NHL Rumor Mill – January 29, 2026

by | Jan 29, 2026

NHL Rumor Mill – January 29, 2026

Could the Sharks attempt to acquire Rangers winger Artemi Panarin? Are more moves coming for the Islanders? What’s the latest on the Flames, Blue Jackets, and Kraken? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE LATEST ON ARTEMI PANARIN

THE ATHLETIC: Vincent Z. Mercogliano was among the pundits reporting yesterday that New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin was being held out of the lineup for roster management purposes. The 34-year-old Panarin isn’t expected to appear in any more games before the upcoming Olympic break from Feb. 4-22.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin (NHL Images).

Mercogliano stated it is unclear if the Rangers are currently working on a trade or are holding Panarin out of the lineup to avoid injuring a prime asset before the March 6 trade deadline. The Rangers may have worked out the parameters of a deal and are allowing Panarin to negotiate a contract extension.

Panarin reportedly seeks an extension before signing off on a trade. Mercogliano indicated that the winger has been permitted to discuss a new contract with interested clubs ahead of a trade.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s no indication yet that Panarin has given the Rangers a list of preferred trade destinations, but this report suggests his days are numbered in New York.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sheng Peng reports the Sharks have inquired about Panarin and if he’d be willing to sign an extension with them.

Peng stated that this doesn’t mean the Sharks are close to acquiring Panarin. He anticipates there will be plenty of competition for the talented playmaker.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks general manager Mike Grier recently signaled that his club is accelerating its rebuild by acquiring Kiefer Sherwood from the Vancouver Canucks. Landing a big fish such as Panarin would be a major move on his part, and a clear indication that they now believe they are a playoff contender moving forward.

The Rangers are reportedly seeking affordable younger players who can have an immediate impact on their roster, as well as draft picks and prospects. Grier won’t part with young superstar center Macklin Celebrini, rising stars like Will Smith and Yaroslav Askarov, or a promising youngster such as Michael Misa.

It seems unlikely that the Sharks would part with left wingers William Eklund or Collin Graf, but one of them might have to move to make way for Panarin. Long-time Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro, 27, could be part of the return if he and the Sharks fail to agree to a contract extension. However, Grier has stated he’d prefer to hang onto his pending UFA players for a run at the postseason.

ISLANDERS MIGHT NOT BE DONE MAKING TRADES

NEW YORK POST: Ethan Sears praised Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche for his recent acquisitions of Carson Soucy from the Rangers and winger Ondrej Palat from the New Jersey Devils. Soucy provides much-needed depth for their banged-up blueline, while Palat could provide a boost in their scoring if the change of scenery helps him regain some of the offensive touch that he lost in New Jersey.

Sears pointed out that the Islanders didn’t lose any draft or prospect capital. They still have two first-round picks and the Devils’ third-rounder in this year’s draft to use as trade bait if necessary.

Sears also reported that Darche might not be done making moves before the March 6 trade deadline. The Isles GM said nothing is off the table in terms of potential deals if it would improve this club.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Soucy and Palat additions were affordable moves that should provide some short-term help for the Isles in their quest to nail down a playoff berth this season. It’ll be interesting to see if Darche’s next move is a more substantial one that benefits them over the long term.

UPDATES ON THE FLAMES, BLUE JACKETS, AND KRAKEN

RG.ORG: Marco D’Amico reports the Calgary Flames, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Seattle Kraken are currently drawing the most attention in the trade market.

Despite their recent trade of Rasmus Andersson to the Vegas Golden Knights, the Flames aren’t rushing further into the sellers’ game. Andersson is UFA-eligible, and they didn’t want to risk an injury that would adversely affect his value in the trade market.

Forwards Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman have been mentioned as trade candidates. However, the Flames aren’t in a hurry to move them.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s because Kadri and Coleman are under contract beyond this season. The Flames can afford to be patient.

Sportsnet reports the Flames haven’t been blown out of the water yet with offers for Kadri. As for Coleman, however, they still feel he’s more likely to be moved before the trade deadline despite being sidelined until after the upcoming Olympic break.

It’s also been rumored that the Flames could flip recently-acquired defenseman Zach Whitecloud at the trade deadline. However, the 29-year-old blueliner has two more years left on his deal. As with Kadri and Coleman, the Flames can afford to be patient.

The Blue Jackets have been getting calls about UFA-eligible players such as captain Boone Jenner and Charlie Coyle. Winger Dmitri Voronkov is signed through next season, but he’s also drawing interest.

However, the Blue Jackets have shown improvement since hiring Rick Bowness as their head coach earlier this month. They still believe they have a shot at the playoffs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jackets could peddle their pending UFAs if they fail to gain ground in the standings before March 6. They’ll likely wait and see where they are between the end of the Olympic break and the trade deadline.

The Kraken are still in the playoff hunt, but could become sellers if they continue to slide in the standings. They have pending UFAs such as Jaden Schwartz, Jordan Eberle, Eeli Tolvanen, and Jamie Oleksiak, who could be attractive trade bait. They could also be open to dangling young center Shane Wright for a game-breaking forward.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kraken are in the same position as the Blue Jackets. They’ll likely wait until after the Olympic break to get a clearer picture of where they are.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 29, 2026

by | Jan 29, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 29, 2026

A record-tying hat trick performance by Flyers winger Travis Konecny, Ondrej Palat has a multipoint effort in his first game with the Islanders, Rangers star Artemi Panarin will be held for roster management purposes, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Philadelphia Flyers winger Travis Konecny tallied a record-tying hat trick in a 5-3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sean Monahan snapped a 3-3 tie while Charlie Coyle and Mathieu Olivier each had a goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets, who picked up their third straight win and improved to 25-20-7. Flyers goalie Dan Vladar stopped 26 shots as the Flyers (24-19-9) dropped their second straight contest.

Philadelphia Flyers winger Travis Konecny (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Konecny’s hat trick is the 29th since January 1, tying the league record set in December 1985 for the most in a calendar month. Meanwhile, Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen left this game in the first period with a lower-body injury.

Ondrej Palat had a goal and an assist in his first game with the New York Islanders in a 5-2 victory over the New York Rangers. Simon Holmstrom had a goal and two assists, and Jean-Gabriel Pageau also had a goal and an assist for the Islanders (29-19-5), who acquired Palat from the New Jersey Devils on Jan. 27. Mika Zibanejad and Taylor Raddysh replied for the fading Rangers (22-26-6), who have three wins in their last 15 games (3-10-2).

The Ottawa Senators upset the Colorado Avalanche 5-2. Tim Stutzle had a goal and an assist while James Reimer turned aside 16 shots for the Senators, who have won two straight games and improved to 25-21-7. Valeri Nichushkin and Parker Kelly replied for the Avalanche (35-7-9), who hold first place in the overall standings with 79 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators did a fine job neutralizing high-scoring Avalanche stars Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Martin Necas. Meanwhile, the Avs are slumping a bit after dominating the league for most of this season, sporting a record of 2-3-2 in their last seven contests.

HEADLINES

TSN: Artemi Panarin has played his final game with the New York Rangers. The club held the 34-year-old winger out of Wednesday’s game against the New York Islanders for “roster management purposes”. He is not expected to play again before the upcoming Olympic break (Feb. 4-22).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That means Panarin has given the Rangers a list of acceptable trade destinations and could be moved soon. He has a full no-movement, giving him full control over where he goes. TSN’s Chris Johnston reports the playmaking winger seeks a contract extension before signing off on a deal.

I’ll have more on this in today’s Rumors update.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings signed defenseman Ben Chiarot to a three-year contract worth an average annual value of $3.85 million. That represents a $1 million pay cut for the 34-year-old blueliner.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chiarot was willing to take the reduction in pay to stay in Motown. After nine long years of rebuilding, the Wings have finally broken through as a playoff contender, jockeying for first place in the Eastern Conference. Chiarot served as a mentor to Moritz Seider and is now in the same role with rookie Axel Sandin-Pellikka.

CALGARY SUN: Flames winger Blake Coleman has been sidelined with an upper-body injury since Jan. 8. He’s not expected to return to the lineup until after the upcoming Olympic break next month.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: St. Louis Blues forwards Jordan Kyrou (upper body) and Jake Neighbours (lower body) are listed as day-to-day.

PUCKPEDIA: The Toronto Maple Leafs have moved sidelined forward Dakota Joshua and defenseman Chris Tanev to long-term injury reserve.

TSN: Washington Capitals forward Brandon Duhaime was fined $2,500 by the league for unsportsmanlike conduct during Tuesday’s game against the Seattle Kraken.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: The Canadiens fired goaltending coach Eric Raymond, promoting Marco Marciano from their AHL affiliate in Laval into that role.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens goalie tandem of Sam Montembeault and Jakub Dobes struggled at times this season, especially Montembeault. However, his performance improved for several games following a conditioning stint in Laval with Marciano, who also tutored Dobes during his tenure with Laval last season. Marciano has also done good work with promising Habs goalie prospect Jacob Fowler.










NHL Rumor Mill – January 28, 2026

by | Jan 28, 2026

NHL Rumor Mill – January 28, 2026

The Senators could be pursuing Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, plus the latest on the Oilers, Red Wings, Jets, Canadiens, and Blue Jackets in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

COULD THE SENATORS PURSUE MACKENZIE WEEGAR?

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reported league executives claim the Senators and Calgary Flames may have had discussions about Flames right-shot defenseman MacKenzie Weegar.

Calgary Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar.

The Senators have been shopping for a right-side defenseman. Garrioch noted the 32-year-old Weegar is an Ottawa native. He carries an AAV of $6.25 million through 2030-31.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flames forwards Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman have frequently popped up in recent media trade chatter, but this is the first time Weegar has been mentioned.

Flames GM Craig Conroy is reportedly examining all of his options, but he’s not tearing everything down to the studs. He has been retooling his roster since 2023-24 and would prefer to retain some of his veterans to help the development of the Flames’ promising youngsters.

Weegar carries a full no-trade clause through 2026-27. He has full control over whether he’ll accept being traded and the potential destinations.

THE LATEST OILERS SPECULATION

YARDBARKER: Bob Stauffer of Oilers Now and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman discussed possible moves by the Oilers. Both of them suggested Toronto Maple Leafs winger Bobby McMann might be a great fit in Edmonton.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s no indication that the struggling Maple Leafs are ready to sell, but their recent tumble in the standings is putting them closer to becoming sellers. McMann, 29, is UFA-eligible this summer and could draw attention in the trade market if the Leafs make him available.

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports the Edmonton Oilers continue to have trade discussions with teams regarding Andrew Mangiapane. They’re being open-minded about the return for the 29-year-old winger, who has a year left on his contract with an AAV of $3.6 million.

So far, the Oilers haven’t found a fit. Nevertheless, LeBrun wondered if the Winnipeg Jets, Ottawa Senators, or St. Louis Blues might be interested.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: LeBrun also indicated that the extra year on Mangiapane’s contract has complicated the Oilers’ efforts to move him. However, the biggest sticking point likely remains the decline in his performance over the past couple of years.

RED WINGS SEEKING A CENTER

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the Detroit Red Wings are buyers as they jockey for first place in the Eastern Conference. He indicated that GM Steve Yzerman seeks a second-line center and a right-shot defenseman. He would prefer if both players had terms remaining on their contracts.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings have plenty of projected trade deadline salary-cap space and tradeable assets to address at least one of those areas by March 6.

LATEST ON THE JETS

TSN: Darren Dreger addressed speculation suggesting the Winnipeg Jets and Seattle Kraken were discussing a deal involving Kraken center Shane Wright. He claimed, “There’s been no conversation between these two clubs about the potential availability of Shane Wright.”

If the Jets become sellers by the March 6 trade deadline, Dreger believes defenseman Logan Stanley could become a player of interest. The 27-year-old Stanley is UFA-eligible this summer, and there have been no contract extension talks between the two sides.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wright has recently surfaced in the rumor mill amid speculation the Kraken could seek a “dynamic scoring forward”. The fourth-overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, he had 44 points last season, but his production and playing time have decreased this season.

NO BIG DEADLINE DEALS FOR THE CANADIENS

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes has no plans of sacrificing assets for quick fixes before the March trade deadline. In a recent podcast, Hughes said he intends to be prudent in the trade market.

LeBrun believes the Canadiens still want to make hockey trades. He cited their creativity in the trade market, and will be on the lookout for a deal that could improve their top-six forwards.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hughes could also be in the market for an experienced penalty killer. The Canadiens are 27th in that department.

BLUE JACKETS STILL DETERMINING IF THEY’RE BUYERS OR SELLERS

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports the Columbus Blue Jackets have improved under new head coach Rick Bowness, but they’re still six points out of third place in the Metropolitan Division.

The Jackets could decide by the upcoming Olympic break in February if they’ll be buyers or sellers. If they sell, pending UFAs such as Boone Jenner, Mason Marchment, Charlie Coyle, and Erik Gudbranson would draw interest.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 28, 2026

by | Jan 28, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 28, 2026

Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin nets his first career hat trick, Patrick Kane ties a league record, the Devils and Islanders make a trade, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF TUESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin scored his first career NHL hat trick in a 7-4 drubbing of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Dahlin finished the game with five points, and Mattias Samuelsson collected three assists for the 30-17-5 Sabres, who’ve won four straight games. Auston Matthews and Max Domi each had a goal and two assists for the sagging Maple Leafs (24-20-9), who are winless in their last five games (0-4-1).

Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dahlin’s hat trick is the fifth by a defenseman this season. It’s also the 28th hat trick in the NHL this month, tying February 1981 for the second-most in a calendar month. The record is 29, set in December 1985.

Dahlin’s performance comes during a season when he and his fiancée, Carolina Matovac, have endured a difficult year following her near-death experience last summer when she underwent emergency heart-transplant surgery. On Monday, Matovac revealed on Instagram that Jan. 26 would’ve been the due date for the couple’s first child. It was her concern about the unborn baby last summer that played a vital role in the discovery of her heart failure.

Speaking of the Sabres, goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen left this game in the first period with a lower-body injury.

Detroit Red Wings winger Patrick Kane collected an assist to tie Mike Modano for the most points by a U.S.-born player (1,374) in a 3-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. Anton Forsberg stopped 27 shots while Samuel Helenius, Andrei Kuzmenko, and Corey Perry scored for the Kings (22-16-13), who have won three straight games. Alex DeBrincat replied for the 32-17-5 Red Wings.

The San Jose Sharks got a four-point effort from Macklin Celebrini (one goal, three assists) to beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-2. Will Smith had a goal and two assists for the Sharks (27-21-3). Elias Pettersson and Jake DeBrusk each had two assists as the Canucks dropped to 17-31-5.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks received more bad news as they announced that starting goaltender Thatcher Demko will soon undergo season-ending hip surgery.

Winnipeg Jets forwards Mark Scheifele and Gabriel Vilardi each had a goal and an assist in a 4-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Kyle Connor collected two assists for the 21-24-7 Jets. Jesper Bratt and Jack Hughes each had two points for the Devils (27-24-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils held winger Ondrej Palat from this game. They subsequently traded him and two draft picks (2026 third-round pick, 2027 sixth-rounder) to the New York Islanders for winger Maxim Tsyplakov.

Palat’s performance has declined in recent years, and he no longer fits into the Devils’ plans. They reportedly attempted to move him earlier this season to clear his $6 million average annual value through 2026-27 from their books. Bundling those two picks into the deal was what it took to convince the Islanders to take his full cap hit.

Tsyplakov needs a fresh start after the Islanders signed him from the KHL last season. He had a promising NHL debut with 35 points in 77 games, but the 27-year-old winger is struggling this season with two points in 27 games.

Seattle Kraken winger Jared McCann scored twice and set up two goals in a 5-1 victory over the Washington Capitals. Matty Beniers and Jordan Eberle each had a goal and an assist for the 24-19-9 Kraken. Alex Ovechkin scored for the Capitals (25-22-7), who are 1-5-1 in their last seven games.

The Boston Bruins got an overtime goal by David Pastrnak to nip the Nashville Predators 3-2. Pastrnak finished with two points to extend his points streak to eight games while Morgan Geekie tallied his 30th goal of the season for the Bruins (31-20-3), who are 9-1-1 in their last 11 contests. Roman Josi and Nick Blankenburg scored for the 24-23-5 Predators, who overcame a 2-0 deficit to force the extra frame.

Montreal Canadiens center Jake Evans’ overtime goal lifted his club to a 3-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. Cole Caufield scored his 30th of the season to extend his goal streak to six games for the Canadiens (29-17-7). Pavel Dorofeyev tallied both goals for the 25-14-3 Golden Knights, who are 1-3-1 in their last five games.

Utah Mammoth goaltender Vitek Vanecek made 25 saves to collect his first win since Oct. 26 as his club upset the Florida Panthers 4-3. Sean Durzi had a goal and an assist for the Mammoth (28-21-4), who are 9-1-1 in their last 11 games. Sandis Vilmanis, Cole Schwindt, and Carter Verhaeghe replied for the 28-21-3 Panthers, as their three-game win streak ended.

Dallas Stars defenseman Thomas Harley scored with 1:07 remaining in the third period to give his team a 4-3 win over the St. Louis Blues. Matt Duchene scored two goals for the 30-14-9 Stars. Brayden Schenn tallied twice for the Blues, who are 0-4-1 in their last five games and dropped to 19-25-9.

The Minnesota Wild overcame a 3-0 deficit to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 on a shootout goal by Kirill Kaprizov. Joel Eriksson Ek had a goal and an assist, and Jesper Wallstedt made 29 saves in regulation and overtime for the Wild (30-14-10). Teuvo Teravainen, Ryan Donato, and Ilya Mikheyev scored for the 21-23-9 Blackhawks, who are winless in their last three games (0-1-2).

IN OTHER NEWS…

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins winger Bryan Rust received a three-game suspension from the NHL’s department of player safety for a hit to the head of Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser.

NHL.COM: Penguins defenseman Jack St. Ivany underwent successful surgery on his left hand. His expected recovery time is eight weeks.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche signed defenseman Sam Malinski to a four-year contract extension worth an AAV of $4.75 million.

NHL.COM: Minnesota Wild forward Marcus Johansson and Boston Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm have been added to Sweden’s Men’s Olympic hockey team. They will replace sidelined Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson and Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin.










NHL Rumor Mill – January 27, 2026

by | Jan 27, 2026

NHL Rumor Mill – January 27, 2026

Are the Wild looking at Rangers center Vincent Trocheck? What’s the latest on Canucks winger Evander Kane and Sharks winger Jeff Skinner? Check out the latest in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WILD SHOPPING FOR A CENTER

THE ATHLETIC: Michael Russo and Joe Smith believe Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin is aggressively shopping for a center. He could draw on his draft picks and prospects as trade bait to address that need.

Guerin could be interested in New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck. League sources claim the Wild aren’t on the 32-year-old Trocheck’s 12-team no-trade list, but nothing is imminent.

New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck (NHL Images)

Russo and Smith think Guerin will also check into the availability of other NHL centers who might be available. Possibilities include Robert Thomas of the St. Louis Blues, Trocheck’s teammate J.T. Miller, Nico Hischier of the New Jersey Devils, Ryan O’Reilly of the St. Louis Blues, and Shane Pinto and Claude Giroux of the Ottawa Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Trocheck seems the most likely to be moved and could be the top target on Guerin’s radar. The Blues are willing to entertain offers for Thomas, but the asking price is high. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman believes they want a stud top-six center who is a little younger than the 26-year-old Thomas. The Wild can’t meet that price.

The Devils could be sellers, but I don’t see Hischier being moved. The Rangers acquired Miller last season and made him their captain, so it’s doubtful he’s available. Ditto Pinto and Giroux. O’Reilly lacks no-trade protection, but he reportedly wants to stay in Nashville, and the Predators aren’t in a hurry to move him.

The Wild lack a first-round pick in this year’s draft to use as trade bait. Russo and Smith wonder if Guerin might offer up prospect defenseman David Jiricek to the Nashville Predators for their first-rounder, pointing out the Predators reportedly offered up two first-round picks to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Jiricek last season before the Wild landed him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That was before Jiricek’s stock plummeted. The Predators won’t part with a first-rounder for him now.

Speaking of Wild trade bait, Russo and Smith engaged in some conjecture about the Wild possibly using goaltender Jesper Wallstedt in their quest to add a center. That seems unlikely because they’d be up a creek if they moved out Wallstedt and starter Filip Gustavsson suffered an injury afterward.

Russo and Smith floated the notion of them bringing back Marc-Andre Fleury, but they also pointed out he’s unlikely to come out of retirement.

CANUCKS PERMIT EVANDER KANE’S AGENT TO SEEK A TRADE

THE SCORE: According to CHEK-TV’s Rick Dhaliwal, the Vancouver Canucks have permitted Evander Kane’s agent to find a suitable trade partner for the 34-year-old winger.

Kane is in the final season of his contract and is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. His cap hit this season is $5.125 million, and he has a 16-team trade list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks are well into sell mode after shipping out Quinn Hughes to Minnesota last month and Kiefer Sherwood to the San Jose Sharks earlier this month.

This move indicates Kane is open to a trade to a suitable destination, but the Canucks management had difficulty finding any takers. His agent might have better luck.

COULD THE SHARKS ATTEMPT TO TRADE JEFF SKINNER?

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Josh Frojelin reports Jeff Skinner appears to be the odd man out among the Sharks’ forwards. The 33-year-old left winger has been a healthy scratch for the past couple of weeks.

Skinner signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Sharks last summer. He has six goals and 13 points in 32 games this season.

The Sharks have a logjam of wingers, with Philipp Kurashev and Kiefer Sherwood set to return from injuries soon. They recently sat out Adam Gaudette and Ryan Reaves, and sent promising Igor Chernyshov to their AHL affiliate.

Skinner has a full no-trade clause through Jan. 30, and an eight-team no-trade list after that.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks added Skinner to bring more experienced depth to their forward lines. However, the impressive play of sophomore wingers Will Smith and Colin Graf, and the addition of youngsters like Chernyshov, means they don’t need Skinner unless injuries decimate their lineup in the coming days. He could end up moving to another team between Jan. 31 and March 6.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 27, 2026

by | Jan 27, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 27, 2026

Mattias Ekholm scored his first hat trick as the Oilers set a league record, the Rangers traded Carson Soucy, the three stars of the week, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF MONDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm tallied his first NHL hat trick in a 7-4 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Leon Draisaitl collected four assists while Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman each had a goal and an assist for the 27-19-8 Oilers. Ducks forward Mikael Granlund also netted a hat trick as his club dropped to 28-22-3, and their seven-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a record-setting performance for the Oilers, becoming the first team in league history to have defensemen score hat tricks in consecutive games, with Evan Bouchard scoring three goals in a six-point performance in the Oilers’ previous game.

Those three-goal performances by Ekholm and Granlund bring the number of hat tricks scored in January to 27, matching the third-most in a single month (December 1981) in league history. The record is 29, set in December 1985.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (NHL Images)

The New York Rangers nipped the Boston Bruins 4-3 on an overtime goal by Matthew Robertson. Will Cuylle, J.T. Miller, and Will Borgen also scored for the 22-25-6 Rangers, snapping a three-game losing skid. David Pastrnak collected three assists to reach the 900-point plateau, and Elias Linholm netted two goals for the Bruins (30-20-3).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pastrnak is the sixth player in Bruins history to record 900 points, joining Raymond Bourque (1,506), Johnny Bucyk (1,339), Patrice Bergeron (1,040), Phil Esposito (1,012), and Brad Marchand (976).

Before this game, the Rangers held defenseman Carson Soucy out of the lineup. They subsequently announced they had traded Soucy to the New York Islanders in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick.

Soucy, 31, is in the final season of his three-year contract with an AAV of $3.25 million and is eligible for unrestricted free-agent status this summer. He’s a short-term fix for the Islanders’ blueline with Alexander Romanov on long-term injury reserve, and Ryan Pulock sidelined with an upper-body injury.

As for the Rangers, the Soucy trade is expected to be the first of what could be several moves this season by the retooling franchise before the March 6 trade deadline.

Speaking of the Islanders, they got a 21-save shutout from Ilya Sorokin to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-0. Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored twice, and Mathew Barzal had a goal and an assist for the Islanders, who improved to 28-19-5. Samuel Ersson turned aside 19 of 23 shots for the Flyers (24-18-9).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers activated defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, who had been sidelined since Jan. 14 with an upper-body injury.

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy turned in a 28-shot shutout in a 2-0 victory over the Utah Mammoth. Darren Raddysh and Anthony Cirelli scored for the Lightning (33-14-4), who regained first place in the Eastern Conference with 70 points. Karel Vejmelka stopped 27 shots for the 27-21-4 Mammoth as their five-game win streak ended.

The game between the Los Angeles Kings and Columbus Blue Jackets at Columbus’ Nationwide Arena was postponed due to inclement weather. It has been rescheduled for March 9.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov, Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, and Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal are the league’s three stars for the week ending Jan. 25, 2026.

TSN: Marc-Andre Fleury said a couple of NHL teams have contacted him about coming out of retirement, but the 41-year-old goaltender and future Hall of Famer has no plans to return to action. He still hangs out with his former club, the Minnesota Wild, and has skated with them in several practices, but his next role could be working in their front office.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fleury has until the March 6 trade deadline to sign an NHL contract if he intends to unretire. Even then, it would likely take several weeks of intense training for him to return to game shape.

Fleury said there were several reasons why he’ll remain retired. One of them is probably the wear and tear of his 21 NHL seasons on his aging body. He alluded to a sore hip during his one-period appearance in a preseason game with the Pittsburgh Penguins in September as he brought his NHL career full circle.

RG.ORG: DJ Siddiqi reports Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito believes the health of the players his club is sending to the Olympics next month will be a factor in their attempt to win a third-straight Stanley Cup.

The defending champion Panthers have been battered by injuries, leaving them four points out of the final wildcard berth in the Eastern Conference as of Jan. 27. Managing fatigue, ice time, and emotional drain, as well as avoiding further injuries, will be crucial to their playoff hopes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers are sending eight players to the Olympics, including core players Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, Brad Marchand, and Anton Lundell.

PUCKPEDIA: Speaking of the Olympics, the trade and assignment regulations for the NHL’s break period (Feb. 4-22) have been revealed. No trades will be permitted during that period.

TORONTO SUN: The league has fined Maple Leafs winger William Nylander $5,000.00 for flipping off a TSN camera during Sunday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche. Nylander made the gesture while watching the game in the press box with several other sidelined teammates.

THE PROVINCE: The Canucks placed winger Brock Boeser and defenseman Zeev Buium on injured reserve.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins winger Bryan Rust faces a hearing on Tuesday with the league’s department of player safety regarding his high hit on Boeser during Sunday’s game between the two clubs.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson is out until the end of next month’s Olympic break with a lower-body injury.