NHL Rumor Mill – April 6, 2026

by | Apr 6, 2026

NHL Rumor Mill – April 6, 2026

Could this be the final season for Golden Knights captain Mark Stone? What’s the latest Canadiens speculation? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SPORTSNET: Nick Kypreos recently reported that “a lot of people” are speculating about the health of Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone.

The veteran winger turns 34 in May and has a lengthy history of injuries. He has one year remaining on his contract.

Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone (NHL Images).

Kypreos wondered if Stone could be facing a situation similar to teammate Alex Pietrangelo, “where the body breaks down and prolonged time off is necessary.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stone is the third-highest-paid player on the Golden Knights, carrying an average annual value of $9.5 million. He’s among the best two-way forwards in the game, but he’s dealt with back/lumbar issues that required surgery, as well as a wrist injury and various lower-body injuries that have sidelined him for long periods.

Despite being limited to 55 games this season, Stone is third among the Golden Knights’ scorers with 67 points. Based on that performance, he could play out the final season of his contract, but we can’t dismiss the possibility that he might need more time to recuperate from this season’s wear-and-tear.

Pietrangelo has been on long-term injury reserve this season, and it’s expected he’ll remain there for next season. His absence provided the Golden Knights with $8.8 million in cap relief.

If Stone ends up on LTIR, it would free up another significant chunk of cap space that the Golden Knights could put toward bolstering their roster for next season.

THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: In a recent mailbag segment, Stu Cowan was again asked about the future of Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj.

The 25-year-old Xhekaj has seen a reduction in his playing time over the past two seasons. He’s a restricted free agent this summer, and could end up as the odd man out on the Canadiens blueline, especially with promising youngsters David Reinbacher and Adam Engstrom waiting in the wings.

Cowan believes there will be interest in the 6-foot-4, 240-pound Xhekaj’s mix of size, mobility, and toughness in the trade market. He could fetch a bigger return than Jayden Struble.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cowan admitted that the Canadiens would miss Xhekaj’s physical style of play, but he doesn’t think there’s room for him on what’s becoming a crowded blueline. He could fetch a decent draft pick or prospect, or end up packaged in a larger deal this summer.

Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault could also draw some interest in this summer’s trade market. He has a year left on his contract with an AAV of $3.15 million. Cowan noted that the number of teams having goaltending issues this season shouldn’t make it difficult for the Canadiens to find a trade partner for him this summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Montembeault hasn’t been the same since tearing two groin muscles in last year’s playoffs. He’s lost his role as the Canadiens starter and now sits behind young netminders Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler on their goalie depth chart.

Nevertheless, the goaltending issues around the league that Cowan mentioned could make Montembeault a trade target. His contract is reasonable, he lacks no-trade protection, and he might rebound with a different team in need of goaltending depth.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 5, 2026

by | Apr 5, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 5, 2026

The Sabres and Lightning clinch a playoff berth, the Panthers are eliminated from postseason contention, a milestone game for Penguins stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, and more from a busy Saturday in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Despite a 6-2 loss to the Washington Capitals, the Buffalo Sabres (46-23-8) clinched their first playoff berth for the first time since 2011 when the New York Rangers defeated the Detroit Red Wings 4-1 earlier in the day.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres’ 14-year playoff drought was the longest in league history. Their long-suffering fans can finally rejoice as this long nightmare is finally, mercifully over. Anyway, back to the recap of this game…

Logan Thompson kicked out 37 shots while Jakob Chychrun, Connor McMichael, and Aliaksei Protas each had a goal and an assist for the 39-29-9 Capitals (87 points), who sit one point out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Rasmus Dahlin had a goal and an assist for the Sabres, who sit third in the Atlantic Division with 100 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Not to rain on the Sabres’ parade, but they have struggled over their last seven games. They were the hottest team in the league from mid-December to mid-March, riding that momentum from the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings to challenging the Carolina Hurricanes for first overall in the conference. However, they’re 2-3-2 in their last seven contests.

Meanwhile, the Red Wings’ late-season slide continues with their loss to the 32-36-9 Rangers, who sit last in the Eastern Conference. Gabe Perreault sniped his first NHL hat trick while Jonathan Quick turned aside 32 shots for the Blueshirts. David Perron replied for the Red Wings (40-28-8), who sit just outside the final Eastern wild-card spot with 88 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings have dropped three of their last four games and have only seven wins in their last 18 contests. They can still clinch a playoff spot, but they’re jockeying with the Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets, and the Capitals for that berth.

Speaking of the Senators, they dropped a 4-1 decision to the Minnesota Wild. Ryan Hartman tallied twice while Jesper Wallstedt made 33 saves for the 43-21-12 Wild, who remain in third place in the Western Conference standings with 98 points. Drake Batherson scored for the Senators (39-27-10) as they cling to that final Eastern wild card with 88 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators hold that berth because they have 33 regulation wins this season. Defenseman Jake Sanderson returned to their lineup after missing 13 games with a shoulder injury. However, they played without blueliner Tyler Kleven, who is out indefinitely with a facial injury.

The Tampa Bay Lightning scored three unanswered goals to beat the Boston Bruins 3-1, clinching a playoff berth for the ninth straight season. Darren Raddysh set a single-season franchise record for defensemen by scoring his 21st of the season for the Lightning (48-22-6) as they hold first place in the Atlantic Division with 102 points. Casey Mittelstadt scored for the 43-26-8 Bruins, who hold the first Eastern wild-card berth with 94 points.

Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (NHL Images).

There will be a new Stanley Cup champion as the Florida Panthers were officially eliminated from the 2026 postseason race after being thumped by the Pittsburgh Penguins 9-4. Evgeni Malkin netted a hat trick and collected an assist, and Erik Karlsson had a goal and three assists for the 39-22-16 Penguins, who sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 94 points. A.J. Greer had a goal and an assist for the 37-36-3 Panthers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a milestone game for Malkin and teammate Sidney Crosby. Malkin crossed the 1,400 NHL regular-season point plateau, while Crosby collected two assists to surpass Hall of Famer Steve Yzerman and move into seventh on the all-time points lead with 1,756.

The Montreal Canadiens blew a 3-0 lead but recovered to nip the New Jersey Devils 4-3 on a shootout goal by Oliver Kapanen. Cole Caufield collected two assists for the red-hot Canadiens (45-21-10), who picked up their eighth straight win to move into second place in the Atlantic Division with 100 points. Jack Hughes and Timo Meier each had a goal and an assist for the 39-34-3 Devils.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the first time the Canadiens reached the 100-point plateau since 2016-17. They only need a point to clinch a postseason berth. Meanwhile, Ivan Demidov scored in this game to become the first rookie this season to reach the 60-point plateau.

Speaking of promising young players, Canadiens prospect Michael Hage is set to return from an injury and rejoin the Michigan Wolverines for the upcoming NCAA Frozen Four tournament in Las Vegas. Once that tournament ends, he’s expected to sign an entry-level contract and join the Canadiens for the remainder of this season.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis scored twice and added an assist in a 4-3 victory over the New York Islanders. K’Andre Miller collected two assists for the 49-21-6 Hurricanes, who have won three straight games, and hold first place in the Eastern Conference with 104 points. Marc Gatcomb, Max Shabanov, and Anders Lee replied for the Islanders (42-31-5), who have lost four straight but still cling to third place in the Metropolitan Division with 89 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders rookie defenseman collected an assist to record his 58th point, surpassing Phil Housley for the most points by an 18-year-old NHL defenseman.

The Colorado Avalanche are the first team to reach the 50-win plateau this season as they blanked the Dallas Stars 2-0. Scott Wedgewood made 17 saves for the shutout, Martin Necas had a goal and an assist, and Nathan MacKinnon scored his league-leading 51st goal of the season for the 50-15-10 Avalanche, who sit first in the overall standings with 110 points. Casey DeSmith stopped 21 of 22 shots for the Stars (45-20-12), who hold second place in the overall standings with 102 points.

Two goals by Kyle Connor lifted the Winnipeg Jets to a 2-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Mark Scheifele collected two assists for the 33-31-12 Jets (78 points), who moved within three points of the final Western Conference wild-card berth. Ivan Provorov scored for the struggling Blue Jackets (38-27-12), who have dropped three straight games, and sit behind the Senators for that final Eastern wild card with 88 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blue Jackets held a players-only meeting following this game. They’ve cooled off significantly from that hot streak that saw them rise from the bottom of the conference in mid-January to jockeying for second place in the Metropolitan Division by early March.

The Vegas Golden Knights extended their points streak to five games by defeating the Edmonton Oilers 5-1. Carter Hart stopped 31 shots, and Jack Eichel collected three assists for the Golden Knights (35-26-16), who hold third place in the Pacific Division with 86 points. Evan Bouchard replied for the 39-29-9 Oilers as their five-game win streak ended, leaving them clinging to first place in the Pacific Division with 87 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers played without winger Zach Hyman, who could miss the remainder of the regular season with a nagging injury.

Utah Mammoth captain Clayton Keller had a hat trick to lead his club to a 7-4 thrashing of the Vancouver Canucks. Dylan Guenther and Lawson Crouse each had a goal and an assist for the 40-30-6 Mammoth, who picked up their third straight victory and hold the first Western wild card with 86 points. Linus Karlsson scored two goals for the 22-46-8 Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mammoth defenseman MacKenzie Weegar and forward Jack McBain missed this game with injuries. Weegar (upper body) is day-to-day, while McBain (lower body) is week-to-week. Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen was a late scratch from this game.

The Nashville Predators regained possession of the final Western wild card by defeating the San Jose Sharks 6-3. Filip Forsberg had two goals and an assist for the 36-31-9 Predators (81 points). Nick Leddy had a goal and an assist for the Sharks (36-32-7), who are two points behind the Predators.

An overtime goal by Quinton Byfield gave the Los Angeles Kings a 7-6 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Adrian Kempe had two goals and two assists while Artemi Panarin had a goal and two assists for the Kings (31-26-19), who sit behind the Predators with 81 points. Matthew Knies had two goals and two assists for the 32-31-14 Maple Leafs.

The Calgary Flames upset the Anaheim Ducks 5-3. Morgan Frost scored twice, Joel Farabee had a goal and an assist, and Devin Cooley made 36 saves for the 32-36-8 Flames. Beckett Sennecke, Leo Carlsson, and Mason McTavish replied for the Ducks (41-31-5), who sit second in the Pacific Division with 87 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers lead the Ducks in the division with 30 regulation wins.

The Chicago Blackhawks doubled up the Seattle Kraken 4-2. Rookie forward Sacha Boisvert scored his first NHL goal, while Ilya Mikheyev had a goal and an assist for the Blackhawks (28-35-14). Jaden Schwartz had a goal and an assist for the 32-32-11 Kraken.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 3, 2026

by | Apr 3, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 3, 2026

Mitch Marner, Jack Hughes, and Jesper Bratt each have five-point games, the Hurricanes and Wild clinch playoff berths, Red Wings forward Patrick Kane becomes the highest-scoring American player, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Mitch Marner tallied a hat trick and collected two assists to lead the Vegas Golden Knights over the Calgary Flames 6-3. Ivan Barbashev had a goal and two assists for Vegas (34-26-16), who picked up their second straight win under interim coach John Tortorella. With 84 points, the Golden Knights are third in the Pacific Division. Blake Coleman scored twice for the 31-36-8 Flames.

Vegas Golden Knights winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart stopped 19 saves in his return to action after being sidelined by a leg injury since Jan. 8.

New Jersey Devils forwards Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt each had five points in a 7-3 win over the Washington Capitals. Hughes had two goals and three assists while Bratt had a goal and four assists for the Devils (39-34-2). Pierre-Luc Dubois had a goal and an assist for the 38-29-9 Capitals (85 points), who sit three points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Devils announced that rookie forward Arseny Gritsyuk will undergo season-ending surgery for an upper-body injury.

The Carolina Hurricanes clinched a playoff berth with a 5-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Logan Stankoven scored two goals while Taylor Hall and Sebastian Aho each had two assists for the 48-21-6 Hurricanes, who hold first place in the Eastern Conference with 102 points. Denton Mateychuk scored for the Blue Jackets (38-26-12), who are 0-4-1 in their last five games. They sit outside the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 88 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal played in his 1,400th NHL regular-season game.

The Minnesota Wild punched their ticket to the postseason by defeating the Vancouver Canucks 5-2. Matt Boldy scored two goals, including his 40th of the season, and collected an assist while Ryan Hartman also tallied twice for the Wild (41-21-12), who sit third in the Central Division with 96 points. Tom Wallinder and Jake DeBrusk replied for the 22-45-8 Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the first game between the two clubs since the Canucks traded Quinn Hughes to the Wild in December. Hughes collected an assist against his former club. This loss ensured the Canucks will finish last in the overall standings, improving their odds of winning the draft lottery next month.

Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane had a goal and two assists in a 4-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Alex DeBrincat had two goals for the 40-27-8 Red Wings, who sit out of the Eastern wild-card spot with 88 points. Tyson Foerster and Travis Konecny scored for the Flyers (37-26-12), who are two points behind the Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 1,393 regular-season points, Kane surpassed Hall of Famer Brett Hull (1,391 points) to become the league’s all-time leading American scorer. Earlier this season, he overtook Mike Modano (1,374 points) to become the highest-scoring American-born scorer.

Foerster was playing in his first game after missing 49 games recovering from arm surgery.

The Ottawa Senators reclaimed the final Eastern wild card by beating the Buffalo Sabres 4-1. Lars Eller scored the winning goal, Ridly Greig had a goal and an assist, and Linus Ullmark stopped 21 shots for the Senators (39-26-10), who have 88 points and hold the wild card over the Red Wings with 33 regulation wins. Mattias Samuelsson scored for the 46-22-8 Sabres, who sit second in the Atlantic Division with 100 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres missed an opportunity to clinch a playoff berth for the first time in 14 years. They’ll get another chance to do so when they face the Washington Capitals on Saturday. Sabres forward Sam Carrick didn’t play as he’s week-to-week with an injured left arm. Senators defenseman Tyler Kleven was absent from this game with an upper-body injury.

A hat trick by Anthony Cirelli carried the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 6-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Nikita Kucherov had a goal and two assists for the 47-22-6 Lightning, who sit in first place in the Atlantic Division with 100 points. Egor Chinahkov scored twice for the Penguins (38-22-16), who are second in the Metropolitan Division with 92 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Lightning placed defenseman and team captain Victor Hedman on long-term injury reserve. He hasn’t played since March 19.

Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield scored twice, including the winning goal, as his club nipped the New York Rangers 3-2. Nick Suzuki collected two assists while Jacob Fowler made 22 saves for the Canadiens (44-21-10), who hold third place in the Atlantic with 98 points. Adam Fox and Will Cuylle replied for the Rangers (31-36-9).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Caufield has 49 goals, sitting one back of Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon in the race for the Maurice Richard Trophy.

The Florida Panthers got a 28-save performance from Sergei Bobrovsky (including 15 in the third period) in a 2-1 win over the Boston Bruins. Mackie Samoskevich and Sam Bennett scored for the Panthers (37-35-3). Fraser Minten had the only goal for the 43-25-8 Bruins, who hold the first Eastern wild-card berth with 94 points.

Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger made 22 saves to shut out the Winnipeg Jets 3-0. Matt Duchene, Arttu Hyry, and Adam Erne were the goal scorers for the 45-19-12 Stars, who hold second place in the Western Conference with 102 points. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 18 of 21 shots for the 32-31-12 Jets (75 points), who are three points behind the San Jose Sharks for the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets defenseman Elias Salomonsson left this game midway through the second period after a high hit from Stars winger Jason Robertson.

Speaking of the Sharks, they regained the final Western wild card with a 4-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Collin Graf scored his 20th goal of the season while William Eklund and Zack Ostapchuk each had a goal and an assist for the Sharks (36-31-7), who’ve won four straight games and now have 79 points. John Tavares scored for the 32-31-13 Maple Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With the loss, the Maple Leafs have been officially eliminated from the postseason race for the first time in 10 years. Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson missed this game with a lower-body injury.

Nashville Predators winger Luke Evangelista scored in the eighth round of the shootout to defeat the Los Angeles Kings 5-4. The Predators (35-31-9) had a 4-1 lead, but the Kings (30-26-19) stormed back to tie the game. Both clubs sit behind the Sharks with 79 points each.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks have more wins than the Predators and Kings, and they also have a game in hand over both clubs.

The Edmonton Oilers picked up their fifth straight win by downing the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1. Adam Henrique, Matt Savoie, and Vasily Podkolzin scored for the 39-28-9 Oilers, who hold second place in the Pacific Division with 87 points. Nick Lardis scored for the 27-35-14 Blackhawks, who were officially eliminated from the playoff race for the sixth straight season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers are tied with the Anaheim Ducks, but the latter holds first place with two more wins and a game in hand.

Utah Mammoth center Logan Cooley scored two goals and picked up an assist in a 6-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Dylan Guenther had a goal and two assists for the Mammoth (39-30-6), who hold the first Western wild card with 84 points. Jordan Eberle and Bobby McMann replied for the 32-31-11 Kraken, who have dropped seven of their last eight games to sit four points behind the Sharks.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 31, 2026

by | Mar 31, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 31, 2026

Recaps of Monday’s action, the Maple Leafs fire general manager Brad Treliving, the three stars of the week are revealed, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING MONDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini became the sixth teenager in NHL history to record a 100-point season in a 5-4 win over the St. Louis Blues. Celebrini had two goals and an assist, and Adam Gaudette scored the winning goal with 22 seconds remaining in the third period for the 34-31-7 Sharks (75 points), who moved within two points of the Nashville Predators for the final Western Conference wild-card berth. Jake Neighbours picked up two assists for the Blues (31-31-11), who are four points out of that wild-card spot.

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Celebrini joined Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby, Jimmy Carson, Mario Lemieux, Dale Hawerchuk, and Wayne Gretzky among the teenage 100-point players, with Crosby the only one to do it twice. Celebrini is also the third player in Sharks history to reach the 100-point plateau, joining Joe Thornton and Erik Karlsson.

An eight-goal second period between the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins resulted in the latter overcoming a 3-1 deficit for an 8-3 victory. Anthony Mantha scored twice and collected an assist, Rickard Rakell tallied two goals, and Justin Brazeau picked up three assists for the 37-21-16 Penguins, who vaulted over the Islanders into second place in the Metropolitan Division. Mathew Barzal had a goal and an assist for the Isles (42-28-5), who sit one point behind the Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins captain Sidney Crosby picked up two assists in his return to action after missing a game with a lower-body injury. It was his 1,100th career regular-season assist, joining Hall of Famer Raymond Bourque as the only players to reach that milestone with one team.

A five-goal first period carried the Colorado Avalanche to a 9-2 drubbing of the Calgary Flames. Colorado center Nazem Kadri scored twice against his former club while Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Martin Necas, Jack Drury, and Parker Kelly each collected three points for the Avalanche (49-14-10), who lead the league with 108 points. Brennan Othmann and Ryan Strome replied for the 31-35-8 Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Makar left this game after the second period with an upper-body injury. An update on his condition is expected on Tuesday.

The Vegas Golden Knights doubled up the Vancouver Canucks 4-2, giving interim coach John Tortorella his first win with his new club. Shea Theodore and Rielly Smith scored 1:17 minutes apart in the second period to give the 33-26-16 Golden Knights the win. With 82 points, they hold third place in the Pacific Division. Evander Kane scored in his 1,000th NHL regular-season game as the 21-44-8 Canucks sit last in the overall standings.

An overtime goal by John Tavares lifted the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 5-4 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Tavares finished with two goals and an assist, and William Nylander had a goal and three assists for the Maple Leafs (32-30-13). Leo Carlsson tallied twice for the 41-28-5 Ducks, who sit in first place in the Pacific Division with 87 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maple Leafs forward Max Domi got a measure of revenge for sidelined captain Auston Matthews by beating Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas in a first-period fight. Gudas injured Matthews earlier this month with a knee-on-knee hit. The Ducks blueliner seemed resigned to his fate, not bothering to throw any punches while Domi landed 12. Maple Leafs forward Michael Pezzetta was handed a game misconduct in the second period for shoving a linesman.

Ducks winger Cutter Gauthier left this game midway through the first period with an upper-body injury. He will be reevaluated on Tuesday. Gauthier leads the Ducks with 38 goals and 65 points this season.

HEADLINES

TORONTO SUN: Before last night’s game, the Maple Leafs announced that they relieved Brad Treliving of his duties as general manager.

Treliving had been in the role since May 2023. He had a record of 139-92-27, and a 10-10 postseason record.

The fate of head coach Craig Berube is unknown, but it’s expected that Treliving’s replacement will want to hire their own bench boss.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Treliving was in the final season of his contract. Given the club’s disappointing downturn this season, it’s not surprising that he was given his walking papers.

The Maple Leafs’ decline this season was mostly Treliving’s fault. He failed to re-sign Mitch Marner, resulting in the winger’s departure last summer, and didn’t find any suitable replacement. He also didn’t improve the Maple Leafs’ defensive depth, especially on the right side of their blueline. 

Treliving made a pair of short-sighted moves at last year’s trade deadline that will hamper the Leafs’ efforts to restock their prospect pipeline. He shipped top prospect Fraser Minten and the Leafs’ 2026 first-round pick to Boston for struggling defenseman Brandon Carlo at last year’s trade deadline. He gave up the Leafs’ 2027 first-rounder to Philadelphia as part of the return for Scott Laughton, who now plays for the Los Angeles Kings.

It’s rumored that the Maple Leafs could attempt to woo Doug Armstrong away from the St. Louis Blues. He’s indicated that he intends to hand over the management role to Alexander Steen and remain with the Blues as team president.

NHL.COM: Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes, Boston Bruins center Pavel Zacha, and Anaheim Ducks defenseman John Carlson are the league’s three stars for the week ending March. 29, 2026.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 30, 2026

by | Mar 30, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 30, 2026

Recaps of Sunday’s games, the Golden Knights replace Bruce Cassidy as head coach with John Tortorella, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING SUNDAY’S ACTION

NHL.COM: The Tampa Bay Lightning moved into first place in the Eastern Conference by defeating the Nashville Predators 3-2. Jake Guentzel had a goal and two assists, and Corey Perry snapped a 2-2 tie for the 46-21-6 Lightning (98 points). Filip Forsberg scored his 34th goal of the season while rookie Joakim Kemell tallied his first NHL goal as the Predators (34-31-9) have lost three straight as they cling to the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 77 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes each have the same record and points, but the former hold first place in the conference with 37 regulation wins. The Buffalo Sabres also have 98 points, but sit third with a record of 45-21-8.

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki (NHL Images).

Speaking of the Hurricanes, they dropped a 3-1 decision to the Montreal Canadiens. Nick Suzuki tallied twice and collected an assist, Cole Caufield sniped his 46th goal of the season, and Jakub Dobes stopped 34 shots for the 42-21-10 Canadiens, who have won five straight games, sweeping their season series with Carolina to sit third in the Atlantic Division with 94 points. Andrei Svechnikov scored for the Hurricanes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Caufield is two goals behind Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon in the race for the Maurice Richard Trophy as this season’s leading goal scorer.

Caufield’s quest for 50 goals overshadowed Suzuki becoming the first Canadien to exceed 90 points in a season since Pierre Turgeon and Vincent Damphousse in 1995-96. Suzuki has 91 points, and is on pace to become the first Hab to tally 100 points since Mats Naslund in 1985-86.

The Boston Bruins overcame a 3-0 deficit to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3 on a shootout goal by Viktor Arvidsson, who also collected three assists in regulation. Pavel Zacha had two goals and an assist as the Bruins (42-24-8) picked up their third straight victory to hold the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 92 points. Mason Marchment had a goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets, who sit in the final Eastern wild-card berth with 88 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins defenseman Mason Lohrei missed this game with an upper-body injury. Blue Jackets forward Mathieu Olivier left this contest in the second period with an upper-body injury, likely a result of his first-period fight with Bruins forward Mark Kastelic.

The Blue Jackets had been on a tear since Rick Bowness took over as head coach in mid-January, surging up the Eastern Conference standings. However, they’ve cooled off lately, sporting a record of 1-3-1 in their last five contests.

An overtime goal by Trevor Zegras lifted the Philadelphia Flyers to a 2-1 upset of the Dallas Stars. Travis Konecny scored in regulation, and Samuel Ersson stopped 17 shots for the 37-24-12 Flyers (86 points), who are now two points behind the Blue Jackets for that final Eastern wild card. Arttu Hyry scored his first NHL goal for the Stars (44-18-12), who sit second in the overall standings with 100 points, but have dropped five of their last six games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers also made news on Sunday by signing top prospect Porter Martone to a three-year entry-level contract. Chosen sixth overall in last year’s draft, the 19-year-old winger is expected to join the Flyers for the remainder of this season.

New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes scored twice and collected two assists in a 5-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Nico Hischier had two assists for the Devils (38-33-2). Frank Nazar tallied two goals, and Anton Frondell had two assists for the 27-34-13 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks defenseman Artyom Levshunov suffered a fracture to his left hand last Tuesday and is out for the remainder of the season.

The New York Rangers defeated the Florida Panthers 3-1. Igor Shesterkin turned aside 26 shots while Adam Fox had a goal and an assist for the 30-35-9 Rangers. Mackie Samoskevich replied for the 35-35-3 Panthers.

HEADLINES

LAS VEGAS SUN: The Vegas Golden Knights fired head coach Bruce Cassidy on Sunday, replacing him for the remainder of this season with John Tortorella.

Cassidy had been behind the Golden Knights bench since 2022-23, guiding them to the Stanley Cup that season. They reached the playoffs in each of the last two seasons and hold a playoff berth in the Pacific Division.

However, the Golden Knights have struggled since the Olympic break with a record of 5-10-2, being outscored by an average of 3.2 to 2.4 goals per game. For the first time in franchise history, they will finish with more defeats than victories.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights are ruthless and are unafraid to make bold moves to shake things up and remain in Stanley Cup contention. However, replacing Cassidy is unlikely to spark a significant improvement.

Ed Graney of the Las Vegas Review-Journal believes Cassidy is being made the fall guy, calling it a desperate move by the struggling club. Jesse Granger of The Athletic pointed out that the Golden Knights have chipped away at their defensive depth in recent years, their core is aging, and their goaltending has been subpar.

As Graney and Granger observed, the team’s difficulties this season are primarily due to management’s construction of this team. By acquiring big-ticket players in trades and free agency, they gutted the defensive and goaltending depth that played a key role in their 2023 Stanley Cup run.

TSN’s Chris Johnston doesn’t believe Cassidy will be unemployed for long. Given his success with the Golden Knights and the Boston Bruins, he’ll have plenty of suitors this summer, with the Toronto Maple Leafs likely at the front of the line.

As for Tortorella, he’s joining his sixth team as he begins his 24th season as an NHL head coach. He’s a two-time winner of the Jack Adams Award and coached the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Stanley Cup in 2004. “Torts” also has a reputation as a no-nonsense bench boss. However, the Golden Knights must improve considerably from their current level for Tortorella to earn an extension beyond this season.

CBC NEWS: Former Washington Capitals and Winnipeg Jets forward Bill Riley died of cancer on March 29 at age 75.

Born in Amherst, Nova Scotia, Riley was the third Black player in NHL history. He played with the Capitals from 1974-75 to 1978-79 and the Jets in 1979-80. In 139 games, he had 31 goals and 30 assists for 61 points.

Riley also spent four seasons in the AHL, captaining the New Brunswick Hawks to the Calder Cup in 1981-82. Following his playing career, he coached the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats and the Amherst Ramblers of the Maritime Hockey League.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Riley’s family, friends, former teammates, and the young players that he coached.










NHL Rumor Mill – March 28, 2026

by | Mar 28, 2026

NHL Rumor Mill – March 28, 2026

In today’s NHL Rumor Mill, we look at some of this summer’s notable restricted free agents.

SPORTSNET: Luke Fox recently listed the latest rumors and reports regarding this summer’s notable NHL restricted free agents.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The limited talent in this summer’s unrestricted free-agent market has some observers suggesting some teams could attempt to poach away a top restricted free agent with an offer sheet. Some of the players on this list could also become trade targets if their contract negotiations stall.

Fox also pointed out that eight-year contract extensions will be nonexistent starting on July 1, which could provide an incentive to get these players under contract before then.

Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson is slated to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights on July 1. He’ll also be a year away from UFA eligibility if he and the Stars settle on a one-year contract.

Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson (NHL Images).

Fox indicated that Stars general manager Jim Nill reportedly explored Robertson’s value in last summer’s trade market, but he prefers to retain the 26-year-old winger. Nill also claimed the trade rumors were overblown. Robertson leads the Stars in scoring this season, which ensures his value will rise. A maximum eight-year extension could match teammate Mikko Rantanen’s average annual value of $12 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Robertson’s situation will draw the most attention among this summer’s RFA class. The Stars have a projected $14.9 million in salary-cap space for 2026-27 with 18 active roster players under contract.

A $12 million extension would leave little room for Nill to fill out the remainder of his roster for next season. If he intends to re-sign Robertson to that much, he’ll have to shed salary to free up more cap room.

It will be interesting to see how Leo Carlsson’s contract talks progress this summer. The 21-year-old center has played a pivotal role in the Anaheim Ducks’ improvement this season, with 61 points in 60 games. He could be poised to become the Ducks’ highest-paid player, but he’s also coming off his entry-level contract and lacks arbitration rights.

Carlsson’s teammate, Cutter Gauthier, is in the same boat. The 22-year-old winger is the Ducks’ leading scorer with 36 goals and 63 points in 71 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks GM Pat Verbeek usually plays hardball with players completing their ELCs, as Mason McTavish found out last summer, and former Duck Trevor Zegras in 2023. If Verbeek does the same with Carlsson and Gauthier, their negotiations could carry over into training camp before they’re resolved, which could also tempt some rival clubs to check their availability via trade or offer sheet.

Salary-cap constraints could affect the Vegas Golden Knights’ efforts to re-sign Pavel Dorofeyev. The versatile 25-year-old winger has arbitration rights this summer. Fox speculates he could get a two-year extension, taking him up to UFA eligibility at $5.6 million AAV, while an eight-year deal could cost around $8 million annually.

However, the Golden Knights already have five forwards earning between $5 million and $13.5 million. They must also re-sign UFA-eligible defenseman Rasmus Andersson.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights usually find some creative way to retain their best player whilst staying within the boundaries of the CBA. They could get $8.8 million in cap relief if Alex Pietrangelo remains on long-term injury reserve, which could create sufficient wiggle room to retain Dorofeyev or Andersson. However, they must free up more room to keep both.

New Jersey Devils defenseman Simon Nemec surfaced in the rumor mill before the March 6 trade deadline. Fox believes he’ll either be traded for a nice return or sign a nice bridge deal. He noted that the Devils were rumored to have turned down an offer of winger William Eklund from the San Jose Sharks at the deadline.

After the trade deadline, Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald hinted that he might draw from his blueline depth to bring in some help for his forward lines, like a top-six winger.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils could try to trade veteran Dougie Hamilton, but his inconsistent play, hefty salary, and 10-team trade list have made him difficult to move. Nemec seems the more likely trade candidate. Some have suggested sending him to the Toronto Maple Leafs as part of a package deal for power forward Matthew Knies.

Other notable players among this summer’s RFA class include Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard, Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli and goaltender Jet Greaves, Los Angeles Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke, Philadelphia Flyers forward Trevor Zegras and defenseman Jamie Drysdale, and Detroit Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I didn’t bother breaking down their individual situations because I don’t expect their teams to have any difficulty re-signing them. It’s unlikely those players will sign offer sheets, and if they did, their teams have the cap space to match such offers.