NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 23, 2026
Patrice Bergeron and Carey Price among the Hockey Hall of Fame’s 2026 class, the Senators plan their future without Brady Tkachuk, Darren Raddysh explains why he joined the Maple Leafs, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
NHL.COM: Center Patrice Bergeron, goaltenders Carey Price and Pekka Rinne, and winger Keith Tkachuk headline the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026. The induction ceremony will take place in November.
Longtime NHL executive Brian Burke will be inducted into the builder’s category. Former USA women’s star and coach Cindy Curley was also inducted into the player category. Curley was inducted into the US Hockey Hall of Fame in 2013.
Patrice Bergeron, Carey Price, Pekka Rinne, and Keith Tkachuk will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame (NHL.com)
Bergeron was one of the greatest two-way players in NHL history. Spending his entire 19-season career with the Boston Bruins, he won the Selke Trophy as the league’s top defensive forward a record six times. Bergeron also helped the Bruins win the Stanley Cup in 2011, and captained the club from 2021 until his retirement in 2023. He’s third all-time among the Bruins with 1,294 games played, 427 goals, and 1,040 points.
Price spent his 15-season NHL career with the Montreal Canadiens, becoming the franchise leader with 361 wins in 712 games. In 2014-15, he won the Hart Memorial Trophy as league MVP, Ted Lindsay Award as NHLPA MVP, Vezina Trophy as the top goaltender, and the Jennings Trophy for the fewest goals-against. Price also won the Masterton Trophy in 2021-22 and backstopped Canada to Olympic gold in 2014.
Rinne spent his entire 13-season NHL career with the Nashville Predators. He’s their franchise leader for goalies in every major statistical category, including wins (369), goals-against average (2.43), save percentage (.917), and shutouts (60) in 683 games. Rinne won the Vezina Trophy in 2017-18.
Tkachuk was among the greatest American-born goal scorers in NHL history. He’s third all-time in that category with 538 goals. In 18 NHL seasons with the Winnipeg Jets, Phoenix Coyotes, St. Louis Blues, and Atlanta Thrashers, Tkachuk had 1,065 points in 1,201 games. He won gold for Team USA at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey.
Burke began his NHL management career with the Vancouver Canucks in 1987. He went on to become GM of the Canucks, Hartford Whalers, and Anaheim Ducks (winning the Stanley Cup in 2007), and Toronto Maple Leafs, and served as team president of the Calgary Flames and Pittsburgh Penguins.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to the Class of 2026 for this well-deserved honor.
SPORTSNET: Ottawa Senators general manager Steve Staios has no intention of rebuilding his roster after trading Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers on Sunday.
Staios said he intends to be “active in the (trade) market” when it comes to the ninth and 25th overall picks in the upcoming NHL trade. He acquired those picks as part of the return for Tkachuk.
“I have no intention of this team taking a step back,” Staios said. “We’re active, and we’re open.”
Staios also indicated that Tkachuk told him of his wish to be traded about a week and a half after their season ended. He began with a list of four teams (Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars, and Vegas Golden Knights) but whittled that list down to one.
The Senators GM indicated that he wouldn’t shy away from acquiring American players in the future. “I don’t look at the passport, I look at what they can offer the Ottawa Senators,” he said.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators are believed to be interested in center Mason McTavish of the Anaheim Ducks. They also reportedly “kicked tires” on New York Rangers left wing Alexis Lafreniere, and Pittsburgh Penguins forwards Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell.
THE ATHLETIC: James Mirtle examined the factors that have recently led to stars from Canadians teams to head to the United States. Those include notable American players such as Brady and Matthew Tkachuk, Quinn Hughes and the late Johnny Gaudreau, as well as Toronto native Mitch Marner, Swedish defenseman Rasmus Andersson, and Danish winger Nikolaj Ehlers.
Mirtle cited several factors, including media attention, weather, taxes, and politics, but a key one is that Canadian teams have struggled to contend consistently in the salary cap era.
Before the salary cap, teams asked players to commit to long-term deals, then buy them out or trade them when their play declined. Today, players have more leverage, especially given the decline of the free-agent market and how vital the trade market has become to build a contending team.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Players with no-trade and no-move protection have started using them to their advantage by requesting trades to only a limited number of destinations.
Since the Tkachuk trade, some fans suggested the NHL abolish no-trade or no-movement clauses, or change the rules to void those clauses if the player requests a trade.
Such changes can only occur in collective bargaining with the NHL Players’ Association, and good luck convincing them to buy into it. The CBA already limits eligibility to players with seven full NHL seasons or those 27 and older.
Tkachuk’s contract history is a good example. His first full NHL season was in 2018-19 when he was 18-years-old. Under the CBA, players on entry-level contracts don’t get no-trade protection. Following the completion of his ELC, Tkachuk signed an eight-year contract with the Senators. His no-movement clause (which was negotiated into his contract; they’re not automatic) didn’t begin until this season, after he had played seven full NHL seasons.
If this topic comes up during the next CBA talks in 2030, the PA might be willing to tweak the eligibility period by a year or two, but they’ll want something in return. It’s doubtful they’ll agree to eliminating those clauses or putting further limitations on them.
TORONTO SUN: Darren Raddysh met with the Toronto media via Zoom on Monday for the first time since his acquisition by the Maple Leafs. Having grown up in the Greater Toronto Area, the 30-year-old defenseman said it meant a lot to him to join his hometown team, and it would’ve meant a lot to his father, who passed away in March following a battle with cancer.
“It means the world,” Raddysh said. “To be able to play in front of the home fans, it’s awesome. A lot of friends and family have already texted me and are excited.”
Raddysh was acquired last week from the Tampa Bay Lightning and signed an eight-year contract extension with the Leafs worth an average annual value of $8.5 million.
EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers re-signed defenseman Connor Murphy to a five-year contract with an average annual value of $4.1 million.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Vladimir Tarasenko could be preparing to depart the Minnesota Wild. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported the veteran winger has changed agents ahead of his UFA eligibility on July 1.
If a player has a nmc or ntc and they request a trade it should have to be done in writing which will then negate the clause.
Another option would be for a team to “buy out” and nmc or ntc i.e. $1mil to a player but it will also count against the cap and the buy out would only be good for one season.
Good luck getting the PA to agree to either of those options. Trade protection is among the few leverage points that players have under the salary-cap system, and there’s already limitations on those clauses. They will rightfully say that it’s up to the general managers and the teams to decide what type of no-trade protection they’ll allow in a contract.
Fascinating stuff all this movement. Staois also said something to the effect that he’s fielded lots of calls for that 9th pick.
If I’m steady Steve, I’m pulling the trigger on something huge. BIG SWING. Whether it’s Jason Robertson, or something else, something that moves the needle. You got the fans – you got the cap space….make a splash.
On Brady. Sigh. Excellent player. I think he is heavily influenced by his father and brother, heavily influenced by popularity and really just wants the feeling he had with team USA. For all the people saying Ottawa is better off…we really aren’t. He’s a point per game player, an Eric Lindros type..huge rough tumble player with hands. When his head is right (and it wasn’t…for whatever reason in the playoffs…concussed vertigo who knows)…but when he’s on, he’s a beast. Ottawa has never had a player like that. I am sad to see him go.
Every body seems to want to put some kind of political label on the kid. Like we do with everything now. It’s much more simple than that. He’s simpler than that. He just wants to be around fun awesome popular cool stuff!! Who wouldn’t??!. MMA, White House, celebrities hooRah!
Sadly. Ottawa is quiet. Un-fun. Relaxed. And that’s just the way a lot of people like it.
Finally….McTavish should be avoided like the plague. He’s not the kind of person the Sens want on their team. (IYKYK)
Mirtle should also have included DeBrincat among those “stars” leaving Canada-based teams for sites in the U.S.
Not that either would likely want to return here, but DeBrincat and Tarasenko are two I wouldn’t even THINK about if I were a GM of a Canada-based team.
Jack Todd of the Montreal Gazette pulls no punches as to his opinion of Brady Tkachuk and the ensuing deal in this interesting column, and how deals like that one and the Raddysh one impact the Atlantic Division and how they impact the Habs:
https://ottawacitizen.com/sports/hockey/montreal-canadiens/todd-tkachuk-raddysh-deals-raise-bar-for-canadiens-as-division-foes-fortify?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-ca
So much hate. OMG I hope it’s done with tongue in cheek. This guy was swinging and swinging hard.
Didn’t read it all, got what I needed early. Funny though. 🤣
Woof. That writer should be careful who he calls a toddler. Glass houses and all that. Brady handled the situation with absolute class. He knew he was going to exercise his right to go to ufa. The right to choose our own employer and shop ourselves around as professionals that most of us enjoy. Instead of screwing the team he was on he showed grace to tell the gm in private of his decision. He didn’t demand a trade à la Larkin and others. He didn’t lead the team on through his final season and walk à la Tavares. (I’ll bet that writer was completely on board with how taveres handled himself btw). All these players have the right to do what they did. Brady handled his situation with class.
Dark G: Breath, my friend.
As with any trade the winners and losers (if there are any) take a few years to determine. This is what, day 2 of Goodbye Brady? Let’s where the Sens are in November, not summer solitice.
And while no question Brady was a very good player, he was neither elite nor a point per game player.
Totally agree. As I posted yesterday, who actually “won” that deal can’t be determined until we can see the effects of the full fall-out – including who Staios is able to obtain using some of those picks AND the additional $8.2 mil in cap space, giving him just over $25 mil to spend – not to mention how Zito now handles the additional $8.2 mil to an already tight cap situation and needing TWO goalies.
Dark G, that’s exactly what’s ruining the game. Players are requesting trades to just a handful of teams. The players from many years ago didn’t make a lot of money but were dedicated to their teams (a lot more dedicated than players in this era.)
If a player asks for a trade, why not write the contract so that the NMC or NTC would then be replaced with a clause stating the player must submit a trade list of X (say 5-10) teams. No more 1, 2, or 3 acceptable trading partners which really hampers the player’s team if the others don’t have sufficient/suitable resources to provide adequate compensation.
Wouldn’t be surprised if this is the new approach with these contracts. A clause in the clause that stipulates what the teams options are if player demands a trade. Like a minimum of ten teams etc
The NBA has 2 less teams than the NHL and appears to be functioning quite well without having to deal with a No-Movement Clause, and although they do allow a No-Trade Clause which precludes a GM from trading a player with that protection without that player’s explicit consent, they are apparently rare and extremely difficult to acquire.
The conditions to even think about obtaining a NTC is 8 years in the NBA and 4 full seasons with the current team and currently just 2 players hold such protection – LeBron James of the Lakers and Damian Lillard of the Trail Blazers.
That rarity has resulted in their Collective Bargaining Agreement Rules giving a player on a 1-year deal only temporary veto power when it comes to trade attempts since trading them would remove their “Bird Rights” – aka The Veteran Free Agent Exception – which allows teams to exceed the salary cap with the signing of their own free agents. The unique “Bird Right” reference is named after the legendary Larry Bird and what the rule does is allow a team to retain their “stars” and so help maintain a competitive roster.
Those players on 2-year deals with options on the 2nd year by the player OR the team, have implied NT protection, and if the NBA equivalent of the RFA signs an offer sheet with another franchise, and their current team matches, that player cannot de dealt for a full season without their OK.
The NHL needs something along those lines.
the NBA is also maxing out at 70 million a year. If you want players to sign contracts without no-moves…maybe pay them more.
Again, good luck getting the NHLPA to agree to that. And it’s a hill I doubt the NHL want to die on. If that’s the only sticking point toward getting a deal done, the league will pass because they won’t want it to mess up their revenue streams.
Comparing the NBA’s system to the NHL’s is apples to oranges. Theirs is a soft-cap system whereas the NHL is a hard cap system with three tiers (entry-level, maximum salary, cap ceiling). No-trade/no-movement protection is among the few leverage points the players have, and even that has eligibility limitations (seven full seasons or age 27).
It’s worth noting that the owners benefit mightily from the entry-level triad part of the system which allowed the other side of the Raddysh coin: the Lightning got lats year’s performance for less than a million bucks. We are currently experimenting with a pro system where everyone becomes a free agent every year (in American college sports) and most, for several different reasons, consider it a disaster. I’d say it’s pretty obvious that the fans hate the idea of a new team every year, except perhaps for those of the one team that wins it all. So a compromise that binds the player to a team and market for a while from a happy start is good for the fans, the team, and the owner. At this point, as the number of players who “control” a trade due to their high value is small compared to the number who are pretty much compelled to go where they are sent if they want to stay in the league, I’d say the balance still favors the owners. We also tend to lose sight of the person side of things, that these are young men with young families and lives outside the rink. I’d judge the system to be working pretty well and expect the tweaks, if any , to be minor,
Fair comments, Richard. I’d say there is a balance in the rules around contracts. The owners get a return on their investment in developing a player for several years, and then the balance can swing to the player once he is no longer an RFA. And, as you point out, it is a very few whose departure causes drama.
“Nick Kypreos: It appears Dylan Larkin’s destination of choice is Dallas – Sportsnet (6/22)”
Dallas can’t send back a good C in their return as they all seem to have NMC’s. Maybe a 3 team trade could remedy this or does Stevie accept not having a C coming back?????? Kind of unlikely Y would have a center-less return.
Rangers get involved. I’d take Mavrik and Emming in a 3way trade–Trocheck to DET. But still dont see how Dallas can fit Larkin and Robertson. Robertson is bigger producer
Comparing NHL to NBA or NFL with regard to NMC/NTC is apples to oranges.
Two leagues have no development process, players are signed out of college so firstly there is no farm team to “move” to like hockey’s AHL.
NFL contracts aren’t guaranteed like NHL and the avg career is 2-3 years.
NBA avg career is 4 years and less than 10% last 10 years or more.
25% of NHL players have careers lasting 10 yrs or more.
The dynamics are totally different and the NHLPA has other bargaining positions.
Fair enough … and to be clear I wasn’t “unaware” of the differences, which is why I concluded with “The NHL needs something along those lines” and not “exactly along those lines.”
No one can say the current NHL NM/NT structure is perfect — that we’re all continuously bitching about some aspect of it is evidence of that, and not just here at Lyle’s site.
Well I haven’t bitched about NMC/NTC’s. I haven’t bitched about these guys leaving to go wherever they want either. But doesn’t mean I can’t judge them for it!
They definitely put their teams, and as a result their team mates in a difficult position. But management and ownership can do the same thing before the players are eligible for these clauses.
It’s simple for me, I can go work wherever the heck I want and who will have me, and pay me. Not sure why we fans would expect less for someone just because there job is hockey. We don’t own these guys.
I would suggest Canadian, and plenty of US teams, teams need to do a better job of building winning teams and cultures. There is a process to this, and no short cuts. I think CDN teams often lack the patience to rebuild properly. Looks like MTL might be the first in a long while to do it right, as much as I hate saying that.
When you talk culture, the biggest part is the people. I would focus a lot more on character when committing long term to some of these guys. Or at least make the move before the NMC kicks in if your unsure. You also want team first guys, not me first guys. What bucket would you put the Tkachuk’s in? Seem to do lots of me first/look at me stuff. Just my opinion.
As far as the USA thing, some want to live there vs here. Fair enough, it’s home for them. I prefer Canada. But if I was on a team that I really wanted to stay on and try to win with, I would stay. It’s not every American, Murphy decided to stay in EDM, he and his wife really like it. Also thinks he can win here.
Up to the team to figure out what that particular player wants, and make it a place where they want to stay.
Just my thoughts.
Congrats to Carey Price and the others making it into the HOF.
That said, I have a problem with a guy making the HOF while still being paid as an active participant as of about a week ago. According to the eligibility criteria I’ve seen, you have to be retired at least 3 years. Being paid up until about a week hardly qualifies as 3 years.
You’re either retired, or you aren’t. And he wasn’t.
And yes, obviously there’s a carve-out here in eligibility. But I think there shouldn’t be.
Plus, it’s a totally unnecessary carve-out. Get elected in 2029 instead. What difference does it make?
Shea Weber was a first ballot inductee in 2024.
In 2025 he was traded to Chicago and paid to the end of the year.
I’m not positive but I think he hasn’t signed his retirement papers yet.
Canadian players sometimes want to go back to Canada and play for their hometown team. For example, pajama boy and Darren Raddysh. Sometimes, American players miss being close to home/family(Johnny Hockey and Brady T). I don’t think it’s an epidemic of nefarious behavior. I think it’s just human nature.
Randino, yep.
Also don’t forget the impact the wives and family have either. They get a say in it.
I was talking about Murphy above, his wife luv’s it in Edmonton, and the group welcomed her and their family into the organization. Plus good schools etc.
That stuff matters.
Ray Bark,having 97 and 29 on your team helps also!
And 97 and 29 are?