NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 6, 2026

by | May 6, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 6, 2026

The Avalanche take a 2-0 series lead over the Wild, the Maple Leafs win the draft lottery, the Calder Trophy candidates are revealed, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and two assists to lead his club to a 5-2 win over the Minnesota Wild in Game 2 of their best-of-seven second-round series. Gabriel Landeskog and Martin Necas each had a goal and an assist while Scott Wedgewood stopped 29 shots for the Avalanche, who hold a 2-0 series lead. Kirill Kaprizov and Marcus Johansson replied for the Wild. This series shifts to Minnesota for Games 3 and 4.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This wasn’t the high-scoring affair of Game 1, but there were still plenty of offense and scoring chances in this one. The difference was that Colorado did a better job defensively than they did in Game 1, while the Wild continued to struggle in their efforts to contain the Avalanche’s top line.

Filip Gustavsson replaced Jesper Wallstedt in goal for the Wild after the latter had a rough outing in Game 1. However, he was rusty from not playing in nearly three weeks, giving up goals on the first two shots he faced.

Wild defenseman Zach Bogosian missed this game with a lower-body injury. Jeff Petry replaced him in the lineup.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have the first-overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft after winning the draft lottery on Tuesday evening. Top prospects in this year’s draft include left wing Gavin McKenna of Penn State University and forward Ivar Stenberg of Frolunda HC in Sweden.

The San Jose Sharks got the second overall pick, while the Vancouver Canucks dropped to third overall.

The Chicago Blackhawks hold the fourth overall pick, followed by the New York Rangers (5), Calgary Flames (6), Seattle Kraken (7), Winnipeg Jets (8), and Florida Panthers (9), with the Nashville Predators rounding out the top 10.

The St. Louis Blues hold the 11th overall pick, followed by the New Jersey Devils (12), New York Islanders (13), Columbus Blue Jackets (14), St. Louis Blues (15th, from the Detroit Red Wings), and the Washington Capitals at 16th.

The remainder of the draft order will be determined over the course of the playoffs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This result was a ray of hope for the Maple Leafs after a disappointing season and questions about the direction of the club under its new management. They could listen to trade offers if it fetches a player who immediately improves the roster, but they will likely retain it.

The last time a first-overall pick was traded was in 2003, when the Florida Panthers sent it to the Pittsburgh Penguins, who used it to select future Hall of Fame goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.

TSN: Speaking of Gavin McKenna, he passed up the chance to play for Canada at the upcoming IIHF World Championship. He’s focused on preparing for the NHL Draft Combine in Buffalo from May 31 to June 6.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speaking of the World Championship, Edmonton Oilers defensemen Evan Bouchard and Darnell Nurse, and Calgary Flames blueliner Zach Whitecloud will be part of Canada’s roster.

NHL.COM: Montreal Canadiens winger Ivan Demidov, New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer, and Anaheim Ducks winger Beckett Sennecke are this year’s finalists for the Calder Memorial Trophy as Rookie of the Year.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Demidov led all rookies this season with 43 assists and 62 points, while Sennecke led in goals (23) and was second in assists (37) and points (60). Both are worthy candidates, but the favorite is Schaefer. The 18-year-old defenseman led all rookies in ice time per game (24:41), tied with Sennecke with 23 goals, and was third in points with 59 while playing for the offensively anaemic Islanders.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning captain Victor Hedman revealed Tuesday that his absence since March 19 was caused by a need to address his mental health. He admitted it wasn’t an easy decision, but it was the correct one.

Hedman thanked his teammates, the Lightning organization, his family, and his therapist for their support, saying he was in a “much better place today.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Anyone who has dealt with mental health issues knows how difficult it can be to admit that they need help and to seek it out. Here’s hoping Hedman continues healing and returns to action next season.

SPORTSNET: Jim Rutherford will step down as the Vancouver Canucks’ president of hockey operations following the 2026 NHL Draft (June 26-27). He intends to remain with the team as an advisor and alternate governor.

THE PROVINCE: Rutherford indicated that the Canucks are down to five candidates in their search for a new general manager. It’s believed Canucks assistant GM Ryan Johnson, former Ottawa Senators GM Pierre Dorion, and Boston Bruins assistant GM Evan Gold.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The news of Dorion being among those candidates has some Canucks followers nervous because of the way his tenure in Ottawa ended. The Senators were forced to forfeit a first-round pick as punishment for trading Evgenii Dadonov to the Vegas Golden Knights without sharing information about his no-trade list. The forfeiture was later overturned, but Dorion lost his job as a result.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikitin has been cleared to return to action after dealing with a concussion suffered during Game 4 of his club’s first-round series against the Ottawa Senators. Nikitin could return to action on Wednesday for Game 3 of the Hurricanes’ current series with the Philadelphia Flyers.

DAILY FACEOFF: Speaking of the Flyers, forward Noah Cates is out day-to-day with a lower-body injury suffered during Game 2 against the Hurricanes.

NHL.COM: The New York Islanders have named Rocky Thompson as their new assistant coach.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators signed fourth-line center Stephen Halliday to a two-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $1.075 million.

THE MERCURY NEWS: The San Jose Sharks signed depth winger Patrick Giles to a two-year, two-way contract.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 5, 2026

by | May 5, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 5, 2026

The Hurricanes take a 2-0 series lead over the Flyers, the Golden Knights take Game 1 of their second-round series with the Ducks, the Masterton Trophy finalists are announced, the 2026 Draft Lottery will be held Tuesday evening, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING MONDAY’S PLAYOFF GAMES

NHL.COM: Carolina Hurricanes winger Taylor Hall scored his first NHL overtime playoff goal to give his club a 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 2 of their best-of-seven second-round series. The Flyers took an early 2-0 lead on goals by Jamie Drysdale and Sean Couturier, but the Hurricanes rallied as Nikolaj Ehlers and Seth Jarvis scored to send the game to overtime. Frederik Andersen stopped 34 shots for the Hurricanes, who hold a 2-0 lead as this series shifts to Philadelphia for Games 3 and 4. Dan Vladar made 40 saves for the Flyers.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Taylor Hall (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers had a much better effort in this game compared to the series opener, but they couldn’t build on their lead or shut down Carolina’s offense. Once again, it was the second line of Hall, Jackson Blake, and Logan Stankoven that made the difference for the Hurricanes. Speaking of Stankoven, this was the first game in this postseason that he was held off the score sheet.

Game 3 of this series is Thursday at 8 pm ET.

A controversial tie-breaking goal by Ivan Barbashev gave the Vegas Golden Knights a 3-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks in Game 1 of their second-round series. Barbashev’s goal came moments after a linesman waived off what appeared to be an icing call, infuriating Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville, who pleaded his case with the officials to no avail. Brett Howden extended his goal streak to four games while Mitch Marner had an empty-netter for the Golden Knights. Mikael Granlund replied for the Ducks. Game 2 of this series is on Wednesday in Las Vegas.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game saw Golden Knights center William Karlsson’s postseason debut after being sidelined since November with a lower-body injury. Meanwhile, Golden Knights defenseman Jeremy Lauzon is expected to miss this series with an undisclosed injury suffered during his club’s series-clinching win over the Utah Mammoth last Friday.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres, Gabriel Landeskog of the Colorado Avalanche, and Jonathan Toews of the Winnipeg Jets are the finalists for the 2025-26 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey as voted by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

The 2026 NHL Draft Lottery will be held on Tuesday, May 6, in real time starting at 7 pm ET at NHL Network studios in Secaucus, New Jersey. It will involve the 16 teams that failed to qualify for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks, and New York Rangers have the best odds of winning the lottery based on their position in the standings at the end of this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A team that sits lower in the order can move up 10 places if they win the lottery. However, only those sitting among the top 11 seeds can win the first overall pick.

Last year, the New York Islanders won the lottery despite having the 10th-best odds of doing so. They used that pick to select defenseman Mathieu Schaefer in the 2025 Draft. Schaefer had an immediate positive impact with the Islanders this season and is considered the favorite to win the 2026 Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year.

TSN: The Toronto Maple Leafs formally introduced Mats Sundin and John Chayka as their new management team. Sundin is the Leafs new senior executive advisor of hockey operations, while Chayka is their new general manager.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Maple Leafs ownership was already facing criticism from pundits and fans in Leafs Nation for these hirings before the introductions were made.

Sundin is a former captain of the Leafs and among the greatest players in franchise history, but he’s never held a management position before, and his role as a “senior executive advisor” suggests he won’t have a direct role in hockey ops decisions.

Most of the criticism was leveled at Chayka. His checkered past as GM of the Arizona Coyotes has many observers questioning Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment honcho Keith Pelley about the vetting process involved in Chayka’s hiring.

It led to an awkward moment when Toronto Sun columnist Steve Simmons directly challenged Pelley and Chayka, citing anonymous league sources critical of the latter’s previous experience with the Coyotes. Pelley insisted that the Leafs conducted their due diligence, while Chayka sidestepped questions about his complicated past.

NHL insider Frank Seravalli reported that “at least one team” raised a tampering concern with the league, claiming that employees under contract may have been contacted by the Maple Leafs without proper permission. However, the league looked into the matter and found the complaint to be unsubstantiated. Seravalli stated that a Maple Leafs spokesman declined to comment but acknowledged the interaction with the league.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators forward Ridly Greig will miss the first two games of the 2026-27 season for sucker-punching Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker during Game 4 of the first-round series between the two clubs.

D MAGAZINE: Robert Tiffin reports Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen said he tore an oblique muscle during the Apr. 9 regular-season game against the Minnesota Wild. He said the injury was slowly improving with each game, and he expects he’ll be fully healthy over the summer.

BUFFALO HOCKEY BEAT: Sabres center Sam Carrick (upper-body injury) might be available for his club’s upcoming second-round series with the Montreal Canadiens after all. He was initially considered unavailable, but is further along in his recovery than expected.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils forwards Nico Hischier and Timo Meier will play for Switzerland in the upcoming 2026 IIHF World Championship.

DAILY FACEOFF: Former NHL defenseman Korbinian Holzer has retired. He played in 206 NHL games from 2010-11 to 2019-20 with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Anaheim Ducks, and Nashville Predators, finishing with six goals and 27 points. Holzer spent the past six seasons playing in Russia, Germany, and Austria.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 4, 2026

by | May 4, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 4, 2026

The Canadiens advance to the second round, the Avalanche draw first blood in their second-round series against the Wild, the Maple Leafs hire Mats Sundin and John Chayka, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF SUNDAY’S PLAYOFF ACTION

NHL.COM: The Montreal Canadiens nipped the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 to win Game 7 of their first-round series to advance to the second round. Nick Suzuki and Alex Newhook scored, and Jakub Dobes made 28 saves for the Canadiens, who set a playoff record for the fewest shots on goal (nine!) in a playoff win. Dominic James netted the only goal for the Lightning.

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes (NHL Images).

The Canadiens will face the Buffalo Sabres in the second round starting on Wednesday, May 6, in Buffalo.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That was perhaps the ugliest performance by a winning team in a Game 7 situation that I’ve ever seen. It’s certainly the ugliest I’ve seen by the Canadiens, and I’ve been watching them since 1971.

The Canadiens were the better team for most of this series, but the Lightning dominated them in this contest. Dobes was the difference with a goaltending performance that ranks among the very best in franchise history. Their blueline got a boost with the return of Noah Dobson, who’d miss the first six games with an injured thumb.

Luck was also on the Canadiens’ side in this game. Both goals were flukes, with Suzuki’s puck tip deflecting off Lightning defenseman JJ Moser, and Newhook’s whack at a bouncing puck going into the net off the pants of Bolts goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy.

Nevertheless, the Canadiens’ skill, speed, hard work, and physical play during the first six games put them in a position to win Game 7. It wasn’t pretty, and the bounces went their way, but Dobes’ goaltending got them over the finish line and into the second round for the first time in five years.

The Colorado Avalanche drew first blood in their second-round series with the Minnesota Wild with a 9-6 victory in Game 1. Cale Makar scored twice and collected an assist, Devon Toews had a goal and three assists, Nathan MacKinnon tallied a goal and two assists, and Martin Necas collected three assists for the Avalanche, who blew an early 3-0 lead before finally pulling away for the win in the third period. Quinn Hughes had a goal and two assists for the Wild. Game 2 of this series is Tuesday, May 5, in Denver.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was ’80s night in Denver, as this resembled one of those high-scoring postseason tilts from 40 years ago. The Avalanche seemed on the verge of rolling to an easy win, but the Wild pushed back, with the score knotted at 5-5 after two periods. Hughes’ performance moved him into first place among this year’s postseason scorers with 11 points.

This high-scoring game was entertaining, but don’t expect to see more like this as this series goes on. Both clubs will likely improve their defensive play after this.

Both teams were missing key players from their lineup. Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson remains sidelined with an upper-body injury. Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek and blueliner Jonas Brodin will miss the first two games of this series with lower-body injuries.

HEADLINES

SPORTSNET: The Toronto Maple Leafs have hired former captain Mats Sundin as vice president of hockey operations and former Arizona Coyotes general manager John Chayka as their new GM. A press conference to officially announce their hiring is expected to be held on Monday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: These hirings have elicited largely negative reactions from some pundits and Leafs fans on social media. Most of the negativity is aimed at Chayka, who had an underwhelming record with the Coyotes before re-signing in 2020 and being suspended by the league for one year for attempting to pursue job opportunities with other teams while still employed by the Coyotes.

Maybe Sundin and Chayka will have better luck in their roles than their predecessors over the past 20 years, but most of the club’s critics aren’t giving them the benefit of the doubt. It will be interesting to see what they’ve got in store for this franchise.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks legends Daniel and Henrik Sedin will represent the team at the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery on Tuesday. The Canucks hold the best odds of winning the first-overall pick, something they’ve never had before.

SPORTSNET: Speaking of the Canucks, they interviewed former Ottawa Senators GM Pierre Dorion for their vacant general manager position.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Looking forward to reaction from our Senators fans in the comments section about this story. However, that doesn’t mean Dorion is getting the job. Unlike the Maple Leafs, the Canucks have cast a wide net in their search for a new general manager, speaking with several former NHL general managers and assistant GMs.

BUFFALO HOCKEY BEAT: Sabres centers Sam Carrick and Noah Ostlund will be sidelined for their upcoming second-round series against the Canadiens.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers have fired the coaching staff of their AHL affiliate in Hartford.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 3, 2026

by | May 3, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 3, 2026

The Hurricanes defeat the Flyers in the opening game of their second-round series, the schedule for the second round is released, the latest on the Oilers, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Carolina Hurricanes winger Logan Stankoven scored twice to lead his club over the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0 in Game 1 of their best-of-seven second-round playoff series. Frederik Andersen had a 19-save shutout, and Jackson Blake had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes. Dan Vladar stopped 20 shots for the Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers played better in the third period, but it was all Hurricanes in the first period and most of the second. Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet admitted his team wasn’t mentally prepared for this contest. He believes they were still riding the emotional high of making the playoffs and winning their first-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins

Carolina Hurricanes forward Logan Stankoven (NHL Images)

Carolina’s second line of Stankoven, Blake, and Taylor Hall remains a scoring force in this postseason.

Stankoven is tied with Minnesota Wild winger Matt Boldy and Tampa Bay Lightning winger Brandon Hagel for this postseason’s goal-scoring lead with six goals. He’s also set a franchise record with a five-game playoff goal-scoring streak. Four of his six goals were series-openers.

Carolina winger Nikolaj Ehlers returned to action after a lower-body injury sidelined him from Game 4 of the Hurricanes’ first-round series with the Ottawa Senators. Defenseman Alexander Nikishin remained out of their roster as he continues to recover from a concussion.

Flyers forward Owen Tippett missed this contest with an undisclosed injury and is considered day-to-day.

NHL.COM: The schedule for the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs was released.

Game 1 of the series between the Hurricanes and Flyers began Saturday. Game 2 will be on Monday, May 4, in Carolina.

The opening game of the series between the Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche will be on Sunday, May 3, in Colorado. Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek is questionable for Game 1 of this series with a lower-body injury.

Game 1 of the series between the Anaheim Ducks and the Vegas Golden Knights begins on Monday, May 4, in Las Vegas.

The Buffalo Sabres will face the Montreal Canadiens or the Tampa Bay Lightning. Game 1 of that series begins on Wednesday, May 6, in Buffalo. The Canadiens and Lightning face off in Game 7 in Tampa Bay on Sunday.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers center Leon Draisaitl was frank about his club’s performance and his concern about their future. Speaking with the media on Saturday, Draisaitl said he felt the Oilers “are not trending in the right direction,” adding that they’ve taken “big steps backward.” He warned that the Oilers must get a grip on this situation and return to the right direction.

Oilers captain Connor McDavid concurred with Draisaitl’s assessment of the club’s direction. Following their first-round elimination by the Anaheim Ducks, McDavid said he felt the Oilers were “an average team all year.” He said he still felt that way, adding that he and Draisaitl deserve their share of the blame, and that they can all be better and need to improve.

“There’s no doubt everybody knows what we’re trying to do here in Edmonton, and it’s no secret,” McDavid said, referring to their goal of winning the Stanley Cup. “We’re pressing pretty hard, so the patience is obviously worn pretty thin.”

McDavid also shot down trade speculation that surfaced during and after the series against the Ducks. “I want to win, and I want to win here in Edmonton. That’s my focus.”

However, McDavid declined to comment on whether he’ll play out his upcoming two-year contract with the Oilers. “I’m not going to get into all that,” he said. “The only thing that matters is competing for the big trophy. That’s all that matters. And if I feel that’s here, then yeah.”

McDavid also confirmed that he played with an injury during the Ducks series, suffering a fractured bone in his left foot in Game 2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers GM Stan Bowman acknowledged the club isn’t where they want to be while pointing to the positives from this season, such as the evolution of players Vasily Podkolzin, Matt Savoie, and Josh Samanski.

Nevertheless, the comments from McDavid and Draisaitl are a shot across Bowman’s bow. He’ll face a daunting task attempting to improve the Oilers. I’ll have more about that in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

SPORTSNET: The Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to hold a press conference on Monday to officially announce the hiring of former team captain Mats Sundin and former Arizona Coyotes general manager John Chayka to join their front office.

It’s been previously reported that the Leafs were interested in hiring Sundin as vice president of hockey operations and Chayka as general manager.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Reports of Sundin and Chayka being the frontrunners for those positions drew a nervous vibe from Leafs Nation. It will be interesting to see what those two have in store for the club during this offseason.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy will have an in-person meeting with the league’s department of player safety for slashing Buffalo Sabres forward Zach Benson during Game 6 of their first-round series.

THE SPORTING NEWS: Speaking of the Bruins, forward James Hagens is reportedly joining Team USA for the upcoming IIHF World Championship.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators forward Ridly Greig will have a virtual hearing with the department of player safety on Monday for his sucker punch to the head of Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker during Game 4 of their first-round series.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers owner Vinnie Viola got his second Kentucky Derby win on Saturday. Viola is a co-owner of Golden Tempo, a 23-1 long shot that won the 152nd running of the Derby at Churchill Downs.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers promoted assistant director of player development Tanner Glass as their new director of player development.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 2, 2026

by | May 2, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 2, 2026

The Sabres and Golden Knights advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Lightning force Game 7 with the Canadiens, the Jack Adams Award nominees are announced, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING FRIDAY’S STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS ACTION

NHL.COM: The Buffalo Sabres picked up their first playoff series win since 2007 by defeating the Boston Bruins 4-1 in Game 6 to win their best-of-seven first-round series four games to two. Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, and Zach Benson each had two points, Mattias Samuelsson scored the winning goal, and Alex Lyon stopped 25 shots for the Sabres, who await the winner of the Tampa Bay Lightning-Montreal Canadiens series. David Pastrnak replied for the Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Buffalo’s speed and scoring depth made the difference in this series against the defensive-minded Bruins. Alex Lyon also stabilized the goaltending for the Sabres, replacing a struggling Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen as the starter after Game 2 and winning three of the next four games.

Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy was ejected from the game late in the third period for slashing Benson after the latter slewfooted him to the ice. Following the game, Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov told reporters he played through a torn MCL suffered during Game 3 of this series.

Vegas Golden Knights winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).

Vegas Golden Knights winger Mitch Marner scored twice and collected an assist to lead his club to a series-winning 5-1 victory in Game 6 of their first-round series against the Utah Mammoth. Brett Howden extended his goal streak to three games while Carter Hart made 22 saves for the Golden Knights, who took this series in six games and will face the Anaheim Ducks in the second round. Kailer Yamamoto scored for the Mammoth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marner silenced critics of his playoff performance with a clutch effort in this contest. It was a heartbreaking lopsided loss for the young Mammoth, who had played well through the first five games, but the Golden Knights’ experience and solid defensive play tilted this series in their favor.

The Tampa Bay Lightning nipped the Montreal Canadiens 1-0 in Game 6 of their first-round series, forcing a seventh and deciding game back in Tampa Bay on Sunday. Gage Goncalves scored in overtime while Andrei Vasilevskiy had a 30-save shutout for the Lightning. Jakub Dobes stopped 32 shots for the Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This has been the best series of the opening round. This physical, fast-paced, closely contested tilt between these evenly matched teams should be going the distance. Every game has been decided by one goal, with four of them requiring overtime. Each contest could have gone either way.

HEADLINES

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Game 1 of the second-round series between the Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes is Saturday in Raleigh at 8 pm ET.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Carolina Hurricanes winger Nikolaj Ehlers and defenseman Alexander Nikishin are expected to play in Game 1 against the Flyers. Both players were injured during the Hurricanes’ first-round series against the Ottawa Senators.

NHL.COM: Jon Cooper of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Dan Muse of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and Lindy Ruff of the Buffalo Sabres are the finalists for the Jack Adams Award as NHL Coach of the Year, as voted by the National Broadcasters’ Association.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to three worthy finalists. Cooper has never won this award despite his many years of success with the Lightning. Muse is a finalist in his first-ever season as an NHL head coach. Ruff won the award in 2005-06 during his first tenure with the Sabres.

TRIBLIVE.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said he hasn’t thought about signing a contract extension this summer. The 38-year-old superstar has completed the first season of his two-year contract. “I haven’t thought that far ahead, but we’ll wait and see,” Crosby said.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby likely wants to find out what general manager Kyle Dubas’ offseason roster plans will be, and whether they include negotiating an extension.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Evgeni Malkin said he’ll sign with another NHL team if the Penguins don’t re-sign him this summer. The 39-year-old forward is completing a four-year contract with an average annual value of $6.1 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll be interesting to see how Crosby reacts if his long-time teammate ends up signing elsewhere this summer.

THE ATHLETIC’s Josh Yohe reported Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs was dealing with a knee injury during the first-round series against the Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As Yohe observed, you’d never know Silovs was playing hurt based on his performance in that series.

SPORTSNET: Dallas Stars winger Mikko Rantanen was fined $5,000 for cross-checking Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov in Game 6 of their first-round series on Thursday. The Wild won that game and eliminated the Stars.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The St. Louis Blues signed winger Dylan Holloway to a five-year contract worth an average annual value of $7.75 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Holloway signed a two-year offer sheet with the Blues two years ago that went unmatched by the Edmonton Oilers. It was a costly loss for the Oilers, as the speedy 24-year-old winger has been a good fit with the Blues. He netted a career-high 63 points in 77 games last season, and had 51 points this season despite missing 23 games with an ankle injury.

CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: Blackhawks center Connor Bedard won’t be playing for Canada in the upcoming IIHF World Championship. The 20-year-old center is currently rehabbing a shoulder injury.

SPORTSNET: The Toronto Maple Leafs had hoped to interview Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois as part of their ongoing search for a new GM. However, the Lightning denied them permission.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Devils announced they are parting ways with assistant general manager Dan MacKinnon and senior advisor Chuck Fletcher.

THE ATHLETIC: Jed Ortmeyer is out as the New York Rangers’ director of player development.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 1, 2026

by | May 1, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 1, 2026

The Ducks and Wild advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the finalists for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy are revealed, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF THURSDAY’S PLAYOFF ACTION

NHL.COM: The Edmonton Oilers won’t be making a third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final, falling to the Anaheim Ducks 5-2 in Game 6 of their best-of-seven first-round series, winning this series in six games.

Leo Carlsson, Troy Terry, and Chris Kreider each had a goal and two assists, Cutter Gauthier had a goal and an assist, and Lukas Dostal stopped 25 shots for the Ducks, who took this series in six games and will face the winner of the Vegas Golden Knights-Utah Mammoth series. Connor Murphy and Vasily Podkolzin replied for the Oilers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the first series win for the Ducks since 2017. Their victory over the Oilers is an upset, but it was clear as this series unfolded that they were the better club. Several of the Oilers’ key players, including team captain Connor McDavid, were dealing with injuries, but even he admitted that they were an average team throughout this season.

The Oilers’ early postseason exit is already sparking conjecture about their offseason plans. I’ll have more in today’s Rumor Mill.

Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes (NHL Images).

Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes scored twice and collected an assist to lead his club over the Dallas Stars 4-2 to win their first-round series in six games. Matt Boldy tallied two empty-net goals for the Wild, who won their first playoff series since 2015 and will face the Colorado Avalanche in the second round. Wyatt Johnson and Mavrik Bourque briefly gave the Stars a 2-1 lead before Vladimir Tarasenko tied the score and Hughes netted the winning goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a terrific series between two well-matched opponents. This loss is a bit of a setback for the Stars, who reached the Western Conference Final in each of the last three years. I’ll be taking a look at what they face in the offseason in today’s Rumor Mill.

The Wild won this series without defenseman Jonas Brodin, who missed this game with a lower-body injury and is considered day-to-day. Stars defenseman Tyler Myers was a healthy scratch from this contest.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield, Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar, and Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson are this year’s finalists for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy. The award is given annually to the player voted best to combine sportsmanship, gentlemanly conduct, and ability as voted by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: All three are worthy candidates, with Kopitar having won it three times. With the Kings’ captain retiring, he’ll likely be the sentimental choice for the voters.

NHL.COM: Game 1 of the second-round series between the Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers will be on Saturday, May 2, at 8 pm ET in Carolina. 

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins winger Viktor Arvidsson is expected to miss Game 6 of his club’s first-round series against the Buffalo Sabres. He’s been sidelined since Game 4 with a suspected shoulder injury.

NESN: Bruins rookie forward James Hagens is expected to be a healthy scratch for the third straight game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins are trailing the Sabres three games to two and hope to avoid elimination in Game 6 on Friday in Boston.

BUFFALO HOCKEY BEAT: Speaking of the Sabres, defenseman Logan Stanley is questionable for Game 6 due to an illness.

TSN: Winnipeg Jets defenseman Elias Salomonsson underwent shoulder surgery and will be sidelined for six months.

THE PROVINCE: Calgary Flames assistant general manager Brad Pascall and Tampa Bay Lightning assistant GM Jeff Tambellini are among the candidates to become the next general manager of the Vancouver Canucks.

Other candidates include Boston Bruins assistant general managers Evan Gold and Jamie Langenbrunner, Florida Panthers assistant GM Brent Peterson, NHL front office executive Patrick Burke, former Buffalo Sabres GM Kevyn Adams, Toronto Maple Leafs executive Shane Doan, and Canucks assistant GM Ryan Johnson.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks appear to be casting a wider net in their search for a new general manager than the Toronto Maple Leafs, who seem to be putting more of an emphasis on “data-driven” candidates.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Kraken assistant coach Jessica Campbell is leaving the club to explore other opportunities as her contract expires. She was the first woman to become an assistant coach in NHL history. The door remains open if she wishes to return to the Kraken.