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 – April 18, 2026

by | Apr 18, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 18, 2026

On the eve of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, check out the latest on Connor Hellebuyck, Aleksander Barkov, Vincent Trocheck, Thatcher Demko, Dylan Larkin, and more from players that didn’t make the postseason in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

WINNIPEG SUN: Gordon Anderson reports Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck expressed his unhappiness over his club’s tumble from winning the Presidents’ Trophy last season to missing the 2026 postseason.

Hellebuyck owned up to his share of blame for the Jets’ demise this season and didn’t put himself above criticism for his performance. He still believes they have “a very good team,” but he believes things have to change if they’re going to challenge for the Stanley Cup.

Hellebuyck said he’s made Winnipeg his home, and he likes it there, but his ultimate goal remains winning the Stanley Cup. He acknowledged the difficulty that Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff faces bringing in talent through trades and free agency because of the club’s location and its reputation as a city that players don’t want to go to.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Anderson noted that Hellebuyck is in a re-evaluating frame of mind, but he believes that doesn’t mean the three-time Vezina Trophy winner could be eyeing the exit. However, not everyone shares that opinion. I’ll have more about that in today’s Rumor Mill.

Jonathan Toews appears to be at a crossroads after this season. The 37-year-old Jet center staged a comeback after three years away recovering from health issues, but admitted that he struggled to keep up with the pace of the game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Toews was on a one-year contract with the Jets. It remains to be seen if they’ll bring him back for another season, which could leave him facing retirement.

Mark Scheifele has been selected to play for Team Canada in next month’s IIHF World Championship. The 33-year-old Jets center enjoyed a career-high 103-point performance, setting the franchise single-season points record. Teammate Dylan DeMelo has also accepted an invitation to play for Canada.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs center John Tavares will also be playing for Canada in the World Championship.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: TSN’s Darren Dreger reported St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas and Nashville Predators center Ryan O’Reilly will join Tavares and Scheifele on Team Canada at the Worlds.

SPORTSNET: Speaking of the Maple Leafs, the club is interviewing former captain and Hall of Famer Mats Sundin for a position in their hockey department.

TSN: Aleksander Barkov will play for Finland in the IIHF World Championship. The Florida Panthers captain missed the entire 2025-26 regular season and the 2026 Winter Olympics recovering from knee surgery.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers center Vincent Trocheck revealed his 14-game absence at the start of this season was due to a bacterial infection in one of his lungs. He underwent surgery and spent a week in a hospital, hooked up to chest tubes.

New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck (NHL Images)

“It was very scary,” Trocheck said. “I thought I was dying.”

Trocheck recovered and played the remainder of this season. The 32-year-old center was the subject of frequent trade speculation as management continues to retool its roster. He said he’s not sure what’s going to happen in the offseason.

THE ATHLETIC: Rangers defenseman Adam Fox raised some eyebrows earlier this season when he appeared noncommittal about his future with the club. However, he’s now encouraged by the “encouraging signs” that he saw from the club during the season’s final weeks, including his own improved performance during that stretch.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko believes his season-ending hip surgery will improve his performance going forward. He was upbeat during his exit interview with the press, expressing his belief that the club has addressed the issues that derailed its season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Demko’s new three-year contract (with an average annual value of $8.5 million) begins on July 1. His performance over that period will be crucial to the Canucks’ rebuilding plans.

DAILY FACEOFF: Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford said he knew last year that Quinn Hughes wouldn’t sign a contract extension. That is what pushed him to trade the 26-year-old superstar defenseman to the Minnesota Wild last December.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rutherford first dropped that hint at his end-of-season media availability last year. That’s what prompted the trade rumors that dogged Hughes and the Canucks until he was shipped to the Wild in December.

MLIVE.COM: Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin remains committed to getting the club into the playoffs despite missing its decade-long postseason drought.

NHL.COM: Speaking of the Red Wings, they and Patrick Kane have a mutual interest in bringing him back next season. The 37-year-old winger and future Hall of Famer is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Kraken winger Jared McCann underwent a medical procedure on Thursday related to the lower-body injury that hampered him during the second half of last season and throughout this season. He anticipated that it would take 8-10 weeks to recover.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL: Golden Knights center William Karlsson continues to rehab a lower-body injury and will miss the club’s upcoming first-round series against the Utah Mammoth. Karlsson has been sidelined since Nov. 8.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars signed defenseman Nils Lundkvist to a two-year contract extension worth an AAV of $1.75 million.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The St. Louis Blues announced assistant coaches Claude Julien and Mike Weber will not be brought back. Their contract will expire at the end of June.

NHL.COM: The league announced it has set a total attendance record for the fourth straight year. The new record is 23,158,522, which is 97.3 percent capacity. The per-game average was 17,651.

DAILY FACEOFF: Eight NHL teams will have salary-cap overages for 2026-27. Those expenditures are mostly related to performance bonuses.

The New York Islanders have the largest bonus overage carryover ($3.5 million), all from rookie Matthew Schaefer reaching the maximum possible bonuses for a player on an entry-level contract.

NHL.COM: Winger Ivar Stenberg of Swedish Hockey League club Frolunda sits at No. 1 on NHL Central Scouting’s final ranking of the top International skaters. Penn State forward Gavin McKenna is ranked as the top North American skater.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 26, 2026

by | Feb 26, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 26, 2026

Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov reaches an assists milestone, Artemi Panarin collects his first points with the Kings, Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville gets his 1,000th win, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF WEDNESDAY’S ACTION

NHL.COM: Nikita Kucherov had a goal and two assists, including his 700th career regular-season assist, as the Tampa Bay Lightning doubled up the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2. Gage Goncalves also had a goal and two assists, and Brayden Point scored twice and picked up an assist for the Lightning (38-14-4), who have won six straight games and hold first place in the Eastern Conference with 80 points. John Tavares and Matthew Knies replied for the 27-22-9 Maple Leafs, who remain six points out of the final Eastern wild-card berth.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning head coach Jon Cooper missed this game due to the death of his father earlier this week. Kucherov also reached the 30-goal plateau for the ninth time in his NHL career and sits second in the scoring race with 94 points. Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews picked up an assist in this game.

Artemi Panarin collected his first points with the Los Angeles Kings, but his new club fell 6-4 to the Vegas Golden Knights. Pavel Dorofeyev scored two goals while Tanner Laczynski collected three assists for the Golden Knights (28-16-14), who hold first place in the Pacific Division with 70 points. Quinton Byfield netted two goals for the 23-20-14 Kings, who have lost three straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights played without Olympians Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, Mark Stone, Noah Hanifin, and Shea Theodore. All five played in Sunday’s gold-medal game. Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy said they were left behind to give them a break. It’s expected they’ll rejoin the team for Friday’s game against the Washington Capitals.

Anaheim Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville got his 1,000th regular-season win as his club nipped the Edmonton Oilers 6-5. Leo Carlsson had a goal and two assists, and Cutter Gauthier potted the game-winner with 1:14 remaining in the third period for the Ducks (31-23-3). Matt Savoie had a goal and two assists while Connor McDavid had two assists for the 28-23-8 Oilers, who have lost four straight contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Quenneville is only the second coach in NHL history to win 1,000 games. Scotty Bowman is the leader with 1,244. Ducks forward Mikael Granlund missed this game with an upper-body injury.

The league-leading Colorado Avalanche improved to 38-9-9 (85 points) with a 4-2 victory over the Utah Mammoth. Martin Necas and Parker Kelly each had a goal and an assist while Brock Nelson tallied his 30th goal of the season for the Avalanche. Dylan Guenther tallied both goals for the Mammoth (30-24-4).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon missed this game because of maintenance, according to a team spokesman. MacKinnon appeared to be dealing with an injury during the Olympics. Mammoth center Logan Cooley picked up an assist as he returned to action for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury on Dec. 5.

An overtime goal by Cole Perfetti lifted the Winnipeg Jets over the Vancouver Canucks 3-2. Mark Scheifele had two assists, and Kyle Connor and Gabriel Vilardi also scored for the 23-26-8 Jets. Drew O’Connor and Evander Kane scored for the Canucks (18-33-7).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks held Tyler Myers out of this game for “roster management purposes”, which means the 36-year-old defenseman could be traded if he agrees to waive his no-movement clause. He’s signed through next season with an average annual value of $3 million.

Dallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston scored twice, including his 30th goal of the season, in a 4-1 win over the Seattle Kraken. Matt Duchene had a goal and an assist to extend his points streak to seven games for the Stars (35-14-9), who have won seven straight games. Ryker Evans replied for the 27-21-9 Kraken.

The Buffalo Sabres held off the New Jersey Devils by a score of 2-1. Tage Thompson and Peyton Kreb scored for the Sabres, who improved to 33-19-6. Timo Meier scored, and Jack Hughes collected an assist for the 28-28-2 Devils.

Third-period goals by Trevor van Riemsdyk and Aliaksei Protas lifted the Washington Capitals to a 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Protas also picked up an assist, and goaltender Logan Thompson made 23 saves for the 30-23-7 Capitals. Noah Cates replied for the 25-21-11 Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Capitals placed forward Sonny Milano on waivers as they activated Connor McMichael off injured reserve.

HEADLINES

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins captain Sidney Crosby will be sidelined for at least four weeks with a lower-body injury suffered during the Olympics. He’s been placed on injured reserve.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This will be a significant test for the retooling Penguins, who have exceeded expectations this season to sit second in the Metropolitan Division. They’ll look to long-time star Evgeni Malkin to step up as he’s done in the past whenever Crosby has been injured. This will also be an opportunity for young Penguins such as Ben Kindel, Egor Chinakhov, Avery Hayes, and recently-acquired defenseman Samuel Girard to show what they can do.

NHL.COM: Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov remains upbeat and happy with the pace of his recovery from knee surgery last September. He was expected to miss the entire season, but he’s hoping to return for the playoffs.

Barkov’s recovery period also inspired him to make a donation exceeding $1 million to the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, which named its sports medicine program after him. Since 2019, the Panthers captain has regularly made annual donations totaling $420,000 to the hospital.

SPORTSNET: St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas has taken a leave of absence due to a personal matter. Out of respect for Thomas’ privacy, the club won’t provide any further comment at this time.

ESPN: Olympic gold medalist Hilary Knight said a widely circulated comment from President Donald Trump about the US Women’s Olympic hockey team was a “distasteful joke”, and she is more focused on celebrating the women’s accomplishments at the Milan Games.

During the US men’s post-game dressing room celebration of their gold-medal win over Canada, Trump invited them to Washington for the State of the Union address. “I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that,” Trump said, adding with a laugh that he could be impeached if he didn’t include the women’s team.

Several of the players laughed at Trump’s joke, generating criticism when the video went viral. Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils, and Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars subsequently insisted that they and their USA teammates respected the women’s team and had a great relationship with them.

Knight echoed that sentiment, saying she believed there was a genuine level of support and respect from the men’s team. “I think the guys were in a tough spot, so I think it’s a shame that this storyline and narrative has kind of blown up and overshadowing that connection and genuine interest in one another and cheering each other on.”

Boston Bruins goaltender and Team USA backup Jeremy Swayman said, “We should’ve reacted differently” to Trump’s joke. He added that he and his teammates were excited for the women’s team when they won gold. “We have so much respect for the women’s team.”

In a statement through a spokesperson, the women’s team declined the invitation to the State of the Union, citing logistics and scheduling concerns. The statement also said that they were honored to be included and grateful for the acknowledgement.










NHL Rumor Mill – September 30, 2025

by | Sep 30, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – September 30, 2025

The latest on the Panthers, an update on Blue Jackets forward Yegor Chinakhov, the Blackhawks are shopping winger Lukas Reichel, and more in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports the Florida Panthers will have ample salary-cap flexibility once they place sidelined captain Aleksander Barkov on long-term injury reserve to start this season. He expects they’ll look at every option to replace Barkov between now and the March 6 trade deadline.

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov (NHL Images).

Barkov underwent knee surgery last week and is expected to be sidelined for seven to nine months. The earliest he could return to action is late April.

Panthers general manager Bill Zito is known for his aggressive moves. “You do your projections, and so that just continues,” Zito said. “And if there’s something that we think makes us better as a team, we’ll do it. And if not, we don’t. It’s really no different.”

If Barkov returns sooner than expected, the new postseason salary cap means the Panthers can’t use up his entire $10 million cap hit and then bring him back after the regular season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Zito and his staff understand they won’t find anyone available who can suitably replace a leader and three-time Selke Trophy winner like Barkov. Nevertheless, they have a proven record over the last five years for making acquisitions that bolster their club. Even with the new postseason cap constraints, they could land someone who helps their chances for a Stanley Cup three-peat.

UPDATE ON BLUE JACKETS FORWARD YEGOR CHINAKHOV

THE ATHLETIC’s Aaron Portzline reported on “X” that Yegor Chinakhov skated on the Columbus Blue Jackets’ fourth line the last two days, and he hadn’t been part of their power-play practices.

The 24-year-old forward refused to comment on the situation. Meanwhile, head coach Dean Evason said they are still evaluating their forward line, noting that Chinakhov worked hard and did the right things during his three preseason games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chinakhov requested a trade through his agent in July, citing “misunderstandings” with Evason. He seemed happy with how things were going with the club after speaking with Evason on the eve of training camp, but he hasn’t rescinded his request.

BLACKHAWKS SHOPPING LUKAS REICHEL

THE ATHLETIC: Scott Powers reports the Chicago Blackhawks explored trading Lukas Reichel during the offseason. In the last few days, they’ve let teams know that the 23-year-old winger is available.

Powers believes it’s anyone’s guess where Reichel starts this season. He could be traded, claimed off waivers by another club, demoted to the Blackhawks’ AHL affiliate, or start the season on their roster.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blackhawks chose Reichel in the first round (17th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft. He was expected to become a scoring winger, but has struggled to meet expectations. With younger players already in the lineup and others within the Blackhawks’ prospect pool pushing for NHL jobs, Reichel could be running out of time to establish himself.

Earlier this month, Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times reported that Reichel believed that he was going to be traded to the Edmonton Oilers at one point during this summer. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman believes they could move the young forward, who might welcome the change.

SPORTSNET: During Monday’s “32 Thoughts: The Podcast”, Elliotte Friedman said there will be teams looking at the waiver wire for goaltending depth.

Friedman observed that Michael DiPietro of the Boston Bruins and Clay Stevenson of the Washington Capitals could hit the waiver wire this week. He said he’s “really curious” to see if they pass through waivers or get traded beforehand.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: DiPietro is expected to be the starting goalie for the Bruins’ AHL affiliate in Providence, while Stevenson is supposed to fill the starter’s job for the Capitals’ AHL team in Hershey. Neither player is waiver-exempt this season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 27, 2025

by | Sep 27, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 27, 2025

Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov is sidelined for the season, Marc-Andre Fleury returns to the Penguins for a special weekend, an update on Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov underwent surgery to repair injuries to ligaments in his right knee suffered during practice on Thursday. He is expected to be sidelined for seven to nine months.

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov (NHL Images).

Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said Barkov’s absence leaves a big hole in their roster. “He is such an important piece in that locker room,” Maurice said. “What we’ll get to know now is some of the other leaders in the room.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers were already dealing with winger Matthew Tkachuk recovering from offseason surgeries, but they knew that he would return by January. Barkov’s absence is a much bigger blow to their hopes for a Stanley Cup “three-peat.”

Barkov is one of the key reasons why the Panthers reached the Stanley Cup Final three straight times, winning the Cup twice in a row since 2024. They will miss his leadership and elite two-way play.

Depending on Barkov’s recovery, it’s unlikely that he will return later in the regular season. The earliest he could be back is for the first round of the 2025 playoffs, and even that’s not a certainty.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Marc-Andre Fleury joined the Penguins’ practice on Friday as part of a special weekend for the 40-year-old goaltender.

Fleury began his NHL career with the Penguins, spending 13 of his 21 seasons in Pittsburgh. He retired at the end of last season, but signed a tryout contract to practice with the Penguins on Friday and play one period of Saturday’s preseason game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

It was a special reunion for Fleury with his former teammates Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Bryan Rust. It felt like old times as he good-naturedly chirped his teammates and played some pranks on them, including putting decals of his jersey number (29) on their vehicles.

Fleury also clarified that he wants it to be known that he’s retiring as a member of the Minnesota Wild, with whom he spent his last four NHL seasons. He’s grateful to finish in Pittsburgh, where everything started for the future Hall of Famer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The usually buttoned-down Crosby couldn’t hide his joy over having his old teammate back for a final practice. Wearing his throwback yellow pads, Fleury made several saves that drew cheers from the fans in attendance, including a windmill save on a Crosby one-timer.

Speaking of the Penguins, goalie Joel Blomqvist will be sidelined for four weeks with a lower-body injury.

TSN: Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said starting goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy is expected to be ready for their season opener on Oct. 9. Vasilevskiy has been absent since Sept. 19 with an undisclosed injury.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers winger Artemi Panarin returned to practice with his teammates on Friday. He’d spent the past week nursing a lower-body injury.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: Sabres winger Alex Tuch will be in the lineup when they face the Detroit Red Wings in preseason play on Saturday. He missed their first three preseason contests with an undisclosed injury.

Sabres starting goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (lower body) could return to play their final two preseason games.

TORONTO STAR: The Maple Leafs signed James Reimer to a professional tryout offer. The 37-year-old goaltender began his NHL career with the Leafs in 2010-11, becoming a fan favorite during his six seasons with the franchise.

The Leafs have brought back Reimer as insurance with Joseph Woll on a leave of absence for personal reasons and Dennis Hildeby an unproven rookie.

TSN: Speaking of the Maple Leafs, defenseman Marshall Rifai requires wrist surgery after suffering an injury during Thursday’s preseason win over the Montreal Canadiens.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks forward Nils Hoglander is listed as week-to-week with a sprained ankle.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Canadiens defenseman David Reinbacher suffered a broken bone in his hand and will be sidelined for four weeks.

DAILY FACEOFF: Goaltender Ivan Fedotov, forward Liam Foudy, and defenseman Kevin Connauton are the notable players placed on waivers on Friday.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 26, 2025

by | Sep 26, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 26, 2025

Stars captain Jamie Benn undergoes surgery, Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov injured at practice, Mitch Marner makes his preseason debut with the Golden Knights, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn will undergo surgery for a collapsed lung suffered during Tuesday’s preseason game against the Minnesota Wild.

Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn (NHL Images).

Stars general manager Jim Nill said Benn didn’t feel well after taking a hit late in the third period. The 36-year-old forward was x-rayed at the arena, where a hole was found in his lung. He went to Parkland Hospital for observation, where the decision was made that he should undergo surgery.

Benn is expected to make a full recovery and will be reevaluated in four weeks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Benn was initially listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury following that game against the Wild. The earliest he could return to action is in late October.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov had to be helped from the ice during the club’s first main preseason practice with their regular squad on Thursday.

Barkov appeared to be favoring his right leg. Head coach Paul Maurice didn’t provide much of an update on the 30-year-old center, saying he’ll give an update on Friday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Barkov won the Frank J. Selke Trophy last season as the league’s top defensive forward for the second straight year and the third time since 2020-21. It will be a big loss for the Panthers if he misses significant time, especially with winger Matthew Tkachuk out until January recovering from offseason surgeries and center Tomas Nosek sidelined by a knee injury.

RDS.CA: Mitch Marner made his preseason debut with the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday. He collected an assist on one of Jack Eichel’s two goals in a 3-2 overtime victory over the Utah Mammoth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marner was the biggest name to be moved during the offseason. He was shipped to the Golden Knights by the Toronto Maple Leafs in a sign-and-trade deal.

DAILY FACEOFF: Montreal Canadiens defensemen Noah Dobson, Kaiden Guhle, and David Reinbacher left Thursday’s 7-2 preseason loss to the Maple Leafs.

Dobson and Guhle are listed as day-to-day with groin injuries, while Reinbacher was still being evaluated following the game. Dobson and Reinbacher suffered their injuries during the game, while Guhle was withheld from the contest for maintenance reasons.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said he didn’t think that the injuries were serious and wasn’t too worried about it.

NEW YORK POST: An upper-body injury kept Islanders winger Anthony Duclair out of the lineup as his club defeated the New York Rangers 5-4 in preseason action on Thursday. He’s listed as day-to-day.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Duclair rushed back too soon from a groin injury last season, which affected his performance. They’re taking a more cautious approach this season.

SPORTSNET: The Utah Mammoth placed goaltender Connor Ingram on waivers Thursday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Followers of the Edmonton Oilers are stumping for their club to claim Ingram to bolster their goaltending depth. However, David Staples of the Edmonton Journal pointed out that one of the clubs ahead of the Oilers in the waiver claim order will likely get him first. Staples also pointed out that the Oilers lack the cap space to pick up Ingram’s $1.95 million cap hit.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The Bruins have brought back former captain Zdeno Chara in a front office role. They announced on Thursday that he will serve as their Hockey Operations Advisor and Mentor.

NEW YORK POST: The Islanders will induct former forward Pat LaFontaine into their Hall of Fame during a pregame ceremony on Dec. 13. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report indicates that this will end a long-standing rift between LaFontaine and the organization, dating back to a contract dispute in 1991-92. In 2006, he was brought in as an advisor to then-owner Charles Wang, but resigned six weeks later after Neil Smith was fired as general manager.

THE ATHLETIC: Mark Lazerus reports the return of Carter Hart and Michael McLeod to the NHL seems imminent. Both were among five former Hockey Canada members who were acquitted of sexual assault charges earlier this month.

Both players have been linked to the Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights. Lazerus reports the two teams handled questions about them differently.

According to Lazerus, the Hurricanes “acknowledged the gravity of the situation and were open to talking about it, even in somewhat awkward hypotheticals.” However, the Golden Knights declined to let head coach Bruce Cassidy speak to The Athletic one-on-one after learning of the topic. Before Cassidy’s press conference, a spokesperson pulled the reporter from the room, told them to leave the facility immediately, and revoked their press pass for that night’s game.

The spokesperson claimed the reporter “ambushed” Golden Knights defenseman Noah Hanifin during routine locker-room media interviews that morning, and the team wasn’t comfortable allowing the reporter to cover the game. Lazerus claimed that Hanifin showed no irritation about the questions.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If the Golden Knights aren’t comfortable with a reporter asking questions about rumors linking them to a controversial player, how will they react if they sign that player?