NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 7, 2026

by | Jan 7, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 7, 2026

A record-setting performance by Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin, Oilers captain Connor McDavid extends his points streak, the Lightning extend their win streak, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF TUESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Ilya Sorokin kicked out 44 shots to set the New York Islanders’ record for most shutouts (26) as his club crushed the New Jersey Devils 9-0. Anthony Duclair tallied a hat trick in a career-high five-point performance while Mathew Barzal, Casey Cizikas, and Tony DeAngelo each collected three points for the 24-15-2 Islanders. Jacob Markstrom gave up nine goals on 24 shots for the Devils (22-19-2).

New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The struggling Devils’ tumble in the standings has raised concern among the club’s fans. That’s putting pressure on general manager Tom Fitzgerald, who has come up short in his trade attempts thus far.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid extended his points streak to 16 games with a hat trick in a 6-2 victory over the Nashville Predators. Leon Draisaitl had a goal and two assists for the Oilers, who improved to 21-16-6. Ryan O’Reilly and Nick Blakenburg replied for the 19-19-4 Predators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers scratched forwards Andrew Mangiapane and Trent Frederic from this game. Mangiapane has been a frequent healthy scratch since last week, becoming the subject of trade rumors. He and Frederic were signed last summer to bolster the Oilers’ forward depth, but they haven’t panned out thus far. Mangiapane is in the first year of a two-year contract, while Frederic’s is an eight-year deal.

The Tampa Bay Lightning picked up their eighth straight victory by doubling up the Colorado Avalanche 4-2. Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov had two assists to extend his points streak to eight games for the 26-13-3 Lightning, who hold first place in the Eastern Conference with 55 points. Parker Kelly and Brock Nelson were the goal scorers for the league-leading Avalanche (31-4-7, 69 points), who lost consecutive games for the first time since Oct. 26.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Avalanche announced that captain Gabriel Landeskog and defenseman Devon Toews are week-to-week with upper-body injuries. Landeskog could miss a few weeks, but it’s too early to rule him out for the Winter Olympics in February.

Philadelphia Flyers forward Trevor Zegras scored twice against his former team in a 5-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Cam York and Nikita Grebenkin each had a goal and an assist for the 22-12-7 Flyers. Cutter Gauthier and Alex Killorn tallied for the Ducks (21-19-3) as they’re winless in seven games (0-6-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was Gauthier’s first goal against the club that drafted him. Flyers winger Matvei Michkov missed this game with an injured foot, while Flyers forward Bobby Brink and defenseman Jamie Drysdale left this game with injuries. As for the Ducks, they placed forward Nikita Nesterenko on waivers before this game.

The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Florida Panthers 4-1. Matthew Knies had a goal and an assist, and Auston Matthews scored his sixth goal in the last three games for the 20-15-7 Maple Leafs to extend their point streak to seven games (5-0-2). Carter Verhaeghe replied for the Panthers (22-17-3).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers winger Brad Marchand tried to stir the pot before this game, telling reporters it was between the Panthers and Maple Leafs this summer before choosing to stay in Florida. He also trolled Toronto fans, claiming they drove former Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner out of town. Marchand exited in the third period for precautionary reasons following a hit by Leafs forward Bobby McMann.

Speaking of the Maple Leafs, defenseman Brandon Carlo returned to action after being sidelined by a foot injury since Nov. 13.

An overtime goal by Tomas Hertl lifted the Vegas Golden Knights to a 4-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets, leaving the latter winless in 10 games (0-6-4). Mark Stone scored to extend his goal streak to five games for the 18-11-12 Golden Knights, who hold first place in the Pacific Division with 48 points. Cole Perfetti, Luke Schenn, and Kyle Connor replied for the 15-21-5 Jets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets defenseman Haydn Fleury was stretchered from this game with a broken nose in the first period after losing his balance and crashing into the end boards.

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini scored to extend his points streak to 11 games in a 5-2 victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Alexander Wennberg had a goal and two assists for the Sharks (21-18-3), as they’ve won four of their last five games. Zach Werenski and Sean Monahan scored for the Blue Jackets (18-17-7) as they’ve dropped three of their last four contests (1-2-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Monahan returned to action after missing the last four games. Earlier in the day, they signed former Pittsburgh Penguins and Flyers defenseman Egor Zamula after his contract with the Penguins was terminated.

The Buffalo Sabres held off the Vancouver Canucks by a score of 5-3. Alex Tuch had a goal and an assist, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 32 shots for the Sabres (22-15-4), who’ve won 11 of their last 12 games. Brock Boeser had two assists for the Canucks (16-21-5), leaving them winless in their last four games(0-2-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres forward Jason Zucker returned to the lineup after missing 11 games with a lower-body injury.

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman K’Andre Miller tallied twice and picked up an assist in a 6-3 victory over the Dallas Stars. Andrei Svechnikov collected four assists for the 26-14-3 Hurricanes, who hold first place in the Metropolitan Division with 55 points. Jason Robertson had a goal and two assists, and Mikko Rantanen had a goal and an assist against his former club, but the Stars (25-10-8) are winless in their last six games (0-3-3).

Seattle Kraken rookie Berkly Catton scored his first two NHL goals as his club defeated the Boston Bruins 7-4. Kaapo Kakko had two goals and an assist for the Kraken (20-14-7), who have won four straight and eight of their last nine contests. David Pastrnak tallied twice for the 22-19-2 Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Bruins placed defenseman Hampus Lindholm on injured reserve and activated Henri Jokiharju off IR.

IN OTHER NEWS…

SPORTSNET: International Ice Hockey Federation president Luc Tardif remains confident that construction on the main arena for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics will be ready in time for the games.

The seating capacity is set at 11,800, which is smaller than expected. Construction on parts of the arena might not be fully finished on time, but the playing surface, practice facilities, and dressing rooms will be ready.

TSN: Speaking of the Winter Olympics, the Czech Republic named 12 NHL players to their Men’s Hockey Team. They include goaltenders Lukas Dostal of the Anaheim Ducks, Karel Vejmelka of the Utah Mammoth, and Daniel Vladar of the Philadelphia Flyers.

Forwards include David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha of the Boston Bruins, Martin Necas of the Colorado Avalanche, Tomas Hertl of the Vegas Golden Knights, Ondrej Palat of the New Jersey Devils, Radek Faksa of the Dallas Stars, and sidelined Vancouver Canucks center Filip Chytil. Defensemen included Radko Gudas of the Ducks and Filip Hronek of the Vancouver Canucks.

Latvia’s roster will feature goaltenders Elvis Merzlikins of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Arturs Silovs of the Pittsburgh Penguins, forwards Rodrigo Abols of the Philadelphia Flyers, Zemgus Girgensons of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and Teddy Blueger of the Vancouver Canucks, and defenseman Uvis Balinskis of the Florida Panthers.

Montreal Canadiens forward Alexandre Texier will be part of France’s Men’s Olympic hockey roster.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (lower body) is headed to injured reserve, and defenseman Adam Fox (lower body) was placed on long-term injury reserve.

NHL.COM: Los Angeles Kings forwards Anze Kopitar (lower body) and Joel Armia (upper body) are listed as day-to-day.

DAILY FACEOFF: Calgary Flames forward John Beecher is week-to-week with an upper-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 5, 2026

by | Jan 5, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 5, 2026

Recapping Sunday’s action, the Sharks re-sign Alexander Wennberg, injury updates, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF SUNDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Chicago Blackhawks winger Tyler Bertuzzi netted a hat trick, including the winner in overtime, to lift his club to a 3-2 upset of the Vegas Golden Knights. Andre Burakovsky collected two assists as the Blackhawks are 3-0-1 in their last four games, improving their record to 17-18-7. Brandon Saad and Mark Stone replied for the Golden Knights (17-11-12), who are winless in five games (0-3-2), but hold first place in the Pacific Division with 46 points.

Chicago Blackhawks winger Tyler Bertuzzi (NHL Images).

The Florida Panthers nipped the Colorado Avalanche 2-1, snapping the latter’s 10-game win streak. Daniil Tarasov stopped 27 shots while Sam Bennett and Aaron Ekblad scored for the 22-16-3 Panthers. Scott Wedgewood made 23 saves, and Artturi Lehkonen replied for the Avalanche (31-3-7), who lead the league with 69 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog left this game in the second period with an upper-body injury after crashing into the Panthers’ net. After the game, Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said Landeskog is going to miss some time. The Avs played without defenseman Devon Toews, who is sidelined with an upper-body injury.

An overtime goal by Lane Hutson gave the Montreal Canadiens a 4-3 victory over the Dallas Stars. Hutson and Juraj Slafkovsky each finished with a goal and an assist for the Canadiens (23-13-6), who completed their seven-game road trip with a record of 4-1-2. Wyatt Johnston tallied twice for the 25-9-8 Stars, who are winless in their last five contests (0-2-3).

The Pittsburgh Penguins overcame a 4-1 deficit to defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4 in overtime. Sidney Crosby tallied the winning goal, finishing the game with two points as his Penguins (20-12-9) extended their win streak to five games. Zach Werenski and Kirill Marchenko each scored a goal and an assist for the 18-16-7 Blue Jackets.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Taylor Hall had a goal and an assist in a 3-1 win over the New Jersey Devils. Brandon Bussi made 28 saves for the 25-14-3 Hurricanes as they ended a three-game losing skid. Dawson Mercer replied for the Devils (22-18-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: New Jersey defenseman Luke Hughes was dejected after being booed by Devils fans for a pair of costly mistakes that ended up in his own net. However, his teammates (especially goaltender Jake Allen) defended the young blueliner following the game.

HEADLINES

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks signed forward Alexander Wennberg to a three-year, $18 million contract extension. The average annual value is $6 million, and comes with a full no-trade clause through the first two seasons.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This move indicates a shift for the Sharks. They’ve been rebuilding over the past several seasons, which would’ve meant trading a veteran on an expiring contract (such as Wennberg) to a playoff contender for draft picks and prospects. Instead, they’ve opted to re-sign the 31-year-old center, who has played a key role as the Sharks challenge for a postseason berth in the Western Conference, sitting fifth among their scorers with 26 points.

DAILY FACEOFF: Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev could miss the remainder of the regular season with an undisclosed injury. He’s slated to meet with a surgeon soon, and could be sidelined until late April or early May.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Injuries limited the 36-year-old Tanev to just 11 games this season. His recent return to action was among the reasons behind the Maple Leafs’ improvement in late December.

CBC.CA: The NHL’s department of player safety suspended Calgary Flames forward John Beecher and Winnipeg Jets defenseman Logan Stanley one game each for separate roughing incidents on Saturday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The incidents referred to were Beecher’s sucker punch of Nashville Predators forward Michael McCarron and Stanley doing the same to Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk.

TSN: Former Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan has been hired by Hockey Canada to lead a review of men’s junior hockey in Ontario.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 19, 2025

by | Nov 19, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 19, 2025

Hat trick performances by the Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard, the Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini, and the Lightning’s Jake Guentzel, a milestone game for the Jets’ Mark Scheifele, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF TUESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard tallied his second career hat trick (and his second of the season) in a 5-2 victory over the Calgary Flames. Rookie forward Oliver Moore had a goal and an assist as the Blackhawks (10-5-4) are 5-0-1 in their last six games. Rasmus Andersson had a goal and an assist for the 5-13-2 Flames, who’ve lost five of their last six.

Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bedard is on a roll, with 11 goals in as many games. His 13 goals tied him with six other players for second among NHL scorers, and is tied for second in points with San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini.

Before this game, the Flames claimed center John Beecher off waivers from the Boston Bruins.

Speaking of Macklin Celebrini, his overtime goal completed a hat trick to nip the Utah Mammoth 3-2. Will Smith collected two assists, and Yaroslav Askarov made 24 saves as the Sharks improved to 9-8-3 on the season. JJ Peterka scored both goals for the Mammoth (10-7-3), leaving them with a record of 2-5-3 in their last 10 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was also Celebrini’s second hat trick of the season, making it the second time in NHL history that multiple hat tricks were scored by two players age 20 or younger. The last time was on Feb. 19, 1944, by Jack Hamilton and Bud Poile of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Tampa Bay Lightning got a hat trick from Jake Guentzel in a 5-1 win over the New Jersey Devils. Darren Raddysh had a goal and two assists while Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 31 shots for the 10-7-2 Lightning. Nico Hischier replied for the Devils (13-5-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak missed this game with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele collected three assists and became the franchise’s all-time leader in games played (898) in a 5-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Kyle Connor, Josh Morrissey, and Neal Pionk each had a goal and an assist as the Jets improved to 12-7-0. Zach Werenski scored to become the first defenseman in Blue Jackets history to reach 400 career points. His club’s record slipped to 10-8-2 as its five-game points streak (3-0-2) ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blue Jackets winger Kirill Marchenko’s points streak ended at 12 games.

Detroit Red Wings rookie Nate Danielson had a goal and an assist for his first two NHL points to double up the Seattle Kraken 4-2. Lucas Raymond also had a goal and an assist,and team captain Dylan Larkin scored for his 600th career NHL regular-season point as the Red Wings moved into first place in the Atlantic Division. Jordan Eberle and Ryker Evans tallied for the Kraken, who dropped to 9-5-5.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord returned to action after being sidelined by a lower-body injury since Nov. 5.

The New York Islanders got their fifth win in six games by holding off the Dallas Stars 3-2. Kyle Palmieri got the game-winning goal and picked up an assist for the 11-7-2 Islanders. Jason Robertson scored both goals for the Stars (12-5-3) as their five-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars winger Mikko Rantanen received a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for hitting Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov from behind late in the third period. Romanov had to be helped off the ice, but did not require off-site treatment. Islanders forward Simon Holmstrom missed this game due to illness.

William Nylander’s overtime goal lifted the Toronto Maple Leafs over the St. Louis Blues 3-2, snapping a five-game winless skid (0-4-1). Jake McCabe and Steven Lorentz also scored, and Joseph Woll made 28 saves for the 9-9-2 Maple Leafs. Nathan Walker and Dalibor Dvorsky replied for the Blues, who have dropped three straight and fallen to 6-9-5.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maple Leafs winger Matthew Knies missed this game with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

The Vegas Golden Knights defeated the New York Rangers 3-2, ending the latter’s six-game road win streak. Tomas Hertl collected two assists, and Shea Theodore tallied the winning goal as the Golden Knights improved to 9-4-6. Vincent Trocheck and Jonny Brodzinski replied for the 10-9-2 Rangers.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Penn State University forward Gavin McKenna has struggled thus far in his first season in the NCAA.

Ranked as the early top prospect for the 2026 NHL Draft, the 17-year-old left wing has four goals and 15 points in 14 games, but his performance hasn’t been as dominant as expected. He’s struggled at even strength and with the physical style of the NCAA game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McKenna wanted to test himself against NCAA competition, and he’s finding that it’s more challenging than he expected. How he responds and adjusts over the rest of this season could determine whether he remains the top prospect in next year’s draft.

DAILY FACEOFF/PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Pittsburgh Penguins forward Ville Koivunen is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury. Meanwhile, the club placed winger Philip Tomasino on waivers.

DAILY FACEOFF: Buffalo Sabres defenseman Michael Kesselring is expected to be sidelined for an extended period with a lower-body injury.

NHL.COM: The department of player safety fined Ottawa Senators forward Nick Cousins $2,000.00 for embellishment during a Nov. 9 game against the Utah Mammoth.










NHL Rumor Mill – November 18, 2025

by | Nov 18, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – November 18, 2025

Are changes coming for the struggling Predators? Could the Canadiens go shopping for a center? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE TENNESSEAN: Alex Daugherty wondered if changes are coming for the fading Nashville Predators. They have a record of 6-10-4, sitting eighth in the Central Division. He pointed out that they were 6-11-3 after 20 games last year, going on to finish that season with the third-worst record in the league.

Nashville Predators forward Steven Stamkos (NHL Images)

Daugherty believes there are only so many changes that general manager Barry Trotz can make. Most of his big contracts, including Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault, have no-movement clauses. He frequently supported head coach Andrew Brunette.

Minor changes, such as trading players on expiring contracts (Erik Haula, Michael Bunting), would exacerbate the situation, even if they’re necessary in the long term.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Daugherty doesn’t expect to see any improvement from the Predators with their current roster this season.

Stamkos and Marchessault have surfaced in the rumor mill. Still, even if they agree to waive their movement clauses, the decline in their production combined with the remaining term of their contracts could make them difficult to move and won’t fetch significant returns.

Ryan O’Reilly has also been mentioned recently as a trade target. The 34-year-old center is second among Predators scorers with 13 points and is still well-regarded for his two-way play. He also carries an affordable $4.5 million annual cap hit through 2026-27 and lacks no-trade protection.

O’Reilly might draw more interest. However, like Stamkos and Marchessault, he won’t have the same value in the trade market that he might have had a couple of years ago.

SPORTSNET: During Monday’s episode of “32 Thoughts: The Podcast”, Elliotte Friedman said Montreal Canadiens GM Kent Hughes is scouring the trade market for a center. Canadiens center Kirby Dach and versatile forward Alex Newhook are both sidelined by injuries.

Friedman indicated that Hughes was among the suitors for former Toronto Maple Leafs center David Kampf before the latter signed with the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Friedman didn’t mention any other potential targets for Hughes. One option could be John Beecher of the Boston Bruins, who was placed on waivers on Monday.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 18, 2025

by | Nov 18, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 18, 2025

The Panthers defeat the Canucks in a high-scoring contest, another goal milestone is in reach for Capitals star Alex Ovechkin, the three stars of the week are revealed, injury updates, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF MONDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers blew a 5-2 lead, but recovered to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 8-5. Seth Jones scored two power-play goals, Sam Reinhart had three assists, and Brad Marchand had a goal and an assist to extend his points streak to 11 games for the 10-8-1 Panthers, who’ve won three of their last four games. Center Elias Pettersson tallied twice, and captain Quinn Hughes collected three assists as the Canucks dropped to 9-10-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky collected his 438th career regular-season NHL win, passing Jacques Plante for ninth on the all-time wins list. Bobrovsky is eight wins away from Terry Sawchuk for eighth place. He’s also within range of Curtis Joseph (454 wins) and Henrik Lundqvist (459).

Panthers forward Eetu Luostarinen missed this game with a lower-body injury.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. Charlie Lindgren stopped 30 shots and Matt Roy netted his first goal of the season for the 9-8-2 Capitals. Anze Kopitar replied for the 10-6-4 Kings as their four-game win streak ended, dropping them into second place in the Pacific Division with 24 points

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin’s goal was his 903rd career regular-season tally and was his 150th game-winning goal (regular-season and playoffs combined), putting him one back of Jaromir Jagr’s record of 151.

Earlier in the day, the Kings announced that defenseman Drew Doughty is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

The Anaheim Ducks regained first place in the Pacific Division (25 points) with a 3-2 overtime win over the Utah Mammoth. Olen Zellweger scored the winning goal after teammate Troy Terry tied the game with five seconds left in the third period for the 12-6-1 Ducks, snapping their three-game losing skid. Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley scored for the Mammoth (10-7-2), who have two wins in their last nine games (2-5-2).

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov made 29 saves to backstop his club to a 3-1 win over the Boston Bruins. Taylor Hall had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes, who are 6-1-1 in their last eight games and improved to 13-5-1. Riley Tufte scored his first of the season for the 12-9-0 Bruins, who remain in first place in the Atlantic Division with 24 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins placed center John Beecher on waivers. A first-round pick (30th overall) in 2019, the 24-year-old Beecher has struggled since his promising 2023-24 rookie campaign. He could prove enticing to clubs seeking depth at center.

The Columbus Blue Jackets (10-7-2) blew a 3-1 lead but managed to nip the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 on a shootout goal on a shootout goal by Kirill Marchenko, who extended his points streak to 12 games by collecting two assists in regulation. Lane Hutson scored the tying goal and picked up an assist for the Canadiens (10-6-3), who have dropped six of their last seven games (1-3-3).

Buffalo Sabres rookie Noah Ostlund had his first NHL multipoint game with two goals in a 5-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers. Colten Ellis kicked out 32 shots and Rasmus Dahlin picked up two assists for the 7-8-4 Sabres. Jack Roslovic scored to extend his point streak to five games as the Oilers slipped to 9-8-4.

HEADLINE

NHL.COM: Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson, Detroit Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat, and Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes are the league’s three stars for the week ending Nov. 16, 2025.

TSN/DAILY FACEOFF/SPORTSNET/TORONTO SUN: Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews has not resumed skating since being sidelined by a lower-body injury on Nov. 11. The Maple Leafs also placed sidelined defenseman Chris Tanev on long-term injury reserve, and placed center Nicolas Roy (upper body) and defenseman Brandon Carlo (lower body) on injured reserve.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators captain Brady Tkachuk could return from an injured thumb during the club’s upcoming seven-game Western road trip. They also reacquired defenseman Dennis Gilbert from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for blueliner Maxence Guenette.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars placed center Matt Duchene (undisclosed) and forward Adam Erne (lower body) on LTIR.

CBS SPORTS: Chicago Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno (hand) was moved to injured reserve.

NEW YORK POST: Former Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello is remaining with the club as an advisor to team owner Scott Malkin.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 18, 2024

by | Aug 18, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 18, 2024

Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog remains focused on returning for the start of this season, Alex Nedeljkovic looks forward to another season with the Penguins, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: In an interview with NHL.com, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said team captain Gabriel Landeskog is trying to return near the start of this season.

Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog (NHL Images).

Landeskog, 31, hasn’t played since Game 6 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final. He’s been sidelined by two knee surgeries.

Bednar also indicated that forward Artturi Lehkonen could miss the start of the season following offseason shoulder surgery.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bednar said Landeskog’s potential return would boost the Avalanche roster. How effective he’ll be after missing two seasons recovering from knee surgeries remains to be seen.

TRIBLIVE.COM: Alex Nedeljkovic is happy to return with the Pittsburgh Penguins and looks forward to sharing the goaltending duties again with Tristan Jarry.

Nedeljkovic, 28, took over from a slumping Jarry as the Penguins’ starting goalie late in the season, keeping his club in the playoff race with a record of 8-1-3, a 3.05 goals-against average, and a .898 save percentage. He finished the season with a record of 18-7-7, a 2.97 GAA, and a .902 save percentage.

Eligible for unrestricted free agent status on July 1, Nedeljkovic instead signed a two-year contract extension in June.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins need consistency between the pipes to reach the playoffs this season. They’re putting their faith in two goalies with reputations as streaky performers.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Toronto Maple Leafs reportedly signed free-agent defenseman Jani Hakanpaa to a two-year contract but have not officially announced it.

Hakanpaa, 32, is reportedly dealing with a career-threatening knee injury. He believes he can still play but not everyone involved agrees.

Last week, Leafs general manager Brad Treliving said they were “working through that” and hope to get to it “sooner rather than later.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As I mentioned last week, the definitive answer could come when the Leafs players undergo training camp medicals in mid-September.

BOSTON HERALD: Bruins forward John Beecher enters his sophomore season hoping to build on his rookie campaign.

Beecher, 23 had an up-and-down 2023-24, at one point spending almost two months with the Bruins AHL affiliate in Providence. However, he returned to the Bruins in March and played well down the stretch and in the postseason.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Washington Capitals could bring back their black Screaming Eagle jersey for their 50th anniversary this season.