NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 28, 2026

by | Apr 28, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 28, 2026

The Penguins beat the Flyers to avoid elimination again, the Golden Knights tie their series with the Mammoth, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING MONDAY’S PLAYOFF ACTION

NHL.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins staved off elimination again by nipping the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 in Game 5 of their best-of-seven first-round series. A flukey second-period goal by Kris Letang gave the Penguins the win after the Flyers overcame a 2-0 deficit to tie the game on goals by Alex Bump and Travis Sanheim. Elmer Soderblom and Connor Dewar scored for the Penguins. The series returns to Philadelphia for Game 6 on Wednesday with the Flyers holding a 3-2 lead.

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins remain on the verge of elimination, but two straight victories have put them back in this series. Kevin Kurz of The Athletic believes the pressure of playoff hockey may be getting to the younger Flyers players, who haven’t faced this level of postseason competition before, especially against a veteran-laden team with considerable playoff experience.

The Flyers can allay that concern with a win in Game 6, but if the Penguins take that game, all bets are off.

An overtime goal by Shea Theodore lifted the Vegas Golden Knights to a 5-4 victory over the Utah Mammoth, tying their series at two games apiece. The Golden Knights had a 3-0 lead, but the Mammoth rallied with four straight goals before Brett Howden made it 4-4 midway through the third period. Howden finished with two goals and an assist, while Jack Eichel had three assists. Mikhail Sergachev also had three assists, and Nick Schmaltz tallied a goal and an assist for the Mammoth. The series returns to Las Vegas for Game 5 on Wednesday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game was a wild one with the Golden Knights seemingly in control through the first period and the early minutes of the second. The Mammoth stormed back and seemed on the verge of taking a 3-1 series lead until Howden’s tying goal set the stage for Theodore’s winner. The Golden Knights seemed to have won it midway through overtime on a goal by Pavel Dorofeyev, but it was overturned on review as Eichel was offside on the play.

HEADLINES

SPORTSNET: Ottawa Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot revealed that he played their series against the Carolina Hurricanes despite his broken forearm not being fully healed. He suffered the injury on March 23 and underwent surgery soon afterward. He said his arm is still three weeks away from being fully healed. Chabot played with a cast on his arm to prevent further damage.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chabot’s early return to help his teammates is commendable and a testament to his toughness, but it made him largely ineffective in the series against the Hurricanes.

Senators forward Claude Giroux intends to take some time to assess the club’s early postseason exit and his future. Giroux, 38, is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. If he does return for another season, he said it would be only with the Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Giroux was an effective two-way player for the Senators during the regular season with 49 points in 82 games, but his production has steadily declined over the past four seasons. He played well defensively for the Senators against the Hurricanes, but was held scoreless in that series.

TSN: Senators captain Brady Tkachuk skipped the end-of-season media availability as his wife had given birth to their second child.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speculation about Tkachuk’s future with the Senators emerged soon after the Hurricanes eliminated them. I’ll have more about that in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

CBS SPORTS: Minnesota Wild winger Mats Zuccarello (upper body) practices with his teammates on Monday, but remains questionable for Game 5 against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday. Zuccarello missed the last three games of this series. The series is knotted at two games apiece.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars defenseman Nils Lundkvist has been ruled out for Game 5 of their series against the Minnesota Wild as he recovers from a facial injury suffered in Game 4.

BUFFALO HOCKEY BEAT: Sabres center Josh Norris could return to action for Game 5 of their first-round series with the Boston Bruins. Norris missed the last two games with an undisclosed injury. The Sabres lead the series 3-1 and could eliminate the Bruins with a win on Tuesday in Buffalo.

NHL.COM: Speaking of the Bruins, defenseman Nikita Zadorov was fined $5,000 by the league’s department of player safety for cross-checking Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin during Game 4 of their series on Sunday.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Sidelined Canadiens defenseman Noah Dobson (upper body) skated on his own yesterday, working on puck-handling drills. He’s slated to be reevaluated on Tuesday. The Canadiens will head to Tampa Bay for Game 5 of their series with the Lightning, which takes place on Wednesday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dobson was the Canadiens best all-around defenseman this season. He was sixth among his teammates in regular-season points (47) while sitting second in the league in blocked shots with 188. If cleared to return to action, Dobson would provide a boost to their blueline against the Lightning.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The only big question facing Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch is whether to start Connor Ingram or Tristan Jarry in goal for Game 5 of their series against the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday. Both goalies have had a difficult time in this series, with the Ducks holding a commanding 3-1 lead.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With the Oilers on the brink of elimination, it’ll be interesting to see who Knoblauch goes with for Game 5.

TSN: Canada will have several notable players on their roster for the upcoming 2026 IIHF World Championship. They include San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini, Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele, New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal, and Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly.

Penn State forward Gavin McKenna, who is projected to be this year’s top prospect in the NHL Draft, will also play for Canada. So will Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Jet Greaves.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Islanders forwards Simon Holmstrom and Emil Heineman will play for Sweden in the World Championship.

TSN: The Washington Capitals have parted ways with assistant coach Kirk Muller.










NHL Rumor Mill – March 17, 2026

by | Mar 17, 2026

NHL Rumor Mill – March 17, 2026

Check out the latest on Maple Leafs winger Matthew Knies and the latest Senators speculation in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

MORE MATTHEW KNIES SPECULATION

TORONTO STAR: Nick Kypreos believes trading Matthew Knies would make sense for the Maple Leafs, even if it means shipping him to the Montreal Canadiens.

Knies is what Kypreos calls a unique combination of physicality and scoring. The 23-year-old winger is also on a team-friendly contract with an average annual value of $7.75 million through 2030-31. He also lacks no-trade protection until the final season of his deal.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Matthews Knies (NHL Images).

If the Maple Leafs want to make a big splash in the trade pool, shopping Knies would be easier to do than attempting to move Auston Matthews or William Nylander, who have full no-movement clauses. The Leafs would have complete control of trading the young power forward, which could give them better odds of landing high-end talent to help secure the club’s future.

The Canadiens have plenty of exciting young players to choose from, including center Michael Hage and defenseman David Reinbacher. Defenseman Kaiden Guhle and prospect center Owen Beck are names worth watching.

Kypreos also listed the Chicago Blackhawks and Utah Mammoth as possible trade partners. Like the Canadiens, they also possess promising youngsters who could be enticing to the Maple Leafs.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: William James recently suggested the Philadelphia Flyers should attempt to get into the bidding for Knies. He would bring a needed boost at left wing among their top-six forwards. James proposed dangling Noah Cates and/or Cam York in a trade offer.

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Ben Pope recently wondered if the Blackhawks might pursue Kines, St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas, or Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson.

Knies could be the best option of the three. Pope pointed to his youth, ongoing upside, and affordable contract. He also noted that the young winger is likely the Maple Leafs’ best trade chip to acquire draft picks and prospects.

The Blackhawks have plenty of salary cap space to take on Knies’ contract. Like the Canadiens and Mammoth, they have a deep pool of promising young players on their roster and within their system to draw on for trade bait.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Knies would be the Maple Leafs’ best trade chip for all the reasons cited by Kypreos, James, and Pope. That would explain why they reportedly floated the young winger’s name in the trade market to gauge his value.

Whether the Maple Leafs revisit that plan in the offseason depends on whoever is sitting in the general manager’s seat. Current Leafs GM Brad Treliving is in the final season of his contract, and it’s rumored he won’t be getting an extension.

If Treliving is let go, his replacement could decide that Knies is worth keeping and consider other options. Those could include moving Matthews or Nylander if they’re open to the idea.

UPDATE ON THE SENATORS

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch believes adding a right-shot defenseman will be an offseason priority for the Senators.

GM Steve Staios scoured the market for such a blueliner before the March 6 trade deadline. His top target was MacKenzie Weegar, but the Calgary Flames traded him to the Utah Mammoth before the deadline.

Staios hasn’t ruled out promoting top prospect Carter Yakemchuk into that role.

DAILY FACEOFF: Tyler Yaremchuk and Brent Wallace wondered if there might be some changes for the Senators if they miss the playoffs this year.

Wallace expects defenseman Nick Jensen won’t be back, and he doesn’t see where veterans Lars Eller, Claude Giroux, or Nick Cousins fit in next year’s plans. He also doesn’t think that trading struggling starting goalie Linus Ullmark is a discussion.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a difficult season for Ullmark, but the Senators will likely stick with him. He’s in the first season of a four-year contract, and they have no one within their system to replace him. They’ll likely work with him during the offseason to help him regain his form.










NHL Rumor Mill – January 27, 2026

by | Jan 27, 2026

NHL Rumor Mill – January 27, 2026

Are the Wild looking at Rangers center Vincent Trocheck? What’s the latest on Canucks winger Evander Kane and Sharks winger Jeff Skinner? Check out the latest in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WILD SHOPPING FOR A CENTER

THE ATHLETIC: Michael Russo and Joe Smith believe Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin is aggressively shopping for a center. He could draw on his draft picks and prospects as trade bait to address that need.

Guerin could be interested in New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck. League sources claim the Wild aren’t on the 32-year-old Trocheck’s 12-team no-trade list, but nothing is imminent.

New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck (NHL Images)

Russo and Smith think Guerin will also check into the availability of other NHL centers who might be available. Possibilities include Robert Thomas of the St. Louis Blues, Trocheck’s teammate J.T. Miller, Nico Hischier of the New Jersey Devils, Ryan O’Reilly of the St. Louis Blues, and Shane Pinto and Claude Giroux of the Ottawa Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Trocheck seems the most likely to be moved and could be the top target on Guerin’s radar. The Blues are willing to entertain offers for Thomas, but the asking price is high. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman believes they want a stud top-six center who is a little younger than the 26-year-old Thomas. The Wild can’t meet that price.

The Devils could be sellers, but I don’t see Hischier being moved. The Rangers acquired Miller last season and made him their captain, so it’s doubtful he’s available. Ditto Pinto and Giroux. O’Reilly lacks no-trade protection, but he reportedly wants to stay in Nashville, and the Predators aren’t in a hurry to move him.

The Wild lack a first-round pick in this year’s draft to use as trade bait. Russo and Smith wonder if Guerin might offer up prospect defenseman David Jiricek to the Nashville Predators for their first-rounder, pointing out the Predators reportedly offered up two first-round picks to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Jiricek last season before the Wild landed him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That was before Jiricek’s stock plummeted. The Predators won’t part with a first-rounder for him now.

Speaking of Wild trade bait, Russo and Smith engaged in some conjecture about the Wild possibly using goaltender Jesper Wallstedt in their quest to add a center. That seems unlikely because they’d be up a creek if they moved out Wallstedt and starter Filip Gustavsson suffered an injury afterward.

Russo and Smith floated the notion of them bringing back Marc-Andre Fleury, but they also pointed out he’s unlikely to come out of retirement.

CANUCKS PERMIT EVANDER KANE’S AGENT TO SEEK A TRADE

THE SCORE: According to CHEK-TV’s Rick Dhaliwal, the Vancouver Canucks have permitted Evander Kane’s agent to find a suitable trade partner for the 34-year-old winger.

Kane is in the final season of his contract and is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. His cap hit this season is $5.125 million, and he has a 16-team trade list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks are well into sell mode after shipping out Quinn Hughes to Minnesota last month and Kiefer Sherwood to the San Jose Sharks earlier this month.

This move indicates Kane is open to a trade to a suitable destination, but the Canucks management had difficulty finding any takers. His agent might have better luck.

COULD THE SHARKS ATTEMPT TO TRADE JEFF SKINNER?

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Josh Frojelin reports Jeff Skinner appears to be the odd man out among the Sharks’ forwards. The 33-year-old left winger has been a healthy scratch for the past couple of weeks.

Skinner signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Sharks last summer. He has six goals and 13 points in 32 games this season.

The Sharks have a logjam of wingers, with Philipp Kurashev and Kiefer Sherwood set to return from injuries soon. They recently sat out Adam Gaudette and Ryan Reaves, and sent promising Igor Chernyshov to their AHL affiliate.

Skinner has a full no-trade clause through Jan. 30, and an eight-team no-trade list after that.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks added Skinner to bring more experienced depth to their forward lines. However, the impressive play of sophomore wingers Will Smith and Colin Graf, and the addition of youngsters like Chernyshov, means they don’t need Skinner unless injuries decimate their lineup in the coming days. He could end up moving to another team between Jan. 31 and March 6.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 28, 2025

by | Dec 28, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 28, 2025

Recapping Saturday’s action and the most notable headlines during the holiday break in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF SATURDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and two assists, and also scored the winning goal in the shootout, as the league-leading Colorado Avalanche nipped the Vegas Golden Knights 6-5. Martin Necas scored twice, and Sam Malinski collected three assists for the 28-2-7 Avalanche, who sit atop the overall standings with 63 points. Alexander Holtz and Noah Hanifin each had two points for the Golden Knights (17-8-11), who hold first place in the Pacific Division with 45 points.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon continues to lead the league with 31 goals, but now sits second in points (64) to Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (68).

Speaking of McDavid, he scored to extend his points streak to 12 games, but his Edmonton Oilers fell 3-2 to the Calgary Flames. Dustin Wolf stopped 29 shots while Yegor Sharangovich, Ryan Lomberg, and Blake Coleman scored for the 16-18-4 Flames. Evan Bouchard also scored for the Oilers (19-14-6).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In other Oilers news, they reached a mutual agreement with David Tomasek to terminate his contract to enable the 29-year-old forward to return to Europe. He had five points in 22 games this season.

Los Angeles Kings forward Alex Laferriere tallied his first career NHL hat trick to lead his club over the Anaheim Ducks by a score of 6-1. Anze Kopitar collected three assists for the Kings, who improved to 16-12-9. Mason McTavish replied for the Ducks (21-15-2), who have dropped six of their last eight games (2-5-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks forward Ross Johnston was fined over $2,800.00 by the league’s department of player safety last week for roughing Seattle Kraken forward Tye Kartye

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini had a goal and an assist to extend his points streak to seven games in a 6-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Rookie winger Igor Chernyshov scored his first NHL goal, and William Eklund also had a goal and an assist for the 18-17-3 Sharks, who snapped a three-game losing skid. Conor Garland and Filip Hronek each had two points, and Marco Rossi netted his first goal for the Canucks, who slipped to 15-19-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Celebrini’s goal was his 20th of the season. He’s well ahead of last season’s pace, when he finished with 25 in 70 games. The Sharks played without forward Will Smith, who is week-to-week with an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, Canucks center Elias Pettersson returned to action after missing eight games with an upper-body injury.

The Tampa Bay Lightning doubled up the Florida Panthers 4-2. Nikita Kucherov scored two goals, and Andrei Vasilevskiy turned aside 24 shots as the Lightning picked up their third straight win, improving their record to 21-13-3. Eetu Luostarinen and Brad Marchand replied for the 20-15-5 Panthers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Lightning announced the signing of defenseman J.J. Moser to an eight-year, $54-million contract extension. The annual average value is $6.75 million, which is double his current AAV of $3.375 million. Moser has played well for the Lightning since joining them in a trade from Utah in the summer of 2024. He has 12 points in 34 games this season with a plus/minus of plus-24, logging over 21 minutes per game.

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson had a goal and two assists as his club beat the Boston Bruins 4-1 to pick up their eighth straight win. Tage Thompson, Jack Quinn, and Peyton Krebs each had two points for the surging Sabres (19-14-4). David Pastrnak scored for the 20-18-1 Bruins, who have dropped five straight games (0-4-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins forward Tanner Jeannot missed this game with an undisclosed injury.

The Minnesota Wild downed the Winnipeg Jets by a score of 4-3. Matt Boldy scored two goals (including the winner in overtime), while Kirill Kaprizov and Quinn Hughes each picked up three points for the 23-10-6 Wild. Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor each had a goal and an assist for the struggling Jets (15-17-4), who are winless in their last five contests (0-2-3).

Toronto Maple Leafs forwards Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies each had three points in a 7-5 win over the Ottawa Senators. Max Domi collected three assists for the Maple Leafs (17-15-5). Claude Giroux, Jordan Spence, and Stephen Halliday each had two points for the 18-14-5 Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Giroux played in his 1,300th career NHL regular-season game. Meanwhile, Maple Leafs forward William Nylander left this game with a lower-body injury in the second period, but he will be traveling with the Leafs to Detroit for Sunday’s game against the Red Wings.

Last week was a busy one for the Maple Leafs. They fired Marc Savard as their power-play coach, replacing him with Steve Sullivan. The club has no plans to replace general manager Brad Treliving or head coach Craig Berube. They also welcomed back defenseman Chris Tanev, who’d been sidelined since Nov. 1 with an upper-body injury.

The New York Islanders got a 27-save shutout from David Rittich to blank the New York Rangers 2-0. Anders Lee and Simon Holmstrom were the goal scorers as the Islanders improved to 21-13-4 on the season. Igor Shesterkin stopped 24 of 25 shots for the 19-17-4 Rangers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rittich got the call as Islanders starter Ilya Sorokin is on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury. Isles center Bo Horvat returned to action after missing five games. Meanwhile, Rangers captain J.T. Miller missed this game as he was placed on IR last week.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov and defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere each had a goal and two assists in a 5-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. The Hurricanes ended a three-game winless skid (0-2-1) and improved to 23-11-3, leading the Eastern Conference with 49 points. Michael Rasmussen and Andrew Copp scored for the 22-14-3 Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes played without forward Seth Jarvis and defenseman Jaccob Slavin. Both are listed as week-to-week with upper-body injuries.

An overtime goal by Jakob Chychrun gave the Washington Capitals a 4-3 win over the New Jersey Devils. Aliaksei Protas had a goal and two assists, and Alex Ovechkin had a goal and an assist for the Capitals (20-13-5) as they ended a three-game losing skid. Jesper Bratt tallied twice for the 20-16-2 Devils, who are winless in their last three (0-2-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals forward Ryan Leonard was activated off IR on Dec. 23.

Chicago Blackhawks winger Tyler Bertuzzi tallied twice, and Nick Lardis scored the shootout winner in a 4-3 upset of the Dallas Stars. Arvid Soderblom made 28 saves for the 14-17-6 Blackhawks, who ended a six-game losing streak. Mikko Rantanen had a goal and two assists for the Stars (25-7-7) as their points streak extended to six games (4-0-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks defenseman Matt Grzelcyk was fined over $2,600.00 last week for cross-checking Ottawa Senators center Tim Stutzle.

The St. Louis Blues beat the Nashville Predators 3-2, ending the latter’s three-game win streak. Pavel Buchnevich scored two goals, and Robert Thomas collected two assists for the 15-16-8 Blues. Tyson Jose and Fedor Svechkov replied for the Predators (16-17-4).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: On Dec. 23, Predators forward Steven Stamkos played in his 1,200th career NHL regular-season game.

IN OTHER NEWS…

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens center Jake Evans will be sidelined for four to six weeks with an injured left knee. Goaltender Sam Montembeault has been recalled from his conditioning stint in Laval. Rookie netminder Jacob Fowler gets the start on Sunday against the Lightning.

TSN: Seattle Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour underwent hand surgery last week and is out for four weeks.

TSN: The ECHL has a tentative agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement with the Professional Hockey Players Association (PHPA) to end a two-day-old strike by the players.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 30, 2025

by | Jun 30, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 30, 2025

New deals for Matthew Knies, Claude Giroux and Morgan Geekie highlight Sunday’s notable signings, the Golden Knights and Predators swing a multi-player trade, the latest on Mitch Marner, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

SUNDAY’S NOTABLE CONTRACT SIGNINGS

TORONTO SUN: Matthew Knies has reportedly agreed to a six-year contract extension with the Maple Leafs. The 22-year-old power forward will receive an average annual value of $7.75 million. He was coming off his entry-level contract and was slated to become a restricted free agent (RFA) on July 1.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That roughly around what Knies was projected to receive. He had a solid sophomore season, with a career-high of 29 goals and 58 points in 78 games. The 6’3”, 227-pound winger has yet to reach his playing prime and will only get better as he skates alongside superstar center Auston Matthews.

Knies had recently rejected any notion of signing an offer sheet with a rival club. Nevertheless, this signing will be a relief for Leafs fans.

The Leafs will likely turn their focus to the start of the unrestricted free agent market on Tuesday to bolster their roster. They have $13.57 million in cap space for 2025-26 with 19 active roster players under contract.

OTTAWA SUN: Claude Giroux signed a one-year, bonus-laden “plus-35” contract with the Senators. The versatile 37-year-old forward will earn a $2 million base salary, with an additional $2.75 million in bonuses.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Giroux really wanted to stay in his hometown. The base salary is a significant pay cut from the $6.75 million average annual value (AAV) he earned on his previous deal. However, he could make $4.75 million in actual salary if he achieves all of his bonuses, one of which includes the Senators winning the Stanley Cup. Follow the link above for the full breakdown.

According to PuckPedia, the Senators now have over $8.1 million in cap space with 18 active roster players signed for 2025-26.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The Bruins signed forward Morgan Geekie to a six-year contract with an AAV of $5.5 million. They also signed forward Marat Khusnutdinov to a two-year deal ($925,000 AAV) and defenseman Michael Callahan to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 at the NHL level.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Geekie was the notable signing for the Bruins. The 26-year-old forward had a career-best performance in 2024-25, tallying 33 goals and 24 assists for 57 points. Management will be betting that the best is yet to come from Geekie as he plays a bigger role as a first-line left wing.

The Bruins have over $16.6 million remaining with 17 active roster players signed for 2025-26.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Dante Fabbro agreed to a four-year contract with the Blue Jackets. The 27-year-old defenseman will earn an AAV of $4.125 million, leaving the Blue Jackets with over $28.5 million in cap space with 21 active roster players under contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Plucked off waivers from Nashville in November, Fabbro had a career-best performance with the Blue Jackets, netting 26 points in 62 games skating alongside Zach Werenski on their top defense pairing. It’s an affordable signing for the Jackets that could pan out well over the next four years.

LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS: The Anaheim Ducks signed goaltender Ville Husso to a two-year contract with an AAV of $2.2 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Ducks acquired goalie Petr Mrazek during Saturday’s trade that sent netminder John Gibson to the Detroit Red Wings. They must also re-sign RFA starter Lukas Dostal, but that shouldn’t be an issue. The Ducks have $35.9 million in cap space with 18 active roster players signed for next season.

Once Dostal is re-signed, Mrazek or Husso could end up on the trade block, but they could hang onto Husso as a third goalie should injuries strike.

GOLDEN KNIGHTS, PREDATORS MAKE MULTI-PLAYER TRADE

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW/THE TENNESSEAN: The Vegas Golden Knights traded defenseman Nicolas Hague to the Nashville Predators in exchange for defenseman Jeremy Lauzon and forward Colton Sissons. Hague, 26, agreed to a four-year contract ($5.5 million AAV) with the Predators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Predators added shutdown size to their defense core with the 6’6”, 240-pound Hague, who was slated to become an RFA with arbitration rights on July 1. Shipping out Lauzon and Sissons gave them the cap flexibility to sign Hague.

GOLDEN KNIGHTS COULD FACE TAMPERING ACCUSATION FROM THE LEAFS

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman stating the Maple Leafs could go after the Golden Knights if the latter signs Mitch Marner on July 1 as a UFA.

Marner, 28, spent the past nine seasons with the Maple Leafs. Friedman said the Golden Knights’ interest in the two-way winger goes back to last summer, when the Leafs expressed an interest in Vegas defenseman Shea Theodore.

Friedman said he’s not accusing the Golden Knights of tampering, which is a sensitive issue among general managers. However, he said a couple of GMs claim the league could try to make an example of someone.

Over the weekend, it was reported that the Leafs and Golden Knights were discussing a sign-and-trade scenario involving Marner. If the deal went through, the Leafs would receive forward Nicolas Roy and defenseman Nicolas Hague as part of the return.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The accusation could be that the Golden Knights had been in contact with the Marner camp before July 1, which is forbidden under the CBA. Friedman believes the tampering accusation won’t materialize if the sign-and-trade deal is finalized.

It’ll be interesting to see what develops between now and when the free-agent market opens at noon ET on July 1. Hague was traded to Nashville on Sunday night, so he’s no longer part of any potential deal.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars are reportedly closing in on bringing back Glen Gulutzan as their new head coach. He was their bench boss from 2011-12 to 2012-13 before being fired by Jim Nill in one of his first acts as general manager. Gulutzan recently served as an assistant coach with the Edmonton Oilers.

SPORTSNET: Seattle Kraken forward Joe Veleno and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Conor Sheary were placed on unconditional waivers on Sunday. Their contracts will be bought out today.

Veleno had a year left on his contract with a cap hit of $2.275 million. Sheary had a year left with a cap hit of $2 million.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 23, 2025

by | Jun 23, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 23, 2025

The Panthers stage their Stanley Cup parade, the possibility of stars signing shorter-term contracts, an update on Claude Giroux, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers celebrated their second straight Stanley Cup championship with a beachfront parade culminating with a rally at Ft Lauderdale Beach Park.

They were also unapologetic toward those critical of their style of play and their hearty partying following Tuesday’s 5-1 series-clinching win on Tuesday over the Edmonton Oilers.

The Panthers also thanked their fans for their support throughout the season and expressed their hope for another parade at the same time next year.

THE ATHLETIC: James Mirtle explored the possibility of NHL stars like winger Mitch Marner of the Toronto Maple Leafs and center Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers accepting shorter-term contracts.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).

Marner, 28, is due to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. The 28-year-old McDavid is a year away from UFA eligibility.

With the salary cap projected to rise significantly in the coming years, those players could prefer short-term deals of two to four years, enabling them to return to the UFA market when the salary cap is much higher while still in their playing prime.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rumors are already rampant suggesting Marner and McDavid could consider short-term contracts rather than the maximum of seven years on the open market or eight years if they re-sign with their current clubs before their UFA eligibility.

Marner will be the one worth watching if he goes to market as expected next Tuesday. His camp is expected to take several days evaluating offers and meeting with interested clubs before reaching a decision by mid-July.

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports the Senators continue their contract negotiations with Claude Giroux. The 37-year-old forward is UFA-eligible next Tuesday and has been in daily discussions with Senators management.

They’re attempting to agree on a base salary and a bonus structure. The Giroux camp is believed to be using teammate David Perron’s $4 million average annual value as a comparable.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s still enough time for the two sides to work this out. It could take until next Tuesday to get this done.

THE DENVER POST: Corey Masisak believes the Colorado Avalanche must improve their late-round draft record if they hope to extend their Stanley Cup window. They haven’t drafted a player after the first round who reached 300 career NHL games since 2009, when they chose Ryan O’Reilly (33rd overall) and Tyson Barrie (64th overall).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As Masisak points out, the Avs’ draft record beyond the first round hasn’t been great. They also haven’t had much recent success with their first-rounders. Bowen Byram (fourth overall, 2019) was their last notable selection, and he was traded last year to the Buffalo Sabres. Calum Ritchie (27th overall, 2023) shows potential, but they shipped him to the New York Islanders at the March trade deadline for Brock Nelson.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sheng Peng cites speculation suggesting the Sharks could opt for center Anton Frondell of SHL club Djurgardens IF with the second-overall pick over Michael Misa of the Erie Otters.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That would be a surprising development. Misa is considered the second-best prospect in this year’s draft class, with most mock drafts (including mine) having him going to the Sharks. We’ll find out for sure during the opening round of the 2025 NHL Draft on Friday (June 27) in Los Angeles.

NHL.COM: The Avalanche, Sharks, Anaheim Ducks, Utah Mammoth and Vegas Golden Knights released their preseason schedules.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The 2025 NHL preseason begins on Sept. 21 and concludes on Oct. 4.