NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 11, 2025

by | Jun 11, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 11, 2025

The Ducks and Rangers are discussing a Chris Kreider trade, Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson wins the Calder Trophy, the fallout from Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RANGERS, DUCKS REPORTEDLY DISCUSSING A TRADE INVOLVING CHRIS KREIDER

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli reports sources indicate the New York Rangers are in discussions with the Anaheim Ducks regarding a trade that would send Chris Kreider to the Ducks.

New York Rangers winger Chris Kreider (NHL Images).

Kreider, 34, has two years remaining on his contract. The Rangers winger carries an average annual value of $6.5 million and a 15-team no-trade list.

The two clubs intend to continue discussions on Wednesday. There is mutual interest between the parties, and a framework for a deal is in place. The recent talks involved Ducks prospect Carey Terrance being part of a return that would send Kreider to the Ducks.

NEW YORK POST: Andrew Battifarano cited a report claiming the Rangers would receive a prospect and a draft pick in return for the Ducks acquiring Kreider and his entire $6.5 million AAV.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This deal could become the first involving an NHL player since the March trade deadline.

Kreider has been a fixture in the rumor mill since the Rangers included him on a list of available players that was sent around the league last November. This proposed trade would reunite him with Jacob Trouba, who was shipped to the Ducks last December.

The Rangers have been among the busiest teams in this season’s trade market as general manager Chris Drury attempts to retool his roster. His club currently has over $8.4 million in cap space, with 19 active roster players under contract for the 2025-26 season and restricted free agents Will Cuylle and K’Andre Miller to re-sign. However, the latter is also considered a trade candidate.

Trading Kreider for futures would increase the Rangers’ cap space to almost $15 million. That gives them the wiggle room to re-sign Cuylle for sure and Miller if they wish. It also leaves enough to make a significant acquisition via trade or free agency.

HUTSON WINS THE CALDER MEMORIAL TROPHY

NHL.COM: Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson is the 2024-25 winner of the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league’s Rookie of the Year. He learned of his win during a surprise party arranged with his family.

Hutson, 21, is the seventh player in franchise history to win the Calder, and the first since Ken Dryden in 1971-72. Dryden congratulated the young blueliner via video.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hutson led all rookies this season with 66 points, tying Hall-of-Famer Larry Murphy’s single-season rookie assist record (60). Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf finished second among the voters, while San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini was third.

STANLEY CUP FINAL NOTEBOOK

THE ATHLETIC: The Florida Panthers aren’t getting ahead of themselves following their lopsided 6-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final. They expect a stronger response from the Oilers in Game 4 on Thursday in Florida at 8 pm ET. Florida holds a 2-1 lead in the series. 

TSN: Oilers defenseman Jake Walman was fined $10,000 by the NHL department of player safety for roughing Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk and unsportsmanlike conduct during Game 3.

IN OTHER NEWS…

CALGARY SUN: The Flames signed winger Adam Klapka to a two-year contract extension with an AAV of $1.25 million.

RG.ORG: Reports claiming KHL free-agent forward Maxim Shabanov signed with the Philadelphia Flyers are premature. His agent said his client will make his decision which NHL team he will sign with after the NHL Draft (June 27-28) and when the free-agent market opens on July 1.

Shabonov had 23 goals and 67 points in 65 games with Chelyabinsk Traktor and was a finalist for the KHL’s MVP award. Due to his age, his first NHL contract would be a one-year, two-way deal.

TSN: The verdicts in the sexual assault trial of five former members of Canada’s 2018 World Junior Team will be announced on July 24.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The five (Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Dillon Dube, Alex Formenton, and Callan Foote) went on to become NHL players, but have not played in the league or anywhere else since charges were filed against them in January 2024. They all pleaded not guilty.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 10, 2025

by | Jun 10, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 10, 2025

In today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines: the Panthers maul the Oilers in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, T.J. Oshie officially retires, and the Islanders hired two new assistant coaches.

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers romped to a 6-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, taking a 2-1 lead in the series.

Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Reinhart and Evan Rodrigues each had a goal and an assist, Brad Marchand and Sam Bennett scored again, and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 32 shots for the Panthers. Corey Perry had the only goal for the Oilers, who pulled goalie Stuart Skinner in the third period after he gave up five goals on 23 shots.

Florida Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe (NHL Images).

Game 4 is Thursday in Florida at 8 pm ET

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The scoresheet doesn’t tell the full story. Put simply, the Panthers mauled the Oilers from start to finish.

Marchand opened the scoring just 56 seconds into the game, Verhaeghe scored what proved to be the winning goal later in the period, and the Panthers’ relentless forechecking put the game out of reach after Perry got the Oilers to within one goal early in the second period.

More importantly, the Panthers’ agitating style antagonized the Oilers throughout the game, getting under their skin and disrupting their rhythm. This was the worst performance by the Oilers in this postseason, and the Panthers knew it, laughing in their faces during the scrums and suckering them into taking retaliatory penalties.

Another performance like that by the Oilers in Game 4, and they can write off any hope of wrenching the Stanley Cup from the Panthers.

DAILY FACEOFF: This was a milestone game for Panthers head coach Paul Maurice. He became the third bench boss in NHL history to reach 1,000 combined regular-season and playoff wins.

TSN: Panthers forward A.J. Greer returned to action after missing the last two games with an undisclosed injury.

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals winger T.J. Oshie officially announced his retirement after 16 seasons in an event held at the Washington Harbor on Monday.

A chronic back injury had Oshie on long-term injury reserve throughout 2024-25. This season was the final one of his eight-year contract.

Oshie had 302 goals and 393 assists for 695 points in 1,010 regular-season games with the St. Louis Blues and the Capitals. He also had 34 goals and 69 points in 106 playoff games, winning the Stanley Cup with the Capitals in 2018.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: The Islanders hired Ray Bennett and Bob Boughner as new assistant coaches on Monday. Bennett was the power-play coach for the Colorado Avalanche from 2017 until being fired this spring. Boughner spent the past three seasons as the Detroit Red Wings’ defense and penalty-killing coach.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 9, 2025

by | Jun 9, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 9, 2025

The latest on the Oilers and Panthers ahead of Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, an update on Anthony Duclair, results from the Draft Combine, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

DAILY FACEOFF: Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is a game-time decision for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday in Florida. The question of his health came up after he skipped practice on Sunday. Head coach Kris Knoblauch didn’t specify what might be ailing Nugent-Hopkins.

Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It could be the same illness that affected teammate Connor Brown on the eve of Game 1. Like Nugent-Hopkins, he was a game-time decision, but suited up for that match and Game 2.

TSN: The Oilers shuffled up their defense pairings during their Sunday practice. Darnell Nurse was moved up to the first pairing alongside Evan Bouchard. Mattias Ekholm was dropped to the second pairing with John Klingberg, who was elevated from the third pairing. Jake Walman will play on the third pairing with Brett Kulak, who was on the second pairing with Nurse in Game 2.

Speaking of defensemen, Aaron Ekblad of the Florida Panthers participated in the club’s optional skate on Sunday. He took a shot off his left hand by Nurse during the second overtime in Game 2.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers are getting lots of production from their blueline. Florida defenseman has produced a franchise-record 17 goals in his postseason.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Seth Jones leads all Panthers blueliners with four goals, followed by Nate Schmidt, Niko Mikkola, and Ekblad with three each. Dmitry Kulikov has tallied twice, and Gustav Forsling and Uvis Balinskis with a goal apiece.

NEWSDAY: Andrew Gross reports New York Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche is hopeful that head coach Patrick Roy and winger Anthony Duclair have put their issues behind them.

Duclair took a leave of absence for the final eight games of the regular season following a public clash with Roy. Darche said he has a “bit of a relationship” with Duclair, saying the 29-year-old winger was in a good mood when he spoke with him, adding he’ll sit down with Duclair again soon.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Duclair joined the Islanders last summer as a free agent, signing a four-year contract with an average annual value of $3.5 million and a full no-trade clause for the first two seasons. A promising start last season was derailed by a leg injury, limiting him to 11 points in 44 games.

Roy ripped Duclair following a 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Apr. 1, calling his performance “god awful” and criticizing his overall effort. That led to the winger’s leave of absence and questions about his future with the Islanders.

SPORTSNET: The results from the fitness testing held at the 2025 NHL Draft Combine in Buffalo were released on Saturday. 

Center Anton Frondell of Djurgardens IF in Sweden and forward Cole Reschny of the University of North Dakota tied for the best VO2 max (64.7). Winger Cameron Schmidt of the WHL’s Vancouver Giants had the best bench press (7.82 watts/kg), forward Milton Gastrin of MoDo Hockey in Sweden topped the agility test to the left side, and Bill Zonnon of the QMJHL’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada did the most consecutive pull-ups. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I singled out those four because they’re among the prospects expected to be chosen in the first round of this year’s draft, which will be held in Los Angeles on June 27-28. Doing well in the combine can be a determining factor in the selection process, but it’s not a definitive measure of whether a prospect will become an NHL star.

During the 2014 Draft Combine, Sam Bennett failed to perform a single pull-up. Nevertheless, he was chosen fourth overall by the Calgary Flames in the 2014 Draft and went on to stardom with the Florida Panthers.  

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs jersey worn by Hall-of-Famer Darryl Sittler during his record-setting 10-point game against the Boston Bruins in 1976 sold at auction for over $143 K.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 8, 2025

by | Jun 8, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 8, 2025

Capitals coach Spencer Carbery wins the Jack Adams Award, the winner of the Hart Trophy and Vezina Trophy may have been inadvertently revealed, the latest on the Oilers and Panthers, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Spencer Carbery of the Washington Capitals is the 2024-25 winner of the Jack Adams Award as NHL Coach of the Year. Carbery was surprised with the award by his wife and children in-studio during what he thought was an interview with Capitals play-by-play announcer Joe Beninati.

Washington Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery (NHL Images).

Carbery guided the Capitals to a 51-22-9 record and a first-overall finish in the Eastern Conference.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Carter Brooks reports a slightly out-of-focus photograph circulated on social media Saturday, appearing to show Connor Hellebuyck posing in his backyard with the Hart Memorial Trophy and the Vezina Trophy. The 32-year-old Winnipeg Jets goaltender is a finalist for both awards.

Brooks pointed out that an NHL Media release indicated the winners of those trophies would be officially revealed during its Awards show on June 12.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It won’t be surprising if Hellebuyck won both awards. He had an outstanding regular season and was the most valuable player for his team. He would become the first goaltender to win the Hart and Vezina Trophies since Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens in 2014-15.

NHL.COM: The coaching staff and a cohesive dressing-room environment have contributed to the solid performance of the Florida Panthers’ defense corps. Nate Schmidt, Gustav Forsling and Dmitry Kulikov are among the blueliners who have thrived in Florida.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: David Staples observes that Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse is struggling against the Florida Panthers again. Despite what may be his best regular season, he is having difficulty moving the puck, making unforced icings and turnovers in the first two games of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final.

Staples noted that Nurse played his best hockey when paired with Troy Stecher, suggesting reuniting the pair. The return of Mattias Ekholm relegated Stecher to the press box, with Nurse paired with Brett Kulak.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Hannah Kirkell cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas recently discussing the health of Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo. They observed he skipped the 4 Nations Face Off in February to prioritize getting his body in the best possible shape for the playoffs.

The pair discussed whether Pietrangelo would be available to play for Canada in the 2026 Winter Olympics. They don’t know the extent or the nature of the blueliner’s injury, but they wondered if he’d be ready for the start of next season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pietrangelo appeared to be playing with a lower-body injury this season. He had 33 points with a plus-minus of plus-11 in 71 games this season and had six points in 10 playoff games. However, the 17-year NHL veteran is 35 years old, and the physical toll of his long career could be catching up with him.

Pietrangelo is signed through 2026-27 with an average annual value of $8.8 million and a full no-movement clause.

NEW YORK POST: Matthew Schaefer endured a season-ending injury and the recent deaths of his mother and billet mother. Nevertheless, how the 17-year-old Erie Otters defenseman handled the injury and his grief displayed a maturity and character that contributed to his rise to the top of the 2025 NHL Draft rankings.

TVA SPORTS: Radim Mrtka said the Montreal Canadiens are the team that has shown the most interest in him. However, the 17-year-old Seattle Thunderbirds defenseman isn’t expected to be available when the Canadiens make the first of their two first-round picks (16th and 17th overall).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mrtka is a big (6’6”), smooth-skating blueliner who emulates Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Moritz Seider of the Detroit Red Wings. The report noted he was taken to dinner by the Pittsburgh Penguins last week.

I have the Seattle Kraken taking Mrtka with the eighth overall pick in my mock draft, with the Canadiens choosing defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson of the OHL’s Barrie Colts at No. 16.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins forward Vasily Ponomarev is expected to return to the KHL with Omsk for 2025-26. The 23-year-old restricted free agent was part of the return the Penguins received from the Carolina Hurricanes in last year’s Jake Guentzel trade. He has no points in seven games with the Penguins this season and received no guarantees that he’d be in their lineup for 2025-26.

NEW YORK POST: The longest scoring review in NHL history reached its conclusion with former Hartford Whalers goaltender John Garrett receiving an assist on Gordie Howe’s final NHL goal on Apr. 9, 1980.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Trois-Rivieres Lions are the winners of the ECHL’s Kelly Cup for the first time. They are the secondary affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens and the first Canadian-based team to win the Kelly Cup in six years.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 7, 2025

by | Jun 7, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 7, 2025

The Panthers defeat the Oilers to tie the Stanley Cup Final, the Stars fire head coach Pete DeBoer, a plethora of other coaching moves, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

PANTHERS DEFEAT OILERS IN GAME 2 OF THE STANLEY CUP FINAL

NHL.COM: A double-overtime goal by Brad Marchand lifted the Florida Panthers to a 5-4 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 2 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final, tying the series at a game apiece.

Florida Panthers winger Brad Marchand (NHL Images).

The goal was Marchand’s second of the game, making the 37-year-old winger the second-oldest player in Stanley Cup playoff history to score in multiple overtime periods. Hall-of-Famer Igor Larionov was 41 when he tallied for the Detroit Red Wings in triple overtime of Game 3 in the 2002 Stanley Cup Final.

Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 42 shots, Seth Jones had a goal and an assist, and Nate Schmidt and Anton Lundell each collected two assists for the Panthers. Stuart Skinner made 37 saves, Evan Bouchard and Connor McDavid each had three points, and Leon Draisaitl had a goal and an assist for the Oilers.

This contest was a see-saw battle with the Oilers holding a 3-2 lead after the first period, only to see the Panthers dominate the second period to go up 4-3. The Oilers battled back with Corey Perry sending it to overtime with 18 seconds remaining in the third period, but the Panthers maintained their poise and are heading home having earned a split in Edmonton.

Game 3 is Monday in Florida at 8 pm ET.

HEADLINES

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars fired head coach Pete DeBoer on Friday. The move comes just over a week after they were eliminated from the Western Conference Final for the third straight year, and days after team owner Tom Gagliardi shot down reports from Canada that DeBoer was out. He has a year remaining on his contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: DeBoer did a fine job coaching the Stars into a Western Conference powerhouse, but failed to guide them past the Conference Finals. He seemed to lose his cool during the final game against the Oilers, creating confusion among his players after pulling goaltender Jake Oettinger early in the game, and blaming his players afterward for the club’s elimination.

Candidates to replace DeBoer are already being floated by pundits, with the usual suspects (John Tortorella, Peter Laviolette, Gerard Gallant, Jay Woodcroft) popping up. It’ll be interesting to see whether they pursue a former NHL bench boss, hire away an assistant coach from another club, promote from within, or bring in a coach from the minor league or junior ranks.

Speaking of coaching moves…

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs hired former Detroit Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde as an assistant coach.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Dan Hinote left the Avalanche’s AHL affiliate to join the Tampa Bay Lightning as an assistant coach. He was the associate coach of the Colorado Eagles this season. He previously spent four seasons as an assistant coach with the Nashville Predators and Columbus Blue Jackets.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Kraken fired assistant coach Dave Lowry and goaltending coach Steve Briere.

THE PROVINCE: On Thursday, the Vancouver Canucks announced the hiring of Kevin Dean, Brett McLean and Scott Young as assistant coaches. They also announced assistant coach Yogi Svejkovsky, defensive development coach Sergei Gonchar, and video coach Dylan Crawford won’t be back.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Svejkovsky is reuniting with former Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet in Philadelphia as part of the Flyers’ coaching staff.

THE DENVER POST: Avalanche forward Logan O’Connor is expected to be sidelined for the next five to six months after undergoing hip surgery for the second time in two years.

SPORTSNET: Ottawa Senators defenseman Nick Jensen also underwent hip surgery. There is no timetable for his recovery.

The Rochester Americans are mourning the death of former AHL and NHL winger Scott Metcalfe, who passed away on Friday at age 58.

Metcalfe spent most of his 15-year professional career in the minor leagues. A first-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers in the 1984 NHL Draft, he played 19 games over three seasons (1987-88 to 1989-90) with the Oilers and Buffalo Sabres. Metcalfe spent nine seasons with the Americans, winning the Calder Cup in 1996. He was inducted into their Hall of Fame in 2006.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Metcalfe’s family, friends, former teammates, and the Americans’ organization.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 6, 2025

by | Jun 6, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 6, 2025

The latest on the Oilers and Panthers on the eve of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, Sean Monahan wins the Masterton Trophy, the latest coaching hires, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

STANLEY CUP FINAL NOTEBOOK

EDMONTON JOURNAL: A healthy Evander Kane has made his presence felt in this postseason, with five goals and 11 points in 16 games.

Edmonton Oilers winger Evander Kane (NHL Images).

Injuries hampered the 33-year-old Oilers winger in the 2024 playoffs, limiting him to just two games in last year’s Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers. After missing the 2024-25 regular season recovering from surgeries, he’s been a physical force in the Oilers’ current playoff run.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Several Oilers were playing through significant injuries during last year’s playoffs, but Kane’s performance suffered the most. His current postseason play could make the difference in this rematch against Florida as the Oilers attempt to counter the Panthers’ physical style.

ESPN.COM: Panthers defenseman Seth Jones said his club hopes to improve in the neutral and offensive zones after squandering a 3-1 lead to fall 4-3 to the Oilers in Game 1. Teammate Matthew Tkachuk agreed, saying the Panthers could be more consistent on the forecheck and earn more zone time to thwart the Oilers’ counterattack.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers acknowledged that Edmonton is a different team compared to the one they faced in last year’s Cup Final. As a result, those adjustments they hope to make could be difficult to achieve.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers rallied around forward Tomas Nosek after his delay-of-game penalty in overtime of Game 1 led to Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl’s game-winning power-play goal.

Nosek inadvertently fired the puck over the glass as he attempted to avoid Oilers forward Vasily Podkolzin. Panthers coach Paul Maurice called it a “tough break”, alluding that Nosek could stay in the lineup for Game 2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers defenseman Jake Walman taunted Nosek as he skated to the penalty box. Some observers suggested it was poor sportsmanship that the Panthers could use for motivation in Game 2. Others felt it was the kind of swagger the Oilers needed to counter the Panthers’ “in your face” style.

THE SCORE: Kaspari Kapanen is happy to be playing a pivotal role with the Oilers after his NHL career appeared to be in jeopardy a year ago.

The Oilers claimed Kapanen off waivers in November. He had a modest 13 points in 57 games in Edmonton and was a healthy scratch in the first round of the playoffs. Since then, he scored the series-clinching goal in Round 2, collected two assists in Game 1 of the Final, and is filling in for the sidelined Zach Hyman on their second line.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kapanen made the most of his opportunity, with five points in his eight postseason games. He’s part of the improved depth that carried the Oilers back to the Final this season.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Columbus Blue Jackets center Sean Monahan is the 2024-25 winner of the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

Monahan dedicated this season to his best friend Johnny Gaudreau following the latter’s tragic death in August. Gaudreau’s widow, Meredith Gaudreau, made a surprise visit to Monahan’s home in Toronto to present him with the trophy.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Monahan had previously overcome career-threatening hip and groin injuries, signing a multi-year contract with the Blues Jackets last summer to reunite with Gaudreau. He finished tied for third among the Jackets with 57 points in 54 games.

YARDBARKER: Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper shot down speculation that he was considering leaving the club or was on the verge of getting fired. “Contrary to rumors and whatever’s going on out there, I’m never leaving you guys,” he told the Sports Club of Tampa Bay.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cooper’s comments were a response to a recent rumor claiming he could be heading to the Utah Mammoth to take over the operation of the club. It’s been noted that he has a year left on this contract, so we’ll likely hear more talk about Cooper’s future around this time next year.

NEW YORK POST: Former Rangers head coach David Quinn is returning to the club as an assistant coach to new bench boss Mike Sullivan. Joe Sacco and Ty Hennes round out the coaching staff.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: The Flyers added Yogi Svejkovsky to their coaching staff. He worked with new Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet in Vancouver.

RG.ORG: Sergey Demidov reports Igor Larionov hopes to speak with the Montreal Canadiens about bringing back winger Ivan Demidov to KHL club SKA St. Petersburg for one more season.

Larionov was recently named their new head coach, and believes the youngster would benefit from another season in the KHL, followed by returning him to the Canadiens in time for the 2026 playoffs. However, sources say neither the player nor the Canadiens are considering such an option.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nor should they. Demidov made a promising debut with the Canadiens. He joined them for their last two regular-season games and collected two points, followed by two assists in five playoff games. The only way he returns to the KHL is if he fails to stick with the Canadiens next season.

NHL.COM: Center Michael Misa of the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit and Boston College center James Hagens are confident they can make the jump to the NHL next season. They are among the top prospects in this year’s draft class and could be among the top-five picks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Misa said he’s had dinner or will be dining with the San Jose Sharks, New York Islanders, Utah Mammoth and Nashville Predators. The Isles hold the first-overall pick, with the Sharks second, the Mammoth fourth, and the Predators fifth.

TORONTO STAR: Rogers Communications received all necessary league approvals to buy out Bell’s 37.5 percent stake in Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. It will increase Rogers’ stake to 75 percent.

TSN: Former NHL forward Sergei Kostitsyn announced his retirement this week. He played six seasons with the Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators from 2007-08 to 2012-13, scoring 67 goals and 176 points in 353 regular-season games and 15 points in 40 playoff contests. He spent the remainder of his professional career overseas.