NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 29, 2026

by | Jan 29, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 29, 2026

A record-tying hat trick performance by Flyers winger Travis Konecny, Ondrej Palat has a multipoint effort in his first game with the Islanders, Rangers star Artemi Panarin will be held for roster management purposes, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Philadelphia Flyers winger Travis Konecny tallied a record-tying hat trick in a 5-3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sean Monahan snapped a 3-3 tie while Charlie Coyle and Mathieu Olivier each had a goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets, who picked up their third straight win and improved to 25-20-7. Flyers goalie Dan Vladar stopped 26 shots as the Flyers (24-19-9) dropped their second straight contest.

Philadelphia Flyers winger Travis Konecny (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Konecny’s hat trick is the 29th since January 1, tying the league record set in December 1985 for the most in a calendar month. Meanwhile, Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen left this game in the first period with a lower-body injury.

Ondrej Palat had a goal and an assist in his first game with the New York Islanders in a 5-2 victory over the New York Rangers. Simon Holmstrom had a goal and two assists, and Jean-Gabriel Pageau also had a goal and an assist for the Islanders (29-19-5), who acquired Palat from the New Jersey Devils on Jan. 27. Mika Zibanejad and Taylor Raddysh replied for the fading Rangers (22-26-6), who have three wins in their last 15 games (3-10-2).

The Ottawa Senators upset the Colorado Avalanche 5-2. Tim Stutzle had a goal and an assist while James Reimer turned aside 16 shots for the Senators, who have won two straight games and improved to 25-21-7. Valeri Nichushkin and Parker Kelly replied for the Avalanche (35-7-9), who hold first place in the overall standings with 79 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators did a fine job neutralizing high-scoring Avalanche stars Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Martin Necas. Meanwhile, the Avs are slumping a bit after dominating the league for most of this season, sporting a record of 2-3-2 in their last seven contests.

HEADLINES

TSN: Artemi Panarin has played his final game with the New York Rangers. The club held the 34-year-old winger out of Wednesday’s game against the New York Islanders for “roster management purposes”. He is not expected to play again before the upcoming Olympic break (Feb. 4-22).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That means Panarin has given the Rangers a list of acceptable trade destinations and could be moved soon. He has a full no-movement, giving him full control over where he goes. TSN’s Chris Johnston reports the playmaking winger seeks a contract extension before signing off on a deal.

I’ll have more on this in today’s Rumors update.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings signed defenseman Ben Chiarot to a three-year contract worth an average annual value of $3.85 million. That represents a $1 million pay cut for the 34-year-old blueliner.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chiarot was willing to take the reduction in pay to stay in Motown. After nine long years of rebuilding, the Wings have finally broken through as a playoff contender, jockeying for first place in the Eastern Conference. Chiarot served as a mentor to Moritz Seider and is now in the same role with rookie Axel Sandin-Pellikka.

CALGARY SUN: Flames winger Blake Coleman has been sidelined with an upper-body injury since Jan. 8. He’s not expected to return to the lineup until after the upcoming Olympic break next month.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: St. Louis Blues forwards Jordan Kyrou (upper body) and Jake Neighbours (lower body) are listed as day-to-day.

PUCKPEDIA: The Toronto Maple Leafs have moved sidelined forward Dakota Joshua and defenseman Chris Tanev to long-term injury reserve.

TSN: Washington Capitals forward Brandon Duhaime was fined $2,500 by the league for unsportsmanlike conduct during Tuesday’s game against the Seattle Kraken.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: The Canadiens fired goaltending coach Eric Raymond, promoting Marco Marciano from their AHL affiliate in Laval into that role.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens goalie tandem of Sam Montembeault and Jakub Dobes struggled at times this season, especially Montembeault. However, his performance improved for several games following a conditioning stint in Laval with Marciano, who also tutored Dobes during his tenure with Laval last season. Marciano has also done good work with promising Habs goalie prospect Jacob Fowler.










NHL Rumor Mill – January 28, 2026

by | Jan 28, 2026

NHL Rumor Mill – January 28, 2026

The Senators could be pursuing Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, plus the latest on the Oilers, Red Wings, Jets, Canadiens, and Blue Jackets in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

COULD THE SENATORS PURSUE MACKENZIE WEEGAR?

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reported league executives claim the Senators and Calgary Flames may have had discussions about Flames right-shot defenseman MacKenzie Weegar.

Calgary Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar.

The Senators have been shopping for a right-side defenseman. Garrioch noted the 32-year-old Weegar is an Ottawa native. He carries an AAV of $6.25 million through 2030-31.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flames forwards Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman have frequently popped up in recent media trade chatter, but this is the first time Weegar has been mentioned.

Flames GM Craig Conroy is reportedly examining all of his options, but he’s not tearing everything down to the studs. He has been retooling his roster since 2023-24 and would prefer to retain some of his veterans to help the development of the Flames’ promising youngsters.

Weegar carries a full no-trade clause through 2026-27. He has full control over whether he’ll accept being traded and the potential destinations.

THE LATEST OILERS SPECULATION

YARDBARKER: Bob Stauffer of Oilers Now and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman discussed possible moves by the Oilers. Both of them suggested Toronto Maple Leafs winger Bobby McMann might be a great fit in Edmonton.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s no indication that the struggling Maple Leafs are ready to sell, but their recent tumble in the standings is putting them closer to becoming sellers. McMann, 29, is UFA-eligible this summer and could draw attention in the trade market if the Leafs make him available.

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports the Edmonton Oilers continue to have trade discussions with teams regarding Andrew Mangiapane. They’re being open-minded about the return for the 29-year-old winger, who has a year left on his contract with an AAV of $3.6 million.

So far, the Oilers haven’t found a fit. Nevertheless, LeBrun wondered if the Winnipeg Jets, Ottawa Senators, or St. Louis Blues might be interested.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: LeBrun also indicated that the extra year on Mangiapane’s contract has complicated the Oilers’ efforts to move him. However, the biggest sticking point likely remains the decline in his performance over the past couple of years.

RED WINGS SEEKING A CENTER

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the Detroit Red Wings are buyers as they jockey for first place in the Eastern Conference. He indicated that GM Steve Yzerman seeks a second-line center and a right-shot defenseman. He would prefer if both players had terms remaining on their contracts.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings have plenty of projected trade deadline salary-cap space and tradeable assets to address at least one of those areas by March 6.

LATEST ON THE JETS

TSN: Darren Dreger addressed speculation suggesting the Winnipeg Jets and Seattle Kraken were discussing a deal involving Kraken center Shane Wright. He claimed, “There’s been no conversation between these two clubs about the potential availability of Shane Wright.”

If the Jets become sellers by the March 6 trade deadline, Dreger believes defenseman Logan Stanley could become a player of interest. The 27-year-old Stanley is UFA-eligible this summer, and there have been no contract extension talks between the two sides.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wright has recently surfaced in the rumor mill amid speculation the Kraken could seek a “dynamic scoring forward”. The fourth-overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, he had 44 points last season, but his production and playing time have decreased this season.

NO BIG DEADLINE DEALS FOR THE CANADIENS

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes has no plans of sacrificing assets for quick fixes before the March trade deadline. In a recent podcast, Hughes said he intends to be prudent in the trade market.

LeBrun believes the Canadiens still want to make hockey trades. He cited their creativity in the trade market, and will be on the lookout for a deal that could improve their top-six forwards.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hughes could also be in the market for an experienced penalty killer. The Canadiens are 27th in that department.

BLUE JACKETS STILL DETERMINING IF THEY’RE BUYERS OR SELLERS

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports the Columbus Blue Jackets have improved under new head coach Rick Bowness, but they’re still six points out of third place in the Metropolitan Division.

The Jackets could decide by the upcoming Olympic break in February if they’ll be buyers or sellers. If they sell, pending UFAs such as Boone Jenner, Mason Marchment, Charlie Coyle, and Erik Gudbranson would draw interest.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 27, 2026

by | Jan 27, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 27, 2026

Mattias Ekholm scored his first hat trick as the Oilers set a league record, the Rangers traded Carson Soucy, the three stars of the week, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF MONDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm tallied his first NHL hat trick in a 7-4 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Leon Draisaitl collected four assists while Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman each had a goal and an assist for the 27-19-8 Oilers. Ducks forward Mikael Granlund also netted a hat trick as his club dropped to 28-22-3, and their seven-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a record-setting performance for the Oilers, becoming the first team in league history to have defensemen score hat tricks in consecutive games, with Evan Bouchard scoring three goals in a six-point performance in the Oilers’ previous game.

Those three-goal performances by Ekholm and Granlund bring the number of hat tricks scored in January to 27, matching the third-most in a single month (December 1981) in league history. The record is 29, set in December 1985.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (NHL Images)

The New York Rangers nipped the Boston Bruins 4-3 on an overtime goal by Matthew Robertson. Will Cuylle, J.T. Miller, and Will Borgen also scored for the 22-25-6 Rangers, snapping a three-game losing skid. David Pastrnak collected three assists to reach the 900-point plateau, and Elias Linholm netted two goals for the Bruins (30-20-3).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pastrnak is the sixth player in Bruins history to record 900 points, joining Raymond Bourque (1,506), Johnny Bucyk (1,339), Patrice Bergeron (1,040), Phil Esposito (1,012), and Brad Marchand (976).

Before this game, the Rangers held defenseman Carson Soucy out of the lineup. They subsequently announced they had traded Soucy to the New York Islanders in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick.

Soucy, 31, is in the final season of his three-year contract with an AAV of $3.25 million and is eligible for unrestricted free-agent status this summer. He’s a short-term fix for the Islanders’ blueline with Alexander Romanov on long-term injury reserve, and Ryan Pulock sidelined with an upper-body injury.

As for the Rangers, the Soucy trade is expected to be the first of what could be several moves this season by the retooling franchise before the March 6 trade deadline.

Speaking of the Islanders, they got a 21-save shutout from Ilya Sorokin to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-0. Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored twice, and Mathew Barzal had a goal and an assist for the Islanders, who improved to 28-19-5. Samuel Ersson turned aside 19 of 23 shots for the Flyers (24-18-9).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers activated defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, who had been sidelined since Jan. 14 with an upper-body injury.

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy turned in a 28-shot shutout in a 2-0 victory over the Utah Mammoth. Darren Raddysh and Anthony Cirelli scored for the Lightning (33-14-4), who regained first place in the Eastern Conference with 70 points. Karel Vejmelka stopped 27 shots for the 27-21-4 Mammoth as their five-game win streak ended.

The game between the Los Angeles Kings and Columbus Blue Jackets at Columbus’ Nationwide Arena was postponed due to inclement weather. It has been rescheduled for March 9.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov, Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, and Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal are the league’s three stars for the week ending Jan. 25, 2026.

TSN: Marc-Andre Fleury said a couple of NHL teams have contacted him about coming out of retirement, but the 41-year-old goaltender and future Hall of Famer has no plans to return to action. He still hangs out with his former club, the Minnesota Wild, and has skated with them in several practices, but his next role could be working in their front office.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fleury has until the March 6 trade deadline to sign an NHL contract if he intends to unretire. Even then, it would likely take several weeks of intense training for him to return to game shape.

Fleury said there were several reasons why he’ll remain retired. One of them is probably the wear and tear of his 21 NHL seasons on his aging body. He alluded to a sore hip during his one-period appearance in a preseason game with the Pittsburgh Penguins in September as he brought his NHL career full circle.

RG.ORG: DJ Siddiqi reports Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito believes the health of the players his club is sending to the Olympics next month will be a factor in their attempt to win a third-straight Stanley Cup.

The defending champion Panthers have been battered by injuries, leaving them four points out of the final wildcard berth in the Eastern Conference as of Jan. 27. Managing fatigue, ice time, and emotional drain, as well as avoiding further injuries, will be crucial to their playoff hopes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers are sending eight players to the Olympics, including core players Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, Brad Marchand, and Anton Lundell.

PUCKPEDIA: Speaking of the Olympics, the trade and assignment regulations for the NHL’s break period (Feb. 4-22) have been revealed. No trades will be permitted during that period.

TORONTO SUN: The league has fined Maple Leafs winger William Nylander $5,000.00 for flipping off a TSN camera during Sunday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche. Nylander made the gesture while watching the game in the press box with several other sidelined teammates.

THE PROVINCE: The Canucks placed winger Brock Boeser and defenseman Zeev Buium on injured reserve.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins winger Bryan Rust faces a hearing on Tuesday with the league’s department of player safety regarding his high hit on Boeser during Sunday’s game between the two clubs.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson is out until the end of next month’s Olympic break with a lower-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 25, 2026

by | Jan 25, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 25, 2026

A big night for Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard, Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon ties a franchise record, Red Wings forward Patrick Kane closes in on a league record, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard tallied his first career hat trick and collected three assists in his 400th career NHL regular-season game in a 6-5 victory over the Washington Capitals. Connor McDavid tallied twice (including the winner in overtime) and had three assists for the 26-19-8 Oilers. Justin Sourdif and Connor McMichael each had a goal and an assist for the Capitals (25-21-7), who are 1-4-1 in their last six games.

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a historic game for Bouchard. He became the fourth defenseman to factor in all of his team’s goals in a six-goal game, joining Bobby Orr, Al MacInnis, and Doug Crossman. He was the fourth blueliner in Oilers history to score a hat trick, joining Paul Coffey, Marc-Andre Bergeron, and Risto Siltanen, and joined Coffey and Kevin Lowe as the only Oilers rearguards to net at least six points in a game.

Capitals defenseman Rasmus Sandin left this game in the first period with a lower-body injury.

The Buffalo Sabres got a 26-save shutout by Alex Lyon to blank the New York Islanders 5-0. Jason Zucker scored two goals for the Sabres (29-17-5), who’ve won three straight games and are 18-3-1 in their last 22 contests. This was the first game in this season that the Islanders (27-19-5) were shut out.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lyon tied the Sabres record of Gerry Desjardins (1976-77) with nine consecutive wins. Earlier in the day, the Sabres made a minor trade, acquiring defenseman Gavin Bayreuther from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for prospect forward Viktor Neuchev.

Islanders center Bo Horvat returned to action after missing nine games with a lower-body injury. Head coach Patrick Roy was not pleased with the performance of the line of Mathew Barzal, Anthony Duclair, and team captain Anders Lee, benching them for the entire third period. Isles defenseman Ryan Pulock missed this game as he’s day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

Detroit Red Wings forward J.T. Compher scored two goals in a 5-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Lucas Raymond and Marco Kasper each had a goal and an assist, and John Gibson made 26 saves for the 32-16-5 Red Wings, who took over first place in the Atlantic Division with 69 points. Cole Koepke replied for the Jets (20-24-7).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings forward Patrick Kane collected an assist to move within one point of Mike Modano’s record for the most points among U.S.-born players (1,374). Meanwhile, teammate Simon Edvinsson missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury.

A hat trick by Mason Marchment powered the Columbus Blue Jackets over the Tampa Bay Lightning 8-5. Marchment finished with four points while Charlie Coyle and Adam Fantilli each had a goal and two assists for the Blue Jackets (24-20-7), who have won six of their last seven games. Nikita Kucherov had a goal and three assists while Jake Guentzel and Anthony Cirelli each collected three points for the 32-14-4 Lightning as their 15-game points streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak left this game with an injury.

Boston Bruins winger Morgan Geekie tallied twice in a 4-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Charlie McAvoy collected three assists for the Bruins (30-20-2), who’ve won eight of their last nine games. Cole Caufield scored all three goals for the 28-17-7 Canadiens, who are 3-4-1 in their last eight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Shaky goaltending and penalty killing were once again the Canadiens’ undoing. They’re sixth overall in goals per game (3.37) and eighth in power-play percentage (23.8), but are 24th in goals against per game (3.29) and 26th in penalty-killing percentage (76.5).

Florida Panthers winger Brad Marchand scored twice (including the winning goal) and picked up an assist to beat the Minnesota 4-3 in overtime. Sam Reinhart had a goal and an assist for the 27-20-3 Panthers. Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy each had a goal and an assist for the 29-14-10 Wild.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marchand returned to action after missing seven games with an injury. Boldy was back after missing four games with a lower-body injury.

The Los Angeles Kings nipped the St. Louis Blues 5-4 on a shootout goal by Trevor Moore, who also scored in the third period. Alex Laferriere had a goal and an assist for the Kings (21-16-13). Jordan Kyrou scored twice for the Blues, who dropped to 19-24-9 as their winless skid reached four games (0-3-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Moore had missed 11 games with an upper-body injury.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Brandon Bussi kicked out 35 shots in a 4-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Seth Jarvis had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes (32-15-5), who hold first place in the Eastern Conference with 69 points. Tim Stutzle replied for the 23-21-7 Senators, who are 1-2-2 in their last five games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes hold first overall in the East over the Red Wings because they hold a game in hand. Before the game, the Senators inducted former head coach Jacques Martin into their Ring of Honour.

Third-period goals by Barrett Hayton and JJ Peterka lifted the Utah Mammoth to a 5-2 win over the Nashville Predators. Karel Vejmelka made 27 saves, and Mikhail Sergachev collected three assists for the 27-20-5 Mammoth, who picked up their fifth straight win. Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault scored for the Predators (24-23-4).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Predators defenseman Nicolas Hague missed this game as he’s considered week-to-week with a lower-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 23, 2026

by | Jan 23, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 23, 2026

Milestone games for the Predators’ Roman Josi and the Blue Jackets’ Charlie Coyle, Golden Knights captain Mark Stone set a franchise record, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Steven Stamkos tallied a hat trick, and Roman Josi had an assist in his 1,000th career NHL regular-season game as the Nashville Predators overcame a 3-0 deficit to defeat the Ottawa Senators 5-3. Ryan O’Reilly collected three assists as the Predators improved to 24-22-4. Senators rookie Stephen Halliday scored his first career NHL goal as his club dropped to 23-20-7.

Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Senators announced winger David Perron will require surgery to repair a sports hernia and will be sidelined at least five to seven weeks.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak had a goal and two assists as his club held off the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3. Joonas Korpisalo stopped 30 shots while Elias Lindholm had a goal and an assist for the 29-20-2 Bruins. Jack Eichel had a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights (24-13-12), who hold first place in the Pacific Division with 60 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights captain Mark Stone collected an assist to extend his points streak to a franchise-record 13 games.

Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Jet Greaves made 28 saves in a 1-0 shutout of the Dallas Stars. Zach Werenski tallied the only goal as the Blue Jackets have won five of their last six games and improved to 23-20-7. Casey DeSmith turned aside 21 shots for the Stars (28-14-9), who have dropped four of their last five contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blue Jackets center Charlie Coyle played in his 1,000th career NHL regular-season game. Meanwhile, the Stars remain in a lengthy funk, with just three wins in their last 14 games.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov scored twice (including the winner in overtime) and picked up an assist in a 4-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Mats Zuccarello also has two goals and an assist, and Quinn Hughes collected three assists for the Wild (29-14-9). Lucas Raymond scored two goals for the 31-16-5 Red Wings, who regained first place in the Atlantic Division with 67 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Wild activated center Joel Eriksson Ek off injured reserve. They also announced that defenseman Jonas Brodin will miss the Olympics next month after undergoing surgery for a lower-body injury.

The Chicago Blackhawks upset the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 on a shootout goal by Oliver Moore. Spencer Knight made 28 saves, and Ilya Mikheyev had a goal and an assist for the Blackhawks (21-22-7). Hurricanes rookie defenseman Joel Nystrom scored his first career NHL goal as his club picked up a point to hold first place in the Eastern Conference with 67 points (31-15-5) and a game in hand over the Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks forwards Andre Burakovsky and Frank Nazar returned to action. An illness sidelined Burakovsky while Nazar missed 14 games with an upper-body injury.

The Pittsburgh Penguins got three first-period goals in 37 seconds (two by Anthony Mantha) in a 6-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Arturs Silovs made 30 saves, and Evgeni Malkin had a goal and an assist for the 25-14-11 Penguins, who have won three straight games. Former Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry gave up six goals on 22 shots for the Oilers (25-19-8).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Following the game, Malkin told reporters that he wants to play one more year with the Penguins. The 39-year-old center’s contract expires at the end of this season. Meanwhile, the Penguins activated defenseman Erik Karlsson from injured reserve, but placed blueliner Ryan Graves on IR.

Buffalo Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen kicked out 32 shots as his club doubled up the Montreal Canadiens by a score of 4-2. Zach Benson scored what proved to be the game-winner for the Sabres (28-17-5), who are 4-1-1 in their last six games. Cole Caufield scored to extend his goal streak to four games for the 28-16-7 Canadiens.

A shootout goal by Sam Reinhart gave the Florida Panthers a 2-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Daniil Tarasov stopped 17 shots, and Sam Bennett scored in regulation for the Panthers (26-20-3). Cole Perfetti replied for the 20-23-7.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 18, 2026

by | Jan 18, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 18, 2026

A record-setting game for winger Mika Zibanejad and a milestone one for head coach Mike Sullivan in a win over the Flyers, the Hurricanes regain first place in the Eastern Conference, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: New York Rangers winger Mika Zibanejad tallied a hat trick, Artemi Panarin scored twice and collected an assist, and Brennan Othmann netted his first NHL goal in a 6-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Zibanejad set the Rangers’ power-play goal record with 117, while head coach Mike Sullivan earned his 500th career NHL win. Travis Konecny, Trevor Zegras, and Travis Sanheim each had a goal and an assist for the Flyers.

New York Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers (21-22-6) snapped a five-game winless skid (0-4-1), while the Flyers’ skid reached six games (0-5-1). Flyers center Rodrigo Abols left the game in the first period with an injured right leg. Before the game, the Flyers placed defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen on injured reserve.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov had a hat trick to defeat the New Jersey Devils 4-1. Sebastian Aho had three assists, and Frederik Andersen stopped 29 shots for the 30-15-4 Hurricanes, who took over first place in the Eastern Conference with 64 points. Timo Meier replied for the Devils (24-22-2).

Utah Mammoth defenseman Nate Schmidt scored twice (including the game-winner) and collected two assists in a 6-3 win over the Seattle Kraken. Lawson Crouse had a goal and two assists for the Mammoth, who have won three straight and improved to 25-20-4. Matty Beniers had a goal and an assist for the Kraken (21-17-9), who have dropped three straight games and are 1-3-2 in their last six contests.

The Calgary Flames doubled up the New York Islanders 4-2. Adam Klapka had a goal and an assist, and Dustin Wolf made 28 saves for the 21-23-4 Flames. Rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer picked up two assists for the Islanders (26-17-5) while team captain Anders Lee scored his 300th career NHL regular-season goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson was named the game’s third star and was loudly cheered by Calgary fans in what may have been his final game with the club as trade rumors intensify.

Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone scored to extend his points streak to 11 games in a 7-2 drubbing of the Nashville Predators. Mitch Marner, Shea Theodore, Keegan Kolesar, Alexander Holtz, and Cole Reinhart each had a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights (24-11-12), who lead the Pacific Division with 60 points. Luke Evangelista and Filip Forsberg scored for the 23-21-4 Predators.

The Edmonton Oilers blanked the Vancouver Canucks 6-0, with all six goals coming in the second period. Tristan Jarry turned in a 31-save shutout, while Jack Roslovic and Kasperi Kapanen each tallied twice for the 24-17-8 Oilers. The Canucks are winless in their last 10 games (0-8-2) and slipped to 16-27-5.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers center Leon Draisaitl missed this game as he’s on a leave of absence to return home to Germany due to a family illness.

Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield scored twice, including the winner in overtime, as his club overcame a 5-3 deficit for a 6-5 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Caufield finished with three points, Juraj Slafkovsky tallied two goals, and Lane Hutson collected three assists for the 27-15-7 Canadiens. Jake Sanderson had a goal and three assists for the Senators, who slipped to 22-19-6.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens center Jake Evans returned to action after missing 13 games with a lower-body injury.

An overtime goal by Max Domi lifted the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 4-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Domi and Auston Matthew each had a goal and an assist while Oliver Ekman-Larsson had a goal and two assists for the 24-16-8 Maple Leafs. Vladislav Namestnikov collected two assists, and Connor Hellebuyck stopped 33 shots for the Jets (19-22-6) as their four-game win streak ended.

The Boston Bruins picked up their sixth straight win by defeating the Chicago Blackhawks 5-2. Mason Lohrei scored two goals while David Pastrnak, Elias Lindholm, Pavel Zacha, and Casey Mittelstadt each had two assists as the Bruins improved to 28-19-2. Ryan Greene and Wyatt Kaiser replied for the 19-22-7 Blackhawks, who’ve dropped three straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins activated defenseman Hampus Lindholm off injured reserve after missing six games with an undisclosed injury.

Minnesota Wild winger Mats Zuccarello scored in overtime to give his team a 5-4 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Kirill Kaprizov had three assists for the 27-13-9 Wild as they picked up their third win in their last nine games (3-3-3). Jack Quinn and Ryan McLeod each had a goal and an assist for the Sabres (26-16-5).

Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett had a goal and two assists in a 5-2 win over the Washington Capitals. A.J. Greer, Anton Lundell, and Carter Verhaeghe each had a goal and an assist for the Panthers (25-19-3). Jakob Chychrun scored both goals for the 24-19-6 Capitals.

The Columbus Blue Jackets picked up their fourth straight win by nipping the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 on a shootout goal by Charlie Coyle. Elvis Merzlikins stopped 29 shots for the Blue Jackets, who have won four straight and improved to 22-19-7. Sidney Crosby had a goal and an assist for the Penguins (22-14-11).

An overtime goal by Mikael Granlund gave the Anaheim Ducks a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Mason McTavish also scored for the Ducks (24-21-3), who picked up back-to-back wins over the Kings (19-16-13), who got 31 saves from Anton Forsberg.