Another milestone for Oilers captain Connor McDavid, a franchise record for Hurricanes goalie Pyotr Kochetkov, the Kraken trade Shane Wright to the Predators, the stars of the month for October, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF SUNDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist to extend his season-opening points streak to 15 games as he led his club over the New York Rangers 4-1. Evan Bouchard had a goal and two assists, and journeyman goalie Matt Tomkins made 27 saves as the Oilers (11-2-2) hold first place in the Western Conference with 24 points. Pavel Dorofeyev replied for the 7-7-1 Rangers, who have dropped four straight games.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was another milestone for McDavid this season, becoming the fastest player in league history to reach 30 assists (15 games) in a season. Oilers forward Isaac Howard missed this game with a knee injury suffered against the New York Islanders on Saturday, but he might not be out for long.

Rangers defenseman Sean Durzi missed this game with an undisclosed injury.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov turned in a 26-save shutout in a 7-0 drubbing of the Winnipeg Jets. Logan Stankoven had a goal and two assists, and Sean Walker tallied twice for the league-leading Hurricanes (12-2-2, 24 points). After a 4-1-1 start, the Jets are winless in their last nine games (0-7-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kochetkov set a franchise record with his 10th consecutive win. He’s also the third goalie in league history to open the season with 10 straight victories.

Jets head coach Scott Arniel could be feeling the heat, but he claims he’s not worried about his job security. Nevertheless, their free-fall in the standings could prompt management to shake things up if this situation doesn’t improve, and most general managers usually opt for a coaching change as the first step.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov scored a goal for his 500th NHL regular-season point in a 5-1 win over the Washington Capitals. He’s the fourth-fastest active player to reach that milestone. Joel Eriksson Ek and Bobby Brink each had two assists for the 10-3-3 Wild, who hold first place in the Central Division with 23 points. Justin Sourdif replied for the Capitals (8-5-0).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Capitals placed defenseman Dylan McIlrath on waivers for the purpose of reassigning him to their AHL affiliate in Hershey.

The Anaheim Ducks overcame a 3-0 deficit to defeat the Ottawa Senators 6-3. Cutter Gauthier had a hat trick while Leo Carlsson and Judd Caulfield each had three points for the 6-7-1 Ducks. Claude Giroux and Jake Sanderson each had two points for the Senators (9-6-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators goalie Jonas Johansson was a mess in his fourth start, with a save percentage of .846 and a goals-against average of 4.60 during that stretch. Starter Linus Ullmark has missed six games with a lower-body injury, but could return for Wednesday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres.

Philadelphia Flyers winger Travis Konecny had a goal and an assist in his return to the lineup in a 6-3 victory over the Utah Mammoth. Jamie Drysdale collected three assists while Noah Cates also had a goal and an assist for the Flyers (4-8-4). Logan Cooley had a goal and an assist for the 9-6-0 Mammoth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sloppy defensive play and shaky goaltending from Karel Vejmelka are an ongoing concern for the Mammoth this season. Vejmelka’s .881 save percentage is the worst of his career, giving up two or more goals in all but two of his 11 starts.

Before the game, the Mammoth placed defenseman John Marino (upper body) on injured reserve.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: McDavid, Kaprizov, and Kochetkov are the league’s three stars for October 2026.

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jacob Fowler is the rookie of the month. He’s the first Canadiens goalie to receive the honor since Carey Price in March 2008.

THE SEATTLE TIMES/THE TENNESSEAN: The Seattle Kraken traded center Shane Wright to the Nashville Predators in exchange for center Matthew Wood.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a swap of two players chosen in the first round of the NHL Draft. Wright was selected fourth overall in the 2022 draft, and Wood was chosen with the 15th overall pick in 2023.

Wright was projected as the top prospect in his draft class. However, his stock tumbled leading up to the first round, and the Montreal Canadiens chose Juraj Slafkovsky first overall. He was the subject of trade rumors since last season.

The Kraken were criticized for how they handled Wright’s development. He had a promising 44-point rookie campaign in 2024-25, but was relegated to checking-line duty after Lane Lambert took over as head coach in 2025.

Predators general manager Chris MacFarland believes Wright will “add to the pace of the lineup.” The Tennessean’s Alex Daugherty indicated that Wood’s skating and speed were “always a drawback”, but his size and shooting ability often made up for it.

Wood’s size (6’4”, 200 pounds) and shooting ability could help the Kraken’s offense, but he’s not the scoring star they’re seeking. He had 17 goals and 30 points as a rookie last season, but only a goal and two assists in 14 games this season. The move to Seattle might help him regain his scoring touch.

NEW YORK POST: Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock is out two-to-four weeks with an upper-body injury.

NHL.COM: The department of player safety fined Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov $5,000 for roughing (sucker-punching) Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Alex Vlasic.