NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 22, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 22, 2025

Milestone games for the Penguins’ Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang, and Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer, Panthers winger Brad Marchand returns to Boston, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING TUESDAY’S NHL ACTION

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby scored to pass Mario Lemieux for the most regular-season and playoff points (1,896) in franchise history in a 5-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Kris Letang collected two assists to reach 600 for his career, and Justin Brazeau had a goal and two assists for the 5-2-0 Penguins. Conor Garland replied for the injury-depleted Canucks, who are 4-3-0 in their first seven games.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks were missing Filip Chytil, Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Teddy Blueger, and Derek Forbort. The four remain sidelined by injuries. Winger Brock Boeser also missed this game as he’s on a leave of absence for personal reasons.

New York Islanders rookie Matthew Schaefer scored and collected an assist as his club nipped the San Jose Sharks 4-3, handing the latter their sixth straight loss (0-4-2). Schaefer became the youngest defenseman in NHL history to score a game-winning goal, and tied the record for the longest points streak to begin a career for a defenseman (six games). The Islanders have won three straight after losing their first three games. Collin Graf had a goal and an assist, and rookie forward Michael Misa picked up an assist for his first NHL point.

Brad Marchand collected two assists to help the Florida Panthers defeat his former club, the Boston Bruins, by a score of 4-3. During the first period, the Bruins honored Marchand with a video tribute, garnering a standing ovation from Boston fans that moved the winger to tears. Carter Verhaeghe scored with 26 seconds left for the Panthers, snapping a four-game losing skid. Pavel Zacha had a goal and an assist for the Bruins, who’ve lost five straight after winning their first three games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins held defenseman Hampus Lindholm out of this game as he continues to be hampered by a nagging lower-body injury.

New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes’ hat trick powered his club to a 5-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jesper Bratt collected three assists for the Devils, who have won five straight games after dropping their season-opener. John Tavares had a goal and an assist, and Matias Maccelli scored his first goal for the Leafs as their record dropped to 3-3-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hughes is off to a hot start, with six goals in his last three games. Meanwhile, Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev left this game in the second period with an upper-body injury.

An overtime goal by Jake Walman lifted the Edmonton Oilers (3-3-1) over the Ottawa Senators by a score of 3-2, snapping a three-game losing skid. Oilers captain Connor McDavid and rookie forward Isaac Howard scored their first goals of the season. Dylan Cozens and Thomas Chabot replied for the 2-4-1 Senators, who have one win in their last six games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers winger Kasperi Kapanen missed this game as he’s week-to-week with an undisclosed injury.

The Utah Mammoth got an overtime goal from Dylan Guenther to upset the Colorado Avalanche 4-3. Karel Vejmelka stopped 30 shots and Mikhail Sergachev had a goal and two assists as the Mammoth (5-2-0) extended its win streak to four games. Cale Makar, Jack Drury, and Martin Necas scored for the Avalanche, whose points streak has reached seven games (5-0-2).

Columbus Blue Jackets forwards Boone Jenner, Adam Fantilli, and Kent Johnson each had a goal and an assist in a 5-1 upset of the Dallas Stars. Elvis Merzlikins stopped 22 shots for the Blue Jackets, improving their record to 3-3-0. Tyler Seguin replied for the Stars, who have lost three straight after winning their first three games of the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars center Matt Duchene missed this contest as he’s day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.

Washington Capitals forward Nic Dowd had a goal and an assist as his club defeated the Seattle Kraken 4-1. Aliaksei Protas collected two assists for the Capitals, who have won five of their last six and are 5-2-0 on the season. Jaden Schwartz scored for the Kraken, whose record dropped to 3-2-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kraken played with winger Mason Marchment, who is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

The Anaheim Ducks got a goal and two assists from winger Ross Johnston in a 5-2 win over the Nashville Predators. Cutter Gauthier had a goal and an assist for the Ducks, who are 3-2-1 in their first six games. Tyson Jost and Filip Forsberg scored for the 2-3-2 Predators, who have dropped four straight (0-3-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Predators winger Jonathan Marchessault missed this game with a lower-body injury.

An overtime goal by Adrian Kempe lifted the Los Angeles Kings over the St. Louis Blues by a score of 2-1. Alex Laferriere also scored for the Kings as they ended a four-game winless streak (0-2-2). Justin Faulk replied for the 3-2-1 Blues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Kings placed captain Anze Kopitar (foot) on injured reserve. Meanwhile, Corey Perry made his season debut with the Kings after being sidelined by knee surgery before training camp.

IN OTHER NEWS…

DAILY FACEOFF: Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane will miss his club’s next two games with a lower-body injury.

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Wild placed defenseman Zach Bogosian (lower body) on injured reserve.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: The Sabres are sending goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to their AHL affiliate for conditioning.

DAILY FACEOFF: Hurricanes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere will miss his team’s next two games with an undisclosed injury.

Speaking of the Hurricanes, they and the Colorado Avalanche will wear Hartford Whalers and Quebec Nordiques jerseys for two matchups this season.

THE SCORE: The NHL has cancelled an Olympic sendoff event scheduled for February at the New York Islanders’ arena (UBS Arena), and will instead hold All-Star Weekend festivities there in 2027.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 27, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 27, 2025

The Jets extend their win streak to 11 games, Nathan MacKinnon regains the lead in the scoring race, and updates on Roman Josi, Miro Heiskanen, Adam Fox and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Winnipeg Jets extended their franchise-record win streak to 11 games by defeating the Ottawa Senators 4-1. Kyle Connor had a goal and an assist, Mark Scheifele tallied his team-leading 33rd of the season, and Connor Hellebucyk made 24 saves for his league-leading 36th win. The Jets opened a three-point lead over the Washington Capitals in the overall standings with 87 points. Thomas Chabot scored and Linus Ullmark made 36 saves for the Senators as their losing skid reached five games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 62 points, the Senators remain two points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. They’re feeling the absence of forwards Brady Tkachuk, Josh Norris and Shane Pinto, who remain sidelined by injuries.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images).

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon scored twice in the third period in a 5-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils. MacKinnon also collected an assist to finish with three points, regaining the lead in the NHL scoring race with 90 points. Martin Necas had three assists and Cale Makar collected two as the Avalanche snapped a two-game losing skid. They hold the first Western Conference wild-card spot with 70 points. Jack Hughes replied for the Devils as they remain in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 70 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon holds a three-point lead over Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl. Necas has quickly developed a strong offensive chemistry with MacKinnon since being acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes on Jan. 24, collecting 12 points in 11 games since the trade. The Avs also welcomed back Valeri Nichushkin. He’d been sidelined with a lower-body injury since Dec. 31.

The Vancouver Canucks nipped the Los Angeles Kings 3-2. Forward Conor Garland tallied twice, including the winner in overtime. Nils Hoglander also scored, Filip Chytil had two assists and Quinn Hughes picked up an assist in his return to the Canucks lineup after missing six games with an undisclosed injury. Adrian Kempe and Warren Foegele scored as the Kings overcame a 2-0 deficit to force the extra period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The win vaulted the Canucks over the Calgary Flames into the final Western wild-card spot with 65 points, while the Kings are third in the Pacific Division with 70 points. Meanwhile, Vancouver winger Brock Boeser is frustrated over the lack of progress in contract extension talks with management, prompting speculation that he could be traded if the Canucks stumble in the playoff race.

HEADLINES

THE TENNESSEAN: Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi is listed as day-to-day as he continues to be evaluated for an upper-body injury suffered during Tuesday’s 4-1 loss to the Florida Panthers.

TSN: The Predators made a minor trade on Wednesday, acquiring forward Jesse Ylonen from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for forward Anthony Angello. Both are playing in the American Hockey League (AHL).

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars general manager Jim Nill said his club will probably get a clearer timeline on defenseman Miro Heiskanen’s recovery from knee surgery by mid-to-late March. Heiskanen underwent surgery on Feb. 4 and was listed as month-to-month.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s assumed the Stars could place Heiskanen on long-term injury reserve, freeing up his $8.45 million cap hit to put toward adding players before the March 7 trade deadline. However, that only works if they know for certain that he’ll be sidelined for the rest of the regular season. Otherwise, they would have to free up space to be cap-compliant when he returned to action.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers defenseman Adam Fox (upper body) was placed on injured reserve. He’ll be out for at least seven days but is expected to return before the end of the regular season.

Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson will return to action on Thursday against the Boston Bruins. He’s been out since Jan. 20 with a lower-body injury.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. He will remain with the team but isn’t expected to suit up for Friday’s game against the Rangers.

TSN: The Edmonton Oilers reclaimed defenseman Travis Dermott off waivers from the Minnesota Wild, who claimed him from the Oilers on Dec. 13.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Wild acquired forward Tyler Madden from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for defenseman Joseph Cecconi. Both players will report to their new teams’ respective AHL affiliates.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins placed forward Matt Nieto on waivers.










List Of Notable NHL UFA Signings and Trades – July 1, 2024

List Of Notable NHL UFA Signings and Trades – July 1, 2024

NOTE: This list will be updated throughout the day as free-agent signings become official.

Edmonton Oilers sign Jeff Skinner to a one-year, $3 million contract. 

San Jose Sharks sign Alex Wennberg to a two-year deal with an average annual value of $5 million. 

Toronto Maple Leafs sign Oliver Ekman-Larsson to a four-year contract with an average annual value of $3.5 million. 

Edmonton Oilers signed Viktor Arvidsson to a two-year contract with an AAV of $4 million. 

New Jersey Devils signed Brenden Dillon to a three-year deal with an AAV of $4 million. 

Dallas Stars sign Matt Dumba to a two-year contract with an AAV of $3.75 million. 

Carolina Hurricanes sign Sean Walker to a five-year contract with an average annual value of $3.6 million. 

Nashville Predators re-sign Alexandre Carrier to a three-year deal with an average annual value of $3.75 million.

Los Angeles Kings sign Warren Foegele to a three-year deal with an AAV of $3.5 million. 

San Jose Sharks sign Tyler Toffoli to a four-year contract with an average annual value of $6 million. 

The New York Rangers acquire Reilly Smith from the Pittsburgh Penguins for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2025 fifth-rounder. The Penguins also retain 25 percent of Smith’s $5 million cap hit for 2024-25. 

New Jersey Devils sign Brett Pesce to a six-year deal with an average annual value of $5.5 million.

New York Islanders sign Anthony Duclair to a four-year contract with an AAV of $3.5 million. 

Chicago Blackhawks sign Teuvo Teravainen to a three-year contract with an average annual value of $5.4 million.

Calgary Flames sign Anthony Mantha to a one-year contract worth $3.5 million. 

Seattle Kraken signed Chandler Stephenson to a seven-year contract worth an average annual value of $6.25 million.

Ottawa Senators sign David Perron to a two-year deal with an AAV of $4 million.  

Buffalo Sabres sign Jason Zucker to a one-year contract worth $5 million. 

Nashville Predators sign Steven Stamkos to a four-year contract with an average annual value of $8 million. 

Seattle Kraken ink Brandon Montour to a seven-year contract with an AAV of $7.14 million

Boston Bruins sign  Elias Lindholm to a seven-year contract with an AAV of $7.75 million. 

Boston Bruins sign Nikita Zadorov to a six-year deal with an average annual value of $5 million. 

Nashville Predators sign Jonathan Marchessault to a five-year contract with an average annual value of $5.5 million. 

Nashville Predators sign Brady Skjei to a seven-year contract with an AAV of $7 million. 

Vancouver Canucks sign Jake DeBrusk to a seven-year deal with an AAV of $5.5 million

Columbus Blue Jackets ink Sean Monahan to a five-year contract with an AAV of $5.5 million

Washington Capitals acquire defenseman Jakob Chychrun from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for defenseman Nick Jensen and a 2026 third-round pick. 

Florida Panthers re-sign Sam Reinhart to an eight-year deal with an average annual value of $8.63 million.

Tampa Bay Lightning sign Jake Guentzel to a seven-year contract with an average annual value of $9 million

Detroit Red Wings re-sign Patrick Kane to a one-year contract with a base salary of $4 million and $2.5 million in bonuses.

Chicago Blackhawks sign Tyler Bertuzzi to a four-year deal with an AAV of $5.5 million.

Toronto Maple Leafs sign Chris Tanev to a six-year contract with an AAV of $4.5 million

Toronto Maple Leafs sign Max Domi to a four-year deal with an AAV of $3.75 million.

Dallas Stars re-sign Matt Duchene to a one-year, $3 million contract.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 1, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 1, 2024

The free-agent market opens at noon ET. Before the signing frenzy begins, check out the latest recent notable signings, contract buyouts and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

REINHART, GUENTZEL, KANE AMONG EARLY CONTRACT SIGNINGS

SPORTSNET: Sam Reinhart and the Florida Panthers have agreed to an eight-year contract before the midnight ET deadline for eight-year extensions. Financial terms weren’t disclosed but will be officially announced on July 1.

Florida Panthers winger Sam Reinhart (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman recently speculated the average annual value would be $9 million. We’ll find out later today if that’s the case but it wouldn’t be surprising. It would give Reinhart the third-highest AAV among Panthers skaters, behind Aleksander Barkov ($10 million) and Matthew Tkachuk ($9.5 million).

Jake Guentzel and the Tampa Bay Lightning agreed to a new contract on Sunday just hours after his rights were traded to the Lightning by the Carolina Hurricanes. Terms were unknown but will be officially announced later on July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Guentzel signing likely means the end of Steven Stamkos’ 16-season career with the Lightning. Stamkos’ agent indicated that his client is heading to free agency.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings and Patrick Kane agreed to a one-year contract. It comes with a $4 million base salary and $2.5 million in bonuses.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The 35-year-old Kane enjoyed a bounce-back season with the Red Wings after undergoing a hip resurfacing procedure last June. It’s rumored the New York Rangers were interested in bringing Kane back for another season but wouldn’t go as high as the Wings with the base salary.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs reached an agreement with Max Domi on a four-year contract with an AAV of $3.75 million. It contains a $3.5 million signing bonus in the first year and a 13-team no-trade list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: An affordable signing for Toronto. After a slow start, Domi fit in well with the Leafs last season, netting 47 points in 80 games.

The Leafs also re-signed Timothy Liljegren to a two-year contract with an AAV of $3 million. The 25-year-old defenseman was slated to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Leafs are reportedly close to signing Chris Tanev to a multi-year contract worth an annual salary-cap hit of $5 million. They acquired the signing rights to the 34-year-old defenseman from the Dallas Stars on Saturday.

SPORTSNET: The Utah Hockey Club and Sean Durzi agreed to a four-year contract extension with an annual salary cap hit of $6 million. The 25-year-old defenseman averaged over 23 minutes of ice time while leading his club’s blueliners with 41 points.

NASHVILLE HOCKEY NOW: The Predators are close to signing defenseman Alexandre Carrier to a new contract. Terms were not disclosed.

MARCHESSAULT, BERTUZZI, KYLINGTON HEADED TO MARKET

LAS VEGAS SUN: Jonathan Marchessault is heading to free agency. The 33-year-old winger was unable to reach a deal with the Vegas Golden Knights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marchessault was among the few original members of the Golden Knights (aka “The Golden Misfits”) on their roster last season. The 33-year-old winger is their franchise scoring leader and won the Conn Smythe Trophy leading them to the Stanley Cup last year. He’ll draw plenty of attention in the free-agent market with Reinhart, Guentzel and Kane off the board.

TORONTO SUN: Tyler Bertuzzi is moving on and won’t be signing with the Maple Leafs. The 29-year-old forward completed a one-year, $5.5 million contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Like Domi, Bertuzzi had a slow start with the Leafs last season but finished strong with 21 goals and 43 points. He shouldn’t have any difficulty finding a new club willing to pay him a multi-year deal for around $5.5 million.

TSN’s Salim Nadim Valji reports defenseman Oliver Kylington, 27, is heading to free agency.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kylington was a Masterton Trophy nominee last season after returning to action following two seasons dealing with mental health issues.

NOTABLE CONTRACT BUYOUTS

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers placed Jack Campbell on unconditional waivers Sunday before buying out the remaining three years of his contract. The 32-year-old goaltender carried an AAV of $5 million. The buyout will count as $1.1 million against the Oilers’ cap payroll this season, $2.3 million in 2025-26, $2.6 million in 2026-27, dropping to $1.5 million for each of the remaining three years.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Campbell was signed two years ago to fill the Oilers’ starting goaltender role. Inconsistent play in 2022-23 cost him that job to Stuart Skinner. He spent most of last season with the Oilers AHL affiliate in Bakersfield. It remains to be seen if the 32-year-old netminder lands with another NHL club this summer.

WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets placed defenseman Nate Schmidt on unconditional waivers on Sunday before buying out the remaining year of his contract. The 32-year-old had a cap hit of $5.95 million for 2024-25. This buyout will count as $2.716 million against the Jets’ cap payroll this season and $1.616 million in 2025-26.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some folks expressed surprise on social media that the Jets didn’t trade Schmidt, retaining salary in the deal. There may have been no market for him.

IN OTHER NEWS…

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: The Canadiens traded defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic to the New Jersey Devils for a 2026 fourth-round pick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens appear to be making room for one of their promising young blueliners for this season. This move also clears over $766K from their cap payroll.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs forward Nick Robertson has informed management he has no intention of signing with the club and has requested a trade.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Robertson is completing his entry-level contract. The 22-year-old winger is the younger brother of Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson. He’s struggled to crack the Leafs lineup full-time partly because of injuries.

Robertson lacks arbitration rights so his only leverage is to refuse to sign until traded. We’ll see if the Leafs find a new home for him this summer or engage in a contract standoff.

THE SCORE: Four of the five players involved in the 2018 Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal were not tendered qualifying offers yesterday. Carter Hart, Dillon Dube, Cal Foote and Michael McLeod will become unrestricted free agents today.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A trial date for their case has not yet been set. Don’t expect those players to receive any contract offers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 30, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 30, 2024

Aftermath of the 2024 Draft, Steven Stamkos is heading to free agency, the Sabres will buy out Jeff Skinner, reaction to several notable trades at the draft including Mikhail Sergachev, Kevin Hayes and Chris Tanev, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

**UPDATE** The Carolina Hurricanes trade Jake Guentzel’s signing rights to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick. 

AFTERMATH OF THE 2024 NHL DRAFT

NHL.COM: Saturday saw the completion of the 2024 NHL Draft as the 32 teams made their selections in rounds two through seven.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: You can see the complete list of picks by following the above link. FloHockey’s Chris Peters breaks down the selections by teams and grades how they did at the draft table.

Among the noteworthy selections on Saturday were those projected to be potential first-overall picks entering this draft who wound up being chosen in the second round.

They included winger Igor Chernyshov of KHL club Moscow Dynamo being chosen 33rd overall by the San Jose Sharks, Brandon Wheat Kings defenseman Charlie Elick selected 36th by the Columbus Blue Jackets, Medicine Hat Tigers winger Andrew Basha picked 41st by the Calgary Flames, Prince Albert Raiders winger Ryder Ritchie going 45th overall with the Minnesota Wild, and winger Nikita Artamonov of KHL club Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod going to the Carolina Hurricanes and 50th overall.

One of the notable stories of the first round on Friday was Jarome Iginla’s son Tij being chosen sixth overall by the Utah Hockey Club. On Saturday, another former NHL team captain’s son took a big step toward the NHL as the Montreal Canadiens selected center Aatos Koivu of TPS Jr in Finland in the third round (70th overall). His father, Saku Koivu, played 13 seasons for the Canadiens and served as their captain from 1999-2000 to 2008-09.

SPORTSNET: Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos appears headed to free agency on Monday. Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois and Stamkos’ agent Don Meehan independently confirmed their respective positions hadn’t changed despite two noteworthy cost-cutting trades by the Lightning during the draft.

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stamkos’ 16 seasons with the Lightning will end when free agency begins on Monday at noon ET barring a last-minute breakthrough. The 34-year-old winger will attract plenty of interest on the open market. He’s already been linked to the Carolina Hurricanes, Nashville Predators, and New York Rangers.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: The Sabres announced they’ve begun buying out the final three years of Jeff Skinner’s contract. They will pay two-thirds of the remaining $22 million on his contract, which will count against their salary-cap payroll for the next six years.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report also indicates it will give the Sabres $31 million in cap room for 2024-25. They could use some of it in this summer’s trade and free-agent markets.

NHL.COM: The Utah Hockey Club has shifted from rebuilding to ramping up their roster by acquiring defensemen Mikhail Sergachev from the Tampa Bay Lightning and John Marino from the New Jersey Devils.

SPORTSNET: The Tampa Bay Lightning freed up over $11 million in salary-cap space by trading Sergachev to Utah and winger Tanner Jeannot to the Los Angeles Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning got a solid return for Sergachev, acquiring defenseman JJ Moser, promising young center Conor Geekie and two draft picks. They didn’t fare as well with Jeannot. They got back a 2024 fourth-rounder and a 2025 second-rounder in a move that was a straightforward salary dump. They shipped defenseman Cal Foote, a conditional 2025 first-rounder, a 2024 second-rounder, and three picks in 2023 to the Predators for Jeannot before the 2023 NHL trade deadline.

The Sergachev trade was partly because BriseBois reacquired aging blueliner Ryan McDonagh and his full $6.75 million cap hit from the Predators.

Jeannot was not a good fit with the Lightning last season. The Kings hope he can regain his form and provides some additional grit and scoring to their lineup.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs acquired the signing rights to Chris Tanev. They have until noon ET on Monday to agree to a new contract before the 34-year-old defenseman becomes an unrestricted free agent.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report also indicates the Leafs could be interested in adding another pending UFA defenseman like Nikita Zadorov, Oliver Ekman-Larsson or Matt Roy.

STLTODAY.COM: Trading Kevin Hayes to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday freed up an additional $3.571 million, giving the Blues about $15.5 million in cap space for next season. It also means they’ll have to add another center as they’re a little thin at that position.

THE ATHLETIC: Jeremy Rutherford suggested clearing Hayes from their books could help the Blues sign Pavel Buchnevich to a contract extension. The 29-year-old winger is a year away from UFA eligibility.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Dan Kingerski suggests Hayes should improve the Penguins in the faceoff circle. He could skate on the second line with Evgeny Malkin or play a down-line role at center.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Logan Thompson learned an hour before an autograph signing at Sphere in Las Vegas that the Golden Knights had traded him to the Washington Capitals. Thompson said he had reached the stage in his career where he wanted to prove himself as a No. 1 goalie but felt it wouldn’t happen with Adin Hill holding that position with the Golden Knights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Thompson could’ve blown off the autograph session but did it anyway despite the awkward timing of his trade. A classy move on his part.

The Golden Knights acquired another goaltender when they got Akira Schmid (along with forward Alexander Holtz) from the New Jersey Devils. Schmid will likely serve as their third goalie as management considers other options to find a suitable backup for Hill.

WINNIPEG FREE PRESS’ Ken Wiebe reports on “X” that Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff indicated Rutger McGroarty won’t attend the club’s prospect development camp next week.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A difference in opinion between the Jets and McGroarty over his path to the NHL has the Jets listening to trade offers for the promising young forward.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The NHL won’t change the qualifying offer rules for the five players involved in the 2018 Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal. That includes Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If those five players don’t receive qualifying offers by 5 pm ET on June 30, they will become unrestricted free agents on July 1.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Utah Hockey Club signed defenseman Juuso Valimaki to a two-year contract extension.

NEW YORK POST: The Islanders are parting ways with assistant coach Doug Houda, who ran their defense and power play. His replacement will be named on Monday.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Former Avalanche goaltender Pavel Francouz is returning to the organization in an as-yet undefined role. Francouz hasn’t officially retired as a player but said in April that injuries have ended his playing career.










Notable Trades – Day 2 Of The 2024 NHL Draft

Notable Trades – Day 2 Of The 2024 NHL Draft

The Tampa Bay Lightning traded Mikhail Sergachev to the Utah Hockey Club in exchange for JJ Moser, Conor Geekie, a second-round pick in the 2025 draft that originally belonged to the Toronto Maple Leafs, and a seventh-rounder in this year’s draft.

Tampa Bay Lightning trade Mikhail Sergachev to Utah Hockey Club (NHL Images).

The Vegas Golden Knights traded goaltender Logan Thompson to the Washington Capitals for pick No. 83 in this year’s draft and a 2025 third-rounder. 

The New Jersey Devils traded goaltender Akira Schmid and forward Alexander Holtz to the Vegas Golden Knights for forward Paul Cotter and a 2025 third-round pick. 

Toronto Maple Leafs acquired the rights to defenseman Chris Tanev from the Dallas Stars in exchange for minor-league forward Max Ellis and a seventh-round pick in the 2026 Draft. 

The Utah Hockey Club trades the 49th overall pick and a 2025 second-rounder (originally belonging to the Edmonton Oilers) to the New Jersey Devils for defenseman John Marino and a fifth-rounder that originally belonged to the Colorado Avalanche.

Los Angeles Kings acquire winger Tanner Jeannot from the Tampa Bay Lightning in return for a pick in this year’s draft (#118) and a second-round pick in 2025. 

The St. Louis Blues have traded forward Kevin Hayes and a 2025 second-rounder to the Pittsburgh Penguins for future considerations. 

Buffalo Sabres acquired forward Beck Malenstyn from the Washington Capitals in exchange for a second-round pick (43rd overall) in this year’s draft.