NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 24, 2026
Patrick Kane returns to the Blackhawks, Mitch Marner’s agent claims the Maple Leafs never protected his client, John Tortorella wants to continue coaching, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I will be off Saturday (July 25) and Sunday (July 26). The next update to this site will be Monday, July 27. Enjoy the weekend, everybody!
CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: Patrick Kane is returning to Chicago. The 37-year-old winger signed a two-year contract with the Blackhawks worth an average annual value of $8 million. He also gets a full no-movement clause through 2027-28.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blackhawks had been trying to woo Kane back as they attempt to bolster their offense and add more skilled experience to their lineup. He could also be playing alongside rising superstar Connor Bedard on the top line once the latter returns from shoulder surgery in November.
Chicago Blackhawks sign former Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane (NHL Images).
It’s a feel-good story, but also a surprisingly expensive one. Kane’s earning much more per season on this deal than he did during his three seasons with the Detroit Red Wings. He put up respectable numbers during his tenure with the Wings, but nothing that justifies $8 million annually. It’s unlikely those stats will improve given his age.
Nevertheless, the Blackhawks believe they can comfortably carry Kane’s new contract. They’ll feel justified in the investment if he helps them improve offensively.
Speaking of the Red Wings, Kane’s departure is another blow for a club whose captain has requested a trade and is currently seeking a new general manager after removing Steve Yzerman from that role. It could also push winger Alex DeBrincat closer to following Kane out the door via free agency next summer.
SPORTSNET: Mitch Marner’s agent, Darren Ferris, provided new information on what led to his client’s departure from the Toronto Maple Leafs for the Vegas Golden Knights in a sign-and-trade move last June.
Ferris claimed Marner “bled” for the Maple Leafs, but he was “never really protected” by the organization. He rehashed some of the issues about the departure, claiming his client and his family became the scapegoat for the Leafs’ playoff failures, and blaming “misinformation” regarding his client’s previous contract negotiations with the club.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Based on social media reaction, most Maple Leafs followers are fed up with what they perceive as whining from the Marner camp and want to move on.
Some of the flak that Marner received as a Maple Leaf was unjustified, such as the personal attacks against his family. But he was also one of the club’s highest-paid players and a local boy to boot, and that put him into a brighter spotlight than most. He also claimed he and his Leafs teammates were “looked upon as kind of gods” in discussing the love that they received from Leafs Nation.
Marner wasn’t solely responsible for the Leafs’ playoff woes, but he deserves his fair share of the blame.
THE ATHLETIC: In an exclusive interview with Joe Smith, John Tortorella said that he hopes to continue his NHL coaching career.
The 68-year-old Tortorella took over as head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights late last season, guiding them to the Stanley Cup Final. However, the club subsequently informed him that they were replacing him with Ryan Craig.
Tortorella said he understood the decision, noting that the Golden Knights had spent several years grooming Craig, calling him “a good coach and a good man.” He said he was grateful to the Golden Knights but wanted to finish the job.
Asked what he felt was the turning point of the Cup Final, Tortorella said it was the Hurricanes replacing starter Frederik Andersen with Brandon Bussi in Game 3. He also defended his decision to stick with Carter Hart as his starter in the Final, crediting the latter with getting them to the Final.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tortorella’s role in getting the Golden Knights into the Stanley Cup Final hasn’t been overlooked. While he can be stubborn and outspoken, and has a contentious relationship with the media, he has a proven record for turning struggling teams into playoff contenders. It won’t be surprising if he’s back behind an NHL bench at some point this season.
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: The Blue Jackets avoided salary arbitration with Jet Greaves, signing the 25-year-old goaltender to a three-year contract worth an AAV of $5 million.
In their arbitration filings, Greaves sought $7.5 million on a one-year deal while the Blue Jackets had offered $2.8 million. His hearing had been slated for Thursday morning.
The Blue Jackets have $19 million in cap space left with forwards Adam Fantilli and Cole Sillinger to sign. Sillinger is slated for arbitration on July 27.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jackets had little choice but to reach common ground with Greaves, who emerged as their starting goalie last season. They need reliable goaltending if they hope to make the playoffs this season.
Sillinger isn’t expected to cost much to re-sign, and it’s unlikely his case will reach arbitration.
The Jackets appear focused on getting Greaves and Sillinger signed before sorting things out with Fantilli, who lacks arbitration rights but is eligible to sign an offer sheet. A rival club could attempt to sign him if he’s receptive, but the Jackets should have enough space to match.
Speaking of the Blue Jackets, former defenseman Jack Johnson has joined the coaching staff of Ohio State University’s women’s hockey team as associate head coach.
NHL.COM: Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin and Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck appeared on “Celebrity Family Feud” alongside their fellow Olympic and Paralympic gold medalists.
RDS.CA: Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis is a big fan of Jerry Seinfeld, admitting earlier this year that he listens to “Seinfeld” episodes to relax.
On Thursday, St. Louis met his comedy idol during the Just For Laughs festival in Montreal. He presented the American comedian with a Canadiens jersey bearing Seinfeld’s name.
Chicago needs another move besides Kane to improve their PP:
Bert, The Oiler’s 2027 1st, and Merek Vanacker for Debrincat
I believe Bertuzzi burned his bridges with Detroit.
Nope. Next!
Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin and Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck appeared on “Celebrity Family Feud”…..could they appear together as teammates on the either the Sabers or Canes team? 🤔
No, Johnny, they cannot. Acquire Larkin or Hellebuyck alone is expensive. Both are impossible.
I could see Hellebuyck ending up with the Wings. He has friends on the team aside from Larkin and is from Commerce Michigan. He wore the pajamas.
The Wings have assets the Jets could use.
Maybe before the Larkin stuff, not now. Helly’s years are limited, he’ll want to go to a play-off team that has near-cup potential.
Totorella is the equivalent of a closer in baseball. Bring him in to put out the fire and then move on before he starts another brush fire!
So true. Extremely short shelf life
I think you will see Debrincat decline without Kane. They have a special chemistry offensively.
Leaf fans didn’t run Sittler or Salming out of town. I think it is social media in the modern era . Players should stay unplugged.
Can’t see Larkin or Hellebuyck moving anytime soon. As in not before March at the earliest . One club has no GM and the other is painfully slow.
Players could and should unplug their socials, but it won’t stop people around him repeating what they saw/heard. In Marner’s case, it seems what fans knew from day one that he didn’t have the right people around him…be it team or his family and agent.
Ferris is just doing his job and protecting and maintaining a status quo. As stated, fans are so over this to the point where they are not even interested anymore.
To our point, pro athletes don’t need to be on socials, it serves them no purpose; they are pro athletes not product prostitutes.
Im sure Chicago makes money, giving Kane 8m is for any other team stupid, for Chicago its ok. They have the cap space and its only for two seasons and he is a club icon(Even if I wouldnt have done it)
Torts can defend the Carter decision all he wants, doesnt make it right. Carter was fine but he wasnt the solution in the end and most everyone else saw that, and given that he had a good goalie in Hill I dont understand the decision to stick with Carter
Yes, whoever comes in should trade DeBrincat now, for the right price of course
Its amazing how GMs and players overplay their hand time and again. Verbeek has done so big time, and while SY has misshandled the Larkin situation Larkin has overplayed his hand big time
How did Yzerman mishandle the Larkin situation? Yzerman didn’t leak it. Once it got out, Larkin was enemy #1 in Detroit. Larkin’s camp mishandled this by letting it get out, limiting the trade options to teams that had nothing to offer Detroit, by not explaining why he wanted out, and getting photographed at the world cup without a shirt and a beer in hand.
Larkin’s side did not let it out, it was probably another GM’s team that Y contacted to form a trade.
Think about it, Larkin or Y would have nothing but negative publicity to deal with while this was going on, neither side would have wanted it out there. The Brady trade to FLA went right for both sides because it was nothing but unconfirmed speculation till it happened. That is how Larkin and Y would have wanted it.
What were the black hawks thinking?!15 mill a year for Bedard that’s way too much.
And 8 mill for Kane whose performance on the ice has declined over the years?!
Also What do you think the bruins would have to give up to land Cutter Gauthier?
More than they can comfortably afford, John. Forget about it…
I’m sure Giroux is looking at his last 4 seasons and that Kane contract and thinking “WTF??”
lol
I also like Seinfeld to relax. It’s funny stuff. Even all these years later.
There was a a 3 cup and one Conn Smythe trophy separating these two.
Giroux is just a guy that went home at the tail end of his career.
Lyle, enjoy the weekend. I am sure I speak for a lot of us in thanking you for what you do, day in and day out. Looking forward to seeing you back on Monday.
Thanks, Pete!