The 2026-27 NHL season begins on Tuesday, plus the latest on Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson, Penguins center Evgeni Malkin, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The 2026-27 regular season begins Tuesday with five games on tap.

The Carolina Hurricanes will raise their 2025-26 Stanley Cup banner before hosting the Florida Panthers at 5 PM EDT. The Montreal Canadiens visit the Toronto Maple Leafs (7 PM EDT), the New York Rangers face off against the Boston Bruins (8 PM EDT), the Vancouver Canucks meet the Edmonton Oilers (10 PM EDT), and the Chicago Blackhawks square off against the Vegas Golden Knights (10:30 PM EDT).

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson is no longer practicing with the team and will remain off the ice until he signs a new contract. Edvinsson, 22, remains a restricted free agent as his representatives continue to negotiate with Red Wings management.

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson (NHL Images)

Edvinsson skated with his teammates in practice during training camp but couldn’t participate in scrimmages or preseason games. Now that the regular season has begun, he cannot take part in any team activities until he’s signed.

It’s rumored the two sides are working on a long-term deal worth an average annual value of $10 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings had the entire summer to sign Edvinsson. It was assumed a deal would happen quickly once assistant general manager Shawn Horcoff was named interim GM.

Edvinsson has been loyal to the Red Wings, rejecting offers from other clubs and taking part in training camp when he could’ve sat out. So far, he’s got nothing to show for it.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas raised eyebrows during his press conference yesterday when he gave a curt response to a question about the future of Evgeni Malkin, who’s on a one-year contract.

“I’m not gonna do this day-to-day, year-by-year thing with (Malkin) again this year,” Dubas said.

A team spokesman later said Dubas was referencing media questions about Malkin, and not any future years for the veteran center.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As Dan Kingerski observed, Malkin’s contract status last season became the subject of intense speculation as he publicly needled Dubas for a new deal, and the Penguins GM sidestepped those questions. The two sides eventually agreed to a one-year extension, but Dubas doesn’t want any future talks with Malkin playing out in the press.

TWINCITIES.COM: The Minnesota Wild placed defenseman Brock Faber (upper body) and goaltender Filip Gustavsson (hip surgery) on injured reserve.

TSN: St. Louis Blues defensemen Tyler Tucker (lower body) and Logan Mailloux (surgery, right hand) were placed on IR.

Montreal Canadiens center Oliver Kapanen will miss his club’s season opener because he’s day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

DAILY FACEOFF: Utah Mammoth defense prospect Maveric Lamoureux will be sidelined for four to six months after undergoing shoulder surgery.

NHL.COM: The Nashville Predators signed forward Tyson Jost to a one-year, two-way contract. He had attended their training camp on a professional tryout offer.

THE WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets claimed goaltender Clay Stevenson off waivers from the Washington Capitals. Stevenson, 27, will serve as Stuart Skinner’s backup. He backstopped the Capitals’ AHL affiliate in Hershey to the Calder Cup in 2023-24.

CBS SPORTS: The Vancouver Canucks released goalie Chris Driedger from his PTO contract.

DAILY FACEOFF: NHL forward Matt Nieto has announced his retirement. In 12 NHL seasons (2013-14 to 2024-25), he has 87 goals and 119 assists for 206 points in 705 NHL regular-season games with the San Jose Sharks, Colorado Avalanche, and Pittsburgh Penguins, and 21 points in 62 playoff contests.

NEW YORK POST: The Islanders sold roughly 15 percent of its shares at a $3 billion valuation. The identities of the new investors are not known, and the sale is subject to NHL approval.

CTV NEWS: A report by the Montreal Economic Institute found Canada’s higher tax rates are hurting some of the country’s NHL teams, making it harder to attract and keep top players from Canada and the United States.

The report also mentioned the NHL’s salary cap is based on gross salary rather than net salary, meaning a team from a no-tax state can offer the exact same contract and the player will take home more money.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stick tap to “Chris” for the link.

Players on Canadian teams are paid in US dollars, meaning their money goes further in Canada. As of Sept. 29, one American dollar is worth $1.42 Canadian.

It could make it difficult for smaller market Canadian teams, who earn revenue in Canadian dollars, to keep pace with the rising salary cap.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That was an issue 25 years ago, when the Canadian dollar was ever lower. Small market teams in Quebec City and Winnipeg relocated to the United States in the mid-1990s, and Edmonton and Ottawa were on the verge of following suit.

Today, all seven Canadian teams have stable ownership, and the league has a robust revenue-sharing program. Winnipeg is the NHL’s smallest market and the only Canadian team facing a genuine problem attracting and retaining players. The Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames are closer to the salary-cap floor, but that’s because they’re rebuilding their rosters.

Another factor putting Canadian teams on an unequal footing is a handful of US-born players who’ve pushed to leave Canadian markets, especially after the American men’s hockey team winning gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Quinn Hughes forced the Vancouver Canucks to trade him to the Minnesota Wild, Brady Tkachuk’s trade request sent him from the Ottawa Senators to the Florida Panthers, and Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck requested a trade and remains suspended without pay for not reporting to training camp.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those moves were made for reasons that had nothing to do with higher taxes or playing in Canada.

Hughes’ trade happened two months before the Olympics, and was largely because the Canucks had become a dysfunctional mess, which Hughes (as team captain) seemed powerless to address.

Tkachuk’s trade to the Panthers in June was for family reasons. It was no secret he and his brother, Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk, wanted to play together. Hellebuyck’s situation is based on his desire to play for a Stanley Cup contender while he’s still in his prime.

TSN’s Gino Reda said Hellebuyck didn’t have any Canadian teams on his list of trade destinations. “That tells you an awful lot. It’s not a trend just yet, but it’s a concern for the Canadian teams to watch their star players going south of the border.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It could become a problem given the current economic tensions between Canada and the United States. However, the performance of the teams remains the prime factor. Contenders, even those in Canada, usually have little difficulty attracting and retaining talent.