NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 1, 2026
Recapping Wednesday’s games, Avalanche coach Jared Bednar has a new contract, Golden Knights center William Karlsson and Stars goalie Casey DeSmith get new deals, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
RECAPS OF WEDNESDAY’S ACTION
NHL.COM: Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon led the Colorado Avalanche to an 8-4 season-opening victory over the Los Angeles Kings. Makar had two assists, becoming the first defenseman in league history to record multiple points in five straight season openers, while MacKinnon scored two goals and got into a third-period fight with Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke.
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (NHL Images)
Artturi Lehkonen also tallied twice, and Brock Nelson had a goal and two assists for the Avalanche. Alex Laferriere collected two assists, and Artemi Panarin scored for the Kings.
Before this game, the Avalanche announced that head coach Jared Bednar signed a four-year contract extension. Bednar was in the final season of his current deal. He is the longest-tenured head coach in franchise history.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: So much for the offseason rumors that the front office was losing confidence in Bednar after the Vegas Golden Knights swept the Avalanche in the Western Conference Final. What do you think about this signing, Avalanche fans? Let us know in the comments section below.
The Pittsburgh Penguins crushed the Philadelphia Flyers 7-0 in the latter’s home-opening game. Arturs Silovs turned in a 19-save shutout, Nick Robertson scored two goals, and Filip Hallinder had a goal and two assists for the Penguins. Flyers goalie Dan Vladar gave up seven goals on 38 shots.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins stars Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang won their 494th game together, setting the league record for the most by a trio. The Penguins also activated forward Blake Lizotte from injured reserve.
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Easton Cowan scored the winning goal and collected an assist on Colton Sissons’ game-opener in a 2-1 win over the New York Islanders. Anthony Stolarz stopped 26 shots for the win. Emil Heineman scored, and Ilya Sorokin made 24 saves for the Islanders.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders forward Mathew Barzal (lower-body injury) missed this game, but he could return to the lineup this weekend. Before this game, the Maple Leafs placed sidelined forwards Max Domi and Dakota Joshua on long-term injured reserve.
HEADLINES
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: The Vegas Golden Knights signed center William Karlsson to a two-year contract extension that carries an average annual value of $6.75 million. Karlsson, 33, is in the final season of an eight-year deal with a $5.9 million AAV.
Karlsson’s been plagued by injuries over the past three seasons. When healthy, he’s a solid two-way center and invaluable core player. He’s also one of the three remaining players from their 2017-18 expansion roster.
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars signed goaltender Casey DeSmith to a two-year contract extension worth $2.5 million annually.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: DeSmith has been a reliable backup for Stars starting goalie Jake Oettinger.
Speaking of the Stars, center Matt Duchene is doubtful for Friday’s season-opener against the St. Louis Blues with a lower-body injury.
DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson has returned to Sweden and is practicing with Swedish Hockey League club Frolunda. The 22-year-old restricted free agent awaits a new contract with the Red Wings.
“It takes as long as it needs to take,” Edvinsson’s agent Peter Werner said. “It is an ongoing negotiation that is ongoing.”
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ryan Lambert (my colleague at The Hockey News) summed this up best: the Red Wings are completely mishandling Simon Edvinsson’s situation.
This is just another chapter in the Red Wings’ decade-long decline, a maddening decline for their fans with no end in sight.
In the 1970s and early 1980s, the Red Wings were a once-proud franchise that became a laughingstock because of incompetent ownership, mismanagement, and a revolving door of coaches, earning them the derisive nickname of “The Dead Things”.
They are now The Dead Things 2.0. Their front office doesn’t seem to know what they’re doing. They haven’t made the playoffs in a decade. They’re bungling negotiations with their second-best defenseman. Their former captain wants out, and they can’t find a replacement for former GM Steve Yzerman.
NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils forward Connor Brown will miss his club’s first two games of this season with a lower-body injury.
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: The Blue Jackets will not have a captain this season. They will have six alternate captains, with Zach Werenski serving as permanent alternate. The decision is due to the departure of former captain Boone Jenner and uncertainty over Werenski’s future.
DAILY FACEOFF: Former NHL center Ryan Spooner has retired. He spent seven seasons in the NHL (2012-13 to 2018-19) with the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, and Vancouver Canucks. In 325 games, he had 48 goals and 167 points, and two points in four postseason contests. He spent the past seven seasons in the KHL, the Swiss National A League, and the Slovakian Extraleague.
Trade winds must be blowing in Philly after last nights loss to Pittsburgh in the battle of Pennsylvania. Jonesy and Briere must be bristling,especially since they had a lot to say this off-season! Embarrassing opening night for the city of brotherly love!
Tocchet can make a bad team, better than average but he cant make a good team great
You shouldn’t need to be “great” to beat Pittsburgh … but to lose by a margin like that … at home … on opening night … and to a traditional cross-state rival …. calls into question the whole Flyers make-up.
It’s a bit early. Not sure the 1st game of the year is setting the tone of what’s to come.
A lot better teams / rosters and coaching staffs have suffered more crushing / embarrassing losses in much more crucial situations than a game 1 season opener. Better now than later.
IMO, it will be around thanksgiving before we have a full understanding of where teams are headed in the standings.
I’m seeing a lot of this after some game 1 losses this year?
In the words of Aaron Rodgers after a 1-2 start in 2014, R-E-L-A-X!
This holds true to the Rangers fans after what I’ve been seeing online after a spectacular game that went bad in the last 3 minutes.
There’s 83 games left! Let’s get to game 3 before we flush the season!
Thanksgiving is just 10 days away … oh, wait, you’re referring to that other Thanksgiving 🙂
Just kidding …. and I agree … but I prefer mid-December as the wheat from the chaff separation point.
lol George, the always forget you have a different thanksgiving than us.
It would still be a better measurement than game 1! Lmao.
If I was a team on the rise, so the first rounders are ok to loose, and I have cap space and need one more great D. I would make a new try with SE, this time he might just say, to hell with this, Im signing
It is getting to be where I love watching Philly lose almost as much as I like seeing the Leafs do it. Is that bad?
Nope. Completely normal and appropriate
Your good man. Those feelings are normal. I can’t remember a time when it didn’t feel like that.
Re Edvinsson, yesterday Ray Bark questioned the rumored $9-$10 mil long-term that he and his agent are reportedly seeking, while acknowledging that “he is a good young player, but we’re not talking about a future Norris candidate. Big, skates and should be a very good defender long term.”
Looking at his performance last season, 25 points in 72 games would, in and of itself, not exactly seem like the production that leads to such a deal, and so my initial reaction would be to agree with Ray. It does seem “crazy.” However, those disagreeing heavily weigh his 22:21 average ice time, top-tier 5-on-5 defensive impact, elite skating tools, and draft pedigree (6th overall in 2021). And as Johnny Z pointed out in response to Ray, Zeev Buium was handed a massive $9.38 million AAV extension with Vancouver – and that has driven up the price for young, elite D.
Yes, if Detroit (or a team extending an offer-sheet) gives him a long-term deal of that nature, thereby buying out his prime RFA years AND his initial UFA years, they are admittedly paying for his immense upside. And don’t forget, this kid is 6’ 6” 225 lbs.
I would think the most realistic deal would be long-term in the area of $8 – $9 mil AAV, which would put him among young top D like Seider ($8.55M AAV), Faber ($8.5M AAV) and Sanderson ($8.0M AAV). That would be in keeping with what teams are paying and gambling that the player will evolve into a top-pair D, thereby making the contract a significant bargain from about year 3 on.
Another option – and probably what Detroit “management” (and I use that term loosely) would prefer, is to get him signed to a 2 to 3-year “prove it” bridge in the range of $4 to $5.5 mil AAV. That would – understandably – go a long way to “protect” their cap should his steady and expected production increase stall. On the the hand, if it continues to grow he’s then in a perfect spot to capitalize big-time.
the Wings need to get Edvinsson locked up for as many years as possible, with respect to what term Simon is looking for. A short term contract, bridge will in the bigger picture, cost significantly more down the road.
As for the Red Wings of the 70’s, they were known as the Dead Wings, as being a devoted fan since the 60’s, I’ve suffered with them thru that timeframe and thought the wings were in an upward direction, until March of the last 2 years.
Hi, Art. They were also known as “Dead Things” during that time. Either way, it was an awful period in the franchise’s history, one they’re now repeating.
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nhl/red-wings/2017/04/07/dead-things-era-soured-red-wings-arrival-joe-louis-arena/100137986/
Hey George, I actually had no idea of what Edvinsson was asking for when I posted that. All I was trying to do was highlight that we don’t know what the ask is so impossible to judge. I though out $9-$10M as I thought that was unreasonable for a young D who isn’t generating much offense but can projects a high quality shut down D.
I know it sounds like I am defending the Wings on here, and I am in a round about way. Perhaps it’s because I really don’t agree with what Larkin did, when he did it, and how he did it. And IMO that started this whole ball rolling down the hill. Regardless of their record of late, it’s stupid move. They barely missed the playoffs last year. Seems like a whiny b**ch to me.
I won’t defend what Illich is doing now, IMO he should have kept Yzerman for this season to navigate this as he is bungling it.
But all that crap has already happened, and can’t change it, so now the focus needs to be what to they do from here. And IMO trying to save this season is a fantasy, and they need to think about the next 3-5 years.
Which is what Yzerman suggested, allegedly.
That’s fair, Ray. Yesterday I gave the Wings management a whack but we don’t know the full details.
The “DEAD THINGS”. I like that nickname. The break
down as to the why part is classic NHL.
Go Detroit Red WINGS!!!
I wonder, despite all the positivity and good will extended by Edvinsson…..if this gets to offer sheet time.
I’d love him on the Sens. We are already at the cap.
Where is #1 oilers fan????….Is he still in hiding?
The comments where I usually go have been none
stop. Tonight is the rematch with “HOPEFULLY”
Levi in net. Don’t count out the Oilers putting Jarry
back in. After all he is signed for over 5 million.
You could learn a thing or two from 1Oilerfan, starting with analysis as opposed to knee-jerk reaction, discourse instead of insult.
I don’t always agree with 1Oilerfan but the comments made are well thought out and legit opinion not character jabs.
Could not agree more!
Good on you Habfan30.
I’m not being sarcastic.
I’ve been coming to this site since it started, and I’ve had it with junk. It just makes the experience not enjoyable any longer. Some peeps are good at just ignoring it, I guess I’m not one of them.
So, good on you for being diplomatic about it and still making your point.
Yep: Just so you really get it Fred020, I’m with the others here. Exchanges with 1Oilerfan are always constructive and respectful.
You? Not so much.
I have no problem being less diplomatic as you never are Fred.
First off 1Oilerfan did respond to you yesterday, and agree with the group, there is real discourse with him.
If you think you’re dunking on him, you’re not.
You’re a troll, and it’s like debating a talking Barbie. Doesn’t matter what you try, the same 5 responses come out.
Thanks fellas, for the kind remarks. I appreciate them and the discussions we have.
FRED020 – would you like roll call every morning? Are you looking for my take on the oilers after every game and each off day? What is it you want?
This wilI be the last time i address the “callouts”. I only comment when I think i have something of value to add. Otherwise I am content to read the articles and comments. Want my comments, create topics that are interesting. I’ll chime in.
A record 494 for a trio seems extremely low? The number should be over 1500 for this particular trio. But they have all had their past struggles with injuries.
1500, how do you arrive at that number? Even IF a team wins 50 games a season, it would take 30 seasons to achieve 1500 wins. And that assumes none of the players miss any of those wins due to injury.
I completely misread that. I thought it said games played together. Not won together.
It’s still a pretty low number considering. I would imagine Pittsburgh’s winning percentage over the last 20 years is higher than 30%?
Out of a possible roughly 1640 (regular season only) games 494 certainly seems pretty low for a team that had 3 cup runs in that span?
While we talk a lot about single players, this will be a long year of hockey. How many skaters, O, and D, and Goalies will your team need. 30, 16, 14, and 3 are my working numbers for the league average.
I’m guessing, on average, about 1 player per team plays all 84. I’m thinking the top playoff teams may, as much as anything, be the ones whose injuries are spaced out rather than creating three weeks of losing hockey when everyone seems hurt at once. Watching the AHL affiliate more closely than ever as I expect to see a lot of those guys this year. For some GM’s the waiver wire will be a major curse.