NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 11, 2026

by | Mar 11, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 11, 2026

Check out the recaps of Tuesday’s action in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Connor McDavid scored the go-ahead goal as the Edmonton Oilers nipped the Colorado Avalanche by a score of 4-3, ending the latter’s five-game win streak. McDavid and Leon Draisaitl each had two points, and Ryan Nugent Hopkins tallied twice for the 32-28-8 Oilers, who sit second in the Pacific Division with 72 points. Ross Colton, Martin Necas, and Valeri Nichushkin replied for the Avalanche (43-11-9), who sit in first place in the overall standings with 95 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon was ejected from this game in the second period for goaltender interference after colliding with Oilers netminder Connor Ingram, who was cut and had to leave the game. Tristan Jarry stopped 11 of 12 shots in relief of Ingram.

Buffalo Sabres forward Jack Quinn (NHL Images).

The red-hot Buffalo Sabres picked up their eighth straight victory by downing the San Jose Sharks 6-3. Jack Quinn tallied his first NHL hat trick and picked up an assist while Rasmus Dahlin and Ryan McLeod each collected three assists for the Sabres (40-19-6), who hold first place in the Atlantic Division with 86 points. Alex Wennberg had a goal and an assist for the 30-26-6 Sharks (66 points), who sit one point out of the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres are two points behind the Carolina Hurricanes for first place in the Eastern Conference. Sharks center Macklin Celebrini scored for the fourth straight game.

Speaking of the Hurricanes, they recovered from blowing a 4-2 lead to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-4 on a shootout goal by Jackson Blake. Alexander Nikishin had a goal and an assist for the 41-17-6 Hurricanes, who sit first overall in the Eastern Conference with 88 points. Bryan Rust scored twice and added an assist for the Penguins (32-17-15), who sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 79 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (lower-body injury) is with the team on their five-game road trip and participated in Tuesday’s full morning skate without a non-contact jersey. Head coach Dan Muse said Crosby isn’t ahead of schedule in his recovery, but he’s moving in the right direction.

Muse also told reporters that Penguins forward Justin Brazeau is week-to-week with an upper-body injury. Defenseman Samuel Girard and winger Kevin Hayes both have upper-body injuries, with Girard listed as day-to-day.

The Montreal Canadiens beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1, leaving the latter winless in their last eight games (0-6-2). Rookie center Oliver Kapanen tallied his 20th goal of the season for the Canadiens (35-18-10), who have points in 10 of their last 11 games as they leapfrogged the Detroit Red Wings into third place in the Atlantic Division with 80 points. William Nylander scored for the 27-27-11 Maple Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson collected his 116th career NHL assist, setting the league record for the most by a defenseman within their first 150 regular-season games. Meanwhile, Canadiens winger Cole Caufield sat out the first half of the third period with an illness. He travelled with the club to Ottawa for Wednesday’s game against the Senators.

Speaking of the Red Wings, they suffered a 4-3 loss to the Florida Panthers. Carter Verhaeghe tallied twice within the final 1:30 of the third period for the 32-29-3 Panthers. Justin Faulk had a goal and an assist for his first points since being acquired by the Red Wings (36-22-7) at the trade deadline. Detroit holds the first Eastern wild-card spot with 79 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings forward Andrew Copp left this game in the second period with an injured left leg. He will be evaluated on Wednesday.

An overtime goal by Charlie McAvoy lifted the Boston Bruins to a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Mason Lohrei also scored for the 36-22-6 Bruins, who hold the final Eastern wild-card berth with 78 points. Drew Doughty replied for the Kings (26-23-15), who sit behind the Seattle Kraken for the final Western wild-card spot with 67 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Following this game, the Bruins lined up and shook hands with Kings captain Anze Kopitar, who is retiring at the end of this season.

The Kraken, meanwhile, blew a 2-0 lead and fell 4-2 to the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros kicked out 43 shots, and rookie Ryan Ufko’s first NHL goal was the winner for the 29-27-8 Predators (66 points), who are one point behind the Kraken. Kaapo Kakko and Matty Beniers scored for the 29-25-9 Kraken (67 points), as they cling to that final Western wild card.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: On Monday, the Kraken activated goaltender Matt Murray from injured reserve. He has been sidelined by a lower-body injury since Nov. 15.

The Dallas Stars held off the Vegas Golden Knights 2-1. Jake Oettinger stopped 26 shots while Oskar Back and Jamie Benn scored for the 40-14-10 Stars, extending their points streak to 13 games as they hold second place in the Western Conference with 90 points. Jack Eichel scored for the Golden Knights (29-22-14), who have dropped six of their last seven games as they hold third place in the Pacific Division with 72 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan said sidelined winger Mikko Rantanen (lower-body injury) could return to action within the next two to three weeks. Center Roope Hintz (lower-body) remains week-to-week, and it’s hoped that he’ll return in time for the playoffs.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson turned in a 25-save performance to shut out the Utah Mammoth 5-0. Kirill Kaprizov had two points while Bobby Brink scored his first goal since being acquired at the trade deadline for the 38-16-11 Wild, who sit third in the Central Division with 87 points. Karel Vejmelka turned aside 25 shots for the Mammoth (34-26-5), who hold the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 73 points.

Columbus Blue Jackets winger Conor Garland tallied twice for the second straight game to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-2. Sean Monahan and Zach Werenski each had two assists for the 33-21-10 Blue Jackets, who extended their points streak to seven games, sitting two behind the Bruins with 76 points. Gage Goncalves and J.J. Moser replied for the slumping Lightning (39-20-4), who sit second in the Atlantic Division with 82 points, but have dropped six of their last seven games.

Anaheim Ducks forwards Alex Killorn and Ryan Poehling each had a goal and an assist to down the Winnipeg Jets 4-1. Defenseman Jackston LaCombe also had a goal and an assist for the Ducks (36-25-3), who hold first place in the Pacific Division with 75 points. Morgan Barron scored for the Jets (26-27-10).

The New York Islanders (37-23-5) overcame a 3-0 deficit to nip the St. Louis Blues 4-3 on an overtime goal by Mathew Barzal, who finished with three points. The Islanders sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 79 points. Jimmy Snuggerud had a goal and two assists for the 25-29-10 Blues.

New York Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere had a hat trick, and Jonathan Quick stopped 21 shots to blank the Calgary Flames 4-0. Mika Zibanejad had two assists to reach 800 career regular-season points for the 26-30-8 Rangers. Dustin Wolf made 25 saves for the 25-32-7 Flames.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 8, 2026

by | Mar 8, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 8, 2026

Milestone games for Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov and Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey, the Sabres extend their win streak to six games, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Nikita Kucherov collected four assists to reach the 100-point mark for the sixth time in his career as the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2. Corey Perry scored in his first game back with the Lightning (39-18-4) since being acquired from the Los Angeles Kings on Friday. Matias Maccelli and Nick Robertson replied for the 27-26-11 Maple Leafs, who are 0-5-2 in their last seven games. The Lightning hold first place in the Atlantic Division with 82 points.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kucherov is the third player to reach the 100-point plateau this season, sitting behind Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (106 points) and Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (103). The Lightning played without defenseman Emil Lilleberg, who suffered a facial fracture during practice on Wednesday. He’s expected to miss two weeks.

The Buffalo Sabres kept pace with the Lightning with a 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators. Tage Thompson scored to extend his points streak to 10 games, and Alex Lyon stopped 23 shots for the 38-19-6 Sabres (80 points), who have won six straight games. Zachary L’Heureux and Matthew Wood replied for the Predators (28-27-8), who have lost four of their last five and remain three points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 64 points.

New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes tallied a hat trick and collected an assist to lead his club to their fourth straight win with a 6-3 victory over the New York Rangers. Jesper Bratt had a goal and two assists for the 32-29-2 Devils. Will Borgen, Vladislav Gavrikov, and Will Cuylle replied for the Rangers (24-30-8).

An overtime goal by Josh Morrissey lifted the Winnipeg Jets over the Vancouver Canucks by a score of 3-2. Mark Scheifele had a goal and two assists for the 26-26-10 Jets, who are five points out of the final wild-card berth in the Western Conference with 62 points. Linus Karlsson had a goal and an assist for the Canucks (19-36-9).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was Morrissey’s first game since getting injured during the Olympics. It was a memorable return as he moved past Dustin Byfuglien for the most points by a defenseman for this version of the Jets with 417 points.

The Montreal Canadiens nipped the Los Angeles Kings 4-3. Juraj Slafkovsky scored twice and had an assist, Nick Suzuki had a goal and two assists, and Jakub Dobes kicked out 36 shots for the Canadiens (34-18-10), who moved into third place in the Atlantic Division with 78 points. Anze Kopitar, Scott Laughton, and Alex Laferriere scored for the 25-23-14 Kings (64 points), who also sit three points behind the Seattle Kraken for the final Western wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Laughton’s goal was his first for the Kings since being acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday.

Speaking of the Kraken, they dropped a 7-4 decision to the Ottawa Senators. Shane Pinto had a goal and two assists, and Warren Foegele scored his first goal since being acquired from the Kings for the 31-22-9 Senators (71 points), who are four points behind the Boston Bruins for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Jordan Eberle collected two assists for the 29-24-9 Kraken (67 points).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson left this game in the second period with an upper-body injury. There was no postgame update on his status. Kraken winger Jaden Schwartz departed in the first period after being accidentally cut on his face by the skate of Senators forward Nick Cousins. He was reportedly still being evaluated following the game.

As for the Bruins (35-22-5), they downed the Washington Capitals 3-1. Pavel Zacha, Viktor Arvidsson, and Elias Lindholm scored, and David Pastrnak collected two assists as they hold that final Eastern wild-card spot with 75 points. Aliaksei Protas replied for the Capitals (31-26-7).

An overtime goal by Bo Horvat gave the New York Islanders a 2-1 win over the San Jose Sharks. Ilya Sorokin stopped 30 shots, and Tony DeAngelo also scored for the 36-23-5 Islanders, who hold second place in the Metropolitan Division with 77 points. Macklin Celebrini tallied his 32nd goal of the season, and Yaroslav Askarov made 32 saves for the Sharks (30-25-6), who sit one point behind the Kraken with 66 points

The Philadelphia Flyers upset the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 on a shootout goal by Trevor Zegras. Alex Bump scored his first goal in his NHL debut for the 29-22-11 Flyers. Rickard Rakell had a goal and an assist for the Penguins (31-17-14), who sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 76 points.

Calgary Flames forward Joel Farabee had two goals and an assist in a 5-4 upset of the Carolina Hurricanes. Ryan Strome had a goal and an assist in his first game with the Flames (25-30-7) since his acquisition from the Anaheim Ducks on Friday. Seth Jarvis had a goal and two assists for the 40-17-6 Hurricanes, who sit in first place in the Eastern Conference with 82 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flames defenseman Zach Whitecloud left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury.

Utah Mammoth center Logan Cooley tallied twice, including the winner in overtime, to defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4. Karel Vejmelka stopped 27 shots to become the first goaltender to reach 30 wins this season as the Mammoth (34-25-4) has won three straight and holds the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 72 points. Damon Severson, Mathieu Olivier, Adam Fantilli, and Mason Marchment each had a goal and an assist for the 32-21-9 Blue Jackets, who sit two points behind the Bruins for the final Eastern wild-card spot.

IN OTHER NEWS…

MLIVE.COM: Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars center Roope Hintz is expected to miss some extended time after injuring his left leg during Friday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche.

NHL.COM: Former Chicago Blackhawks forward and broadcaster Troy Murray passed away from cancer on Saturday at the age of 63.

Murray played 15 seasons in the NHL from 1981-82 to 1995-96, spending 12 of those seasons with the Blackhawks. In 915 regular-season games with the Blackhawks, Winnipeg Jets, Ottawa Senators, and Colorado Avalanche, Murray had 230 goals and 354 assists for 584 points, as well as 43 points in 113 playoff contests. He won the Selke Trophy with the Blackhawks in 1985-86, and the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 1995-96.

After retiring, Murray became the Blackhawks’ radio analyst for over two decades.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Murray’s family, friends, former teammates, and the Blackhawks organization.










NHL Trade Deadline Tracker – March 6, 2026

by | Mar 6, 2026

NHL Trade Deadline Tracker – March 6, 2026

The Colorado Avalanche acquired Nazem Kadri and a 2027 fourth-round pick from the Calgary Flames in exchange for forward Victor Olofsson, prospect Maxmilian Curran, a conditional first-round pick in 2028,  and a conditional second-rounder in 2027. Flames retain 20 percent of Kadri’s salary. 

Calgary Flames trade center Nazem Kadri to the Colorado Avalanche (NHL Images).

The New York Rangers traded forward Brennan Othmann to the Calgary Flames in exchange for prospect winger Jacob Battaglia

The Winnipeg Jets traded winger Tanner Pearson to the Buffalo Sabres for a 2026 seventh-round pick.

The Los Angeles Kings acquired center Scott Laughton from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a conditional third-round pick (details TBA)

The Boston Bruins acquired forward Lukas Reichel from the Vancouver Canucks for a 2026 sixth-round pick.

The Washington Capitals acquired forward David Kampf from the Vancouver Canucks for a 2026 sixth-round pick. 

The Anaheim Ducks traded forward Ryane Strome to the Calgary Flames for a seventh-round pick in 2027.

The Detroit Red Wings acquired defenseman Justin Faulk from the St. Louis Blues for a 2026 first-round pick, a 2026 third-rounder, defenseman Justin Holl, and prospect winger Dmitri Buchelnikov. 

The Seattle Kraken acquire forward Bobby McMann from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a second-round pick in 2027 and a fourth-round pick in 2026.

The St. Louis Blues traded center Brayden Schenn to the New York Islanders for a 2026 first-round pick, a third-rounder, left wing Jonathan Drouin, and goalie prospect Marcus Gidlof.

The Washington Capitals acquired defenseman Timothy Liljegren from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a 2026 fourth-round pick.

The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired winger Elmer Soderblom from the Detroit Red Wings for a third-round pick in 2026.

The Carolina Hurricanes acquired winger Nicolas Deslauriers from the Philadelphia Flyers for a conditional seventh-round pick in 2027.

The Minnesota Wild traded forward Vinnie Hinostroza to the Florida Panthers for future considerations

The Los Angeles Kings traded Corey Perry to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a second-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft. 

The Minnesota Wild acquired forward Nick Foligno from the Chicago Blackhawks for future considerations. 

The Philadelphia Flyers traded winger Bobby Brink to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for defenseman David Jiricek.










NHL Rumor Mill Update – March 5, 2026

by | Mar 5, 2026

NHL Rumor Mill Update – March 5, 2026

With the March 6 trade deadline fast approaching, check out the latest on Robert Thomas, Colton Parayko, Vincent Trocheck, Steven Stamkos, and more in this NHL Rumor Mill Update.

THE LATEST BLUES RUMORS AND NEWS

THE ATHLETIC: The trade that would’ve sent Colton Parayko from the St. Louis Blues to the Buffalo Sabres is dead after the 29-year-old defenseman refused to waive his no-trade clause, as is his right.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It will be interesting to see what other moves Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen has in store after this one fell through. He’s signalled that he’s willing to be a major buyer in this year’s trade market.

Parayko has full no-trade protection until 2028-29, when it becomes a 15-team no-trade list.

ESPN: Kevin Weekes reports Parayko wants to remain in the Western Conference. He said the blueliner is open to being traded to the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings are busy in the trade market looking for a scoring winger, and they need more help on defense. Meanwhile, the Ducks are my dark horse approaching this trade deadline, and they reportedly could use some shutdown depth on their blueline.

TSN: Chris Johnston reports the Sabres aren’t the only potential trade destination for Robert Thomas. The Utah Mammoth has plenty of interest.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman believes the Mammoth are the best match for Thomas. The Detroit Red Wings are also interested.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blues are also believed to be still entertaining trade offers for defenseman Justin Faulk and winger Jordan Kyrou.

RANGERS ASKING PRICE FOR TROCHECK STILL TOO EXPENSIVE FOR SOME TEAMS

TSN: Chris Johnston reports the New York Rangers’ asking price for Vincent Trocheck remains a little too expensive for some clubs. The Minnesota Wild were considered the favorites to land the 32-year-old center, but they’ve reportedly stepped back a bit from negotiations.

New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck (NHL Images)

Johnston noted there are other centers in the trade market drawing interest from clubs linked to Trocheck. They include Robert Thomas of the St. Louis Blues and Nazem Kadri of the Calgary Flames.

SPORTSNET: Elliote Friedman believes the Detroit Red Wings and Carolina Hurricanes have had conversations with the Rangers about Trocheck.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sounds like those teams are hoping the Rangers will reduce their asking price before tomorrow’s deadline. However, the Blueshirts aren’t facing real pressure to move Trocheck, who has three more years left on his contract. If they don’t find what they want by Friday, they can revisit the market in June, when better offers might be found.

TEAMS STILL CHECKING ON STEVEN STAMKOS

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports there are three or four teams in the Eastern Conference that have reached out to the Nashville Predators about Steven Stamkos. LeBrun doesn’t think there’s a firm offer on the table for him.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman claims things are quiet around Stamkos right now. He also thinks the Predators are trying to move winger Jonathan Marchessault.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Last week, Stamkos denied a report by LeBrun claiming his camp had made up a short preparatory list of destinations if management approached him about a trade. He said there was “zero chance” he was waiving his no-movement clause.

TEAMS ASKING ABOUT MATTHEW KNIES

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports hearing some trade rumors about Matthew Knies. He believes that’s the Toronto Maple Leafs trying to see if there’s a massive offer they can’t refuse. Friedman believes that’s the only way it’ll happen.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In other words, Knies isn’t going anywhere.

Friedman also believes the Maple Leafs might settle for two second-round picks for Bobby McMann if they can’t get a first-rounder.

LATEST FLAMES SPECULATION

TSN: Darren Dreger reports Calgary Flames defenseman Zach Whitecloud is drawing “heavy interest” as the trade deadline approaches. Fifteen teams are reportedly circling, but the Flames would have to be blown away by an offer to move him, as he’s key in helping their young blueliners.

Dreger also indicated that there is “tons of interest” in winger Blake Coleman. However, the Flames haven’t received any offers that they consider good enough.

SPORTSNET Elliotte Friedman reports the Colorado Avalanche spoke to the Flames about Nazem Kadri before acquiring Nicolas Roy from the Toronto Maple Leafs earlier today. It never got over the finish line. Meanwhile, Kadri continues to stick to his 13-team no-trade list.

DEVILS DANGLING MOST OF THEIR DEFENSEMEN

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the New Jersey Devils have made all of their defensemen other than Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce available. Simon Nemec recently changed agents, which is one reason why he’s come up in trade rumors.

KRAKEN INTERESTED IN MACKIE SAMOSKEVICH

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the Seattle Kraken are interested in Mackie Samoskevich, but the Florida Panthers would set a high price. He also indicated that the Kraken continue to discuss moving Shane Wright for an elite scorer or a young talent that needs a change, but he wouldn’t be involved in a deal for Samoskevich.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 3, 2026

by | Mar 3, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 3, 2026

Recaps of Monday’s games, the three stars of the week, the Oilers acquire Connor Murphy from the Blackhawks, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING MONDAY’S ACTION

NHL.COM: The Dallas Stars and Jason Robertson achieved notable milestones in their 6-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. The Stars picked up their franchise-record ninth straight win, while Robertson had a goal and an assist to reach the 70-point plateau for the fifth consecutive season. With a record of 37-14-9, the Stars are second in the overall standings with 83 points. Evander Kane scored for the 18-35-7 Canucks.

Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson (NHL Images).

Gabriel Landeskog and Martin Necas each had a goal and two assists for the Colorado Avalanche as they doubled up the Los Angeles Kings 4-2. With the win, the Avalanche (40-10-9, 89 points) holds a six-point lead over the Stars for first place in the overall standings. Brandt Clarke and Angus Booth replied for the Kings (24-12-14), who are 1-5-1 in their last seven games and four points out of the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 62 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen left this game with an upper-body injury. Kings center Quinton Byfield missed this game with an upper-body injury. The Kings also placed forward Joel Armia (upper body) on injured reserve.

Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord made 35 saves as his club held off the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 2-1. Kaapo Kakko and Ben Meyers scored for the 29-22-9 Kraken, who moved into third place in the Pacific Division with 67 points. Nikolaj Ehlers tallied for the Hurricanes (38-16-6), who sit first overall in the Eastern Conference with 82 points.

Detroit Red Wings forwards Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat each had a goal and an assist in a 4-2 win over the Nashville Predators. Detroit goaltender Cam Talbot made 18 saves in relief of John Gibson, who left the game after the first period with an upper-body injury. With the win, the Red Wings (35-20-6) moved into third place in the Atlantic Division with 76 points. Filip Forsberg and Jonathan Marchessault scored for the 27-25-8 Predators (62 points), who are four points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Raymond reached the 20-goal plateau for the fourth time in his five-season NHL career. He also collected his 200th regular-season assist. Before the game, the Red Wings placed defenseman Erik Gustafsson on waivers.

The Columbus Blue Jackets blew a 4-0 lead but defeated the New York Rangers 5-4 on an overtime goal by Kirill Marchenko, who finished with two goals and an assist. Gabe Perreault also had two goals and an assist for the 23-29-8 Rangers. With the win, the Blue Jackets improved to 30-21-8 (68 points), moving within three points of the idle Boston Bruins for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: An illness kept Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski out of this game.

A shootout goal by Trevor Zegras lifted the Philadelphia Flyers over the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2. Noah Cates had a goal and an assist for the 28-21-7 Flyers (67 points), who are four points back of an Eastern wild-card spot. William Nylander netted his 20th goal of the season for the 27-24-10 Maple Leafs, who are seven points out of that wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers winger Travis Konecny missed this game with an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. Defenseman Nick Seeler left this contest with a lower-body injury.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer, Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs, and Minnesota Wild forward Matt Boldy are the league’s three stars for the week ending March 1.

EDMONTON JOURNAL/CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: The Edmonton Oilers acquired defenseman Connor Murphy from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for a second-round pick in 2028. The Blackhawks retained half of Murphy’s $4.4 million salary-cap hit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers had to shore up the depth on the right side of their defense corps. They’ve addressed that issue with Murphy, who was acquired by Oilers general manager Stan Bowman during his tenure as the Blackhawks GM.

Bowman freed up additional cap space for this move by sending Andrew Mangiapane and Alec Regula to the Oilers’ AHL affiliate in Bakersfield, and placing winger Mattias Janmark (shoulder) on long-term injury reserve. Janmark will undergo surgery and is expected to be finished for the season.

The Oilers might not be done making moves before Friday’s trade deadline. I’ll have more about that in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SPORTSNET: Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

DAILY FACEOFF: Winnipeg Jets winger Nino Niederreiter will be sidelined for four to six weeks following surgery for a lower-body injury.

CBS SPORTS: Minnesota Wild forward Marcus Foligno was placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Wild claimed winger Robby Fabbri off waivers from the St. Louis Blues.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 1, 2026

by | Mar 1, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 1, 2026

Check out the recaps from a busy Saturday night of action in the NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The league-leading Colorado Avalanche defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 2-1. Cale Makar scored two goals while Martin Necas and Nathan MacKinnon each collected two assists for the 39-10-9 Avalanche, who sit first in the overall standings with 89 points. Connor Bedard replied for the 22-28-9 Blackhawks.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (NHL Images)

An overtime goal by Jason Robertson lifted the Dallas Stars to a 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators. Robertson and Wyatt Johnston each had a goal and an assist for the Stars, who extended their win streak to eight games. Michael Bunting and Steven Stamkos tallied for the Predators 27-24-8 (62 points), who are three points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Predators defenseman Adam Wilsby left this game with a lower-body injury.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Taylor Hall and defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere each had a goal and two assists in a 5-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Frederik Andersen made 27 saves for the Hurricanes (38-15-6), who picked up their fifth straight win and sit in first place in the Eastern Conference with 82 points. Simon Edvinsson and Patrick Kane scored for the 34-20-5 Red Wings (74 points), who slipped into the first wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference.

The Buffalo Sabres got two goals from Josh Norris to defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-2. Rasmus Dahlin had a goal and two assists, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 36 shots for the 35-19-6 Sabres, who sit second in the Atlantic Division with 76 points. Victor Hedman had a goal and an assist, while goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy was pulled after giving up five goals on 14 shots for Tampa Bay’s first regulation loss since Dec. 18. The Lightning sit in first place in the Atlantic with 80 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres forward Zach Benson was activated off injured reserve after missing the last four games with an upper-body injury.

Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield tallied twice, and captain Nick Suzuki had a goal and two assists in a 6-2 win over the Washington Capitals. Jakub Dobes turned aside 27 shots for the 33-17-9 Canadiens, who moved into third place in the Atlantic Division with 75 points. Washington captain Alex Ovechkin netted both goals as the Capitals (31-24-7, 69 points), who sit two points behind the Boston Bruins for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

Speaking of the Bruins, their points streak ended at eight games as they dropped a 3-1 decision to the Philadelphia Flyers. Travis Konecny and Jamie Drysdale each had a goal and an assist for the Flyers (27-21-11). Charlie McAvoy scored for the 33-21-5 Bruins.

The New York Rangers overcame a 2-0 deficit for a 3-2 shootout win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Vincent Trocheck scored the winning goal, and Igor Shesterkin kicked out 31 shots for the 23-29-7 Rangers, who sit last in the Eastern Conference with 53 points. Anthony Mantha and Ryan Shea scored for the Penguins (30-15-13), who sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 73 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins center Evgeni Malkin is reportedly upset over the lack of progress in his contract extension talks with general manager Kyle Dubas. It was reported that negotiations would be put on hold until the offseason, but Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now reports that Dubas intends to meet with Malkin this week.

New York Islanders winger Simon Holmstrom’s overtime goal lifted his club to a 4-3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Scott Mayfield and Jean-Gabriel Pageau each had a goal and an assist for the 34-21-5 Islanders, extending their win streak to four games to sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 73 points. Zach Werenski had two assists for the 29-21-8 Blue Jackets (66 points), who are five points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

The Ottawa Senators defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2. Dylan Cozens scored twice and picked up an assist, and Drake Batherson netted two goals for the Senators (29-22-8), who are also five points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot. Morgan Rielly and William Nylander scored for the 27-24-0 Maple Leafs, who have dropped three straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If Leafs management had any lingering doubts about becoming sellers before Friday’s trade deadline, this game likely quelled them.

A two-goal performance by Jordan Eberle powered the Seattle Kraken over the Vancouver Canucks 5-1. Eberle also had an assist, while Chandler Stephenson had a goal and two assists for the 28-22-9 Kraken, who hold the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 65 points. Liam Ohgren scored for the 18-34-7 Canucks, who sit last in the overall standings with 43 points.

The San Jose Sharks defeated the Edmonton Oilers 5-4. Shakir Mukhamadullin snapped a 4-4 tie in the third period, and Michael Misa had a goal and an assist for the 28-25-4 Sharks (60 points), who sit five points out of the final Western Conference wild-card berth. Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard each had three points for the Oilers (29-24-8), who sit third in the Pacific Division with 66 points.

Los Angeles Kings goaltender Anton Forsberg made 29 saves to shut out the Calgary Flames 2-0. Alex Laferriere and Adrian Kempe scored for the Kings (24-21-14), who are three points behind the Kraken. Dustin Wolf stopped 35 shots for the 24-28-6 Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kings forward Andrei Kuzmenko missed this game and is considered week-to-week following meniscus surgery.

The New Jersey Devils snapped a five-game losing skid with a 3-1 win over the St. Louis Blues. Timo Meier, Dougie Hamilton, and Nico Hischier scored for the Devils, who improved to 29-29-2. Pavel Buchnevich replied for the 21-29-9 Blues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils defenseman Luke Hughes returned to action for the first time since suffering a separated shoulder on Jan. 19. The Blues played without defenseman Colton Parayko and center Robert Thomas, but they could be available for Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Wild.