NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 5, 2026

by | Mar 5, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 5, 2026

Recapping Wednesday’s games and notable trades in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Nikolaj Ehlers tallied a hat trick as the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Vancouver Canucks 6-4. Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, and Sean Walker each had a goal and an assist for the 39-16-6 Hurricanes, who are 11-1-2 in their last 14 games and hold first place in the Eastern Conference with 84 points. Filip Hronek had a goal and two assists for the 18-36-7 Canucks.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Nikolaj Ehlers (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, defenseman Tyler Myers waived his no-movement clause, accepting a trade to the Dallas Stars. In exchange, the Canucks received a second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft and a fourth-rounder in 2029.

Myers will likely slot in on the Stars’ blueliner as the right-shot defenseman on their third pairing. The Canucks got a decent return for the 36-year-old Myers.

St. Louis Blues goaltender Joel Hofer made 34 saves to help his club hold off the Seattle Kraken by a score of 3-2. Brayden Schenn collected three assists, and Robert Thomas had a goal and an assist for the 23-29-9 Blues. Jaden Schwartz and Vince Dunn scored for the Kraken (29-23-9), who hold the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 67 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blues have a deal in place with the Buffalo Sabres that would reportedly send defenseman Colton Parayko to the Sabres in exchange for prospect blueliner Radim Mrtka and a first-round pick. However, they’re waiting for Parayko to decide if he’ll waive his no-trade clause. As of publication, they’re still awaiting his decision.

The New Jersey Devils got a shootout goal from Paul Cotter to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3. Arseny Gritsyuk and Nico Hischier each had two points for the 31-29-2 Devils. Anthony Stolarz stopped 44 shots for the Maple Leafs, who dropped to 27-24-11.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Maple Leafs held forwards Bobby McMann and Scott Laughton and defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson out of the lineup for roster management purposes, which means that management is having trade talks involving those players. At least one of them could be on the move by Friday’s trade deadline.

McMann and Laughton are due to become unrestricted free agents on July 1 and lack no-trade protection. Ekman-Larsson has two years left on his contract and a 16-team no-trade list.

Before this game, the Maple Leafs announced that defenseman Chris Tanev is done for the season after undergoing core muscle surgery. He is expected to fully participate in training camp in September.

The Vegas Golden Knights overcame a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 on an overtime goal by Tomas Hertl. Ivan Barbashev and Mitch Marner scored in the third period to tie the game, with Marner finishing the night with three points. Alex DeBrincat and Simon Edvinsson each had a goal and an assist for the Red Wings (35-20-7), who sit third in the Atlantic Division with 77 points. The 29-19-14 Golden Knights remain in first place in the Pacific Division with 72 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings had a scare when team captain Dylan Larkin left the game late in the third period after being cross-checked in the ribs by Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb. He returned for the overtime period.

Anaheim Ducks winger Cutter Gauthier tallied twice, and goaltender Ville Husso kicked out 42 shots in a 5-1 victory over the New York Islanders. Beckett Sennecke had a goal and an assist to take over the lead among this season’s rookie scorers with 51 points as the Ducks (34-24-3) sit one point behind the Golden Knights. Anders Lee replied for the 35-22-5 Islanders, who are in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 75 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock missed this game with an upper-body injury.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: The Calgary Flames traded defenseman MacKenzie Weegar to the Utah Mammoth in exchange for blueliner Olli Maatta, prospect center Jonathan Castagna, and three second-round picks in the 2026 NHL Draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There was no salary retention by the Flames, meaning the Mammoth takes on the full remaining value of the 32-year-old Weegar’s contract. He’s signed through 2030-31 with an average annual value of $6.25 million.

Weegar will bring valuable depth and experience to the Mammoth’s blueline as they jockey for a playoff berth in the Western Conference. He will likely skate on the right side of their second defense pairing, but can move up into a first-pairing role if required.

Daniel Austin of the Calgary Sun believes the Flames got a good return for Weegar, considering that the blueliner’s production is down this season. One of those second-round picks belonged to the Rangers, meaning it’ll be near the top of that round. They also get a veteran replacement for Weegar in Maatta, who carries a more affordable $3.5 million AAV through 2027-28. Castagna brings more center depth to the Flames’ prospect pool.

The Chicago Blackhawks traded forwards Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for winger Andrew Mangiapane and a conditional first-round pick (top-12 protected) in the 2027 NHL Draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal reports the Blackhawks retained half of Dickinson’s $4.25 million cap hit. He’s UFA-eligible in July.

The Oilers dealt with two needs with this trade. The underrated Dickinson should address their need for a reliable third-line center, and they got Mangiapane’s burdensome contract off their books. They also get a young forward in Dach, the younger brother of Kirby Dach of the Montreal Canadiens. Colton played a fourth-line role in Chicago.

This move gives the Blackhawks two first-rounders in next year’s draft. As for Mangiapane, he gets another chance to see if he can regain the scoring touch he had with the Calgary Flames several years ago. He’ll have an opportunity for more playing time with the rebuilding Blackhawks.

The Colorado Avalanche acquired defenseman Nick Blankenburg from the Nashville Predators in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blankenburg is a puck-moving defenseman who has 21 points in 49 games this season, averaging over 17 minutes of ice time per game. It’ll be interesting to see how much playing time he’ll get on the right side of the Avalanche defense corps.

Blankenburg is the third player traded by the Predators this week. They already shipped out forward Michael McCarron to the Minnesota Wild for a 2028 second-round pick and Cole Smith to the Vegas Golden Knights for a 2028 third-rounder. General manager Barry Trotz could have more moves in store by tomorrow’s deadline, even though his team is battling for a playoff berth.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks signed winger Kiefer Sherwood to a five-year, $28.75 million contract. He’ll earn an average annual value of $5.75 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sherwood has cashed in well with this deal. His current AAV is $1.5 million. He’s also getting a full no-trade clause for next season, followed by a 16-team no-trade list for 2027-28, a 13-team list in 2028-29, a 10-team list in 2029-30, and a five-team list in 2030-31.

The Sharks can afford it, but it remains to be seen if Sherwood can maintain the level of performance from the past two seasons that earned him this deal.

TSN: The Washington Capitals signed forward Ethen Frank to a two-year, $4 million contract.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers placed defenseman Tobias Bjornfot on waivers and signed goaltender Louis Domingue to a one-year, two-way contract.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 4, 2026

by | Mar 4, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 4, 2026

A five-point game for Oilers center Leon Draisaitl, Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov sets a franchise goals record, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Leon Draisaitl scored twice and collected three assists as the Edmonton Oilers nipped the Ottawa Senators 5-4 on an overtime goal by Evan Bouchard. Connor McDavid had two assists to record his eighth 70-assist season as the Oilers (30-24-8) hold third place in the Pacific Division with 68 points. Drake Batherson tallied two goals for the Senators (29-22-9).

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid tied Mario Lemieux for the second-most 70-assist seasons. Wayne Gretzky holds the record with 16 seasons. McDavid sits first in this season’s scoring race with 105 points.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar had a goal and two assists in a 5-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Parker Kelly scored twice, and Nathan MacKinnon collected an assist to become the second player to reach 100 points this season. Cutter Gauthier replied for the Ducks (33-24-3), who sit second in the Pacific Division with 69 points. The league-leading Avalanche (91 points) improved to 41-10-9.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche played without forward Artturi Lehkonen, who is sidelined week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov scored to set the franchise record of 220 goals in a 5-1 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Matt Boldy had three assists for the 36-16-10 Wild, who sit third in the Central Division with 82 points. Nikita Kucherov scored for the Lightning (38-17-4), who sit first in the Atlantic Division with 80 points, but have lost three straight games.

The Dallas Stars collected their 10th straight win as they thumped the Calgary Flames 6-1. Matt Duchene had four assists, and Sam Steel scored two goals and an assist for the 38-14-9 Stars, who sit second in the Western Conference with 85 points. Morgan Frost replied for the 24-29-7 Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars center Roope Hintz missed this game as he’s on injured reserve with an illness.

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini scored his 30th goal of the season and collected three assists in a 7-5 win over the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens overcame a 5-2 deficit to tie the game. However, Kiefer Sherwood tallied the winning goal with 3:26 remaining in the third period for the 30-25-4 Sharks (64 points), who sit three points behind the Seattle Kraken for the final Western Conference wild-card berth. Mike Matheson had three assists, and Alex Newhook tallied twice for the Canadiens (33-18-9), who hold the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 75 points.

Unanswered third-period goals by Sean Monahan and Charlie Coyle lifted the Columbus Blue Jackets over the Nashville Predators by a score of 3-2. The Blue Jackets improved to 31-21-8 (70 points), sitting three points behind the Boston Bruins for the final Eastern wild-card berth. Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly scored for the Predators (27-26-8), sitting five points out of the final Western wild-card with 62 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: O’Reilly left the game in the third period after being accidentally struck in the left eye by Coyle’s stick during a faceoff. Following the game, the Predators released a statement indicating that O’Reilly will be ok. He is returning with the team to Nashville, where the club’s medical team will evaluate him.

The Predators were also busy in the trade market before this game. They shipped forward Michael McCarron to the Minnesota Wild for a 2028 second-round pick, and forward Cole Smith to the Vegas Golden Knights for a 2028 third-round pick and minor-league defenseman Cristoffer Sedoff.

Moving those two pending UFA depth players shouldn’t adversely affect the Predators’ efforts to secure a playoff berth. However, that could change if they ship out more significant UFA-eligible players such as Erik Haula, Michael Bunting, and Nick Blankenburg.

Speaking of the Golden Knights, they dropped a 3-2 decision to the Buffalo Sabres, who picked up their fourth straight win. Jason Zucker, Owen Power, and Tage Thompson scored for the 36-19-6 Sabres, who are two points behind the Atlantic Division-leading Lightning with 78 points. Ivan Barbashev and Pavel Dorofeyev replied for the Golden Knights (28-19-14), who cling to first place in the Pacific Division with 70 points.

The Boston Bruins got a 34-save performance from Jeremy Swayman to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1. Marat Khusnutdinov and Casey Mittelstadt scored for the Bruins (34-21-5), who hold the final Eastern wild-card berth with 73 points. Erik Karlsson scored for the 31-16-13 Penguins, who sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 75 points.

Utah Mammoth winger Dylan Guenther had a goal and an assist in a 3-2 win over the Washington Capitals. Clayton Keller picked up two assists for the 32-25-4 Mammoth, who hold the first Western wild-card spot with 68 points. Pierre-Luc Dubois and Ryan Leonard scored for the Capitals (31-25-7, 69 points), who are four points behind the Bruins.

New Jersey Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton had a goal and an assist as his club tamed the Florida Panthers 5-1. Jack Hughes and Connor Brown each had two assists for the Devils (30-29-2). Anton Lundell replied for the 30-28-3 Panthers, who are ten points behind the Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As the Panthers’ hopes for a third straight Stanley Cup run fade, management could end up becoming sellers by Friday’s trade deadline.

An overtime goal by Mark Scheifele lifted the Winnipeg Jets to a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Cole Perfetti tied the game for the Jets (24-26-10) with 39 seconds remaining in regulation time. Teuvo Teravainen and Ryan Greene scored for the 23-28-10 Blackhawks.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TSN: The New York Rangers placed captain J.T. Miller (upper body) on injured reserve. It is unrelated to the one he suffered earlier in this season.

The Vancouver Canucks placed goaltender Thatcher Demko (hip surgery) on long-term injury reserve, and placed defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph (upper body) on IR.

CALGARY SUN: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman confirmed Calgary and Edmonton have submitted bids to host the 2028 World Cup of Hockey. They’re among several NHL cities to bid to host the international tournament.

An announcement is expected within the next two weeks. A European city is expected to host round-robin games, before the tournament shifts back to North America to the host city or cities.

Bettman also doesn’t see the league staging an outdoor game at Lake Louise in Banff National Park in Alberta, citing logistical and economic issues.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 3, 2026

by | Mar 3, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 3, 2026

Recaps of Monday’s games, the three stars of the week, the Oilers acquire Connor Murphy from the Blackhawks, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING MONDAY’S ACTION

NHL.COM: The Dallas Stars and Jason Robertson achieved notable milestones in their 6-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. The Stars picked up their franchise-record ninth straight win, while Robertson had a goal and an assist to reach the 70-point plateau for the fifth consecutive season. With a record of 37-14-9, the Stars are second in the overall standings with 83 points. Evander Kane scored for the 18-35-7 Canucks.

Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson (NHL Images).

Gabriel Landeskog and Martin Necas each had a goal and two assists for the Colorado Avalanche as they doubled up the Los Angeles Kings 4-2. With the win, the Avalanche (40-10-9, 89 points) holds a six-point lead over the Stars for first place in the overall standings. Brandt Clarke and Angus Booth replied for the Kings (24-12-14), who are 1-5-1 in their last seven games and four points out of the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 62 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen left this game with an upper-body injury. Kings center Quinton Byfield missed this game with an upper-body injury. The Kings also placed forward Joel Armia (upper body) on injured reserve.

Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord made 35 saves as his club held off the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 2-1. Kaapo Kakko and Ben Meyers scored for the 29-22-9 Kraken, who moved into third place in the Pacific Division with 67 points. Nikolaj Ehlers tallied for the Hurricanes (38-16-6), who sit first overall in the Eastern Conference with 82 points.

Detroit Red Wings forwards Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat each had a goal and an assist in a 4-2 win over the Nashville Predators. Detroit goaltender Cam Talbot made 18 saves in relief of John Gibson, who left the game after the first period with an upper-body injury. With the win, the Red Wings (35-20-6) moved into third place in the Atlantic Division with 76 points. Filip Forsberg and Jonathan Marchessault scored for the 27-25-8 Predators (62 points), who are four points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Raymond reached the 20-goal plateau for the fourth time in his five-season NHL career. He also collected his 200th regular-season assist. Before the game, the Red Wings placed defenseman Erik Gustafsson on waivers.

The Columbus Blue Jackets blew a 4-0 lead but defeated the New York Rangers 5-4 on an overtime goal by Kirill Marchenko, who finished with two goals and an assist. Gabe Perreault also had two goals and an assist for the 23-29-8 Rangers. With the win, the Blue Jackets improved to 30-21-8 (68 points), moving within three points of the idle Boston Bruins for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: An illness kept Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski out of this game.

A shootout goal by Trevor Zegras lifted the Philadelphia Flyers over the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2. Noah Cates had a goal and an assist for the 28-21-7 Flyers (67 points), who are four points back of an Eastern wild-card spot. William Nylander netted his 20th goal of the season for the 27-24-10 Maple Leafs, who are seven points out of that wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers winger Travis Konecny missed this game with an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. Defenseman Nick Seeler left this contest with a lower-body injury.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer, Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs, and Minnesota Wild forward Matt Boldy are the league’s three stars for the week ending March 1.

EDMONTON JOURNAL/CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: The Edmonton Oilers acquired defenseman Connor Murphy from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for a second-round pick in 2028. The Blackhawks retained half of Murphy’s $4.4 million salary-cap hit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers had to shore up the depth on the right side of their defense corps. They’ve addressed that issue with Murphy, who was acquired by Oilers general manager Stan Bowman during his tenure as the Blackhawks GM.

Bowman freed up additional cap space for this move by sending Andrew Mangiapane and Alec Regula to the Oilers’ AHL affiliate in Bakersfield, and placing winger Mattias Janmark (shoulder) on long-term injury reserve. Janmark will undergo surgery and is expected to be finished for the season.

The Oilers might not be done making moves before Friday’s trade deadline. I’ll have more about that in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SPORTSNET: Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

DAILY FACEOFF: Winnipeg Jets winger Nino Niederreiter will be sidelined for four to six weeks following surgery for a lower-body injury.

CBS SPORTS: Minnesota Wild forward Marcus Foligno was placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Wild claimed winger Robby Fabbri off waivers from the St. Louis Blues.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 2, 2026

by | Mar 2, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 2, 2026

Milestone performance for Islanders rookie Matthew Schaefer and Wild superstar Kirill Kaprizov, the Kings fire head coach Jim Hiller, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF SUNDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Matthew Schaefer scored two goals, and Anders Lee netted the game-winner with 32 seconds left in the third period to lift the New York Islanders over the Florida Panthers 5-4. Sam Bennett scored twice while Matthew Tkachuk had three assists for the 30-27-3 Panthers (68 points), who sit eight points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth, while the Islanders (35-21-5) hold third place in the Metropolitan Division with 75 points.

New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a milestone game for Schaefer, who is the front-runner for the Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year.

The 18-year-old defenseman collected an assist for his first three-point NHL game. He also became the youngest defenseman in league history to reach the 20-goal plateau, and the fourth rookie blueliner in league history to reach that mark. Schaefer is only three goals behind Brian Leetch for the most by a rookie defenseman. He also leads this year’s rookie class in goal scoring.

Fun fact: Schaefer is only the second defenseman in Islanders history to score 20 goals in a season. The other is Hall of Famer Denis Potvin.

Meanwhile, Islanders winger Jonathan Drouin missed this game as he’s day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov returned to action for the first time since being sidelined by an injury during the second game of the season.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov tied the franchise record for goals (219) in a 3-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues. Pavel Buchnevich tallied the winning goal while Robert Thomas had a goal and an assist for the 22-29-9 Blues. The Wild (35-16-10) holds third place in the Central Division with 80 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild made a minor trade yesterday, acquiring defenseman Roman Schmidt from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for forward Boris Katchouk.

The Pittsburgh Penguins blanked the Vegas Golden Knights 5-0. Arturs Silovs turned in a 22-save shutout, while Ben Kindel, Bryan Rust, and Justin Brazeau each had a goal and an assist for the Penguins (31-15-13), who sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 75 points. The 28-18-14 Golden Knights cling to first place in the Pacific Division with 70 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights captain Mark Stone left this game in the first period with an injury to his left arm. There was no postgame update regarding his status.

A shootout goal by Mason McTavish gave the Anaheim Ducks a 3-2 win over the Calgary Flames. Cutter Gauthier scored twice, and Lukas Dostal stopped 32 shots for the Ducks (33-23-3), who sit one point behind the Golden Knights. Joel Farabee and Yegor Sharangovich replied for the 24-28-7 Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speaking of Calgary, the city is on the short list of host cities for the 2028 World Cup of Hockey. NHL brass, including commissioner Gary Bettman, will be in town on Monday to meet with Flames ownership and tour the construction site of the club’s new arena. Scotia Place is expected to be ready for the 2027-28 season.

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Arvid Soderblom made 22 saves for his first NHL shutout in a 4-0 victory over the Utah Mammoth. Teuvo Teravainen scored twice for the 23-28-9 Blackhawks as they snapped a three-game losing skid. The Mammoth (31-25-4) holds the first Western Conference wild-card spot with 66 points.

San Jose Sharks rookie Michael Misa scored his first NHL overtime goal to beat the Winnipeg Jets 2-1. Will Smith also scored for the Sharks (29-25-4, 62 points), who sit three points behind the Seattle Kraken for the final Western Conference wild-card berth. Morgan Barron scored for the 23-26-10 Jets.

HEADLINES

LOS ANGELES TIMES: The Kings fired Jim Hiller as head coach and named associate coach DJ Smith their interim coach for the rest of this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hiller was in his second full season as the Kings’ bench boss after taking over the role midway through the 2023-24 season. He led them to a franchise-best record of 48 wins and 105 points last season, but couldn’t replicate that success. They’re struggling to remain in the Western Conference playoff race and are among the league’s lowest-scoring teams.

Smith was head coach of the Ottawa Senators from 2019 to 2023. It will be interesting to see if he can reverse the Kings’ fortunes down the stretch.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers placed winger Andrew Mangiapane and defenseman Alec Regula on waivers. If they clear, they will be sent to the club’s AHL affiliate in Bakersfield, clearing over $1.8 million in salary-cap space to use for the upcoming trade deadline.

TSN: Vancouver Canucks defenseman Guillaume Brisebois and St. Louis Blues forward Robby Fabbri were also placed on waivers Sunday.

RG.ORG: Philadelphia Flyers prospect winger Porter Martone sees his move from the OHL to the NCAA this season as a stepping stone on his path toward the NHL. He saw it as an opportunity to sharpen his skills and his physical game.

If his NCAA season ends on March 29, he would be eligible to sign his entry-level contract with the Flyers, which could lead to his NHL debut in April.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 1, 2026

by | Mar 1, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 1, 2026

Check out the recaps from a busy Saturday night of action in the NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The league-leading Colorado Avalanche defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 2-1. Cale Makar scored two goals while Martin Necas and Nathan MacKinnon each collected two assists for the 39-10-9 Avalanche, who sit first in the overall standings with 89 points. Connor Bedard replied for the 22-28-9 Blackhawks.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (NHL Images)

An overtime goal by Jason Robertson lifted the Dallas Stars to a 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators. Robertson and Wyatt Johnston each had a goal and an assist for the Stars, who extended their win streak to eight games. Michael Bunting and Steven Stamkos tallied for the Predators 27-24-8 (62 points), who are three points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Predators defenseman Adam Wilsby left this game with a lower-body injury.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Taylor Hall and defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere each had a goal and two assists in a 5-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Frederik Andersen made 27 saves for the Hurricanes (38-15-6), who picked up their fifth straight win and sit in first place in the Eastern Conference with 82 points. Simon Edvinsson and Patrick Kane scored for the 34-20-5 Red Wings (74 points), who slipped into the first wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference.

The Buffalo Sabres got two goals from Josh Norris to defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-2. Rasmus Dahlin had a goal and two assists, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 36 shots for the 35-19-6 Sabres, who sit second in the Atlantic Division with 76 points. Victor Hedman had a goal and an assist, while goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy was pulled after giving up five goals on 14 shots for Tampa Bay’s first regulation loss since Dec. 18. The Lightning sit in first place in the Atlantic with 80 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres forward Zach Benson was activated off injured reserve after missing the last four games with an upper-body injury.

Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield tallied twice, and captain Nick Suzuki had a goal and two assists in a 6-2 win over the Washington Capitals. Jakub Dobes turned aside 27 shots for the 33-17-9 Canadiens, who moved into third place in the Atlantic Division with 75 points. Washington captain Alex Ovechkin netted both goals as the Capitals (31-24-7, 69 points), who sit two points behind the Boston Bruins for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

Speaking of the Bruins, their points streak ended at eight games as they dropped a 3-1 decision to the Philadelphia Flyers. Travis Konecny and Jamie Drysdale each had a goal and an assist for the Flyers (27-21-11). Charlie McAvoy scored for the 33-21-5 Bruins.

The New York Rangers overcame a 2-0 deficit for a 3-2 shootout win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Vincent Trocheck scored the winning goal, and Igor Shesterkin kicked out 31 shots for the 23-29-7 Rangers, who sit last in the Eastern Conference with 53 points. Anthony Mantha and Ryan Shea scored for the Penguins (30-15-13), who sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 73 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins center Evgeni Malkin is reportedly upset over the lack of progress in his contract extension talks with general manager Kyle Dubas. It was reported that negotiations would be put on hold until the offseason, but Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now reports that Dubas intends to meet with Malkin this week.

New York Islanders winger Simon Holmstrom’s overtime goal lifted his club to a 4-3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Scott Mayfield and Jean-Gabriel Pageau each had a goal and an assist for the 34-21-5 Islanders, extending their win streak to four games to sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 73 points. Zach Werenski had two assists for the 29-21-8 Blue Jackets (66 points), who are five points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

The Ottawa Senators defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2. Dylan Cozens scored twice and picked up an assist, and Drake Batherson netted two goals for the Senators (29-22-8), who are also five points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot. Morgan Rielly and William Nylander scored for the 27-24-0 Maple Leafs, who have dropped three straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If Leafs management had any lingering doubts about becoming sellers before Friday’s trade deadline, this game likely quelled them.

A two-goal performance by Jordan Eberle powered the Seattle Kraken over the Vancouver Canucks 5-1. Eberle also had an assist, while Chandler Stephenson had a goal and two assists for the 28-22-9 Kraken, who hold the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 65 points. Liam Ohgren scored for the 18-34-7 Canucks, who sit last in the overall standings with 43 points.

The San Jose Sharks defeated the Edmonton Oilers 5-4. Shakir Mukhamadullin snapped a 4-4 tie in the third period, and Michael Misa had a goal and an assist for the 28-25-4 Sharks (60 points), who sit five points out of the final Western Conference wild-card berth. Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard each had three points for the Oilers (29-24-8), who sit third in the Pacific Division with 66 points.

Los Angeles Kings goaltender Anton Forsberg made 29 saves to shut out the Calgary Flames 2-0. Alex Laferriere and Adrian Kempe scored for the Kings (24-21-14), who are three points behind the Kraken. Dustin Wolf stopped 35 shots for the 24-28-6 Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kings forward Andrei Kuzmenko missed this game and is considered week-to-week following meniscus surgery.

The New Jersey Devils snapped a five-game losing skid with a 3-1 win over the St. Louis Blues. Timo Meier, Dougie Hamilton, and Nico Hischier scored for the Devils, who improved to 29-29-2. Pavel Buchnevich replied for the 21-29-9 Blues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils defenseman Luke Hughes returned to action for the first time since suffering a separated shoulder on Jan. 19. The Blues played without defenseman Colton Parayko and center Robert Thomas, but they could be available for Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Wild.

 










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 28, 2026

by | Feb 28, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 28, 2026

Recaps of Friday’s games, Stars forward Tyler Seguin is officially sidelined for the season, the latest on Senators captain Brady Tkachuk, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING FRIDAY’S ACTION

NHL.COM: Utah Mammoth captain Clayton Keller had a goal and two assists to lead his club to a 5-2 win over the Minnesota Wild, snapping the latter’s six-game win streak. Lawson Crouse tallied two goals for the 31-24-4 Mammoth, who hold the first wild-card berth in the Western Conference with 66 points. Matt Boldy had a goal and an assist for the Wild (35-15-10).

Utah Mammoth captain Clayton Keller (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek left this game near the end of the second period after taking a stick to the face from Mammoth forward Nick Schmaltz.

The Buffalo Sabres (34-19-6) moved into second place in the Atlantic Division with 74 points by nipping the Florida Panthers 3-2. Alex Tuch had a goal and an assist, and Alex Lyon made 28 saves. Sam Bennett had a goal and an assist, and Daniil Tarasov stopped 36 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers forward Cole Schwindt missed this game due to a lower-body injury suffered during Thursday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Pierre-Luc Dubois tallied twice, and Jakob Chychrun scored what proved to be the winning goal as the Washington Capitals held off the Vegas Golden Knights by a score of 3-2. Braeden Bowman and Tomas Hertl scored for the Golden Knights (28-17-14), who hold first place in the Pacific Division with 70 points. The Capitals (32-17-9, 69 points) picked up their third straight win to move within two points of the Boston Bruins for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

An overtime goal by Chris Kreider lifted the Anaheim Ducks to a 5-4 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Beckett Sennecke collected three assists for the 32-23-3 Ducks, who picked up their fourth straight win. Kyle Connor and Alex Iafallo each had a goal and an assist for the 23-26-9 Jets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks winger Troy Terry missed this game as he’s day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, Jets forward Vladislav Namestnikov left this game with a lower-body injury. The Jets also played with winger Nino Niederreiter, who is week-to-week with an undisclosed injury.

HEADLINES

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars have ruled out forward Tyler Seguin for the remainder of the season, including the playoffs. Seguin, 34, had surgery for a torn ACL on Dec. 2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Seguin carries an average annual value of $9.85 million. He will now be placed on season-ending long-term injury reserve (SLTIR).

The Stars have $1.4 million in cap space, but TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports they’re already using $3.8 million of his cap hit with other players injured. Nevertheless, this will still give the Stars salary-cap flexibility heading toward the March 6 trade deadline.

ESPN.COM: Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk isn’t happy that he was part of an AI-doctored TikTok video released by the White House that made it appear he was disparaging Canadians.

In the video, Tkachuk is made to say, “They booed our national anthem, so I had to go out and teach those maple syrup-eating f**ks a lesson.”

“Well, it’s clearly fake, because it’s not my voice, not my lips moving,” Tkachuk said. “I’m not in control of any of those accounts. I know those words would never come out of my mouth. So, I can’t do anything about it.

Asked if he enjoyed the video, Tkachuk said he didn’t because he would never say those things about Canadians. He also denied that he was the person who shouted, “Close the northern border!” during Team USA’s congratulatory call with President Donald Trump.

“I’ve been seeing stuff that people think it’s me. But if you watch the video, it’s not my voice or something I would never say.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tkachuk is a proud American, and he’s obviously overjoyed to have helped the United States win its first gold medal in Olympic Men’s hockey in 46 years. However, he would never make those comments.

Tkachuk has spent the entirety of his eight-season NHL career with the Ottawa Senators, becoming their captain and the face of the franchise. He’s also been active in the local community for years. He signed an eight-year contract with the club in 2021 and denied trade rumors about him that popped up last spring, calling them lies.

TSN: The New York Rangers claimed forward Tye Kartye off waivers from the Seattle Kraken.

DAILY FACEOFF: Vancouver Canucks prospect Jonathan Lekkerimaki underwent successful shoulder surgery. He will miss the remainder of this season, but is expected to be ready for the start of training camp in September.

SPORTSNET: Ian (Scotty) Morrison, a former NHL referee and top executive with the Hockey Hall of Fame, died on Wednesday at the age of 95.

Morrison joined the NHL as a referee in 1954. By 1965, he was appointed the league’s Referee-in-Chief. In 1981, he became their vice-president of officiating until 1986, when he was appointed to an executive position in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

In 1991, he became the Hall’s chairman and chief executive officer until his retirement in 1998. A year later, he was inducted into the Hall along with superstar Wayne Gretzky and referee Andy Van Hellemond.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Morrison’s family, friends, and colleagues.