NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 15, 2026

by | May 15, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 15, 2026

The Golden Knights advance to the Western Conference Final, the Canadiens rally to push the Sabres to the brink of elimination, reaction to the Oilers firing Kris Knoblauch, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING THURSDAY’S PLAYOFF ACTION

NHL.COM: The Vegas Golden Knights advanced to the Western Conference Final after defeating the Anaheim Ducks 5-1 in Game 6 of their second-round series. Pavel Dorofeyev scored two goals, and Mitch Marner had two points (including a highlight-reel game-opening goal) for the Golden Knights, who took the series in six games. Mikael Granlund replied for the Ducks.

The Golden Knights will face the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final starting on Wednesday, May 20, in Denver.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights’ experience and defensive play made the difference in this series. Marner played a key role during this series, playing his way into early Conn Smythe Trophy contention with his playoff-leading 18 points. Dorofeyev has come into his own as a postseason sniper with nine goals to lead all scorers thus far.

The Ducks’ season is over, but they exceeded expectations this season by ending their seven-year playoff drought and upsetting the Edmonton Oilers in the first round. Their young roster has a bright future and will be better in the coming years.

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki (NHL Images).

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki had a goal and two assists to lead his club to a 6-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres in Game 5 of their second-round series. Ivan Demidov scored his first career NHL playoff goal, Cole Caufield extended his goal streak to three games, and Juraj Slafkovsky collected three assists as the Canadiens overcame 1-0, 2-1, and 3-2 deficits. Jason Zucker, Josh Doan, and Konsta Helenius scored for the Sabres.

The Canadiens hold a 3-2 series lead and can wrap it up in Game 6 in Montreal on Saturday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That first period was a wild one, with Montreal goaltender Jakub Dobes giving up three goals on four shots. Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis asked goalie coach Marco Marciano if he felt Dobes should be pulled, but Marciano said no. Dobes settled down, stopping the next 32 shots for the win. Habs defenseman Lane Hutson set up two goals, tying him with Suzuki for the team’s points lead with 12.

Buffalo goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen gave up five goals on 23 shots and was replaced by Alex Lyon for the third period. Neither goalie was helped by their teammates’ poor defense, especially in the second period, when Montreal tallied three unanswered goals to take control of the game. Meanwhile, Sabres power forward Alex Tuch has been held scoreless in this series after tallying seven points in six games against the Boston Bruins in the first round.

HEADLINES

TSN: The Edmonton Oilers fired head coach Kris Knoblauch on Thursday. He’d been in the position for three seasons, coaching the Oilers to back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances in 2023-24 and 2024-25. However, the Oilers were eliminated in the opening round of this year’s playoffs by the Anaheim Ducks. He was about to start a three-year contract extension worth $7.5 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers were roasted on social media for their bungled handling of this situation. Everyone knew earlier this week that Knoblauch was a goner after it emerged that they sought permission from the Vegas Golden Knights to speak with their former bench boss, Bruce Cassidy.

David Staples of the Edmonton Journal listed 13 factors behind Knoblauch’s dismissal. In my opinion, he’s paying the price for the mistakes of Oilers management over the last two years.

The question now is who becomes Knobluach’s replacement. It’s believed they’re still zeroed in on Cassidy despite the Golden Knights’ denying them permission to speak with him.

The hiring will be consequential, given superstar Connor McDavid’s two-year contract extension begins on July 1. If the Oilers fail to improve next season, it could lead to the latter’s departure as early as next summer.

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks officially named Daniel and Henrik Sedin as co-presidents and promoted assistant general manager Ryan Johnson as their general manager.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No surprises here, as these hirings have been expected for days. While all three are well-respected within the organization and among Canucks fans, they have a big job ahead of them.

The Canucks are coming off one of the worst seasons in franchise history, culminating in the departure of superstar Quinn Hughes in a trade with Minnesota in December. It will take several seasons to build this club back into a playoff contender.

Their first decision could be whether to replace head coach Adam Foote, who’s been in the job for one season.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Flyers general manager Daniel Briere revealed 10 players were dealing with significant injuries during their playoff run.

Emile Andrae played with a fractured wrist that requires surgery. Noah Cates fractured his foot but doesn’t need surgery. Christian Dvorak suffered a fractured rib and a separated shoulder. Garnet Hathaway played through a fractured fibula. Travis Konecny had a fractured rib and a nasal fracture. Owen Tippett dealt with internal bleeding and a sports hernia, and Cam York played through a fractured rib.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ve singled out the most serious of the injuries suffered by Flyers players. One wonders how much better they might’ve fared against the Carolina Hurricanes if they had been healthier for that second-round series.

NESN: The Boston Bruins announced that assistant general manager Jamie Langenbrunner is departing to pursue other opportunities.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Langenbrunner is rumored to be heading to Vancouver to join the Canucks’ front office.

SPORTSNET: Speaking of the Bruins, they signed winger Lukas Reichel to a one-year, $950,000 contract extension.

TSN: The Chicago Blackhawks signed prospect forward Roman Kantserov to a three-year, entry-level contract.

NEW YORK POST: Former NHL defenseman Paul Boutilier has passed away at age 63. No cause of death was announced.

Boutilier spent eight seasons in the NHL with the New York Islanders, Boston Bruins, Minnesota North Stars, New York Rangers, and Winnipeg Jets from 1981-82 to 1988-89. In 288 regular-season games, he had 27 goals and 83 assists for 110 points, and 10 points in 41 playoff games. Boutilier won the Stanley Cup with the Islanders in 1982-83.

Following his playing career, Boutilier served as an assistant coach and head coach for Saint Mary’s University in Halifax from 1991 to 1997. He was an assistant coach with the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs from 2015 to 2017, helping them win the league championship in 2016-17. In 2024, he joined the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats as a defensive consultant, helping them win the league championship in 2025.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Boutilier’s family, friends, and former teammates.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 13, 2026

by | May 13, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 13, 2026

The Golden Knights push the Ducks to the brink of elimination, the Sabres tie their series with the Canadiens, the finalists for GM of the Year are announced, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF TUESDAY’S PLAYOFF ACTION

NHL.COM: Vegas Golden Knights winger Pavel Dorofeyev scored twice, including the winner in overtime, to give his club a 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks in Game 5 of their second-round series. Tomas Hertl had a goal and an assist while Jack Eichel collected two assists for the Golden Knights, who hold a 3-2 lead in the series. Beckett Sennecke and Olen Zellweger scored while Mason McTavish and Cutter Gauthier each had two assists for the Ducks.

Vegas Golden Knights winger Pavel Dorofeyev (NHL Images).

The Golden Knights can win this series in Game 6, which will be held in Anaheim on Thursday, May 14.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was an entertaining, closely contested game. Zellweger’s goal tied it to force overtime late in the third, but Dorofeyev was the star of this one with his clutch scoring for the Golden Knights.

Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb was ejected for interference when he laid out Ducks center Ryan Poehling with a big hit when the latter no longer had possession of the puck. Poehling was helped from the ice and didn’t return.

The Golden Knights played this game without team captain Mark Stone, who remains sidelined with an undisclosed injury suffered during Game 3 of this series.

Game 6 will be a big test for the Ducks as they try to counter the Golden Knights’ experience to force Game 7 back in Las Vegas.

The Buffalo Sabres knotted their series with the Montreal Canadiens at two games apiece with a 3-2 win. Zach Benson snapped a 2-2 tie with a third-period power-play goal, Tage Thompson had a goal and an assist, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 28 shots in his return to the Sabres’ net. Alex Newhook extended his goal streak to three games while Cole Caufield tallied his second straight power-play goal for the Canadiens. Game 5 is in Buffalo on Thursday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Thompson’s goal was a flukey one. With the Canadiens up 2-1 in the second period, he fired a dump-in from center ice that took a weird bounce off a stanchion that surprised Habs goalie Jakub Dobes, bouncing off his right pad into the net. It was a game-changer that set the stage for Benson’s winner in the third.

The Canadiens were flat through the first half of the opening period, but they had the better of the play for most of the game. They also had seven power-play opportunities but only scored on one of them, while the Sabres went 2-for-4 with the man advantage. Luukkonen was outstanding for the Sabres, who regained home-ice advantage as the series narrowed to a best-of-three.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Bill Guerin of the Minnesota Wild, Chris MacFarland of the Colorado Avalanche, and Pat Verbeek of the Anaheim Ducks are the finalists for the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award. The award is given annually based on a vote of NHL general managers and a panel of league executives, print, and broadcast media.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Guerin and MacFarland got the nod for their trades this season, including the Wild’s acquisition of superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes in December and the Avalanche’s obtaining Nazem Kadri, Nicolas Roy, Brett Kulak, and Nick Blankenburg before the trade deadline.

Verbeek also made a splash by landing defenseman John Carlson from the Washington Capitals, but he’d be my choice because of his work rebuilding the Ducks, who returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2017-18.

HOCKEY 24/7: Frank Seravalli reported the Edmonton Oilers sought permission from the Vegas Golden Knights to speak with their former head coach Bruce Cassidy, who was fired in March. However, the Golden Knights have thus far withheld permission from their division rival.

Seravalli said the Golden Knights haven’t outright rejected the Oilers’ request, but they’re keeping the Oilers waiting as they continue their second-round series with the Ducks. Cassidy is also reportedly being targeted by the Los Angeles Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cassidy remains under contract with the Golden Knights, which is why teams must seek permission to speak with him. Seravalli speculates this could prompt a call from league commissioner Gary Bettman to sort this out.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman believes this is a weird bit of gamesmanship by the Golden Knights in line with their front-office reputation for ruthlessness. It’s garnered a mix of puzzlement and criticism around the league, with those in the latter camp (myself included) considering it an unprofessional, classless act.

This also isn’t a good look for the Oilers, who are searching for a new bench boss while leaving their current coach, Kris Knoblauch, twisting in the wind.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: The Blue Jackets signed center Charlie Coyle to a six-year, $36 million contract worth an average annual value of $6 million. Coyle, 34, was slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He’s completing a six-year deal with an AAV of $5.25 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blue Jackets are trying to maintain a roster that narrowly missed the playoffs in each of the last two seasons. Coyle played a key role with his versatility, leadership, and two-way play.

Nevertheless, this contract won’t age well. The salary increase is marginal, and the Blue Jackets can afford it in the short term, but six years is way too long for a player at this stage of his career. He’s also getting a full no-movement clause for the first four years.

This contract could complicate things for the Blue Jackets down the road if they need cap room to retain or acquire a better player.

SPORTSNET: Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson was fined $5,000 by the NHL for butt-ending Minnesota Wild forward Michael McCarron during Game 4 of their playoff series on Monday.

Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek and defenseman Jonas Brodin will remain sidelined by injuries for Game 5 against the Avalanche.

TSN: Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby will replace New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal on Team Canada in the upcoming 2026 IIHF World Championship. Barzal is coping with a minor, preexisting injury.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy has been suspended from the first six games of the Bruins’ 2026-27 regular-season schedule for slashing Buffalo Sabres forward Zach Benson during Game 6 of their first-round series.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The incident happened late in that game when Benson took McAvoy’s skates out from under him with a slew-foot move, sending him crashing into the end boards. An infuriated McAvoy got up, charged at Benson, and leveled a two-handed chop of his stick to Benson’s upper body.

McAvoy’s anger was understandable as he could’ve been injured, but that didn’t justify his subsequent action.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Flyers winger Owen Tippett revealed that he missed his club’s second-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes with an internal-bleeding issue. He said that he was dealing with a sports hernia injury during their first-round series with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tippett said he’s confident he’ll make a full recovery and will be ready for training camp in September.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Flyers rookie forward Porter Martone will be joining Team Canada for the 2026 IIHF World Championship.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Kraken have hired Sportsology Group to conduct an audit of its hockey operations department, including the organizational structure, scouting, and player development departments.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 11, 2026

by | May 11, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 11, 2026

The Canadiens take a 2-1 series lead over the Sabres, the Ducks tie their series with the Golden Knights, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

RECAPS OF SUNDAY’S PLAYOFF ACTION

NHL.COM: The Montreal Canadiens took a 2-1 lead over the Buffalo Sabres in their second-round series with a convincing 6-2 victory in Game 3. Alex Newhook tallied two goals for the second straight game, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky ended their goal-scoring droughts with assists from Lane Hutson, and Jakub Dobes stopped 26 shots for the Canadiens.

Montreal Canadiens forward Alex Newhook (NHL Images)

Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin replied for the Sabres. Game 4 is Tuesday in Montreal at 7 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Since the third period of Game 1, Montreal has dominated Buffalo. While they’ve outscored the Sabres 11-3 during that stretch, it’s been their defensive game that has made the difference.

The Canadiens have taken to heart the lessons they learned against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round. They aren’t giving the Sabres time and space to operate, they’re forcing turnovers, and they’re moving the puck well in all three zones. They’re also getting superb goaltending from Dobes, who has been their MVP of this postseason thus far.

The Sabres are a very good team, and they have the skill to reverse their fortunes. A win in Game 4 on Tuesday could change the complexion of this series heading back to Buffalo for Game 5. However, a loss in their next game, especially one as lopsided as the last two games, would be demoralizing.

The Anaheim Ducks nipped the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 to square their second-round series at two games apiece. Cutter Gauthier collected three assists, Beckett Sennecke and Alex Killorn tallied power-play goals, and Ian Moore’s first NHL playoff goal was the game-winner for the Ducks.

Mitch Marner also had three assists, Jack Eichel had two, and Brett Howden scored his seventh goal of the postseason for the Golden Knights.

Game 5 will be in Las Vegas on Tuesday at 9:30 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Ducks finally broke through on the power play after being stymied through the first three games. They also outshot and outhit the Golden Knights in this contest. Those three assists by Gauthier were his first points of this series and couldn’t have come at a better time for his club.

The Golden Knights played this game without team captain Mark Stone. The two-way winger was sidelined by an undisclosed injury suffered during Game 3 on Friday. There was no word as to whether he’ll return to action for Game 5.

IN OTHER NEWS…

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Lineup changes could be coming for the Colorado Avalanche in Game 4 of their second-round series with the Minnesota Wild on Monday night.

The Avalanche hold a 2-1 lead in the series, but they haven’t received much production from second-line forwards Valeri Nichushkin and Brock Nelson. They each have one empty-net goal in the past seven games.

Sidelined defenseman Josh Manson and forward Joel Kiviranta might be ready to return to the lineup.

NHL.COM’s Bill Meltzer reports hearing that Philadelphia Flyers winger Owen Tippett was dealing with a sports hernia during their series against the Carolina Hurricanes. Defenseman Cam York played through a rib fracture, and center Christian Dvorak had a separated shoulder.

SPORTSNET: San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini was named captain of Team Canada in the upcoming IIHF World Championship. Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares and Nashville Predators center Ryan O’Reilly will serve as alternate captains.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s quite an honor for the 20-year-old Celebrini. He established himself as an elite player in just two NHL seasons.

DAILY FACEOFF: Detroit Red Wings defenseman Justin Faulk was named captain of Team USA in the IIHF World Championship. Seattle Kraken blueliner Ryan Lindgren and Mathieu Olivier of the Columbus Blue Jackets are the alternates.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 9, 2026

by | May 9, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 9, 2026

Mitch Marner nets a hat trick as the Golden Knights regain the series lead over the Ducks, the Canadiens defeat the Sabres to tie their second-round series, the Hart Trophy finalists are announced, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING FRIDAY’S PLAYOFF ACTION

NHL.COM: Mitch Marner’s first NHL postseason hat trick powered the Vegas Golden Knights to a 6-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks in Game 3 of their second-round series. Marner finished with four points while Brett Howden and Shea Theodore each had a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights, who hold a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Beckett Sennecke and Chris Kreider scored for the Ducks, who pulled starting goalie Lukas Dostal following the first period after he gave up three goals on eight shots.

Vegas Golden Knights winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).

Game 4 of this series is Sunday in Anaheim at 9:30 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marner is silencing critics of his playoff performances during his years with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He currently leads all scorers with 13 points. Meanwhile, Golden Knights captain Mark Stone left this game after suffering a lower-body injury during the first period. There was no post-game update regarding his status.

The Ducks’ power play was a crucial factor in their first-round elimination of the Edmonton Oilers. However, they’ve been held scoreless by the Golden Knights’ penalty killers through the first three games of this series.

The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Buffalo Sabres 5-1 in Game 2 of their second-round series. Alex Newhook scored twice, Mike Matheson netted what proved to be the winning goal, and Jakub Dobes stopped 28 shots for the Canadiens as they tied the series at a game apiece. Zach Benson replied for the Sabres.

This series shifts to Montreal for the next two games, with Game 3 on Sunday at 7 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the Canadiens’ best game of this postseason. The lessons they learned in their first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning were on display in this contest. They did a superb job shutting down the Sabres’ scorers, especially on the power play. The Habs also dominated in the faceoff circle.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, and Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid are this year’s finalists for the Hart Memorial Trophy. This award is given annually to the player voted most valuable to his team by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: All three are previous winners of the Hart. McDavid has taken home the award three times, Kucherov won in 2018-19, and MacKinnon was the winner in 2023-24.

McDavid will likely win it again this year. My vote (if I had one) would’ve been for Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks. The sophomore center kept his rebuilding club in the playoff chase until the final two weeks of the regular season. Maybe Celebrini would’ve gotten a nod had the Sharks qualified for the postseason. Don’t be shocked if he’s a Hart finalist next season.

THE ATHLETIC: Sean Gentille profiled Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal, 37, who continues to be the club’s leader, conscience, and defensive backbone as they attempt to sweep their second straight series in this postseason. The Hurricanes hold a 3-0 series lead over the Philadelphia Flyers and can wrap it up in Game 4 on Saturday.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Flyers forward Trevor Zegras believes his underdog club can avoid being swept by the Hurricanes and win this series. He pointed out how they overcame the odds and confounded the experts to qualify for the postseason and eliminate the Pittsburgh Penguins from the first round.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Minnesota Wild need better goaltending and penalty killing if they hope to overcome a 2-0 series deficit to defeat the Colorado Avalanche in their second-round series. Games 3 and 4 of this series will be in front of the Wild’s fans in Minnesota.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson travelled with his teammates to Minnesota for Game 3. He’s missed the last three games with an upper-body injury.

THE ATHLETIC: Chicago Blackhawks superstar Connor Bedard is poised to receive a lucrative long-term contract. The 20-year-old center is coming off his entry-level contract. He lacks arbitration rights, but his status as the Blackhawks’ franchise player gives him considerable leverage in contract discussions.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bedard could try for the league’s maximum average annual value ($20.8 million), but I doubt he’ll go that high with his asking price. Given his value to the Blackhawks, he could end up with around $15.5 million annually.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: New York Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock has undergone shoulder surgery. He’s expected to be ready for training camp in September.

HOCKEY 24/7: Canada released its preliminary roster for the upcoming IIHF World Championship. Notable stars include San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini, Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele, St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas, Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares, and Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 7, 2026

by | May 7, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 7, 2026

The Sabres take the opening game of their series with the Canadiens, the Ducks even their series with the Golden Knights, the Selke Trophy finalists are announced, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Early goals by Josh Doan and Ryan McLeod powered the Buffalo Sabres to a 4-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of their best-of-seven second-round series. Doan and McLeod each finished with two points, Jordan Greenway tallied the game-winner, Zach Benson collected two assists, and Alex Lyon stopped 26 shots for the Sabres. Nick Suzuki and Kirby Dach replied for the Canadiens. Game 2 of this series is on Friday in Buffalo at 7 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres did an excellent job capitalizing on the Canadiens’ early mistakes in this game. Benson is emerging as a reliable playoff performer for the Sabres.

The Canadiens had difficulty at times adjusting to the Sabres’ speed and offensive play after coming off a tight-checking series with the Tampa Bay Lightning. They’re still not getting even-strength offense from their top line of Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky.

Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson (NHL Images)

The Anaheim Ducks tied their series with the Vegas Golden Knights at a game apiece with a 3-1 win in Game 2. Lukas Dostal made 21 saves while Beckett Sennecke, Leo Carlsson, and Jansen Harkins scored for the Ducks. Mark Stone tallied in the final seconds for the Golden Knights. The series shifts to Anaheim for Games 3 and 4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Ducks used their speed at both ends of the ice to bounce back from their Game 1 loss. They also did a good job killing off five penalties. Dostal shook off his shaky performance in the opening game and was solid throughout this contest.

NHL.COM: Anthony Cirelli of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Brock Nelson of the Colorado Avalanche, and Nick Suzuki of the Montreal Canadiens are the finalists for the Frank J. Selke Trophy, which is awarded annually to the league’s top defensive forward as voted by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: All three are worthy candidates. Suzuki is considered the favorite to win the award this season.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the NHL officially informed teams that the salary cap for 2026-27 will be $104 million. That is an increase of $8.5 million over this season’s $95.5 million cap.

The salary cap minimum will be $76.9 million, and the midpoint $90.4 million. The maximum salary for individual contracts will be $20.8 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The league is confirming its 2026-27 cap projection from last year. The cap for 2027-28 is projected to reach $113.5 million.

This will provide teams with another significant annual boost to the salary-cap payroll. However, not every club will spend to that ceiling. Some clubs (usually the rebuilding ones) will be closer to the cap floor.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: A lower-body injury will sideline Flyers center Noah Cates for the remainder of his club’s second-round series with the Carolina Hurricanes. Cates suffered the injury during Game 2.

Flyers center Christian Dvorak is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.

RATINGS.ORG: Marco D’Amico reports University of Michigan center Adam Valentini could be a sleeper pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. The 5’9”, 190-pounder had 27 points in 40 games this season.

Valentini, 18, is projected to be selected in the second round or later. His speed, two-way play, and work ethic have Michigan head coach Brandon Naurato comparing him to Florida Panthers winger Brad Marchand.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 5, 2026

by | May 5, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 5, 2026

The Hurricanes take a 2-0 series lead over the Flyers, the Golden Knights take Game 1 of their second-round series with the Ducks, the Masterton Trophy finalists are announced, the 2026 Draft Lottery will be held Tuesday evening, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING MONDAY’S PLAYOFF GAMES

NHL.COM: Carolina Hurricanes winger Taylor Hall scored his first NHL overtime playoff goal to give his club a 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 2 of their best-of-seven second-round series. The Flyers took an early 2-0 lead on goals by Jamie Drysdale and Sean Couturier, but the Hurricanes rallied as Nikolaj Ehlers and Seth Jarvis scored to send the game to overtime. Frederik Andersen stopped 34 shots for the Hurricanes, who hold a 2-0 lead as this series shifts to Philadelphia for Games 3 and 4. Dan Vladar made 40 saves for the Flyers.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Taylor Hall (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers had a much better effort in this game compared to the series opener, but they couldn’t build on their lead or shut down Carolina’s offense. Once again, it was the second line of Hall, Jackson Blake, and Logan Stankoven that made the difference for the Hurricanes. Speaking of Stankoven, this was the first game in this postseason that he was held off the score sheet.

Game 3 of this series is Thursday at 8 pm ET.

A controversial tie-breaking goal by Ivan Barbashev gave the Vegas Golden Knights a 3-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks in Game 1 of their second-round series. Barbashev’s goal came moments after a linesman waived off what appeared to be an icing call, infuriating Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville, who pleaded his case with the officials to no avail. Brett Howden extended his goal streak to four games while Mitch Marner had an empty-netter for the Golden Knights. Mikael Granlund replied for the Ducks. Game 2 of this series is on Wednesday in Las Vegas.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game saw Golden Knights center William Karlsson’s postseason debut after being sidelined since November with a lower-body injury. Meanwhile, Golden Knights defenseman Jeremy Lauzon is expected to miss this series with an undisclosed injury suffered during his club’s series-clinching win over the Utah Mammoth last Friday.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres, Gabriel Landeskog of the Colorado Avalanche, and Jonathan Toews of the Winnipeg Jets are the finalists for the 2025-26 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey as voted by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

The 2026 NHL Draft Lottery will be held on Tuesday, May 6, in real time starting at 7 pm ET at NHL Network studios in Secaucus, New Jersey. It will involve the 16 teams that failed to qualify for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks, and New York Rangers have the best odds of winning the lottery based on their position in the standings at the end of this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A team that sits lower in the order can move up 10 places if they win the lottery. However, only those sitting among the top 11 seeds can win the first overall pick.

Last year, the New York Islanders won the lottery despite having the 10th-best odds of doing so. They used that pick to select defenseman Mathieu Schaefer in the 2025 Draft. Schaefer had an immediate positive impact with the Islanders this season and is considered the favorite to win the 2026 Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year.

TSN: The Toronto Maple Leafs formally introduced Mats Sundin and John Chayka as their new management team. Sundin is the Leafs new senior executive advisor of hockey operations, while Chayka is their new general manager.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Maple Leafs ownership was already facing criticism from pundits and fans in Leafs Nation for these hirings before the introductions were made.

Sundin is a former captain of the Leafs and among the greatest players in franchise history, but he’s never held a management position before, and his role as a “senior executive advisor” suggests he won’t have a direct role in hockey ops decisions.

Most of the criticism was leveled at Chayka. His checkered past as GM of the Arizona Coyotes has many observers questioning Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment honcho Keith Pelley about the vetting process involved in Chayka’s hiring.

It led to an awkward moment when Toronto Sun columnist Steve Simmons directly challenged Pelley and Chayka, citing anonymous league sources critical of the latter’s previous experience with the Coyotes. Pelley insisted that the Leafs conducted their due diligence, while Chayka sidestepped questions about his complicated past.

NHL insider Frank Seravalli reported that “at least one team” raised a tampering concern with the league, claiming that employees under contract may have been contacted by the Maple Leafs without proper permission. However, the league looked into the matter and found the complaint to be unsubstantiated. Seravalli stated that a Maple Leafs spokesman declined to comment but acknowledged the interaction with the league.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators forward Ridly Greig will miss the first two games of the 2026-27 season for sucker-punching Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker during Game 4 of the first-round series between the two clubs.

D MAGAZINE: Robert Tiffin reports Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen said he tore an oblique muscle during the Apr. 9 regular-season game against the Minnesota Wild. He said the injury was slowly improving with each game, and he expects he’ll be fully healthy over the summer.

BUFFALO HOCKEY BEAT: Sabres center Sam Carrick (upper-body injury) might be available for his club’s upcoming second-round series with the Montreal Canadiens after all. He was initially considered unavailable, but is further along in his recovery than expected.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils forwards Nico Hischier and Timo Meier will play for Switzerland in the upcoming 2026 IIHF World Championship.

DAILY FACEOFF: Former NHL defenseman Korbinian Holzer has retired. He played in 206 NHL games from 2010-11 to 2019-20 with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Anaheim Ducks, and Nashville Predators, finishing with six goals and 27 points. Holzer spent the past six seasons playing in Russia, Germany, and Austria.