NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 9, 2026

by | May 9, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 9, 2026

Mitch Marner nets a hat trick as the Golden Knights regain the series lead over the Ducks, the Canadiens defeat the Sabres to tie their second-round series, the Hart Trophy finalists are announced, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING FRIDAY’S PLAYOFF ACTION

NHL.COM: Mitch Marner’s first NHL postseason hat trick powered the Vegas Golden Knights to a 6-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks in Game 3 of their second-round series. Marner finished with four points while Brett Howden and Shea Theodore each had a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights, who hold a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Beckett Sennecke and Chris Kreider scored for the Ducks, who pulled starting goalie Lukas Dostal following the first period after he gave up three goals on eight shots.

Vegas Golden Knights winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).

Game 4 of this series is Sunday in Anaheim at 9:30 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marner is silencing critics of his playoff performances during his years with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He currently leads all scorers with 13 points. Meanwhile, Golden Knights captain Mark Stone left this game after suffering a lower-body injury during the first period. There was no post-game update regarding his status.

The Ducks’ power play was a crucial factor in their first-round elimination of the Edmonton Oilers. However, they’ve been held scoreless by the Golden Knights’ penalty killers through the first three games of this series.

The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Buffalo Sabres 5-1 in Game 2 of their second-round series. Alex Newhook scored twice, Mike Matheson netted what proved to be the winning goal, and Jakub Dobes stopped 28 shots for the Canadiens as they tied the series at a game apiece. Zach Benson replied for the Sabres.

This series shifts to Montreal for the next two games, with Game 3 on Sunday at 7 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the Canadiens’ best game of this postseason. The lessons they learned in their first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning were on display in this contest. They did a superb job shutting down the Sabres’ scorers, especially on the power play. The Habs also dominated in the faceoff circle.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, and Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid are this year’s finalists for the Hart Memorial Trophy. This award is given annually to the player voted most valuable to his team by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: All three are previous winners of the Hart. McDavid has taken home the award three times, Kucherov won in 2018-19, and MacKinnon was the winner in 2023-24.

McDavid will likely win it again this year. My vote (if I had one) would’ve been for Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks. The sophomore center kept his rebuilding club in the playoff chase until the final two weeks of the regular season. Maybe Celebrini would’ve gotten a nod had the Sharks qualified for the postseason. Don’t be shocked if he’s a Hart finalist next season.

THE ATHLETIC: Sean Gentille profiled Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal, 37, who continues to be the club’s leader, conscience, and defensive backbone as they attempt to sweep their second straight series in this postseason. The Hurricanes hold a 3-0 series lead over the Philadelphia Flyers and can wrap it up in Game 4 on Saturday.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Flyers forward Trevor Zegras believes his underdog club can avoid being swept by the Hurricanes and win this series. He pointed out how they overcame the odds and confounded the experts to qualify for the postseason and eliminate the Pittsburgh Penguins from the first round.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Minnesota Wild need better goaltending and penalty killing if they hope to overcome a 2-0 series deficit to defeat the Colorado Avalanche in their second-round series. Games 3 and 4 of this series will be in front of the Wild’s fans in Minnesota.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson travelled with his teammates to Minnesota for Game 3. He’s missed the last three games with an upper-body injury.

THE ATHLETIC: Chicago Blackhawks superstar Connor Bedard is poised to receive a lucrative long-term contract. The 20-year-old center is coming off his entry-level contract. He lacks arbitration rights, but his status as the Blackhawks’ franchise player gives him considerable leverage in contract discussions.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bedard could try for the league’s maximum average annual value ($20.8 million), but I doubt he’ll go that high with his asking price. Given his value to the Blackhawks, he could end up with around $15.5 million annually.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: New York Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock has undergone shoulder surgery. He’s expected to be ready for training camp in September.

HOCKEY 24/7: Canada released its preliminary roster for the upcoming IIHF World Championship. Notable stars include San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini, Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele, St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas, Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares, and Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 8, 2026

by | May 8, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 8, 2026

The Hurricanes push the Flyers to the brink of elimination, the Norris Trophy finalists are announced, and the latest on Cole Caufield, Jason Robertson, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Carolina Hurricanes took a commanding 3-0 lead in their second-round series with the Philadelphia Flyers following their 4-1 victory in Game 3. Jordan Staal and Andrei Svechnikov each had a goal and an assist while Shayne Gostisbehere and Jordan Martinook each had two assists for the Hurricanes, who can complete the sweep during Game 4 on Saturday at 6 pm ET. Trevor Zegras replied for the Flyers.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes are poised to sweep their second straight series in this postseason. This is a deeper, more determined club compared to the recent past.

The Flyers’ performance has improved since their lopsided loss in Game 1. However, they are still struggling to contain Carolina’s offensive depth and to break through the Hurricanes’ defense, especially on the power play. Frederik Andersen continues to provide superb goaltending for the Hurricanes.

NHL.COM: Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres, Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche, and Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets are the finalists for the James Norris Memorial Trophy as this season’s top defenseman, as voted by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Werenski is considered the favorite to win the Norris, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Makar wins it for the third time. This is the sixth straight season that the Avalanche blueliner has been a finalist for this award.

TSN: Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield acknowledged that his production in this postseason is not where it needs to be. A 51-goal scorer in the regular season, the 25-year-old Caufield has only scored once thus far, and that came on the power play.

Caufield said he expects more of himself and will continue to try to improve. He insists that he hasn’t lost confidence in his scoring ability. “There’s no worries here,” Caufield said. “I’m just going to try and continue to work harder.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens’ first line of Caufield, center Nick Suzuki, and winger Juraj Slafkovsky were mostly contained in the first round by the Tampa Bay Lightning, especially at even strength. However, they could have better luck in this series against the Sabres, as they had more scoring chances in Game 1 than in most of their games against the Lightning.

A Montreal pundit suggested the 5-foot-8, 175-pound Caufield might not be cut out for the playoffs, but a quick peek at his previous playoff stats indicates otherwise. In the 2021 playoffs, when Caufield still hadn’t played in his first full rookie season, he was third among their scorers with 12 points in 20 games, including four goals and nine even-strength points. Last year, he had a team-leading three goals in five games and ranked second with four points, half of which came at 5-on-5.

THE ATHLETIC: The second-round series between the Anaheim Ducks and Vegas Golden Knights is tied at one apiece. However, Jesse Granger believes the Golden Knights’ struggles to keep up with the speedy Ducks are a real concern that could tilt the series in the latter’s favor.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars general manager Jim Nill has made signing Jason Robertson to a contract extension his top priority. The 26-year-old winger is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights, completing a four-year deal with an average annual value of $7.75 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nill hopes to get Robertson signed “sooner than later”, but that will be an expensive undertaking. He could seek a long-term deal comparable to teammate Mikko Rantanen’s eight-year, $96 million contract ($12 million AAV). Meanwhile, the Stars have just over $11 million in projected salary-cap space for 2026-27.

Speaking of Rantanen, he tore his MCL during the Winter Olympics playing for Finland. He was sidelined for a month, but the injury still hampered his performance during the Stars’ first-round series against the Minnesota Wild.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rantanen will not require surgery to repair the injury.

DAILY FACEOFF: Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov is healthy, thriving, and looking forward to chasing a gold medal with Finland in the upcoming IIHF World Championship. Barkov missed the entire 2025-26 season after suffering a knee injury in training camp last September.

TSN: Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk and Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll are part of Team USA’s preliminary roster for the 2026 World Championship. Detroit Red Wings defenseman Justin Faulk, Calgary Flames goaltender Devin Cooley, Washington Capitals forward Ryan Leonard, and Boston Bruins center James Hagens are among the notables who are also on that roster.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins signed forward Connor Dewar to a two-year contract extension ($2.25 million AAV) and defenseman Ilya Solovyov to a one-year deal worth $850,000.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 7, 2026

by | May 7, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 7, 2026

The Sabres take the opening game of their series with the Canadiens, the Ducks even their series with the Golden Knights, the Selke Trophy finalists are announced, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Early goals by Josh Doan and Ryan McLeod powered the Buffalo Sabres to a 4-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of their best-of-seven second-round series. Doan and McLeod each finished with two points, Jordan Greenway tallied the game-winner, Zach Benson collected two assists, and Alex Lyon stopped 26 shots for the Sabres. Nick Suzuki and Kirby Dach replied for the Canadiens. Game 2 of this series is on Friday in Buffalo at 7 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres did an excellent job capitalizing on the Canadiens’ early mistakes in this game. Benson is emerging as a reliable playoff performer for the Sabres.

The Canadiens had difficulty at times adjusting to the Sabres’ speed and offensive play after coming off a tight-checking series with the Tampa Bay Lightning. They’re still not getting even-strength offense from their top line of Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky.

Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson (NHL Images)

The Anaheim Ducks tied their series with the Vegas Golden Knights at a game apiece with a 3-1 win in Game 2. Lukas Dostal made 21 saves while Beckett Sennecke, Leo Carlsson, and Jansen Harkins scored for the Ducks. Mark Stone tallied in the final seconds for the Golden Knights. The series shifts to Anaheim for Games 3 and 4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Ducks used their speed at both ends of the ice to bounce back from their Game 1 loss. They also did a good job killing off five penalties. Dostal shook off his shaky performance in the opening game and was solid throughout this contest.

NHL.COM: Anthony Cirelli of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Brock Nelson of the Colorado Avalanche, and Nick Suzuki of the Montreal Canadiens are the finalists for the Frank J. Selke Trophy, which is awarded annually to the league’s top defensive forward as voted by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: All three are worthy candidates. Suzuki is considered the favorite to win the award this season.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the NHL officially informed teams that the salary cap for 2026-27 will be $104 million. That is an increase of $8.5 million over this season’s $95.5 million cap.

The salary cap minimum will be $76.9 million, and the midpoint $90.4 million. The maximum salary for individual contracts will be $20.8 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The league is confirming its 2026-27 cap projection from last year. The cap for 2027-28 is projected to reach $113.5 million.

This will provide teams with another significant annual boost to the salary-cap payroll. However, not every club will spend to that ceiling. Some clubs (usually the rebuilding ones) will be closer to the cap floor.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: A lower-body injury will sideline Flyers center Noah Cates for the remainder of his club’s second-round series with the Carolina Hurricanes. Cates suffered the injury during Game 2.

Flyers center Christian Dvorak is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.

RATINGS.ORG: Marco D’Amico reports University of Michigan center Adam Valentini could be a sleeper pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. The 5’9”, 190-pounder had 27 points in 40 games this season.

Valentini, 18, is projected to be selected in the second round or later. His speed, two-way play, and work ethic have Michigan head coach Brandon Naurato comparing him to Florida Panthers winger Brad Marchand.










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.