NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 22, 2026
Recapping Wednesday’s action, the Sabres re-sign Josh Doan, the Bruins re-up Alex Steeves, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: Utah Mammoth captain Clayton Keller scored the tying and overtime goals in a 5-4 comeback victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Keller finished with three points while Dylan Guenther and Nick Schmaltz each had two assists as the Mammoth (26-20-4) overcame a 4-2 deficit. Chris Dvorak had two goals and an assist for the 23-17-9 Flyers.
Utah Mammoth captain Clayton Keller (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers forward Rodrigo Abols missed this game and is expected to be sidelined for two months with a fractured ankle.
Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal kicked out 40 shots as his club nipped the Colorado Avalanche 2-1. Cutter Gauthier scored the winner in the shootout for the 26-21-3 Ducks, who picked up their fifth straight win. Scott Wedgewood turned aside 16 of 17 shots in regulation and overtime for the league-leading Avalanche (34-5-9), who are 1-1-2 in their last four games.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the 1,000th regular-season NHL game for Ducks winger Alex Killorn. Ducks center Mason McTavish missed this game with an upper-body injury. Defenseman Jackson Lacombe was named to the United States Olympic men’s hockey team as a replacement for sidelined Florida Panthers blueliner Seth Jones.
An overtime goal by Dylan Larkin gave the Detroit Red Wings a 2-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Larkin also assisted on Simon Edvinsson’s game-tying goal while John Gibson stopped 30 shots for the Red Wings (31-16-4), who have won seven of their last eight games. Joseph Woll made 39 saves, and Scott Laughton scored for the 24-17-9 Maple Leafs.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson suffered a lower-body injury midway through the first period and did not return to action. He will be reevaluated on Thursday.
The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Calgary Flames 4-1. Evgeni Malkin and Tommy Novak each had a goal and an assist for the 24-14-11 Penguins, who are 3-0-2 in their last five contests. Yegor Sharangovich replied for the Flames, who dropped to 21-24-5.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins defenseman Kris Letang missed this game as he’s day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Flames winger Jonathan Huberdeau is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser had a goal and an assist as his club ended an 11-game winless skid with a 4-3 victory over the Washington Capitals. Kevin Lankinen made 29 saves for the Canucks (17-28-5). Dylan Strome tallied twice and collected an assist for the slumping Capitals (24-21-6), who have dropped four straight games.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals winger Tom Wilson collected an assist in his return to action after missing eight games with a lower-body injury. Capitals defenseman John Carlson collected two assists to reach 600 for his NHL career.
The Seattle Kraken beat the New York Islanders 4-1. Vince Dunn had a goal and an assist for the 22-18-9 Kraken, ending a four-game winless skid (0-3-1). Anthony Duclair scored for the Islanders (27-18-5).
IN OTHER NEWS…
BUFFALO HOCKEY BEAT: The Sabres signed forward Josh Dean to a seven-year, $48.75 million contract extension, with an average annual value of $6.95 million.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Acquired from the Mammoth in the JJ Peterka trade last June, the 23-year-old Doan has become a valuable young forward for the Sabres. He’s moved up in their lineup into a first-line role, and sits fourth among their scorers with 35 points in 49 games.
BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The Bruins signed forward Alex Steeves to a two-year contract extension with an AAV of $1.625 million.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Steeves, 26, has become a versatile player for the Bruins this season, earning praise from head coach Marco Sturm for his ability to play any forward position and move easily throughout the lineup as required.
TSN: The New Jersey Devils placed defenseman Luke Hughes (shoulder) on long-term injury reserve.
TAMPA BAY TIMES: The Lightning have officially extended their lease at the Benchmark International Arena for six more years through 2043.
Utah has quietly inched up in the overall standings, going 8-1-1 over their past 10 while the Avalanche (5-3-2) have shown that they are at least mortal, with 5 losses, including 2 in a SO & OT, scoring 38 goals and giving up 27 for a +11. And while a lot of teams would give up their eye teeth for a 10-game stretch like that, somehow it looks out of place on them, given their season so far.
Meanwhile, Tampa has been on fire, going 9-0-1. scoring 44 times while giving up 20 for a +24, and is slowly closing in on Colorado’s massive league dominance, and they are the team I would say to watch in terms of a major deal involving the top trade names being bandied about, given that Hedman and his $8 mil per cap hit is on LTIR and Point doubtful even for the Olympics. They always seem able to pull off the unexpected deal.
As for being “hot,” they are not alone in that regard as they are joined by 7 other Eastern Conference teams among the Top 10 in that regard:
Tampa 9-0-1 19 pts .950
Utah 8-1-1 17 pts .850
Boston 8-2-0 16 pts .800
Carolina, Detroit, Vegas each 7-2-1 15 pts .750
Pittsburgh 6-2-2 14 pts .700
Montreal & Buffalo each 6-3-1 13 pts .650
Toronto 5-2-3 13 pts .650
At the other end of the scale are these “coldest” who, for different reasons, I fully expect to see prominently included in coming trades:
Vancouver 1-8-1 3 pts .150
NY Rangers 2-7-1 5 pts .250
Calgary & Washington each 3-6-1 7 pts .350
St. Louis 4-6-0 8 pts .400
Dallas & Philadelphia each 3-5-2 8 pts .400
Florida 4-5-1 9 pts .450
Over their past 10, the remaining 14 teams fall squarely in the middle of the above two extremes, just a notch away from the top group as they perform in that often frustrating one-step forward, one-step backwards marking time modes:
San Jose & Chicago each 6-4-0 12 pts .600
Colorado, Edmonton, Columbus, Winnipeg each 5-3-2 12 pts .600
Los Angeles 4-2-4 12 pts .600
NY Islanders 5-4-1 11 pts .550
New Jersey, Nashville, Anaheim 5-5-0 10 pts .500
Ottawa, Minnesota and Seattle 4-4-2 10 pts .500
I wrote Tampa off a few years ago, not as a playoff team but as a serious contender. So much for that. They can’t lose, while having Hedman, McDonagh, Point and Cirelli out. They are like an ancient curse that refuses to die.
Yep. And they came into the league the same year as Ottawa’s return.
Location, location, location …. coupled with management, management, management.
LOL
welcome back, by the way … Delphi … wow. Nice trip!
In the broadcast last night Chelios suggested the Wings going all out to get Werenski by giving them Cossa and more………….This has got by vote!
Foolish trade. Cossa is having a monster season and should be untouchable. Detroit needs a forward (or 2) that can score and plays with a ton of grit (think Maltby/Draper type). Cossa is the future in net for Detroit and you don’t trade a guy like that unless you have 2 guys like that.
Have to agree totally there Ed. This is a 6’ 7” 220lb 23 y/o goalie sporting a 1.81gaa and 0.932 save % over 21 AHL gp. When your current tandem are 32 (Gibson) and 38 (Talbot), and with much of the current league goaltending in a constant state of flux, you better be ultra-sure you can afford to give up someone like Cossa.
Sort of reminds me of undrafted Brandon Bussi, who spent 4 seasons in the Bruins organization before being signed as a UFA by Florida in July 2025, only to lose him to waivers on Oct 5, just before the opening of the current season, to Carolina. A lot of teams – some needing goaltending – passed on him before Carolina – well down the picking order at the time – grabbed him. All he’s done is go 18-3-1 with a 2.16gaa and 0.908 save %.
Sorry guys. I disagree vehemently. A annual Norris candidate for a prospect? When Detroit really needs to move on from the perpetual rebuild? It’s a no brainer for me from Detroits side. But it would have to be some other decent pieces for me to do it from Columbus side
GeorgeO, I hope Boston doesn t make the same mistake with their AHL goalies as they did with Bussi. Do you think Toronto is regretting using Minten and Steeves to Boston?
That’s why I put in that caveat below at 1:53 pm, chrims, about an hour before your post! LOL
I wouldn’t use the word “regret” Sr. Minten and a conditional 1st was the price for veteran D Carlo, who they clearly felt was a needed commodity.
Steeves departed via free-agency, and clearly, considering he only got an $850,000 deal from Boston, wasn’t perceived as anything special. And really, given that he only has 8g 6a 14 pts in 33gp, they didn’t exactly let a gem slip through their fingers.
Detroit is very deep in very good prospect goaltenders. Postava is sporting a .944 in GrandRapids, Augustine may be leading his squad to an NCAA championship, Gylander is .909 with the Walleye, Guimond is .920 with 32 GP in the Q, Cossa fetching a premier 1st pairing defender is what Detroit has been needing for a long, long time! You don’t dismiss that, especially with the depth they now have in goal!
That is a good group of goalie prospects, Johnny Z, and you make a sound argument.
I suppose the old adage that, “if you want something good you have to give up something good in return” is front and center here.
And Columbus does need an infusion of top goalie prospects. The question remains, though, since Cossa on his own won’t get Werenski, what constitutes “and more?”
Chelli only mentioned Cossa….but yeah it would take another 2 very good pieces and a lesser piece to complete it a 1st a 2028 2nd and Wallinder might do it.