NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 29, 2025

by | Jun 29, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 29, 2025

The Maple Leafs and Golden Knights discuss a sign-and-trade scenario for Mitch Marner, updates on Brad Marchand, Aaron Ekblad and Vladislav Gavrikov, and notable news from the second day of the draft in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

LEAFS AND GOLDEN KNIGHTS DISCUSS “SIGN-AND-TRADE” FOR MARNER

TSN: Darren Dreger reports the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vegas Golden Knights were in ongoing talks regarding a potential “sign-and-trade” scenario for Mitch Marner. The 28-year-old right wing is expected to test the unrestricted free-agent market when it begins on July 1.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).

Dreger reported the talks could carry over into Sunday. He indicated there was more work to be done in terms of the return for Toronto. Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving said the Leafs would prefer to get something for Marner rather than lose him to free agency for nothing, but declined to comment about the speculation linking the winger to the Golden Knights.

Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reported the Leafs were believed to be asking for forward Nicolas Roy and defenseman Nicolas Hague in return for Marner’s rights.

THE ATHLETIC: Jesse Granger looks at what this trade would mean for the Golden Knights, particularly their salary-cap payroll.

Assuming Marner receives an average annual value (AAV) between $12 million and $14 million, the Golden Knights would have over $80 million invested in their top-10 player, leaving little room under the $95.5 million cap to fill out the rest of the roster.

Granger noted there were questions about the health of Vegas defenseman Alex Pietrangelo. If he lands on long-term injury reserve (LTIR), it would free up his $8.8 million cap hit, leaving the Golden Knights with around $17.4 million before acquiring Marner. It would be a tight squeeze adding Marner, another defenseman, and another forward, but it could be doable.

Nevertheless, this scenario would leave the Golden Knights’ roster more top-heavy and would come at the expense of their roster depth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Adding Marner would make them a more powerful offensive team, but it would come at the expense of their defense. Their pursuit of big-name talent has hurt their overall depth, which explains why they haven’t repeated as Stanley Cup champions over the last two seasons.

As for the Leafs, getting two established NHL players for a star who is heading to free agency would be a good return that helps them defensively. However, it wouldn’t replace the offense that Marner brought to the club over the past nine years.

UPDATES ON MARCHAND, EKBLAD AND GAVRIKOV

NHL.COM: Florida Panthers GM Bill Zito remains focused on trying to sign pending UFAs Brad Marchand and Aaron Ekblad before the free-agent market opens on Tuesday. On Friday, the Panthers announced that center Sam Bennett signed an eight-year contract extension.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers have $11 million in cap space with 17 active roster players under contract for next season. Marchand reportedly seeks a raise over the $6.13 million AAV of his previous deal. Ekblad could accept a pay cut from the $7.5 million of his former deal, but the contract term is reportedly the sticking point in his negotiations.

MAYOR’S MANOR: John Hoven reports Los Angeles Kings GM Ken Holland said it looks like Vladislav Gavrikov is heading to market on July 1. Holland said he’s had several talks with the 29-year-old defenseman’s agent over the past week.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gavrikov has been linked to the New York Rangers in the rumor mill. I’ll have more about that in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

NOTABLE NEWS FROM THE SECOND DAY OF THE 2025 NHL DRAFT

THE SCORE: The San Jose Sharks chose Simon Wang with the 33rd overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, making Oshawa Generals defenseman the highest-drafted Chinese player in NHL history.

NHL.COM: Ten current or committed NCAA Division 1 players were chosen during the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft. It’s the third-most in college hockey history and the most since 2016.

For the first time in 38 years, at least 20 Canadian-born players were chosen in the opening round.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow this link for the complete list of every pick made in the 2025 NHL Draft.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning GM Julien BriseBois is trying to trade top prospect Isaac Howard but hasn’t found a deal yet that satisfies both sides.

Howard is the 2025 winner of the Hobey Baker Memorial Trophy as the top player in US college hockey. However, the 21-year-old Michigan State University winger hasn’t agreed to an entry-level NHL contract with the Lightning, preferring the option to choose which team he’ll sign with.

If unsigned by next August, Howard will become an unrestricted free agent.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: BriseBois might have to wait until next year’s trade deadline to find a suitable offer.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Minnesota Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin recently underwent surgery for an upper-body injury. He could be sidelined for the start of the 2025-26 schedule in October.

STLTODAY.COM: The St. Louis Blues signed goaltender Joel Hofer to a two-year contract with an AAV of $3.4 million. He was slated to become a restricted free agent on July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: So much for Hofer becoming an offer-sheet target this summer.

WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets signed defenseman Haydn Fleury to a two-year, $1.9 million contract extension.

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE: The Penguins acquired defenseman Connor Clifton and a 2025 second-round pick (39th overall) from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for defensemen Conor Timmins and Isaac Beliveau.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Washington Capitals acquire defenseman Declan Chisholm and the 180th pick in this year’s draft from the Wild in exchange for blueliner Chase Priskie and pick No. 123.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 28, 2025

by | Jun 28, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 28, 2025

The Islanders select Matthew Schaefer first overall in the first round of the 2025 draft, further details emerge in the new CBA extension, the Stars’ Jim Nill is GM of the Year again, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE FIRST ROUND OF THE 2025 NHL DRAFT

NHL.COM: An emotional Matthew Schaefer was chosen first overall by the New York Islanders in the opening round of the 2025 NHL Draft in Los Angeles.

The 17-year-old Erie Otters defenseman overcame a broken clavicle this season and the loss of his mother, Jennifer, to breast cancer and his billet mother, Emily Matson, to an apparent suicide last year.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Schaefer was the consensus pick as this year’s top prospect among scouts and analysts. He has tremendous character and determination to match his skills as a potential first-pairing NHL defenseman.

First-overall pick Matthew Schaefer (center) is flanked by second-overall pick Michael Misa (left) and third-overall pick Anton Frondell (NHL.com).

The San Jose Sharks chose center Michael Misa of the Saginaw Spirit with the second-overall pick. Center Anton Frondell of SHL club Djurgardens IF went third overall to the Chicago Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Other notable selections included center Caleb Desnoyers of the Moncton Wildcats going fourth overall to the Utah Mammoth. He’s the first QMJHL player to be a top-10 pick since the New York Rangers chose Alexis Lafreniere first overall in 2020.

James Hagens of Boston College began this season projected to become the top prospect in this draft. He tumbled to seventh, not because he played poorly but because those ahead of him had better seasons. Comedy actor Adam Sandler reprised his Happy Gilmore character to announce the Bruins had chosen Hagens, much to the young center’s delight.

The Nashville Predators selected Brady Martin with the fifth-overall pick. However, the 18-year-old Soo Greyhounds center wasn’t in attendance in Los Angeles, preferring to remain at home helping tend his family’s dairy farm in Elmira, Ontario. Martin was surrounded by family and friends watching the draft on a big-screen TV in his backyard.

Analysts were caught by surprise when the Columbus Blue Jackets went off the board to select Russian goaltender Pyotr Andreyanov with the 20th overall pick. It wasn’t as bad as when they (and everyone else) were left scratching their heads over the Blue Jackets selecting Yegor Chinakhov 21st overall in 2020, but the move still raised some eyebrows.

You can see the complete list of first-round picks and analysis at NHL.com. Rounds 2-7 will be held on Saturday starting at noon ET.

Meanwhile, the reaction to the decentralized format of this year’s draft on social media was overwhelmingly negative. My friend Scotty Wazz of The Face Off Hockey Show has the details.

I felt sorry for the prospects. The best day of their young careers was spoiled by this lifeless, overly long event. It lacked the energy and excitement of the previous format in NHL arenas, with executives from all 32 teams in attendance to announce their selections. Hopefully, the league returns to the tried-and-true previous formula. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

MORE DETAILS EMERGE FROM THE NEW NHL CBA

The NHL and NHL Players’ Association announced they had agreed to a four-year extension of their collective bargaining agreement (CBA). It will begin in 2026-27, pending ratification votes on both sides.

THE ATHLETIC: Chris Johnston and Pierre LeBrun revealed some additional key points in the new agreement.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: You can see the pertinent details originally reported (including an 84-game schedule beginning in 2026-27, reduction of contract terms, plugging the LTIR loophole) by following this link.

Training camp will be shortened from 21 days to 13 (18 days for rookies) to accommodate the 84-game schedule.

A salary cap will be introduced for the playoffs that applies only to the 20 players suiting up for each game. Teams will be able to shuffle their rosters between games, but the game-day lineup must be cap-compliant.

The minimum salary will be $850,000 in 2026-27, $900,000 in 2027-28, $950,000 in 2028-29, and $1 million in 2029-30.

Salary retention will still be allowed in trades, but a second retention on the same contract can only happen 75 regular-season days after the first one. That ends the use of a third-party broker in real time to facilitate a trade.

Neck protection will become mandatory beginning in 2026-27. Players with at least one NHL game before that season will be grandfathered and won’t be subject to this rule.

Fitness testing will no longer be permitted during training camp or the regular season.

Year-over-year increases on front-loaded contracts will be limited to 20 percent of the first year, down from 25 percent. The lowest year must be at least 71 percent of the highest year, up from 60 percent. For example, if the highest year’s compensation is $10 million, the lowest year’s compensation cannot be less than $7.1 million. The year-to-year differences cannot exceed $2 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow The Athletic’s link above for the entire list.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: Jim Nill of the Dallas Stars is the 2024-25 winner of the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award. It’s the third straight year he’s received this honor, making him the first GM to win this award three times.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: The Golden Knights officially announced the re-signing of winger Brandon Saad. He agreed to a one-year contract with a cap hit of $2 million. The 32-year-old receives a base salary of $1 million with a $1 million signing bonus and a full no-trade clause.

TSN: The Edmonton Oilers officially announced the re-signing of forward Trent Frederic to an eight-year extension with an AAV of $3.85 million. This deal was initially reported several days ago, although the cap hit is slightly lower than the original report of $4 million.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Kraken GM Jason Botterill intends to retain Philipp Grubauer rather than buy out the final two years of the struggling goaltender’s contract. “We believe that Philipp can bounce back from that situation,” said Botterill. “We think there’s an opportunity still for success here.”

THE BUFFALO NEWS: The Sabres signed forward Jack Quinn to a two-year contract extension with an AAV of $3.375 million. Quinn, 23, was slated to become a restricted free agent on July 1.

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli reports Austin, Texas, is tossing its hat into the NHL expansion ring. The league has informed interested parties that the expansion fee is $2 billion. Atlanta, Houston, Indianapolis and New Orleans are also believed to be potential expansion markets.










NHL Rumor Mill – June 27, 2025

by | Jun 27, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – June 27, 2025

The 2025 NHL Draft begins Friday evening. Check out the latest trade speculation on Noah Dobson, Bowen Byram, Rasmus Andersson, K’Andre Miller, Vladislav Gavrikov and more in today’s Rumor Mill.

ISLANDERS ENTERTAINING OFFERS FOR NOAH DOBSON

THE ATHLETIC: Chris Johnston reports the New York Islanders are listening to trade offers for Noah Dobson. The 25-year-old defenseman is a restricted free agent (RFA) with arbitration rights seeking a significant raise over the $4 million average annual value (AAV) of his previous contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dobson could become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) next summer if he gets a new contract via arbitration this summer. Rumor has it his camp wants an AAV between $10 million and $11 million. Any club interested in acquiring him will want assurances that he’ll sign an extension.

New York Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson (NHL Images).

Johnston claims the Montreal Canadiens and the St. Louis Blues are among the teams that have spoken to the Islanders about Dobson. The blueliner is also eligible to sign an offer sheet if he’s still unsigned on July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A team signing Dobson to a deal with an AAV between $10 million and $11.7 million would have to part with two first-round picks, a second-round pick and a third-rounder as compensation to the Islanders. Anything over $11.7 million costs four first-rounders.

The Canadiens could use an experienced top-four, right-shot defenseman to take some pressure off Calder Memorial Trophy winner Lane Hutson. The Blues have Colton Parayko and Justin Faulk on the right side, but the former is 32 and the latter 33.

The Isles are gauging the market, but it doesn’t mean they’re actively shopping Dobson. If they don’t get any intriguing offers, they’ll continue negotiating a new contract with the blueliner.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: Russ Macias weighed in on the Dobson speculation. He believes Montreal makes little sense as a trade destination for the type of return the Isles would want for Dobson. He felt the Blues and San Jose Sharks might make the most sense, as could the Utah Mammoth if Sean Durzi and the 2025 fourth-overall picks were part of the return.

THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: Stu Cowan reports Canadiens executive VP of hockey ops Jeff Gorton maintained his club intends to stick with their rebuilding plan. “This is a big weekend for us, and it’s a big summer for us, but we’re not going to do anything that’s stupid.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Taking on Dobson at $11 million annually could be a stupid thing, especially when the priority remains adding a top-six forward, preferably a second-line center. Dobson is a talented puck-moving defenseman entering his playing prime, but he’s currently not an $11 million AAV player. 

IS BOWEN BYRAM NEXT ON THE SABRES’ TRADE BLOCK?

TSN: Darren Dreger reports there’s a lot of interest in Bowen Byram. Like Dobson, the 24-year-old is an RFA defenseman with arbitration rights. The Sabres could look at avoiding a potential contract snarl by trading him, like they did earlier this week with winger JJ Peterka by sending him to the Utah Mammoth.

Dreger believes the Los Angeles Kings, Vegas Golden Knights, St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks, Colorado Avalanche and perhaps the Toronton Maple Leafs could be interested in Byram.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A left-shot defenseman, Byram was acquired by the Sabres from the Avalanche. Sabres GM Kevyn Adams prefers player-for-player swaps because his club already has a well-stocked prospect pool. The asking price for Byram could be a top-six forward.

THE LATEST ON ANDERSSON, MILLER, GAVRIKOV AND ARVIDSSON

CALGARY SUN: Wes Gilbertson reports Flames GM Craig Conroy confirmed he’d spoken with Rasmus Andersson, saying things were “all good” between them. The 28-year-old defenseman has been the subject of frequent trade rumors. “If he’s a Calgary Flame in September, he’s a Calgary Flame”, said Conroy.

However, Gilbertson believes there’s no guarantee that Andersson will still be around by then. He’s a year away from UFA eligibility and there are contending teams interested in the right-shot rearguard.

NEW YORK POST: Mollie Walker believes the rest of the Rangers’ offseason plans depend on what they do with K’Andre Miller. Like Dobson and Byram, the 25-year-old left-side defenseman is an RFA with arbitration rights who has been the subject of trade conjecture for weeks.

TSN: Los Angeles Kings GM Ken Holland said he increased the contract offer his predecessor made to pending UFA defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov. So far, however, there’s still no deal in place. It’s projected he could get a long-term deal with an AAV of $7.5 million on the open market.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Jim Matheson speculates the Oilers could “sweeten the pot” to move Viktor Arvidsson in a cost-cutting trade. He proposed packaging the 32-year-old winger with the 2025 fourth-round pick they received from the Vancouver Canucks earlier this week in the Evander Kane trade.

LATEST ON THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Hannah Kirkell looked at some recent rumors regarding the Golden Knights.

She doesn’t believe they have any intention of moving forwards William Karlsson and Tomas Hertl. Kirkell also doesn’t buy into the rumors linking them to Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram because he doesn’t fit their preference for physical blueliners.

Kirkell also pointed out the Golden Knights’ limited cap space has shrunk with the re-signing of Reilly Smith (one year, $2 million) and could deplete further with the anticipated re-signing of Brandon Saad.

UPDATE ON THE CANUCKS

TSN: Darren Dreger reports the Vancouver Canucks hope to make more moves this week. Acquiring a center is on their priority list. One move that could be off the table is trading Thatcher Demko. The 29-year-old goaltender is a year away from UFA eligibility.

SEVERAL FIRST-ROUND PICKS IN PLAY

TSN: Darren Dreger reports the Pittsburgh Penguins hold picks No. 11 and 12 in the first round. They’re willing to move one of them for a good, young NHL player. Meanwhile, the Montreal Canadiens could move the No. 16 or 17 pick for a top-six forward.

The Philadelphia Flyers are holding onto their first-rounder (sixth overall) but are willing to entertain offers for picks No. 22 and 31. The Nashville Predators hold picks 5, 23 and 26 and are considering their options.

With the seventh-overall pick, the Boston Bruins haven’t ruled out moving that selection for a return that would provide immediate improvement to their roster.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 27, 2025

by | Jun 27, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 27, 2025

The NHL and NHLPA are expected to announce a new CBA extension, the first round of the 2025 draft begins Friday, the latest on pending free agents Mitch Marner and Nikolaj Ehlers, the Stars re-sign Jamie Benn, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli reports sources indicate the NHL and NHL Players’ Association could announce the framework of a four-year extension to the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) before the NHL Draft on Friday.

The two sides are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU), followed by a formal ratification that isn’t expected to face any obstacles. Once ratified, the extension would take effect for 2026-27 and expire at the end of the 2029-30 season.

Among the notable potential changes:

The NHL will move to an 84-game regular-season schedule starting in 2026-27. The preseason would be shortened to four games per team. Players with 100-plus games of NHL experience can play a maximum of two preseason games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: NHL veteran players should be happy with that change. Most find the preseason too long or a waste of time.

Player contracts will be term-limited from eight years to seven for players re-signing with their current clubs, and from seven years to six for unrestricted free agents starting in 2026-27.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Many players won’t have an issue with this change. The average length of an NHL contract is three years. The longest contract most can expect to see is four years.

A comprehensive playoff salary-cap mechanism will be implemented to remove the long-term injury reserve loophole that allowed teams to pad their playoff rosters by using injury relief cap space.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the biggest problem in the current CBA that drew criticism from teams, players, and fans around the league. It’ll be interesting to see the details of this mechanism.

Other notable changes include outlawing deferred salary in player contracts to reduce the salary cap hit, signing bonuses capped at 60 percent, significant increases in the playoff bonus pool, establishment of a full-time emergency backup goalie for each team, improved player benefits such as health insurance and post-playing career insurance stipends, and the elimination of a mandated player dress code for arriving and departing games.

The next three seasons of the salary cap will be $95.5 million for 2025-26, $104 million for 2026-27, and $113 million for 2027-28.

NHL.COM: The New York Islanders are looking forward to the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft in Los Angeles on Friday. They hold the first-overall pick and are expected to select defensemen Matthew Schaefer of the OHL’s Erie Otters. The 17-year-old Schaefer is considered the top prospect in this year’s draft class.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I conducted an updated mock draft of the first round for Bleacher Report earlier this week. It’ll be fun to see how things shake out because there are always surprises. Some players go higher or lower than expected, and there might even be a trade or two involving first-round picks.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving anticipates Mitch Marner will test the unrestricted free-agent market on July 1. The 28-year-old left winger spent nine seasons with the Leafs and will be the top player among this year’s UFA class.

WINNIPEG SUN: Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff intends to continue contract talks with Nikolaj Ehlers. However, recent reports indicated the 29-year-old winger intends to head to the UFA market on July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No surprises here. There’s been no contract discussions between Marner and the Leafs, and there’s been an expectation that this season could be Ehlers’ last with the Jets. Both will land lucrative contracts with new clubs next month.

TSN: The Dallas Stars re-signed captain Jamie Benn to a one-year, bonus-heavy contract. The deal has a base salary of $1 million, with $3 million in bonuses.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Benn completed an eight-year contract with an AAV of $9.5 million. The 35-year-old center has spent his entire career with the Stars and took a significant pay cut to stay in Dallas. The reduction also reflects the recent decline in his play. He had 16 goals and 49 points during the 2024-25 regular season, but only three points in 18 playoff games.

THE MERCURY NEWS: The San Jose Sharks placed defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic on unconditional waivers to buy out the final season of his eight-year contract. Vlasic, 38, spent his entire 19-season NHL career with the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The buyout counts as $4.66 million against the Sharks’ cap for 2025-26, dropping to 1.16 million for 2026-27.

During his playing prime (2008-09 to 2017-18), Vlasic was among the league’s best shutdown defensemen. However, his performance steadily declined, and injuries limited him to 27 games this season.

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks are reportedly set to sign winger Conor Garland to a six-year, $36-million contract. The average annual value is $6 million, and would begin in 2026-27.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Garland currently earns an AAV of $4.95 million. He’s a fast and hardworking forward whose energetic style has made him a fan favorite among Canucks fans. Garland will be 30 when this deal begins, which could become burdensome if his play declines.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW/THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: The Panthers acquired goaltender Daniil Tarasov from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for a 2025 fifth-round pick. Tarasov will back up starting goalie Sergei Bobrovsky next season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This could be another instance of Florida GM Bill Zito acquiring a struggling player who goes on to shine with the Panthers. Zito was assistant GM with the Blue Jackets when they drafted Tarasov in 2017.

This move opens the opportunity for promising goalie Jet Greaves to earn a full-time roster spot with the Blue Jackets. He played well in call-up situations over the past couple of seasons.

Meanwhile, the Jackets’ intentions for struggling starter Elvis Merzlikins remain uncertain. He has two seasons remaining on his contract. There’s speculation he could be traded or bought out. It’s also believed that they might not be done making other moves in this summer’s trade market.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Kraken acquired center Frederick Gaudreau from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round pick.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Former NHL center Evgeny Kuznetsov will attempt a comeback next season. The 33-year-old had 37 points in 39 games in the KHL with SKA St. Petersburg.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 23, 2025

by | Jun 23, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 23, 2025

The Panthers stage their Stanley Cup parade, the possibility of stars signing shorter-term contracts, an update on Claude Giroux, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers celebrated their second straight Stanley Cup championship with a beachfront parade culminating with a rally at Ft Lauderdale Beach Park.

They were also unapologetic toward those critical of their style of play and their hearty partying following Tuesday’s 5-1 series-clinching win on Tuesday over the Edmonton Oilers.

The Panthers also thanked their fans for their support throughout the season and expressed their hope for another parade at the same time next year.

THE ATHLETIC: James Mirtle explored the possibility of NHL stars like winger Mitch Marner of the Toronto Maple Leafs and center Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers accepting shorter-term contracts.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).

Marner, 28, is due to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. The 28-year-old McDavid is a year away from UFA eligibility.

With the salary cap projected to rise significantly in the coming years, those players could prefer short-term deals of two to four years, enabling them to return to the UFA market when the salary cap is much higher while still in their playing prime.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rumors are already rampant suggesting Marner and McDavid could consider short-term contracts rather than the maximum of seven years on the open market or eight years if they re-sign with their current clubs before their UFA eligibility.

Marner will be the one worth watching if he goes to market as expected next Tuesday. His camp is expected to take several days evaluating offers and meeting with interested clubs before reaching a decision by mid-July.

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports the Senators continue their contract negotiations with Claude Giroux. The 37-year-old forward is UFA-eligible next Tuesday and has been in daily discussions with Senators management.

They’re attempting to agree on a base salary and a bonus structure. The Giroux camp is believed to be using teammate David Perron’s $4 million average annual value as a comparable.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s still enough time for the two sides to work this out. It could take until next Tuesday to get this done.

THE DENVER POST: Corey Masisak believes the Colorado Avalanche must improve their late-round draft record if they hope to extend their Stanley Cup window. They haven’t drafted a player after the first round who reached 300 career NHL games since 2009, when they chose Ryan O’Reilly (33rd overall) and Tyson Barrie (64th overall).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As Masisak points out, the Avs’ draft record beyond the first round hasn’t been great. They also haven’t had much recent success with their first-rounders. Bowen Byram (fourth overall, 2019) was their last notable selection, and he was traded last year to the Buffalo Sabres. Calum Ritchie (27th overall, 2023) shows potential, but they shipped him to the New York Islanders at the March trade deadline for Brock Nelson.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sheng Peng cites speculation suggesting the Sharks could opt for center Anton Frondell of SHL club Djurgardens IF with the second-overall pick over Michael Misa of the Erie Otters.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That would be a surprising development. Misa is considered the second-best prospect in this year’s draft class, with most mock drafts (including mine) having him going to the Sharks. We’ll find out for sure during the opening round of the 2025 NHL Draft on Friday (June 27) in Los Angeles.

NHL.COM: The Avalanche, Sharks, Anaheim Ducks, Utah Mammoth and Vegas Golden Knights released their preseason schedules.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The 2025 NHL preseason begins on Sept. 21 and concludes on Oct. 4.










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.