NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 20, 2026

by | Jun 20, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 20, 2026

The latest on Sabres winger Zach Benson, Ron Francis returns to the Penguins, the Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup win could benefit youth hockey in Carolina, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports sources tell him the Buffalo Sabres are working on a new contract for winger Zach Benson that could be comparable to the deal they signed with winger Josh Doan.

Buffalo Sabres forward Zach Benson (NHL Images

Benson, 21, is coming off his entry-level contract. He netted a career-best 43 points in 65 games this season, along with five goals and nine points in 13 games.

Doan, 24, signed a seven-year contract extension with the Sabres in January worth an average annual value of $6.95 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Benson garnered plenty of attention with his performance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He’s a sparkplug player who gave his teammates a jolt of energy and timely offense when needed most.

Benson’s pesky ways also got under his opponents’ skin. His slewfoot of Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy in their first-round series showed a level of recklessness that could get him into trouble if he continues with those antics. He’ll need to keep his head on a swivel the next time those two clubs face each other.

Nevertheless, Benson emerged this season as an invaluable part of the Sabres’ roster. He’ll be crucial to their efforts to build on this season’s success.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Ron Francis has returned to the Penguins as the Special Advisor, Hockey Operations to president of hockey ops and general manager Kyle Dubas.

Francis won two Stanley Cups with the Penguins as a player from 1991 to 1998. He recently left the Seattle Kraken after spending six years in front-office roles, mostly as their general manager.

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: The Carolina Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup championship run this season could provide a boost to local youth hockey as their first Cup run did twenty years ago.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Toronto Marlies are the AHL’s Calder Cup champions after defeating the Chicago Wolves 4-3 in Game 5 of the Cup Final. It’s the second time they’ve won the AHL championship in eight years.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs forward Easton Cowan finished third among the postseason scorers with 18 points, including three assists in the Cup-clinching game.

The Marlies also had the sweater of the late Maple Leafs prospect Radim Amirov in their Calder Cup championship photo. His No. 72 jersey had been hanging in their dressing room and practice facility this season. Amirov was the Leafs’ first-round pick in 2020. He passed away in 2023 from a brain tumor.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to the Marlies for their Calder Cup championship. It was also a classy gesture on their part to honor Amirov’s memory.

Some folks on social media tried to credit the Marlies’ success to newly-hired Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka, but he had nothing to do with it. This team was built by Maple Leafs assistant GM (and Marlies general manager) Ryan Hardy, under the supervision of former Leafs GM Brad Treliving.

RATINGS.ORG: Marco D’Amico profiled prospect defenseman Xavier Villeneuve of the QMJHL’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. He will be playing for Boston University next season.

The 5’11, 162-pound Villeneuve’s size has dropped him in the overall prospect rankings. However, his style of play has drawn comparisons to Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes and Montreal Canadiens blueliner Lane Hutson.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hutson’s size was the reason why he dropped to the second round in the 2022 draft, where the Montreal Canadiens selected him. Considering how Hutson has become a star in Montreal, teams seeking a puck-moving defenseman could keep that in mind to avoid making the same mistake with Villeneuve.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 9, 2026

by | Apr 9, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 9, 2026

Oilers captain Connor McDavid leads his club to a big win over the Sharks, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin talks about his future, the Masterton Trophy finalists are announced, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid had a five-point performance (three goals, two assists) to lead his club to a 5-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Macklin Celebrini and Kiefer Sherwood replied for the Sharks. With 90 points, the 40-29-10 Oilers hold first place in the Pacific Division. Meanwhile, the loss leaves the 37-33-7 Sharks (81 points) sitting three points behind the Nashville Predators for the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid has 133 points, opening a five-point lead over Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov for the lead in the scoring race. Celebrini is fourth with 108 points. Meanwhile, Oilers goaltender Connor Ingram left this game after two periods with an undisclosed injury. Forward Jason Dickinson departed in the third period after taking a shot to the foot.

The Buffalo Sabres got three unanswered third-period goals from Alex Tuch, Jason Zucker, and Zach Benson to defeat the New York Rangers 5-3. Benson had two goals while Zucker and Ryan McLeod each had a goal and an assist for the Sabres (48-23-8), who have sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division with 104 points. Alexis Lafreniere tallied twice for the 33-37-9 Rangers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres are two points behind the Eastern Conference-leading Carolina Hurricanes, who hold a game in hand.

Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson turned in a 21-save shutout in a 4-0 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Dylan Strome and Martin Fehervary each had a goal and an assist for the 40-30-9 Capitals (89 points), who sit three points behind the Ottawa Senators for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot. Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz left the game early with a lower-body injury. Joseph Woll made 14 saves on 17 shots in relief for the 32-32-14 Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals rookie Ilya Protas collected his first point with an assist in his NHL game, while his older brother Aliaksei also had an assist.

Before the game, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin said he won’t decide his future until after this season is over.

The 40-year-old left wing is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He said he intends to speak with his family and Capitals management before deciding during the summer.

Some observers think Ovechkin will retire or return to Russia to finish his player career where it started. TSN’s Chris Johnston said he wouldn’t be surprised if last night’s game against the Maple Leafs was his last in Toronto as an NHL player.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy, Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog, and Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark are among the 32 players nominated for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

The Masterton Trophy is awarded annually to the player who best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey, as voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA).

Other notable players nominated this season include Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin, Carolina Hurricanes winger Taylor Hall, Florida Panthers winger Brad Marchand, Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar, St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington, Utah Mammoth captain Clayton Keller, Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, and Winnipeg Jets center Jonathan Toews.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to all the nominees. You can see the complete list by following the above link.

OTTAWA SUN: Ullmark had mixed feelings about being nominated for the Masterton. He was honored to be recognized, but knows that it was based partially on the hardships he went through off the ice.

“It’s both good and bad, in a way, because it’s one of those honors where you don’t really want it, because that means you’ve gone through a lot of stuff, and it means you’ve gone through hardships that maybe people don’t want you to go through,” Ullmark said.

The 32-year-old Senators goaltender took time away from the team earlier this season to seek help dealing with his mental health. He expressed his gratitude to the Senators organization, his teammates, family, and friends for their support.

“They haven’t treated me any differently, which I don’t want them to, either. I’m still the same person. The only difference is that I’m now more aware that I am broke, that I was broken, and am still very much fighting the demons every day,” he said.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Kraken announced Ron Francis is stepping down from his role as president of hockey operations by mutual agreement.

Francis was named the Kraken’s first general manager in 2019, a role he held until last summer when Jason Botterill was promoted as GM and Francis was shifted into his current role. His contract runs through 2026-27.

During his tenure with the Kraken, Francis was unable to bring a scoring star to Seattle. Their expansion draft core has struggled offensively, while former Kraken players such as Morgan Geekie and Tye Kartye have found success with other teams.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Botterill will be staying on as general manager.

NHL.COM: Calgary Flames forward Ryan Strome was fined $5,000 for cross-checking Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson on Tuesday.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The Bruins signed top prospect James Hagens to a three-year entry-level contract.

THE ATHLETIC: The Utah Mammoth is only five games away from becoming the first NHL team in the salary-cap era to go a full season without a single game ending in a shootout.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 22, 2025

by | Apr 22, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 22, 2025

In today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines: recapping Monday’s playoff action, the Kraken make coaching and management changes, plus the latest on the Canucks, Rangers, and Red Wings as they head into the offseason.

RECAPS OF MONDAY’S PLAYOFF GAMES

NHL.COM: The Los Angeles Kings blew 4-0 and 5-2 leads before nipping the Edmonton Oilers 6-5 in Game 1 of their best-of-seven first-round series.

Phillip Danault scored twice, including the winning goal with 42 seconds left in the third period. Kings forwards Adrian Kempe and Andrei Kuzmenko each had a goal and two assists. Oilers captain Connor McDavid led his club’s comeback with four points, including the tying goal. Evan Bouchard picked up three assists. Game 2 is Wednesday, Apr. 23, in Los Angeles, with a 10 pm ET start.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A wild game that seemed poised for a blowout win by the Kings until Edmonton made it interesting in the third with McDavid leading the way. It certainly wasn’t a defensive masterpiece, with goalies Darcy Kuemper of the Kings and Stuart Skinner of the Oilers looking shaky at times, whilst both clubs committed costly blunders in their own zones.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored two goals (including his first NHL playoff overtime goal) to down the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 in Game 1 of their opening round series. The Capitals jumped to a 2-0 lead before the Canadiens tied it on goals by Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki, with rookie defenseman Lane Hutson collecting two assists. Game 2 is Wednesday, starting at 7 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals dominated the first two periods as their postseason experience was on display during that stretch. Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault was sharp, keeping his team in the game until they gained their footing and rallied back.

The Winnipeg Jets squeezed past the St. Louis Blues 2-1 with Kyle Connor breaking a 1-1 tie early in the third period. Mark Scheifele also scored and Connor Hellebuyck made 21 saves for the Jets, who take a 2-0 lead in the series. Rookie Jimmy Snuggerud scored his first NHL playoff goal and Jordan Binnington stopped 20 shots for the Blues. The series shifts to St. Louis for Games 3 and 4 with the next match scheduled for Thursday, Apr. 24, at 9:30 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Both games have been closely contested and could’ve gone the Blues’ way with some puck luck. Scheifele (five points) and Connor (four points) have stepped up to lead offensively for the Jets, with the latter tallying both winning goals.

An overtime goal by Colin Blackwell gave the Dallas Stars a 4-3 victory over the Colorado Avalanche, tying their series at a game apiece. Jake Oettinger turned aside 34 shots and Tyler Seguin scored his first goal since returning from hip surgery. Mackenzie Blackwood made 35 saves and Logan O’Connor had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche. Game 3 is Wednesday at 9:30 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche created a stir before the game by announcing captain Gabriel Landeskog was activated off long-term injury reserve. He was not in the lineup for Game 2, but he appears a step closer to appearing in this series at some point. Due to knee surgeries, Landeskog hasn’t played since Game 6 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final.

HEADLINES

THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Kraken announced Monday they fired head coach Dan Bylsma after one season on the job. They have reportedly reassigned general manager Ron Francis to team president, with assistant GM Jason Botterill taking over the management job.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kraken missed the playoffs for the second straight year under Bylsma, finishing 20 points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot. Francis had recently come under criticism for the club’s stalled improvement, including last summer’s expensive signings of center Chandler Stephenson and defenseman Brandon Montour.

The Kraken reached the playoffs in their second season, but that set heightened expectations they have struggled to meet. Botterill has management experience, serving three seasons as GM of the Buffalo Sabres from 2017 to 2020. Time will tell if he’ll have better luck in Seattle than he did in his brief tenure in Buffalo.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford raised eyebrows during his end-of-season press conference, saying team captain Quinn Hughes hopes to one day play alongside brothers Jack and Luke, who play for the New Jersey Devils.

Rutherford said a reunion of the Hughes brothers is partly out of the Canucks’ control. He added that bringing Jack and Luke to Vancouver would be within the club’s control, adding that he had to be careful with tampering and left it at that. Rutherford also said his club cannot afford to lose Quinn and would do everything they could to keep him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rutherford wasn’t saying his club was trying to bring Jack and Luke to Vancouver. He also wasn’t saying Quinn wants out of Vancouver.

It’s unlikely that Rutherford gets his fingers slapped for any violation of the league’s tampering rules. Realistically, such a move is highly doubtful. I’ll have more about that in today’s Rumor Mill.

Quinn Hughes has two years remaining on his contract with the Canucks. Whatever Rutherford and general manager Patrik Allvin do this offseason could determine whether he remains in Vancouver beyond 2027.

Rutherford also said the Canucks won’t pick up the option year in head coach Rick Tocchet’s contract. If he returns next season, it’ll be on a new long-term deal. Tocchet is at his Las Vegas home, taking a breather and mulling things over. He could make his decision later this week.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rutherford and Allvin are keen to keep Tocchet behind the Canucks’ bench. They commended him and his coaching staff for their handling of a difficult season, including a major rift between Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller that led to the latter’s trade to the New York Rangers in January.

Speaking of Pettersson, the club plans to stick with the struggling center, hoping a stronger off-season training regimen will help him regain his high-scoring form. Allvin is keeping his options open, but insists the team still has faith in Pettersson.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks options will narrow considerably when Pettersson’s no-movement clause kicks in on July 1.

TSN: The Canucks also intend to let Brock Boeser reach this summer’s free-agent market on July 1. However, they haven’t ruled out bringing him back if he doesn’t find a better deal elsewhere.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Boeser could return to the Canucks after July 1 on the latter’s terms. However, there will be teams with plentiful cap space seeking scoring depth who could be willing to meet his asking price.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider underwent surgery on Apr. 17 to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder that’s been nagging him for the past two years. He can resume skating in three months.

Rangers winger Chris Kreider revealed he suffered back spasms in November and vertigo in December. He also injured his left hand in February following the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, which could require surgery.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those issues explain why Kreider’s production dropped significantly this season, making him the subject of trade speculation.

The Rangers don’t intend to approach former NHL coach Joel Quenneville about their vacant head-coaching position. It’s believed there is a mutual recognition that it would not be the best landing spot for his potential return to the NHL coaching ranks.

THE SCORE: Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin believes management’s inaction at the trade deadline didn’t help the club gain momentum in the playoff race. Their only move was acquiring goalie Petr Mrazek and forward Craig Smith from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for center Joe Veleno. The Wings wound up missing the postseason for the ninth straight year.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Larkin’s frustration over the club’s long playoff drought could raise further questions about general manager Steve Yzerman’s efforts to build this club into a postseason contender.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 16, 2025

by | Apr 16, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 16, 2025

The Wild and Blues clinch playoff berths while the Blue Jackets keep their playoff hopes alive, a milestone game for Leafs forwards Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF TUESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: The Minnesota Wild clinched the first Western Conference wild-card berth (97 points) with a dramatic 3-2 overtime win over the Anaheim Ducks. Joel Eriksson Ek scored the tying goal with 22 seconds remaining in the third period to ensure the Wild the point they needed to clinch that playoff berth. They started goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury in overtime in what could be the swan song to his NHL career, and got the game-winner from Matt Boldy with 18 seconds remaining in the extra frame.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In a classy move, Wild starter Filip Gustavsson requested Fleury take over between the pipes at the end of the third period. The future Hall-of-Famer made five saves in overtime and was mobbed by his teammates following Boldy’s goal. They will face the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round.

Meanwhile, the St. Louis Blues (96 points) clinched the final Western wild-card by downing the Utah Hockey Club 6-1. Jordan Kyrou scored two goals, Pavel Buchnevich had a goal and two assists, and rookie forward Jimmy Snuggerud tallied his first NHL goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues center Robert Thomas left the game early in the third period with a lower-body injury for precautionary reasons. Head coach Jim Montgomery believes he’ll be fine. The Blues will square off against the Winnipeg Jets in the first round.

The Calgary Flames (94 points) defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 5-4 but were eliminated from the playoff race. Morgan Frost scored the game-winner in a shootout while Nazem Kadri had a goal and an assist. Brandon Saad had a goal and two assists for the Golden Knights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A tough finish for the Flames, but they exceeded expectations by staying in the playoff race for most of this season. It will give them something to build on going forward.

Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Jet Greaves had a 26-save shutout to blank the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0. Adam Fantilli scored his 30th goal of the season and Sean Monahan collected two assists for the Blue Jackets (87 points), who sit two points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with a game in hand.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Montreal can clinch on Wednesday if they defeat the Carolina Hurricanes in any fashion or lose in overtime or the shootout. If the Canadiens lose that game in regulation time, the Blue Jackets can clinch if they get a regulation win in their final game on Thursday.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews scored his 400th NHL regular-season goal and Mitch Marner collected his 100th point of the season in a 4-0 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Anthony Stolarz kicked out 35 shots for the shutout. The Leafs clinched the Atlantic Division title for the first time with 106 points and will face the Ottawa Senators in the first round.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthews is the sixth-fastest player to reach the 400-goal plateau, doing so in 628 games played. He joins Wayne Gretzky (436 games played), Mike Bossy (506 GP), Mario Lemieux (508), Brett Hull (520), and Jari Kurri (608). He needs 21 goals to break Mats Sundin’s franchise record of 420 goals.

Marner joins Matthews, Darryl Sittler and Doug Gilmour as the fourth player in Leafs history to reach 100 points in a season.

Sabres defenseman Owen Power missed this game with a season-ending injury to his left knee that could require surgery in the offseason.

Speaking of the Senators (95 points), they dropped a 4-3 decision to the Chicago Blackhawks. Frank Nazar scored in overtime and Connor Bedard tallied twice for Chicago while Dylan Cozens had two assists for the Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s been a long time since “The Battle of Ontario” carried over into the playoffs. The last time the Leafs and Senators faced each other in the postseason was 21 years ago in the opening round of the 2004 playoffs.

The Leafs enter that series with defensemen Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Jake McCabe questionable for Game 1. Sidelined Senators captain Brady Tkachuk is expected to return to action for that game.

The Tampa Bay Lightning secured second place in the Atlantic Division with 102 points by beating the Florida Panthers 5-1. Brayden Point had a goal and two assists while Nikita Kucherov collected two points for a league-leading 121 points. Brad Marchand replied for the Panthers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speaking of rivalries, “The Battle of Florida” continues as the Lightning and Panthers face off in postseason play for the fourth time in five years.

Washington Capitals center Dylan Strome’s hat trick powered his team to a 3-1 victory over the New York Islanders. Adam Pelech returned to action in this game after leaving Sunday’s match against the New Jersey Devils following an illegal hit to the head by Devils forward Paul Cotter.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was likely the final home game for Islanders forward Matt Martin, who was saluted by the fans and the Capitals following this contest. Meanwhile, the Capitals will face the Canadiens or Blue Jackets in the first round.

The Los Angeles Kings tied their single-season record for most wins (48) by holding off the Seattle Kraken 5-4. Samuel Helenius scored two goals for the Kings (105 points), who will meet the Edmonton Oilers in the opening round for the fourth straight year. Matty Beniers netted his 20th goal of the season for the Kraken.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kraken confirmed Ron Francis will return for his fifth season as general manager.

An overtime goal by Brian Dumoulin gave the New Jersey Devils a 5-4 win over the Boston Bruins. Timo Meier had a goal and two assists for the Devils (91 points), who will face the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round. Bruins winger David Pastrnak had a goal and an assist to finish the season with 106 points.

HEADLINES

NBC SPORTS BAY AREA: San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture formally announced yesterday that he’s no longer physically able to continue his playing career.

The 36-year-old center’s final game was in February 2024. He was diagnosed in 2023 with Osteitis pubis, a deep groin injury that sidelined him for almost all of the last two seasons.

Couture hasn’t officially retired as his contract runs through 2026-27 with an average annual value of $8 million. He will remain on their books for the next two years and be placed on long-term injury reserve if they need salary-cap flexibility.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As I noted yesterday, Couture will be remembered as one of the best players in Sharks history. He’s among their top-five players in games-played, goals, assists, and points. Couture didn’t rule out returning to the game in coaching or management. General manager Mike Grier said there’s a job for him anytime with the Sharks.

RG.ORG: Philadelphia Flyers captain Sean Couturier admitted it’s been a tough season for his rebuilding club. However, he believes they have a bright future with the young players in the lineup and their prospect system.

Couturier admitted he didn’t have much of a relationship with former head coach John Tortorella. “We didn’t see eye-to-eye on a lot of things, and it was hard,” he said. “I just tried to work with him and do what’s best for the team because that’s my job as the captain.”

THE DENVER POST: Gabriel Landeskog returned to the Avalanche following his recent conditioning stint with their AHL affiliate. He’s resumed practicing with the Avs and could be ready for Game 1 of their first-round playoff series with the Dallas Stars.

TSN: Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers is listed as week-to-week with a right-foot injury just days before their first-round series with the St. Louis Blues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s no indication if Ehlers will return at some point during that series.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The NHL department of player safety handed Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse a one-game suspension for cross-checking Los Angeles Kings center Quinton Byfield in the back of the head during Monday’s game between the two clubs.

Nurse will miss the Oilers’ final regular-season game on Wednesday against the Sharks and will be in the lineup for the first game of their opening-round series against the Kings.

NHL.COM: Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov, New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes, Ottawa Senators winger Brady Tkachuk and Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner are among the 32 King Clancy Memorial Trophy nominees. The award recognizes leadership qualities and contributions to the community.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Click the link above for the complete list.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 1, 2023

by | Jun 1, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 1, 2023

The Leafs formally hire Brad Treliving as GM, the Kraken extend GM Ron Francis’ contract, the Rangers get permission to speak to former Predators coach John Hynes, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee headlines.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A reminder that Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and Vegas Golden Knights is Saturday, June 3, at 8 pm ET in Las Vegas.

TORONTO SUN: On Wednesday, the Maple Leafs formally announced the hiring of former Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving as their new GM. He replaced Kyle Dubas, who was fired as GM on May 19.

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving. (NHL.com)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I went into detail yesterday regarding Treliving’s tenure with the Flames when the news broke that he was to be hired by the Leafs.

The consensus by the pundits (including the Toronto Sun’s Steve Simmons, the Toronto Star’s Bruce Arthur and Daily Faceoff’s Matt Larkin) is that Leafs president Brendan Shanahan’s fate is now in Treliving’s hands. He may be the safe choice but is he the best choice? If he’s not, it will cost Shanahan his job.

Shanahan reportedly hopes to maintain the Leafs “core four” of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and team captain John Tavares. He could also insist on keeping Sheldon Keefe as head coach for another attempt at winning the Stanley Cup. It’s believed that those who were interviewed for the Leafs GM job (including Treliving) had to agree to those conditions.

If the Leafs stick with their current roster and head coach, Treliving won’t have much room to put an immediate stamp on this club. They have limited cap space so he can’t just go out and sign big-name free agents or make a blockbuster trade to shake things up. He also can’t bring in a new bench boss who might have a fresh approach that turns the Leafs into a Cup contender.

The Leafs should be a playoff team for the foreseeable future. Even by bringing in affordable players to fill out their roster depth, they have the core talent to once again finish among the top-four clubs in the Eastern Conference. It’s how they do in the postseason that will determine whether Shanahan made the right call with Treliving.

Oh, and remember those media rumors linking the Leafs to St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong? It turns out they never even reached out to the Blues to ask permission to speak with Armstrong.

SEATTLE HOCKEY INSIDER: The Kraken signed general manager Ron Francis to a three-year contract extension.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Francis has done a fine job thus far as the Kraken’s GM. This extension was his reward for the second-year NHL club reaching the playoffs this season.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers sought and were granted permission from the Nashville Predators to speak with former head coach John Hynes, who was replaced yesterday with Andrew Brunette. Hynes was a teammate of Rangers GM Chris Drury at Boston University from 1994 to 1997.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: cited TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reporting Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron remains undecided whether he’ll return for another season or retire. The Bruins aren’t putting any timeline or pressure on Bergeron to reach a decision.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Just like last summer, the Bruins will give Bergeron all the time he needs. He’s earned that right.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars winger Joe Pavelski shut down any notion of his retirement following this season. He once thought this season would be his last but his performance and that of his teammates changed his mind. Pavelski signed a one-year contract extension in January.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pavelski played a significant role in the Stars reaching the Western Conference Final. The 38-year-old winger still has enough left in the tank for another season.

Speaking of the Stars, Max Domi is open to returning with the club. Acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks at the trade deadline, he proved to be a solid addition to the Stars. Domi, 28, is slated to become an unrestricted free agent and is seeking stability after playing for six teams in the last seven years.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars could find it difficult to retain Domi because of their salary-cap constraints. That could send him into the UFA market on July 1.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Sidelined Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner and his wife are facing new allegations of fraud tied to the couple’s ongoing Chapter 7 bankruptcy case. A Las Vegas businessman claims Lehner misled him on his ability to repay $4 million in loans provided to the netminder.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Legendary goaltender Dominik Hasek used shopping carts to recently clear out his artifacts from the Czech Hockey Hall of Fame in Prague. He and other famous Czech players had to gather up what they donated to the Hall as it is closing due to economic issues. It’s hoped it will reopen in a new location in the future.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report indicated Hasek was emotional about this situation. He helped to create the Czech Hockey Hall of Fame and donated numerous artifacts from his playing career.










Going For Something Old Nothing New To Maple Leafs

by | Oct 18, 2020

Going For Something Old Nothing New To Maple Leafs