NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 20, 2025

by | May 20, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 20, 2025

The Eastern Conference Final begins on Tuesday, the ongoing fallout from the Leafs’ second-round elimination, an update on Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The 2025 NHL Eastern Conference Final between the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers begins in Raleigh on Tuesday, May 20, at 8 pm ET.

TSN: The Hurricanes are pushing back against the perception that their style of play is “boring”.

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin (NHL Images).

“You read it everywhere now and you’re like, ‘OK, we play a high-paced, puck pressure game with a lot of shots,” said Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin. “So if people find that boring, then I don’t know. I don’t think it’s a boring game. I think it’s hard to play against.”

Slavin’s teammate, Seth Jarvis, also weighed in. “I feel if this was Toronto or a different team shutting teams down, they’d be getting praised out of this world.” Sebastian Aho, tied for the lead among Hurricanes scorers, said it came down to the hard work necessary to win hockey games.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Panthers don’t consider the Hurricanes’ style to be dull. “It’s really hard to play against these guys and they know it and we know it,” said Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov. “It’s going to be a really fun, hard series. Looking forward to that.”

Barkov’s teammate, Matthew Tkachuk, called the Hurricanes “a great team” and felt the upcoming series would be “another great showdown” between the two clubs, calling them “a tough team to play against and they make it hard every game.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Anyone who thinks Carolina plays dull hockey didn’t suffer through the Dead Puck Era of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Many games from that time remain a great cure for insomnia. I’m not kidding. I dozed off at times while watching the 2003 Stanley Cup Final.

The Hurricanes have had some exciting postseason series, especially against the Capitals in 2019 and the Bruins and Rangers in 2022. The quality of their opponents in this postseason thus far might give some fans the perception that they’re boring. Their upcoming tilt with the Panthers should be entertaining.

TORONTO STAR: Panthers head coach Paul Maurice cautioned the Toronto media not to be too harsh on the Maple Leafs following their second-round elimination to Florida on Sunday. Panthers winger Brad Marchand said the Leafs didn’t deserve to be “crucified” by critics, claiming the pressure from Toronto fans is beaten into the team.

SPORTSNET: Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk was sympathetic toward the Leafs players because of the pressure they face in Toronto. “Sometimes you feel bad for them because they have some unbelievable players and a great team,” said Tkachuk. “I was actually saying this the other night to some of the guys. If this team was not in Toronto, dealing with all the crazy circus stuff outside of it, they’d be an unbelievable team and such a hard team to play.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Toronto is a hockey-mad market, and their fan base is desperate for the club’s 58-year Stanley Cup drought to end. However, playing in another market wouldn’t detract from the fact that this version of the Leafs is top-heavy, with too much money invested in a handful of players, leaving little to address the depth issues throughout its roster. It’s doubtful they’d be more successful in another market.

Daily Faceoff’s Matt Larkin and Frank Seravalli point out that Toronto isn’t the only pressure-cooker market, but stars like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers rise to the occasion.

Rick Vaive was a high-profile player for the Leafs in the 1980s when the franchise was not very good. He pointed out that there was nowhere to hide from the media back then and the players always had to be accountable. Vaive believes some players, like Mitch Marner, aren’t cut out to handle it and might benefit from a change of scenery.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The Bruins benefited from the outcome of the Toronto-Florida series. The conditional second-round pick in 2027 they received from the Panthers in the Brad Marchand trade became a first-rounder because the Panthers won two playoff series and the 37-year-old winger played in at least half of their postseason games.

RG.ORG: James Murphy cited sources saying Rick Tocchet passed on becoming the Bruins’ head coach because of general manager Don Sweeney’s status with the club and Sweeney’s track record with Bruins coaches. Tocchet signed on with the Philadelphia Flyers last week as their new coach.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm skated with his teammates on Monday in his first full practice since suffering a suspected groin pull weeks ago. He could return to the lineup for Game 5 of their upcoming Western Conference Final against the Dallas Stars.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Washington Capitals defenseman Alex Alexeyev was arrested for public intoxication in Clarendon, Virginia, on Saturday. He was booked at Arlington County jail and later released.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 4, 2025

by | May 4, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 4, 2025

Mikko Rantanen leads the Stars to a Game 7 victory over the Avalanche, the schedule for three of the four second-round series are revealed, the latest on Mark Scheifele, Brady Tkachuk, Claude Giroux, Mattias Ekholm, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Mikko Rantanen tallied a hat trick and collected an assist on Wyatt Johnston’s winning goal to lead the Dallas Stars to a 4-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche in Game 7 of their first-round series.

Dallas Stars winger Mikko Rantanen (NHL Images).

Josh Manson and Nathan MacKinnon scored for the Avalanche, who held a 2-0 lead in the third period until Rantanen broke the game open for the Stars. Rantanen leads all playoff scorers in the first round with 12 points.

The Stars await the winner of Sunday’s Game 7 matchup between the Winnipeg Jets and St. Louis Blues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rantanen’s efforts in this game will be remembered as one of the greatest single-period performances in NHL playoff history. The Avalanche were on the verge of winning this series until their former teammate took over.

MacKinnon was shocked by how quickly things fell apart for his team, crediting Rantanen as the difference-maker in this game.

Trading away one of their best players (and a proven postseason performer) at midseason only to have him almost single-handedly beat them in Game 7 will haunt the Avalanche for years.

Stars head coach Peter DeBoer holds the North American pro sports record for the most Game 7 wins by a head coach or manager, going a perfect 9-0.

The NHL released the schedule for three of the four upcoming second-round series.

It begins on Monday, May 5, with Game 1 of the Toronto Maple Leafs vs Florida Panthers series, starting in Toronto at 8 pm ET.

On Tuesday, May 6, the Washington Capitals host the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 starting at 7 pm ET. The Edmonton Oilers travel to Las Vegas to meet the Golden Knights in Game 1 starting at 9:30 pm ET.

TSN: Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele will be a game-time decision for Game 7 on Sunday against the St. Louis Blues in Winnipeg. Scheifele left Game 5 with an undisclosed and missed Game 6 in St. Louis, which the Blues won 5-2 to tie the series at three games apiece.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets missed Scheifele’s presence in the last game. He could provide them a lift if he’s good to go for the seventh and deciding game.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators captain Brady Tkachuk dismissed speculation that he wants out of Ottawa. Speaking with the media on Saturday, Tkachuk called the rumor an obvious lie, maintaining his commitment to helping the Senators become a winning team.

Tkachuk also said he suffered a hip injury during the 4 Nations Face-Off in February and played through that over the rest of the season after missing a couple of games. He also suffered an upper-body injury on March 30 and took off the final game of the regular season to prepare for the playoffs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tkachuk is under contract through 2027-28. Before this season, the speculation about his future was based on the Senators’ long postseason drought. Their recent improvement, partly thanks to Tkachuk’s performance and leadership, is testament to his commitment to this club.

Senators forward Claude Giroux hopes to return next season. The 37-year-old forward has no plans to retire. If the Senators don’t re-sign him, he’ll join another club.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Giroux prefers to stay with the Senators. He’s completing a three-year contract with an average annual value of $6.5 million. His production has declined over that period (79 points in 2022-23, 64 points last season, 50 this season) and he’ll have to take a pay cut, but they have the room to re-sign him to a one or two-year deal.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers will be without defenseman Mattias Ekholm for their second-round series against the Golden Knights. He missed their first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings with an undisclosed injury.

MAYOR’S MANOR: Speaking of the Kings, John Hoven cited multiple sources claiming it appears that general manager Rob Blake and head coach John Hiller will return for 2025-26.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hoven is well-connected with the Kings’ organization. He indicated there’s nothing official yet on the status of Blake and Hiller as the club’s powers-that-be are taking the weekend to decompress following another first-round elimination at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers.

CALGARY SUN: The Flames signed Matt Coronato to a seven-year contract extension with an AAV of $6.5 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Coronato is completing his entry-level contract, receiving a substantial raise over his current AAV of $925K. The 22-year-old winger earned it with a solid sophomore season, finishing third among Flames scorers with 24 goals and 23 assists for 47 points in 77 games. Flames management anticipates big things to come for this promising forward.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Carolina Hurricanes signed Frederik Andersen to a one-year contract extension. He’ll receive a base salary of $2.75 million and upward of $750K in performance bonuses.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Andersen is a steady presence in the Hurricanes’ crease when healthy. They felt it was best to stick with the oft-injured netminder for another season rather than find an affordable replacement among the limited options in this summer’s trade and free-agent markets.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sharks forward William Eklund may have avoided serious injury after being cut on his left wrist by a skate during a World Championship tune-up game.

Playing for Sweden, Eklund was injured playing against Czechia when he was clipped by Filip Hronek’s skate. He was rushed to a local hospital, where he is in stable condition. His agent, Todd Diamond, said it doesn’t appear the skate blade cut any key tendons or nerves.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Here’s hoping Eklund wasn’t seriously hurt and fully recovers from this incident.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 13, 2025

by | Apr 13, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 13, 2025

The Jets clinch top spot in the Western Conference and Central Division, the Golden Knights secure the Pacific Division title, the Rangers, Islanders and Red Wings are eliminated from the playoff race, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Winnipeg Jets clinched first place in the Western Conference and the Central Division with a 5-4 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Cole Perfetti tallied the game-winner in the shootout and Josh Morrisey scored twice for the Jets (114 points). Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar each had a goal and an assist for the Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets hold a five-point lead over the second-place Washington Capitals in the overall standings but they have two games left while the Capitals have three. Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers left the game in the second period after accidentally colliding with a linesman. There was no postgame update on his status.

This was also the final game for Blackhawks forward Patrick Maroon and defenseman Alec Martinez as both players retired after this game. They will not be joining the Blackhawks on their season-ending two-game road trip.

The Vegas Golden Knights clinched the Pacific Division title for the fourth time in eight years by defeating the Nashville Predators 5-3. Noah Hanifin broke a 3-3 tie with 1:55 remaining in the third period while Brett Howden and Nicolas Roy each had a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights (107 points). Former Golden Knights winger Jonathan Marchessault scored in his first game in Vegas since joining the Predators last summer.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Seth Jarvis had a goal and two assists in a 7-3 victory over the New York Rangers, eliminating the latter from the playoff race. The Hurricanes clinched a playoff berth last week and will face the New Jersey Devils in the opening round. J.T. Miller had a goal and an assist for the Rangers.

A shootout goal by Bobby Brink lifted the Philadelphia Flyers over the New York Islanders 4-3 to eliminate the latter from the postseason chase. Tyson Foerster tallied twice for the Flyers while Bo Horvat, Anders Lee and Noah Dobson each had a goal and an assist for the Islanders.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).

The Montreal Canadiens failed to clinch the final Eastern wild-card berth as they dropped a 1-0 decision to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Mitch Marner scored in overtime for the Leafs, who hold first place in the Atlantic Division with 102 points. Jakub Dobes stopped 35 shots for the Canadiens (88 points), who picked up a point to move seven ahead of the Detroit Red Wings, eliminating the latter from the playoff race.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs also announced that former general manager Gerry McNamara died on Friday at age 90.

A minor-league goaltender for most of his playing career, McNamara appeared in seven NHL games with the Leafs between 1960-61 and 1969-70. He was a scout for the Leafs in the 1970s and was GM from 1981-82 to 1987-88.

My condolences to McNamara’s family, friends, former teammates and the Leafs organization.

Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Jet Greaves made 21 saves for his first NHL shutout in a 7-0 drubbing of the Washington Capitals. James van Riemsdyk had a goal and two assists and Adam Fantilli scored twice as the Blues Jackets kept their playoff hopes alive. They’re five points behind Montreal but have three games left while the Canadiens have two.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blue Jackets face Washington on Sunday in the second game of their back-to-back. They will be eliminated if they lose that game in any fashion.

The Capitals gave captain Alex Ovechkin the day off on Saturday but he could return to the lineup for Sunday’s contest. Teammate Jakob Chychrun was also absent Saturday as he’s battling an illness while Hunter Shepard gave up seven goals on 26 shots. Charlie Lindgren will be their starter on Sunday.

Minnesota Wild winger Mats Zuccarello scored in overtime to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 3-2. Brock Faber and Marcus Foligno scored in the third period as the Wild overcame a 2-0 deficit. Marcus Pettersson and Jake DeBrusk scored for the Canucks. With 95 points, the Wild sit one point ahead of the St. Louis Blues in the first Western Conference wild-card spot and five points ahead of the Calgary Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Canucks announced center Elias Pettersson is done for the season as he continues to deal with an upper-body injury suffered on March 22 against the New York Rangers. Wild forward Yakov Trenin was ejected after hitting Canucks defenseman Derek Forbort with a late punch while the latter was lying on the ice following a fight between the two players.

The St. Louis Blues fell 4-3 to the Seattle Kraken on a shootout goal by Chandler Stephenson. Nick Leddy had a goal and an assist in regulation play for the Blues, who sit one point behind the Wild in the final wild-card spot, four points ahead of the Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild and Blues each have one game left in their schedules while the Flames have three games. The latter still has a chance to clinch a wild-card spot if they win all three games while the Blues lose their final game. Speaking of the Blues, defenseman Colton Parayko returned to action in this game after injuring his right knee on March 5 against the Los Angeles Kings.

Speaking of the Kings, they held off the Colorado Avalanche 5-4. Kevin Fiala scored two goals while Quinton Byfield and Alex Laferriere each had a goal and two assists for the Kings, who sit second in the Pacific Division with 101 points. Colorado center Brock Nelson scored twice, including his 300th NHL regular-season goal. The Avalanche will face the Dallas Stars in the first round.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings will meet the Edmonton Oilers in the opening round for the fourth straight year. They’ll face an Oilers team lacking a key defenseman as Mattias Ekholm will be sidelined for “quite some time” with an undisclosed injury.

Meanwhile, Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog could join his teammates for their series with the Stars. He’s currently on a conditioning stint with their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles. On Saturday, Landeskog scored a goal in his second game with the Eagles. His last NHL game was Game 6 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final.

The Stars, meanwhile, dropped a 5-3 decision to the Utah Hockey Club. Logan Cooley had a goal and two assists for Utah. Jason Robertson scored his 35th goal of the season and Wyatt Johnston his 32nd for the Stars, who clinched second place in the Central Division.

A shootout goal by Anton Lundell gave the Florida Panthers a 3-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Carter Verhaeghe had a goal and an assist for the Panthers, who sit third in the Atlantic Division with 98 points. Rasmus Dahlin and JJ Peterka scored for the Sabres.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 12, 2025

by | Feb 12, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 12, 2025

The latest 4 Nations Face-Off news, the QMJHL honors Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin prepares for the final stretch of the regular season, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

LATEST 4 NATIONS FACE-OFF NEWS

NEW YORK POST: Islanders center Brock Nelson is carrying on his family’s legacy of skating for the United States in international play. Nelson’s great-uncle Gordon Christian played in the 1956 Winter Olympic Games. His grandfather Bill Christian and great-uncle Roger Christian won gold at the 1960 Games, and his uncle Dave Christian won gold in 1980.

Team USA center Brock Nelson (NHL.com).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nelson won the bronze medal playing for Team USA at the 2011 World Juniors and the 2015 Worlds.

TSN: Jordan Binnington was named the starter for Canada’s opening game at the 4 Nations Face-Off against Sweden on Wednesday in Montreal. Coach Jon Cooper said Binnington was “excited” and “confident” when informed of the decision. He gets the nod over Adin Hill and Sam Montembeault.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Binnington backstopped the St. Louis Blues to the Stanley Cup in 2019. He played for Canada at the 2024 IIHF World Championships, finishing with a 6-2 record with a 2.81 goals-against average and an .885 save percentage.

DAILY FACEOFF: Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz and Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros could take on prominent roles for Finland’s injury-battered roster. Defensemen Miro Heiskanen, Rasmus Ristolainen and Jani Hakanpaa withdrew from the tournament, putting pressure on the forwards and goaltenders.

SPORTSNET: Edmonton Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm hopes to have a big impact for Team Sweden in the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ekholm was part of Sweden’s gold-medal team at the 2018 World Championships with a goal and two assists in four games.

IN OTHER NEWS…

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) is renaming its Rookie of the Year trophy to the Sidney Crosby Trophy. It was known as the RDS Cup from 1996-97 to 2023-24. Crosby won the award in 2003-04 with the Rimouski Oceanic.

RG.ORG: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin will be training with a “mystery partner” in Miami during the 4 Nations Face-Off to maintain his fitness level for the remainder of the regular season. Ovechkin is chasing Wayne Gretzky’s goal record of 894 while the Capitals are jockeying with the Winnipeg Jets for first place in the overall standings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin needs 15 goals to break Gretzky’s record. He was coy about the identity of his training partner, saying that it’s a former player but it isn’t Ilya Kovalchuk.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Utah Hockey Club continues to evaluate goaltender Connor Ingram’s condition. After taking an Ovechkin slapshot off his mask, he left Sunday’s games against the Capitals.

TSN: Minnesota Wild center Ryan Hartman’s appeal of his 10-game suspension will be heard by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman on Friday. Hartman was suspended for roughing Ottawa Senators center Tim Stutzle during a Feb. 1 game between the two clubs.

DAILY FACEOFF: Speaking of the Wild, they placed forward Devin Shore on waivers for the fourth time this season.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Kraken invited two youth hockey referees pushed by a parent to an upcoming game. The incident occurred during a game on Sunday at the Kraken Ice Complex.

The parent came on the ice during a 12-and-under game and pushed each of the referees, 13 and 14, to the ice before quickly leaving. The parent has been charged with two counts of fourth-degree assault.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 2, 2025

by | Feb 2, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 2, 2025

Recaps of Saturday’s games, the three stars and rookie of the month for January are unveiled, the Sharks trade Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci to the Dallas Stars, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING SATURDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak tallied a hat trick and collected an assist in a 6-3 victory over the New York Rangers. Brad Marchand, Matthew Poitras and Pavel Zacha each collected two points for the Bruins (58 points), who sit behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. J.T. Miller scored twice in his first game with the Rangers since they reacquired him from the Vancouver Canucks on Friday.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The loss leaves the Rangers (52 points) six points behind the Lightning. Blueshirts forward Jimmy Vesey was a healthy scratch for the ninth straight game. He recently lamented that his situation left him feeling he had “no role or purpose” with the team but head coach Peter Laviolette insists he remains an important part of the roster.

Meanwhile, the Lightning dropped a 3-2 decision to the New York Islanders. Tony DeAngelo scored in overtime and Adam Boqvist netted his first goal with the Isles since being claimed off waivers from the Florida Panthers. Jake Guentzel and Nikita Kucherov replied for the Lightning (58 points), who cling to the final Eastern wild-card spot with three games in hand over the Bruins. The Islanders (55 points) have won seven straight and are three points back of the Bolts.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders are on a tear despite being walloped by injuries. They announced on Saturday that goaltender Semyon Varlamov remains sidelined indefinitely with a lower-body injury. He joined goalie Marcus Hogberg and defensemen Ryan Pulock, Noah Dobson and Mike Reilly on injured reserve.

Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice collected his 900th NHL win as his club beat the Chicago Blackhawks 5-1. Sam Reinhart had a goal and two assists while Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe each picked up two points for the Panthers (65 points), who hold a one-point lead over the Toronto Maple Leafs for first place in the Atlantic Division. Blackhawks forward Logan Slaggert opened the scoring just seven seconds into the game, setting a franchise record for the fastest game-opening goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maurice becomes the fourth coach in league history to reach the 900-win milestone. Meanwhile, Barkov joined Jari Kurri and Teemu Selanne as the third Finnish player to record 200 multi-point games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy returned to action after missing 13 games with a groin injury.

The Winnipeg Jets got an overtime goal from Josh Morrissey to nip the Washington Capitals 5-4, giving the Jets 77 points and a two-point lead over the Capitals for first place in the overall standings. Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin tallied his 877th NHL regular-season goal. Morrisey finished the night with two goals while Cole Perfetti and Dylan Samberg each had a goal and an assist for the Jets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin is 18 goals from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894.

Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson had a goal and three assists while goalie Leevi Merilainen made 16 saves in a 6-0 shutout of the Minnesota Wild. Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson each had a goal and two assists for the Senators, who picked up their fourth straight win and sit third in the Atlantic Division with 60 points. The Wild’s three-game win streak ended as they remain third in the Central Division with 66 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild forward Ryan Hartman received a match penalty for intent to injure Stutzle following a face-off draw when he pushed Stutzle’s head into the ice. The Senators center received treatment for cuts above his left eye and finished the game.

The Toronto Maple Leafs scored three first-period goals and Mitch Marner tallied what proved to be the game-winner in the third as they held off the Edmonton Oilers 4-3. Marner and teammate Auston Matthews each had two points while Joseph Woll kicked out 45 shots for the win. Evan Bouchard and Brett Kulak each had two points for the Oilers, who remain in second place in the Pacific Division with 68 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm missed this game due to illness. Leafs blueliner Oliver Ekman-Larsson left this contest after the second period with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. Meanwhile, Leafs rearguard Jani Hakanpaa ended his comeback bid for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off as he continues to deal with a lingering knee injury.

Los Angeles Kings winger Kevin Fiala scored twice in a 4-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. Phillip Danault and Quinton Byfield each picked up two points for the Kings, who sit third in the Pacific Division with 60 points. Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Eric Robinson scored for the Hurricanes as their seven-game points streak ended, leaving them second in the Metropolitan Division with 68 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes’ Brent Burns collected an assist to become the 13th defenseman in league history to reach the 900-point milestone. He’s the only active blueliner on that list. Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov missed this game with an upper-body injury.

The Detroit Red Wings picked up their fifth straight win by dousing the Calgary Flames 3-1. Cam Talbot turned aside 33 shots while Dylan Larkin, Simon Edvinsson and Andrew Copp tallied for the Red Wings (57 points), leaving them one point out of the final Eastern wild card. Nazem Kadri scored for the Flames, who’ve lost three of their last four contests and cling to the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 57 points.

Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 25 shots for his first shutout of the season in a 3-0 victory over the Nashville Predators. Sidney Crosby extended his goal streak to four games, Philip Tomasino scored against his former club for the first time and Bryan Rust netted his 20th of the season. The Predators have dropped four straight.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak, Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson and Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski were the league’s three stars for January 2025. Calgary Flames goalie Dustin Wolf was named Rookie of the Month.

The Dallas Stars acquired center Mikael Granlund and defenseman Cody Ceci from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a first-round pick and a conditional third-rounder in the 2025 NHL Draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Granlund and Ceci are slated to become unrestricted free agents on July 1. Granlund was reportedly interested in signing an extension with the rebuilding Sharks, but general manager Mike Grier opted to move the pair to stockpile draft picks, giving his club two first-rounders this year.

Dallas made this move to bolster their roster for a potential Stanley Cup run this season. Granlund has 45 points in 52 games, putting him on pace to reach 60 points for the second straight year. Ceci is an experienced right-shot defenseman who’ll provide depth on the right side of the Stars blueline.

The Stars put center Tyler Seguin and defenseman Nils Lundkvist on long-term injury reserve to free up cap space to acquire Granlund and Ceci. Seguin underwent hip surgery in December and could return to action during the playoffs, when salary-cap constraints no longer apply. Lundkvist is done for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks GM Patrick Allvin met with the media on Saturday to explain why his club traded J.T. Miller to the Rangers on Friday. He felt he had no choice but to move the 31-year-old center for his own well-being and the sake of the club’s culture, which had been upset by a rift between Miller and Elias Pettersson.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Miller got off to a great start in his first game back with the Rangers by scoring two goals. All eyes in Vancouver will be on whether Pettersson regains his scoring touch after struggling through the first half of this season.

DAILY FACEOFF: Speaking of the Canucks, they placed winger Philip Di Giuseppe on waivers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 7, 2023

by | Oct 7, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 7, 2023

Recaps of Friday’s preseason action, injury updates on the Oilers’ Mattias Ekholm, the Wild’s Jared Spurgeon and the Jets’ Ville Heinola, the latest players on the waiver wire and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

PRESEASON GAMES RECAPS

NHL.COM: New Jersey Devils goaltender Akira Schmid made 30 saves to shut out the New York Islanders 3-0. Max Willman, Kevin Bahl and Simon Nemec were the goal scorers as the Devils went undefeated (7-0-0) in all their preseason games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders winger Kyle Palmieri made his preseason debut in this contest. He’d been sidelined by an undisclosed offseason injury.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

The Pittsburgh Penguins got two goals by Drew O’Connor and two assists from team captain Sidney Crosby in a 7-4 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Casey Mittelstadt had a goal and two assists and Devon Levi stopped 28 shots for the Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby also got into a brief tussle with Sabres forward Peyton Krebs over the latter’s hit on Penguins defenseman Kris Letang, who was unhurt on the play.

Carolina Hurricanes forwards Martin Necas and Teuvo Teravainen each had a goal and an assist as their club beat the Nashville Predators 4-1. Kevin Lankinen made 30 saves for the Predators.

The Edmonton Oilers got a 35-save performance by Jack Campbell in a 3-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Evander Kane, Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman scored for the Oilers while Jared McCann replied for the Kraken.

Vancouver Canucks forward Phillip Di Giuseppe had a goal and an assist to lead his club over the Calgary Flames by a score of 3-1. Nazem Kadri replied for the Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A moment of silence was held before the game to honor the memory of Flames assistant general manager Chris Snow, who died on Sept. 30 from ALS at age 42.

HEADLINES AND OTHER NEWS

STARTRIBUNE.COM: Minnesota Wild captain Jared Spurgeon is sidelined week-to-week with an upper-body injury suffered during Thursday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild are turning to veteran blueliner Alex Goligoski as Spurgeon’s replacement.

DAILY FACEOFF: Speaking of the Wild, they’re reportedly closing in on a contract extension for Ryan Hartman. The 29-year-old forward’s new deal is expected to be for three years with an average annual value of $4.1 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s a nice raise in pay over the $1.7 million AAV that Hartman is earning on his current contract.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: With Mattias Ekholm questionable to be ready to play in the Oilers’ season opener, some observers are wondering about the seriousness of his lingering hip injury that sidelined him throughout training camp and preseason play.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ekholm downplayed those concerns, saying he and the club are being extra cautious. Still, the worries are understandable given his value to the Oilers blueline since his acquisition from the Nashville Predators before last season’s trade deadline.

WINNIPEG SUN: Jets defenseman Ville Heinola suffered a fractured ankle in his club’s 3-0 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Thursday. He will be sidelined for between eight to 12 weeks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Heinola had a terrific training camp and played well in preseason action until his injury. It’s a setback not just for his development as an NHL regular but also for the Jets defense corps.

DAILY FACEOFF: Anaheim Ducks forward Leo Carlsson was helped from the ice during practice on Friday as he was unable to put any weight on his right foot. The full extent of the injury has not been revealed. The 18-year-old center was the Ducks first-round pick (second overall) in this year’s draft and was expected to play for them this season.

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman John Klingberg is expected to be ready for the club’s season-opener next week after spending the past week sidelined with an upper-body injury.

TORONTO SUN: Speaking of the Leafs, goaltender Ilya Samsonov avoided serious injury in practice on Friday after taking a Calle Jarnkrok slap shot around his shoulder/collarbone area. He left practice but head coach Sheldon Keefe later said that Samsonov was fine.

DAILY FACEOFF: San Jose Sharks forward Oskar Lindblom, Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Caleb Jones and Philadelphia Flyers forward Wade Allison are among the notable names to hit the waiver wire on Friday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Allison being placed on waivers caught Flyers followers by surprise. Despite his injury history, the 25-year-old winger could draw some interest from clubs seeking depth on their forward lines.

TSN: The Florida Panthers loaned goaltender Spencer Knight to their AHL affiliate in Charlotte. He’s entering the first season of a three-year contract with an AAV of $4.15 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Knight is trying to get his NHL career back on track after spending time last season in the NHL-NHLPA player assistance program seeking treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder. Panthers coach Paul Maurice said sending Knight to the AHL was being done to give him more playing time in a starter’s role as they hope to build on his strong preseason play.