NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 26, 2026

by | Feb 26, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 26, 2026

Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov reaches an assists milestone, Artemi Panarin collects his first points with the Kings, Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville gets his 1,000th win, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF WEDNESDAY’S ACTION

NHL.COM: Nikita Kucherov had a goal and two assists, including his 700th career regular-season assist, as the Tampa Bay Lightning doubled up the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2. Gage Goncalves also had a goal and two assists, and Brayden Point scored twice and picked up an assist for the Lightning (38-14-4), who have won six straight games and hold first place in the Eastern Conference with 80 points. John Tavares and Matthew Knies replied for the 27-22-9 Maple Leafs, who remain six points out of the final Eastern wild-card berth.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning head coach Jon Cooper missed this game due to the death of his father earlier this week. Kucherov also reached the 30-goal plateau for the ninth time in his NHL career and sits second in the scoring race with 94 points. Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews picked up an assist in this game.

Artemi Panarin collected his first points with the Los Angeles Kings, but his new club fell 6-4 to the Vegas Golden Knights. Pavel Dorofeyev scored two goals while Tanner Laczynski collected three assists for the Golden Knights (28-16-14), who hold first place in the Pacific Division with 70 points. Quinton Byfield netted two goals for the 23-20-14 Kings, who have lost three straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights played without Olympians Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, Mark Stone, Noah Hanifin, and Shea Theodore. All five played in Sunday’s gold-medal game. Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy said they were left behind to give them a break. It’s expected they’ll rejoin the team for Friday’s game against the Washington Capitals.

Anaheim Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville got his 1,000th regular-season win as his club nipped the Edmonton Oilers 6-5. Leo Carlsson had a goal and two assists, and Cutter Gauthier potted the game-winner with 1:14 remaining in the third period for the Ducks (31-23-3). Matt Savoie had a goal and two assists while Connor McDavid had two assists for the 28-23-8 Oilers, who have lost four straight contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Quenneville is only the second coach in NHL history to win 1,000 games. Scotty Bowman is the leader with 1,244. Ducks forward Mikael Granlund missed this game with an upper-body injury.

The league-leading Colorado Avalanche improved to 38-9-9 (85 points) with a 4-2 victory over the Utah Mammoth. Martin Necas and Parker Kelly each had a goal and an assist while Brock Nelson tallied his 30th goal of the season for the Avalanche. Dylan Guenther tallied both goals for the Mammoth (30-24-4).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon missed this game because of maintenance, according to a team spokesman. MacKinnon appeared to be dealing with an injury during the Olympics. Mammoth center Logan Cooley picked up an assist as he returned to action for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury on Dec. 5.

An overtime goal by Cole Perfetti lifted the Winnipeg Jets over the Vancouver Canucks 3-2. Mark Scheifele had two assists, and Kyle Connor and Gabriel Vilardi also scored for the 23-26-8 Jets. Drew O’Connor and Evander Kane scored for the Canucks (18-33-7).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks held Tyler Myers out of this game for “roster management purposes”, which means the 36-year-old defenseman could be traded if he agrees to waive his no-movement clause. He’s signed through next season with an average annual value of $3 million.

Dallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston scored twice, including his 30th goal of the season, in a 4-1 win over the Seattle Kraken. Matt Duchene had a goal and an assist to extend his points streak to seven games for the Stars (35-14-9), who have won seven straight games. Ryker Evans replied for the 27-21-9 Kraken.

The Buffalo Sabres held off the New Jersey Devils by a score of 2-1. Tage Thompson and Peyton Kreb scored for the Sabres, who improved to 33-19-6. Timo Meier scored, and Jack Hughes collected an assist for the 28-28-2 Devils.

Third-period goals by Trevor van Riemsdyk and Aliaksei Protas lifted the Washington Capitals to a 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Protas also picked up an assist, and goaltender Logan Thompson made 23 saves for the 30-23-7 Capitals. Noah Cates replied for the 25-21-11 Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Capitals placed forward Sonny Milano on waivers as they activated Connor McMichael off injured reserve.

HEADLINES

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins captain Sidney Crosby will be sidelined for at least four weeks with a lower-body injury suffered during the Olympics. He’s been placed on injured reserve.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This will be a significant test for the retooling Penguins, who have exceeded expectations this season to sit second in the Metropolitan Division. They’ll look to long-time star Evgeni Malkin to step up as he’s done in the past whenever Crosby has been injured. This will also be an opportunity for young Penguins such as Ben Kindel, Egor Chinakhov, Avery Hayes, and recently-acquired defenseman Samuel Girard to show what they can do.

NHL.COM: Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov remains upbeat and happy with the pace of his recovery from knee surgery last September. He was expected to miss the entire season, but he’s hoping to return for the playoffs.

Barkov’s recovery period also inspired him to make a donation exceeding $1 million to the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, which named its sports medicine program after him. Since 2019, the Panthers captain has regularly made annual donations totaling $420,000 to the hospital.

SPORTSNET: St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas has taken a leave of absence due to a personal matter. Out of respect for Thomas’ privacy, the club won’t provide any further comment at this time.

ESPN: Olympic gold medalist Hilary Knight said a widely circulated comment from President Donald Trump about the US Women’s Olympic hockey team was a “distasteful joke”, and she is more focused on celebrating the women’s accomplishments at the Milan Games.

During the US men’s post-game dressing room celebration of their gold-medal win over Canada, Trump invited them to Washington for the State of the Union address. “I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that,” Trump said, adding with a laugh that he could be impeached if he didn’t include the women’s team.

Several of the players laughed at Trump’s joke, generating criticism when the video went viral. Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils, and Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars subsequently insisted that they and their USA teammates respected the women’s team and had a great relationship with them.

Knight echoed that sentiment, saying she believed there was a genuine level of support and respect from the men’s team. “I think the guys were in a tough spot, so I think it’s a shame that this storyline and narrative has kind of blown up and overshadowing that connection and genuine interest in one another and cheering each other on.”

Boston Bruins goaltender and Team USA backup Jeremy Swayman said, “We should’ve reacted differently” to Trump’s joke. He added that he and his teammates were excited for the women’s team when they won gold. “We have so much respect for the women’s team.”

In a statement through a spokesperson, the women’s team declined the invitation to the State of the Union, citing logistics and scheduling concerns. The statement also said that they were honored to be included and grateful for the acknowledgement.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 23, 2026

by | Feb 23, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 23, 2026

Olympic Men’s Hockey wrap-up, and the latest news as the resumption of the regular-season schedule approaches in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

IIHF.COM: Canada’s Connor McDavid was named the most valuable player in the 2026 Olympic Men’s Hockey tournament. McDavid set a single tournament Olympic Men’s record with 13 points.

McDavid was also among the Tournament Directorate’s three best players, along with United States goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and defenseman Quinn Hughes.

Team USA wins gold in the 2026 Olympic Men’s Hockey tournament.

Those three players were also named to the Media All-Star Team, joining Canadian defenseman Cale Makar and forward Macklin Celebrini, and Slovakia forward Juraj Slafkovsky.

TSN: Hellebuyck was praised by his teammates for his outstanding performance in their 2-1 overtime victory over Canada in the gold-medal game.

Matthew Tkachuk considered Hellebuyck’s efforts to be “one of the best goaltending performances of all time.” US head coach Mike Sullivan called Hellebuyck’s efforts “heroic”.

According to Tage Thompson, Hellebuyck “stole the game for us.” Zach Werenski was amazed by the type of saves he made in crucial moments, while Charlie McAvoy compared him to Team USA hero Jim Craig in the 1980 Winter Olympics.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hellebucyk’s performance in the gold-medal game was comparable to Dominik Hasek backstopping Czechia to victory over Canada and Russia in the 1998 Olympics. He played the game of his life, reminding everyone why he’s the only active three-time Vezina Trophy winner.

DAILY FACEOFF: Quinn Hughes broke the record for the longest points streak by an American in the tournament during the NHL participation era. He finished with eight points in six games.

THE ATHLETIC: Quinn’s brother, Jack, scored the winning goal after having three teeth knocked out from a high stick by Canadian forward Sam Bennett in the third period. Bennett received a double-minor penalty, but Hughes later nullified the Americans’ man advantage by high-sticking Canada’s Bo Horvat.

The Hughes brothers praised team captain Auston Matthews’ performance and leadership in this tournament. The Toronto Maple Leafs star had been dogged by the perception that he cannot win big games when it matters.

“Doesn’t matter what anyone says now, Auston Matthews is a winner,” Jack said, while Quinn added, “That’s what the Toronto media should be talking about. Auston led us to a championship.”

SI.COM: Team USA center Brock Nelson continued his family’s legacy of winning gold in Olympic Men’s hockey. His grandfather, Bill Christian, won gold at the 1960 Squaw Valley Games alongside his great-uncle, Roger Christian. His uncle, Dave Christian, captured gold in the 1980 Lake Placid Games.

DAILY FACEOFF: The American players recognized the late Johnny Gaudreau following their gold-medal win. Matthews, Zach Werenski, and Matthew Tkachuk paraded Gaudreau’s No. 13 USA jersey around the ice. Tkachuk and Dylan Larkin brought Gaudreau’s young children, Noa and Johnny Jr, on the ice to pose with the players for the team photo.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That was the most touching moment of this tournament. They never forgot Gaudreau, who would’ve played with them had he and his brother not been killed by an alleged drunk driver in 2024.

TRIBLIVE.COM: Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby sat out the gold medal game with a lower-body injury. He felt that he would’ve been a detriment to Canada’s chances had he played.

“It was about what’s best for our group and what gives us the best chance to win,” he said following the game. “That becomes pretty clear at that point. If I’m not going to go, I’m not (going to) compromise our team, put myself ahead of that.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby wanted to play, but his injury was apparently severe enough to hamper his performance. Knowing he couldn’t play to the best of his ability, he made the unselfish decision to put his team and his country first.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Canadian coach Jon Cooper was no fan of the 3-on-3 overtime format in the tournament. “You take four players off the ice, now hockey’s not hockey anymore. There’s a reason overtime and shootouts are in play, it’s all TV-driven to end games, so it’s not a long time. There’s a reason why (3-on-3) is not in the Stanley Cup Final or playoffs.”

Cooper made it clear that he wasn’t using the 3-on-3 format as an excuse. He acknowledged everyone knew the rules going into their tournament, and noted his club’s own 3-on-3 overtime win over Czechia in the quarterfinal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Had Canada won in overtime, American head coach Mike Sullivan might’ve said the same thing. Cooper’s right that it’s TV-driven to finish games within a set period of time, but as he also noted, everyone knew what the format would be. Teams have to be prepared for it.

THE ATHLETIC: Arpon Basu believes Canada’s gold medal loss will linger, but the country’s hockey future is in good shape. He noted that McDavid, MacKinnon, Makar, and Celebrini will be back for the 2030 Olympics, and Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard and New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer could join them.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those players will also be part of Canada’s roster in the 2028 World Cup of Hockey. It wouldn’t be surprising if Beckett Sennecke of the Anaheim Ducks, Wyatt Johnston of the Dallas Stars, Noah Dobson of the Montreal Canadiens, and Evan Bouchard of the Edmonton Oilers could be part of Canada’s roster for that tournament.

NHL HEADLINES

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The NHL’s regular-season schedule resumes on Wednesday, Feb. 25.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

ROTOWIRE: Buffalo Sabres forward Zach Benson is expected to miss Wednesday’s game against the New Jersey Devils with a lingering upper-body injury.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers winger Kasperi Kapanen will miss his club’s first two games of their upcoming road trip with an undisclosed minor injury. Center Adam Henrique will return to action after missing the Oilers’ last 15 games.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers goaltender Daniil Tarasov and defenseman Tobias Bjornfot returned to practice over the weekend and are expected to be ready when the Panthers’ schedule resumes later this week.

SPORTSNET: Former NHL superstar Jaromir Jagr’s storied hockey career may be coming to a close. The 54-year-old forward last played in the NHL in 2017, but he’s continued his career with his hometown club in Kladno since then. However, he has only appeared in six games this season, with his last game on Dec. 21.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: All good things must come to an end, and that includes Jagr’s remarkable playing career. If this is his final season as a player, he is assured of induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame following the mandatory three-year wait period.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 10, 2026

by | Feb 10, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 10, 2026

Canadian goalies hope to silence critics in the men’s Olympic hockey tournament, Leon Draisaitl is named captain of Team Germany, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Team Canada head coach Jon Cooper defended his goaltenders against criticism that they are the team’s Achilles heel in the upcoming Men’s Olympic hockey tournament.

Team Canada head coach Jon Cooper (NHL.com)

“We have all the faith in the world in them,” Cooper said. “To me, it’s not a story. I don’t know where it comes from.”

Cooper pointed out that Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues and Darcy Kuemper of the Los Angeles Kings are Stanley Cup winners. He also noted Logan Thompson’s rise as a starting goalie with the Washington Capitals.

Meanwhile, the three netminders said they’re looking forward to silencing the doubters. “Excited to go out there and prove everyone wrong,” Thompson said.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Binnington was considered Canada’s weakest link in last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off, but rose to the occasion in the gold-medal game against the United States with an MVP-worthy performance in a 3-2 overtime victory.

Kuemper is no stranger to winning international gold, backstopping Canada to victory in the 2021 World Championship.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (VIA THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS): Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets, Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars, and Jeremy Swayman of the Boston Bruins give Team USA one of the best goaltending trios in the upcoming men’s hockey tournament.

USA head coach Mike Sullivan has full confidence in his netminders. “Regardless of which guy we put in, we have three elite goaltenders, all of which will give us an opportunity to win,” Sullivan said.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hellebuyck backstopped Team USA to the gold-medal game in last year’s 4 Nations tournament. Swayman was the starting goalie for their gold-medal team in last year’s World Championships, sporting a 7-0 record.

SPORTSNET: Edmonton Oilers star Leon Draisaitl was officially named captain of Team Germany. The alternate captains are Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider and Ottawa Senators center Tim Stutzle. Draisaitl was also Germany’s flag bearer during last Friday’s opening ceremonies.

TSN: Former NHL forward Tomas Tatar was named captain of Team Slovakia. Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak and Washington Capitals blueliner Martin Fehervary are the alternate captains.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tatar spent 14 seasons in the NHL from 2010-11 to 2024-25 with the Detroit Red Wings, Vegas Golden Knights, Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, Colorado Avalanche, and Seattle Kraken.

TVA SPORTS: Montreal Canadiens winger Juraj Slafkovsky was on the same line as Tatar and former NHL center Adam Ruzicka during Slovakia’s practice on Monday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Slafkovsky was tournament MVP in the 2022 Winter Olympics, leading all players with seven goals as Slovakia won its first medal in men’s hockey.

Ruzicka spent four seasons in the NHL from 2020-21 to 2023-24 with the Calgary Flames and Arizona Coyotes. Since 2024-25, he’s played for KHL club Moscow Spartak.

NCAA: The Boston College Eagles defeated the Boston University Terriers 6-2 to win the Beanpot tournament for the first time since 2016.

Boston Bruins prospect center James Hagens had two goals and three assists and was named tournament MVP. The Bruins chose Hagens with the seventh overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

TSN: The preliminary hearing for top NHL prospect Gavin McKenna in an alleged assault case in Pennsylvania has been postponed until March 11.

McKenna, 18, faces charges of misdemeanor simple assault, harassment, and disorderly conduct following an alleged incident on Jan. 31 in State College, PA.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 7, 2025

by | Oct 7, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 7, 2025

The regular season opens on Tuesday, reaction to the Oilers re-signing Connor McDavid, the Oilers also re-sign Jake Walman, the Bruins will retire Zdeno Chara’s number, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The 2025-26 regular season opens with a triple-header on ESPN on Tuesday.

It begins with the Florida Panthers raising their second straight Stanley Cup championship banner in a pregame ceremony before facing off with the Chicago Blackhawks. New York Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan faces his former club as his team hosts the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Los Angeles Kings welcome the Colorado Avalanche.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadian hockey fans can watch these games on Sportsnet1 or TVA Sports.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Robert Tychowski believes Connor McDavid put his money where his mouth is when he signed a two-year contract extension with the Oilers worth an average annual value (AAV) of $12.5 million.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images)

McDavid’s contract is remarkably low as he maintains the same AAV of his current deal, illustrating his seriousness about winning a Stanley Cup with the Oilers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Most NHL pundits shared that opinion. With the salary cap set to rise significantly over the next two seasons, McDavid has provided the Oilers with the cap flexibility to maintain a Stanley Cup contender. It’s now up to general manager Stan Bowman to do so.

The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun believes some NHL teams will try to use McDavid’s new contract as an argument for why their best players should follow his example. However, it’s unlikely to have much of an effect.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has been underpaid for years, partly because of his superstition about the number 87, but that didn’t prevent other superstars from seeking top dollar.

The McDavid contract wasn’t the only extension announced by the Oilers on Monday. They also signed defenseman Jake Walman to a seven-year deal worth an AAV of $7 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: We can already see the positive effect that McDavid’s contract is having on the Oilers’ cap space for 2026-27. Had he taken a more expensive deal, they might have had more difficulty re-signing Walman.

Acquired by the Oilers at the March trade deadline, the 29-year-old Walman quickly established himself as an invaluable member of their blueline.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The Bruins will retire Zdeno Chara’s No. 33 in a ceremony before their game against the Seattle Kraken on Jan. 15, 2026.

Chara becomes the 13th player in Bruins history to have their number retired. He spent 14 of his 24-season NHL career with the Bruins, captaining them to the 2011 Stanley Cup and the 2013 and 2019 Stanley Cup Finals. He won the James Norris Memorial Trophy in 2008-09 and will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November 2025.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A fitting tribute for one of the greatest defensemen in Bruins history.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers forwards Artemi Panarin and J.T. Miller are good to go for their season opener against the Penguins on Tuesday. Both players were nursing injuries during the preseason.

TSN: The Rangers also signed forward Conor Sheary to a one-year contract on Monday. He joined the team in training camp and preseason on a professional tryout offer (PTO).

CALGARY SUN: Forwards Jonathan Huberdeau and Martin Pospisil will miss the Flames’ season opener on Wednesday. Both players are on injured reserve.

NEW YORK POST: Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer earned a roster spot for the start of the regular season. Schaefer, 18, was chosen first overall by the Islanders in the 2025 NHL Draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders can return Schaefer to his OHL’s Erie Otters after nine games without those contests counting against his entry-level contract. However, it’s expected he’ll be a full-time part of the Isles’ lineup this season.

TSN: The Toronto Maple Leafs claimed goaltender Cayden Primeau off waivers from the Carolina Hurricanes and forward Sammy Blais from the Montreal Canadiens.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators made promising defenseman Carter Yakemchuk their final roster cut on Monday. He’ll start the season with their AHL affiliate in Belleville, Ontario.

They also placed sidelined forward Drake Batherson (upper body) and defenseman Tyler Kleven (ankle) on injured reserve.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Veteran forward Luke Glendening is expected to sign a one-year contract with the Devils after attending their training camp on a PTO contract.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Flyers defenseman Cam York (lower body) was placed on injured reserve.

NHL.COM: The department of player safety suspended Tampa Bay Lightning forward Scott Sabourin for boarding Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad during their preseason game on Saturday. Lightning defenseman JJ Moser received a two-game suspension for roughing Panthers forward Jesper Boqvist during that game.

The Lightning was fined $100,000, and head coach Jon Cooper was fined $25,000 for their club’s actions during that game.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 4, 2025

by | Oct 4, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 4, 2025

The Oilers re-sign coach Kris Knoblauch, the Lightning reportedly extended coach Jon Cooper’s contract, the Predators sign Luke Evangelista, the Senators acquire Kurtis MacDermid, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers signed head coach Kris Knoblauch to a three-year contract extension. His new deal runs through the 2028-29 season. Knoblauch’s record is 94 wins, 47 losses, and 10 overtime losses in 151 games. He’s second in wins among NHL coaches over the period.

Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Knoblauch’s solid record as head coach isn’t the only reason he got an extension. It can also be another way for the Oilers to entice captain Connor McDavid into signing an extension. Knoblauch’s ties to the Oilers’ superstar go back to their days with the OHL’s Erie Otters over a decade ago.

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper quietly signed an extension several months ago. LeBrun isn’t sure how long the new deal is, but Cooper is signed beyond this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s odd that the Lightning wouldn’t announce Cooper’s new contract, especially after there was speculation over the summer that he might head to the Utah Mammoth at the end of this season. Nevertheless, it’s not surprising that they’re keeping him in the fold.

Under Cooper’s coaching, the Lightning have been the most successful team in the NHL since 2014-15. Over that period, they went to four Stanley Cup Finals (winning the Cup in 2020 and 2021), reached the Eastern Conference Final twice (2016 and 2018), and won the Presidents’ Trophy in 2018-19.

THE TENNESSEAN: The contract standoff between the Nashville Predators and winger Luke Evangelista ended Friday, with the two sides agreeing to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $3 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: These negotiations dragged on longer than necessary. It was rumored that the Predators were offering $2 million annually while the Evangelista camp sought $3.25 million. It shouldn’t have taken up the entire training camp and preseason period to close that gap.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators acquired forward Kurtis MacDermid from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Zack MacEwen.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators wanted more muscle after getting thumped by the Montreal Canadiens during a recent preseason game. Meanwhile, the Devils freed up some cap space by swapping MacDermid’s $1.15 million cap hit for MacEwen’s $775K.

The Devils remain above the $95.5 million salary cap by $2.895 million, but they could place sidelined defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic and his $4 million AAV on long-term injury reserve to be cap-compliant when the regular season begins next week.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of the Devils, defenseman Brett Pesce could miss their season-opener with an undisclosed injury.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs center Scott Laughton is sidelined week-to-week with a lower-body injury. They also placed forward David Kampf on waivers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kampf was among 12 NHL players placed on waivers on Friday. He’s expected to clear waivers given his $2.4 million AAV.

TSN: Montreal Canadiens forward Zachary Bolduc is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

TSN: Florida Panthers forward A.J. Greer was fined over $2,200 for roughing Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel during a preseason game on Thursday.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers claimed winger Cole Schwindt off waivers from the Vegas Golden Knights. Schwindt was part of the package the Panthers sent to the Calgary Flames in 2022 to acquire Matthew Tkachuk.

THE ATHLETIC: The Minnesota Wild claimed defenseman Daemon Hunt off waivers from the Columbus Blue Jackets. He had been part of the return sent to the Blue Jackets last season for defenseman David Jiricek.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Givani Smith earned a one-year, two-way contract with the Carolina Hurricanes after attending training camp on a professional tryout offer. He will be sent to their AHL affiliate in Chicago if he clears waivers on Saturday.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Former Avalanche defenseman Jack Johnson was released from his PTO contract with the Wild on Friday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This could be the end of Johnson’s NHL career. The 38-year-old defenseman spent 19 seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Los Angeles Kings, Pittsburgh Penguins, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, and the Avalanche, winning a Stanley Cup with the latter in 2022.

THE ATHLETIC: The Buffalo Sabres parted ways with director of player development Adam Mair following his September arrest for allegedly driving while intoxicated.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – May 11, 2025

by | May 11, 2025

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – May 11, 2025

Could the Canucks bring back Brock Boeser? Who should the Islanders hire as their new general manager? Find out in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

THE PROVINCE: Patrick Johnston reports the Vancouver Canucks haven’t given up on the possibility of bringing back Brock Boeser, provided the 28-year-old winger wants to return.

Boeser is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Canucks management believes he’s earned the right to test the market.

Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser (NHL Images).

General manager Patrik Allvin told Canucks’ season-ticket holders that they’re going to see if there’s a chance Boeser would return. However, Johnston considers that option unlikely, pointing to the frustration from the winger’s camp over how Allvin framed Boeser’s value at the trade deadline.

Boeser has stated how much he’s enjoyed living and playing in Vancouver, but won’t pass up his best opportunity for a big payday. Johnston also noted this season was one of upheaval for the Canucks. He speculated Boeser might prefer heading to his hometown Minnesota Wild, or a team that previously expressed interest in him, like the Carolina Hurricanes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was reported that contract term was the sticking point between Boeser and Canucks management. He wanted a long-term deal, while they prefer something less than five years.

Never say never, but it’ll be surprising if Boeser returns with the Canucks. He shouldn’t have much difficulty landing a deal to his liking on the open market.

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks believes the New York Islanders need to take “a massive swing” hiring their next general manager.

Brooks hasn’t been impressed with what he called “a parade of recyclables vying for the job.” He doesn’t consider options like Marc Bergevin to be inspiring.

Instead, he’s beating the drum for the Islanders to pursue Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper to take over as their GM and team president. He cited his recent report claiming a “well-connected fellow” claimed we shouldn’t be surprised if Cooper stepped down as the Bolts’ bench boss to take over the operation in Utah for his friend and Mammoth owner Ryan Smyth.

Cooper has instead committed to returning to the Lightning next season. However, Brooks wondered if he might change his mind if allowed to build the Islanders in his image.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Brooks thinks there’s no harm in the Isles seeking permission to speak with Cooper. However, we don’t know if they’ve even considered the Lightning coach as a viable candidate in the first place. Probably not, if the list of prospective candidates is anything to go by.