NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 3, 2026
Alex Ovechkin returns for another season, Connor Bedard suffers a shoulder injury during training, the Flames trade Blake Coleman to the Wild, the Canadiens re-sign Jakub Dobes, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Alex Ovechkin is returning for a 22nd NHL season. The 40-year-old winger signed a one-year, bonus-laden contract with the Washington Capitals, with whom he’s spent his entire NHL career.
Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: PuckPedia indicates Ovechkin will receive a $1 million base salary, a $3.25 million signing bonus, and a $4.75 million performance bonus that could take him up to $9 million.
It seemed that the 2025-26 season would be Ovechkin’s last, but the Capitals’ recent additions to their roster (such as wingers Jordan Kyrou and Alex Tuch) may have helped to encourage him to return for one more run at the Stanley Cup. He’ll remain their captain but will take on a modified role with reduced minutes.
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Blackhawks superstar Connor Bedard suffered what appeared to be a shoulder injury during on-ice training in his hometown of Vancouver on Thursday. He lost his balance, fell awkwardly into the boards, and quickly skated off the ice holding his left shoulder.
Bedard suffered a similar injury to his right shoulder last December. He missed four weeks, but it was another month after his return before he was 100 percent.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: An update on Bedard’s condition is expected within the next several days.
CALGARY SUN/TWINCITIES.COM: The Calgary Flames traded winger Blake Coleman and defenseman Olli Maatta to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for defenseman Jake Middleton, a second-round pick in 2029, a third-round pick in 2027, and a fourth-round pick in 2028.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Coleman, 34, had been the subject of frequent trade speculation for the past two seasons. He has a year remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $4.9 million, with the Flames retaining 50 percent. According to Flames general manager Craig Conroy, Coleman did not request a trade.
Coleman and Maatta will bring experienced depth to the Wild on the wing and their blueline. However, they don’t address the club’s ongoing need for a first-line center. They have just over $2.3 million in cap space and are reportedly the main suitor for Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin.
The Flames wanted the 30-year-old Middleton for his experience, character, defensive play, and toughness. He’s happy to be going to Calgary, citing family considerations as well as the direction the Flames are taking with their rebuild and their new arena that opens in 2027.
TWINCITIES.COM: Speaking of the Wild, they signed forward Nick Foligno to a one-year, $900,000 contract.
THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: The Canadiens signed goaltender Jakub Dobes to a three-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $5.375 million beginning in 2027-28.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Another sensible re-signing by the Canadiens, coming on the heels of their inking Ivan Demidov to an eight-year extension with an AAV of $9.15 million. The 25-year-old Dobes emerged as their starting goaltender midway through this season, backstopping them to the Eastern Conference Final.
If that strong performance is a sign of things to come, the Canadiens will be set with Dobes as their starter, and that contract will be a bargain compared to most starters around the league.
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell has shut down speculation suggesting Kirill Marchenkov will be traded this summer. He said they intend to keep their leading goal scorer for next season and possibly beyond.
Marchenko, 25, is a year away from becoming a restricted free agent with arbitration rights. Rumors emerged during the draft claiming the winger didn’t intend to sign a contract extension this summer.
Waddell said he’s spoken with Marchenko’s agent. He didn’t get into the details of those discussions, but said that he told the agent that his client would be a Blue Jacket when the 2026-27 season opens in October.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Waddell’s been busy doing damage control. This news comes a day after he and Zach Werenski issued statements claiming that Werenski was not going to be traded despite reports that he rejected a move to the Dallas Stars.
Waddell has put out those two fires for now, but they’re bound to flare up again if the Blue Jackets fail to qualify for the playoffs next spring. By that point, he could be willing to part with one or both players next summer, provided he’s still the Blue Jackets GM when the season ends.
OTTAWA SUN: The Senators are offering a discount to their fans who want to exchange their Brady Tkachuk jerseys for new threads. Tkachuk was shipped to the Florida Panthers last month after months of claiming he wasn’t seeking a trade.
SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks signed top prospect Ivar Stenberg to a three-year entry-level contract. They chose the 18-year-old forward with the second-overall pick in this year’s draft.
The jersey deal in Ottawa is labelled “Chuck The Tkachuk Jerseys.” Now the question is, will they be adding another similar promotion involving those of Claude Giroux?
According to what AI is saying, “Ottawa’s proposed numbers are essentially what Giroux and his camp are seeking, and GM Steve Staios has stated that a roster spot is specifically “reserved” for the veteran if he chooses to return.”
Meanwhile, he and his agent are reportedly waiting to see if there’s a “better” team prepared to take him on that is closer to winning a cup.
While it’s fine to say that that is his “right,” it’s not a very nice attitude to have on the team if he does wind up re-signing here.
George
I think chuck the Tkachuk is brilliant- if I had one, I would do just that.
I think Staios should pull the offer on Giroux – waiting for a better offer – clearly he is not happy there – move on from him.
That’s my view too, Jerseyjohnny … imagine re-signing with Ottawa and then going into the locker room and have to look in the eyes of teammates that you just shrugged off as being … well … useless in terms of ever becoming a serious contender.
Move on Claude.
Along the same lines GeorgeO O I wonder what the fall out will be for players that have been offered in a trade where they exercised their right not to go. Example I am hearing was Boston trading Zadorov for Nurse and he turned down the deal!
Which one said “no” – Zadorov or Nurse?
As a fan, I am definitely at the point where -my attitude has become “fine … don’t let the door hit your butt on the way out ….” – regardless of who it is. You’d rather be somewhere else? Eff off.
Staios can better spend what they were prepared to give Giroux on one of the remaining UFAs who will come in and give top effort.
Zadorov said “no”, reportedly.
Sr.. you would think that players that have NTC in their contract would be approached first and asked if they would waive that clause for a trade .. just so this won’t be made public if NTC is used … I wonder now what will this do to the Bruins Zad relationship
Just wondering- since the NHLPA and the agents want announce what players salaries are, why can’t the teams disclose – the list of teams that each player does not want to go to.
That SHOULD most definitely be made public.
I have to think the league would not want the NTCs made public, as it would surely embarrass teams repeatedly on it.
It might have the effect of prompting teams’ management to improve and spend to the cap where they don’t, but other small market teams have enough trouble attracting and retaining talent as it is, ie CBJ.
Very disappointed with Sweeney’s moves or lack of. But as a bruins fan I keep thinking there must be something else he can do before the season starts? Anybody hear anything.
I know two moves they need but I doubt both or even one happens
they wanted speed & skill.. Did they accomplish that.?
They need someone to ride with Charlie on the 1st pairing
They need a legit center
Being a “big, bad Bruin” appealed to Nurse.
HuGo on the phone with Pat Brisson:
me,me,me
On another note a big part of HuGo’s accomplishments regarding culture in the rebuild can be summed up by young Ivan Demidov regarding comments about his leaving money on the table like all the core have…. “Money’s a big part of your life because without it you can’t have something. But for me, the main thing is hockey… Money never going to be over hockey in my life”
What a refreshing attitude! Hope it spreads.
Smoke and fire
If reports are true that Neely/Sweeney offered Zad to the OIlers for NUrse and Zad used his NTC to nixed the trade you would think the two GM’s for the Bruins would’ve gone to Zad first and told him about the proposed trade so it could be bn offered or not… Again if this is true Sweeney has explaining to do on how this went down
Can I chuck my M.Tkachuck Flames Jersey ?
Coleman is a nice vet but really a third liner.
If the Wild want Larkin they will have to return salary-Gustafsson ?
The Red Wings need a lot of things, but yet another goalie is not one of them.
Y definitely has a goalie fetish, so there is a possibility!
I don’t think they can trade Gus until he is healthy…..in what may be November?
Meanwhile, with all these player “demands” and the ensuing raises in salaries, the fan is the ultimate one feeling the pinch as ticket prices keep going UP – not to mention some of the idiotic prices attached to beer and hot dogs.
Hopefully, what is starting to transpire in another part of the “entertainment” industry will soon be seen in greater numbers in pro sports
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.7239638
George, the players’ salaries have nothing to do with the rise of ticket and concession prices. Each market charges what it can bear. That’s why ticket prices in Toronto are the league’s highest while they’re among the league’s lowest down the road in Buffalo. Players salaries are based on their share of league revenue, of which they get half and the teams get half.
I still remember Gary Bettman promising hockey fans during the 2004-05 lockout that the salary cap would make the game more affordable. He was trying to tie the rising cost of attending games to player salaries, which was a blatant lie, but one most fans swallowed whole. Teams charge what their market will bear.
Yeah, I understand that, Lyle. But you can’t tell me that there aren’t also those owners who will ALWAYS continue to raise ticket prices “to see what the market will bear” as a means to offsetting a portion of the cost of ever-rising salaries.
But whatever the case … and regardless of where the “fault lies – in the end there has to be a saturation point where the paying public is concerned – and that is now taking place in the music world.
George, if there are owners continually raising ticket price, local economics are usually more at play. In Toronto, it’s the largest hockey market in the NHL, with a lot of corporate support (which is where most of their revenue from tickets and concessions comes from). They keep raising prices not to offset rising salaries, because the players’ salaries have nothing to do with it. The salary cap exploded that myth once and for all. They’re raising them because they know they have the deep-pocketed support that will pay it.
That being said, those rising prices continue to shut out lower- and middle-class hockey fans, who form the true fan base for the sport. Given the current state of the global economy, it could indeed reach a point where it becomes too expensive. So far, however, it hasn’t reached that point yet, likely because of the corporate support.
Lyle .. what you hearing about this Zad/Nurse proposed deal or no deal ?
Same as everyone else is hearing about this rumored deal. It was supposedly in place, but one of the Bruins players involved in the deal refused to waive their no-trade protection.
“That being said, those rising prices continue to shut out lower- and middle-class hockey fans, who form the true fan base for the sport. Given the current state of the global economy, it could indeed reach a point where it becomes too expensive. So far, however, it hasn’t reached that point yet, likely because of the corporate support.”
Added to that is the increased difficulty for lower and middle class hockey fans to watch their teams play the game on TV without expensive cable, satellite or streaming leaving a large number left out of the loop and a generation looking at other sports that have a much wider media base and accessibility.
While it hasn’t reached that point yet it certainly is on the way and ownership can face that coming reality and plan for it or wait and get run over.
Some franchises are working on it already with sponsorship of youth hockey, building out door rinks, ways to build future generations of fans that they recognize need live visibility that’s affordable.
Lyle/george
Re ticket prices
Funny I was just looking at
The 1993 Stanley cup game 5 at the forum, in the reds 6 rows up from ice level – cost $ 56, our season tickets today don’t even show the prices , but they are $ 300
Re Ticket prices and salaries.
Lyle is bang on the teams charge what people will pay. Every business does unless they’re stupid.
Interesting data from CNBC.
#1 revenue team in 2025 – Edmonton Oilers-$431M
#1 EBITA – EDM Oilers – $188M
EBITA % of Rev – 43.6%. (that is a crazy high # for almost any business).
So Oilers definitely charging what the market will bear, and it’s a lot.
Ottawa – 2025 FY Revenue $169M
EBITA – $5M or 2.9% of revenue. That is low for any kind of business.
Salary cap in 24/25 was $88M. 25/26 $95.5M. So take the average.
The math for these 2 teams is way different, and pretty darn simple when half the rev goes to the players.
Question:
If you owned the Sens, and with the cap rising, would you try and raise ticket prices?
Of course I would … but I had better be prepared to see a lot of ass-less seats in my arena. Especially when it comes to the senior element and their essentially “fixed” incomes.
On another topic
https://macleans.ca/politics/the-mayor-of-niagara-falls-new-york-wants-canadians-back/?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-ca
Meanwhile, many of his hockey-playing fellow citizens want no part of playing here. Guess it works both ways.
Which they very likely will do George, they kinda need to don’t they.
And if you’re right about the empty seats, then that raises another question.
Without a new arena, one where the economics are better for the Sens (boxes, club seats, bars etc), does it make sense for the Sens to stay in Ottawa?
Where are they with the arena talks anyway? Decision time for the folks in Ottawa is coming if their financials stay this way, or get worse with a rising cap.
Which will disappear faster than David Copperfield if they sense they’re backing a sinking ship.
If it came to moving the team I ,,, and I imagine a lot of others might be sad to see it go – but we wouldn’t lose a minute’s sleep over it. Life would go on, with something else to pick up the slack.
As to the new arena, the latest says, while the NCC/Senators agreement is “nearing conclusion” any groundbreaking is still “years away.” In short, I for one won’t be around to see it open for business.
So I could not possibly care less.
I would not put much stock in some of these reports surrounding Nurse. There were other reports of Nurse going to Boston for Lohrei, a high draft pick and another asset which was completely fabricated by a writer trying to use his media platform to try to leverage medium return for Nurse. Now there is the suggestion of Zadorov. I am not buying it as Sweeney was hunting for a RD not a LD which is what Nurse is . Plus there is Nurse’s high salary, and more than anything else, his significantly declining play. I again atttibute the Zadorov rumours (or any others that might crop up), to again be writers misusing their profession to sow the seeds of discontent. And by the way, for anyone watching Will Borgen and his play with the Rangers as well as with team USA, they should see that this was an excellent pickup by Sweeney.
I agree with, Lindsay on all points.
Agree with some of it.
At the risk of sounding like a Nurse cheerleader, his play has not declined significantly. Didn’t have a good year, but when he finally got a partner (Murphy) capable of playing in the top 4, they were great together. He is simply overpaid.
Agree that Nurse didn’t make sense for Boston, and a RD was the obvious need. I haven’t watched Borgen so no idea how he will fit.
Disagree that a writer was trying to leverage a return and hence his article. Seems like a reach for a conspiracy if you want my actual opinion.
Nurse would be an upgrade on both Lindholm and Lohrei, and if traded for Lohrei, it made them better. But again, the pressing need was RD.
So possible it was pure speculation, but it was also reported that Boston was one of the teams Nurse had on his list. So hardly surprising the B’s and Oilers talked about Nurse and what a trade would look like.
Nurse expanded his list, Oilers ate nothing (unlike the $4M to $5M some were throwing out there), and got a decent return. SJ upgraded their D significantly as it was a black hole prior to getting Nurse and Trouba. They still have only 5 NHL caliber D-men under contract, so more work to do.
They were a natural trade partner and an up and coming team.
Forgot to include Zadorov as Nurse is better than him too, and I like Zadorov and what he brings.