NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 18, 2025

by | May 18, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 18, 2025

The Stars advance to the Western Conference Final amid a heartbreaking personal loss for Jets center Mark Scheifele, the Panthers and Maple Leafs prepare for Game 7, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Dallas Stars advanced to the Western Conference Final for the third straight year with a 2-1 overtime victory over the Winnipeg Jets in Game 6 of their second-round series.

Dallas Stars defenseman Thomas Harley (NHL Images)

Thomas Harley scored the game-winner on a power-play goal at 1:33 of overtime. Jake Oettinger made 22 saves for the win and Sam Steel tallied the tying goal for the Stars, who will face the Edmonton Oilers for the second straight year in the Conference Final.

Harley’s goal came with Winnipeg center Mark Scheifele in the penalty box for tripping late in the third period. Scheifele opened the scoring in this game, opting to play despite his father passing away suddenly the night before.

Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey left the game with a lower-body injury after getting tangled with Stars winger Mikko Rantanen late in the second period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a heartbreaking defeat for Scheifele and his teammates. Following the game, Jets coach Scott Arniel said Scheifele told him he would play because that’s what his father would’ve wanted.

The Stars players and coaches took the time to offer condolences to Scheifele in the postgame handshake lineup, especially Mason Marchment, who lost his father three years ago.

The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus reported that Marchment said he was trying to help Scheifele with some kind words that helped him back following his own father’s death. He also praised the Jets center for deciding to play despite his loss. “At the end of the day, we’re all just people. And when you treat someone with respect, I think it means a lot,” said Marchment.

The hockey community rallied to support Scheifele, raising more than $30K in $55 donations (honoring Scheifele’s No. 55) to the Jets’ charitable fund, True North Youth Foundation. Many of the donations came from Dallas Stars fans.

NHL.COM: The defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers are feeling the pressure heading into Game 7 of their second-round series with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday. They’ll try to draw on their experience in these situations (eliminating Boston in their 2023 first-round series, defeating Edmonton in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final) to help them advance to the Eastern Conference Final.

TORONTO SUN: The status of Leafs winger Matthew Knies remains uncertain for Game 7. He suffered an undisclosed injury during the Leafs’ 2-0 victory in Game 6.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Game 7 is in Toronto on Sunday, starting at 7:30 pm ET.

NHL.COM: The Western Conference Final between the Stars and Oilers begins in Dallas on Wednesday, May 21, at 8 pm ET.

The Eastern Conference Final opens on Tuesday, May 20 at 8 PM ET. If the Leafs win, the series starts in Toronto against the Carolina Hurricanes. If the Panthers win, the series begins in Carolina.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin confirmed he will return next season. He’s coming off a historic 20th NHL season where he broke the all-time goal-scoring record while helping the Capitals finish first in the Eastern Conference.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin turns 40 in September and has one year remaining on his contract. It could be last in the NHL, depending on how next season unfolds.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOWS: Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon acknowledged a lack of scoring against the Edmonton Oilers led to his club’s second-round elimination. However, he chalked that up to the Oilers’ strong defensive play during that series.

McCrimmon acknowledged several players (Tanner Pearson, Victor Olofsson, Reilly Smith, Brandon Saad and Ilya Samsonov) are eligible for unrestricted free-agent status on July 1. He praised their performances, suggesting a good case can be made to re-sign them.

The Golden Knights GM indicated “a couple of guys” played through injuries, but none will require offseason surgery.

LAS VEGAS SUN: McCrimmon also hopes to sign Jack Eichel to a contract extension this summer. The 28-year-old first-line center is UFA-eligible next July.

ROTOWIRE: Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury ahead of the Eastern Conference Final.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks are reportedly close to an agreement to remain at the SAP Center until 2050.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 17, 2025

by | May 17, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 17, 2025

The Maple Leafs avoided elimination and forced Game 7 with the Panthers, Stars captain Jamie Benn fined, the Oilers could get two sidelined players back for the Western Conference Final, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Toronto Maple Leafs staved off elimination with a 2-0 victory over the Florida Panthers in Game 6 of their second-round series.

Joseph Woll had a 22-save shutout, Auston Matthews scored the game-winner, and Max Pacioretty netted the insurance goal for the Leafs. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 15 shots for the Panthers.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

The series returns to Toronto for the seventh and deciding game on Sunday, May 18, at 7:30 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Given up for dead by their fans and pundits following their disastrous 6-1 loss in Game 5, this was a solid bounce-back performance by the Leafs.

Matthews (who appears to be hampered by an undisclosed injury) scored the biggest goal of his career, Woll shook off his horrible Game 5 outing, and Pacioretty continues to enjoy a strong comeback from an injury-hampered regular season.

The Leafs put up their best defensive effort of the postseason in this contest, effectively stifling the Panthers’ offensive attack.

Having avoided elimination in Florida, the Leafs return home facing their seventh Game 7, needing to snap a six-game losing skid in those situations to advance to the Eastern Conference Final.

The Leafs could go into that contest without power forward Matthew Knies. The 22-year-old winger suffered an undisclosed injury in Game 6.

This will be one of the most consequential games in franchise history. A loss will mean the end of the “Core Four Era” of the Maple Leafs, ensuring the departures of Mitch Marner and John Tavares via free agency on July 1. It could also start the clock ticking on Matthews’ departure when his four-year contract expires in 2028.

TSN: Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn was fined $5,000.00 for roughing Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele in Game 5 of their second-round series on Thursday. Game 6 of their series is on Saturday in Dallas at 8 pm ET, with the Stars holding a 3-2 series lead.

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm and backup goaltender Calvin Pickard will not play in Games 1 and 2 of the Western Conference Final. However, the two sidelined players are expected to return to action later in that series. The Oilers await the winner of the Jets-Stars series.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: As his contract with the Washington Capitals expires, Nicklas Backstrom will resume his playing career where it began. The 37-year-old center reportedly signed with Brynas IF of the Swedish Hockey League. Backstrom has been sidelined since October 2023 amid chronic hip issues.

DAILY FACEOFF: Speaking of the Capitals, they signed prospect defenseman Ryan Chesley to a three-year entry-level contract. They chose him in the second round (37th) of the 2022 NHL Draft.

RG.ORG: Philadelphia Flyers winger Matvei Michkov has praise for his former head coach John Tortorella. He considered Tortorella the best coach he could’ve had for his first NHL season. Michkov acknowledged they occasionally disagreed, but insisted they had a great relationship, adding he was grateful for what Tortorella taught him.

TSN: Montreal Canadiens winger Ivan Demidov is a finalist for KHL Rookie of the Year. The 19-year-old winger had 19 goals and 30 assists for 49 points in 65 games with SKA St. Petersburg. He joined the Canadiens late this season, collecting two points in two games, and two assists in five playoff contests.

THE SCORE: The Minnesota Wild signed prospect forward Danila Yurov to a three-year, entry-level contract. He was chosen 24th overall in the 2022 Draft.

TSN: The judge in the trial of five former members of Canada’s 2018 Junior team dismissed the jury after a juror complained that defense lawyers were acting unprofessionally. This came three weeks after a juror’s complaint about one of the defense lawyers led to a mistrial.

The trial will continue before a judge alone.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 16, 2025

by | May 16, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 16, 2025

The Hurricanes advance to the Eastern Conference Final while the Jets stave off elimination by the Stars. Check out the details on these and other stories in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF THURSDAY’S PLAYOFF ACTION

NHL.COM: The Carolina Hurricanes are heading to the Eastern Conference Final for the third time in seven years. They eliminated the Washington Capitals with a 3-1 victory in Game 5 of their second-round series.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov (NHL Images).

Andrei Svechnikov tallied the winning goal with 1:59 remaining in the third period. Jordan Staal and Seth Jarvis also scored for the Hurricanes. Anthony Beauvillier replied for the Capitals.

The Hurricanes await the winner of the Toronto Maple Leafs-Florida Panthers series.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A well-deserved series victory by the Hurricanes. They did a terrific job neutralizing the Capitals’ offense, scoring with the man advantage, and killing off penalties.

It was a heartbreaking loss for the Capitals after finishing first overall in the Eastern Conference this season. Goaltender Logan Thompson was solid throughout this series, but his efforts couldn’t compensate for his teammates’ inability to score against the Hurricanes.

After the game, Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery praised Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin’s performance in this series. “How he’s not in the Norris Trophy conversation every single year, it doesn’t seem right”, said Carbery. “Obviously, the guys that are there are tremendous players in their own right, but he’s one heck of a player.”

This game saw the debut of Hurricanes rookie defenseman Alexander Nikishin, who replaced a sidelined Jalen Chatfield. The 23-year-old saw 10:33 minutes of ice time skating on their third line.

The Winnipeg Jets avoided elimination from their second-round series by blanking the Dallas Stars 4-0 in Game 5.

Connor Hellebuyck made 22 saves for the shutout, Mark Scheifele scored what proved to be the game-winner, and Nikolaj Ehlers tallied twice for the Jets, who trail Dallas three games to two.

Jake Oettinger stopped 31 shots for the Stars while team captain Jamie Benn received a 10-minute misconduct late in the third period for sucker-punching Scheifele.

The series returns to Dallas for Game 6 on Saturday, May 17, at 8 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets’ previous win in this series was also a 4-0 shutout. They’ll need a similar effort on Saturday if they hope to return to Winnipeg for the seventh and deciding game. The Jets haven’t won a road game in this postseason.

HEADLINES

SPORTSNET: Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin dismissed speculation suggesting team captain Quinn Hughes had a hand in the promotion of Adam Foote as their new head coach.

Foote has been close with Hughes during his role as assistant GM, but he stated that his relationship with the captain is no different than those he has with the rest of the players.

LOS ANGELES TIMES: Kings general manager Ken Holland said Jim Hiller will return as the club’s head coach next season. His remarks came during his introductory press conference as their new GM, quelling speculation that he might seek a new bench boss.

TSN: Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube isn’t optimistic that sidelined goaltender Anthony Stolarz will return for Game 6 against the Florida Panthers on Friday. Stolarz has been sidelined with a suspected concussion since Game 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Even if Stolarz were good to go, he wouldn’t be enough to save the Leafs if his teammates have another uninspired, disgraceful effort as they did in Game 5.

CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: The Blackhawks announced the addition of their Hall of Fame as part of commemorating their 100th anniversary. They will induct two players each year as voted by the fans.

The nine players with their numbers retired and hanging in the rafters are automatic inductees. They are Glenn Hall, Keith Magnuson, Pierre Pilote, Chris Chelios, Bobby Hull, Denis Savard, Stan Mikita, Tony Esposito and Marian Hossa.

DAILY FACEOFF: Speaking of the Blackhawks, winger Teuvo Teravainen tied the IIHF World Championship record with six assists in one game in Finland’s 9-1 win over Slovenia.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators have opened contract extension talks with Claude Giroux. They also hired former NHL player Sam Gagner as director of player development.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Giroux is UFA-eligible on July 1. The 37-year-old forward is completing a three-year deal with an average annual value of $6.5 million. It’s expected he could get a one-year contract with an AAV between $3 million and $4 million.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Interim coach Brad Shaw reportedly won’t be returning to the Flyers coaching staff.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: The Lightning have signed a contract with Scripps Sports to broadcast their games locally over the air, meaning any viewer with a TV and an antenna can watch the games for free.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: How very retro. I’m so old, I remember when that was the usual way of watching hockey games.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 15, 2025

by | May 15, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 15, 2025

The Oilers advance to the Western Conference Final, the Panthers push the Maple Leafs to the brink of elimination, the Flyers hire Rick Tocchet as their new coach, the Canucks promote Adam Foote as their new bench boss, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF WEDNESDAY’S NHL ACTION

NHL.COM: The Edmonton Oilers are heading to the Western Conference Final for the third time in four years after defeating the Vegas Golden Knights 1-0 in Game 5 of their second-round series.

Edmonton Oilers winger Kasperi Kapanen (NHL Images).

Kasperi Kapanen scored in overtime, and Stuart Skinner turned in 24 saves for his second straight shutout as the Oilers took the series four games to one. Adin Hill made 31 saves for the Golden Knights, who played without sidelined captain Mark Stone for the first time in a postseason game since he joined the team in 2019.

The Oilers await the winner of the Winnipeg Jets-Dallas Stars series.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was Kapanen’s second game in this postseason, but he scored the biggest goal of his career, becoming the seventh player in Oilers history to score a series-clinching overtime goal.

Kapanen is another example of the Oilers’ depth making the difference in this postseason. The bulk of their offense still comes from Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard, but they’re also getting production from Connor Brown, Vasily Podkolzin, and veterans like Adam Henrique, Viktor Arvidsson, Corey Perry and a healthy Evander Kane.

Meanwhile, their defensive game continues to improve as the playoffs continue. They’ll get a boost with sidelined defenseman Mattias Ekholm and backup goalie Calvin Pickard expected to be ready for the Conference Final.

Skinner’s critics are quieter after his back-to-back shutout performance, joining Cam Talbot and Curtis Joseph among Oilers goalies to accomplish that feat in the postseason. He’s also the fifth in franchise history to post a series-clinching shutout, joining Joseph, Bill Ranford, Dwayne Roloson, and Mike Smith.

The Florida Panthers are on the verge of advancing to the Eastern Conference Final for the third straight year after crushing the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-1 in Game 5 of their second-round series.

Sergei Bobrovsky made 31 saves, Dmitry Kulikov tallied the game-winning goal, and Aaron Ekblad and Jesper Boqvist each had a goal and an assist for the Panthers, who’ve taken a 3-2 series lead. Nick Robertson scored for the Leafs, who pulled starting goalie Joseph Woll after he gave up five goals on 25 shots.

Florida can wrap this series up on home ice in Game 6 on Friday, May 16, at 8 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers deserve full marks for their superb performance in this game, but the Maple Leafs made it easy for them with a lifeless effort that had the Toronto crowd booing them off the ice following the second period. Some of their fans tossed their Leafs jerseys on the ice in disgust during the final period.

Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues missed this game with an undisclosed injury. Boqvist took his place.

This was the Leafs’ third straight loss after taking a 2-0 lead over the Panthers in this series. Another pathetic effort like that in Game 6 on Friday, and the Leafs will be booking tee-times on Saturday.

HEADLINES

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The Flyers will make Rick Tocchet their 25th coach in franchise history. He will reportedly receive a five-year, $25 million contract. Tocchet won the Jack Adams Trophy last season with the Vancouver Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No surprise here, Tocchet was considered the favorite for this job. He should work well with the younger players on the rebuilding Flyers.

Speaking of the young Flyers, Matvei Michkov was involved in a single-car accident while vacationing in Dubai. He rented the car but was not the driver. There were no injuries, and there was no alcohol or drugs involved.

Michkov and his friend had their passports illegally taken away by the car rental company and were reportedly extorted for $100K to avoid having details of the accident leaked to the media.

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks promoted assistant coach Adam Foote as their new head coach, taking over from the departed Rick Tocchet.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Manny Malhotra appeared to be the favorite because of his success with their AHL affiliate in Abbotsford this season. However, Foote was praised by team captain Quinn Hughes earlier this season, which may have factored into his promotion.

The Canucks also signed prospect defenseman Tom Willander to an entry-level contract. Willander, 20, completed his sophomore season with Boston University. He was selected 11th overall by the Canucks in the 2023 NHL Draft.

THE WINNIPEG SUN: Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars is poised to take the crown of the USA’s top goaltender away from the Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck. While the former is poised to win his third Vezina Trophy, the latter has a better playoff record and is on the verge of eliminating Hellebuyck and his teammates from the postseason.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hellebuyck is one of the best regular-season goalies in the league, but he struggles mightily during the playoffs. He’ll need to have the best game of his career if the Jets hope to avoid elimination tonight by the Stars.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Hurricanes’ superior depth has made the difference in their second-round series against the Washington Capitals.

Meanwhile, the Capitals had Connor McMichael replacing Lars Eller centering their third line during practice on Wednesday. Eller is expected to be a healthy scratch from Game 5 on Thursday.

PUCKPEDIA: It doesn’t appear that the Ottawa Senators have forfeited their 2025 first-round pick. They had 24 hours following the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery to forfeit the pick as part of the punishment handed down by the league for their role in a trade being invalidated in 2022.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators were given the choice of forfeiting their 2024, 2025 or 2026 pick.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 14, 2025

by | May 14, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 14, 2025

The Stars push the Jets to the brink of elimination, the league suspends Panthers minority owner Doug Cifu, and the latest on the Oilers, Leafs, Capitals and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: A hat trick by Mikael Granlund gave the Dallas Stars a 3-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets in Game 4 of their best-of-seven second-round series, pushing the Jets to the brink of elimination.

San Jose Sharks forward Mikael Granlund (NHL Images).

Jake Oettinger made 31 saves for the Stars, who hold a commanding 3-1 lead in the series. Nikolaj Ehlers scored for the Jets, who got 21 saves from Connor Hellebuyck.

The Stars can wrap up this series in Game 5 in Winnipeg on Thursday, May 15, at 9:30 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That hat trick was Granlund’s first in the postseason. His last regular-season hat trick was in 2017. Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen returned to action after being sidelined by a knee injury since late January. He assisted on Granlund’s second goal, which proved to be the game-winner.

The Jets played their best road game of the postseason, generating 70 shot attempts, but they could only put one goal past Oettinger, who made a big save on Kyle Connor before Granlund’s winning goal. Their special teams were a problem, giving up two power-play goals while failing to generate offense with the man advantage. The Jets have yet to win a road game in this postseason.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The league has suspended Panthers minority owner Doug Cifu indefinitely for “unacceptable and inappropriate” posts on the social media platform “X”, formerly Twitter.

Cifu made the posts in response to a comment from a Leafs fan. He has since deleted his “X” account and apologized. Cifu and will soon have an in-person meeting with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz was on the ice taking shots during an optional skate on Tuesday. He’s been sidelined by a suspected concussion since Game 1 of their second-round series with the Panthers. Stolarz is improving, but he won’t be in the lineup for Game 5 on Wednesday.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers winger Evander Kane has been a solid physical presence for his club in this postseason, netting seven points in nine games thus far. The 33-year-old winger missed the 2024-25 regular season recovering from abdominal, hip, and knee surgeries.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane was a shadow of himself during last year’s postseason as he tried to play through his injuries. Now healthy, he’s been a factor for the Oilers, who are poised to reach the Western Conference Final for the third time in four years.

TSN: Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm could be ready to return to action if his club advances to the next series. The 34-year-old has been sidelined with an undisclosed injury since Apr. 11.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Getting Ekholm back for the Western Conference Final would provide a significant boost to the Oilers’ defense corps, but first, they must eliminate the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 5 on Wednesday in Las Vegas.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Washington Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery is expected to shake up his roster before Game 5 against the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday. The Capitals face elimination, down three games to one to the Hurricanes in their second-round series.

TSN: The Los Angeles Kings will formally announce Ken Holland as their new general manager on Thursday. Holland is the former GM of the Detroit Red Wings and Edmonton Oilers.

RG.ORG: The San Jose Sharks are close to an agreement on a new contract with Shakir Mukhamadullin. The 23-year-old defenseman is coming off his entry-level contract and appeared in 30 games with the Sharks this season, finishing with nine points.

SPORTSNET: The new compensation rates for NHL offer sheets have been revealed.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Click the link above to see the breakdown of those rates.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 13, 2025

by | May 13, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 13, 2025

The Oilers and Hurricanes take commanding 3-1 leads in their second-round series, Ken Holland is expected to be named the next GM of the Kings, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING MONDAY’S PLAYOFF GAMES

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner made 23 saves to shut out the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 in Game 4 of their best-of-seven second-round series.

Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner (NHL Images).

Adam Henrique scored two goals and Evander Kane had a goal and an assist for the Oilers, who hold a 3-1 lead in the series. Adin Hill stopped 29 shots for the Golden Knights.

The Oilers can wrap things up on Wednesday, May 14, in Las Vegas at 9:30 PM ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a dominating performance by the Oilers, especially in the fast-paced first period, where Henrique scored his goals as the action was end-to-end for most of that frame. They were physical from the start, generating plenty of traffic around the Vegas net, and played with consistent, determined energy that the Golden Knights couldn’t match.

Another effort like that by the Oilers in Game 5, and they’ll be heading to the Western Conference Final for the third time in four years.

Carolina Hurricanes forwards Sean Walker and Taylor Hall each had a goal and an assist in a 5-2 victory over the Washington Capitals in Game 4 of their second-round series.

Frederik Andersen turned aside 19 shots for the Hurricanes, who’ve taken a 3-1 stranglehold on this series. Jakob Chychrun and Alex Ovechkin scored for the Capitals and Logan Thompson kicked out 32 shots.

The Hurricanes can win this series and advance to the Eastern Conference Final for the second time in three years on Thursday, May 15, in Washington at 7 pm ET

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Washington had a strong start for the second straight game but failed to capitalize. The Hurricanes soon took over, dominating the Capitals over the remainder of the game. Ovechkin scored his first goal of this series on a 5-on-3 power-play, but the Hurricanes’ checkers have otherwise neutralized him.

HEADLINES

MAYOR’S MANOR: The Los Angeles Kings are expected to name Ken Holland as their new general manager this week. The announcement could come as early as Tuesday, May 13.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Holland spent this season as an NHL operations department consultant. He has an impressive resume from his 27 years with the Detroit Red Wings and Edmonton Oilers, including three Stanley Cups with the Wings and building the Oilers into a Cup Finalist last season.

The Kings have been a playoff club for the past four seasons, but were eliminated by the Oilers in the opening round four times. They’ll look to Holland to help them take the next step toward Cup contention.

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs forward Max Domi was fined $5,000 for boarding Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov during Game 4 of their second-round series on Sunday.

ROTOWIRE: Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues is questionable for Game 5 against the Leafs on Wednesday, May 14. He suffered an undisclosed injury in Game 4.

THE WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets hope to improve their struggling power play for Game 4 of their second-round series with the Dallas Stars. They are 1-for-13 with the man advantage through the first three games. The Stars lead the series two games to one.

DAILY FACEOFF: Top 2026 NHL Draft prospect Gavin McKenna’s historic WHL points streak ended at 54 games. The Medicine Hat Tigers’ forward was held scoreless in a 6-2 loss to the Spokane Chiefs in Game 2 of the WHL Championship Series.

McKenna, 17, finished second among this season’s WHL scorers with 129 points in 56 games. He has 37 points in 16 playoff games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McKenna has been compared to Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid and Chicago Blackhawks’ star Connor Bedard. He is already expected to be the first-overall pick in the 2026 draft.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Former NHL center Stefan Matteau has announced his retirement. The son of former NHL winger Stephane Matteau, Stefan was selected in the first round (29th overall) by the New Jersey Devils in the 2012 draft. He spent eight seasons with the Devils, Montreal Canadiens, Vegas Golden Knights, Columbus Blue Jackets and Colorado Avalanche. Matteau had six goals and five assists for 11 points in 92 games.