NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 19, 2026

by | Feb 19, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 19, 2026

The semifinals of the Olympic Men’s hockey tournament are set following a dramatic day of quarterfinal action, and the latest news as NHL teams resume practicing in today’s Morning Coffee Headlines.

CANADA, FINLAND, SLOVAKIA, AND THE UNITED STATES ADVANCE TO THE OLYMPIC SEMIFINALS

NHL.COM: Canada overcame 2-1 and 3-2 deficits to defeat Czechia 4-3 on an overtime goal by Mitch Marner.

Team Canada winger Mitch Marner (NHL.com)

Nick Suzuki tied the game 3-3 late in the third period for Canada after Czechia took the lead with too many men on the ice, which went unnoticed by the officials. Macklin Celebrini had a goal and two assists, and Connor McDavid collected two assists to tie an Olympic record for the most points in a single tournament with 11.

Lukas Dostal made 37 saves while Lukas Sedlak, David Pastrnak, and Ondrej Palat scored for Czechia.

Canada will face Finland in the semifinals on Friday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game was the most dramatic of the four quarterfinal matchups. The Canadians’ victory was overshadowed by the loss of team captain Sidney Crosby with a lower-body injury suffered during the second period following a hit from Czechia defenseman Radko Gudas and another awkward one along the boards.

Crosby limped off the ice and didn’t return. He underwent an MRI following the game, leaving fans and pundits speculating about whether they had seen the last of him in this tournament.

Czechia played a tremendous game against a Canadian team that had blown them out earlier in the tournament, but head coach Radim Rulik wasn’t happy about the officiating. Following the game, Rulik complained about missed penalty calls during this tournament.

However, the Czechs also benefited when they scored that crucial goal with six skaters on the ice that the officials somehow overlooked. In fairness, both teams had justifiable cause to complain about the officiating in this contest.

An overtime goal by Artturi Lehkonen completed a three-goal comeback by Finland for a 3-2 win over Switzerland. Damien Riat and Nino Niederreiter gave the Swiss a 2-0 lead after two periods, but third-period goals by Sebastian Aho and Miro Heiskanen set the stage for Lehkonen’s overtime heroics.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A thrilling comeback by the Finns and a heartbreaking loss for the Swiss, who haven’t medaled in Olympic Men’s hockey since 1948.

The United States will face Slovakia in the semifinals following a 2-1 overtime win over Sweden. Quinn Hughes tallied in overtime after Mika Zibanejad tied the game for the Swedes late in the third period. Dylan Larkin also scored, and Connor Hellebuyck stopped 28 shots for Team USA. Jacob Markstrom made 38 saves for Sweden.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Markstrom kept Sweden in this game as the Americans peppered him with 20 shots in the second period. They also played without defenseman Victor Hedman, who suffered an injury during warmups and spent the entire game on the bench.

This game felt like a chapter closing for the Swedes. Long-time stars such as Hedman, Markstrom, Erik Karlsson, and Gabriel Landeskog are in their mid-thirties, and this game was probably their final appearance in Olympic competition.

Slovakia advanced to the semis with a dominant 6-2 victory over Germany. Pavol Regenda tallied twice, Dalibor Dvorsky and Oliver Okulier each had a goal and an assist, and Samuel Hlavaj kicked out 25 shots for the Slovaks. Lukas Reichel had a goal and an assist for the Germans.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Slovakia continues to impress in this tournament. Their dismantling of Germany was a complete team effort. However, they’re about to face their biggest test of the tournament against a deep, star-studded American squad.

Finland vs Canada is on Friday at 10:30 ET, while Slovakia vs the USA is at 3 pm ET. The winner of those games will face off in the Gold Medal Game on Sunday, Feb. 22.

NHL NEWS

FOREVER BLUESHIRTS: New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin and defenseman Adam Fox were full participants at practice on Tuesday. There’s a good possibility the sidelined duo will return to the lineup when the Rangers resume action on Feb. 26.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers have brought back Paul Coffey to their coaching staff in an effort to improve their defensive game. Their defense was the league’s fifth-best last season under Coffey’s guidance.

SPORTSNET: Anaheim Ducks goaltender Petr Mrazek underwent hip surgery on Tuesday and is out for the rest of the season.

THE PROVINCE: Oft-injured Vancouver Canucks center Filip Chytil was struck in the face by a puck during practice on Wednesday. He will undergo X-rays to determine the extent of the injury.

YARDBARKER: Montreal Canadiens winger Patrik Laine was back on the ice with his teammates on Wednesday after skipping practice on Tuesday with a lower-body injury.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson’s absence from the lineup was revealed to be a minor knee procedure. He’s participating in practice, but has not yet taken part in contact drills.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins forward Pavel Zacha returned to practice on Wednesday in a non-contact jersey. He’d been sidelined since Jan. 29 with an upper-body injury.

TAMPA BAY 28: Lightning defenseman Maxwell Crozier will be sidelined for 10 weeks after undergoing core muscle surgery.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 18, 2026

by | Feb 18, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 18, 2026

The quarterfinal matchups are set for Olympic Men’s hockey, Jeff Skinner becomes a free agent, Patrik Laine is injured again, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

QUARTERFINAL MATCHUPS SET FOLLOWING QUALIFICATION ROUND ACTION

NHL.COM: Switzerland blanked Italy 3-0 in qualification round action on Tuesday to advance to the quarterfinal round against Finland.

Nico Hischier had a goal and two assists while goaltender Leonardo Genoni made 20 saves for the shutout. Damian Clara stopped 48 shots for Italy.

Sweden will meet the United States in the quarterfinal after defeating Latvia 5-1.

Team Sweden winger Lucas Raymond (The Hockey News).

Lucas Raymond had three assists, while William Nylander, Mika Zibanejad, and Gabriel Landeskog each had a goal and an assist for the Swedes. Eduards Tralmaks replied for Latvia.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Following Tuesday’s action, Raymond sat second to Canada’s Connor McDavid in tournament scoring with eight points. The Swedes raised eyebrows by scratching defenseman Rasmus Andersson and Jesper Bratt from this game. Some observers believe they’re saving them for the quarterfinal.

Germany beat France 5-1 to face Slovakia in the quarterfinal.

Leon Draisaitl had a goal and two assists, and Philipp Grubauer stopped 30 shots for the Germans. Pierre-Edouard Bellemare scored for France in what proved to be his final game as the former NHL forward announced his retirement following this contest.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As I write this, Germany is down 4-1 to Slovakia after two periods in their quarterfinal game.

Bellemare’s teammate Pierre Crinon faces prosecution back home in France for punching a goaltender in the face during a game last November. Earlier this week, he was suspended from the remainder of the tournament by the French National Olympic and Sports Committee for fighting Canada’s Tom Wilson during Sunday’s games between the two nations.

Czechia will face Canada for the second time in this tournament after holding off Denmark by a score of 3-2.

Martin Necas and Roman Cervenka each had a goal and an assist while Lukas Dostal turned aside 24 shots for Czechia. Frederik Andersen made 28 saves for Denmark.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Czechia forward Radek Faksa suffered an upper-body injury in this game and will not be in the lineup for today’s game against Canada.

OLYMPIC MEN’S HOCKEY NOTES

TSN: Team Canada forwards Nathan MacKinnon and Sam Bennett skipped practice on Tuesday. Head coach Jon Cooper said they were taking time for maintenance, adding that there wasn’t any cause for concern. Both players are expected to be in the lineup for their quarterfinal game against Czechia.

DAILY FACEOFF: Team USA winger Kyle Connor is expected to be a healthy scratch from today’s game against Sweden. His ice time steadily diminished in his first two games, and he was scratched from their game against Germany.

IN NHL NEWS…

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Jeff Skinner is no longer with the Sharks. He cleared unconditional waivers on Tuesday, resulting in his contract being terminated by mutual agreement. The 33-year-old winger is now an unrestricted free agent.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll be interesting to see if he signs with another NHL club this season. He’ll have to do so before the March 6 trade deadline to be eligible to skate in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson resumed practice with his teammates on Tuesday. He’d missed their last seven games before the Olympic break with a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Edvinsson, 23, has been an invaluable part of the Red Wings’ blueline. As the article observed, they’re 3-5-2 in the 10 games he’s missed during this season.

TSN: Patrik Laine missed practice on Tuesday as he’s listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. The 27-year-old Montreal Canadiens winger has been sidelined since Oct. 16 after undergoing core muscle surgery.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Laine has surfaced recently in the rumor mill as a trade candidate. However, his ongoing injury issues could ensure that he finishes the season in Montreal.










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 – December 19, 2024

by | Dec 19, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 19, 2024

Recaps of Wednesday’s games, the Rangers trade Kaapo Kakko to the Kraken, the Predators ship Alexandre Carrier to the Canadiens, Blake Wheeler calls it a career, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Dallas Stars 5-3. Joseph Woll kicked out 36 shots and William Nylander scored twice as the Leafs (20-10-2) have won four of their last five games to sit first in the Atlantic Division with 42 points. Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger got the hook after the second period, giving up four goals on 12 shots.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars captain Jamie Benn set a franchise record playing in his 1,143rd NHL regular-season game, surpassing Hall-of-Famer Mike Modano. The Stars placed defenseman Matt Dumba (upper body) on injured reserve and recalled Alexander Petrovic.

Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk tallied two goals and teammate Aaron Ekblad had a goal and two assists in a 6-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild. Sergei Bobrovsky got the win with a 26-save performance. Marco Rossi netted the Wild’s only goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers (20-11-2) are tied with the Leafs but the latter holds the division lead with a game in hand. Wild defenseman Brock Faber left the game in the final minute after being struck in the face by the puck. There was no postgame update regarding his condition.

The Detroit Red Wings beat the Philadelphia Flyers 6-4 on a game-winning goal by Patrick Kane, who finished the night with two points. Lucas Raymond and J.T. Compher also had a goal and an assist each for the Red Wings, who’ve won three of their last four. Flyers captain Sean Couturier picked up two assists as his club remains two points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 32 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvidsson left the game in the first period with an upper-body injury. There was no postgame update on his condition.

Anaheim Ducks winger Troy Terry scored with 26 seconds remaining in the third period to lift his club to a 3-2 upset of the Winnipeg Jets. Frank Vatrano tallied twice for the Ducks, including the tying goal midway through the third period. Gabriel Vilardi and Mark Scheifele scored for the Jets, who remain in first place in the Western Conference with 47 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers picked up an assist in his return to action after missing nine games with a lower-body injury.

An overtime goal by Mikhail Sergachev gave the Utah Hockey Club a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Utah HC overcame a 2-0 deficit on goals by Clayton Keller and Dylan Guenther. Danton Heinen and Dakota Joshua scored for the Canucks as Thatcher Demko stopped 28 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Utah (35 points) has won five of their last six games, including their last three contest. They’re one point out of the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

HEADLINES

NEW YORK POST/SEATTLE TIMES: The New York Rangers traded Kaapo Kakko to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for defenseman Will Borgen, a third-round pick and a sixth-rounder in the 2025 NHL Draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kakko was the second-overall pick in the 2019 draft. He was projected to become a top-six scoring winger but struggled to meet expectations with the Rangers. That made the 23-year-old winger the frequent subject of trade speculation since last season.

The Kraken made this move to boost their offense. They hope a fresh start away from New York’s harsh spotlight will help Kakko become a reliable scorer.

Borgen, 28, was an original member of the Kraken. He’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Rangers fans aren’t pleased with the return. However, it reflects how much Kakko’s value declined since his career-best 40-point performance in 2022-23.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW/THE TENNESSEAN: The Nashville Predators traded defenseman Alexandre Carrier to the Montreal Canadiens for blueliner Justin Barron.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens had sought an experienced top-four defenseman with a right-hand shot since October. Carrier reached a career-high 30 points in 2021-22 and 20 points last season but his specialty is killing penalties. The 28-year-old is in the first season of a three-year contract with an affordable average annual value of $3.75 million.

Carrier was the subject of trade speculation last season before re-signing with the Predators. However, their struggles this season have forced general manager Barry Trotz to shake things up. This trade is his fourth since Nov. 25, which included shipping Philip Tomasino to Pittsburgh and swapping Scott Wedgewood for Justus Annunen with Colorado.

Barron struggled to crack the Canadiens lineup full-time. The 23-year-old is younger than Carrier and more of a puck-moving defenseman. Barron is also more affordable for the Predators with an AAV of $1.15 million.

TRIBLIVE.COM/STLTODAY.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins reacquired defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph from the St. Louis Blues for future considerations.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Joseph began his NHL career with the Penguins, spending four seasons with them before signing a one-year contract with the Blues as an unrestricted free agent. He became the odd man out with the Blues following their acquisition of Cam Fowler from the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Penguins needed some short-term blueline depth with Marcus Pettersson sidelined week-to-week and reserve blueliners Sebastian Aho and Jack St. Ivany hobbled by injuries.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sharks goaltender Vitek Vanecek is sidelined for at least two weeks with an upper-body injury after being struck by an errant puck while sitting on the bench during Tuesday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets. They’ve recalled netminder Yaroslav Askarov from their AHL affiliate.

THE ATHLETIC: Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Dante Fabbro’s lower-body injury isn’t as serious as feared. He’s expected to miss a few games with what GM Don Waddell called a charley horse.

WINNIPEG SUN: Former Jets captain Blake Wheeler is hanging up his skates. During an appearance this week on the Beyond High Performance podcast, the 38-year-old left winger said he could no longer face the grind of an 82-game NHL season.

“It’s just the emotional, get up 82 times – I don’t want to do that. There’s only so much gas in the tank for that,” said Wheeler. He’s been an unrestricted free agent since July.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wheeler played 16 NHL seasons with the Boston Bruins, Atlanta Thrashers, Winnipeg Jets and New York Rangers, with 13 of those seasons with the Thrashers/Jets. He was captain of the Jets from 2016-17 to 2021-22.

Wheeler tallied 321 goals and 622 assists for 943 points in 1,172 regular-season games, including back-to-back 91-point performances in 2017-18 and 2018-19. He also had 45 points in 66 playoff games.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 3, 2023

by | May 3, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 3, 2023

The Stars fall to the Kraken despite Joe Pavelski’s record-setting performance, the Panthers draw first blood against the Leafs, the Selke Trophy and Lady Byng Trophy finalists are announced, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Seattle Kraken blew a 4-2 lead to the Dallas Stars but emerged with a 5-4 overtime victory in Game 1 of their best-of-seven second-round series. Stars winger Joe Pavelski set an NHL record as the oldest player (38) to score four goals in a playoff game. Yanni Gourde tallied the game-winner and Jordan Eberle had a goal and an assist for the Kraken. Game 2 is Thursday in Dallas.

Dallas Stars forward Joe Pavelski (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The previous record was held by Maurice “Rocket” Richard, who was 35 when he scored four goals in a playoff game in 1957. It was Pavelski’s first game since being sidelined by a concussion during Game 1 of the Stars’ first-round series against the Minnesota Wild.

Six goals were scored in the first period with the Kraken taking that early two-goal lead. I don’t think we’ll see another period like that as both teams become more familiar with each other as this series rolls along.

Kraken winger Jared McCann did not make the trip with his teammates to Dallas. He’s expected to miss both games there. The Kraken’s leading scorer in the regular season, McCann’s been sidelined by an undisclosed injury after being hit by Cale Makar in Game 4 of the Kraken’s first-round series with the Colorado Avalanche.

Speaking of blown two-goal leads and recovering to win, the Florida Panthers doubled up the Toronto Maple Leafs in the opening game of their second-round series. The Leafs overcame a 2-0 deficit with two second-period goals but Carter Verhaeghe tallied what proved to be the winning goal. Matthew Tkachuk collected three assists while Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 34 shots. Leafs rookie Matthew Knies netted his first-ever NHL goal. Game 2 is Thursday in Toronto.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers had little time to rest and recuperate from their first-round upset of the Boston Bruins. Nevertheless, they showed plenty of jump in this game while the Leafs at times seemed to struggle to get up to speed. I expect we’ll see a better effort from the latter in Game 2.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron, New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier and Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner are this year’s finalists for the Frank J. Selke Trophy as this season’s top defensive forward.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the 12th consecutive season that Bergeron has been a finalist for the Selke. He won it last season for a record-setting fifth time and could be the sentimental favorite given the uncertainty over whether he’ll return for another season. This is the first time Hischier and Marner have been finalists for this award.

New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes, Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar and Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point are finalists for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy awarded to the NHL’s most gentlemanly player.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kopitar is a three-time finalist who won the award in 2015-16. This is the first time that Hughes and Point are been named as finalists.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy said he dealt with minor injuries and didn’t give himself sufficient recovery time. He believes that affected his play down the stretch and in their first-round series against the Leafs.

TSN.CA: Speaking of the Lightning, Victory Hedman dealt with a hip impingement suffered in Game 1 against the Leafs. Brayden Point suffered a rib cage cartilage fracture in that series. Defenseman Erik Cernak is making progress in his recovery from a concussion suffered in Game 1 as a result of an illegal hit to the head by the Leafs’ Michael Bunting. Winger Tanner Jeannot was in and out of the lineup with a high-ankle sprain.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark played coy over a report suggesting that he suffered from a debilitating injury that affected his movement during his club’s first-round series against the Florida Panthers. Asked several times if he was hurt in that series, he replied, “No. Yes and no.” He said he wasn’t going to clarify his status until he completed his end-of-season physical.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Speaking of the Bruins, Dmitry Orlov expressed interest in returning to the Washington Capitals but isn’t sure if that’s possible given their salary-cap constraints. The 32-year-old defenseman is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He spent his entire career with the Capitals until acquired by the Bruins before the March 3 trade deadline.

TSN: Darren Dreger reported there’s a chance Joel Quenneville could return to the NHL coaching ranks if he receives clearance from the league this summer.

Quenneville stepped down as head coach of the Florida Panthers in 2021 after specifics were revealed of how the Chicago Blackhawks mishandled allegations that player Kyle Beach was sexually abused by a member of their coaching staff in 2010. Quenn3ville was the head coach of the Blackhawks at that time.

TWINCITIES.COM: The Minnesota Wild signed forward Marcus Johansson to a two-year, $4 million contract. He was eligible for UFA status on July 1.

NBC SPORTS WASHINGTON: The Capitals signed defenseman Alex Alexeyev to a two-year, $1.65 million contract extension. He was due to become a restricted free agent on July 1.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: The Flyers signed defenseman Egor Zamula to a one-year, $775K contract.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings prospect Simon Edvinsson underwent surgery on his left shoulder on Monday. His recovery time is four-to-six months.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Former first-round draft pick Henrik Borgstrom has signed with HV71 of the Swedish Hockey League.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chosen 23rd overall by the Florida Panthers in 2016, the 25-year-old Borgstrom struggled to earn a regular roster spot in the NHL. He bounced between the big league and the minors with the Panthers, Chicago Blackhawks and the Capitals since 2017-18, netting 13 goals and 26 points in 111 NHL games.