NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 3, 2026

by | Jan 3, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 3, 2026

Mika Zibanejad had a record-setting performance at the 2026 Winter Classic. The Winter Olympics men’s hockey rosters for the United States, Sweden, and Finland were also announced, along with other notable developments, in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF FRIDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: New York Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad had a hat trick and collected two assists in a 5-1 victory over the host Florida Panthers at the 2026 NHL Winter Classic before a sellout crowd of 36,153 fans at loanDepot Park in Miami.

New York Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad (NHL Images).

Artemi Panarin tallied twice and had an assist, Alexis Lafreniere picked up three assists, and Igor Shesterkin made 36 saves for the Rangers (20-18-5), who ended a three-game winless skid. Sam Reinhart replied for the 21-16-3 Panthers, who have one win in their last four games (1-2-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a record-setting game for Zibanejad. He netted the first hat trick and the most points (five) in an outdoor NHL game. He also tied the Rangers’ record for the most power-play goals with 116.

Panarin is in a four-way tie for the most points (seven) in outdoor NHL games. The Rangers are 6-0-0 in outdoor NHL games, and 3-0-0 in the Winter Classic.

Panthers defenseman Seth Jones left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury.

St. Louis Blues captain Brayden Schenn snapped a 3-3 tie late in the third period to lift his club over the Vegas Golden Knights by a score of 4-3. Alexey Toropchenko and Oskar Sundqvist each had a goal and an assist as the Blues held a 3-1 lead before the Golden Knights rallied on goals by Mark Stone and Pavel Dorofeyev. The Blues improved to 16-18-8 while the 17-11-4 Golden Knights have one win in their last seven games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights center Jack Eichel returned to action after missing seven games with a lower-body injury. However, teammate Brayden McNabb is listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes tied his career high of four assists as his club rolled to a 5-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Danila Yurov scored two goals for the 25-10-7 Wild, who extended their points streak to five games (3-0-2). Beckett Sennecke and Troy Terry scored for the Ducks (21-17-3), who have dropped five straight games and have two wins in their last 11 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: On Dec. 9, the Ducks led the Pacific Division (19-10-1, 39 points) and had the third-best record in the Pacific Division. They had avoided the struggles that plagued other rising young clubs such as the Montreal Canadiens, Utah Mammoth, and Chicago Blackhawks through the opening two months of this season. However, it appears they were not as immune to growing pains after all.

A shootout goal by Matty Beniers lifted the Seattle Kraken over the Vancouver Canucks 4-3. Jake DeBrusk had a goal and two assists for the Canucks, who are 16-20-4. The Kraken improved to 18-4-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Canucks placed center Marco Rossi (lower body) on injured reserve, and signed forward Linus Karlsson to a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $2.25 million.

HEADLINES

The United States, Sweden, and Finland officially unveiled their men’s rosters for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina in February.

TEAM USA

Forwards

Matt Boldy (Minnesota Wild)
Kyle Connor (Winnipeg Jets)
Jack Eichel (Vegas Golden Knights)
Jake Guentzel (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Jack Hughes (New Jersey Devils)
Clayton Keller (Utah Mammoth)
Dylan Larkin (Detroit Red Wings)
Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs)
J.T. Miller (New York Rangers)
Brock Nelson (Colorado Avalanche)
Tage Thompson (Buffalo Sabres)
Brady Tkachuk (Ottawa Senators)
Matthew Tkachuk (Florida Panthers)
Vincent Trocheck (New York Rangers)

Defensemen

Brock Faber (Minnesota Wild)
Noah Hanifin (Vegas Golden Knights)
Quinn Hughes (Minnesota Wild)
Seth Jones (Florida Panthers)
Charlie McAvoy (Boston Bruins)
Jake Sanderson (Ottawa Senators)
Jaccob Slavin (Carolina Hurricanes)
Zach Werenski (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Goaltenders

Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg Jets)
Jake Oettinger (Dallas Stars)
Jeremy Swayman (Boston Bruins)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Four notable players who weren’t chosen were Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson, Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield, New York Rangers defenseman Alex Fox, and Toronto Maple Leafs winger Matthew Knies.

By the way, I’ve noticed that the players who weren’t selected are considered “snubbed”. The dictionary defines a snub as an act of showing disdain or a lack of cordiality by rebuffing or ignoring someone or something.

That’s not what happened here. There were only so many roster spots, and the management and coaching staffs made difficult choices after careful consideration. It’s fine to disagree with their decisions or try to make the case why the players who didn’t make the cut should be there, but they weren’t snubbed.

TEAM SWEDEN

Forwards

Jesper Bratt (New Jersey Devils)

Leo Carlsson (Anaheim Ducks)

Joel Eriksson Ek (Minnesota Wild)

Filip Forsberg (Nashville Predators)

Pontus Holmberg (Tampa Bay Lightning)

Adrian Kempe (Los Angeles Kings)

Gabriel Landeskog (Colorado Avalanche)

Elias Lindholm (Boston Bruins)

William Nylander (Toronto Maple Leafs)

Elias Pettersson (Vancouver Canucks)

Rickard Rakell (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Lucas Raymond (Detroit Red Wings)

Alexander Wennberg (San Jose Sharks)

Mika Zibanejad (New York Rangers)

Defensemen

Rasmus Andersson (Calgary Flames)

Philip Broberg (St. Louis Blues)

Jonas Brodin (Minnesota Wild)

Rasmus Dahlin (Buffalo Sabres)

Oliver Ekman-Larsson (Toronto Maple Leafs)

Gustav Forsling (Florida Panthers)

Victor Hedman (Tampa Bay Lightning)

Erik Karlsson (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Goaltenders

Filip Gustavsson (Minnesota Wild)

Jacob Markström (New Jersey Devils)

Jesper Wallstedt (Minnesota Wild)

TEAM FINLAND

Forwards

Joel Armia (Los Angeles Kings)
Sebastian Aho (Carolina Hurricanes)
Mikael Granlund (Anaheim Ducks)
Erik Haula (Nashville Predators)
Roope Hintz (Dallas Stars)
Kaapo Kakko (Seattle Kraken)
Oliver Kapanen (Montreal Canadiens)
Joel Kiviranta (Colorado Avalanche)
Artturi Lehkonen (Colorado Avalanche)
Anton Lundell (Florida Panthers)
Eetu Luostarinen (Florida Panthers)
Mikko Rantanen (Dallas Stars)
Teuvo Teravainen (Chicago Blackhawks)
Eeli Tolvanen (Seattle Kraken)

Defensemen

Miro Heiskanen (Dallas Stars)
Henri Jokiharju (Boston Bruins)
Mikko Lehtonen (ZSC Lions, Switzerland)
Esa Lindell (Dallas Stars)
Olli Maatta (Utah Mammoth)
Nikolas Matinpalo (Ottawa Senators)
Niko Mikkola (Florida Panthers)
Rasmus Ristolainen (Philadelphia Flyers)

Goaltenders

Kevin Lankinen (Vancouver Canucks)
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (Buffalo Sabres)
Juuse Saros (Nashville Predators)

SPORTSNET: New York Islanders center Bo Horvat is out for at least a week with a lower-body injury.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche placed goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood on injured reserve.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Columbus Blue Jackets activated defenseman Zach Werenski from injured reserve.

CBS SPORTS: San Jose Sharks blueliner John Klingberg is doubtful for Saturday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 31, 2025

by | Dec 31, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 31, 2025

Recapping Tuesday’s games, Sharks sophomore Macklin Celebrini could make Canada’s Men’s Olympic hockey team, Flames re-sign Devin Cooley, and more in the final NHL Morning Coffee Headlines for 2025.

RECAPS OF TUESDAY’S ACTION

NHL.COM: The injury-depleted Toronto Maple Leafs got a 33-save shutout from Joseph Woll to blank the New Jersey Devils 4-0. Bobby McMann and Nicolas Roy each had a goal and an assist for the Maple Leafs, who extended their points streak to four games (3-0-1) and improved their record to 18-15-6. Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom allowed three goals on 29 shots for the slumping Devils (20-17-2), who are winless in their last four contests (0-3-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Maple Leafs played without Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Chris Tanev, and Dakota Joshua, who are currently sidelined by injuries. Following the game, Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe called out his players’ “lack of balls” after team captain Nico Hischier lost a lopsided scrap to Leafs power forward Matthew Knies in the third period.

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki (NHL Images).

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki scored the tying and winning goals to lead his club to a 3-2 overtime victory over the Florida Panthers. Cole Caufield also scored for the Canadiens (21-12-6), who overcame a 2-0 deficit to extend their points streak to six games (4-0-2). Brad Marchand and Sam Reinhart tallied for the 21-15-3 Panthers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers honored Marchand for his 1,000th career NHL regular-season game in a pregame ceremony. He also took a roughing penalty in overtime that led to Suzuki’s game-winning goal.

A shootout goal by Bo Horvat lifted the New York Islanders over the Chicago Blackhawks by a score of 3-2. Horvat also scored in regulation, and rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer collected an assist for the 22-14-4 Islanders. Oliver Moore collected two assists for the Blackhawks, who slipped to 14-18-7.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Shaefer’s assist made him the youngest defenseman in NHL history to reach 25 career regular-season points.

Goalie Stuart Skinner made 27 saves for his first win with the Pittsburgh Penguins as his club downed the Carolina Hurricanes 5-1. Anthony Mantha tallied two goals while Erik Karlsson, Bryan Rust, and Justin Brazeau each had two points for the Penguins (17-12-9). Mark Jankowski netted the only goal for the Hurricanes (24-12-3), who remain in first place in the Eastern Conference with 51 points.

The Philadelphia Flyers got two-point performances from Noah Cates, Bobby Brink, Trevor Zegras, and Travis Konecny in a 6-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. David Kampf and Drew O’Connor each had a goal and an assist for the Canucks, who dropped to 16-20-3. The Flyers (20-11-7) have won three of their last four games.

HEADLINES

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: According to a report by ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, Sharks sophomore center Macklin Celebrini had made Canada’s Men’s Olympic hockey team. The formal announcement of Canada’s roster will be made on Dec. 31.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It will be a well-deserved honor for Celebrini. The 19-year-old Sharks center is having an outstanding season, sitting third among NHL scorers with 60 points in 39 games. He’s on pace to eclipse Joe Thornton’s single-season franchise record of 114 points in 2006-07.

TSN: Darren Dreger reports that sidelined Vegas Golden Knights center William Karlsson will not be available for Sweden’s Men’s Olympic hockey team. He has been absent since Nov. 8 with a lower-body injury.

CALGARY SUN: The Flames signed goaltender Devin Cooley to a two-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $1.35 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cooley’s been a solid backup for Dustin Wolf in the Flames’ crease this season. He has a record of 4-4-2 with a 2.40 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers could get Adam Fox back in the lineup for Wednesday’s game against the Washington Capitals. The 27-year-old defenseman has been sidelined since Nov. 29 with a shoulder injury.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Golden Knights center Jack Eichel could return to action against the Nashville Predators on Dec. 31. He’s missed six games with an illness and a lower-body injury.

SPORTSNET: The Los Angeles Kings activated goaltender Darcy Kuemper from injured reserve.

BUFFALO HOCKEY BEAT: Sabres goalie Alex Lyon is being evaluated for a lower-body injury suffered on Monday against the St. Louis Blues.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 20, 2025

by | Dec 20, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 20, 2025

Recaps of Friday’s games, the Kings send Phillip Danault back to the Canadiens, the Kraken trade Mason Marchment to the Blue Jackets, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING FRIDAY’S NHL GAMES

NHL.COM: A hat trick by Kiefer Sherwood powered the Vancouver Canucks to a 4-1 victory over the New York Islanders. Thatcher Demko made 22 saves, and Filip Hronek collected two assists for the 14-17-3 Canucks. Anders Lee replied for the 19-13-3 Islanders, who have dropped two straight games.

Vancouver Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Since trading Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild last Friday, the Canucks have won three straight games. Veteran defenseman Tyler Myers played his 1,100th career NHL regular-season game.

Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson scored twice and collected an assist to lead his club to an 8-3 thrashing of the Anaheim Ducks. Roope Hintz and Thomas Harley each had a goal and an assist for the Stars (24-7-5), who picked up their third straight win. Anaheim goaltender Petr Mrazek replaced starter Lukas Dostal after the latter gave up four goals on seven shots in the first period. The Ducks (20-13-2) have lost four of their last five games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars activated forward Adam Erne from long-term injured reserve. He’d been out since Nov. 14 with a lower-body injury.

Earlier in the day, they announced forward Tyler Seguin underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair a torn ACL. He has not been ruled out for the season and will be reevaluated following the Olympic break in February.

The Florida Panthers overcame a 3-0 deficit to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 on a shootout goal by Evan Rodrigues. Brad Marchand, Sam Reinhart, and Sam Bennett each had a goal and an assist for the Panthers (19-13-2), who have won seven of their last eight contests. Sebastian Aho scored twice for the 22-9-3 Hurricanes, whose five-game winning streak ended, as did goalie Brandon Bussi’s nine-game win streak.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes remain atop the Eastern Conference standings with 47 points, but it proved to be a costly victory as versatile forward Seth Jarvis is expected to miss some time after crashing into the Panthers’ net during overtime. They also played without forward Jordan Martinook, who is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

A third-period goal by Parker Kelly proved to be the game-winner for the Colorado Avalanche as they held off the Winnipeg Jets by a score of 3-2. Brent Burns and Martin Necas also scored for the 25-2-7 Avalanche, who remain in first place in the overall standings with 57 points. Morgan Barron and Mark Scheifele replied for the 15-17-2 Jets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche have won four in a row and seven of their last eight games. Meanwhile, the struggling Jets have won only three of their last 15 contests.

The New Jersey Devils nipped the Utah Mammoth 2-1. Stefan Noesen broke a 1-1 tie in the third period, and Nico Hischier had two assists for the 20-14-1 Devils. Daniil But scored his first career NHL goal for the 17-17-3 Mammoth.

HEADLINES

LOS ANGELES TIMES/MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: The Kings traded center Phillip Danault to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Danault is returning to the club where he spent five seasons (2016 to 2021) before signing with the Kings as a free agent. The 32-year-old two-way forward is signed through 2026-27 with an average annual value of $5.5 million. His addition pushed the Canadiens over the salary cap by $1.4 million, but they could demote Owen Beck and Jared Davidson to become cap-compliant. They could also place Alex Newhook on LTIR.

Danault has struggled offensively this season with five points in 30 games. However, he’s a left-shot center whose defensive skills will take pressure off top center Nick Suzuki and help to improve the Canadiens’ defensive game, especially on the penalty kill and in the faceoff circle. He could skate on the third line between Josh Anderson and Alexandre Texier, or he could be reunited with former linemate Brendan Gallagher on their fourth line.

The Kings were reportedly seeking a player in return, and it was rumored their asking price from the Canadiens was Jake Evans. They instead settled for a second-round pick that the Canadiens received from the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Patrik Laine trade in August 2024. The Kings could use that pick as a trade chip to pursue another player.

THE SEATTLE TIMES/THE ATHLETIC: The Kraken traded winger Mason Marchment to the Columbus Blue Jackets for a second-round pick in 2027 and a fourth-rounder in 2026.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kraken acquired Marchment from the Dallas Stars in June, giving up a third-rounder and a fourth-round pick. The gritty 30-year-old winger was used in a top-six role, but he wasn’t a good fit with the Kraken, making him the subject of recent trade speculation. He’s in the final season of a four-year contract with a cap hit of $4.5 million.

Marchment heads to a Blue Jackets club struggling to regain the form that had them challenging for a playoff berth last season. They’re hoping he can regain his 22-goal form and provide a much-needed jolt of physical energy to their lineup.

Both trades occurred before the annual holiday roster freeze went into effect at 11:59 pm ET on Friday, Dec. 19. The freeze is in place until 12:01 am ET on Sunday, Dec. 28.

LAS VEGAS SUN: Golden Knights center Jack Eichel and defenseman Shea Theodore will not be joining their teammates during their weekend Canadian road trip. Eichel was suffering from an illness, but he’s now day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Theodore was listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury, but is now considered week-to-week.

TSN: The Edmonton Oilers placed goaltender Tristan Jarry on injured reserve and called up Connor Ingram from their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield. They also placed winger Jack Roslovic on LTIR.

DAILY FACEOFF: Nashville Predators winger Jonathan Marchessault is out day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: On Friday, the Penguins officially announced that the sale of the franchise to the Hoffman Family of Companies had been completed. It was reported earlier this week that the sale would soon be made official. Fenway Sports Group owned the Penguins for the past four years.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Former forward John MacLean will become the fourth member of the Devils’ Ring of Honor. He will be inducted during a pregame ceremony on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, when the club hosts the Winnipeg Jets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacLean spent 14 of his 18 NHL seasons with New Jersey from 1983-84 to 1997-98. During his tenure with the Devils, he scored 347 goals and 701 points in 934 regular-season games, and 75 points in 88 playoff contests. He won a Stanley Cup with them in 1995 as a player and another in 2003 as an assistant coach.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 2, 2025

by | Nov 2, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 2, 2025

In today’s NHL Morning Coffee, we recap a busy Saturday schedule, plus the three stars and the Rookie of the Month for October are revealed.

RECAPPING SATURDAY’S ACTION

NHL.COM: The Winnipeg Jets got two goals from Kyle Connor to down the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2. Mark Scheifele and Gabriel Vilardi each had two points for the 9-3-0 Jets as they picked up their third straight win. Sidney Crosby and Blake Lizotte replied for the 8-3-2 Penguins as their points streak ended at eight games (6-0-2).

Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Scheifele took over the scoring lead, becoming the first player to reach 20 points this season. Penguins winger Justin Brazeau missed this contest with an upper-body injury.

A shootout goal by Brad Marchand lifted the Florida Panthers to a 4-3 victory over the Dallas Stars. Marchand also scored in regulation, as did teammates Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett for the Panthers, who improved to 6-5-1. Mikko Rantanen had a goal and an assist, and Sam Steel had three assists for the 6-3-3 Stars.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marchand returned to the Panthers’ lineup after taking a leave of absence to be with his friend and trainer, J.P. MacCallum, following the death of his daughter. Marchand immediately pointed skyward after he opened the scoring. Reinhart’s goal was the 300th regular-season goal of his NHL career.

San Jose Sharks forward Philipp Kurashev tallied twice, including the winner in overtime, in a 3-2 upset of the Colorado Avalanche. Macklin Celebrini scored to extend his points streak to seven games while Yaroslav Askarov kicked out 37 shots for the 4-6-2 Sharks, who’ve won three of their last four contests. Nathan MacKinnon netted his 10th goal of the season for the 7-1-5 Avalanche, who picked up a point to sit atop the overall standings with 19 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks defenseman Timothy Liljegren left this game with an upper-body injury after being struck by a puck while sitting on the bench. Avalanche call-up Taylor Makar made his debut, marking the first time he and older brother Cale Makar played together in the NHL. Taylor was returned to Colorado’s AHL affiliate after this game.

The Montreal Canadiens got an overtime goal from Alex Newhook for a 4-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki extended his points streak to 11 games with two assists, and Cole Caufield scored his 10th goal of the season for the Canadiens (9-3-0), who sit first in the Atlantic Division with 18 points. Drake Batherson had a goal and an assist for the Senators, who dropped to 6-5-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Batherson ended up being the goat in this game, as his errant pass in overtime was picked off by Newhook, who made no mistake on the breakaway.

New Jersey Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom turned in a 43-save performance to defeat the Los Angeles Kings 4-1. Dawson Mercer has two goals for the 9-3-0 Devils as they move into first place in the Metropolitan Division with 18 points. Andrei Kuzmenko had the only goal for the Kings as they dropped to 5-4-4 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils winger Connor Brown was ruled out for this game with an undisclosed injury. Meanwhile, the Kings placed winger Warren Foegele (upper body) on injured reserve.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Nick Robertson had a goal and an assist as the Toronto Maple Leafs got their first road victory of the season with a 5-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Rookie Easton Cowan tallied his first career NHL goal, and John Tavares had two assists as the Maple Leafs improved to 6-5-1. Christian Dvorak and Tyson Foerster replied for the 6-4-1 Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev was stretchered off the ice with a suspected head injury in the third period after being inadvertently hit from behind by Flyers winger Matvei Michkov. After the game, Leafs coach Craig Berube said they will know more about Tanev’s condition after he undergoes more tests, but added that the defenseman was moving. Berube thinks Tanev will be okay.

An overtime goal by Evan Bouchard lifted the Edmonton Oilers (6-4-3) over the Chicago Blackhawks by a score of 3-2. Leon Draisaitl extended his points streak to eight games with a goal and an assist, and Connor McDavid assisted on all three Oilers goals. Andre Burakovsky had a goal and an assist for the 5-4-3 Blackhawks.

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman stopped 27 shots to backstop his club over the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1. Casey Mittelstadt had a goal and an assist as the Bruins improved to 7-7-0. Alexander Nikishin scored for the Hurricanes, who have lost three of their last four games and dropped to 7-4-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis returned to action in this game after leaving Thursday’s 6-2 win over the New York Islanders with a lower-body injury.

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski had a goal and an assist as his club nipped the St. Louis Blues 3-2. Jet Greaves made 37 saves for the Blue Jackets as they improved to 7-4-0. Justin Faulk and Nick Bjugstad scored for the Blues, who dropped to 3-7-2.

A shootout goal by Bowen Byram gave the Buffalo Sabres a 4-3 win over the Washington Capitals. Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch each netted their fifth goals of the season, and rookie Isak Rosen scored his first NHL goal for the 5-4-3 Sabres. Aliaksei Protas potted his fifth of the season for the Capitals (6-5-1), who are winless in their last four (0-3-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals center Pierre-Luc Dubois missed this game as he’s day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

New York Rangers winger Will Cuylle scored in overtime to give his team a 3-2 win over the Seattle Kraken. Cuylle finished with two points, and teammate Adam Fox collected two assists for the 6-5-2 Rangers as they picked up their third straight win. Chandler Stephenson had a goal and an assist as the 5-2-4 Kraken extended their points streak to four games (2-0-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kraken winger Kaapo Kakko was held scoreless against his former team in his season debut after suffering a broken hand in a preseason game.

Minnesota Wild winger Vladimir Tarasenko had a goal and two assists as his club snapped a five-game winless skid to beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-2. Filip Gustavsson stopped 26 shots for the 4-6-3 Wild. Drew O’Connor tallied twice as the Canucks slipped to 6-7-0.

The Nashville Predators ended a three-game losing skid by doubling up the Calgary Flames 4-2. Michael Bunting had a goal and two assists in the first period for the 5-6-2 Predators. Jonathan Huberdeau and Joel Farabee scored for the Flames, who sit last in the overall standings with a record of 2-9-2.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel, Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele, and Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes are the three stars for October 2025. New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer was named Rookie of the Month.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 9, 2025

by | Oct 9, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 9, 2025

Recaps of Wednesday’s action, the Oilers re-sign Mattias Ekholm and add Jack Roslovic, Cam Atkinson to retire with the Blue Jackets, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Shootout goals by Adrian Kempe and Trevor Moore lifted the Los Angeles Kings over the Vegas Golden Knights 6-5. Quinton Byfield and Andrei Kuzmenko each had a goal and an assist for the Kings, who overcame a 5-3 deficit. Jack Eichel had a goal and three assists, Pavel Dorofeyev tallied a hat trick, and Mitch Marner collected two assists for the Golden Knights.

Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Golden Knights re-signed Eichel to an eight-year extension with an AAV of $13.5 million, which may have provided a little extra motivation for his season opener. He and Marner are already showing some promising offensive chemistry. Meanwhile, Dorofeyev’s hat trick is the first one of this new NHL season.

The Calgary Flames overcame a 3-0 deficit to defeat the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 on a shootout goal by Nazem Kadri. Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf stopped 32 shots for the win. Oilers center Leon Draisaitl scored his 400th career regular-season goal.

Before this game, the Oilers announced that defenseman Mattias Ekholm had agreed to a three-year contract extension with an average annual value (AAV) of $4 million. They also announced the signing of unrestricted free-agent forward Jack Roslovic to a one-year, $1.5 million contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: When healthy, Ekholm is a solid defensive blueliner and an invaluable part of the Oilers’ defense corps. He will be 36 when his new contract begins in July. However, with the salary cap rising significantly over the next two years, and with Connor McDavid taking a discount on a two-year contract extension, the Oilers felt it was a worthwhile investment as they continue their quest for the Stanley Cup.

Roslovic reportedly rejected an offer from Edmonton when free agency opened in July. He recently changed agents, which led to his new deal with the Oilers. It’s uncertain what role he’ll play with his new club.

The Toronto Maple Leafs won their 10th straight home opener with a 5-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Morgan Rielly snapped a 2-2 tie midway through the third period, and William Nylander had a goal and two assists for the Leafs. Oliver Kapanen and Zachary Bolduc replied for the Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game was closer than the score suggests, with the Leafs’ final two goals being empty-netters. Speaking of the Leafs, former defenseman Mark Giordano joined their AHL affiliate as a coaching advisor.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak had a goal and two assists to lead his club over the Washington Capitals 3-1, giving head coach Marco Sturm his first NHL victory. Elias Lindholm and Morgan Geekie each had a goal and an assist, and Jeremy Swayman kicked out 35 shots for the Bruins. Tom Wilson scored for the Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pastrnak has picked up from where he left off last season for the Bruins. Swayman also played well, getting off to a better start compared to last year, when he gave up four goals on 24 shots in his 2024-25 season opener after missing training camp and the preseason due to a contract dispute. He got the win in that game, but his performance was much sharper in this one.

Speaking of the Bruins, they named Pastrnak, Lindholm, and Charlie McAvoy as alternate captains, but intend to play this season without a team captain. The San Jose Sharks will also be without a captain this season, with sophomore center Macklin Celebrini among their five alternates.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE ATHLETIC: Cam Atkinson will end his 13-season NHL career where it began: with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Atkinson, 36, will sign a one-day contract with the Blue Jackets on Oct. 16 and simultaneously announce his retirement.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Atkinson had 253 goals and 236 assists for 489 points in 809 regular-season games with the Blue Jackets, Philadelphia Flyers, and Tampa Bay Lightning. He also had 10 goals and 26 points in 35 playoff games. He spent 10 of his 13 NHL seasons with the Blue Jackets, including a career-best 41 goals and 69 points in 80 games in 2018-19. Atkinson is second all-time among Blue Jackets skaters with 213 goals and 402 points and third in games played with 627.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: The Flyers will honor the memory of Hall of Famer Bernie Parent with a jersey patch and a preseason ceremony during their home-opener on Oct. 13. There will also be a celebration of his life at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Nov. 21.

The beloved Flyers goaltender passed away on Sept. 21 at the age of 80.

DAILY FACEOFF: Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan Strome will miss the start of the season with an upper-body injury.

CBS SPORTS: Tampa Bay Lightning forward Zemgus Girgensons will miss the first two games of the regular season with an undisclosed injury. He was placed on injured reserve on Monday.










Golden Knights Sign Jack Eichel To An Eight-Year Contract Extension

by | Oct 8, 2025

Golden Knights Sign Jack Eichel To An Eight-Year Contract Extension

The Vegas Golden Knights and center Jack Eichel reached an agreement on an eight-year, $108 million contract extension. Eichel, who turns 29 on Oct. 28, will earn an average annual value (AAV) of $13.5 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Another notable name from next summer’s list of potential unrestricted free agents is off the market.

Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (NHL Images).

Eichel’s new contract comes hours after the Winnipeg Jets re-signed Kyle Connor to an eight-year extension ($12 million AAV). Since Sept. 30, Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild and Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers have also re-signed with their respective clubs. The significant projected increases in the salary cap over the next two seasons have made it easier for teams to re-sign their best players. 

It’s not surprising that Eichel is staying with the Golden Knights. Recent reports indicated both sides were working on an eight-year deal, and it seemed only a matter of time until it was done.

Eichel has been Vegas’ first-line center since joining them during the 2021-22 season, helping them win the Stanley Cup in 2023 and setting single-season franchise records for assists (66) and points (94) last season. There was no way the Golden Knights would let him walk away next summer, not after bringing in Mitch Marner this summer to be his potential linemate.

With Eichel signed, the 2026 UFA market has thinned considerably. New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin is still available, along with Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, Los Angeles Kings winger Adrian Kempe, and Colorado Avalanche winger Martin Necas.

Don’t be surprised if at least half of those players are re-signed before next July.