.
DAILY FACEOFF: Former NHL forward Noah Philp has announced his retirement at the age of 27. He signed with Swedish Hockey League club HV71 for this season. However, in a social media post, he apologized to the team, explaining that he no longer has the motivation for hockey.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Philp played for the Oilers and Hurricanes from 2024-25 to 2025-26, finishing with five points in 32 games.
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: The Blue Jackets have an ECHL affiliate after signing a two-year agreement with the Wheeling Nailers.
The Nailers were the ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins from 1998 to 2026.
I know it’s not hockey, but this episode from an early-season Expos game at Jarry in 1971 does have a hockey connection.
It happened in an afternoon game in April against the Pittsburgh Pirates. At one stage the Expos loaded the bases. Pirates pitcher Bruce Dal Canton had moved up to the rubber when 30,000 fans suddenly broke out in a deafening, stadium-shaking roar. Poor Dal Canton was frantically looking around figuring it had to be 3-base steal underway, but all the runners were on the bags with looks on their faces of “WTF?” The same look that was on the face of the umpire who immediately called time-out. At that point, Expos manager Gene Mauch came out of the dugout with a huge grin and explained that probably 29,000 of the 30,000 had transistor radios plugged into their ears, and that Henri Richard had just scored a goal to put the Canadiens up 3-1 in game 7 of the playoffs against Boston.
Just Henri adding to his record total of cups! 😁
I know he is a little older than the guys above at 28, but Morgan Geekie is on a 5 yr deal with an AAV of 5.5.Not bad for a guy who has 90 goals the last three years with 39 goals last year.