NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 1, 2026

by | Aug 1, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 1, 2026

The latest on the league’s expansion plans, the latest notable contract signings, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE SICK PODCAST: On Wednesday, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told “The Eye Test Podcast” hosts Pierre McGuire and Jimmy Murphy that the league and the owners are “primarily interested” in an expansion franchise in Houston, Texas.

Daly also said they haven’t ruled out Austin, Texas, as an expansion destination, noting that the latter has become an “up-and-coming market” that doesn’t have one of the major four pro sports franchises in it. However, he stressed that they are in the early stages of the process.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly (NHL.com).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Houston remains the front-runner unless there is difficulty for prospective ownership to come up with the $2 billion franchise fee. It’s also rumored that the league could return to Atlanta by the end of the decade.

Regarding the NHL’s new slate of weekday afternoon games in Europe, Daly indicated it’s part of the league’s plan to grow and market their product internationally. As for expansion into Europe, Daly didn’t rule out that possibility, but noted that there is currently no timetable due to obstacles to making that work over the course of an 84-game schedule.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Expansion into Europe is a more distant possibility than moving into other North American markets. The franchise fees, travel costs, and extra time zones are among the likely obstacles.

Daly also said the NHL remains interested in returning to Quebec City with an expansion franchise. However, they’ve yet to find a potential owner willing to operate a franchise long-term in that market. Daly also rejected the notion that the lower value of the Canadian dollar was a major obstacle to bringing a franchise to Quebec City, citing the strength of the other seven Canadian NHL markets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Daly’s comments about Quebec City dispel the belief that the league no longer sees it as a market for an expansion franchise. Finding a suitable owner is an understandable hurdle given the high cost of the franchise fee.

It could be more affordable to relocate a franchise to Quebec City. However, there’s no indication that the league has any plans to move one of its teams to a new market.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sheng Peng reported the Sharks re-sign forward Collin Graf to a three-year, $12.75 million contract. Graf, 23, had completed his three-year entry-level contract. He’ll earn an average annual value of $4.25 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Graf had a promising sophomore season with 21 goals and 25 assists for 46 points in 81 games. Peng noted that he logged just over 200 shorthanded minutes, sitting seventh in the league in that category. Sharks general manager Mike Grier praised his versatility and work ethic.

Graf is getting a slightly higher AAV than the two-year, $7.8 million contract ($3.9 million) he was projected to receive. However, he got less than the $6.5 million on the projected seven-year, $45.5 million contract. 

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins signed forward Tommy Novak to a three-year contract extension worth an AAV of $4.65 million starting in 2027-28. He’s earning $3.5 million on his current contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Novak exceeded the 40-point plateau last season, marking the third time he’s done so in his five-season NHL career.

DAILY FACEOFF: Former Florida Panthers winger Tomas Nosek signed with Czech team Dynamo Pardubice. The 33-year-old spent 11 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, Vegas Golden Knights, Boston Bruins, and the Panthers, winning the Stanley Cup with them in 2024-25.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nosek’s NHL career is likely over. The checking-line forward had 47 goals and 73 assists for 120 points in 514 games, and 17 points in 68 postseason contests.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Earlier this week, the Blue Jackets hired Don Granato and Cody Ward as assistant coaches. Granato is the former head coach of the Buffalo Sabres, while Ward is the former assistant video coach for the San Jose Sharks.

SPORTSNET: On Thursday, the International Ice Hockey Federation upheld its ban on Russian participation for the 2026-27 season. Russia has been banned from participating in IIHF tournaments since invading Ukraine in February 2022.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 10, 2026

by | Jul 10, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 10, 2026

Leo Carlsson is staying with the Ducks, Red Wings center Dylan Larkin slightly expands his trade list, Sharks center Macklin Celebrini receives the top individual international hockey award, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE DUCKS MATCH THE FLYERS’ OFFER SHEET FOR LEO CARLSSON

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER/PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The Anaheim Ducks matched the Philadelphia Flyers’ offer sheet to center Leo Carlsson, making him the highest-paid player in the NHL this season.

Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson (NHL Images)

Carlsson, 21, was a restricted free agent lacking arbitration rights after completing his entry-level contract. His new deal is for five years, with a league-leading average annual value of $18 million, the largest in league history.

More than 40 percent of the $90 million contract will be paid out in signing bonuses.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Carlsson got a $19.5 million signing bonus for this season. He’ll get $18.1 million in 2027-28, $17.050 million in 2028-29, $15.2 million in 2029-30, and $15 million in 2030-31.

Forget about the recent grumbling over no-trade/no-movement clauses. That isn’t a hill the NHL will die on in the next round of collective bargaining in 2030. Signing bonuses will be the real bone of contention. Expect those to be capped in the next CBA.

DAILY FACEOFF: Carlsson said he’s happy that the Ducks matched the Flyers’ offer.

“It was an offer that 99% of people would sign too,” Carlsson said. “It’s a pretty simple answer. I really wanted to be here, though. I really wanted them to match. I wanted to be an Anaheim Duck.”

Carlsson also said he spoke with his Ducks teammates, who were supportive of his decision.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Most observers expected Anaheim to match the offer. Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek is publicly pleased to retain Carlsson, but his lack of foresight in this situation has significant salary-cap consequences for his club.

Keeping Carlsson screws up the Ducks’ salary cap for this season, leaving little space to re-sign high-scoring winger Cutter Gauthier and to bolster their young blueline. It will also affect their cap plans throughout Carlsson’s contract, potentially hampering their development as a future Stanley Cup contender.

However, not matching the offer would’ve cost them their first-line center, setting them back for a few years as they tried to find a suitable replacement.

Some observers suggested using the four compensatory first-round picks they would’ve received from the Flyers as trade bait to address that issue. That’s much easier said than done, and anyone they find might not adequately replace Carlsson.

Where do both teams go from here? Find out in my NHL Rumor Mill.

IN OTHER NEWS…

MLIVE.COM: Ansar Khan reports Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin has expanded his list of trade destinations to include the Dallas Stars. However, the Red Wings would prefer that he include some other options.

Larkin’s request for a trade was reported a month ago. His original list includes the Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights, and Florida Panthers.

Khan cited a league source claiming the Red Wings had trade discussions with the Stars. They asked for young center Wyatt Johnston in return, but there was no chance of that happening.

It’s believed the Stars offered up winger Jason Robertson, but he’d had to agree to sign a long-term contract with the Red Wings. There’s no reason to believe he will do that after rejecting a long-term offer from the Seattle Kraken worth $15 million annually, and it’s unlikely the Red Wings will pay him that much.

Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman wants young NHL talent in return for Larkin. He’s not interested in a return of draft picks and prospects unless he can turn that return into assets that can help the Wings right away.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Khan believes that if a deal could’ve been had to send Larkin to Minnesota, Vegas, or Florida, it would’ve happened by now. He thinks it could take a three-team deal to pull this off, or Larkin expanding his list of destinations further.

IIHF.COM: San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini has been voted the IIHF’s Male Player of the Year for 2025-26. Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck finished second in the voting, with Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho finishing third.

Celebrini led the 2026 Olympics with five goals and was second in points with 11. He later played in the World Championship, finishing second in scoring and being named the tournament’s top forward. In the NHL, he finished fourth in scoring with 115 points, the third-highest by a teenager after Wayne Gretzky (137 points) and Sidney Crosby (120).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This won’t be the only individual hardware Celebrini will receive in his professional career. The kid is something special and will be a contender for the Hart Memorial Trophy and the Art Ross Trophy in the coming years.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils captain Nico Hischier is being lauded for his role in rescuing a family in distress from a river in Switzerland.

Hischier downplayed his role in the rescue, crediting others who joined him in helping the family until first responders arrived. No one was hurt in the ordeal.

THE NEWS & OBSERVER/TSN: Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon is facing criticism for having his name and that of his wife and five school-age children engraved on the Stanley Cup.

The Dundon family took up the first two lines etched into the side of the Cup to commemorate the Hurricanes winning the NHL championship in 2025-26.

SPORTSNET: The Dundons aren’t the only family members to be engraved on the Cup. In 2024 and 2025, Florida Panthers owner Vinnie Viola included his wife, Teresa, and their three sons. Penny Vinik, the then-wife of Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeffrey Vinik, had her name engraved on the Cup.

In 1984, Edmonton Oilers owner Peter Pocklington had his father’s name etched on the Cup, but it was later covered with Xs because he had nothing to do with the championship.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is an embarrassment for the NHL and the Hockey Hall of Fame. Whoever approved this should be sacked.

Tom Dundon is the only member of his family who has any official role with the team. His wife and children do not. Like Basil Pocklington with the 1984 Oilers, they had nothing to do with the Hurricanes’ championship.

Dundon’s name should be on the Stanley Cup as the club’s owner. The rest of his family doesn’t belong there.

As for the other families, they are there because the spouses and adult children held official roles with those teams.

Viola’s wife is the co-owner of the Panthers, as was Vinik’s then-wife in 2021. Viola’s sons also have roles within the Panthers’ organization.

The Illich family have their names engraved on the Cup commemorating the Red Wings’ 2007-08 championship. Like the Violas, they also had official roles within the franchise.

The league and the HHoF can easily fix this by making a rule that only the primary owner of the team will have their name engraved on the Cup. But of course, they won’t do that because it would upset the team owners.

TSN: Haley Wickenheiser announced she is no longer working for the Toronto Maple Leafs. She’d served as their assistant general manager in charge of player development since 2018.

SPORTSNET: The Maple Leafs named Steve Sullivan as the new head coach of their AHL franchise, the Toronto Marlies. He replaced John Gruden, who was promoted to assistant coach with the Leafs.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators avoided salary arbitration with forward Xavier Bourgault, signing him to a one-year, two-way contract worth $850,000 at the NHL level.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 5, 2023

by | Dec 5, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 5, 2023

The Lightning defeat the Stars during a milestone game for Victor Hedman, the Jets re-sign Nino Niederreiter, the latest projection for next season’s salary cap, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Tampa Bay Lightning celebrated Victor Hedman’s 1,000th career NHL game with a 4-0 victory over the Dallas Stars. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 25 saves for the shutout and Anthony Cirelli scored twice as the Lightning (11-10-5) snapped a four-game losing skid. Jake Oettinger stopped 19 shots for the 14-6-3 Stars.

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (NHL Images).

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Laurent Brossoit kicked out 42 shots as his club held off the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1. Kyle Connor and Nikolaj Ehlers each had a goal and an assist as the Jets improved their record to 14-8-2 (30 points) to sit one point back of the second-place Stars in the Central Division. Martin Necas replied for the 14-9-1 Hurricanes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Jets announced the signing of Nino Niederreiter to a three-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $4 million. It’s the same AAV on the 31-year-old winger’s current contract. Acquired from the Nashville Predators last season, Niederreiter quickly fit in well with the Jets. He’s got 14 points in 24 games on their third line.

A five-goal first period carried the Arizona Coyotes to a 6-0 drubbing of the Washington Capitals. Nick Schmaltz tallied two goals, Alex Kerfoot had three assists and Connor Ingram turned aside 26 shots for the shutout as the Coyotes (13-9-2) picked up their fifth straight win. The Capitals made Evgeny Kuznetsov a healthy scratch from this game following a disappointing performance in a 4-1 loss on Saturday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Coyotes hold the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference with 28 points. Meanwhile, their ongoing saga for a new arena could be testing the patience of some of the NHL governors, who are currently meeting in Seattle.

As long as league commissioner Gary Bettman supports the Coyotes’ efforts to remain in the Phoenix area and has the support of the majority of league governors, it won’t matter if a handful of the others are growing weary of this situation.

An overtime goal by Pavel Buchnevich lifted the St. Louis Blues over the Vegas Golden Knights by a score of 2-1. Jordan Binnington made 33 saves while Alexey Toropchenko also scored for the Blues as they improved to 13-10-1. Jack Eichel scored for the Golden Knights (16-5-5), who remain in first place in the Western Conference with 37 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights played without defenseman Shea Theodore (upper body) as he was placed on long-term injury reserve on Saturday. The earliest he could return to action is Dec. 17.

The Philadelphia Flyers nipped the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 on an overtime goal by Sean Couturier. Carter Hart stopped 31 shots, Tyson Foerster also scored and Travis Konecny collected two assists for the 13-10-2 Flyers. Sidney Crosby scored for the Penguins as they fell to 11-10-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins played without forward Matt Nieto (lower body) as he was placed on injured reserve on Saturday.

Montreal Canadiens center Sean Monahan scored two goals as his club doubled up the Seattle Kraken 4-2. Sam Montembeault stopped 31 shots while Josh Anderson finally tallied his first goal of the season as the Canadiens boosted their record to 11-11-3. Vince Dunn had a goal and an assist for the 8-12-6 Kraken.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Canadiens loaned defenseman Arber Xhekaj to their AHL affiliate in Laval. He’d been sidelined since Nov. 16 with an upper-body injury.

HEADLINES

DAILY FACEOFF: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman informed the league Board of Governors yesterday that the salary cap is on track to reach $87.7 million for 2024-25. The cap is currently at $83.5 million and has been flattened since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

The $4.2 million increase is in line with the “lag formula” contained in the 2020 Memorandum of Understanding between the NHL and NHL Players Association coming out of the pandemic. The two sides can negotiate for a higher formula, something NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh hinted at during a recent interview with Frank Seravalli.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The PA could push to have it increased to between $88 million and $89 million. As Seravalli indicates in his report, however, achieving that goal would mean the PA having to make a concession, something the league isn’t planning on based on their report on Monday to the Board of Governors.

NHL.COM: Arizona Coyotes goaltender Connor Ingram, New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal and New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes are the league’s three stars for the week ending Dec. 3.

CALGARY SUN: Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom left practice yesterday after suffering an injury to his right hand. An update on his condition could be made today.

CBS SPORTS: Anaheim Ducks forward Mason McTavish did not travel with his club for their upcoming two-game road trip. He suffered an upper-body injury during Saturday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche.

THE MERCURY NEWS: The San Jose Sharks placed forward Ryan Carpenter and defenseman Ty Emberson on injured reserve.

NHL.COM: The 2024 IIHF World Junior U-20 Championship begins on Dec. 26, 2023, and will end with the gold medal game on Jan. 5, 2024 The tournament opens with the United States facing off against Norway while defending champion Canada meets Finland in preliminary round action. Slovakia will also face Czechia while Sweden takes on Latvia.

Speaking of the IIHF, all players participating in their tournaments will be mandated to wear a neck laceration protector.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 25, 2022

by | Mar 25, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 25, 2022

​Claude Giroux collects points in his Panthers debut, David Pastrnak tallies his 12th career hat trick, general managers to discuss closing the “LTIR playoff loophole” and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Claude Giroux had two assists in his debut with the Florida Panthers as they held off the Montreal Canadiens 4-3. Former Montreal defenseman Ben Chiarot picked up an assist in his first game against his former team. Canadiens blueliner Jeff Petry left the game in the second period with a lower-body injury. The Panthers (92 points) move one point ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes for first place in the Eastern Conference standings.

Speaking of the Hurricanes, they dropped a 4-3 decision to the Dallas Stars on a shootout goal by Tyler Seguin. Scott Wedgewood picked up the win with a 44-save performance while Roope Hintz scored twice in regulation. Nino Niederreiter netted two goals for the Hurricanes. The Stars (74 points) remain one point ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (NHL Images).

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak tallied his 12th career hat trick in a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Erik Haula collected three assists and Hampus Lindholm collected an assist in his first game with Boston. The Bruins (85 points) move into third place in the Atlantic Division, knocking the Lighting into the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth. They’re also tied with the Leafs but the latter holds second place in the Division with a game in hand.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh left the game after blocking a shot in the third period.

The Vegas Golden Knights got a goal and two assists from Evgenii Dadonov to thump the Nashville Predators 6-1 to avoid falling further behind the Dallas Stars for the final Western wild-card spot. It was Dadonov’s first game since his trade to the Anaheim Ducks was overturned by the league. The Predators, meanwhile, are three points up on the Stars in the first wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights center Brett Howden was stretchered from the game following a hit by Predators winger Filip Forsberg. He was reportedly conscious, in stable condition with full movement of his limbs and sent to a hospital for further tests.

Earlier in the day, the Predators announced defenseman Mark Borowiecki is listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

Leon Draisaitl scored twice and Connor McDavid added two assists to lead the Edmonton Oilers to a 5-2 win over the San Jose Sharks. McDavid sits atop the scoring race with 95 points, five ahead of Draisaitl. With 77 points, the Oilers are two points behind the second-place Los Angeles Kings in the Pacific Division. Sharks captain Logan Couture left the game with an upper-body injury.

The Kings, meanwhile, picked up a point in a 4-3 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. Alex DeBrincat had a goal and an assist in regulation and potted the winning goal in the shootout while Colin Delia made 43 saves for the win. Phillip Danault scored twice for the Kings.

An overtime goal by Joel Eriksson Ek lifted the Minnesota Wild over the Vancouver Canucks 3-2. Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and an assist and Cam Talbot kicked out 26 shots as the Wild (80 points) sit one point ahead of the St. Louis Blues in second place in the Central Division. With 71 points, the Canucks are four points out of a wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

The Blues, while, fell 5-2 to the Philadelphia Flyers. Travis Konecny scored two goals and Martin Jones made 26 saves for the win. Earlier in the day, the Blues announced Tyler Bozak (lower-body) was moved to injured reserve.

A four-goal third period by the Ottawa Senators carried them to a 5-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets, leaving the latter five points out of the final Western wild-card spot. Brady Tkachuk scored twice and Tim Stutzle collected two assists for the Senators. Jets winger Kyle Connor netted his 40th goal of the season.

The New York Islanders picked up their fourth win in their last five games by downing the Detroit Red Wings 5-2. Brock Nelson scored twice and Anders Lee had three assists.

HEADLINES

DAILY FACEOFF: Closing the LTIR playoff loophole in the salary cap will be among the items up for discussion in next week’s meetings of NHL general managers. Some general managers aren’t happy that some teams exceed the salary cap in the regular season with players on long-term injury reserve only to see those players return to the lineup for the playoffs when the salary cap no longer counts.

One proposed solution is to have 20 players iced by a team in a playoff game to count against the salary cap. Any attempted changes to the salary cap or to roster requirements, however, would constitute a material change of the collective bargaining agreement and would have to be negotiated with the NHL Players Association.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some would consider this the “Nikita Kucherov rule”, which arose because the Tampa Bay Lightning winger returned to action at the start of the 2021 playoffs after spending last season on LTIR recovering from offseason hip surgery. That allowed the Lightning the salary-cap flexibility to exceed the cap by the equivalent of Kucherov’s $9.5 million annual cap hit and add players before the trade deadline.

This loophole has existed since the implementation of the salary cap in 2005 and was used before, specifically by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2015 when Patrick Kane went on LTIR several weeks before the trade deadline with a broken collarbone. It’s taken this long, however, for some general managers to have an issue with it.

Bear in mind that medical substantiation must be provided to the league to justify placing a player on LTIR. The league looked into Kucherov’s status late last season and concluded the Lightning did nothing wrong.

Assuming the majority of general managers support this proposal, I don’t expect the PA to be onboard with it. This could be an issue that gets revisited during the next round of collective bargaining.

NBC SPORTS: The International Ice Hockey Federation has asked an independent ethics council board to investigate the Russian Hockey Federation and former IIHF president Rene Fasel regarding issues related to the war in Ukraine. Fasel was critical of the IIHF’s decisions to ban Russia and Belarus from upcoming international competitions. He’s serving as an advisor to Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League.

NHL.COM: St. Louis Blues defenseman Torey Krug is listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Joonas Korpisalo will undergo season-ending hip surgery. He’s expected to make a full recovery in six months.

TSN: New York Islanders forward Cal Clutterbuck will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery while defenseman Scott Mayfield is done for the season with a lower-body injury.

Washington Capitals forward Garnet Hathaway was fined $2,000.00 for diving/embellishment by the NHL department of player safety.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 1, 2022

by | Mar 1, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 1, 2022

​Recaps of Monday’s action, the three stars of the week are revealed, the league suspends business and social media ties with Russia and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Boston Bruins got a 34-save shutout from Jeremy Swayman and a natural hat trick from Jake DeBrusk to crush the Los Angeles Kings 7-0. DeBrusk finished the night with four points while linemate Patrice Bergeron had three points and Erik Haula potted two goals.

Boston Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk (NHL Images).

With 68 points, the Bruins opened a three-point lead over the Washington Capitals for the first wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference. The Kings (65 points) remain three behind the first-place Calgary Flames in the Pacific Division and three ahead of the third-place Vegas Golden Knights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: DeBrusk has been red-hot since being moved onto the Bruins’ top line alongside Bergeron and Brad Marchand. He has seven goals and nine points in five games since that move.

DeBrusk requested a trade three months ago. His recent performance could improve his trade value but could also make him worthwhile for the Bruins to retain. He’s a restricted free agent this summer so they aren’t under pressure to move him before the March 21 trade deadline.

Speaking of the Capitals (65 points), they dropped their third straight game in a 5-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs blew a 3-1 lead but recovered on late goals by Rasmus Sandin and Pierre Engvall. Sandin, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and Justin Holl all finished the night with two points each. Tom Wilson scored twice for the Capitals, who hold the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with a 10-point lead over the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Leafs, meanwhile, are tied with the second-place Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division with 74 points. However, the Bolts hold two games in hand.

New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes had a goal and an assist to pick up his third straight win over brother Quinn Hughes in a 7-2 drubbing of the Vancouver Canucks. Jack was among seven Devils to collect two points on the night. Goaltender Nico Daws got the win with a 36-save performance. Canucks netminder Jaroslav Halak got the hook after giving up six goals on 14 shots.

With 58 points, the Canucks remain three points out of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: The league announced yesterday it was suspending its business and social media ties with Russia. It is also discontinuing any consideration of Russia as a location for any future competitions involving the NHL. The move comes in response to that country’s invasion of Ukraine.

SPORTSNET: The International Ice Hockey Federation has suspended Russia and Belarus from international competition until further notice. It has also pulled the 2023 World Junior Championship out of Russia.

TSN: Darren Dreger reports NHL agent Dan Milstein has raised concerns about threats to his Russian clients to the NHL and NHL clubs with Russian players. He’s asking for extra security for those players in North America.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is having a ripple effect throughout the sports world. It’s also prompted some people to call upon the league to suspend Russian players on NHL contracts but there’s no indication that’s going to happen. That move would be strongly contested by the NHLPA.

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli reports sources said the Chicago Blackhawks will name interim general manager Kyle Davidson as their full-time GM.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blackhawks are getting trolled a bit on social media for making a grand production of their search for a new GM only to remove the interim label from Davidson. That aside, Davidson could prove a worthwhile hire after working his way up the front-office ranks of the Blackhawks over the past decade.

Davidson’s yet to make a major move trade-wise but got positive reviews for replacing Jeremy Colliton as head coach in November with Derek King. Given the Blackhawks’ improvement under King, he could also be back behind the bench next season on a permanent basis.

The Toronto Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews, Vancouver Canucks J.T. Miller, and Tampa Bay Lightning’s Steven Stamkos are the centers of attention as the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Feb. 27.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner is expected to start Tuesday’s game against the San Jose Sharks. He’s been sidelined since the All-Star break with an upper-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lehner is said to be suffering a shoulder injury that will require offseason treatment. His absence sparked speculation the Golden Knights could be in the market for a goaltender.

OILERS NATION: The Edmonton Oilers placed defenseman Kris Russell on long-term injury reserve.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 8, 2020

by | Dec 8, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 8, 2020

​NHL, NHLPA target 56-game schedule starting Jan. 13, agree not to change the economic framework of CBA extension. Details and more in the morning coffee headlines.

SPORTSNET/TSN: Elliotte Friedman and Darren Dreger reported the NHL and NHLPA continue discussions aimed at a 56-game schedule beginning Jan. 13. Friedman indicates that includes “Training camps, opt-outs, testing, the schedule, the playoffs, re-alignment, you name it.”

Friedman also reports last season’s non-playoff clubs would begin training camp on Dec. 28 while the other 24 clubs begin on Jan. 1. It appears there won’t be any exhibition games. He also believes a short-term “hub plan” is being worked on but the preference remains for all teams playing in their home arenas. A potential problem is staging training camps in cities with strict COVID-19 restrictions such as Montreal, San Jose and Winnipeg.

Pierre LeBrun reports the plan will require approval from the NHL board of governors and the NHLPA membership. Friedman said there’s a desire to have it ready for approval by the end of this week.

The stalemate between the NHL and NHLPA over the league’s requests for increased escrow and salary deferral rates has ended with both sides agreeing the economic framework of the CBA won’t be changed.

Friedman and Dreger reported the players refused to consider any changes to escrow. On Sunday, they proposed to defer additional monies but wanted a significant concession from the league. Friedman reports one of their suggestions was a slight increase to the salary cap to put more money into the system. While that would’ve affected how much the players would have to give back to maintain the 50-50 revenue split, Friedman said the escrow caps in place weren’t a concern to the current group of players.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The dispute over the escrow and deferral rates was a significant obstacle. The players’ refusal to budge appears to have forced the league to consider other options to make up a potential revenue shortfall.

A cap on escrow was what the players wanted and they were justified in insisting the league abide by the agreement. They could end up owing the league much more in escrow debt toward the end of the CBA extension but they seem willing to accept that potential consequence.

Both sides want to stage a season because there’s a lot at stake here. They cannot afford not to play when other major pro leagues are carrying on with their respective schedules. There are broadcasting and advertising contracts to be honored and the potential for a lucrative new US TV deal at the end of this season.

Some readers suggested the league could afford to shut down this season because of the three lockouts since 1994-95. The difference is league headquarters and the team owners were financially prepared for work stoppages arising from labor disputes with the NHLPA. They weren’t ready for the effects of a pandemic, plus they would face a strong legal challenge from the PA.

So how will the NHL find the $300 million they tried to squeeze from the players to stage this season? ESPN.com’s Emily Kaplan reports sources are saying the league is looking into a loan plan similar to that used by the NBA to provide its teams with cash to protect their finances ahead of this season.

That Jan. 13 start date could be flexible. Prior to last night’s reports, Vegas Golden Knights owner Bill Foley told Fox Business the season could open on Jan. 15 with the possibility it might have to slide by a week or two. Nevertheless, Foley is confident his club will be playing this season at their home arena, though it could be without fans in attendance.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER’s Sam Carchidi reports the Flyers are close to agreeing to a contract with Philippe Myers. “Could happen this week.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Myers is a restricted free agent coming out of his entry-level contract. It’ll be interesting to see if he gets a bridge contract or a long-term deal. We can probably expect signings of RFAs and unrestricted free agents will pick up once the Jan. 13 start date for this season is formally approved.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: The Lightning hired Rob Zettler to replace departed assistant coach Todd Richards. Zettler, a former NHL defenseman, is also the former head coach of the Lightning’s AHL affiliate in Syracuse. He worked as an assistant coach with the San Jose Sharks from 2017 to 2019.

IIHF.COM: International Ice Hockey Federation president Rene Fasel and general secretary Horst Lichtner have tested positive for COVID-19. This will not affect the IIHF’s preparations for the upcoming 2021 World Junior Championship in Edmonton.

SPORTSNET: The entire Northeast Division of the ECHL plus the Atlanta Gladiators and Norfolk Admirals have suspended play for the 2020-21 season under the league’s COVID-19 policy. The teams intend to return in 2021-22. Most are minor-league affiliates for several NHL clubs.

TORONTO STAR: A mint condition 1979 Wayne Gretzky card could become hockey’s first $1 million collectible card.