NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 10, 2025

by | Jul 10, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 10, 2025

Golden Knights center Jack Eichel on new teammate Mitch Marner, Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere looks forward to 2025-26, the Canucks’ goaltending logjam, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel said he understands what it’s like to start over with a new NHL club. He’s willing to lend a hand to help new teammate Mitch Marner adjust.

“Having went through the situation of leaving an organization in the city and having a fresh start with Vegas, I think I can relate, to a point, to some of the things he’s going through,” said Eichel. He added that he’s looking forward to continuing getting to know Marner and the opportunity of playing with him.

Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (NHL Images).

During the “Leafs Morning Take” podcast, Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy said it was difficult to predict if Eichel and Marner would end up on the same line this season, but he is looking forward to seeing the two players together when training camp opens in September.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s possible that Eichel and Marner might not mesh well as linemates. Nevertheless, it won’t be surprising if they’re on the first line when the Golden Knights open their season in October.

RDS.CA: New York Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere acknowledged he and his teammates didn’t play well last season. His struggles at times made him the subject of trade speculation.

However, Lafreniere expressed optimism for this season, pointing out that the Rangers have a new head coach (Mike Sullivan) and a slightly different roster. He’s hoping to regain the form that saw him net a career-high 57 points in 2023-24.

Lafreniere also indicated that he ignores trade rumors, saying he loves playing in New York.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lafreniere’s struggles and general manager Chris Drury’s ongoing roster tinkering fueled the trade speculation. However, it seems that Drury still believes the 23-year-old winger fits into his team’s long-range plans. Lafreniere is in the first season of a seven-year contract that he signed last fall.

THE PROVINCE: Arturs Silovs was the 2025 AHL playoff MVP backstopping the Vancouver Canucks’ AHL affiliate win the Calder Cup. However, he’s stuck as the Canucks’ No. 3 goalie behind Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen.

Silovs’s Calder Cup performance and his solid play for the Canucks in the 2024 NHL playoffs could make the 24-year-old goaltender a player of interest for teams seeking depth between the pipes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Silovs is no longer exempt from NHL waivers. It’s doubtful he’d pass unclaimed if the Canucks try to return him to Abbotsford before the start of the regular season. With several teams in the market for goalie depth, Silovs could surface in trade rumors during training camp in September.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Climate Pledge Arena co-developer Tim Leiweke stepped down as CEO of Oak View Group following a grand jury indictment for allegedly rigging a bidding process for an arena project at a public university in Austin, Texas.

Climate Pledge Arena is the home of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken. The team released a statement indicating Leiweke’s indictment has nothing to do with the team or the arena and won’t affect their day-to-day operations.

Leiweke is the former CEO and president of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. None of the allegations have been proven in court. If found guilty, he would face up to 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine.

TSN: NHL player agent Todd Diamond believes the organizational makeup of a team plays a bigger role in where players sign rather than their location.

“I think it’s a red herring,” said Diamond, referring to the issue of teams based in no-tax states. “It’s all about winning and how organizations are treating their players.”

Diamond acknowledged that lifestyle, weather and climate play a role to a certain extent, but pointed out that he has had clients who preferred to re-sign in Pittsburgh and Carolina. “It’s all about the feel and the ability for organizations to compete that are the foremost drivers in deciding where players want to play.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A team in a no-tax state has an advantage in re-signing or adding stars for slightly less than market value compared to other states. However, it doesn’t assure that those teams will become Stanley Cup champions.

Some believe it was a key factor behind the Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights and Tampa Bay Lightning winning five of the last six Stanley Cup championships.

Whenever someone raises this issue, they never have a suitable answer for why the Panthers and Lightning had long periods in their history when they failed to reach the playoffs. They can’t explain why the Golden Knights didn’t advance past the second round over the past two years, or why the Lightning haven’t won a playoff round since 2022.

Shrewd management and strong coaching were the real reasons behind the success of those teams.

NEW YORK POST: The employer of former NHL enforcer Nick Tarnasky is looking into a fight he had with another man on an Alberta golf course on July 4. The incident was filmed and subsequently appeared on social media.

Tarnasky coaches Red Deer Minor Hockey’s U17 team. Local authorities looked into the incident, but no charges were laid. Police were dispatched to the golf course following a report of a drunken man starting fights, but the probe was closed when officers arrived and the suspect was gone.

The video shows a man charging at someone who is thought to be Tarnasky, who tossed the assailant into a lake. The individual kept coming after Tarnasky, who threw several punches and then tossed the man to the ground. The man was then led away by his companion.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 6, 2025

by | Jul 6, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 6, 2025

Eleven players file for salary arbitration, three potential new duos formed by recent trades and free agency, the latest contract signings, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHLPA.COM: Eleven players elected salary arbitration by the July 5 deadline.

Winnipeg Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi (NHL Images).

Three of them are with the Winnipeg Jets. They are forwards Morgan Barron and Gabriel Vilardi and defenseman Dylan Samberg. Two of them – goaltender Lukas Dostal and defenseman Drew Helleson – are with the Anaheim Ducks.

The others are winger Kaapo Kakko of the Seattle Kraken, forward Nicholas Robertson of the Toronto Maple Leafs, goaltender Arvid Soderblom of the Chicago Blackhawks, defenseman Jayden Struble of the Montreal Canadiens, defenseman Conor Timmins of the Buffalo Sabres, and winger Maxim Tsyplakov of the New York Islanders.

The deadline for club-elected salary arbitration notification is Sunday, July 6, at 5 pm ET. Arbitration hearings will be held from July 20 and August 4, 2025.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The schedule will be released in the coming days. These players are now ineligible to receive offer sheets from rival teams.

These players probably won’t require arbitration to receive new contracts. It’s often a tactic used to set a deadline in negotiations to avoid talks dragging on throughout the summer.

Both sides usually agree to contract terms before the arbitration date. Don’t be surprised if all of them end up settling before their scheduled hearings.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Andre Leal looked at three new potential duos recently formed through trades and free agency that could dominate once they hit the ice together.

Right wing Mitch Marner is expected to skate alongside center Jack Eichel with the Vegas Golden Knights. The 28-year-old Marner was traded by the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Golden Knights last week, signing an eight-year contract. He had a career-best 102 points last season, while Eichel reached his career best of 94 points.

The Montreal Canadiens acquired defenseman Noah Dobson on June 27 from the New York Islanders. Leal believes he’d be a perfect complement alongside 2025 Calder Memorial Trophy winner Lane Hutson on the Canadiens’ top defense pairing.

On June 23, the Anaheim Ducks traded forward Trevor Zegras to the Philadelphia Flyers. Leal cited Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet suggesting the possibility of putting Zegras on the same line as scoring winger Matvei Michkov.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marner with Eichel seems the most certain pairing, but it comes down to whether their styles will mesh.

Tocchet said the Flyers would be idiots not to consider at least putting Zegras and Michkov together, but seemed to leave the door open to the possibility that they’ll be playing on separate lines.

Dobson and Hutson seem the least likely pairing, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen. They could see power-play time together.

Daily Faceoff’s roster projection shows Dobson on the top pairing with Kaiden Guhle, with Hutson on the second pairing with Jayden Struble. Meanwhile, PuckPedia has Dobson with Mike Matheson on the top pairing, with Hutson and Guhle on the second. That’s just their best guess, as we won’t know those pairings for certain until the start of the season in October.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Columbus Blue Jackets signed forward Dmitri Voronkov to a two-year, $8.35 million contract with an average annual value of $4.175 million.

Voronkov, 24, finished last season with a career-best 23 goals and 24 assists for 47 points, sitting sixth among Blue Jackets’ scorers. He led the Jackets with eight power-play goals and was fourth in plus/minus with plus-17.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A reasonable bridge deal for Voronkov, who completed his entry-level contract last season. He had a solid sophomore season following his 18-goal, 34-point debut in 2023-24.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Kraken signed forward Tye Kartye to a two-year contract with an AAV of $1.25 million.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Washington Capitals signed center Hendrix Lapierre to a one-year, one-way contract worth $850K.

THE DENVER POST: The Colorado Avalanche named Mark Letestu as the new head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles. Letestu spent 11 NHL seasons with five teams as a player, and spent the past four seasons as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters.

NESN: Former NHL winger Lyndon Byers died on July 4 at age 61. He spent nine seasons with the Boston Bruins and one season with the San Jose Sharks from 1983-84 to 1992-93. An enforcer who became a fan favorite in Boston, Byers had 28 goals and 43 assists for 71 points and 1,081 PIMs in 279 games.

Following his playing career, Byers returned to Boston, where he became a member of a popular radio morning show from 1996 to 2019.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Byers’ family, friends, his former teammates, and coworkers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 18, 2025

by | May 18, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 18, 2025

The Stars advance to the Western Conference Final amid a heartbreaking personal loss for Jets center Mark Scheifele, the Panthers and Maple Leafs prepare for Game 7, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Dallas Stars advanced to the Western Conference Final for the third straight year with a 2-1 overtime victory over the Winnipeg Jets in Game 6 of their second-round series.

Dallas Stars defenseman Thomas Harley (NHL Images)

Thomas Harley scored the game-winner on a power-play goal at 1:33 of overtime. Jake Oettinger made 22 saves for the win and Sam Steel tallied the tying goal for the Stars, who will face the Edmonton Oilers for the second straight year in the Conference Final.

Harley’s goal came with Winnipeg center Mark Scheifele in the penalty box for tripping late in the third period. Scheifele opened the scoring in this game, opting to play despite his father passing away suddenly the night before.

Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey left the game with a lower-body injury after getting tangled with Stars winger Mikko Rantanen late in the second period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a heartbreaking defeat for Scheifele and his teammates. Following the game, Jets coach Scott Arniel said Scheifele told him he would play because that’s what his father would’ve wanted.

The Stars players and coaches took the time to offer condolences to Scheifele in the postgame handshake lineup, especially Mason Marchment, who lost his father three years ago.

The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus reported that Marchment said he was trying to help Scheifele with some kind words that helped him back following his own father’s death. He also praised the Jets center for deciding to play despite his loss. “At the end of the day, we’re all just people. And when you treat someone with respect, I think it means a lot,” said Marchment.

The hockey community rallied to support Scheifele, raising more than $30K in $55 donations (honoring Scheifele’s No. 55) to the Jets’ charitable fund, True North Youth Foundation. Many of the donations came from Dallas Stars fans.

NHL.COM: The defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers are feeling the pressure heading into Game 7 of their second-round series with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday. They’ll try to draw on their experience in these situations (eliminating Boston in their 2023 first-round series, defeating Edmonton in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final) to help them advance to the Eastern Conference Final.

TORONTO SUN: The status of Leafs winger Matthew Knies remains uncertain for Game 7. He suffered an undisclosed injury during the Leafs’ 2-0 victory in Game 6.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Game 7 is in Toronto on Sunday, starting at 7:30 pm ET.

NHL.COM: The Western Conference Final between the Stars and Oilers begins in Dallas on Wednesday, May 21, at 8 pm ET.

The Eastern Conference Final opens on Tuesday, May 20 at 8 PM ET. If the Leafs win, the series starts in Toronto against the Carolina Hurricanes. If the Panthers win, the series begins in Carolina.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin confirmed he will return next season. He’s coming off a historic 20th NHL season where he broke the all-time goal-scoring record while helping the Capitals finish first in the Eastern Conference.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin turns 40 in September and has one year remaining on his contract. It could be last in the NHL, depending on how next season unfolds.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOWS: Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon acknowledged a lack of scoring against the Edmonton Oilers led to his club’s second-round elimination. However, he chalked that up to the Oilers’ strong defensive play during that series.

McCrimmon acknowledged several players (Tanner Pearson, Victor Olofsson, Reilly Smith, Brandon Saad and Ilya Samsonov) are eligible for unrestricted free-agent status on July 1. He praised their performances, suggesting a good case can be made to re-sign them.

The Golden Knights GM indicated “a couple of guys” played through injuries, but none will require offseason surgery.

LAS VEGAS SUN: McCrimmon also hopes to sign Jack Eichel to a contract extension this summer. The 28-year-old first-line center is UFA-eligible next July.

ROTOWIRE: Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury ahead of the Eastern Conference Final.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks are reportedly close to an agreement to remain at the SAP Center until 2050.










NHL Rumor Mill – May 15, 2025

by | May 15, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – May 15, 2025

Has the Golden Knights’ Stanley Cup window closed? Is the end of the Maple Leafs’ “Core Four” era approaching? What’s the latest on former Isles GM Lou Lamoriello? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS?

THE ATHLETIC: Jesse Granger looked at whether the Vegas Golden Knights’ Stanley Cup window is closing after their second-round elimination by the Edmonton Oilers.

Many of the Golden Knights’ core players (including Mark Stone, Alex Pietrangelo, and William Karlsson) are over 30. Their “younger players” include Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin (both 28 years old), and Shea Theodore and Adin Hill (both 29). Hanfin, Theodore and Hill had their difficulties during this postseason.

With a projected cap space of $10.5 million next season, the Golden Knights have the space to re-sign most (if not all) of their pending free agents. They include Reilly Smith, Victor Olofsson, Tanner Pearson, Brandon Saad, and Ilya Samsonov. However, they could also use it to upgrade on the wing, where notables like Mitch Marner, Nikolaj Ehlers and Brock Boeser could be available in the free-agent market.

Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (NHL Images).

Granger pointed out that Eichel has a year remaining on his contract. He’ll be eligible to sign what could be a massive contract extension on July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Granger also reminds us that the Golden Knights have a well-earned reputation for aggressive moves. They can also be ruthless, parting company with aging stars in favor of young options.

Stone and Pietrangelo each have full no-movement clauses, while Hanifin has a full no-trade clause. The only way to move them is if they request it or management somehow talks them into it.

Theodore has a five-team no-trade list this season, but his new contract that begins on July 1 carries full no-trade protection. Hill has a 10-team no-trade list on his current and upcoming contracts. Center Tomas Hertl has a full no-trade for this season, but it reverts to a modified no-trade list on July 1.

It seems unlikely Theodore, Hill or Hertl would be moved so soon after signing contract extensions with the Golden Knights. Nevertheless, we can’t dismiss the possibility of one of them getting peddled before July 1 to create more cap space for other moves.

The Golden Knights don’t have much draft or prospect capital to draw on for trade bait. They dealt away their 2025 and 2026 first-rounders, but they could part with their 2027 first-round pick if it fetches immediate help for their roster. They’ve previouly used their top prospects as trade chips (the Montreal Canadiens thank them for Nick Suzuki) and could do the same with promising Trevor Connelly.

END OF THE MAPLE LEAFS’ “CORE FOUR” ERA APPROACHING?

THE ATHLETIC: Chris Johnston wonders if we’re seeing the last of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ “Core Four” era following their 6-1 loss to the Florida Panthers, putting them on the brink of elimination from the second round of the 2025 playoffs.

Johnston noted that Mitch Marner is only seven weeks away from unrestricted free-agent eligibility on July 1. He doubts the 28-year-old winger will sign an extension with the Leafs before then, not after refusing to negotiate during the season or the club’s request to waive his no-movement clause at the trade deadline.

According to Johnston, there’s a growing sense that Marner will seek a fresh start elsewhere after enduring endless criticism for the Leafs’ shortcomings.

Former captain John Tavares is also UFA-eligible. He wants to stay, but Johnston doubts the 34-year-old center will get the chance.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Unless the Leafs stage a big comeback against the Panthers, this is the end of the “Core Four Era”. It’ll also be the end of the “Shanaplan”, as team president Brendan Shanahan’s contract expires at the end of this season.

Even if the Leafs overcome the Panthers and get into the Conference Final, this is likely to be the last season for Marner and Tavares in Toronto. There have been too many disappointing postseasons and too many expectations dashed. They’ve been running it back with the same core, yet the results remain the same.

The Leafs in this era have only two postseason series victories. It doesn’t matter that they’ve been a good regular-season team that has qualified for the playoffs in every season since 2016-17. What matters is a lack of real postseason progress for a franchise whose Stanley Cup drought is approaching 60 years.

LOU LAMORIELLO SIGHTED IN BUFFALO

TSN: Darren Dreger took note of a recent sighting of former New York Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello being spotted at the Buffalo airport. He thinks the Sabres would be interested in adding Lamoriello to their braintrust, “but nothing’s imminent”, jokingly suggesting he was there to renew his Nexus. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That sighting raised speculation that the Sabres were about to hire Lamoriello, but his presence at the airport is reportedly unrelated to the team.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 2, 2025

by | Apr 2, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 2, 2025

Alex Ovechkin within four goals of becoming the all-time goal-scoring leader, the Golden Knights clinch a playoff berth, the Blues pick up their 10th straight win, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin tallied his 891st NHL regular-season goal in a 4-3 win over the Boston Bruins. Third-period goals by Dylan Strome and Tom Wilson enable the Capitals (105 points) to hold off the Bruins, moving to within one point of the first-overall Winnipeg Jets. David Pastrnak scored twice to reach 37 goals on the season for the Bruins, who are 0-8-1 in their last nine games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin needs four more goals to break Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894. The Capitals have eight games remaining in their regular-season schedule.

The Vegas Golden Knights dropped a 3-2 decision to the Edmonton Oilers but became the fourth team to clinch a playoff berth. Second-period goals by Jake Walman, Leon Draisaitl and Viktor Arvidsson gave the Oilers (91 points) the win, moving them two points behind the second-place Los Angeles Kings in the Pacific Division. Nicolas Roy and Pavel Dorofeyev scored for the Golden Knights, who sit atop the Pacific with 98 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights signed top prospect Trevor Connolly yesterday to a three-year entry-level contract.

An overtime goal by Cam Fowler lifted the St. Louis Blues over the Detroit Red Wings 2-1, extending their win streak to 10 games. Fowler also assisted on Jordan Kyrou’s 32nd goal of the season as the Blues moved one point ahead of the Minnesota Wild into the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 89 points. J.T. Compher scored for the Wings (75 points), who sit four points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

Speaking of the final Eastern wild card, the Montreal Canadiens (79 points) opened a two-point lead over the Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Rangers with a 3-2 victory over the Florida Panthers. Nick Suzuki scored the tying goal with nine seconds remaining in the third period and the winning goal 29 seconds into overtime. Lane Hutson collected assists on all three goals for the Canadiens as they swept their season series with the defending Stanley Cup champion. Niko Mikkola and Mackie Samoskevich scored for the Panthers, who sit third in the Atlantic Division with 92 points.

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hutson became the 10th rookie defenseman in league history to reach the 60-point plateau, finishing the game with 62 points. The 21-year-old blueliner leads this season’s rookie class with 57 assists, 62 points, power-play points (25) and ice time per game (22:40).

Blue Jackets winger Kirill Marchenko tallied a hat trick and collected an assist in an 8-4 drubbing of the Nashville Predators. Sean Monahan scored twice and added two assists and Adam Fantilli netted two goals and an assist as the Blues Jackets kept pace with the Canadiens in the Eastern wild-card race. Predators winger Filip Forsberg scored his 29th goal of the season.

The Tampa Bay Lightning beat the New York Islanders 4-1. Nikita Kucherov had two assists to extend his points streak to nine games as the Lightning (93 points) moved one point ahead of the Panthers into second place in the Atlantic Division, one point behind the Toronto Maple Leafs. Bo Horvat replied for the Islanders, who sit five points behind the Canadiens in the wild-card chase.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning’s Ryan McDonagh became the eighth player in NHL history to reach the 2,000 blocked shots milestone. Meanwhile, Islanders coach Patrick Roy singled out winger Anthony Duclair for his poor play, calling him “god awful”.

Los Angeles Kings forwards Anze Kopitar, Andrei Kuzmenko and Adrian Kempe each had a goal and an assist in a 4-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. The Kings sit second in the Pacific Division with 93 points. Cole Perfetti scored for the Jets, who remain first overall with 106 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: They’ll have to call Kopitar, Kuzmenko and Kempe the “AK Line” if they keep producing together at that pace.

Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson scored to extend his goal streak to five games as his club upset the Ottawa Senators 5-2. Rasmus Dahlin and Alex Tuch each had a goal and an assist for the Sabres, who’ve won five of their last six games. Claude Giroux and Jake Sanderson scored for the Senators (84 points), who sit five points ahead of the Canadiens in the first Eastern wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators captain Brady Tkachuk missed this game with an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, the club is close to a deal with Canadian Tire to extend their arena naming rights agreement by another five years.

The Utah Hockey Club dealt a blow to the Calgary Flames’ playoff hopes with a 3-1 victory. Karel Vejmelka stopped 33 shots while Kevin Stenlund, Barrett Hayton, and Clayton Keller scored for Utah. Rasmus Andersson replied for the Flames (82 points), who are six points behind the Wild for the final Western wild-card berth.

A shootout goal by Mason McTavish lifted the Anaheim Ducks over the San Jose Sharks 4-3. McTavish also had three assists in regulation time. Marc-Edouard Vlasic scored his first goal of the season for the Sharks.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel, Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares, and St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington are the league’s Three Stars for March 2025. Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson was named Rookie of the Month.

ROTOWIRE: Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal (lower body) is doubtful for Wednesday’s game against the Capitals.

ESPN.COM: Vancouver Canucks center Filip Chytil might miss the rest of the season as he attempts to recover from another concussion.

TORONTO SUN: Former NHL goaltender Mark Laforest died suddenly on March 31 at 62. He spent six seasons in the NHL between 1985-86 and 1993-94 with the Detroit Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators. He had a record of 25-54-4 in 103 games played with two shutouts, a 4.23 goals-against average and a .868 save percentage.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Laforest’s family, friends, former teammates and coaches.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 14, 2025

by | Mar 14, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 14, 2025

A milestone for Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, Golden Knights center Jack Eichel sets a franchise record, the latest on next season’s schedule, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky picked up his 424th NHL regular-season win as he and his teammates nipped the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2. Bobrovsky stopped 23 shots and Sam Bennett scored twice for the Panthers, who’ve won seven of their last eight games and hold first place in the Atlantic Division with 84 points. John Tavares and Max Domi replied for the Leafs, who sit four points behind the Panthers in second place in the division.

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bobrovsky holds sole possession of 10th overall among goalies for career wins. He’s 13 wins behind Jacques Plante, who holds ninth place. Martin Brodeur is the all-time leader with 691 victories. Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev returned to action after missing six games with an upper-body injury.

The Vegas Golden Knights blanked the Columbus Blues Jackets 4-0, extending their points streak to seven games. Adin Hill turned in a 27-save shutout performance while Brandon Saad, Tomas Hertl and Nicolas Roy each collected two points for the Golden Knights, who sit first in the Pacific Division with 85 points. The Blue Jackets hold the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 70 points, but they’ve lost four of their last five games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights center Jack Eichel collected an assist to set the single-season franchise points record with 79.

A four-goal first period carried the Ottawa Senators to a 6-3 win over the Boston Bruins. Drake Batherson scored twice and collected an assist while goaltender Linus Ullmark made a highlight-reel glove save as the Senators hold the first Eastern wild-card spot with 75 points. David Pastrnak tallied his 34th goal for the Bruins, who sit two points behind the Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators captain Brady Tkachuk sat out the final minutes of the game with a hip injury. Head coach Travis Green said Tkachuk tweaked his hip but expects he’ll be all right.

An overtime goal by Braden Schneider lifted the New York Rangers over the Minnesota Wild 3-2. Igor Shesterkin turned aside 26 shots as the Rangers sit behind the Blue Jackets with 70 points. Wild captain Jared Spurgeon collected two assists as his club holds the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 79 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers forward Arthur Kaliyev left the Rangers during this road trip to undergo further evaluation and testing for an upper-body injury.

New Jersey Devils winger Jesper Bratt had a goal and two assists in a 3-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers. Brett Pesce had a goal and an assist as the Devils sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 78 points. Edmonton forward Leon Draisaitl scored his league-leading 47th goal to extend his points streak to 16 games. The Oilers cling to third in the Pacific Division with 78 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers have been in a funk of late with just three wins in their last 11 contests.

Meanwhile, Oilers general manager Stan Bowman filed a motion to quash a subpoena for him to be deposed in the case of John Doe vs the Chicago Blackhawks. Bowman and other former Blackhawks employees have been issued subpoenas to sit for depositions from John Doe’s attorneys.

Bowman claims he was not properly served the subpoena because his home is in Edmonton, not Chicago, and the court doesn’t have any personal jurisdiction over him for several reasons, including that he is a resident and citizen of Canada.

The former Blackhawks player is suing the franchise for failing to act when informed of sexual assault allegations against former team video coach Brad Aldrich during the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Bowman was general manager at the time.

Los Angeles Kings netminder Darcy Kuemper had a 21-save shutout to defeat the Washington Capitals 3-0. Quinton Byfield scored to extend his goal streak to five games and Kevin Fiala had a goal and an assist for the Kings, who’ve won four straight and vaulted over the Oilers into second place in the Pacific Division with 79 points. The Capitals slipped into second place in the overall standings with 94 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals are tied with the Winnipeg Jets but the latter holds first overall with 45 wins.

The Philadelphia Flyers snapped a five-game losing skid with a 4-3 shootout victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Bobby Brink had two goals and an assist in regulation and Owen Tippett netted the winning goal for the Flyers. Jonas Johansson stopped 26 shots for the Lightning, who sit third in the Atlantic Division with 79 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning recalled Cam Atkinson from their AHL affiliate in Syracuse to replace ailing winger Nikita Kucherov. Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen missed this game with an undisclosed injury.

Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry kicked out 33 shots in a 5-3 win over the St. Louis Blues. Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust each had a goal and an assist as the Penguins collected their third straight win. Blues netminder Jordan Binnington was pulled after giving up four goals on 19 shots. With 69 points, the Blues sit two points behind the Calgary Flames for the final Western wild card.

The San Jose Sharks ended a three-game skid by doubling up the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2. Collin Graf tallied twice and Will Smith had a goal and an assist. Frank Nazar and Ilya Mikheyev replied for the Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks center Connor Bedard received a 10-minute misconduct for abuse of officials. No explanation was given by the referee and Bedard looked confused when the call was made. After the game, the Blackhawks star said it was for something he said to the official regarding an uncalled trip by Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports the 2025-26 NHL schedule is tentatively slated to open on Oct. 7 with the 2026 Stanley Cup Final end around June 21-22 at the latest. The schedule is to accommodate the Winter Olympic break plus the All-Star Game.

Meanwhile, the 2026-27 season could see an 84-game regular season with a shortened preseason, with the regular season beginning in late September with the playoffs ending in late June. It would better accommodate breaks for the Olympics and World Cup of Hockey while reducing the number of back-to-back games that teams currently face.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Changes to the regular season and playoff formats are expected to be part of the negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement. The current CBA expires in September 2026 but a new agreement is expected to be in place well before then, avoiding the possibility of another work stoppage.

Removing the requirement of playing at least one game in every NHL arena doesn’t appear very popular. Some teams don’t want to go two years without seeing a superstar like Connor McDavid or a popular draw like the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs or Montreal Canadiens.

Canceling the All-Star Game has also been discussed. It won’t happen next year as the New York Islanders have already been announced as the host team for the 2026 game. However, the success of the 4 Nations Face-Off has prompted talks about changing course. LeBrun wonders if they’ll consider scrapping the ASG during Olympic years.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The NHL All-Star Game has been a pathetic joke for four decades. Only the team hosting the event sees any benefit. It’s a ratings dud, and those fans who tune in seem to be “hate-watching” so they can dump on the event in real time on social media.

I’d like to see an Olympics-4 Nations-World Cup-4 Nations format.

CALGARY SUN: Flames center Connor Zary received a two-game suspension by the NHL department of player safety for a late, retaliatory hit on Vancouver Canucks defenseman Elias Pettersson on Wednesday.

ROTOWIRE: Carolina Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov will miss Friday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings with an undisclosed ailment.