NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 22, 2025

by | Sep 22, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 22, 2025

Hall of Famer Bernie Parent passes away; the Predators and Luke Evangelista remain apart in contract talks; Islanders fans serenade prospect defenseman Matthew Schaefer in his first preseason game, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Hall of Famer goaltender Bernie Parent passed away Sunday at age 80.

Hall of Fame goaltender Bernie Parent

Parent backstopped the Philadelphia Flyers to Stanley Cup championships in 1973-74 and 1974-75, becoming the first player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in consecutive seasons. He also won the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goaltender during those seasons.

In 13 NHL seasons (1965-66 to 1978-79) with the Flyers, Boston Bruins, and Toronto Maple Leafs, Parent had a record of 271 wins, 198 losses, and 119 ties in 608 regular-season games, with a 2.55 goals-against average, a .915 save percentage, and 54 shutouts. He also had a record of 38-33 in 71 playoff games with a 2.44 GAA, a .916 SP, and six shutouts.

Parent suffered a career-ending eye injury during a game against the New York Rangers in 1979. The Flyers retired his No.1 in October 1979, and he was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984. He spent several years with the Flyers as a goalie coach and was later employed by the team as a hockey ambassador.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Parent’s family, friends, former teammates, and the Flyers’ organization.

The Flyers’ image as the Broad Street Bullies in the 1970s garnered a lot of headlines, but the play of stars like Parent, Bobby Clarke, Bill Barber, Reggie Leach, and Rick MacLeish made them winners.

Of those stars, Parent shone the brightest during their championship years. Few goaltenders dominated a game the way he did at that time. He was one of the greatest goalies I ever saw.

TSN: The Nashville Predators and winger Luke Evangelista remain far apart in contract talks. Discussions are ongoing, but money is the sticking point on a two-year term. While the talks proceed, the 23-year-old winger has returned to Canada to continue training.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Evangelista popped up last week in trade rumors, but Predators general manager Barry Trotz reportedly has no intention of trading the young winger.

NEW YORK POST: Islanders fans chanted Matthew Schaefer’s name during his first NHL preseason game on Sunday. Chosen first overall in the 2025 NHL Draft, the 18-year-old defenseman played over 24 minutes and collected an assist in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Flyers.

“Definitely got shivers,” Schaefer said. “We thought it was for (Scott Mayfield), but I guess it was for me. Obviously, you get chills.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Schaefer has an opportunity to earn a roster spot with the Islanders this season. The youngster is facing high expectations, but seems to be handling it well so far.

THE ATHLETIC’s Michael Russo reports Minnesota Wild winger Mats Zuccarello has a doctor’s appointment out of town to determine if he’ll require surgery.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Zuccarello is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

NHL.COM’s Walt Ruff reports Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour said defensemen Jaccob Slavin and Jalen Chatfield might not play any preseason games for precautionary reasons. The duo is nursing minor injuries.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Slavin and Chatfield are expected to be in the lineup when the regular season begins next month.

CBS SPORTS: Seattle Kraken winger Jared McCann is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

SPORTSNET: Ottawa Senators defenseman Tyler Kleven left Sunday’s preseason game against the Toronto Maple Leafs with an undisclosed injury. There was no postgame update regarding his status.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Kaedan Korczak is getting a long-awaited opportunity as a regular defenseman with the Golden Knights. With Alex Pietrangelo on long-term injury reserve and Nic Hague traded to Nashville this summer, the 23-year-old Korczak is expected to see more playing time.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 17, 2025

by | Sep 17, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 17, 2025

An update on Connor McDavid’s contract talks with the Oilers, the Rangers name their new captain, plus the latest on the Flyers, Blackhawks, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE ATHLETIC: Chris Johnston reports Connor McDavid will not have a contract extension in place with the Edmonton Oilers before training camp opens this week.

McDavid, 28, is due to become an unrestricted free agent next July. The Oilers captain has been eligible to sign an extension since July 1.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

Johnston reports contract talks remain consistent and cordial between the two sides, with no disconnect on terms or structure. League sources believe McDavid’s biggest point of contention is the Oilers’ aging roster. He thinks the club can still contend this season, but they don’t appear to be constructed for long-term contention.

McDavid isn’t chasing a specific number on his contract, and remains open about the length of the deal. Meanwhile, Oilers management remains confident that a deal will be reached.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid could end up signing a three or four-year contract worth around $18 million annually. If the Oilers decline significantly over that period, he can move on to another contender as a free agent while still in his prime as a player.

McDavid could seek the league maximum ($20.8 million for 2026-27), but he could leave some money on the table to help the Oilers maintain a contender. Some observers believe McDavid should accept significantly less than that, but he remains the best player in the league and should be compensated fairly. He’d also get a lot of grief from the NHL Players’ Association if he accepted well below market value, as it would potentially drive down the value of other stars.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers named J.T. Miller as their new team captain. Miller rejoined the club in a blockbuster trade with the Vancouver Canucks in January. The 32-year-old center becomes the 29th captain in franchise history.

Adam Fox, Vincent Trocheck, Mika Zibanejad, and Artemi Panarin are the alternate captains.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Miller is an intense, vocal player who leads by example. He faces the challenge of captaining the Rangers back into playoff contention following a disappointing 2024-25 campaign.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Flyers general manager Daniel Briere said there won’t be a reunion with Carter Hart. The goaltender’s agent contacted the Flyers to rule out that possibility.

Hart, 27, was among the five former Hockey Canada players who were found not guilty of sexual assault stemming from an incident in 2018 in London, Ontario. The Flyers did not issue him a qualifying offer when his contract expired in 2024.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bleacher Report’s Frank Seravalli ruled out the possibility of Hart, an Edmonton native, signing with the Oilers. He suggested the Carolina Hurricanes, Vegas Golden Knights, Utah Mammoth, and possibly the Nashville Predators as potential destinations given the uncertainty over their goaltending situations.

DAILY FACEOFF: Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen is expected to miss the first one or two months of the regular season as he continues to recover from a triceps injury suffered in March.

Forward Tyson Foerster (elbow) will be in a non-contact jersey when training camp opens for about a week.

CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: The Blackhawks have reportedly signed defenseman Matt Grzelcyk to a professional tryout offer (PTO).

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES’ Ben Pope reports Blackhawks backup goaltender Laurent Brossoit remains sidelined by injury as training camp opens and could remain sidelined for a while.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks have signed winger Oliver Wahlstrom to a PTO.

THE PROVINCE: Manny Malhotra will remain head coach of the Vancouver Canucks’ AHL affiliate for the next two years. The Canucks picked up the option year (2016-17) of his contract with Abbotsford. Malhotra coached them to the 2025 Calder Cup.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 15, 2025

by | Sep 15, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 15, 2025

Panthers center Sam Bennett returns from a memorable summer, former Stars coach Peter DeBoer regrets singling out Jake Oettinger following the club’s playoff elimination, the Flyers trade goalie Ivan Fedotov to the Blue Jackets, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: After a memorable summer, Sam Bennett is excited about the upcoming season with the Panthers.

Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett (NHL Images).

The 29-year-old center won the Conn Smythe Trophy (the first player to do so in franchise history) as he led the Panthers to their second straight Stanley Cup championship. He then signed a new eight-year contract with the club and married Zoe, his partner in Humane Society adoptions.

Bennett isn’t concerned about the short offseasons that he and his teammates have had since reaching the 2023 Stanley Cup Final. “You get to stay in shape a lot easier,” he said. “You don’t have as much time to get out of shape.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers enter this season hoping to become the first team since the 1982 New York Islanders to win three straight Stanley Cups. That team would win four straight from 1980 to 1983.

However, winning their third straight Cup could be the most challenging for the Panthers. The toll of those long seasons and shortened summers could catch up with them, plus they’ll be without left winger Matthew Tkachuk until January as he recovers from injuries incurred during last season. As of July 1, the Panthers also had one of the oldest rosters heading into 2025-26.

NHL.COM: Former Dallas Stars head coach Peter DeBoer said he doesn’t regret pulling goaltender Jake Oettinger early in Game 5 of the 2025 Western Conference Final against the Edmonton Oilers. However, he regrets how he handled the narrative after the Stars were eliminated following a 6-3 loss to the Oilers.

“Listen, we were all to blame for coming up short again, and it starts with me,” DeBoer told NHL.com’s Mike Zeisberger. “It was on me, it was on the coaches, it was on all the players, it was on the organization as a whole. We all created the disappointment. We were all to blame, not just one guy.”

When all the postgame questions were about Oettinger, DeBoer felt he should’ve redirected the topic to stress that it wasn’t about the goaltender, but the entire team.

After losing that series, the Stars fired DeBoer, replacing him with Glen Gulutzan. However, DeBoer remains one of Canada’s assistant coaches for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: DeBoer has a strong regular-season record and also guided the 2011-12 New Jersey Devils and the 2015-16 San Jose Sharks to the Stanley Cup Final. He’ll land with another NHL team in the near future, perhaps a little wiser from his mishandling of the situation during his final game with the Stars.

THE ATHLETIC: The Philadelphia Flyers traded goaltender Ivan Fedotov to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. The Jackets are taking on his full $3.275 million cap hit, though he’s owed just $775K in base salary.

Aaron Portzline writes that Fedotov is being brought in to add depth to the Jackets’ goaltending position. It’s expected that Jet Greaves will back up starter Elvis Merzlikins. Kevin Kurz reports the move clears a logjam between the pipes for the Flyers, who added Dan Vladar with a two-year contract earlier this summer.

ESPN.COM: Greg Wyshynski reported Washington Capitals assistant coach Mitch Love was placed on a team-imposed leave of absence pending results of an NHL investigation.

Wyshynski indicated that an NHL source stated the league received a letter detailing allegations related to Love’s personal conduct during his interviews for coaching jobs with rival clubs during the offseason. Two of the teams with whom he reportedly interviewed received similar letters. The allegations predate his tenure with the Capitals.










NHL Rumor Mill – September 13, 2025

by | Sep 13, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – September 13, 2025

In today’s NHL Rumor Mill: how Flames goalie Dustin Wolf’s new contract could affect the Oilers’ Stuart Skinner’s next deal, the latest on netminder Carter Hart, and winger Lukas Reichel’s uncertain future with the Blackhawks.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Jim Matheson believes Dustin Wolf’s new contract with the Calgary Flames could affect the next contract of Oilers netminder Stuart Skinner.

Wolf, 24, signed a seven-year deal earlier this week with an average annual value of $7.5 million, making him the 10th highest-salaried goalie in the league. Skinner, 26, is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next July.

Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner (NHL Images).

Skinner has played 50 playoff games over the past three seasons, backstopping the Oilers to two straight Stanley Cup Finals. He’s played three times more NHL games (including playoffs) than Wolf. His current AAV is a bargain-basement $2.6 million.

Matheson believes a strong season from Skinner in 2025-26 will determine what his next contract looks like.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matheson pointed out that Sergei Bobrovsky of the Florida Panthers and Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning are the only goalies among the 10 highest-paid that have Stanley Cup rings.

Skinner is also UFA-eligible at the same time as teammate Connor McDavid. How much the Oilers pony up to keep McDavid in the fold could determine if they have enough to retain their starting goaltender.

THE ATHLETIC: Chris Johnston cited NHL sources claiming Carter Hart is expected to reach terms on a new two or three-year contract on Oct. 1, though it can’t be officially registered with the league until Oct. 15.

Hart was among the five former Hockey Canada players recently acquitted of sexual assault charges stemming from a 2018 incident in London, Ontario. Johnston indicated the 27-year-old goalie is seeking a job where he can get a meaningful number of starts with a team that can win.

Johnston reports Hart seeks a fresh start, which rules out returning to his former NHL club, the Philadelphia Flyers. Sources believe he’s almost certain to sign with an American team.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hart was the most notable of those five players, having spent several seasons as a starter with the Flyers. He could be the only one who finds an NHL club to sign with, as teams could shy away from the lesser-talented.

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Ben Pope recently reported that Blackhawks forward Lukas Reichel thought at one point during this offseason that he was going to be traded to the Edmonton Oilers.

“I heard from guys in Germany that I didn’t know knew hockey,” Reichel said. “They came up to me and said, ‘You’re going to go to Edmonton.’ I can’t do anything about it.”

Reichel, 23, acknowledged he had an inconsistent performance last season. Chosen 17th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft, he’s struggled to establish himself as a top-six forward.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman said Reichel’s name remains “out there” in the rumor mill. He thinks it’s understood that the Blackhawks could move the young forward if they find a suitable trade partner. Friedman also thinks Reichel understands it might be time for a change.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A suitable trade partner would be one willing to meet the Blackhawks’ asking price. Whatever that might be for a struggling first-rounder who has yet to meet expectations remains to be seen, but it’s unlikely to be very high.

The best scenario could be moving Reichel for another struggling young forward and hoping the change of scenery works out for both players.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 12, 2025

by | Sep 12, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 12, 2025

The league will reinstate five former Hockey Canada players on Dec. 1, the latest on the Flyers’ Rasmus Ristolainen and the Jets’ Adam Lowry, the Sabres sign Alexandar Georgiev, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The five former Hockey Canada players who were acquitted of sexual assault charges will be suspended until Dec. 1.

Dillon Dube, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton, Carter Hart, and Michael McLeod are eligible to sign with NHL teams as early as Oct. 15.

Following their acquittals, the league conducted in-person interviews with each player, who each expressed regret and remorse over the incident. The Dec. 1 date would bring their total time away from the league to two years.

THE CANADIAN PRESS (via COAST REPORTER): Sports lawyer Greg Gilhooly, who is a survivor of sexual abuse by infamous hockey coach Graham James, said NHL clubs must weigh talent against potential backlash when deciding whether to sign those players.

“I think what’s going to happen here is that there are going to be different amounts of justice and retribution kneaded out depending upon how good a hockey player you are,” said Gilhooly. He believes Hart will be the first to be signed, and the team that signs him will take some abuse for it. Gilhooly thinks teams will shy away from the marginal players.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report received a mixed reaction on social media. Some considered the suspension a public relations move, while others believed the players should have been reinstated following their acquittals, and still others criticized hockey culture.

This situation puts the NHL in a difficult spot. Gilhooly thinks they’re doing their best to be seen as doing the right thing and sending the right message.

CBS SPORTS: Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen skated Thursday in a non-contact jersey. He underwent surgery in March to repair a torn right triceps. His recovery timeline was six months, which could put him back in the lineup for the start of the season, though the Flyers won’t rush the process.

THE WINNIPEG SUN: Jets captain Adam Lowry is hoping to return to action by the end of October or early November. The 32-year-old checking-line center underwent hip surgery on May 27, with a recovery timeline of five to six months.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: The Sabres signed unrestricted free-agent goaltender Alexandar Georgiev to a one-year contract worth $825,000. Georgiev, 29, is a nine-year NHL veteran who split last season between the Colorado Avalanche and San Jose Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Georgiev is trying to get his NHL career back on track after leading the league in wins in 2022-23 (40) and 2023-24 (38) with the Avalanche. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is the Sabres starter, meaning Georgiev will be jockeying with Alex Lyon for the backup job.

Speaking of the Sabres, they placed Adam Mair on administrative leave following his arrest for drunk driving last week. Mair is their director of player development.

SPORTSNET: Zayne Parekh was not on the Calgary Flames rookie-camp roster for precautionary reasons. The 19-year-old defenseman is still working through an injury suffered during the summer, but is expected to be a full participant in their main training camp that opens on Sept. 18.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Golden Knights prospect Trevor Connelly is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury suffered while playing for Team USA in the World Junior Summer Showcase in July. He will likely miss the Golden Knights’ training camp, which begins on Sept. 18.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Flyers prospect center Jett Luchanko was held out of the club’s rookie camp for precautionary reasons stemming from a groin issue suffered in July. The 19-year-old is expected to be available for the start of the Flyers’ main camp next week.

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH: Former Blues broadcaster John Kelly will be calling Los Angeles Kings games for FanDuel Sports Network this season. He will call 60 regular-season and two exhibition games, and the first round of the playoffs if the Kings qualify.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 2, 2025

by | Sep 2, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 2, 2025

Canucks captain Quinn Hughes could become a Hart Trophy candidate, three Flyers with the most to gain or lose this season, the latest on Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Andre Leal considered the possibility of Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes becoming the first defenseman in 26 years to win the Hart Memorial Trophy as the most valuable player to his team.

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes (NHL Images).

Hall-of-Famer Chris Pronger was the last blueliner to win the Hart Trophy (1999-2000). Brent Burns came the closest to winning the award since then, finishing fourth in voting during the 2016-17 season with the San Jose Sharks.

The Canucks failed to make the playoffs last season, but have Hughes to thank for staying in the race until late in the season. Leal believes the 25-year-old blueliner could win the Hart this season if he leads the Canucks to the playoffs while producing at the same rate that he did in 2023-24, when he had a career-high 92 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A strong case could be made for Hughes as a Hart contender if the season unfolds like Leal’s scenario. The Canucks’ roster isn’t as deep as it was two years ago, so leading this current group in the postseason while producing over 90 points would be an MVP-worthy performance.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: William James looks at three Philadelphia Flyers with the most to gain or lose this season.

Sophomore winger Matvei Michkov has the most to gain. The budding scoring star should flourish under new head coach Rick Tocchet this season, seeing more playing time and with better linemates than he had during his rookie campaign.

Veteran winger Travis Konecny has the most to lose. The 28-year-old is entering the first season of his eight-year contract and will face pressure to live up to it.

Trevor Zegras has the biggest opportunity this season. The 24-year-old forward joins the Flyers after struggling during the past two seasons with the Anaheim Ducks. He has the chance to play top-six minutes at the center position with Michkov, Konecny, Tyson Foerster, or Owen Tippett as his potential linemates.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers are rebuilding, and the performance of those three will determine their potential improvement this season. Michkov’s stock as an offensive star should keep rising, while Konecny should remain a feisty first-line winger and leader. Zegras could face the most pressure as he attempts to get his career back on track.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin is rising up a list on the Red Wings that no player wants to sit atop.

Larkin has played 734 regular-season games with the Red Wings, putting him on track to play the most games for the franchise without winning the Stanley Cup. The franchise leader in that category is Norm Ullman (875), followed by Nick Libett (861) and Justin Abdelkader (739).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Larkin’s only playoff appearance was in 2016, when he played five games. The Red Wings captain has endured nine years of a difficult roster rebuild that seems to have stalled over the past two seasons. Unless the Wings make significant improvement, Larkin will set the franchise record for most games without winning the Cup.

RG.ORG: Former NHL head coach Gerard Gallant is embracing the challenge of coaching in the KHL. He was hired this summer as bench boss of the rebranded Shanghai Dragons, now based in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Gallant intends to run a North American “support-and-forecheck” style. The Dragons’ goal is to win now and build a fanbase for a possible return to China.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A good performance by the Dragons this season could be a springboard for Gallant to rejoin the NHL coaching ranks.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Sammi Silber looked at where promising rookie winger Ryan Leonard will start in the Washington Capitals’ roster this season.

Leonard, 20, saw nine games of regular-season action and eight postseason contests last season. He could begin the season on the Capitals’ third line, though his potential linemates have yet to be determined.