Recaps of Friday’s preseason action, the salary cap could rise significantly in 2028-29, Macklin Celebrini is the Sharks’ new captain, the Hurricanes re-sign Pyotr Kochetkov, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING FRIDAY’S PRESEASON GAMES

NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche prospect T.J. Hughes tallied a hat trick and collected an assist in a 5-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Jaden Schwartz had a goal and two assists, and Mackenzie Blackwood made 24 saves for the Avalanche. Nino Niederreiter and Vladislav Namestnikov each had a goal and an assist for the Jets.

New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox (NHL Images).

The New York Rangers thumped the New York Islanders 6-1. Adam Fox had three assists, Mika Zibanejad and J.T. Miller each had a goal and an assist, and Pavel Dorofeyev collected two assists. Pierre Engvall scored, and Semyon Varlamov gave up six goals on 27 shots for the Islanders.

Dallas Stars defenseman Thomas Harley snapped a 1-1 tie for a 2-1 win over the Minnesota Wild. Joel Eriksson Ek replied for the Wild, who also lost defenseman Brock Faber after being struck by a puck off the left side of his helmet in the second period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Faber was kept out of the remainder of the game for precautionary reasons and will be reevaluated on Saturday. The clubs combined for 86 penalty minutes, most of which occurred in the game’s fight-filled final minutes. Tyler Seguin made his preseason debut in his first game since suffering a knee injury on Dec. 2.

An overtime goal by Jordan Kyrou lifted the Washington Capitals over the Boston Bruins 3-2. Dylan Strome and Tom Wilson each had a goal and an assist, and Pierre-Luc Dubois picked up two assists. David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie scored, and Jeremy Swayman stopped 32 shots for the Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin missed this game with a lower-body injury. He’ll also miss Washington’s final preseason game on Saturday against the Philadelphia Flyers, but he’s expected to be ready for their season-opener on Oct. 2 against the Carolina Hurricanes.

HEADLINES

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reported Friday that multiple sources claimed the salary cap for 2028-29 is estimated to reach $127.5 million. That’s $23.5 million more this season’s $104 million cap and $14 million more than the $113.5 million cap for 2027-28.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The final cap number for 2028-29 will likely be announced at the end of this season. Regardless, it’s a substantial increase that continues the cap’s sharp rise since the end of the COVID-induced flat-cap era earlier in the decade.

The effect of that increase was felt this summer, when the Philadelphia Flyers signed Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson to a five-year offer sheet worth a then-record $18 million average annual value. That set the bar for other young talent, with San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini signing a then-record AAV ($18.8 million) on his contract extension in July. It also affected extensions for established superstars with Cale Makar’s record-setting $20.4 million deal in August.

Expect more AAV records over the next two years. Assuming $127.5 million is confirmed for 2028-29, the maximum salary will be $25.5 million.

Players eligible for UFA status on July 1, 2028, include Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews, Los Angeles Kings winger Artemi Panarin, Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski, Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, and Utah Mammoth captain Clayton Keller. RFAs include New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer and Anaheim Ducks winger Beckett Sennecke.

One of them will become the NHL’s first $25 million player, and there will likely be more than one by the end of July 1, 2028.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks named Macklin Celebrini as their new captain during a dressing-room ceremony on Friday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The 20-year-old superstar is the youngest captain in Sharks history. He takes over from Logan Couture, who held the role from 2019-20 to 2023-24.

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: The Carolina Hurricanes signed goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov to a two-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $3.95 million.

TSN/THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks claimed goaltender Leevi Merilainen off waivers from the Ottawa Senators. They also placed center Filip Chytil (shoulder) on injured reserve.

BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: The Sabres signed defenseman Matt Grzelcyk to a one-year, $850,000 contract. This move is a result of the Sabres losing blueliners Mattias Samuelsson (lower-body, week-to-week) and Olen Zellweger (concussion protocol) to injuries.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers center Jason Dickinson might not be in the lineup for the Oilers’ season opener next week. He’s still feeling the effects of a broken foot suffered late last season.

CBS SPORTS: Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Dante Fabbro (upper body) was placed on injured reserve.

CALGARY SUN: The Flames signed forward Alex Nylander to a one-year, two-way contract worth $850,000 at the NHL level.

DAILY FACEOFF: 61 players were placed on waivers on Friday. The notables included Utah Mammoth forward Brandon Tanev, San Jose Sharks goaltender Eric Comrie, Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph, and St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist.