NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 26, 2025

by | Jun 26, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 26, 2025

The Mammoth acquire JJ Peterka from the Sabres, the Oilers trade Evander Kane to the Canucks, the Golden Knights re-sign Reilly Smith and are close to re-signing Brandon Saad, the latest CBA news, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE BUFFALO NEWS/THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE: The Buffalo Sabres traded winger JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth in exchange for defenseman Michael Kesselring and forward Josh Doan. The Mammoth also signed Peterka to a five-year, $38.5-million contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $7.7 million.

Buffalo Sabres trade winger JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Peterka, 23, completed his three-year, entry-level contract. The up-and-coming winger finished second among Sabres scorers this season with a career-best 68-point performance. However, he was reportedly unhappy in Buffalo and wanted to move on.

This is the second significant June trade made by Utah general manager Bill Armstrong. Last year, he acquired defenseman Mikhail Sergachev to improve the depth on his blueline. This time, he’s bolstered the offense among his top-six forwards with a player who fits well within his club’s young roster core.

Kesselring, 25, should address the Sabres’ need for an experienced right-shot defenseman to skate alongside Owen Power. Doan, 21, is a promising power forward with middle-six forward potential.

The Sabres might not be done dealing. I’ll have more in today’s Rumor Mill.

EDMONTON JOURNAL/THE PROVINCE: The Oilers traded winger Evander Kane to the Vancouver Canucks for a fourth-round pick in the upcoming 2025 NHL Draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a straightforward salary dump by the cap-strapped Oilers, clearing Kane’s $5.125 million cap hit from their books for next season. The move removes some toughness and speed from the Oilers’ scoring lines, but it was necessary to free up cap room to re-sign restricted free agent Evan Bouchard and to address other roster needs.

The Canucks are betting that Kane can replace the toughness and physical leadership they lost when they traded J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers in January. The 33-year-old winger is a Vancouver native who is a year away from unrestricted free-agent eligibility.

It’s assumed Kane will be motivated to play well for his hometown club in the final year of his contract. Canucks management downplayed his history as a toxic dressing-room presence earlier in his career. Nevertheless, Kane is entering a fragile Vancouver dressing room. Divisions between Miller and Elias Pettersson before the former’s departure contributed to the Canucks’ missing the playoffs.

Adding Kane could be like pouring gasoline on a fire. If that happens, the ensuing drama could have significant consequences for the Canucks’ hopes of rebounding from this season’s disappointing performance.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: The Golden Knights re-signed winger Reilly Smith to a one-year, $2 million contract. They are also reportedly close to signing winger Brandon Saad to a new contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Smith signing leaves the Golden Knights with $7.6 million in cap space with 18 active roster players under contract for 2025-26. Saad is coming off a one-year, $1.5 million deal with Vegas after his previous contract with the St. Louis Blues was terminated earlier this season.

Vegas is rumored to be among the favorites to sign Mitch Marner when the Toronto Maple Leafs winger becomes a UFA on July 1. Assuming Saad gets a deal similar to Smith, the Golden Knights will have to shed considerable cap space to create room to make a competitive bid for Marner.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the NHL and NHL Players’ Association are believed to be getting close on a new collective bargaining agreement.

Details haven’t been revealed, but Friedman listed several items believed to be under consideration. They include reducing maximum length contracts from eight years to seven for re-signing players and from seven years to six for free agents from another team (UFAs).

Draft rights could be extended to age 22, and deferred salaries could be eliminated. There could be the implementation of a “permanent” emergency backup goalie (EBUG) to practice and travel with their NHL team. Revenue sharing could be tweaked to help some of the more middle-class teams.

The league will poll teams this summer for feedback on the decentralized draft. If the format proves unpopular, the league could revert to the previous format.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The players might not kick up much of a fuss over a one-year reduction of contract lengths. Seven and eight-year deals can be cumbersome for a player who might prefer a trade, but the remaining term of their contract hampers efforts to move them. Besides, we could see fewer of those lengthy deals if more players sign shorter-term deals with an eye on cashing in under a higher salary cap down the road.

Moving from an 82-game regular season to an 84-game schedule has also been discussed. It could go into effect in 2026-27, reducing the preseason by four games. Changes to long-term injury reserve rules have also been part of the talks.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers’ 2025 Stanley Cup playoff run raked in over $266 million for the city of Edmonton.

DAILY FACEOFF: Anthony Di Marco reports the New Jersey Devils remain in contract talks with Jake Allen. The pending UFA goalie is seeking at least a two-year term with an AAV of around $5 million, depending on the market and term. Allen is the top player in a shallow UFA goalie market.










NHL Rumor Mill – June 19, 2025

by | Jun 19, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – June 19, 2025

Check out the latest on the Oilers, Bruins, Islanders, Flyers, and Rangers in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST OILERS SPECULATION

NEW YORK POST: Justin Tasch reports Connor McDavid’s future could hang over this NHL offseason. The 28-year-old Edmonton Oilers captain is a year away from unrestricted free-agent (UFA) eligibility.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

If McDavid remains committed to the Oilers, Tasch believes a massive contract extension awaits in the coming weeks. If he has doubts about the club’s future as a Stanley Cup contender, it could result in a potential trade because the Oilers wouldn’t want to lose him to free agency.

TSN: Darren Dreger believes McDavid will want to take some time to decompress from another disappointing Stanley Cup Final. He believes the Oilers’ superstar will stay put, but wondered if he would want a shorter-term (three or four years) instead of the maximum eight-year commitment.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I agree with Dreger that McDavid will remain an Oiler. It could take a little time for the two sides to get a deal done, perhaps stretching through the summer. Ultimately, they’ll get it done.

Dreger mentioned that McDavid is close friends with teammate Leon Draisaitl, who signed an eight-year extension last September. I doubt Draisaitl would’ve done that if he felt McDavid didn’t intend to stick around.

THE ATHLETIC: Allan Mitchell looked at what additions the Edmonton Oilers could attempt to make during this offseason.

It seems unlikely the Oilers will maintain the goaltending tandem of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard. There are no upgrades to be found via free agency. John Gibson of the Anaheim Ducks could be a trade possibility. Elvis Merzlikins of the Columbus Blue Jackets is a less likely trade option.

Mitchell mentioned Jeremy Swayman of the Boston Bruins, but he carries a no-movement clause and an $8.25 million average annual value (AAV). Finding a suitable trade package to offer up to the Bruins could also be an issue.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pickings are indeed slim for goalies in this summer’s trade and free-agent markets. Forget about Swayman; the Bruins believe he’ll have a bounce-back performance in 2025-26. Gibson might be the Oilers’ best bet, but the Ducks might have to retain some of his salary to make it work.

Daniel Nugent-Bowman considers Oilers forwards Evander Kane and Viktor Arvidsson as trade candidates. The 33-year-old Kane has a year left on his contract with an AAV of $5.125 million and a 16-team trade list. Arvidsson also has one year remaining on his deal. He carries an AAV of $4 million and a full no-movement clause.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane seems the easiest of the two to move, but his abrasive personality and personal baggage could adversely affect his value in the trade market.

BRUINS REPORTEDLY IN TRADE TALKS WITH THE ISLANDERS

RG.ORG: James Murphy cited a report claiming the Boston Bruins are interested in New York Islanders center Jean-Gabriel Pageau. He also claims the two sides are discussing a larger deal that would include the Bruins’ first-round pick (seventh overall) in this year’s draft.

A source suggested to Murphy that the Islanders could be trying to get creative by keeping the first-overall pick to draft Matthew Schaefer and perhaps use the seventh pick to select Long Island native James Hagens.

The source also mused about the Bruins perhaps trying to acquire the first-overall pick from the Islanders. However, the asking price would have to include one of their current top-six forwards or top-four defensemen as part of the return.

Meanwhile, Islanders beat writer Stefen Rosner reports the Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers have inquired into the availability of Alexander Romanov. The 25-year-old defenseman is a restricted free agent (RFA) with arbitration rights who could command between $5 million and $6 million annually on his next contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The last time the first-overall pick was traded occurred at the 2003 NHL Draft, when the Pittsburgh Penguins acquired it from the Florida Panthers. Looking at the Bruins’ current roster depth chart on PuckPedia, I’m not seeing any tradeable assets that would convince the Islanders to part with that pick.

COULD BROCK BOESER REUNITE WITH JT MILLER IN NEW YORK?

THE PROVINCE: Ben Kuzma wondered if winger Brock Boeser might reunite with his former Vancouver Canucks teammate JT Miller in New York with the Rangers.

Boeser, 28, is expected to hit the open market on July 1. Kuzma noted they freed up salary-cap space last week by trading Chris Kreider to the Anaheim Ducks, and speculated they could seek a replacement. Boeser could seek a six-year deal worth around $8.5 million annually on his next contract.

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks pointed out the Rangers have around $14.5 million in cap space for 2025-26 after re-signing Matt Rempe on Wednesday. He dismissed rumors suggesting general manager Chris Drury could use some of it to go the offer-sheet route this summer.

Brooks believes Drury intends to use some of that cap space to re-sign RFAs Will Cuylle and K’Andre Miller, or Miller’s replacement if the 25-year-old defenseman is traded this summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Re-signing Cuylle and Miller (or the latter’s replacement) could take up around $10 million of the Blueshirts’ cap space. That won’t leave enough for someone like Boeser unless the Rangers make another cost-cutting move this summer.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 19, 2025

by | Jun 19, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 19, 2025

The league continues to examine the Oilers’ use of LTIR with Evander Kane, the Blackhawks re-sign Ryan Donato, the Devils trade Erik Haula to the Predators, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli cited sources claiming the NHL plans to continue examining the Edmonton Oilers’ use of long-term injury reserve salary-cap relief (LTIR) with winger Evander Kane.

The league may require more information to confirm that Edmonton complied with the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) when Kane returned for the second game of the Oilers’ first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings. The 33-year-old winger missed the entire 2024-25 regular season due to injuries.

Edmonton Oilers winger Evander Kane (NHL Images).

Seravalli indicated that no NHL team has been punished for LTIR usage. The Oilers could face retroactive punishment if the league finds they violated the spirit of the CBA. He indicated that sources say the Oilers have complied with the league’s requests for information and medical opinions.

Kane is under contract through 2025-26 with an average annual value (AAV) of $5.125 million.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: David Staples reports that Seravalli’s report sparked outrage in Edmonton, citing several local pundits and broadcasters questioning why this is happening now.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It is puzzling why the league continues to monitor this nearly two months after Kane returned to action. They could simply be conducting due diligence and nothing further may come of it.

We saw a similar situation with Montreal Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber in 2021, when the league kept an eye on his status after being placed on LTIR for 2021-22. In Weber’s case, the severity of his injuries ended his playing career.

THE SCORE: Speaking of the Oilers, they’re expected to sign forward Trent Frederic to an eight-year contract extension with an AAV of between $3.5 million and $4 million. John Matisz indicated the deal also comes with a modified no-movement clause.

Seravalli stated the deal isn’t expected to be officially announced just yet as they’re engaged in contract talks with other players.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Frederic, 27, is a checking line power forward who can play center or wing. He’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) coming off a two-year contract with an AAV of $2.3 million.

Frederic would likely get a similar AAV elsewhere in the free-agent market on July 1. However, inking him for eight years seems excessive. Given his style of play, that deal might not age well.

The Oilers currently have $11.9 million of salary-cap space for 2025-26. Frederic’s new contract would reduce it to between $8.4 million and $8.9 million. That leaves no room to re-sign or replace their other free agents.

That includes Evan Bouchard. The 25-year-old defenseman is slated to become a restricted free agent (RFA) with arbitration rights on July 1. It could cost over $9 million annually to re-sign him.

CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: The Blackhawks re-signed forward Ryan Donato to a four-year, $16-million contract with an AAV of $4 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Donato was among the few bright spots this season for the rebuilding Blackhawks. The versatile 29-year-old forward had a career-best performance with 31 goals and 31 assists for 62 points, putting him among their leading scorers. He’s coming off a two-year contract with an AAV of $2 million.

THE TENNESSEAN: The Nashville Predators acquired forward Erik Haula from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round pick and minor-league defenseman Jeremy Hanzel.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now indicates this move cleared $3.15 million from the Devils’ salary-cap payroll for 2025-26. They now have over $14.3 million in cap space with RFAs Luke Hughes and Cody Glass and UFA Jake Allen to re-sign. This could also give them some flexibility to make an addition via trade or free agency.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers signed forward Matt Rempe to a two-year contract with an AAV of $975,000.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: The Anaheim Ducks re-signed winger Nikita Nesterenko to a two-year, one-way contract with an AAV of $775,000.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Former NHL forward Nick Bonino has ended his playing career and is joining the Penguins as an assistant coach.

Bonino, 37, spent 15 seasons in the NHL from 2009-10 to 2023-24 with the Anaheim Ducks, Vancouver Canucks, Pittsburgh Penguins (helping them win the Stanley Cup in 2016 and 2017), Nashville Predators, Minnesota Wild, San Jose Sharks and New York Rangers. He had 159 goals and 199 points in 358 regular-season games and 19 goals and 48 points in 105 postseason contests.

SAN JOSE SHARKS: announced former TV and radio color analyst Chris Collins passed away. Collins covered the team from 1992 to 1997.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Collins’ family, friends, broadcast colleagues and the Sharks’ organization.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 6, 2025

by | Jun 6, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 6, 2025

The latest on the Oilers and Panthers on the eve of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, Sean Monahan wins the Masterton Trophy, the latest coaching hires, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

STANLEY CUP FINAL NOTEBOOK

EDMONTON JOURNAL: A healthy Evander Kane has made his presence felt in this postseason, with five goals and 11 points in 16 games.

Edmonton Oilers winger Evander Kane (NHL Images).

Injuries hampered the 33-year-old Oilers winger in the 2024 playoffs, limiting him to just two games in last year’s Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers. After missing the 2024-25 regular season recovering from surgeries, he’s been a physical force in the Oilers’ current playoff run.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Several Oilers were playing through significant injuries during last year’s playoffs, but Kane’s performance suffered the most. His current postseason play could make the difference in this rematch against Florida as the Oilers attempt to counter the Panthers’ physical style.

ESPN.COM: Panthers defenseman Seth Jones said his club hopes to improve in the neutral and offensive zones after squandering a 3-1 lead to fall 4-3 to the Oilers in Game 1. Teammate Matthew Tkachuk agreed, saying the Panthers could be more consistent on the forecheck and earn more zone time to thwart the Oilers’ counterattack.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers acknowledged that Edmonton is a different team compared to the one they faced in last year’s Cup Final. As a result, those adjustments they hope to make could be difficult to achieve.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers rallied around forward Tomas Nosek after his delay-of-game penalty in overtime of Game 1 led to Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl’s game-winning power-play goal.

Nosek inadvertently fired the puck over the glass as he attempted to avoid Oilers forward Vasily Podkolzin. Panthers coach Paul Maurice called it a “tough break”, alluding that Nosek could stay in the lineup for Game 2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers defenseman Jake Walman taunted Nosek as he skated to the penalty box. Some observers suggested it was poor sportsmanship that the Panthers could use for motivation in Game 2. Others felt it was the kind of swagger the Oilers needed to counter the Panthers’ “in your face” style.

THE SCORE: Kaspari Kapanen is happy to be playing a pivotal role with the Oilers after his NHL career appeared to be in jeopardy a year ago.

The Oilers claimed Kapanen off waivers in November. He had a modest 13 points in 57 games in Edmonton and was a healthy scratch in the first round of the playoffs. Since then, he scored the series-clinching goal in Round 2, collected two assists in Game 1 of the Final, and is filling in for the sidelined Zach Hyman on their second line.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kapanen made the most of his opportunity, with five points in his eight postseason games. He’s part of the improved depth that carried the Oilers back to the Final this season.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Columbus Blue Jackets center Sean Monahan is the 2024-25 winner of the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

Monahan dedicated this season to his best friend Johnny Gaudreau following the latter’s tragic death in August. Gaudreau’s widow, Meredith Gaudreau, made a surprise visit to Monahan’s home in Toronto to present him with the trophy.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Monahan had previously overcome career-threatening hip and groin injuries, signing a multi-year contract with the Blues Jackets last summer to reunite with Gaudreau. He finished tied for third among the Jackets with 57 points in 54 games.

YARDBARKER: Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper shot down speculation that he was considering leaving the club or was on the verge of getting fired. “Contrary to rumors and whatever’s going on out there, I’m never leaving you guys,” he told the Sports Club of Tampa Bay.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cooper’s comments were a response to a recent rumor claiming he could be heading to the Utah Mammoth to take over the operation of the club. It’s been noted that he has a year left on this contract, so we’ll likely hear more talk about Cooper’s future around this time next year.

NEW YORK POST: Former Rangers head coach David Quinn is returning to the club as an assistant coach to new bench boss Mike Sullivan. Joe Sacco and Ty Hennes round out the coaching staff.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: The Flyers added Yogi Svejkovsky to their coaching staff. He worked with new Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet in Vancouver.

RG.ORG: Sergey Demidov reports Igor Larionov hopes to speak with the Montreal Canadiens about bringing back winger Ivan Demidov to KHL club SKA St. Petersburg for one more season.

Larionov was recently named their new head coach, and believes the youngster would benefit from another season in the KHL, followed by returning him to the Canadiens in time for the 2026 playoffs. However, sources say neither the player nor the Canadiens are considering such an option.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nor should they. Demidov made a promising debut with the Canadiens. He joined them for their last two regular-season games and collected two points, followed by two assists in five playoff games. The only way he returns to the KHL is if he fails to stick with the Canadiens next season.

NHL.COM: Center Michael Misa of the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit and Boston College center James Hagens are confident they can make the jump to the NHL next season. They are among the top prospects in this year’s draft class and could be among the top-five picks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Misa said he’s had dinner or will be dining with the San Jose Sharks, New York Islanders, Utah Mammoth and Nashville Predators. The Isles hold the first-overall pick, with the Sharks second, the Mammoth fourth, and the Predators fifth.

TORONTO STAR: Rogers Communications received all necessary league approvals to buy out Bell’s 37.5 percent stake in Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. It will increase Rogers’ stake to 75 percent.

TSN: Former NHL forward Sergei Kostitsyn announced his retirement this week. He played six seasons with the Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators from 2007-08 to 2012-13, scoring 67 goals and 176 points in 353 regular-season games and 15 points in 40 playoff contests. He spent the remainder of his professional career overseas.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 3, 2025

by | Jun 3, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 3, 2025

Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov wins two awards, Oilers winger Evander Kane could make a difference in the upcoming Stanley Cup Final, Jesper Fast retires, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov made NHL history, becoming the first player to win the Frank J. Selke Trophy and the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in the same year.

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov (NHL Images).

Barkov, 29, is a three-time winner of the Selke Trophy as the top defensive forward, previously winning in 2021 and 2024. He joins Patrice Bergeron, Bob Gainey, Pavel Datsyuk, Guy Carbonneau, and Jere Lehtinen as the only players to win the award three times or more in their careers.

The King Clancy Trophy signifies leadership and contribution to the community.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Barkov’s teammate Sam Reinhart was runner-up for the Selke. Anthony Cirelli of the Tampa Bay Lightning was third.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Winger Evander Kane could be a difference-maker for the Oilers in the upcoming Stanley Cup Final. He missed the 2024-25 regular season recovering from injuries that hampered his performance in last year’s postseason, sidelining him for five of their seven games against the Panthers in the 2024 Cup Final.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers missed his physical offensive style in last year’s series with Florida. Kane made his presence felt in this postseason thus far, with five goals and six assists for 11 points in 15 games. He could provide a measure of snarl that they were lacking in their previous go-around with the Panthers.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Carolina Hurricanes forward Jesper Fast announced his retirement from professional hockey at age 33. He suffered a neck injury in the final game of the 2023-24 season that required surgery last August. Fast missed the entire 2024-25 season.

Fast spent 11 seasons in the NHL, starting with the New York Rangers from 2013-14 to 2019-20. He spent his final four seasons with the Hurricanes. A skilled checking forward and penalty-killer, Fast had 91 goals and 157 assists for 248 points in 703 regular-season games, and 14 goals and 27 points in 80 postseason contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Fast in his future endeavors.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: The Lightning signed forward Yanni Gourde to a six-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $2.33 million. It also contains a full no-trade clause for the entirety of the deal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gourde is coming off a six-year deal with an AAV of $5.16 million. Given his age, the versatile 33-year-old forward was facing a pay cut on his next contract. He likely would’ve received a higher AAV on a short-term deal on the open market compared to what he got to stay in Tampa Bay, but opted for the long-term security offered by the Lightning.

Gourde didn’t want to leave Tampa Bay. However, he was left unprotected in the 2021 expansion draft and was selected by the Seattle Kraken. He was pleased when the Lightning reacquired him this season and still believes they can be a Stanley Cup contender.

The Lightning retain an important third-line forward on an affordable contract. The deal also works well over the long term, as most of Gourde’s AAV can be buried in the minors should his performance decline significantly in the final years of his contract.

Critics on social media complained this was another example of a Sun Belt team enjoying the benefit of being a non-state tax club. That may have an aspect of this deal, but the factors mentioned above played a bigger role in Gourde’s decision.

Gourde’s signing leaves the Lightning with $3.48 million in available cap space with 20 active roster players under contract. They must re-sign or replace restricted free agent Gage Goncalves and unrestricted free agents Nick Perbix, Cam Atkinson, and Luke Glendening.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Minnesota Wild signed forward Marcus Johansson to a one-year extension worth $800K.

TSN: The Ottawa Senators signed defenseman Tyler Kleven to a two-year, $3.2 million contract extension.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: The NHL switching to a remote draft this year makes the 2025 Draft Combine in Buffalo the only opportunity for general managers to meet face-to-face in one location during this month. The combine runs from June 2-7 at LECOM HarborCenter.

General managers used to take the opportunity in a centralized draft to meet and discuss potential trades involving established NHL players. Now, the seeds of such deals at this year’s draft may be planted at the Combine.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s speculation of discontent among NHL teams over this year’s decentralized draft, with some observers suggesting it could return to its previous format next year.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins interim coach Joe Sacco will not be among the finalists for the full-time head coach position.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Former Devils forward Scott Gomez was named head coach of the USHL’s Chicago Steel.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 26, 2025

by | Apr 26, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 26, 2025

The Canadiens, Devils and Oilers pick up big wins in their first-round series. Check out the recaps plus the latest news in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING FRIDAY’S PLAYOFF ACTION

NHL.COM: Three unanswered third-period goals by Christian Dvorak, Juraj Slafkovsky and Alex Newhook gave the Montreal Canadiens a 6-3 victory over the Washington Capitals in Game 3 of their best-of-seven first-round series.

Newhook and Cole Caufield finished with a goal and an assist each. Connor McMichael, Jakub Chychrun and Alex Ovechkin replied for the Capitals, who hold a 2-1 lead in the series. Game 4 is Sunday, Apr. 27, at 6:30 pm ET.

The two teams lost their starting goaltenders to injuries during this contest. Canadiens starter Sam Montembeault suffered an undisclosed injury in the second period and made way for Jakub Dobes. Capitals netminder Logan Thompson injured his left knee following a third-period collision with teammate Dylan Strome and was replaced by Charlie Lindgren. There were no post-game updates regarding their conditions.

Montreal Canadiens winger Josh Anderson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the most complete game I’ve seen the Canadiens play this season. After being dominated in the first two games in Washington, they fed off the energy in the Bell Centre, outshooting the Capitals 40-19, winning 53.7 percent of the faceoffs, going two-for-five on the power play, and outhitting the Caps 45-26.

Winger Josh Anderson didn’t collect any points, but made his presence felt as Montreal’s physical leader, dishing out six hits and battling Washington winger Tom Wilson in a scrap at the end of the second period that spilled into the Capitals bench. Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj made his playoff debut and led all blueliners with four hits.

Canadiens winger Patrik Laine missed this game with an upper-body injury. That might explain his subpar performances in the first two contests.

New Jersey Devils defenseman Simon Nemec scored in double-overtime as his club nipped the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 in Game 3 of their first-round series.

The Devils had a 2-0 lead on goals by Nico Hischier and Dawson Mercer, but the Hurricanes got two unanswered third-period goals by Seth Jarvis and Sebastian Aho to tie it. Game 4 is Sunday at 3:30 pm ET, with the Hurricanes holding a 2-1 series lead.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A big win for New Jersey after two lifeless losses to the Hurricanes in Carolina. Nemec set the franchise record as the youngest player (21 years, 69 days) to score a playoff overtime goal.

Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler returned to action after being sidelined by a lower-body injury in early February. However, blueliner Johnathan Kovecevic left the game with an undisclosed injury.

The Edmonton Oilers defeated the Los Angeles Kings 7-4 in Game 3 of their series. Evander Kane and Evan Bouchard scored the tying and winning goals 10 seconds apart in the third period.

Bouchard and Connor Brown each had two goals and Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists for the Oilers. Adrian Kempe and Drew Doughty each had a goal and an assist for the Kings, who lead the series two games to one. Game 4 is Sunday in Edmonton at 9:30 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane’s tying goal came under automatic review for a kicking motion. It was determined he did kick the puck, but then knocked it into the net with his stick, making it a good goal.

Kings head coach Jim Hiller challenged for goaltender interference but the call went against him, leading to a delay-of-game penalty with Bouchard’s winning goal on the subsequent power play.

HEADLINES

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: The Vegas Golden Knights need more production from their top line of Jack Eichel, Mark Stone and Ivan Barbeshev if they hope to defeat the Minnesota Wild in their first-round series. The trio has yet to register a point in the series, with the Wild leading two games to one.

THE DENVER POST: Gabriel Landeskog has been promoted to the Colorado Avalanche’s second line and their top power-play unit. After being sidelined for the past three seasons by knee surgeries, the 32-year-old winger returned to action in Game 3 of their series with the Dallas Stars. The Stars have a 2-1 series lead over the Avalanche.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel received a one-game suspension by the NHL department of player safety for a late hit on Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov in Game 2 of the series between the two clubs on Thursday.

Barkov left that game and remains questionable for Game 3 on Saturday.

NHL.COM: The league also fined the Ottawa Senators $25,000.00 for unsportsmanlike conduct and Senators forward Nick Cousins $2,083.33 for unsportsmanlike conduct for an incident during warm-ups for Game 3 of their series with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cousins’ offense was shooting a puck down the ice at Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: A mistrial was declared by the presiding judge in the Hockey Canada sexual assault case. A new trial will begin once new jurors are selected, which was expected to occur on Friday.

Former NHL players Michael McLeod, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube, Carter Hart and Cal Foote face one charge each of sexual assault for an alleged incident that occurred in 2018 while members of Canada’s World Junior team. McLeod faces an additional charge as a party to the offense.