Recapping Sunday’s preseason action, plus the latest on the Red Wings’ Dylan Larkin and Simon Edvinsson, Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm, Sabres forward Jiri Kulich, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Brady Tkachuk had a Gordie Howe hat trick in his debut with the Florida Panthers as they defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 6-3 in preseason action on Sunday. Tkachuk scored twice, collected an assist, and received a major penalty for fighting Hurricanes prospect defenseman Charles Alexis Legault.

Florida Panthers winger Brady Tkachuk (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthew Tkachuk had the primary assist on Brady’s first goal. Team captain Aleksander Barkov also assisted on Tkachuk’s goal and scored the Panthers’ second goal. It’s the first time he’s played with his teammates since suffering a season-ending knee injury in last year’s training camp.

Anaheim Ducks forward Beckett Sennecke tallied a hat trick in a 6-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Ducks defenseman Tristan Luneau had a goal and two assists.

The Boston Bruins nipped the Washington Capitals 3-2 on James Hagens’s shootout goal. Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy scored the tying goal late in the third period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McAvoy must make the most of the shortened preseason. He will miss the first six games of the upcoming regular season serving a suspension for slashing Buffalo Sabres winger Zach Benson in Game 6 of their 2026 first-round playoff series.

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Victor Hedman logged over 19 minutes of ice time during his club’s 2-1 win over the Nashville Predators. It was Hedman’s first game since taking a personal leave of absence on March 19. Ilya Mikhayev scored and John Carlson collected an assist in their debuts with the Lightning.

The Colorado Avalanche downed the Utah Mammoth 4-1. Brock Nelson scored and Gavin Brindley had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche.

New Jersey Devils forward Connor Brown scored the game-winning goal in a 2-1 win over the New York Islanders. Devils goaltender David Rittich stopped 23 shots for the win.

The Seattle Kraken doubled up the Calgary Flames 4-2.

MLIVE.COM: The Detroit Red Wings face a challenge getting center Dylan Larkin and defenseman Simon Edvinsson ready for the upcoming season during the shortened four-game preseason.

Larkin, 30, missed the first four days of training camp with an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, the 22-year-old Edvinsson remains an unsigned restricted free agent. He’s skating with his teammates during practice but cannot scrimmage with them or play in preseason games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Edvinsson wouldn’t be in this position had the Red Wings resolved their search for a new general manager before training camp opened last week. He might be signed by now if assistant GM Shawn Horcoff had been named interim GM in July or August instead of last week.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Eyebrows were raised when Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm was skating in a third-pairing role during the first two days of training camp. However, head coach Mike Babcock explained that the 36-year-old Ekholm was with Shakir Mukhamadullin to help the latter adjust to a new team and surroundings. The Oilers acquired Mukhamadullin from the San Jose Sharks in July as part of the return in the Darnell Nurse trade.

BUFFALO HOCKEY BEAT: Sabres forward Jiri Kulich is thrilled to be scrimmaging with his teammates after being sidelined since Nov. 10 with a blood clot.

“It’s unreal,” Kulich said. “I can’t even describe the feeling. It’s just unreal seeing everyone, being around them, and being with them on the ice is just, yeah, it’s pretty special.

THE ATHLETIC: Egor Chinakhov is looking forward to his first full season with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 25-year-old forward was acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Dec. 29, and went on to a career-best season with 18 goals and 36 points in 43 games in Pittsburgh after netting just six points in 29 games with the Blue Jackets.