NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 6, 2025

by | May 6, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 6, 2025

The Maple Leafs hold off the Panthers in Game 1 of their second-round series, the Islanders win the draft lottery, the Calder Trophy finalists are announced, Rob Blake steps down as the Kings GM, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: William Nylander scored twice and collected an assist as the Toronto Maple Leafs held off the Florida Panthers 5-4. Matthew Knies and Chris Tanev each had a goal and an assist while Max Pacioretty and Jake McCabe picked up two assists. Brad Marchand and Carter Verhaeghe each collected two assists for the Panthers.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Maple Leafs got off to a hot start on Nylander’s two goals. Morgan Rielly put them up 3-1 before the end of the period. Tanev made it 4-1 in the second but the Panthers cut the lead in the third to 4-3 before Knies tallied what proved to be the game-winner.

Panthers forward Sam Bennett could face supplemental discipline for elbowing Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz in the head midway through the second period. There was no penalty called on the play. Stolarz left the game after vomiting at the Leafs bench during a TV timeout, departing Scotiabank Arena on a stretcher to a local hospital for evaluation. Joseph Woll replaced Stolarz, finishing with 17 saves.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stolarz’s injury overshadowed an entertaining opening game between these two clubs. There was no postgame update on his condition. More information could be released on Tuesday.

For the first time since 2009, the New York Islanders have the first-overall draft pick. They won the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery, moving up from having the 10th-best chance of winning the lottery.

The San Jose Sharks had the best odds, finishing last in this season’s overall standings. However, the Isles’ win drops the Sharks into second overall and the Chicago Blackhawks (who finished second-last in the standings) into third overall.

The Utah Hockey Club moved up 10 spots into fourth overall after winning the second draw.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow the link above for the full listing of the top 16 in this year’s draft. The remaining 16 spots will be determined by the end of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs.

The last four selections will belong to the final-four playoff teams regardless of their placement in the regular-season standings. The 32nd pick will go to the Stanley Cup champion with the 31st pick going to the other Cup Finalist.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers have until June 25 to decide if they’ll keep their first-round pick (12th overall) or send it to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

That pick is top-13 protected. It was sent to the Vancouver Canucks as part of the return in the J.T. Miller trade in January. The Canucks flipped that pick to the Penguins as part of the return in the Marcus Pettersson trade.

If the Rangers retain that pick, their unprotected 2026 first-rounder will belong to the Penguins.

NHL.COM: San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini, Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson, and Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf are the finalists for the Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hutson is considered the favorite here. He led this season’s rookies with 60 assists, 66 points (a record for an NHL rookie defenseman). He also led them in ice time (22:44) among rookies with at least 25 games played.

Flyers fans were disappointed that winger Matvei Michkov wasn’t among the finalists. He led all rookies with 26 goals and finished second in points with 63. He’d be a candidate (perhaps even the favorite) in any other season, but was up against three stronger candidates in 2024-25.

Hutson is an obvious finalist as his performance played a key role in the rebuilding Canadiens reaching the playoffs. Celebrini had the same point total as Michkov but did so in 10 fewer games after missing several weeks with an early-season injury. He also played a larger role with the Sharks than Michkov did with the Flyers.

Wolf’s performance kept the Flames in playoff contention until the final days of the regular season. That gave him the edge over Michkov, whose club finished last in the Eastern Conference.

THE ATHLETIC: The Los Angeles Kings announced Rob Blake will not return as general manager. They didn’t announce an immediate replacement for Blake. Team president Luc Robitaille will hold a press conference on Tuesday. The future of head coach Jim Hiller remains undetermined.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This news comes after the Kings suffered their fourth-straight first-round elimination at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers.

The Athletic’s Eric Stephens pointed out that Blake has a mixed legacy with the Kings, building up the roster through the draft, free agency and trades, but also making some questionable moves in the trade market. Stephens singled out the acquisition of Pierre-Luc Dubois, shipping out Sean Durzi to the Arizona Coyotes (now the Utah Hockey Club), and including then-prospect Brock Faber to the Minnesota Wild for winger Kevin Fiala.

John Hoven of the Kings’ site Mayor’s Manor listed several potential candidates to replace Blake. They include Kings director of scouting Mark Yannetti, former Kings assistant GM Mike Futa, and Marc Bergevin, the senior advisor to the GM.

THE TENNESSEAN: Nashville Predators GM Barry Trotz confirmed Andrew Brunette will return as head coach next season.

TSN: Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury will play for Canada at the upcoming IIHF World Championship, joining his friend and former teammate Sidney Crosby. It’s the first time Fleury will play in the Worlds.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils defenseman Luke Hughes underwent successful shoulder surgery. Winger Jesper Bratt will also undergo shoulder surgery. Both players are expected to be ready for training camp in September.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators hope to sign Claude Giroux to a contract extension. The versatile 37-year-old forward is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

The Senators are also expected to retain their 2025 first-round pick, which is 21st overall. The league penalized the Senators a first-round pick in either 2024, 2025 or 2026 because of a botched trade with the Vegas Golden Knights involving Evgenii Dadonov in March 2022.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sharks forward William Eklund underwent successful wrist surgery on Monday. His recovery will take three months, and he’s expected to be ready for training camp in September.

Eklund was playing for Sweden against Czechia in a tune-up game for the upcoming Worlds when his wrist was cut by a skate. He avoided significant tendon and nerve damage.

RG.ORG: Spencer Knight embraces his new role as the Chicago Blackhawks’ starting goaltender. He’s hoping to play 65 games next season.

TSN: The NHL is reportedly planning an international event at UBS Arena next February instead of the previously announced NHL All-Star weekend.

DAILY FACEOFF: David Carle won’t be joining the ranks of NHL coaches, signing a multi-year extension with the University of Denver.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – May 4, 2025

by | May 4, 2025

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – May 4, 2025

What’s next for the Wild and Avalanche heading into the offseason? Has Patrik Laine played his final game with the Canadiens? Find out in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE WILD?

THE ATHLETIC: Michael Russo and Joe Smith looked at the offseason “to-do” list for Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin.

Topping the list is signing Kirill Kaprizov to a contract extension. He has one season left on his five-year, $45 million contract. Russo and Smith speculate they’ll re-sign the 28-year-old superstar winger to an eight-year deal worth between $120 million and $128 million (between $15 million and $16 million annually).

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: John Shipley of The Pioneer Press acknowledged Kaprizov’s love of playing in Minnesota. However, he suggests money won’t be the critical factor. He raised the possibility that the winger might prefer playing in a bigger city, a bigger market, a warmer climate, a club better-situated to win the Stanley Cup, or one with more Russian players.

Shipley, Russo and Smith all believe the Wild must improve the roster around Kaprizov to show him they’re serious about building and maintaining a winner. They’ll have the salary-cap space this summer to do so ($20.5 million), but must ensure they leave enough long-term cap room for their superstar’s next contract.

Determining Marco Rossi’s future will also be on Guerin’s list. The 23-year-old center finished second among Wild scorers this season with 60 points, but he was buried on the fourth line during the playoffs.

Rossi rejected a contract offer from the Wild earlier this season. He’s a pending restricted free agent eligible to receive an offer sheet from a rival club.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rossi was the subject of trade speculation until December, when Guerin indicated he wasn’t trading the young center. The decline in his playing time in the postseason will only stoke the trade chatter this summer, especially with the threat of an offer sheet hanging in the air.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE AVALANCHE?

THE DENVER POST: Sean Keeler believes the Colorado Avalanche should part ways with head coach Jared Bednar and replace him with David Carle, the head coach of the University of Denver.

He believes Bednar has served the Avalanche well, but he’s been outcoached by Dallas Stars bench boss Peter DeBoer, going 0-4 in series against teams coached by DeBoer.

Keeler noted the Avalanche “maxed out their credit card” trying to buy a second championship for superstars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. The club lacks a first-round pick until 2027, when Bednar’s contract expires. The return of Gabriel Landeskog is inspiring but also adds $7 million to their salary cap, while Makar is due for a significant pay raise when his contract ends in 2027.

THE ATHLETIC: Mark Lazerus wondered what the consequences will be for the Colorado Avalanche after suffering an early playoff exit for the second straight year at the hands of the Dallas Stars.

He considers it unlikely that Bednar or general manager Chris McFarland won’t be back.

Bednar is the second-longest-tenured coach in the league and is well-respected. McFarland was praised for his midseason makeover of the roster, but he mortgaged part of the farm for Brock Nelson, who was an awkward fit and likely to depart as a free agent this summer. The Mikko Rantanen trade will hang around his neck for good or bad, fair or not.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche have $8.7 million in projected cap space for next season with 18 active roster players under contract. Nelson, Jonathan Drouin, Ryan Lindgren and Erik Johnson are among their notable UFAs and are unlikely to return.

Lazerus pointed out that Nelson’s expected departure will leave the Avalanche still searching for a reliable second-line center. They don’t have many tradeable assets to work with, and peddling a roster player like defenseman Samuel Girard or Martin Necas will only weaken their current roster.

A coaching change might help, but it’s not guaranteed to change things. Carle is seemingly on everyone’s dance card, but he wants to find the right fit, as was apparent when he took himself out of the running for the Chicago Blackhawks’ coaching job. A veteran-laden club under pressure to keep its Stanley Cup window open might not suit his needs.

COULD THE CANADIENS PART WAYS WITH LAINE?

THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: Pat Hickey suggests Patrik Laine has reached a crossroads with the Canadiens.

A broken finger sidelined Laine from the Habs’ final three playoff games, but Hickey indicated they were a better team without him. He noted that Laine didn’t seem to be suffering as he practiced before the Canadiens departed for Washington for Game 5.

Hickey considers Laine as “a one-trick pony”, saying teams have to hope this big shot will compensate for his lack of effort in the defensive zone. He believes the winger doesn’t fit head coach Martin St. Louis’ system and he has to go.

Laine’s track record and $8.7 million cap hit for next season make him an unlikely trade candidate unless the Canadiens retain salary or add a draft pick in the deal. A contract buyout is another option.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Laine’s power-play goals helped power the Canadiens into a playoff berth by mid-January. However, his production noticeably declined following the 4 Nations Face-Off, and he wasn’t missed on their power play during those final games against the Capitals.

The Canadiens have a projected $8.6 million in cap space for next season with 18 active roster players under contract. However, they’ll garner $10.5 million in additional cap flexibility with Carey Price on permanent long-term injury reserve.

They could afford to retain salary if they want to move Laine to one of the teams not on his 10-team no-trade list. A contract buyout of his final season will count as $3.966 million against their cap for 2025-26 and $2.366 million for 2026-27.










NHL Rumor Mill – May 2, 2025

by | May 2, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – May 2, 2025

The latest coaching rumors, the Devils attempted to acquire Ryan O’Reilly at the trade deadline, and the latest on Red Wings forward Vladimir Tarasenko in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST COACHING RUMORS

ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reported sources told her and Kevin Weekes that the New York Rangers are in advanced contract talks with former Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan. It’s expected to be one of the richest coaching contracts in NHL history.

Kaplan also reported former Rangers coach John Tortorella is expected to rejoin the organization. She also indicated that Penguins assistant coach David Quinn is not expected to follow Sullivan to New York, but he will be a head coaching candidate, including in Pittsburgh.

**UPDATE***

New York Rangers hire Mike Sullivan as their new head coach (NHL Images).

The Rangers announced this morning that they’ve hired Sullivan as their new head coach. There was no word yet as to the contract terms or who would be on his staff.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was widely assumed that Sullivan would join the Rangers if he left the Penguins. No word from Kaplan as to what role Tortorella would have with the Blueshirts.

THE SCORE: Josh Wegman cited TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reporting the Anaheim Ducks are casting a wide net for their next head coach. LeBrun said they’ve interviewed former Edmonton Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft, met with David Carle of the University of Denver, and contacted Mike Sullivan. They also reportedly interviewed former NHL coach Joel Quenneville.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Scratch Sullivan from that list. Carle recently took himself out of the running for the head coach position with the Chicago Blackhawks.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: William James cited ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reporting the Flyers interviewed Western Michigan head coach Pat Ferschweiler for their head coaching job. Ferschweiler guided Western Michigan to a National Championship this season.

DEVILS TRIED TO ACQUIRE RYAN O’REILLY AT THE DEADLINE

RG.ORG: Jim Biringer reports the New Jersey Devils attempted to acquire Ryan O’Reilly from the Nashville Predators at the March trade deadline. However, the club didn’t want to pay a premium to get him.

O’Reilly lacked no-trade protection, but the Predators treated the 34-year-old center as though he had one. He didn’t want to leave Nashville, preferring to stay and help the Predators. That’s why the Predators set a high asking price for him, believed to be three young assets.

Speaking of the Devils, Biringer’s source believes they could move a young player like Simon Nemec or Dawson Mercer this summer to upgrade a roster need. The Predators will listen to calls for O’Reilly but the high asking price remains.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Biringer wrote that the Preds’ asking price was similar to what they sought for goaltender Juuse Saros last season before they re-signed him. That was a high draft pick, a top prospect, and a good young NHL player. The Predators re-signed Saros.

UPDATE ON VLADIMIR TARASENKO

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Kevin Allen reported the Red Wings could be willing to give Vladimir Tarasenko another chance.

The 34-year-old winger managed only 11 goals this season, prompting speculation he could be traded or bought out this summer. He has a year remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $4.75 million.

However, Allen noted that Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman didn’t sound like he was considering parting ways with Tarasenko. During his recent end-of-season press conference, he said he felt the winger’s performance was better than his production. Yzerman thinks the veteran winger is capable of giving them more than what he did this season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 27, 2025

by | Apr 27, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 27, 2025

The Senators stave off elimination, the Avalanche and Golden Knights tie their respective series, the Lightning get a much-needed win against the Panthers, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING SATURDAY’S NHL PLAYOFF ACTION

NHL.COM: The Ottawa Senators avoided being swept by the Toronto Maple Leafs with a 4-3 overtime victory in Game 4 of their best-of-seven first-round series.

Jake Sanderson tallied the winning goal and collected an assist to finish the night with two points. Tim Stutzle and Shane Pinto joined Sanderson in scoring their first-ever playoff goals, and Linus Ullmark stopped 31 shots for the win. John Tavares, Matthew Knies and Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored as the Leafs overcame 2-0 and 3-2 deficits to force overtime.

This series returns to Toronto for Game 5 on Tuesday, Apr. 29, at 7 pm ET with the Leafs holding a 3-1 lead.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: An entertaining game filled with drama as the Senators live to play another day. The Leafs remain firmly in control of this series and could wrap it up on Tuesday, but they’re now 1-12 in series-clinching games since 2017.

Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog (NHL Images).

Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog scored his first goal in three years to lead his club over the Dallas Stars 4-0 in Game 4 of their opening-round series, tying it at two games apiece. Game 5 will be in Dallas on Monday, Apr. 28, at 9:30 pm ET.

Landeskog also picked up an assist and Mackenzie Blackwood turned in a 23-save shutout. Logan O’Connor, Nathan MacKinnon and Samuel Girard were the other scorers for the Avalanche. Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger gave up three goals on 34 shots before being replaced late in the second period by Casey DeSmith.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche outplayed the Stars in this contest, outshooting them 48-23. They also got a big lift from Landeskog’s performance as he continues his remarkable comeback after losing three seasons to knee surgeries.

The Vegas Golden Knights tied their series with the Minnesota Wild at two games apiece following their 4-3 win in Game 4. Ivan Barbeshev scored in overtime and collected an assist and Adin Hill made 29 saves. Tomas Hertl and Nicolas Roy also each had a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights. Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson kicked out 42 shots.

This series returns to Las Vegas for Game 5 on Tuesday, Apr. 29, at 9:39 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights did a good job neutralizing Minnesota forwards Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy. The duo had multi-point performances in the first three games, but Boldy was held scoreless while Kaprizov managed one assist. Wild forward Marcus Johansson missed this game with a lower-body injury.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Jake Guentzel had a goal and two assists as his club picked up its first victory of this postseason by dropping the Florida Panthers 5-1 in Game 3 of their series. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 33 shots and Nikita Kucherov collected three assists for the Lightning. Matthew Tkachuk scored for the Panthers, who hold a 2-1 lead in this series. Game 4 is Monday, Apr. 28, at 7 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tkachuk could face supplemental discipline after being ejected from this game late in the third period for a late hit on Guentzel. Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov played in this game after leaving Game 2 with an undisclosed injury following a late hit by Lightning forward Brandon Hagel, who received a one-game suspension for his actions.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: Montreal Canadiens winger Josh Anderson and Washington Capitals winger Tom Wilson were each fined $5,000.00 for unsportsmanlike conduct in Game 3 of their series on Friday.

Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault is questionable for Game 4 on Sunday against the Capitals. He left Game 3 in the second period favoring his left leg. The Habs had no update on his condition as he was still being evaluated on Saturday. Backup Jakub Dobes could get the call to start Game 4 if Montembeault remains unavailable.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery had no update on the condition of starting goalie Logan Thompson, who left Game 3 in the third period with an injured left leg following a collision with teammate Dylan Strome. Backup Charlie Lindgren is expected to get the start for Game 4.

Carbery said forward Aliaksei Protas could make his series debut in Game 4. He’s been sidelined since Apr. 4 after suffering a skate cut to the foot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Protas’ return should boost the Capitals’ offense. The 6’6”, 247-pound center finished third among their leading scorers this season with 30 goals and 66 points.

THE WINNIPEG SUN: Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi is a game-time decision for Game 4 on Sunday against the St. Louis Blues. He’s been sidelined since March 23 with an upper-body injury.

SPORTSNET: The Carolina Hurricanes officially registered an entry-level contract for Alexander Nikishin with the league. The 23-year-old defenseman could make his debut in Game 4 of their series with the New Jersey Devils.

CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: University of Denver head coach David Carle has withdrawn his name from consideration for the Blackhawks’ head-coaching position.