NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 11, 2026
Chris Kreider becomes a free agent, the Kings’ Kevin Fiala undergoes surgery, an update on Flames winger Jonathan Huberdeau, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
NHL.COM: The Anaheim Ducks officially terminated Chris Kreider’s contract on Thursday after the 35-year-old winger cleared unconditional waivers. He is now an unrestricted free agent.
Anaheim Ducks winger Chris Kreider (NHL Images).
The Ducks terminated Kreider’s contract by mutual consent. The move frees up $6.5 million in salary-cap space, which should give the Ducks sufficient room to sign restricted free-agent winger Cutter Gauthier to a new contract.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kreider reportedly wanted to return to an Eastern Conference team to be closer to his family, who live in the New York City area. It sparked speculation about potential landing spots for the veteran winger, who had a bounce-back season with the Ducks, scoring 22 goals and 50 points during the regular season and seven points in 12 postseason contests.
Kreider might not have to wait long to sign with an Eastern club. His sudden appearance in the UFA market could adversely affect the efforts of currently available wingers like Vladimir Tarasenko, Patrik Laine, James van Riemsdyk, and David Perron to find contracts for the coming season.
TSN: Los Angeles Kings winger Kevin Fiala underwent a procedure related to his initial surgery to repair the season-ending leg fractures he suffered during the 2026 Winter Olympics in February.
Fiala will miss the upcoming start of the Kings’ training camp next week. No timeline has been set for his return.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Losing one of their top scorers is an early setback for the Kings, especially if he’s sidelined for a significant period.
CALGARY SUN: Jonathan Huberdeau’s recovery from hip-resurfacing surgery is going well, but he’s still expected to miss the start of the regular season. He will skate on his own during training camp, but there is no timeline for his return.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Patrick Kane is the only player to successfully continue his playing career following a similar procedure three years ago. Huberdeau and the Flames want to ensure that he doesn’t jeopardize his career by returning too soon.
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: The Vegas Golden Knights signed forward Braeden Bowman to a six-year contract extension. Bowman, 23, is in the final season of his entry-level contract. His new deal is worth an average annual value of $3.4 million beginning next season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bowman was called up last season to replace Mark Stone when the Golden Knights’ captain suffered a broken finger. He played so well that he earned a regular roster spot, netting 26 points in 54 games.
DAILY FACEOFF: The Carolina Hurricanes signed depth defenseman Mike Reilly to a one-year, two-way contract.
NHL.COM: Former NHL stars Phil Kessel, Ryan Suter, and T.J. Oshie are among the five inductees in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026.
Phil’s sister, Amanda Kessel, is also being inducted, as is longtime USA Hockey athletic trainer Stan Wong.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to these five inductees for this well-deserved honor. It’s great to see the Kessels being inducted together. Phil and Amanda made their mark on hockey during their playing careers. They are the second brother-and-sister inducted into the US HHoF, joining Tony and Cammi Granato, but they’re the first to be inducted together.
If Kreider hopes to land a deal in the immediate NY City area the first question is, how much would he settle for, given his production this past season at 35 years of age? I doubt he’ll ever get his expired $6.5 mil AAV again, but even something in the range of 1 year at $4.5 mil means that only the Islanders, among the 3 teams closest to his NYC area family, could easily clear the necessary cap space:
Current cap space according to Puckpedia: NYR – $995,476; NYI – $4,159,584; New Jersey – $1,850,000.
If he made the decision to lose the money and be with the family, good for him! It should also mean the family are comfortable with their finances, let’s hope since he already made generational wealth.
He could go to any of them for a league min deal.
$4.5M + bonuses could be easily $7M
If there is no interest from those 3, and given that he likely has no interest in joining a Canada-based team, his closest options are:
Philadelphia – 95 miles – currently with $13,782,083 in cap space;
Boston – 215 miles – currently with $5,390,417 in cap space;
Washington – 225 miles – currently with $75,417 in cap space;
Buffalo – 380 miles – currently with $5,123,652 in cap space;
Pittsburgh – 400 miles – currently with $19,902,640 in cap space;
Carolina – 500 miles – currently with $8,180-,182 in cap space – but with RFA Nikishin still to sign.
It’s a lot more fun taking about where Kreider may end up, vs talking about Connor or Quinn.
Chris’ decision could have a real impact on the east, since he won’t break the bank. My bet is he will end up in Boston.
I think he’s still a 5 mil a year guy. He gets more actual money than Anaheim and plays near home. Win win.