NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 11, 2025

by | Sep 11, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 11, 2025

Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov reportedly rejects a $128 million contract offer, plus the latest on Canucks captain Quinn Hughes, Golden Knights center Jack Eichel, Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson, and more in today’s NHL morning Coffee Headlines.

REACTION TO KAPRIZOV REPORTEDLY REJECTING $128 MILLION OFFER

THE ATHLETIC: Michael Russo and Joe Smith cited a report from Bleacher Report’s Frank Servalli claiming that Kirill Kaprizov rejected an eight-year, $128-million contract offer from the Minnesota Wild.

Kaprizov, 28, is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next July. The average annual value of the proposed contract is $16 million, which would’ve made him the NHL’s highest-paid player. His current AAV is $9 million.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov (NHL Images).

Russo and Smith subsequently reported that Wild general manager Bill Guerin claimed talks were ongoing. “We love Kirill. We want to keep him here. I have a good relationship with his agent (Paul Theofanus), and we are still in talks. We are not panicking or anything. This is just part of negotiations.”

Guerin declined to go into detail about the offer. “My job as general manager is to protect my players, and I don’t want this in the public eye. That’s the way we’d like to keep it, so I’m not commenting any further on this.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Appearing on the “10,000 Takes” podcast, Guerin said he didn’t know where the rumors about Kaprizov rejecting a historic offer came from. “I know two things: that info didn’t come from us, and it didn’t come from Kirill’s agent.” Nevertheless, Guerin didn’t appear to deny that the offer had been made or that Kaprizov rejected it.

Russo and Smith wondered what the reported rejection of the offer meant. They feel the Wild must determine if Theofanus thinks his client could get more than $16 million on the open market next summer, or if it’s the beginning of the end for Kaprizov in Minnesota.

Signing Kaprizov to a larger deal will impact their future salary-cap situation as they attempt to build a contender. However, if Kaprizov intends to go to market, the Wild will have to find out from the winger (who has a full no-movement clause) which team he’s willing to get moved to before the March 6 trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was rumored that the Kaprizov camp was fine with the money but wanted a shorter term. We’ll see if that’s the case as we advance.

This could become a nightmare for the Wild. Re-signing Kaprizov for more than their reported offer will hamper their effort to build and maintain a potential Stanley Cup champion. If he intends to become a UFA next summer, they won’t get fair value in a trade, and his departure will be a significant blow to their offense.

Ultimately, the Wild prefers re-signing Kaprizov. Better to keep their superstar at a higher price than to trade him for below market value or lose him for nothing to free agency next July.

CANUCKS CAPTAIN QUINN HUGHES RESPONDS TO BROTHER JACK’S COMMENTS

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes responded to his brother Jack’s comments about wanting to play together someday.

Earlier this year, Canucks president Jim Rutherford mentioned that Quinn would one day like to play with his brothers Jack and Luke Hughes, who both play for the New Jersey Devils. That generated speculation that the Canucks’ defenseman could end up traded to New Jersey or sign with the Devils as a free agent when his contract expires in 2027.

“What’s (Jack) supposed to say, first of all? Like, ‘I don’t want to play with him,’ you know?”, Quinn said. “We have contracts and whatnot. He’s on a different team. Would it be fun to play with those guys at some point? Of course.”

Hughes said that he’s excited to be in Vancouver and hopes to help the team rebound from last season’s disappointing performance. “I’ve been fortunate to play in Vancouver because of the fans and what a special place it is, and how well you’re taken care of, because they love their hockey so much and care about their hockey. It’s normal in a Canadian market.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Quinn has been downplaying the speculation, but it’s not going to go away, especially if the Canucks struggle again this season. Another year out of the playoff picture will only fan the trade rumor flames.

THE LATEST ON JACK EICHEL AND MIKE MATHESON

ESPN.COM: Jack Eichel hopes to remain with the Vegas Golden Knights for the long term. The 28-year-old center is UFA-eligible next July.

“I love the organization. I love living here. I love the guys in the room. I love the people in the city. I love the fans,” Eichel said. “It’s a great place to live. It’s a great place to play hockey. I think there’s a lot of things to love and I’m just really happy here.

Talks between Eichel and the Golden Knights’ management are in the early stages, but the star center is optimistic about the process. Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon recently said getting Eichel re-signed was “an important order of business.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Eichel is the Golden Knights’ first-line center and top offensive player. It’s expected he’ll be re-signed to a long-term deal worth between $13 million and $14 million annually.

LA PRESSE: Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson has had discussions with management about a contract extension, although those talks are not recent.

Matheson is UFA-eligible and is earning an AAV of $4.8 million on his current contract. His agent said the 31-year-old blueliner wants to stay in Montreal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matheson catches some flak from Canadiens fans for his defensive play, but management has praised his skills, experience, and leadership. It wouldn’t be surprising if he gets a four or five-year extension.

IN OTHER NEWS…

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks signed prospect forward Michael Misa to a three-year entry-level contract. The 18-year-old was chosen second overall in the 2025 NHL Draft.

If Misa makes the team this season, the Sharks could end up moving a contract to be within the mandated 50-contract limit.

DAILY FACEOFF: Veteran NHL forward Adam Erne is among four players signed to professional tryout offers by the Dallas Stars. He’s appeared in 382 NHL games with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Detroit Red Wings, and Edmonton Oilers since 2016-17.

Meanwhile, the Florida Panthers signed defenseman Ben Harpur and forward Tyler Motte to PTO contracts.

Blues forward Zach Dean has entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program.

STLTODAY.COM: The St. Louis Blues signed prospect forward Justin Carbonneau to a three-year entry-level deal. He was selected 19th overall in this year’s draft.

FULL PRESS MEDIA: Steve Mayer, President of NHL Content and Events, believes the outdoor games involving the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning this season could become the talk of the sports world.

The Panthers will host the New York Rangers in the NHL’s annual Winter Classic on Jan. 2, 2026, while the Lightning hosts the Boston Bruins in the annual Stadium Series on Feb. 1.

SCOTTY WAZZ: presents the latest in his “Meh Rushmore” of players who just existed on their respective NHL teams. This week: The Central Division.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 27, 2023

by | Jan 27, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 27, 2023

The Lightning match a franchise home win streak, the Sabres’ Owen Power sets a franchise record for rookie defensemen, the Canucks re-sign Andrei Kuzmenko, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Tampa Bay Lightning matched a franchise record with their 11th straight home win by nipping the Boston Bruins 3-2, snapping the latter’s six-game win streak. Victor Hedman broke a 2-2 tie in the third period while Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point each had three points for the 31-15-1 Lightning, who hold third place in the Atlantic Division. Brad Marchand and Pavel Zacha replied for the Bruins (38-6-4), who sit atop the overall standings with 80 points.

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power (NHL Images)

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power scored for the third straight game in a 3-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Jeff Skinner, Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin each had two points for the 26-19-3 Sabres, who’ve won five straight contests and moved within two points of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 55 points. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 33 shots for the Jets (31-18-1), who sit in second place in the Western Conference with 63 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Power became the first Sabres rookie defenseman to record a goal streak of three games.

Speaking of the Penguins, they dropped a 3-2 decision to the Washington Capitals on shootout goals by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nicklas Backstrom. Alex Ovechkin tallied his 32nd goal while Darcy Kuemper made 35 saves for the Capitals (26-19-6), who hold a one-point lead over the Penguins for the first Eastern wild-card spot with 58 points. Casey DeSmith stopped 43 shots for the 24-15-9 Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals winger Tom Wilson missed this game with a lower-body injury.

An overtime goal by Mats Zuccarello lifted the Minnesota Wild over the Philadelphia Flyers by a score of 3-2. Matt Boldy scored twice and collected an assist for the Wild (26-17-4) as they vaulted back into third place in the Central Division with 56 points. The Flyers slipped to 20-21-9 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers forward Wade Allison left the game in the second period with a lower-body injury while Zack MacEwen suffered an upper-body injury from his fight with Wild winger Marcus Foligno. Wild center Ryan Hartman was a healthy scratch from this game.

Anaheim Ducks winger Frank Vatrano tallied a hat trick to upset the Colorado Avalanche 5-3, ending the latter’s six-game win streak. John Gibson kicked out 41 shots for the 15-29-5 Ducks. Mikko Rantanen scored twice for the Avalanche 26-18-3 as they hold the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 55 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar collected an assist as he returned to the lineup after missing four games with an upper-body injury.

The Calgary Flames missed an opportunity to surpass the Avalanche for that wild-card berth as they were upset 5-1 by the Chicago Blackhawks. Rookie goalie Jaxon Stauber made 34 saves to win his second straight NHL start for the 15-28-4 Blackhawks. The Flames (23-17-9) have 55 points but the Avs hold two games in hand.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews missed this game with a non-COVID-related illness.

Nashville Predators forward Matt Duchene had a goal and an assist in the third period in a 6-4 win over the New Jersey Devils to end the latter’s eight-game points streak. Juuse Saros turned aside 34 shots for the Predators (24-18-6) as they moved within one point of the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 54 points. Devils center Jack Hughes collected two points as the 31-13-4 Devils remain two points behind the Metropolitan Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes with 66 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Predators announced that defenseman Alexandre Carrier will be sidelined for four-to-six weeks with an upper-body injury.

The Arizona Coyotes (16-28-5) got a natural hat trick from Nick Schmaltz and a 33-save shutout from Karel Vejmelka to blank the St. Louis Blues 5-0. The Blues dropped to 23-23-3 and sit six points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues forward Robert Thomas left this game with a lower-body injury. Coyotes forwards Matias Maccelli and Lawson Crouse returned to the lineup after being sidelined by injuries. However, the club announced before this game that defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere will miss four-to-six weeks with an upper-body injury. That could affect management’s efforts to trade the pending free agent before the March 3 trade deadline.

An overtime goal by Robby Fabbri gave the Detroit Red Wings a 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Moritz Seider had three assists for the Wings as they improved to 21-18-8 to keep their slim playoff hopes alive with 50 points. The Canadiens (20-25-4) got two goals from Rafael Harvey-Pinard but also lost defenseman Joel Edmundson to a lower-body injury. 

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks re-signed winger Andrei Kuzmenko to a two-year contract worth an average annual value of $5. 5 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I predicted this in yesterday’s Rumor Mill as reports emerged Kuzmenko’s camp sought a two-year bridge deal worth between $5 million and $6 million. The 26-year-old rookie winger has 21 goals and 43 points in 47 games with the Canucks this season as he’s played well alongside center Elias Pettersson.

The signing disappoints those who believe the struggling Canucks should trade Kuzmenko for draft picks and prospects while his value was high. However, that would’ve meant rebuilding and that’s something the Canucks don’t do. This signing is also considered another indication that the club will move pending free agent center Bo Horvat before the March 3 trade deadline.

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen reportedly avoided serious injury when he left Wednesday’s game against the Dallas Stars with an upper-body injury.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers signed defenseman Ben Harpur to a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $787, 500.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 2, 2020

by | May 2, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 2, 2020

Details on the league’s proposal to stage the 2020 Draft next month before a potential resumption of the schedule, the Bruins re-sign Jaroslav Halak, an update on Brent Seabrook and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL’S PROPOSED PLAN FOR THE 2020 DRAFT

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the NHL issued a position paper Friday on the possibility of staging the draft next month. Deputy commissioner Bill Daly authored the report. Despite earlier pushback against a June draft before the resumption of the season, there’s a sense of resignation among the teams that this will happen.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly (Photo via NHL.com).

Daly indicated the league needs a month to prepare. It’s rumored the target date is June 5, meaning a decision will have to be reached by next week. Daly also said the broadcast networks are on board with the plan.

If the draft isn’t moved up, the best-case scenario would be a short window following awarding the Stanley Cup in September and before the start of 2020-21. The worst-case scenario is canceling the remainder of this season, after which the draft lottery and the draft itself would be held at an uncertain time before next season.

Regarding conditional trades, the league would propose solutions, such as both teams reforming the terms of the deal or accepting the league’s proposals. Team point percentage would be used to determine the order of selection, as well as changing the draft lottery format for this year only by picking just one winner and limiting any move-up to a maximum of four spots.

Friedman and Chris Johnston detailed potential lottery outcomes under that scenario. “Detroit would pick no lower than second. Ottawa (with San Jose’s top selection), could do no worse than three and four. New Jersey, Buffalo, Montreal, and Chicago couldn’t jump above two, three, four, and five, respectively.” A June draft would prevent teams from trading players they’ll need if the season resumes.

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun took to Twitter reporting the league reviewed 15 trades involving conditional picks with playoff implications and would be ready to suggest solutions to each trade or have both teams agree to reform the terms of the trade that would be acceptable to both parties.

The league memo acknowledged most NHL general managers would prefer maintaining the status quo, meaning holding the draft after the season. The league will decide either way next week. There is a Board of Governors’ conference call slated for Monday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: When Bettman and Daly first floated this idea last month, LeBrun was the first to say this would be something the teams should prepare for because it was likely going to happen. Unless the board of governors rejects this plan, or the league decides to scrap the season, we’ll see a modified virtual NHL draft sometime next month.

NHL headquarters want to hold the draft in June to drum up fan interest before resuming the season in July. Part of the fun of the draft for hockey fans is the possibility of established NHL players getting traded. Without that buzz, I’m not sure how long casual NHL fans will stick with following this year’s draft beyond the opening round.

LATEST ON THE NHL’S PLANS TO RESUME THE SEASON

NHL.COM: Daly indicated coronavirus testing is a key part of any plan agreed upon by the league and the NHL Players’ Association to resume the season. “We’re going to need to have access to testing, and we’re going to make it a point that we’re not accessing testing, even in a private way, if testing availability is an issue in the community,” he said. The actual protocol testing has yet to be determined.

The deputy commissioner said several NHL clubs have offered to host games if the league decides to play in centralized locations. He admitted Edmonton is among those in the mix.

He also indicated this situation could provide an opportunity for the league and the PA to resume negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement. “While we’re not there substantively yet because we have a lot of other things we’re working on, I think there’s a willingness and an interest on both sides to pursue that.”

Daly said the league has told the players it understands their concerns about the possibility of long family separations if teams play in centralized locations. “We understand the importance of kind of family interaction, and we’ll find a way to accommodate that,” he said.

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks cites sources claiming the league could be pivoting away from its centralized locations plan and is investigating the possibility of resuming games in its teams’ home cities after the players expressed their concerns about lengthy family separations.

“(This) would create an entire new set of issues for the league and union to confront and solve, most notable of which would be travel considerations and the means with which to test players and attendant personnel who live in disparate locations under divergent coronavirus-related government policies,” wrote Brooks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The best plan to resume the season remains four regionalized host cities in areas where COVID-19 cases are low and suitable testing protocols are in place. Trying to reopen the season in all 31 cities will be too difficult to pull off right now. 

 

IN OTHER NEWS…

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: The Bruins re-signed goaltender Jaroslav Halak to a one-year, $2.25-million contract extension.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Looks like the Bruins want to keep their roster intact as much as possible for another shot at the Stanley Cup next season. The 34-year-old Halak has formed a solid goaltending tandem with starter Tuukka Rask. Without any suitable replacements within their pipeline, it made sense to keep him around for another season on an affordable deal.

The Bruins have over $63.5 million invested in 18 players for 2020-21. Defensemen Torey Krug, Zdeno Chara, and Kevan Miller are their notable unrestricted free agents, while their restricted free agents include Jake DeBrusk, Matt Grzelcyk, and Anders Bjork.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook claims he’s feeling great after recovering from surgeries on both hips and his right shoulder earlier this season. He said he’s looking forward to skating again.

THE TENNESSEAN: The Nashville Predators re-signed defenseman Ben Harpur to a one-year, two-way contract.

NBC SPORTS: St. Louis Blues broadcaster John Kelly is donating plasma in hopes his antibodies will help other battling COVID-19. He contracted the illness in March but has been symptom-free for over five weeks.