NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 3, 2025

by | Jun 3, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 3, 2025

Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov wins two awards, Oilers winger Evander Kane could make a difference in the upcoming Stanley Cup Final, Jesper Fast retires, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov made NHL history, becoming the first player to win the Frank J. Selke Trophy and the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in the same year.

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov (NHL Images).

Barkov, 29, is a three-time winner of the Selke Trophy as the top defensive forward, previously winning in 2021 and 2024. He joins Patrice Bergeron, Bob Gainey, Pavel Datsyuk, Guy Carbonneau, and Jere Lehtinen as the only players to win the award three times or more in their careers.

The King Clancy Trophy signifies leadership and contribution to the community.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Barkov’s teammate Sam Reinhart was runner-up for the Selke. Anthony Cirelli of the Tampa Bay Lightning was third.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Winger Evander Kane could be a difference-maker for the Oilers in the upcoming Stanley Cup Final. He missed the 2024-25 regular season recovering from injuries that hampered his performance in last year’s postseason, sidelining him for five of their seven games against the Panthers in the 2024 Cup Final.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers missed his physical offensive style in last year’s series with Florida. Kane made his presence felt in this postseason thus far, with five goals and six assists for 11 points in 15 games. He could provide a measure of snarl that they were lacking in their previous go-around with the Panthers.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Carolina Hurricanes forward Jesper Fast announced his retirement from professional hockey at age 33. He suffered a neck injury in the final game of the 2023-24 season that required surgery last August. Fast missed the entire 2024-25 season.

Fast spent 11 seasons in the NHL, starting with the New York Rangers from 2013-14 to 2019-20. He spent his final four seasons with the Hurricanes. A skilled checking forward and penalty-killer, Fast had 91 goals and 157 assists for 248 points in 703 regular-season games, and 14 goals and 27 points in 80 postseason contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Fast in his future endeavors.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: The Lightning signed forward Yanni Gourde to a six-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $2.33 million. It also contains a full no-trade clause for the entirety of the deal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gourde is coming off a six-year deal with an AAV of $5.16 million. Given his age, the versatile 33-year-old forward was facing a pay cut on his next contract. He likely would’ve received a higher AAV on a short-term deal on the open market compared to what he got to stay in Tampa Bay, but opted for the long-term security offered by the Lightning.

Gourde didn’t want to leave Tampa Bay. However, he was left unprotected in the 2021 expansion draft and was selected by the Seattle Kraken. He was pleased when the Lightning reacquired him this season and still believes they can be a Stanley Cup contender.

The Lightning retain an important third-line forward on an affordable contract. The deal also works well over the long term, as most of Gourde’s AAV can be buried in the minors should his performance decline significantly in the final years of his contract.

Critics on social media complained this was another example of a Sun Belt team enjoying the benefit of being a non-state tax club. That may have an aspect of this deal, but the factors mentioned above played a bigger role in Gourde’s decision.

Gourde’s signing leaves the Lightning with $3.48 million in available cap space with 20 active roster players under contract. They must re-sign or replace restricted free agent Gage Goncalves and unrestricted free agents Nick Perbix, Cam Atkinson, and Luke Glendening.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Minnesota Wild signed forward Marcus Johansson to a one-year extension worth $800K.

TSN: The Ottawa Senators signed defenseman Tyler Kleven to a two-year, $3.2 million contract extension.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: The NHL switching to a remote draft this year makes the 2025 Draft Combine in Buffalo the only opportunity for general managers to meet face-to-face in one location during this month. The combine runs from June 2-7 at LECOM HarborCenter.

General managers used to take the opportunity in a centralized draft to meet and discuss potential trades involving established NHL players. Now, the seeds of such deals at this year’s draft may be planted at the Combine.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s speculation of discontent among NHL teams over this year’s decentralized draft, with some observers suggesting it could return to its previous format next year.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins interim coach Joe Sacco will not be among the finalists for the full-time head coach position.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Former Devils forward Scott Gomez was named head coach of the USHL’s Chicago Steel.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 2, 2025

by | Jun 2, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 2, 2025

The latest on the Panthers and Oilers ahead of the Stanley Cup Final, an update on Alex Ovechkin, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

TSN: The Florida Panthers will tie an NHL record in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. They will be playing their 309th game (regular-season and playoffs) over the past three seasons, tying the record for the most games played over that period. They’ll break the record in Game 2.

The Dallas Stars (1997-98 to 1999-2000) and Detroit Red Wings (2006-07 to 2008-09) hold the current record.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Led by Matthew Tkachuk, the entire Panthers team (including the front office, coaching staff, medical trainers, and equipment managers) took part in the first Gaudreau Family 5K Walk/Run and Family Fun Day virtually from Ft Lauderdale on Saturday.

Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk (NHL Images).

Several players and staff also brought their families to the event. This was done without fanfare. The media was not informed that the team would be participating in the event after their practice on Saturday.

Tkachuk was a former teammate and close friend of Johnny Gaudreau, who was killed along with his brother Matthew by an alleged drunk driver last August.

TSN: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid left the ice early during practice on Sunday. Head coach Kris Knoblauch said there was no major issue, and the superstar will be ready for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers forward Connor Brown rejoined his teammates for practice on Sunday. He’d been sidelined since Game 3 of the Western Conference Final following a hard hit by Dallas Stars defenseman Alexander Petrovic. Knoblauch is confident Brown will be ready for Game 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The opening game of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final is Wednesday, June 4, in Edmonton at 8 pm ET.

RG.ORG: Sergey Demidov reports a source close to Alex Ovechkin said the Washington Capitals captain has not decided to retire from the NHL following the completion of his contract at the end of the 2025-26 season.

On Friday, a Russian media outlet quoted Ovechkin’s wife, Nastasyia, suggesting her husband would return to Russia in 2026. However, the source claims the Capitals superstar intends to complete the final season of his NHL contract, after which he’ll decide whether to remain in Washington. His final decision will be based on his health and performance.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin set the all-time goal record this season (897) and will surpass the 900-goal plateau next season. He also exceeded the 40-goal plateau (44) for the league-leading 14th time in his 20-season NHL career. The Capitals captain turns 40 in September.

EISHOCKEY NEWS: Contrary to reports last week, the Boston Bruins’ head-coach position remains vacant, though a decision on who fills that role is likely imminent.

Marco Sturm of the AHL’s Ontario Reign was in Boston last week for interviews, but the Bruins have also invited other candidates.

THE PROVINCE: Former Vancouver Canucks forward Vasily Podkolzin is in the Stanley Cup Final with the Edmonton Oilers. Ben Kuzma believes drafting Podkolzin 10th overall in the 2019 NHL Draft was a “big miss” by the Canucks.

Kuzma points out they could’ve had Matt Boldy, who was chosen two picks later by the Minnesota Wild. Boldy has gone on to become a first-line forward with the Wild, netting a career-best 73 points this season.

Podkolzin struggled in his three season with the Canucks, who traded him to the Oilers last summer. The 23-year-old winger had 24 points in 82 games as a depth forward this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Reviewing NHL Central Scouting’s final 2019 rankings, Boldy was ninth among North American skaters while Podkolzin was second among International skaters. The Athletic’s Corey Pronman had Boldy eighth overall among his top prospects and Podkolzin 12th. The Hockey News’ Ryan Kennedy had Podkolzin eighth and Boldy 11th, and McKeen’s Hockey and Sportsnet’s Sam Cosentino had Podkolzin 11th and Boldy 12th.

Hindsight is 20-20. The NHL Draft is often a crapshoot, with some players meeting or exceeding expectations while most fail to do so.

TSN: Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan won the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as MVP of the 2025 Memorial Cup after his London Knights defeated the Medicine Hat Tigers 4-1.

Cowan scored a goal in the final games, finishing with a tournament-leading seven points in five games.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 1, 2025

by | Jun 1, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 1, 2025

The latest on the Oilers and Panthers as they await Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, updates on the Stars, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers CEO of Hockey Operations Jeff Jackson spoke about the club’s return to the Stanley Cup Final and Connor McDavid’s next contract.

McDavid, 28, is a year away from unrestricted free-agent eligibility. He and the Oilers can agree to a contract extension starting this July 1.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

“Look, Connor knows what he means to this organization and the city of Edmonton,” said Jackson. “And this organization and the city certainly know what Connor means to them. We’re very cognizant of that.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The approaching end to McDavid’s contract has some fans and pundits wondering if he’ll re-sign with the Oilers or test next summer’s UFA market. I believe that he will sign an extension this summer that’ll make him the highest-paid player in the league starting in 2026-27.

NHL.COM: Florida Panthers forwards Eetu Luostarinen, Anton Lundell and AJ Greer missed practice on Saturday. Luostarinen and Greer were injured in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final.

Head coach Paul Maurice indicated Luostarinen and Lundell are fine, but Greer is considered day-to-day.

THE SCORE: Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn doesn’t plan on leaving the only NHL team he’s ever played for. The 35-year-old forward is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, but he hopes to work something out with management.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Benn is completing an eight-year contract with an average annual value of $9.5 million. He’s been the Stars’ captain for years, but his performance declined noticeably over the past two seasons.

The Stars’ front office has indicated a desire for Benn to finish his career in Dallas. However, they have less than $5 million in cap space this summer. He must accept a significant pay cut to stay in Dallas.

Matt Duchene is also UFA-eligible on July 1 after finishing the second of the one-year contracts he’s had with the Stars. The 34-year-old center wants to stay in Dallas, but indicated he’ll be seeking term on his next contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Duchene is unlikely to get more than a year from the Stars. They must ensure sufficient long-term cap room to re-sign winger Jason Robertson and defenseman Thomas Harley. Both players are restricted free agents next summer with arbitration rights.

SPORTSNET: Stars head coach Pete DeBoer and goaltender Jake Oettinger aren’t concerned about their working relationship going forward.

Eyebrows were raised when DeBoer pulled Oettinger early in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final after the latter gave up two goals on two shots. Following the game, the Stars coach didn’t exactly give a glowing review of his starter’s performance in that series.

Two days later, DeBoer insisted he is a big fan of Oettinger as a player and a person, calling him “the best young goaltender in the league,” suggesting he still has room to grow and improve. He also revealed that Oettinger was battling an upper respiratory illness, leading the coaching staff to debate whether to start backup Casey DeSmith in Game 4.

Meanwhile, Oettinger refused to use the illness as an excuse. He dismissed the idea that DeBoer’s comments following Game 5 had hurt their relationship. “I think for me, just the whole experience, I’m going to learn from it and it’s going to help me grow and be a better person and better goalie.”

DAILY FACEOFF: Stars center Roope Hintz said his foot was fractured by a slash from Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse in Game 2 of the Western Conference Final. Hintz missed Game 3 but returned for the final two games of the series. Nurse was initially given a five-minute major penalty but it was reduced on review to two minutes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nurse should’ve received supplemental discipline for his actions, but that’s not how things work in the erratic world of the NHL’s department of “player safety.”

STLTODAY.COM: Blues winger Dylan Holloway was heartbroken to miss the playoffs due to a lower-body injury that required season-ending surgery. He’s coming off a career-best 26 goals and 37 assists in 77 games this season.

Holloway completed the first season of a two-year contract and is eligible to sign an extension with the Blues on July 1. The 23-year-old could earn an average annual value of $7 million on his next contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Holloway and teammate Philip Broberg were signed away from the Edmonton Oilers last summer via offer sheets. Their additions played a key role in the Blues reaching the playoffs this season, suggesting they could soon become core players for this club.

ESPN.COM: Thousands attended the inaugural Gaudreau Family 5K Walk/Run and Family Day on Saturday at Washington Lake Park in southern New Jersey. Roughly 1,110 people participated in person, along with more than 1,300 virtually in the United States, Canada, and around the world.

The event honored the memory of NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew, who died last August after being struck by an alleged drunk driver. The goal was to raise money for an accessible playground at Archbishop Damiano School, where their mother, Jane, and her daughter Kristen work.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 31, 2025

by | May 31, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 31, 2025

The Oilers and Panthers prepare for their upcoming Stanley Cup Final rematch, the Senators will begin contract talks with Claude Giroux, the Sabres add Jarmo Kekalainen to their front office, the Islanders make two signings, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said his club spent seven months preparing for this return to the Stanley Cup Final. While they’re proud of what they’ve accomplished thus far, Knoblauch indicated they’re focused on the ultimate goal of winning hockey’s greatest prize.

“We said last year right after Game 7 that we’d be back,” said winger Corey Perry. “And we’re back.”

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (NHL Images).

Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl knows what his club has to deal with facing the defending champion Florida Panthers again. “We know what they’re about, we played them seven times,” he said. “They’re a good team. We’re a really good team, as well. It’s nice to get a shot at getting some revenge, but we’re a long way from that.”

Knoblauch pointed out that his team must play its best hockey to achieve a different result from last season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Zach Hyman was the first player following Game 7 to guarantee they would return to the Final this season. His prophecy came true, but an injury suffered in the Western Conference Final has sidelined him from the Cup Final.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk praised the Oilers during his appearance on ESPN’s Pat McAfee Show, calling them “a hell of a team”. He believes the rematch between his two clubs will make for “an incredible series”, calling the two clubs the best in the NHL.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: We have to wait several days for that series to begin. Game 1 is Wednesday, June 4, in Edmonton. Game 7 (if necessary) will be in Edmonton on Friday, June 20.

OTTAWA CITIZEN: Bruce Garrioch reports the Senators will sit for face-to-face contract discussions next week with Claude Giroux.

The versatile 37-year-old forward is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Both sides have already found common ground because he wants to stay in Ottawa and the Senators are interested in keeping him.

Garrioch cited insiders suggesting Giroux’s next contract should have a base salary of $3 million with achievable performance bonuses that could take him up to between $4.5 million and $5 million. The biggest decision could be whether he gets a one or two-year contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ll be surprised if they don’t get a deal done. Giroux is eager to complete his career in Ottawa, and the Senators appreciate his skills, experience and leadership.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: The Sabres hired former Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen as a senior advisor to GM Kevyn Adams.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kekalainen has the most experience of anyone in the Sabres front office. He should be a valuable addition as they attempt to improve their roster and bring an end to their 14-year playoff drought next season.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: Mathieu Darche made his first two contract signings as Islanders general manager, inking winger Kyle Palmieri to a two-year extension and defenseman Adam Boqvist to a one-year deal.

Palmieri will earn an average annual value of $4.75 million. He also has a full no-trade clause for 2025-26 and a 16-team no-trade clause for 2026-27. Boqvist will earn $850K next season.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Carolina Hurricanes winger Seth Jarvis revealed he reaggravated the right labrum/rotator cuff injury he suffered last season. He’s leaning toward another summer of rehabbing the injury rather than undergoing surgery, explaining that the procedure wouldn’t do much for his game. It would also sideline him for an extensive period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jarvis played through the injury this season, scoring a team-leading 32 goals.

Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield confirmed he suffered a hip injury midway through the second-round series with the Washington Capitals. He won’t require surgery and will be ready for the start of the season. Blueliner Sean Walker reaggravated a shoulder injury in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final.

SPORTSNET: The Seattle Kraken signed defenseman Josh Mahura to a two-year, one-way contract extension with an AAV of $907,500.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: The Flyers signed blueliner Helge Grans to a two-year, $1.575 million contract.

TSN: Francois Gagnon will receive the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award for excellence in hockey journalism. Daryl Reaugh will receive the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for outstanding contributions as a hockey broadcaster. They will accept their awards at the Hockey Hall of Fame NHL Media Awards Luncheon in Toronto on Nov. 10.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to Gagnon and Reaugh for their well-deserved awards.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 30, 2025

by | May 30, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 30, 2025

The Oilers return to the Stanley Cup Final, the Islanders introduce Mathieu Darche as their new GM, the Kraken hire Lane Lambert as their new coach, plus the latest on Alex Ovechkin, Jonathan Toews, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

OILERS RETURN TO THE STANLEY CUP FINAL

NHL.COM: The Edmonton Oilers are going back to the Stanley Cup Final after defeating the Dallas Stars 6-3 in Game 5 of the best-of-seven Western Conference Final.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

Oilers captain Connor McDavid scored what proved to be the winning goal on a breakaway in the third period and collected an assist on Corey Perry’s game-opening goal. Leon Draisaitl and Jake Walman each had two assists, and Jeff Skinner scored his first-ever Stanley Cup playoff goal.

Jake Robertson scored two goals while Wyatt Johnston and Thomas Harley each had two assists for the Stars. Goaltender Jake Oettinger was pulled early in the first period after giving up two goals on the only two shots he faced. Backup Casey DeSmith finished the game, making 20 saves.

The Oilers will face the Florida Panthers in the first Stanley Cup Final rematch since the 2009 Final between the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid picked up his 100th career NHL playoff assist, becoming the second-fastest player to reach that milestone. Wayne Gretzky did it in 70 games while McDavid needed 90 games.

Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm made his debut in this postseason after being sidelined by an undisclosed injury since Apr. 11. He played 15:52 minutes, collecting an assist and blocking two shots.

Stars coach Pete DeBoer’s decision to pull Oettinger bewildered many observers, including the goalie himself. DeBoer explained he was trying to give his club a spark after a slow start, adding that Oettinger had lost six of his last seven playoff games against the Oilers going back to last season.

Some pundits felt DeBoer overreacted or panicked. Meanwhile, Oettinger’s teammates blamed themselves for playing poorly in front of him.

Oettinger didn’t have a good series, but he wasn’t the sole reason why the Stars were eliminated from the Western Conference Final for the third straight year. This was on the entire team. They gave up the first goal in 15 of their 18 postseason games, their penalty-killing was ineffective, and they struggled to produce in five-on-five situations.

Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Panthers and Oilers is Wednesday, June 4, in Edmonton at 8 pm ET. Game 7 (if necessary) will be Friday, June 20, in Edmonton.

HEADLINES

NYI HOCKEY NOW: The Islanders formally introduced Mathieu Darche as their new general manager and executive vice president. Darche confirmed Patrick Roy will return as head coach, but assistant coaches John MacLean and Tommy Albelin were let go.

Darche confirmed that center Bo Horvat recently injured a minor ankle playing for Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Championship. He’s already rehabbing the injury and will need four to six weeks to recover.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Kraken named Lane Lambert as their third head coach in franchise history. Lambert was an associate coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs this season. He spent two seasons as head coach of the Islanders.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Washington Capitals stated that an alleged e-mail sent to season ticket holders claiming that 2025-26 would be Alex Ovechkin’s last in the NHL is not accurate. The team claimed no decision has been made on Ovechkin’s future.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Next season is the last one of Ovechkin’s current contract. It’s rumored he intends to finish his career in Russia, but that doesn’t mean he won’t sign an extension with the Capitals. That could depend on his performance and willingness to continue his NHL career.

TSN: Former Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews is committed to returning to the NHL next season. His agent will begin taking calls from interested teams leading up to July 1.

Toews, 37, stepped away from the game in 2023 for health reasons. He indicated in March that he was unhappy with how his career ended and was working his way toward a comeback.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: TSN’s Darren Dreger believes Toews will have a long list of suitors, including the Winnipeg Jets.

TSN: Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving was noncommittal about the club re-signing pending free agent Mitch Marner. He indicated that he spoke with the 28-year-old winger during the club’s recent exit interviews, saying they decided to take a step back briefly.

“We’re going to meet as a staff, I’m going to be in touch with Mitch’s representative,” said Treliving. “We’ll have to see how this all works…And he’s got a say in the process.”

HOCKEY SVERIGE: Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson played with a fracture in one leg during his final games of the regular season and at the recent World Championship. He said his leg is at 80-85 percent but won’t require surgery.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The Flyers signed winger Tyson Foerster to a two-year bridge contract with an average annual value of $3.75 million.

THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens winger Ivan Demidov was named the 2025 KHL Rookie of the Year.

THE MERCURY NEWS: The San Jose Sharks re-signed defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin to a one-year, $1 million contract.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 29, 2025

by | May 29, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 29, 2025

The Panthers advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the third straight year, Oilers winger Zach Hyman’s postseason is over, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: For the third straight year, the Florida Panthers are going to the Stanley Cup Final, defeating the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3 in Game 5 of their best-of-seven Eastern Conference Final.

Florida Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe (NHL Images).

Panthers winger Carter Verhaeghe snapped a 3-3 tie at 12:21 of the third period and Sam Bennett scored the insurance goal into an empty net to clinch the victory. Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk each had a goal and an assist, while Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart each collected two assists.

Sebastian Aho tallied twice and Seth Jarvis had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes, who the Panthers have eliminated from two of the last three Eastern Conference Finals.

Reinhart returned to action after being sidelined since Game 2. His teammates Niko Mikkola and AJ Greer also rejoined the lineup after suffering undisclosed injuries in Game 3. Panthers forward Eetu Luostarinen left this game in the first period with an undisclosed injury, but he is expected to be fine for the upcoming Stanley Cup Final. 

Hurricanes defensemen Jalen Chatfield and Sean Walker missed this game. Chatfield’s been sidelined since Game 4 of their second-round series with Washington, while Walker’s been out since Game 2 of this series.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Carolina took a 2-0 lead in the first period, but Florida quickly rallied in the second to go up 3-2. Jarvis tied it for the Hurricanes in the third before Rodrigues and Bennett put it away for the Panthers.

The Hurricanes are a talented team, but they can’t match the Panthers’ roster depth and grit. They’re also lacking a game-breaking talent like Barkov and a reliable starting goalie like Sergei Bobrovsky, who doesn’t get rattled when opponents get physical around his net.

The Panthers’ victory prompted some observers to take to social media, calling for the league to address the so-called advantage that teams in tax-free states supposedly enjoy. The Panthers had two advantages this season, but they had nothing to do with being in a tax-free state.

One is the shrewd management of GM Bill Zito. Since being hired by the Panthers in 2020, he turned a perennial laughingstock into a three-time Stanley Cup Finalist, with the potential to win the Cup for the second straight year.

The other was Tkachuk going on long-term injury reserve over the final two months of the regular season, enabling the Panthers to use the cap flexibility to acquire impact players like winger Brad Marchand and defenseman Seth Jones.

The Panthers cannot be faulted for doing as other clubs have done in the past, but LTIR is an issue being discussed in the current CBA negotiations.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers winger Zach Hyman will undergo potentially playoff-ending surgery to repair an undisclosed upper-body injury (believed to be his right shoulder). He’s expected to be sidelined for the rest of the postseason.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hyman is fifth among the Oilers’ scorers this postseason with 11 goals in 15 games. His absence is a big blow to their scoring punch and will test their forward depth for the remainder of their playoff run.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars need more of an edge to their game if they hope to stave off elimination against Edmonton when the two clubs face off for Game 5 on Thursday in Dallas (8 pm ET). They’ve struggled to match the Oilers’ aggressive physical style.

WINNIPEG SUN: Jets captain Adam Lowry will miss five to six months after undergoing hip surgery on Tuesday. The timeline suggests the earliest he’ll return is late-October, meaning he’ll miss training camp and the opening weeks of the 2025-26 regular season.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning assistant general manager Stacy Roest has parted ways with the club. He was the head of player development and general manager of their AHL affiliate in Syracuse since 2013.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the second significant front-office departure for the Lightning. Earlier this week, former assistant general manager Mathieu Darche was named GM of the New York Islanders.

TSN: The Seattle Kraken signed forward John Hayden to a two-year, one-way contract extension.