NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 6, 2026
In today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines: Stars winger Jason Robertson is among the 15 players who filed for salary arbitration, the Ducks re-sign defenseman Pavel Mintyukov, and the Penguins re-up four players.
NHLPA.COM: 15 players elected salary arbitration before Sunday’s 5 pm ET deadline.
Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson is the most notable player to do so. Others include Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale and winger Trevor Zegras, Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Jet Greaves, Winnipeg Jets forward Cole Perfetti, and New York Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider.
Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson (NHL Images).
The other nine players include Xavier Bourgault of the Ottawa Senators, Kirby Dach of the Montreal Canadiens, Alex Jeffries of the New York Islanders, Peyton Krebs of the Buffalo Sabres, Connor McMichael of the St. Louis Blues, Nick Robertson of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Akira Schmid of the Florida Panthers, Ronan Seeley of the Carolina Hurricanes, and Cole Sillinger of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The deadline for club-elected salary arbitration notification is July 6 at 5 pm ET. Arbitration hearings will be held from July 20 to August 1.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Filing for arbitration is usually done by the player or team to set a deadline to reach an agreement on a new contract, rather than having negotiations drag out throughout the summer or into training camp. It’s rare that they actually end up before an arbiter.
Robertson’s case will be closely watched. He’s the biggest name on his list, leading the Stars in scoring with 96 points last season.
It’s believed the two sides are $2 million apart, with the Stars proposing an average annual value of $12 million while the Robertson camp reportedly seeks $14 million. He’s also eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, meaning an arbiter’s decision will be for one year, extending his UFA eligibility unless he and the Stars agree to an extension before then.
If Robertson is awarded a new contract through arbitration, he and the Stars can’t open contract extension talks until Jan. 1.
Because these players filed for arbitration, they are ineligible to receive an offer sheet. If a club files for arbitration today, that player is still eligible to sign an offer sheet.
Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News reports that Jeffries’ filing means a second contract buyout window opens for the Islanders exactly three days after Jeffries’ salary arbitration is settled or awarded, and that it applies to players carrying contracts with average annual values of $4 million or more. The same rule applied to the other teams on this list.
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: The Anaheim Ducks signed defenseman Pavel Mintyukov to a five-year contract with an AAV of $7.2 million.
Mintyukov, 22, was a restricted free agent coming off his entry-level contract and lacked arbitration rights. The signing averts the possibility of him receiving an expensive offer sheet from a rival club.
NHL insider Frank Seravalli claimed an incoming offer sheet for Mintyukov accelerated the negotiations between the Ducks and Mintyukov, who wanted to remain in Anaheim.
Meanwhile, Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek must decide if he’ll match the five-year offer sheet signed by center Leo Carlsson with the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday, or let him join the Flyers and receive four first-round draft picks as compensation. He has until this Friday to reach a decision.
Mintyukov’s new contract leaves the Ducks with $10 million in salary cap space, with RFA forward Cutter Gauthier to be signed. Gauthier is ineligible to receive an offer sheet, but the cost of re-signing him has risen due to the $18 million AAV Carlsson will receive on his new contract.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The threat of an offer sheet for Mintyukov left Verbeek little choice but to get the young defenseman under contract quickly and probably for more than anticipated. Blindsided by the Carlsson offer sheet, the Ducks GM couldn’t risk another one.
Gauthier’s ineligibility to sign an offer sheet still leaves him as an RFA lacking arbitration rights coming off his entry-level contract. That gives Verbeek the leverage in those negotiations, but it will be difficult to justify a low-ball bridge deal if he matches Carlsson’s offer sheet.
PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins signed winger Egor Chinahkov to a three-year contract with an AAV of $6.25 million. Goaltender Arturs Silovs inked a one-year, $2.8 million contract.
Goalie Joel Blomqvist got a two-year contract, with the first year being a two-way deal. It’s worth an AAV of $875,000 at the NHL level. Center David Gustafsson received a one-year, two-way contract worth $850,000 at the NHL level.
I’d like to see the bruins put in a serious offer for Trevor Zegras. He would look awfully good in a bruins jersey. There’s your number one centre.
By “serious offer” for Zegras, I assume you mean a trade proposal?
Why not? The bruins have draft choices and players they could offer. They need a no. 1 centre.
Oh, I don’t have an issue with your suggestion, John. I was merely wondering if you meant pursuing him via trade or by offer sheet. Cheers!
Thanks for responding Lyle the bruins have to do something I’ll be with them regardless but I don’t think they’ve done enough to make playoffs. I am not all that all that confident they will get a top d but they need to trade for a high profile C to take some of the pressure off the other guys.
They’ve got the assets to do it if it’s co-ordinated properly. By the way this is isn’t
Meant in any other way but complimentary terms. You do a great job on the hockey broadcasts as you do on here you’re concise and factual. Keep up the fantastic work.
Verbeek should sign Leo.
Trade Cutter Gauthier for Yegor Chinakhov + 2 1sts and?
Harder to find a #1 200 foot center
In a world where he did his job properly he shouldn’t be in this position at all.
LC had four OS proposals but Verbeek didn’t see the urgency? They have drafted well but that’s a fireable mistake
Agree.
-he lost the Zegras trade too
-all the vets with big contracts all have various types of trade protection,
he would have to move out 2 of those contracts to pay Leo and Cutter…
he should of paid them before the draft
No thank you from the pens.
really?
cutter is a better and younger player
2 firsts is too steep. Might be a fair price but pens arnt in a position to move that much for an upgrade sure but how much of one remains to be determined.
I also brought up because it might be his long term goal to play there so why not make sure he doesnt walk there
Pittsburgh? Cutter wants to play in Pittsburgh?
Does this offer sheet scenario with Carlsson cause enough concern with Anaheim’s owner to relieve Verbeek of his GM duties?
How could he not see this coming?
If NHL fans saw it coming, how could an NHL GM not?
We saw the potential of an offer sheet but at 18 per? Nobody saw that coming. I think he gets a pass.
Chrisms
$18M AAV aside…Verbeek had plenty of time to sign his RFA’s.
He wasted no time getting Mintyukov a deal.
His reputation of playing hardball with his young players has come back to haunt him.
Will it turn out to be a blessing in disguise as he uses the four 1st round picks to round out his roster?
As a pens fan I hope they don’t match. An 18 mil dollar player and the loss of 4 first round picks? Yes please.
With regard to Dach, I don’t see why he filed for arbitration rather than just accept his QO. From what I see when a player elects arbitration the team does not have a minimum number for its filing. I don’t see an arbitrator giving him $4m. after the three seasons he’s just had. Lyle, please correct me if my facts are wrong.
Howard,
Filing for arbitration takes offer sheets off the table and I think is a signal that he wants to talk.
I don’t think money is the issue for Dach it’s that the QO gives him one year and he wants to stay longer.
He likes the team, likes his treatment, thinks it’s where he has the best chance to be the player expected. He’s 25y/o and if he can put two years together and be a successful UFA at 27y/o even if it’s at a lower AAV with performance bonuses for example.
I see your point but it’s hard to see Hughes giving him more than a year at this point at a salary Dach would accept.
Howard, doesn’t that depend on whether Hughes is able to find a 2C in the off season?
Verbeek could let Carlsson go and blow up Flyers cap structure and take the 4 picks.
Offer Sweeney 2 1st rd picks and Ryan Poehling for Zacha.
If it’s a go, he has 2 picks in his hand and money to deal with Gauthier , plenty of cap left to work with.
Sweeney isn’t parting with Zacha. He intends to re-sign him. And even if he were willing to move him, the asking price is a player who will help the Bruins right now. He’s not interested in a futures-only package.
I agree Sweeney is staking a lot of the future on Hagins and Letourneau. Plus he has some good young pieces on the team. I think he is looking for immediate help. With his cap space he isn’t going to able to get a first line center or the right d he wants.
He needs to find a way to clear out dead wood but I think anyone wants the two Linholms, I think the name Linholm in Swedish means hurt again.
Lyle would like to see Bruins trade Middlestadt and Lohrei. Hold on to Zacha until the deadline if they are not a playoff team move him then.Evaluate Minten and Hagens for 50 games as you wait to see how the season goes!