NHL Rumor Mill – December 12, 2025

by | Dec 12, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – December 12, 2025

The latest on Canucks captain Quinn Hughes, plus updates on Kings center Phillip Danault, Ducks center Ryan Strome, Maple Leafs winger Matias Maccelli, and more in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

QUINN HUGHES TRADE RUMORS HEATING UP

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports that trade talks involving Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes have started. The club has set a very high asking price for the 26-year-old superstar defenseman.

Friedman believes a “young, impactful center” is very important to the Canucks. He believes a deal isn’t impossible without one, “but it will require something special to offset that desire.

Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes (NHL Images).

Multiple sources said that there was no truth to rumors that Hughes informed Canucks management last summer that he wouldn’t sign a contract extension. Friedman believes the Canucks could wait until the draft next June to move Hughes if they can’t find a suitable deal before the March trade deadline.

Hughes lacks no-trade protection, and the Canucks have indicated they would be prepared to move him to any team. It’s believed Hughes would prefer playing in the East, but they could ship him to a Western club for the right price. Friedman thinks the Capitals would be open to taking on Hughes for the remainder of his contract, depending on the price.

Friedman also pointed out that nothing’s stopping the Canucks from attempting to re-sign Hughes next July to an eight-year extension. He believes that would mean Hughes would be invested for a few more seasons, with the understanding that he could be traded if he doesn’t like what he sees from the Canucks by then.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Talks being underway could mean teams are calling the Canucks about what it would cost to acquire Hughes, and the Canucks are obliging them by seeking what one executive told Friedman was an “outrageous” return. They may not be at the stage yet where they’re swapping offers. Nevertheless, there’s a growing sense that this season could be Hughes’ last in Vancouver.

Trading a big star during the season isn’t impossible. Winger Mikko Rantanen was moved by the Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes within six weeks before last season’s deadline.

However, Hughes is a Norris Trophy defenseman in his prime. The Canucks want a much bigger return than what the Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes received for Rantanen.

Draft picks and prospects will be part of the deal, but the Canucks will also want a good young NHL player or two. Some teams could risk weakening their roster depth to get Hughes. Others could be leery about gutting their prospect pools.

Salary cap space is another significant factor. Hughes’ $7.85 million cap hit through 2026-27 is a bargain for a player of his caliber, but it’s still not easy for some teams to absorb. If they plan on signing him to an extension, it could eat up at least $18 million annually.

Friedman believes the New Jersey Devils, Detroit Red Wings, and Washington Capitals could be among the suitors. He doesn’t see a trade match with the New York Rangers. The Philadelphia Flyers lack a center, but Friedman wondered what else they might come up with. He claimed sources dismissed the notion of the Pittsburgh Penguins getting involved. The Utah Mammoth have plenty of draft picks and prospects to make a competitive offer. Friedman doesn’t rule out the Carolina Hurricanes looking into this.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Friedman reported last Saturday that the Devils had asked the Canucks about Hughes. The Red Wings are being mentioned partly because Hughes played his formative hockey years in Michigan, plus they have the cap space and plentiful trade assets to pull this off if they want to.

Capitals beat writer Sammi Silber of The Hockey News doesn’t doubt the Capitals may have done due diligence, but she doesn’t think there’s a trade to be made here. Silber doesn’t see them parting with any of their top players for Hughes, especially for a short-term tenure. The asking price could cost them rookie forward Ryan Leonard and prospect defenseman Cole Hutson. Meanwhile, they made a long-term investment in Jakob Chychrun, who handles the left-side top-pairing role on their blueline.

As for the Flyers, winger Owen Tippett has come up in trade rumors this season, but he’s not going to offset the Canucks’ desire for a young, impactful center. The Hurricanes could try, but their big swings tend to be for scoring centers, and they’ve got Jaccob Slavin filling the first-pairing left-side defense role.

The Mammoth have the draft picks and prospects, and their recent struggles following their hot start could have them looking to shake things up. Nevertheless, it’s unlikely they’d want Hughes if he’s unwilling to commit beyond 2027.

Meanwhile, RG.Org’s James Murphy also reported the Penguins aren’t expected to be among the bidders for Hughes. He also ruled out the Boston Bruins as a suitor. According to Murphy, the Penguins are sticking to their rebuild timeline, while the Bruins’ focus is on adding a scoring forward.

OTHER RUMOR TIDBITS FROM THE LATEST “32 THOUGHTS” COLUMN

SPORTSNET: Friedman said several sources claim the Los Angeles Kings aren’t interested in trading struggling center Phillip Danault without a very good reason, since centers are difficult to find.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: NHL insider Frank Seravalli claimed the Montreal Canadiens were among the clubs sniffing around Danault. He believes the 32-year-old center could be moved before the Dec. 20 roster freeze. Despite Danault’s offensive difficulties this season, the Kings aren’t likely to move him while they’re still in the playoff chase.

Teams interested in a center are watching Ryan Strome of the Anaheim Ducks. He had a delayed start to the season and has been in and out of the lineup.

Other forwards struggling for playing time to watch include Maxim Tsyplakov of the New York Islanders and Matias Maccelli of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Several teams were interested in Mason Marchment last summer before he was traded to the Seattle Kraken. Friedman suggested they might want to keep an eye on him, though he doesn’t expect anything to happen until Jaden Schwartz returns from injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 12, 2025

by | Dec 12, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 12, 2025

A four-goal performance by Predators forward Steven Stamkos, Canadiens rookie goalie Jacob Fowler wins his NHL debut, four-point performances by the Bruins’ David Pastrnak and the Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov, and more in today’s Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Steven Stamkos had his second career four-goal NHL game as the Nashville Predators thumped the St. Louis Blues 7-2. Luke Evangelista collected three assists as the 12-14-4 Predators have won six of their last eight games. Winger Hugh McGing scored his first NHL goal as the Blues fell to 11-14-7.

Nashville Predators forward Steven Stamkos (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stamkos is now six goals away from reaching 600 regular-season goals in his NHL career.

Montreal Canadiens rookie goaltender Jacob Fowler stopped 36 shots to win his first NHL game in a 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Cole Caufield netted his 17th goal of the season while Lane Hutson and Juraj Slafkovsky each had two assists for the Canadiens (16-11-3). Bryan Rust and Erik Karlsson replied for the 14-8-7 Penguins, who are 0-1-2 in their last three games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fowler became the first Florida-born goaltender in NHL history. He’s also the fourth goaltender in Canadiens history to make his NHL debut against the Penguins, joining Ken Dryden, Patrick Roy, and Carey Price.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak tallied twice and collected two assists to defeat the Winnipeg Jets 6-3. Morgan Geekie had three assists for the Bruins, who extended their win streak to four games and improved to 19-13-0. Morgan Barron, Alex Iafallo, and Gabriel Vilardi scored for the struggling Jets (14-15-1) as they’ve lost three straight contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy collected an assist as he returned to action after missing 11 games due to a facial fracture.

The Tampa Bay Lightning pounded the New Jersey Devils 8-4. Nikita Kucherov had four assists while Jake Guentzel and Oliver Bjorkstrand each had three points for the Lightning (18-11-2), who reclaimed first place in the Atlantic Division with 38 points. Goalie Jacob Markstrom was replaced by Jake Allen after giving up three goals on seven shots as the Devils (17-13-1) have lost six of their last seven games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning captain Victor Hedman was placed on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury. Dave Randorf reports it’s the same injury that sidelined him for 12 games earlier this season. He will see a specialist for a second opinion, and it will be a couple of days before they know how long he’ll be sidelined.

Devils forward Timo Meier missed this game as he took a personal leave to attend to a family health matter.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Brandon Bussi turned aside 22 shots to win his eighth straight start in a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals. Seth Jarvis scored the winning goal in the shootout, while Nikolaj Ehlers and Logan Stankoven each had a goal and an assist for the 19-9-2 Hurricanes, who moved past the Capitals into first place in the Metropolitan Division with 40 points. Connor McMichael and Rasmus Sandin each had two points for the Capitals (18-9-4).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bussi became the first goaltender in NHL history to win 10 of the first 11 games of his career. Meanwhile, the Capitals announced that sidelined rookie forward Ryan Leonard will miss three to four weeks with a shoulder injury.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and an assist in a 6-2 win over the Florida Panthers. The league-leading Avalanche (22-2-7, 51 points) picked up its 10th straight home win. Noah Gregor and Mackie Samoskevich replied for the 15-13-2 Panthers as their three-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon leads all scorers with 25 goals and 53 points. Avalanche rookie forward Gavin Brindley had a goal and an assist as he returned from a 10-game absence due to a lower-body injury.

The Vegas Golden Knights got an overtime goal from captain Mark Stone to nip the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2. Stone finished with two goals while linemate Jack Eichel had two assists for the 15-6-9 Golden Knights, who took over first place in the Pacific Division with 39 points. Trevor Zegras and Noah Juulsen scored for the Flyers (16-9-4).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights opted not to play Carter Hart against this former club, pointing out that he was coming off back-to-back starts.

New York Islanders captain Anders Lee had two goals and two assists to lead his club over the Anaheim Ducks by a score of 5-2. Simon Holmstrom had a goal and two assists for the Islanders, who have won five of their last six games and improved to 18-11-3. Troy Terry had a goal and an assist for the Ducks (19-11-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders center Bo Horvat is listed as day-to-day after leaving this game in the second period with an injured left leg.

The Minnesota Wild defeated the Dallas Stars 5-2, snapping the latter’s 11-game points streak. Matt Boldy had a goal and two assists, and Marcus Johansson tallied two goals for the 17-9-5 Wild. Miro Heiskanen had a goal and an assist for the Stars (21-6-5).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars center Roope Hintz left this game late in the third period with an injured foot. Earlier in the day, the Wild placed winger Mats Zuccarello and defenseman Jake Middleton on injured reserve.

Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman tallied a hat trick in a 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Connor McDavid picked up four assists for the 14-11-6 Oilers. Simon Edvidsson replied for the Red Wings (17-12-3) as their six-game points streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Oilers placed forwards Jack Roslovic and Connor Clattenburg on injured reserve, and moved defenseman Jake Walman on long-term injury reserve.

Ottawa Senators center Tim Stutzle scored two goals in a 6-3 victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Drake Batherson, Michael Amadio, and Dylan Cozens each had three points for the Senators (14-12-4) as they ended a three-game losing skid. Jet Greaves replaced Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins after giving up three goals on five shots as his club slipped to 13-12-6.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators center Lars Eller left this game with a lower-body injury. This was his second game back from an undisclosed injury.

An overtime goal by Alexander Wennberg lifted the San Jose Sharks over the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2. Wennberg finished with three points, and John Klingberg tied the game late in the third for the Sharks, who improved to 15-14-3. William Nylander had two assists for the Maple Leafs (14-11-5).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson left this game in the third period after injuring his left leg. He will be reevaluated on Friday. Before the game, the Leafs announced that sidelined blueliner Brandon Carlo (lower-body injury) underwent surgery and will be out for a month.

The Buffalo Sabres held off the Vancouver Canucks by a score of 3-2. Tage Thompson had a goal and an assist for the Sabres (13-14-4) as they picked up their first regulation road win since Apr. 1. Kiefer Sherwood and Max Sasson scored for the 11-17-3 Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Sabres placed goaltender Colten Ellis on injured reserve.

DAILY FACEOFF: Utah Mammoth center Logan Cooley is expected to miss at least eight weeks with a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s a significant blow for the struggling Mammoth. He leads them with 14 goals and is fourth in points with 23.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 10, 2025

by | Dec 10, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 10, 2025

Four games see tying goals in the final seconds of regulation, Hurricanes goalie Brandon Bussi extends his win streak, Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon is the first player to reach 50 points this season, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF TUESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: The Anaheim Ducks nipped the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 on a shootout goal by Leo Carlsson. Ducks rookie Beckett Sennecke got credit for the shorthanded tying goal with 1 second remaining after Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson accidentally deflected the puck into his own net. Ville Husso kicked out 44 shots for the 19-10-1 Ducks, who picked up their third straight win to remain in first place in the Pacific Division with 39 points. Karlsson finished with two assists for the Penguins (14-7-7).

Anaheim Ducks forward Beckett Sennecke (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sennecke leads all rookie scorers with 26 points. Ivan Demidov of the Montreal Canadiens is second with 23 points, followed by New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer with 22 points.

Before this game, the Penguins placed forwards Evgeni Malkin and Blake Lizotte on injured reserve.

Buffalo Sabres winger Alex Tuch scored in overtime to lift his club to a 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Connor McDavid scored twice for the 13-11-6 Oilers, including the tying goal with two seconds remaining in the third period. Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin each had three points, and Josh Doan tallied two goals for the Sabres (12-14-4), who snapped a three-game losing skid.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Sabres placed winger Jason Zucker on IR after he suffered upper and lower-body injuries during Monday’s loss to the Calgary Flames. Center Josh Norris was a late scratch due to illness and muscle stiffness, and goaltender Colten Ellis was replaced by Alex Lyon in the first period after being removed by concussion spotters following a collision with Oilers winger David Tomasek.

Nashville Predators center Ryan O’Reilly’s shootout goal gave his club a 4-3 win against the Colorado Avalanche. Cale Makar tied it for the Avalanche with eight seconds left in regulation time. Juuse Saros stopped 39 shots for the 11-14-4 Predators. Nathan MacKinnon collected two assists for the league-leading Avalanche (21-2-7, 49 points), becoming the first player to reach 50 points this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood returned to the lineup after suffering an upper-body injury last Tuesday against the Vancouver Canucks. During the shootout, he was pulled by the concussion spotters after Predators winger Filip Forsberg lost his footing and accidentally collided with the Avs goalie.

The New York Islanders got a shootout goal from Emil Heineman to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights by a score of 5-4 after Vegas winger Pavel Dorofeyev tied the game with 14 seconds left in the third period. Bo Horvat scored twice for the Islanders (17-11-3), as they’ve won four of their last five games. Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, and Mark Stone each collected two points for the 14-6-9 Golden Knights as their four-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders center Jean-Gabriel Pageau returned to action after missing eight games with an upper-body injury.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Brandon Bussi turned aside 23 shots to pick up his seventh straight win in a 4-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Andrei Svechnikov collected two assists for the Hurricanes (18-9-2). Dmitri Voronkov scored for the 13-11-6 Blue Jackets as their losing streak reached three games.

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh scored two goals as his club ended a four-game losing skid by thumping the Montreal Canadiens 6-1. Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point each had a goal and an assist for the 17-11-2 Lightning, who regained first place in the Atlantic Division with 36 points. Oliver Kapanen replied for the Canadiens, who dropped to 15-11-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning captain Victor Hedman left this game after the first period with an undisclosed injury. This was his third game back after missing 12 games.

Following the game, the Canadiens called up center Owen Beck, defenseman Adam Engstrom, and goaltender Jacob Fowler from their AHL affiliate in Laval. The addition of Fowler is notable because the Canadiens’ tandem of Sam Montembeault and Jakub Dobes has the league’s second-worst goals-against per game (3.55) this season. He could make his NHL debut as early as Thursday in Pittsburgh against the Penguins.

The Dallas Stars extended their points streak to 11 games (9-0-2) by holding off the Winnipeg Jets 4-3. Mikko Rantanen collected three assists as the Stars jumped to a 3-0 lead. The Jets rallied with two goals from Mark Scheifele before Jason Robertson scored what proved to be the winning goal for the 21-5-5 Stars. Kyle Connor had two assists for the Jets, who dropped to 14-14-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars defenseman Thomas Harley was held scoreless in his first game back in action since missing the last 12 games with an injured foot.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak collected three assists in his return to action in a 5-2 win over the St. Louis Blues. Fraser Minten and Mark Kastelic each tallied twice for the 18-13-0 Bruins, extending their win streak to three games. Robert Thomas had two goals for the Blues, who slipped to 11-13-7.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pastrnak missed the last five games with an undisclosed injury.

Philadelphia Flyers winger Travis Konecny had a goal and an assist to reach his 500th career NHL point in a 4-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Christian Dvorak also had a goal and an assist for the Flyers as they improved to 16-9-3. Collin Graf replied for the 14-14-3 Sharks, who have dropped three of their last four contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov missed this game due to an illness, forcing them to turn to former collegiate netminder Justin Kowalkoski to back up Alex Nedeljkovic.

The New Jersey Devils defeated the Ottawa Senators 4-3. Cody Glass broke a 3-3 tie in the third period for New Jersey (17-12-1) as they ended a five-game losing skid. Connor Brown and Arseny Gritsyuk each had three points for the Devils. Drake Batherson had two goals for the 13-12-4 Senators as their losing skid reached three games.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks starting goaltender Thatcher Demko is expected to return to action against the Sabres on Thursday after missing 12 games with a groin strain. That’s good news for the struggling Canucks, who are 2-7-1 in their last 10 contests.

TORONTO SUN: The NHL’s department of player safety suspended Maple Leafs winger Bobby McMann for one game for high-sticking Lightning forward Oliver Bjorkstrand on Monday.

ESPN: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the league projects the revenue for this season could reach $6.8 billion. He claimed it’s what the league was expecting and won’t change the salary cap figures for the next two seasons, as was agreed upon earlier this year by the NHL and the NHL Players Association.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The salary cap is $95.5 million for this season. It will rise to $104 million for 2026-27 and $113.5 million for 2027-28.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 7, 2025

by | Dec 7, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 7, 2025

Nathan MacKinnon ties the Avalanche goals record, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Nathan MacKinnon scored twice, including the winner in overtime, as the Colorado Avalanche nipped the New York Rangers 3-2. Martin Necas collected three assists as the league-leading Avalanche (46 points) became the first team to reach the 20-win plateau (20-2-6). Igor Shesterkin kicked out 39 shots while Conor Sheary and Artemi Panarin replied for the 15-13-3 Rangers.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon leads the league with 24 goals and 48 points. He also reached 391 career NHL regular-season goals, tying Joe Sakic for the most goals in Avalanche history. Sakic remains the overall franchise leader (Avalanche and Quebec Nordiques) with 625.

The Florida Panthers overcame 4-1 and 6-4 deficits to defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets 7-6 on an overtime goal by Sam Bennett, who also collected three assists. Brad Marchand also had a goal and three assists, and Carter Verhaeghe tallied twice and picked up an assist for the Panthers, who snapped a four-game losing skid and improved to 13-12-2. Dmitri Voronkov, Miles Wood, Cole Sillinger, and Isac Lundestrom each had a goal and an assist for the 13-9-6 Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers forward Eetu Luostarinen returned to action after being sidelined since Nov. 15 from burns to his lower body suffered when his propane grill malfunctioned and exploded while he was cooking.

New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin turned in a 32-save shutout to blank the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-0. Calum Ritchie and Casey Cizikas were the goal scorers for the 16-10-3 Islanders. Jonas Johansson stopped 17 of 18 shots for the Lightning (16-10-2), who have lost three straight but remain in first place in the Atlantic Division with 34 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning captain Victor Hedman returned to action after missing the last 12 games with an undisclosed injury. Starting goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy and winger Nikita Kucherov missed this game and are day-to-day with undisclosed injuries.

A shootout goal by Alexandre Texier lifted the Montreal Canadiens to a 2-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Cole Caufield scored to extend his points streak to 10 games for the Canadiens (15-9-3). Dennis Hildeby made 33 saves, and Scott Laughton scored for the 13-11-4 Maple Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Maple Leafs placed starting goalie Joseph Woll (lower body) on injured reserve.

St. Louis Blues netminder Joel Hofer turned aside 41 shots, and Jake Neighbours scored twice to beat the Ottawa Senators by a score of 2-1. Fabian Zetterlund replied for the Senators (13-11-4), who have dropped four of their last five games. The Blues now sit at 10-12-7.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues winger Jordan Kyrou left this game in the first period with a lower-body injury. Meanwhile, the Senators played without center Shane Pinto, who suffered a lower-body injury during Thursday’s 3-2 loss to the New York Rangers. Pinto will be sidelined for at least two weeks.

Vancouver Canucks center Aatu Raty had his first multipoint NHL game with two goals and an assist in a 4-2 upset of the Minnesota Wild. Rookie defenseman Tom Wallinder scored his first NHL goal, and goalie Nikita Tolopilo stopped 28 shots for the Canucks (11-15-3) as they ended a four-game losing skid. Matt Boldy and Mats Zuccarello each had a goal and an assist, and goalie Jesper Wallstedt suffered his first regulation loss of the season for the Wild (15-9-5), who’ve dropped three of their last four contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks center Elias Pettersson left the warmup for this game with an upper-body injury.

The Calgary Flames blanked the Utah Mammoth 2-0. Dustin Wolf made 27 saves for the shutout while Yegor Sharangovich and Connor Zary scored for the 11-15-4 Flames, who are 6-2-1 in their last nine games. Vitek Vanecek stopped 21 of 22 shots for the 14-13-3 Mammoth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mammoth center Logan Cooley was a late scratch from this game with a lower-body injury.

Carolina Hurricanes forwards Jackson Blake and Nikolaj Ehlers each had three points in a 6-3 victory over the Nashville Predators. Goalie Brandon Bussi made 19 saves for his sixth straight win for the 17-8-2 Hurricanes. Filip Forsberg had a goal and an assist for the Predators, who dropped to 10-14-4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes center Jesperi Kotkaniemi returned to action after missing nine games with a lower-body injury.

Boston Bruins winger Morgan Geekie scored for the 10th time in nine games in a 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils. Jeremy Swayman kicked out 29 shots as the Bruins improved to 17-13-0. Timo Meier replied for the Devils (16-12-1), who have lost five straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Geekie sits second among NHL skaters this season with 22 goals.

A four-goal first period carried the Edmonton Oilers over the Winnipeg Jets by a score of 6-2. Leon Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard, and Connor McDavid each had two points for the 13-11-5 Oilers. Gabriel Vilardi and Cole Koepke replied for the Jets (14-13-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid has been rising in the points race lately, sitting second to the Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon with 42 points.

A late goal by Patrick Kane gave the Detroit Red Wings a 4-3 win over the Seattle Kraken. John Gibson made 24 saves for the win as the Red Wings improved to 15-11-3. Adam Larsson had a goal and an assist for the 11-9-6 Kraken, who have lost five straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane is closing in on the 500-goal milestone with 497.

The Los Angeles Kings thumped the Chicago Blackhawks 6-0. Darcy Kuemper turned in a 23-save shutout, and Brandt Clarke scored two goals for the 13-8-7 Kings. Blackhawks goalie Spencer Knight made 26 saves as his club dropped to 12-10-6.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars placed forward Tyler Seguin (ACL) on long-term injury reserve and put defenseman Lian Bichsel on injured reserve following surgery on his left leg.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: For now, the Stars will get just over $3.8 million in cap relief by placing Seguin on LTIR. If it’s determined that he’ll miss the rest of the season (including the playoffs), he’ll be moved to season-ending LTIR, enabling them to exceed the salary cap by the remainder of his $9.8 million cap hit.

Meanwhile, Bichsel is expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks.

ESPN.COM: Former Stars owner Tom Hicks died on Saturday at age 79. He owned the club from 1995 to 2011, during which they won the Stanley Cup in 1999 and reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2000.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Hicks’ family and the Stars organization.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 5, 2025

by | Dec 5, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 5, 2025

Four-point performances for Oilers stars Connor McDavid and Leon Drasaitl, the Islanders snap the Avalanche’s 17-game point streak, Rangers winger Artemi Panarin reaches a scoring milestone, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING THURSDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl each collected four points as the Edmonton Oilers thumped the Seattle Kraken 9-4. McDavid had a hat trick and collected an assist, while Draisaitl had a goal and three assists as the Oilers improved to 12-11-5. Kraken winger Kaapo Kakko picked up two assists as his club dropped its fourth straight game, slipping to 11-8-6.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kraken winger Mason Marchment missed this game with an undisclosed injury and is day-to-day.

The New York Islanders ended the league-leading Colorado Avalanche’s 17-game points streak with a 6-3 victory. Mathew Barzal had a goal and two assists, and Ilya Sorokin stopped 35 shots for the 15-10-3 Islanders. Martin Necas netted a goal and an assist for the Avalanche (19-2-6), who suffered their first regulation loss since Oct. 25, when they fell 5-1 to the Boston Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders honored Avalanche center Brock Nelson with a tribute video in his first game back as a visitor. He spent 12 seasons with the Isles from 2013-14 to 2024-25, scoring 310 goals and 294 assists for 604 points in 901 games before being traded to the Avs last March. Nelson collected an assist in this game.

Meanwhile, Islanders winger Jonathan Drouin was a late scratch from this game with a lower-body injury.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin had a goal and an assist to reach 900 career NHL regular-season points as his club doubled up the Ottawa Senators by a score of 4-2. J.T. Miller had three assists, and Mika Zibanejad scored to extend his points streak to five games as the Rangers improved to 15-12-2. Drake Batherson and Jake Sanderson each had two points for the 13-10-4 Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators center Shane Pinto left this game in the first period with a lower-body injury and will be reevaluated on Friday. Before the game, the Senators indicated that defenseman Thomas Chabot will be out for another 10 days with an upper-body injury, while blueliner Artem Zub (lower body) and forward Lars Eller (undisclosed) are day-to-day.

Evgeni Malkin scored two goals (including the game-winner) and picked up an assist as the Pittsburgh Penguins nipped the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3. Rookie winger Ville Koivunen tallied his first career NHL goal for the Penguins (14-7-5). Brandon Hagel potted two goals for the 16-9-2 Lightning.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy missed this game with an undisclosed injury. He is expected to return to action on Saturday against the Islanders.

Before the game, the Lightning announced the signing of Ryan McDonagh to a three-year contract extension. Beginning in 2026-27, the 36-year-old defenseman will earn an average annual value of $4.1 million.

Meanwhile, Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now reports a source has dismissed rumors that the sale of the Penguins by Fenway Sports Group to the Hoffman Family of Companies had fallen through. According to Kingerski’s source, the transaction remains in process, but has been held up due to “complications” on external details.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Bobby McCann scored twice in a 5-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Matthew Knies had a goal and an assist for the Maple Leafs, who picked up their third straight win and improved to 13-11-3. Seth Jarvis tallied for the Hurricanes (16-8-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll left this game after the second period with a lower-body injury. The severity of the injury remains unclear.

The Nashville Predators got an overtime goal from Steven Stamkos in a 2-1 upset of the Florida Panthers. Ryan O’Reilly tied the game in the third period for the 10-13-4 Predators, who’ve won four of their last five games. Carter Verhaeghe scored for the Panthers, as the struggling Stanley Cup champions have lost four straight, falling to 12-13-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stamkos scored with the Panthers’ net knocked off its moorings. However, the goal was allowed based on rule 63.7, which states that a goal can be awarded on a dislodged net if there’s an imminent scoring chance for the attacking team.

Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard scored for the third straight game as his club held off the Los Angeles Kings by a score of 2-1. Wyatt Kaiser’s first of the season held up as the game winner for the Blackhawks (12-9-6). Trevor Moore replied for the 12-8-7 Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kings defenseman Drew Doughty returned to action for the first time since being sidelined with an injured left foot in mid-November.

The Columbus Blue Jackets clipped the Detroit Red Wings 6-5 on a shootout goal by Kirill Marchenko. Adam Fantilli scored two goals (including the tying goal late in the third period), while Sean Monahan and Zach Werenski each had three assists for the Blue Jackets, who improved to 13-9-5. Lucas Raymond and Patrick Kane each had a goal and an assist for the 14-12-2 Red Wings, who’ve lost five of their last six games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marchenko returned to action after missing four games with an upper-body injury.

Boston Bruins forward Pavel Zacha had two goals in a 5-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Morgan Geekie and Elias Lindholm each had three points, and Joonas Korpisalo made 37 saves for the 16-13-0 Bruins. Pavel Buchnevich and Pius Suter replied for the Blues, who dropped to 9-12-7.

The Calgary Flames tallied three unanswered third-period goals to upset the Minnesota Wild 4-1. Dustin Wolf made 26 saves, while Matt Coronato and Rasmus Andersson each had a goal and an assist for the 10-15-4 Flames. Yakov Trenin replied for the 15-8-5 Wild.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE GAZETTE: The Winnipeg Jets will host the Montreal Canadiens in the 2026 NHL Heritage Classic at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026.

DAILY FACEOFF: Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Cam York is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

San Jose Sharks winger Jeff Skinner returns to action on Friday against the Dallas Stars. He’s been sidelined for 10 games with a lower-body injury.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Washington Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery said rookie winger Justin Sourdif will miss “a little bit of time” with a lower-body injury.

THE ATHLETIC: The criminal case against former NHL player Ryan Kesler is headed to trial in Michigan. Kesler is charged with two misdemeanour counts of criminal sexual conduct in the fourth degree. He has pleaded not guilty.










NHL Rumor Mill – December 3, 2025

by | Dec 3, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – December 3, 2025

In today’s NHL Rumor Mill, a growing number of clubs are interested in Canucks winger Kiefer Sherwood, plus the latest on the rumor linking Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry to the Oilers.

CANUCKS WINGER KIEFER SHERWOOD DRAWING INTEREST IN THE TRADE MARKET

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports there is plenty of interest in Kiefer Sherwood. The 30-year-old Vancouver Canucks winger is slated to become an unrestricted free agent in July. He has a team-leading 12 goals and carries an affordable $1.5 million cap hit.

Vancouver Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood (NHL Images).

LeBrun said the Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, and Dallas Stars were among a long list of clubs to express an interest in Sherwood. The Canucks aren’t rushing into this, as they intend to take their time evaluating the trade market. LeBrun wondered if some of those teams might be willing to sign Sherwood to a contract extension, which would increase his trade value for the Canucks.

SPORTSNET: Ryan Dixon looked at what impact Sherwood could have for the Philadelphia Flyers, New York Islanders, Boston Bruins, and Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Flyers could seek a short-term replacement for sidelined winger Tyson Foerster, while the Islanders could do the same for winger Kyle Palmieri. The Bruins need more secondary scoring, and the Lightning could use a little more experience with relative unknowns such as Gage Goncalves, Curtis Douglas, and Dominic James scattered throughout their lineup.

NHL.COM: Dan Rosen believes the Columbus Blue Jackets have a realistic shot at acquiring Sherwood. They’re in the hunt for the playoffs and could benefit from adding his gritty two-way game to their top-nine forwards. He also suggested Sherwood could make sense for the Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

THE ATHLETIC: Aaron Portzline confirmed that the Blue Jackets were among the teams to contact the Canucks about Sherwood, who is a Columbus native. He also doesn’t rule out the Bruins as a suitor, pointing out that Sherwood and Bruins forward Sean Kuraly are long-time friends.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sherwood is the current standout in a thin trade market thus far. It’s understandable why the Canucks are taking their time as they’re hoping his value will improve. However, there is a danger that his performance (especially his offense) could drop off as the season progresses, as well as the risk of injury.

WOULD THE OILERS BE INTERESTED IN PENGUINS GOALIE TRISTAN JARRY?

NHL.COM: Dan Rosen was asked what level of interest the Edmonton Oilers could have in Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry.

Rosen believes the only way the Oilers make a move for Jarry is if they think he’ll backstop them to the Stanley Cup. He pointed out that they don’t know if he’d be worth the risk over the remaining two years of his contract, while they at least know what they have in current starter Stuart Skinner.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jarry can blow hot and cold like Skinner, but the latter has carried them to two straight Stanley Cup Finals. Jarry also has an injury history that would be a concern for the Oilers.