NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 20, 2026

by | May 20, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 20, 2026

The latest on the Avalanche and Golden Knights before Game 1 of the Western Conference Final, reaction to the Canucks firing head coach Adam Foote, the Devils to retain coach Sheldon Keefe, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Game 1 of the Western Conference Final between the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights begins on Wednesday, May 20, at 8 pm ET in Denver.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (NHL Images)

The Avalanche enter this series with superstar defenseman Cale Makar’s status for Game 1 uncertain. He missed his third consecutive practice on Tuesday, sparking speculation that he’s dealing with an injury. Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said he’s not concerned yet about Makar’s status for the series-opening contest.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Makar’s absence, even for one game, would be a challenging adjustment for the Avalanche. Even if he plays, his performance could be hampered by this possible injury.

TSN: The NHL Coaches’ Association is closely monitoring the situation involving former Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy.

The Golden Knights fired Cassidy late in the regular season, replacing him with John Tortorella on an interim basis. The Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings recently asked the Golden Knights for permission to speak with Cassidy, but they’ve yet to do so.

Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon confirmed that teams have asked for permission to speak with Cassidy.

“We’ve been consistent that our focus currently is on the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the teams have respected that,” McCrimmon said. “I’ve spoken with Bruce. He understands it, as well.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cassidy remains under contract with the Golden Knights, who are within their rights to grant or deny permission to clubs that are interested in hiring him.

However, McCrimmon’s excuse doesn’t hold water. The Golden Knights have had almost a week off between playoff series, giving him plenty of time to consider whether he’ll grant permission to those clubs to speak with Cassidy.

SPORTSNET: The Golden Knights lost their appeal for breaking the league’s media access rules following Game 6 of their second-round series with the Anaheim Ducks. Head coach John Tortorella was fined $100,000, and the Golden Knights will lose their second-round draft pick in this year’s draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The league has had enough of Tortorella’s battles with the media and with the Golden Knights for ignoring previous warnings about violating the media access rules.

These shenanigans have robbed the Golden Knights of positive coverage for their upcoming series with the Avalanche.

THE SCORE: The Vancouver Canucks fired head coach Adam Foote on Tuesday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Foote was promoted from assistant coach to bench boss last year when Rick Tocchet departed for the Philadelphia Flyers. He faced huge obstacles this season that would’ve challenged even the most experienced head coach.

Manny Malholtra could be the favorite to take over from Foote. He’s currently the head coach of their farm team in Abbotsford. He also has NHL experience as an assistant coach with the Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs.

TSN: Former Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch isn’t expected to pursue a new coaching job for the time being. He was recently fired after the Oilers were eliminated from the playoffs by the Anaheim Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Knoblauch can afford to take his time and consider his future. He’s under contract with the Oilers for the next three seasons.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Sheldon Keefe will return as the Devils’ head coach, but he will need a couple of new assistants. Goaltending coach Dave Rogalski was relieved of his duties, while Sergei Brylin will be taking on a new role within the organization.

BUFFALO HOCKEY BEAT: Sabres forward Jiri Kulich will resume his playing career next season after undergoing a procedure two months ago to remove a blood clot. The 22-year-old missed all but 12 games this season because of the clot.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 15, 2026

by | May 15, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 15, 2026

The Golden Knights advance to the Western Conference Final, the Canadiens rally to push the Sabres to the brink of elimination, reaction to the Oilers firing Kris Knoblauch, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING THURSDAY’S PLAYOFF ACTION

NHL.COM: The Vegas Golden Knights advanced to the Western Conference Final after defeating the Anaheim Ducks 5-1 in Game 6 of their second-round series. Pavel Dorofeyev scored two goals, and Mitch Marner had two points (including a highlight-reel game-opening goal) for the Golden Knights, who took the series in six games. Mikael Granlund replied for the Ducks.

The Golden Knights will face the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final starting on Wednesday, May 20, in Denver.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights’ experience and defensive play made the difference in this series. Marner played a key role during this series, playing his way into early Conn Smythe Trophy contention with his playoff-leading 18 points. Dorofeyev has come into his own as a postseason sniper with nine goals to lead all scorers thus far.

The Ducks’ season is over, but they exceeded expectations this season by ending their seven-year playoff drought and upsetting the Edmonton Oilers in the first round. Their young roster has a bright future and will be better in the coming years.

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki (NHL Images).

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki had a goal and two assists to lead his club to a 6-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres in Game 5 of their second-round series. Ivan Demidov scored his first career NHL playoff goal, Cole Caufield extended his goal streak to three games, and Juraj Slafkovsky collected three assists as the Canadiens overcame 1-0, 2-1, and 3-2 deficits. Jason Zucker, Josh Doan, and Konsta Helenius scored for the Sabres.

The Canadiens hold a 3-2 series lead and can wrap it up in Game 6 in Montreal on Saturday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That first period was a wild one, with Montreal goaltender Jakub Dobes giving up three goals on four shots. Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis asked goalie coach Marco Marciano if he felt Dobes should be pulled, but Marciano said no. Dobes settled down, stopping the next 32 shots for the win. Habs defenseman Lane Hutson set up two goals, tying him with Suzuki for the team’s points lead with 12.

Buffalo goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen gave up five goals on 23 shots and was replaced by Alex Lyon for the third period. Neither goalie was helped by their teammates’ poor defense, especially in the second period, when Montreal tallied three unanswered goals to take control of the game. Meanwhile, Sabres power forward Alex Tuch has been held scoreless in this series after tallying seven points in six games against the Boston Bruins in the first round.

HEADLINES

TSN: The Edmonton Oilers fired head coach Kris Knoblauch on Thursday. He’d been in the position for three seasons, coaching the Oilers to back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances in 2023-24 and 2024-25. However, the Oilers were eliminated in the opening round of this year’s playoffs by the Anaheim Ducks. He was about to start a three-year contract extension worth $7.5 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers were roasted on social media for their bungled handling of this situation. Everyone knew earlier this week that Knoblauch was a goner after it emerged that they sought permission from the Vegas Golden Knights to speak with their former bench boss, Bruce Cassidy.

David Staples of the Edmonton Journal listed 13 factors behind Knoblauch’s dismissal. In my opinion, he’s paying the price for the mistakes of Oilers management over the last two years.

The question now is who becomes Knobluach’s replacement. It’s believed they’re still zeroed in on Cassidy despite the Golden Knights’ denying them permission to speak with him.

The hiring will be consequential, given superstar Connor McDavid’s two-year contract extension begins on July 1. If the Oilers fail to improve next season, it could lead to the latter’s departure as early as next summer.

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks officially named Daniel and Henrik Sedin as co-presidents and promoted assistant general manager Ryan Johnson as their general manager.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No surprises here, as these hirings have been expected for days. While all three are well-respected within the organization and among Canucks fans, they have a big job ahead of them.

The Canucks are coming off one of the worst seasons in franchise history, culminating in the departure of superstar Quinn Hughes in a trade with Minnesota in December. It will take several seasons to build this club back into a playoff contender.

Their first decision could be whether to replace head coach Adam Foote, who’s been in the job for one season.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Flyers general manager Daniel Briere revealed 10 players were dealing with significant injuries during their playoff run.

Emile Andrae played with a fractured wrist that requires surgery. Noah Cates fractured his foot but doesn’t need surgery. Christian Dvorak suffered a fractured rib and a separated shoulder. Garnet Hathaway played through a fractured fibula. Travis Konecny had a fractured rib and a nasal fracture. Owen Tippett dealt with internal bleeding and a sports hernia, and Cam York played through a fractured rib.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ve singled out the most serious of the injuries suffered by Flyers players. One wonders how much better they might’ve fared against the Carolina Hurricanes if they had been healthier for that second-round series.

NESN: The Boston Bruins announced that assistant general manager Jamie Langenbrunner is departing to pursue other opportunities.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Langenbrunner is rumored to be heading to Vancouver to join the Canucks’ front office.

SPORTSNET: Speaking of the Bruins, they signed winger Lukas Reichel to a one-year, $950,000 contract extension.

TSN: The Chicago Blackhawks signed prospect forward Roman Kantserov to a three-year, entry-level contract.

NEW YORK POST: Former NHL defenseman Paul Boutilier has passed away at age 63. No cause of death was announced.

Boutilier spent eight seasons in the NHL with the New York Islanders, Boston Bruins, Minnesota North Stars, New York Rangers, and Winnipeg Jets from 1981-82 to 1988-89. In 288 regular-season games, he had 27 goals and 83 assists for 110 points, and 10 points in 41 playoff games. Boutilier won the Stanley Cup with the Islanders in 1982-83.

Following his playing career, Boutilier served as an assistant coach and head coach for Saint Mary’s University in Halifax from 1991 to 1997. He was an assistant coach with the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs from 2015 to 2017, helping them win the league championship in 2016-17. In 2024, he joined the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats as a defensive consultant, helping them win the league championship in 2025.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Boutilier’s family, friends, and former teammates.










NHL Rumor Mill – May 8, 2026

by | May 8, 2026

NHL Rumor Mill – May 8, 2026

Check out the latest on the Oilers, Senators, and Bruins in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

ARE BIG CHANGES COMING FOR THE OILERS?

SPORTSNET: NHL insider Frank Seravalli believes changes are coming for the Edmonton Oilers this summer. He doesn’t know if those changes will occur on the backs of listening to their superstars (Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl), but he felt that management “heard them loud and clear”.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid and Draisaitl were publicly critical of the Oilers’ performance this season. McDavid felt the club was “average with high expectations”, and Draisaitl said they took significant steps backward this season.

Seravalli believes head coach Kris Knoblauch and his staff will be sent packing. He also felt there would be changes in the front office and wondered how the Oilers would go about rejigging their roster.

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse (NHL Images).

He mused about whether they can find a team willing to take defenseman Darnell Nurse off their hands and what type of sweetener would have to be included in the deal. They must also find a goaltender.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nurse must agree to waive his no-movement clause. If he does, it’ll likely be for a limited number of teams, most of whom will want the Oilers to retain part of his $9.25 million annual salary-cap hit, or take back a toxic contract, or package Nurse with a high draft pick or a top prospect.

Finding a goaltender will also be a daunting challenge. There are netminders available in free agency, but they’re either starters who are past their prime or backup goalies. The Oilers need a reliable starter, which could send them into the trade market, but the pickings there will also be slim.

WILL THE SENATORS PURSUE A FORWARD THROUGH TRADE OR FREE AGENCY?

OTTAWA SUN: In a recent mailbag segment, Callum Fraser was asked what it would take for the Senators to add a top-six winger to center Tim Stutzle’s line.

Fraser doesn’t see the Senators dangling top prospect Carter Yakemchuk. Prospect defenseman Lance Hensler’s stock is lower than Ottawa would like right now, and they don’t have a high first-rounder to leverage, plus that pick isn’t movable until it becomes a prospect. That means they’ll have to move a roster player or two.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That roster player could be Dylan Cozens, who lacks no-trade protection. However, he carries an AAV of $7.1 million. Rival clubs would love to land Shane Pinto. He’s starting a new long-term deal in July with an AAV of $7.5 million, but the Senators might be reluctant to part with him.

Fabian Zetterlund could be another trade candidate. He has a more affordable $4.275 million AAV, but he’s struggled to regain his 24-goal career-best performance of 2023-24.

The Senators could also turn to the free-agent market to add more depth among their forward lines. Potential UFA options could include A.J. Greer, Mason Marchment, Ilya Mikheyev, Erik Haula, and Jack Roslovic.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marchment would provide physicality, which would take part of the burden off team captain Brady Tkachuk. He’s put up decent offensive numbers over the past three seasons, but he also takes costly penalties. Roslovic is a three-time 20-plus goal scorer, but his production tends to be streaky.

COULD THE BRUINS MOVE A DEFENSEMAN?

THE ATHLETIC: Fluto Shinzawa reports the Boston Bruins have all but two of their roster defensemen under contract for next season. Andrew Peeke is UFA-eligible on July 1, while Jordan Harris is a restricted free agent.

However, that doesn’t mean that all of those blueliners under contract will be back next season.

Shinzawa believes Mason Lohrei has an uncertain future in Boston. GM Don Sweeney praised the 25-year-old blueliner’s improvement alongside Hampus Lindholm. However, he finished the season as a healthy scratch.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lohrei might be packaged in a trade deal to bring in a player who can address other roster needs.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – May 3, 2026

by | May 3, 2026

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – May 3, 2026

In the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup: big changes could be coming to the Oilers, the Stars must decide if they’ll re-sign Jason Robertson, and the latest on the Predators.

COULD SIGNIFICANT CHANGES BE COMING FOR THE OILERS?

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Jim Matheson believes Oilers owner Daryl Katz won’t be happy about his club’s early postseason exit. He believes Katz will be asking questions, evaluating, and perhaps assessing blame somewhere.

Matheson also thinks the Oilers are on the clock as team captain Connor McDavid’s two-year contract extension starts on July 1. He wondered whether general manager Stan Bowman would attempt to trade Darnell Nurse, who carries a $9.25 million annual salary-cap hit.

Bowman must also decide which of his six pending unrestricted free-agent forwards (Jason Dickinson, Kasperi Kapanen, Jack Roslovic, Adam Henrique, Curtis Lazar, and Max Jones) he’ll keep. He faces the same decision with defenseman Connor Murphy and goaltenders Calvin Pickard and Connor Ingram.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bowman told the media on Saturday that next season’s roster won’t be the same as this season’s. Making those changes, however, won’t be easy given their salary-cap restrictions and limited trade capital.

Matheson also wondered if head coach Kris Knoblauch’s job is safe. He starts a three-year contract next season, which he earned after coaching the Oilers to back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances in 2024 and 2025.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Knoblauch didn’t become a bad coach this season. He had to make do with the lineup provided to him by Bowman, which included shaky goaltending, a weakened blueline, and limited support depth for the top forwards. Firing him won’t improve the roster.

Kurt Leavins dismissed any trade rumors about McDavid as baseless clickbait. “But until Connor says he is leaving, I will assume that he’s all in.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid made it clear that he wants to win and wants to do so in Edmonton. He declined to say whether he would finish his upcoming two-year contract extension with the Oilers, which is bound to keep the rumors flowing.

Like Auston Matthews with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Brady Tkachuk with the Ottawa Senators, McDavid will be returning with the Oilers for next season. However, the Oilers’ performance in 2026-27 could determine his plans for the following season and beyond.

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse (NHL Images).

Leavins believes the Oilers must find the right way to convince Darnell Nurse to waive his no-movement clause. “And this assessment needs to be equal parts management and player. Nurse needs to accept that the status quo is not on. And the fans need to be aware that you will not replace him for free.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Even if Nurse agrees to waive his no-movement clause, interested clubs will likely insist on the Oilers retaining part of his $9.25 million average annual value through 2029-30. Failing that, they might have to add a draft pick or prospect in the deal to convince the acquiring club to take on his full cap hit, or take back a bad contract in return.

THE ATHLETIC: Allan Mitchell wondered what plans Bowman has in store to improve the Oilers during the offseason.

He wondered if Bowman might attempt to acquire goaltender Filip Gustavsson from the Minnesota Wild, or pursue a young netminder such as Sebastian Cossa or Trey Augustine of the Detroit Red Wings. They could also target clubs carrying two goalies worthy of starting roles.

Mitchell suggested Nurse could be used in a package deal for a goalie or to acquire a veteran goal scorer to replace Roslovic.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gustavsson is in the final year of his current contract, which has a full no-movement clause. His six-year extension also contains an NMC. He might be willing to waive it if it appears he’s lost the starter’s job to Jesper Wallstedt, but there’s no certainty that he’d want to come to Edmonton.

Mitchell finished his piece with some hard truth for Oilers fans. “What’s sad about these Oilers is that they’ve grown old without winning a damn thing. That’s a hard pill to swallow, but that’s the truth.”

WHAT WILL THE STARS DO WITH JASON ROBERTSON?

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Lia Assimakopoulos believes the biggest question facing the Stars this offseason is whether they’ll sign Jason Robertson to a contract extension.

The 26-year-old winger is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights. He’s coming off a standout performance, tying Wyatt Johnston with a team-high 45 goals and sitting first among his teammates with 96 points. He was also their most consistent scorer during the Stars’ short series against the Minnesota Wild.

All signs point to the Stars re-signing Robertson. However, Assimakopoulos believes they might not get away with paying him less than the $12 million annually that they’re paying winger Mikko Rantanen.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I agree with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, who believes the Stars have little choice but to re-sign Robertson to a lucrative long-term contract. Since his full rookie season in 2020-21, he’s been their leading scorer with 213 goals and 276 assists for 489 points in 453 regular-season games, along with a team-leading 23 goals and 29 assists for 52 points in 62 playoff contests.

It’s going to be an expensive signing. He has a good case to make as much as Rantanen, and will easily get that amount with another NHL club if the Stars are dumb enough to trade him away or let him depart next summer as a UFA. And yes, it would be dumb to part with a scorer who produces at Robertson’s level. The Stars would have a difficult time replacing him.

The Stars only have around $11 million in cap space for next season. Re-signing Robertson, even for less than $12 million, means having to make a cost-cutting trade or two. It will also make it difficult to re-sign fellow RFA Mavrik Bourque, who also has arbitration rights.

THE LATEST PREDATORS SPECULATION

THE TENNESSEAN: Alex Daugherty recently proposed three bold moves for whoever replaces Barry Trotz as GM of the Nashville Predators this summer.

One possibility is buying out the contract of unhappy winger Jonathan Marchessault. A trade would be ideal, but few teams will be interested in a 35-year-old winger with declining production carrying a $5.5 million AAV for the next three years. A buyout would save the Predators $1.2 million next season, $2.3 million in each of the following two seasons, followed by a manageable cap hit of $961K annually for the final three years.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Buying out Marchessault seems more likely, assuming the Predators have their new GM in place before the buyout period in late June. They could still try to trade him, perhaps by retaining a portion of his cap hit.

Daugherty also suggested attempting to acquire Philadelphia Flyers sophomore winger Matvei Michkov and trying to sign Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson to an offer sheet.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Michkov struggled in his sophomore season, which was his first under head coach Rick Tocchet. That’s sparked speculation that the Flyers could trade him, but I don’t see them giving up on the promising Michkov because of one bad season.

Signing Robertson to an offer sheet would certainly be a bold move. However, he’d first have to want to sign one, and there’s no certainty that he’d be open to doing so. The Stars could also take him to arbitration, or he could file to do so, making him ineligible to receive an offer sheet.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 28, 2026

by | Apr 28, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 28, 2026

The Penguins beat the Flyers to avoid elimination again, the Golden Knights tie their series with the Mammoth, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING MONDAY’S PLAYOFF ACTION

NHL.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins staved off elimination again by nipping the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 in Game 5 of their best-of-seven first-round series. A flukey second-period goal by Kris Letang gave the Penguins the win after the Flyers overcame a 2-0 deficit to tie the game on goals by Alex Bump and Travis Sanheim. Elmer Soderblom and Connor Dewar scored for the Penguins. The series returns to Philadelphia for Game 6 on Wednesday with the Flyers holding a 3-2 lead.

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins remain on the verge of elimination, but two straight victories have put them back in this series. Kevin Kurz of The Athletic believes the pressure of playoff hockey may be getting to the younger Flyers players, who haven’t faced this level of postseason competition before, especially against a veteran-laden team with considerable playoff experience.

The Flyers can allay that concern with a win in Game 6, but if the Penguins take that game, all bets are off.

An overtime goal by Shea Theodore lifted the Vegas Golden Knights to a 5-4 victory over the Utah Mammoth, tying their series at two games apiece. The Golden Knights had a 3-0 lead, but the Mammoth rallied with four straight goals before Brett Howden made it 4-4 midway through the third period. Howden finished with two goals and an assist, while Jack Eichel had three assists. Mikhail Sergachev also had three assists, and Nick Schmaltz tallied a goal and an assist for the Mammoth. The series returns to Las Vegas for Game 5 on Wednesday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game was a wild one with the Golden Knights seemingly in control through the first period and the early minutes of the second. The Mammoth stormed back and seemed on the verge of taking a 3-1 series lead until Howden’s tying goal set the stage for Theodore’s winner. The Golden Knights seemed to have won it midway through overtime on a goal by Pavel Dorofeyev, but it was overturned on review as Eichel was offside on the play.

HEADLINES

SPORTSNET: Ottawa Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot revealed that he played their series against the Carolina Hurricanes despite his broken forearm not being fully healed. He suffered the injury on March 23 and underwent surgery soon afterward. He said his arm is still three weeks away from being fully healed. Chabot played with a cast on his arm to prevent further damage.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chabot’s early return to help his teammates is commendable and a testament to his toughness, but it made him largely ineffective in the series against the Hurricanes.

Senators forward Claude Giroux intends to take some time to assess the club’s early postseason exit and his future. Giroux, 38, is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. If he does return for another season, he said it would be only with the Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Giroux was an effective two-way player for the Senators during the regular season with 49 points in 82 games, but his production has steadily declined over the past four seasons. He played well defensively for the Senators against the Hurricanes, but was held scoreless in that series.

TSN: Senators captain Brady Tkachuk skipped the end-of-season media availability as his wife had given birth to their second child.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speculation about Tkachuk’s future with the Senators emerged soon after the Hurricanes eliminated them. I’ll have more about that in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

CBS SPORTS: Minnesota Wild winger Mats Zuccarello (upper body) practices with his teammates on Monday, but remains questionable for Game 5 against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday. Zuccarello missed the last three games of this series. The series is knotted at two games apiece.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars defenseman Nils Lundkvist has been ruled out for Game 5 of their series against the Minnesota Wild as he recovers from a facial injury suffered in Game 4.

BUFFALO HOCKEY BEAT: Sabres center Josh Norris could return to action for Game 5 of their first-round series with the Boston Bruins. Norris missed the last two games with an undisclosed injury. The Sabres lead the series 3-1 and could eliminate the Bruins with a win on Tuesday in Buffalo.

NHL.COM: Speaking of the Bruins, defenseman Nikita Zadorov was fined $5,000 by the league’s department of player safety for cross-checking Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin during Game 4 of their series on Sunday.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Sidelined Canadiens defenseman Noah Dobson (upper body) skated on his own yesterday, working on puck-handling drills. He’s slated to be reevaluated on Tuesday. The Canadiens will head to Tampa Bay for Game 5 of their series with the Lightning, which takes place on Wednesday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dobson was the Canadiens best all-around defenseman this season. He was sixth among his teammates in regular-season points (47) while sitting second in the league in blocked shots with 188. If cleared to return to action, Dobson would provide a boost to their blueline against the Lightning.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The only big question facing Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch is whether to start Connor Ingram or Tristan Jarry in goal for Game 5 of their series against the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday. Both goalies have had a difficult time in this series, with the Ducks holding a commanding 3-1 lead.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With the Oilers on the brink of elimination, it’ll be interesting to see who Knoblauch goes with for Game 5.

TSN: Canada will have several notable players on their roster for the upcoming 2026 IIHF World Championship. They include San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini, Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele, New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal, and Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly.

Penn State forward Gavin McKenna, who is projected to be this year’s top prospect in the NHL Draft, will also play for Canada. So will Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Jet Greaves.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Islanders forwards Simon Holmstrom and Emil Heineman will play for Sweden in the World Championship.

TSN: The Washington Capitals have parted ways with assistant coach Kirk Muller.










NHL Rumor Mill – April 10, 2026

by | Apr 10, 2026

NHL Rumor Mill – April 10, 2026

Check out the latest on the Maple Leafs, plus a list of coaches on the hot seat in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE LATEST MAPLE LEAFS SPECULATION

THE ATHLETIC: Joshua Kloke reports Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly has no intention of finding an exit after this season ends.

“My desire to stay in Toronto is always going to be there,” Rielly said. “There’s a number of (reasons), but a big one is loyalty. Loyalty to the team that drafted you, I think that’s a powerful thing.”

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly (NHL Images).

Rielly has four seasons left on his contract with an average annual value of $7.5 million. He’s a productive puck-mover, but has struggled defensively this season. That’s raised questions about his future in Toronto as the Maple Leafs make changes in the front office.

Asked if he’d consider waiving his no-movement clause if approached to do so by management, Rielly admitted it’s a possibility, saying it’s something as a player that you have to be prepared for. He also said he was not approached about waiving his clause before last month’s trade deadline.

Rielly told Kloke that he still believes in the team. He also wants to play a leadership role if management decides the Leafs must get younger.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rielly could waive his clause if asked to do so, but it doesn’t mean that he will. Colton Parayko of the St. Louis Blues used his no-trade to spike a deal to the Buffalo Sabres last month. Rielly could do the same if asked to waive it for a destination that he’s not comfortable with.

It seems unlikely that Rielly or any of the Leafs core players will be moved this summer unless they ask to be traded. In his case, he definitely doesn’t want to go.

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports the Maple Leafs and New Jersey Devils received permission from the Florida Panthers to speak with assistant general manager Sunny Mehta about their vacant GM positions.

On March 30, the Maple Leafs fired Brad Treliving. Earlier this week, the Devils did the same with Tom Fitzgerald.

TORONTO SUN: Steve Simmons noted the Maple Leafs’ interest in Mehta and in Carolina Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky (who isn’t available). He believes the Leafs should pursue more established management candidates rather than analytics experts. Simmons suggested going after someone comparable to Mehta’s boss, Bill Zito, who built the Panthers into a back-to-back Stanley Cup champion.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The flaw with Simmons’ argument (apart from his disdain for analytics) is that there is no one like Bill Zito available right now.

Some Toronto pundits have been pining for Doug Armstrong, but he’s staying with the St. Louis Blues as team president. Marc Bergevin and Dean Lombardi have had varying degrees of success as NHL general managers. However, Bergevin’s record was a mixed bag in Montreal, and it’s been nearly a decade since Lombardi was a general manager.

We know that the Maple Leafs want a “data-driven” GM. What matters now is whether they can find the right one. Pining for a more established, old-school guy isn’t going to change that fact.

Could Mehta be the type of general manager to reverse the Leafs fortunes quickly? Maybe. Maybe not. But the pickings are slim right now, and Mehta has considerable analytics experience and two recent Stanley Cup titles on his resume. If you’re seeking a new general manager, you must go after the best available talent.

COACHES ON THE HOT SEAT

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The recent coaching changes involving the New York Islanders and Vegas Golden Knights have Adam Proteau looking at which bench bosses could be on the hot seat as the regular season winds down.

Kris Knoblauch of the Edmonton Oilers tops the list. He could be a goner if the Oilers fail to win the Stanley Cup this season.

The Toronto Maple Leafs decline this season means Craig Berube’s days behind their bench could be over once the regular season is finished. Whoever replaces former GM Brad Treliving could want their own head coach.

Andrew Brunette of the Nashville Predators could also be replaced once they find a suitable substitute for outgoing GM Barry Trotz. Sheldon Keefe of the New Jersey Devils could suffer the same fate.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Berube is the most likely of this group to be relieved of their coaching duties. His defensive system doesn’t suit the way the Maple Leafs are built, and the pressure is on to find someone who can quickly help to reverse their fortunes.