NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 15, 2025

by | Oct 15, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 15, 2025

Recaps of Tuesday’s games, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby reaches another milestone, Senators captain Brady Tkachuk sidelined for weeks, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Montreal Canadiens took their home-opener by downing the Seattle Kraken 5-4 in overtime. Cole Caufield scored twice, including the winning goal, and Ivan Demidov tallied the tying goal late in the third to force the extra period. Jared McCann had a goal and an assist for the Kraken. The Canadiens have won three straight since dropping their season-opener to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Canadiens held a video tribute to their late Hall of Famer Ken Dryden, prompting a touching standing ovation from the fans.

Earlier in the day, the Canadiens announced that president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton and general manager Kent Hughes agreed to contract extensions. The duo has done an impressive job rebuilding the roster by focusing on young talent.

Speaking of young talent, RG. Org’s Marco D’Amico reports that Canadiens prospect Michael Hage is following up an impressive freshman season with the University of Michigan to become a more complete two-way center in his sophomore campaign.

The Habs see the 19-year-old Hage as a future center. For now, he’s focused on playing for Canada at the 2026 World Juniors and helping Michigan win a national championship.

Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews had two goals in a 7-4 drubbing of the Nashville Predators, handing the latter their first loss of the season. John Tavares, William Nylander, Matthew Knies, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson each collected three points for the Leafs while Nick Perbix had a goal and an assist for the Predators.

Anaheim Ducks forward Chris Kreider scored twice, including the winner late in the third period, to nip the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby collected two assists, moving past Steve Yzerman into ninth place among the all-time assist leaders with 1,065.

Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner stopped 30 shots to blank the New York Rangers 2-0. Trent Frederic and Adam Henrique were the goal scorers. Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin allowed one goal on 21 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers became the first team in NHL history to be shut out in their first three home games of the season.

The Vegas Golden Knights extended their season-opening points streak to four games (2-0-2) by overcoming a 2-0 deficit to double up the Calgary Flames 4-2. Jack Eichel tallied twice while Mitch Marner and Tomas Hertl each had two points. Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman scored for the Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill left the game after the first period with a lower-body injury and was still being evaluated after the game. Akira Schmid made 19 saves for the win.

An overtime goal by Jakob Chychrun lifted the Washington Capitals to a 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Tom Wilson had a goal and two assists for the Capitals as they picked up their third straight victory. Jake Guentzel and Brayden Point scored for the Lightning.

Dallas Stars goalie Jake Oettinger kicked out 39 shots in a 5-2 victory against the Minnesota Wild. Roope Hintz had a goal and two assists for the Stars, while Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and an assist for the Wild. Stars center Matt Duchene left the game in the third period following a hit by Wild defenseman Jacob Middleton.

The Carolina Hurricanes beat the San Jose Sharks 5-1. Hurricanes goalie Brandon Bussi made 16 saves in his NHL debut, and Logan Stankoven collected two assists. William Eklund scored for the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Hurricanes placed netminder Pyotr Kochetkov on injured reserve.

HEADLINES

TSN: Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk is expected to miss at least four weeks with a hand/wrist injury suffered during their loss to the Nashville Predators on Monday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tkachuk’s absence will be a significant early test for the Senators. Someone must step up and fill the leadership void.

DAILY FACEOFF: Speaking of the Senators, winger Drake Batherson is expected to make his season debut on Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres. Batherson missed the first three games of the regular season after suffering an upper-body injury during training camp.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet cited his club’s high penalty minutes and an offseason ankle issue as the reasons behind Matvei Michkov’s reduced ice time thus far. The 20-year-old sophomore winger has yet to score while averaging 15 minutes of ice time per game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Michkov was among the league’s rookie scoring leaders last season. His performance will be a crucial part of the rebuilding Flyers this season.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports revenue projections for this season are strong enough that the players won’t have escrow deducted from their paychecks. They’ll also have escrow money refunded from 2022-23 and 2023-24.

Friedman also said that there’s talk of the salary cap for 2026-27 being higher than the projected $104 million. There could be more clarity on the issue following the Board of Governors meetings in New York this week.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Former NHL defenseman Erik Johnson has landed an analyst gig with ESPN. Johnson announced his retirement earlier this month.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 16, 2025

by | Sep 16, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 16, 2025

Sidney Crosby addresses trade and “tanking” talk, the latest Islanders and Canadiens news, Drew Doughty hopes to play for Canada in the 2026 Olympics, remembering Hall of Famer Ed Giacomin, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins captain Sidney Crosby directly addressed recent speculation suggesting he might welcome a trade out of Pittsburgh.

“This is where I want to be. I love it here,” Crosby said. “I can’t keep having to answer the same questions over again (just) because of these narratives. If people want to write about that or say that, that’s fine. I can’t really control that.”

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

Crosby also dismissed the notion that the Penguins should tank the season to improve their chances of winning the 2026 Draft Lottery. “You play to win,” he said. “That’s how I view it, and you’re not going to convince me otherwise. If you’re one of the people that believe that, then you’re entitled to believe that, but that’s not why I signed up to play the game. That’s not the game I know.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The trade buzz about Crosby arose from a comment made last week by his agent, Pat Brisson, acknowledging the possibility of his client asking for a trade one day. Some observers took his comments to mean that Crosby wouldn’t want to stick around if the rebuilding Penguins continue to miss the playoffs.

Crosby is in the first season of a two-year contract. He could decide at some point that he wants one last shot at playing for the Stanley Cup and could request a trade to a contender. However, it doesn’t sound like he’s currently considering that possibility.

PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW: The impending return of former Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury for a preseason practice on Sept. 26 and a preseason game on Sept. 27 has led to a surge in ticket prices for both events.

Prices for Penguins preseason games are typically between $20 and $25. For the Fleury game, the prices range from $235.00 to $2,975.00 on Ticketmaster.

Fleury formally retired after last season, but his return for those two events will allow him to retire as a Penguin.

NEW YORK POST: Islanders forward Mathew Barzal said he is good to go entering training camp after missing the end of last season with a kneecap injury. He indicated that it has fully healed, and now it’s a matter of getting back to being the player he was mentally.

CBS SPORTS: Barzal’s teammate, Bo Horvat, will be ready for the upcoming start of training camp. He had suffered an ankle injury playing for Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Championship in May, but has indicated he’s feeling great and is ready for the start of this season.

DAILY FACEOFF: Islanders winger Anthony Duclair revealed he tore his groin muscle right off the bone five games into last season, which sidelined him until late December, but he admitted he returned too soon.

The injury hampered Duclair’s performance, prompting head coach Patrick Roy to publicly criticize his play as “god awful” following a loss to Tampa Bay in early April, prompting Duclair to take a season-ending leave of absence.

Duclair said Roy personally visited him following the season to apologize for his comments, and they worked things out.

THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson walked back his father’s comments regarding his son being passed over for Team USA’s Olympic orientation camp.

Rob Hutson raised the possibility of Lane, who has dual citizenship, playing for Canada. However, Lane shot that down, saying he’s a proud American and loves USA Hockey. While he loves playing in Canada, he stated that he’s a USA Hockey Player.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hutson could still be selected for Team USA’s final Olympic roster. Otherwise, he’ll get more opportunities to play for his country in the World Championships, the 2028 World Cup of Hockey, and the 2030 Winter Olympics.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Jeff Gorton, the Executive VP of Hockey Operations for the Canadiens, said Kirby Dach has made good progress in his recovery from a season-ending knee injury.

“He looks great,” Gorton said. “He feels great, he’s healthy. We have a plan in place to have him ready for opening night. So, that’s what we’re going to try to do.” However, he stopped short of guaranteeing that the 24-year-old center will be ready to go by then.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Back-to-back knee injuries have hampered Dach’s efforts to secure the Canadiens’ second-line center role.

SPORTSNET: Speaking of Gorton, the Canadiens are in contract extension talks with him and general manager Kent Hughes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s not a surprise considering the pace of the Canadiens’ rebuild. The club wants to ensure both men stick around to complete the job.

NHL.COM: Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty remains determined to secure a place on Canada’s Men’s Olympic hockey team at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

“I expect to be on the team,” Doughty said. “I know it’s going to be hard for me to make it, but personally I expect to be on that team. I do think making the best team in the world at 36 years old is quite an accomplishment. That would be amazing. I’ve honestly been thinking about this way too much and it’s still so far away.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Doughty won gold with Canada in the 2010 and 2014 Olympics, and he was part of their gold-medal team in February’s 4 Nations Face-Off.

NEW YORK POST: Hall of Fame goaltender Ed Giacomin passed away on Sunday at age 86.

Giacomin spent most of his 13 NHL seasons with the New York Rangers (1965-66 to 1975-76), becoming one of the league’s top goaltenders. A fan favorite in New York and a skillful puckhandler, he was a First Team All-Star in 1966-67 and 1970-71, and shared the Vezina Trophy with teammate Gilles Villemure in 1970-71. He and Villemure backstopped the Rangers to the 1972 Stanley Cup Final.

Claimed off waivers by the Detroit Red Wings on Oct. 31, 1975, Giacomin got the start for the Wings against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden two days later, where the Rangers fans chanted his name throughout the game, moving him to tears.

Giacomin played with the Red Wings from 1975-76 to 1977-78 before retiring. He had a career record of 290 wins, 209 losses, and 96 ties in 690 regular-season games with a 2.82 goals-against average, a .902 save percentage, and 54 shutouts. Giacomin was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1987.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Giacomin’s family, friends, former teammates, and the Rangers organization. I remember watching him play during the early-70s and was impressed by his acrobatic style and his ability to handle the puck. He played a big role in turning the Rangers into a Stanley Cup contender during those years.










NHL Rumor Mill – August 19, 2024

by | Aug 19, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – August 19, 2024

Check out the latest Canadiens speculation in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

TVA SPORTS: Entering the final year of his contract with the Montreal Canadiens, David Savard knows he’ll be the subject of trade rumors this season.

The 33-year-old defenseman carries a $3.5 million cap hit. He’s aware the Canadiens at some point must clear roster space for their younger blueliners. Nevertheless, he believes he can still bring a lot to the team and its young players.

Montreal Canadiens defenseman David Savard (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Savard was the subject of trade speculation in the weeks leading up to last season’s March deadline. Contenders in the market for an experienced defenseman will come calling again this season.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Marco D’Amico looks at the Canadiens’ top trade assets heading into training camp.

Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes has $5.5 million in cap space, and that’s without putting permanently sidelined goaltender Carey Price ($10.5 million) on long-term injury reserve. He could use it to his advantage by acquiring a player from a club looking to free up cap room before the start of the season.

Hughes also has nine picks in the first four rounds of the 2025 draft (including two first-rounders and two second-rounders) plus a deep prospect pool to draw on for trade bait if he’s looking to add an NHL player to his roster, preferably a forward.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens are rumored to have had trade discussions with several teams this summer for a forward. Business could pick up heading into training camp starting in mid-September.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Rob Couch believes the Canadiens have the pieces necessary to acquire goaltender Yaroslav Askarov from the Nashville Predators if they wish.

Askarov, 21, has been the subject of trade rumors since Nashville signed starting goalie Juuse Saros to an eight-year contract extension on July 1. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman recently reported the Predators seek an NHL player that makes sense for Askarov or another high-end prospect forward or defenseman.

Couch speculates defenseman Logan Mailloux could be an option for the Predators. They could also be interested in a forward like Owen Beck, Joshua Roy, or Michael Hage.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens are in the market for a scoring forward, not a goaltender. They’re set with the underrated Sam Montembeault as their starter. Cayden Primeau will be his backup after a solid performance last season.










NHL Rumor Mill – July 6, 2024

by | Jul 6, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – July 6, 2024

Check out the recent Canadiens and Ducks speculation in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SPORTSNET: Eric Engels reports the free-agent market is thinning for the Montreal Canadiens if they intend to go that route to add a scoring forward. Daniel Sprong (18 goals) and Tyler Johnson (17 goals) are the highest-scoring players in the market.

Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes (NHL.com).

Engels believes the Canadiens could go the trade route if they’re seeking immediate help or a player who can help them now and in the future.

The Canadiens have lots of draft capital to use as trade bait. General manager Kent Hughes said they can use it to trade for an existing player or to move up in the draft. They hold two first-rounders in the 2025 draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Engels noted it’s a long summer and expects something will shake loose that makes sense for Hughes. The Canadiens GM has a history of making significant moves later in the offseason. He was involved in the three-team trade that sent Erik Karlsson to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Aug. 6, 2023. Hughes also acquired Sean Monahan on Aug. 18, 2022.

THE ATHLETIC: Eric Stephens wondered if Anaheim Ducks GM Pat Verbeek has a big move up his sleeve following a quiet start to the free-agent period.

Sources told him they made big offers to Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault before they signed with the Nashville Predators. Stephens believes years of losing have prevented Anaheim from being a destination of choice for UFA talent.

Stephens believes the rebuilding Ducks must add a difference-maker to take the club higher, like Toronto’s Mitch Marner or Carolina’s Martin Necas. They can afford to pull off a seismic trade, possessing plenty of salary-cap space, a solid stable of promising youngsters, and roster players who can help teams win now.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Ducks acquired winger Robby Fabbri from the Detroit Red Wings and defenseman Brian Dumoulin from the Seattle Kraken since Stephens’ article was published on July 1. Neither player will significantly improve this club next season or beyond. It remains to be seen if Verbeek is planning a major acquisition to accelerate the rebuild.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 26, 2023

by | Oct 26, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – October 26, 2023

In today’s NHL Rumor Mill: the latest Canadiens speculation plus a look at why the Jets didn’t opt for a rebuild during the offseason.

LATEST ON THE CANADIENS

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Marco D’Amico recently noted that the Canadiens’ early-season injury woes provide them with an advantage in salary cap space.

The Canadiens have $15 million in relief space with Carey Price and Christian Dvorak on long-term injury reserve. Dvorak is expected to return to action in November but Kirby Dach’s season-ending knee injury would still ensure they have over $13 million in cap relief once Dach is placed on LTIR. Defenseman Chris Wideman is also out indefinitely and can also be placed on LTIR.

Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes (NHL.com).

D’Amico suggests the Canadiens could use this wiggle room to help teams shed some salary, like the Vancouver Canucks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Washington Capitals and Ottawa Senators. He noted that the Canucks’ Conor Garland, the Blue Jackets’ Adam Boqvist, the Capitals’ Anthony Mantha and the Senators’ Mathieu Joseph are all currently on the trade block.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes was inclined to help those clubs directly or as a third-party broker he’ll want them to include a draft pick or prospect as part of the return.

Hughes could keep his powder dry for now as he accrues cap space over the course of the season. Making an early-season move might bite into that when he could be in a good position to get a better return closer to the March 8 trade deadline.

THE FOURTH PERIOD: Dave Pagnotta recently noted the Canadiens recalled Joel Armia from their AHL affiliate in Laval. He pointed out that they attempted to trade the 30-year-old forward during the offseason and re-engaged in trade talks last week. Armia has a year remaining on his contract with an average annual value of $3.4 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Armia also lacks no-trade protection so the Canadiens can send him anywhere if they find a trade partner. His cap hit is difficult to move this early in the season with so many teams pressed against the $83.5 million ceiling.

Nevertheless, they could try to sweeten the deal by retaining part of his cap hit. They’re already retaining salary on Joel Edmundson and Jeff Petry for this season but have one retention spot left.

There’s a rumor flying around suggesting that the Canadiens could use Armia as a trade chip to broker a deal that would involve sending Vancouver Canucks winger Conor Garland to another NHL club. The Habs were a third-party broker in the August trade that sent Erik Karlsson from the San Jose Sharks to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

WHY DIDN’T THE JETS REBUILD THIS SUMMER?

TSN: Darren Dreger reported Winnipeg Jets co-owner Mark Chipman explained why his club opted to re-sign Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele rather than start rebuilding the roster this summer.

Chipman talked about how long it would take to stage a rebuild as well as the cost. Dreger indicated that it was decided that the market couldn’t sustain a historic rebuild and instead is investing in the here and now.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That doesn’t bode well for the Jets’ long-term future unless they can draft and develop young players who transition well into their lineup. Enticing veteran talent via free agency or acquiring it via trade could prove difficult.

They’ll eventually need replacements for Hellebuyck and Scheifele when their skills inevitably decline in the coming years. Having both players under expensive long-term contracts will still take a big bite out of their cap space even with the cap rising significantly in the coming years.

The Jets seem to be hoping that their fans will return if the team plays better. If they don’t improve, however, their supporters could have less incentive to show up. In addition, the high cost of attending NHL games in the league’s smallest market is bumping up against the rising cost of living. If that cost remains high while the on-ice product stagnates, the Jets could be in a world of hurt in a few years.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 20, 2022

by | Jan 20, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 20, 2022

​Recaps of Wednesday’s action, the league announces updates to its 2021-22 schedule, the Canadiens introduce Kent Hughes as their new GM, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche goaltender Pavel Francouz turned in a 34-save shutout to blank the Anaheim Ducks 2-0. Samuel Girard and Nazem Kadri were the goal scorers as the Avalanche picked up their fourth straight win and their ninth in the last 10 games. They also opened a four-point lead over the St. Louis Blues atop the Western Conference with 55 points.

New York Rangers forward Ryan Reaves (NHL Images).

The New York Rangers overcame a 3-1 deficit and rolled to a 6-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Adam Fox and Ryan Reaves each scored two goals as the Rangers moved into first place in the Metropolitan Division with 56 points. Mitch Marner had a goal and an assist for the Leafs, who remain in third place with 51 points in the Atlantic Division.

Arizona Coyotes goalie Karel Vejmelka kicked out 35 shots in a 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils. Lawson Crouse and Loui Eriksson each had two points. Coyote defenseman Jakob Chychrun picked up an assist in his return to action after being sidelined for 11 games by an upper-body injury and COVID protocols.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: The league will play 95 games from Feb. 7 – 22 as part of its comprehensive update to its 2021-22 schedule. That three-week window was originally scheduled for the 2022 Winter Olympic break. With the NHL withdrawing from the Beijing Games, this period will be used to make up a number of games postponed by COVID protocols.

THE SCORE: Newly appointed Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes held his introductory press conference yesterday at the Bell Centre. His plans for the club include building an offensive-minded club with a focus on speed and puck possession.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hughes will have two months to determine which players he could shop before the March 21 trade deadline. Pending UFAs such as Ben Chiarot are the most likely to be moved. There are also questions over the futures of veterans such as Carey Price, Brendan Gallagher and Jonathan Drouin over whether they’ll want to be part of a full rebuild if that’s the direction the Habs take under Hughes. Those will likely be addressed in the offseason given their expensive contracts.

NHL.COM: Jack Eichel will be traveling with the Vegas Golden Knights on its four-game road trip next week. However, head coach Peter DeBoer said the 25-year-old center is at least a month or two away from making his debut with the club. The Golden Knights acquire Eichel from the Buffalo Sabres in November and he underwent artificial disk replacement surgery on Nov. 12. He started skating with the club earlier this month in a non-contact jersey.

SPORTSNET’s Nick Kypreos reports he’s heard the NHL will need until the end of this week to complete its investigation into whether Evander Kane violated COVID protocols during his tenure with the San Jose Sharks AHL affiliate. No decision is expected until next week at the earliest.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s speculation Kane could soon sign a new NHL contract if the league rules in his favor, perhaps with the Edmonton Oilers.

NBC SPORTS WASHINGTON: Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov received a two-game suspension by the NHL’s department of player safety for a knee-on-knee hit on Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers on Tuesday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ehlers is expected to be sidelined for at least three games.

SPORTSNET: Montreal Canadiens winger Jonathan Drouin was fined $5,000.00 for cross-checking Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin on Tuesday.

Los Angeles Kings center Phillip Danault received a $5,000.00 fine for a dangerous trip of Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point.

MLIVE.COM: The Detroit Red Wings claimed center Gemel Smith off waivers from the Tampa Bay Lightning. He’s the older brother of Red Wings winger Givani Smith.

NBC SPORTS: One day after the Boston Bruins retired Willie O’Ree’s No. 22, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill to award the 86-year-old the Congressional Gold Medal. He was a hockey pioneer by becoming the first black man to play in the NHL.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to O’Ree for this recognition of his work as a hockey trailblazer during and after his playing days.