NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 22, 2025

by | May 22, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 22, 2025

The Stars rally to defeat the Oilers in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final, the Islanders get permission to speak with Leafs president Brendan Shanahan, the Blackhawks are poised to hire a former Red Wings coach, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE STARS TAKE GAME 1 OF THE WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL

NHL.COM: The Dallas Stars scored five unanswered third-period goals to defeat the Edmonton Oilers 6-3 in Game 1 of the 2025 NHL Western Conference Final.

Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin (NHL Images).

Miro Heiskanen, Mikael Granlund and Matt Duchene tallied three straight power-play goals to get the rally going. Tyler Seguin finished the night with two goals and an assist, while Heiskanen and Granlund each had a goal and an assist.

Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Evan Bouchard scored for the Oilers. Draisaitl finished with a goal and two assists, Nugent-Hopkins had a goal and an assist, and Connor McDavid finished with two helpers.

Game 2 is Friday, May 23, in Dallas at 8 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers were in control of this game heading into the third period, but poor penalty killing was their undoing as the Stars took advantage of their undisciplined play.

HEADLINES

THE ATHLETIC: Chris Johnston reported the New York Islanders were granted permission to speak with Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan about their top hockey job. Shanahan’s contract with the Leafs expires at the end of June.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s assumed the Leafs won’t renew Shanahan’s contract. Giving the Isles permission to speak with him lends credence to that speculation.

Don’t expect a change of management for the Leafs. Johnston reported “a positive internal view” of Brad Treliving’s work as general manager over the past two seasons.

TSN: Darren Dreger reports the Seattle Kraken were permitted to speak with Leafs associate coach Lane Lambert. Before joining the Leafs, Lambert was the Islanders’ head coach from 2022 to 2024.

SI.COM: Former Detroit Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill will reportedly become the next head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks. Blashill was the Wings’ bench boss from 2015-16 to 2021-22. He went on to become an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blashill might have better luck with the Blackhawks than he did with the rebuilding Red Wings, especially after working with well-respected Lightning coach Jon Cooper for the past three seasons.

WINNIPEG SUN: Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff recently met with the agent for pending free-agent Nikolaj Ehlers. He intends to meet with the 28-year-old winger, hoping to make him “a unique Jet-for-life type player.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ehlers can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He’s completing a six-year contract with an average annual value of $6 million. Most pundits believe he intends to test the market. However, Cheveldayoff has a recent history of re-signing core players, inking Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele to extensions two years ago.

NHL.COM: Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield remains questionable for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Florida Panthers. He’s been sidelined with an undisclosed injury since Game 4 of the Hurricanes’ second-round series with the Washington Capitals.

DAILY FACEOFF: Steven Ellis reports Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby and San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini are meshing well as linemates on Team Canada in the 2025 IIHF World Championship. Crosby has 11 points and Celebrini six through the round-robin of the tournament.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This could become a preview of a Crosby-Celebrini line at next year’s Winter Olympics.

RG.ORG: Philadelphia Flyers winger Matvei Michkov admitted he was disappointed not to be a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy, but the 20-year-old felt he should’ve played better. He praised Lane Hutson’s performance, saying he believed the young Montreal Canadiens defenseman would be a star since he first saw him play in the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hutson is among the finalists and considered the favorite to win the Calder.

Michkov has a good head on his shoulders, taking responsibility for why he didn’t make the Calder shortlist. He’ll likely use that as motivation to improve his game, which will only benefit the Flyers moving forward.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Former Flyers interim head coach Brad Shaw is reportedly joining the New Jersey Devils’ coaching staff.

97.3 ESPN: Ian Laperriere reportedly won’t be back as head coach of the Flyers’ AHL affiliate in Lehigh Valley. It’s believed he could work in the organization in a different role.

NHL.COM: The 4 Nations Face-Off was named the Sports Event of the Year at the SBJ Sports Business Awards in New York. The Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers were named Sports Team of the Year.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 13, 2022

by | Oct 13, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 13, 2022

Recaps of Wednesday’s games, the Sabres sign head coach Don Granato and defenseman Mattias Samuelsson to contract extensions, Andy Greene retires and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Connor McDavid tallied a hat trick as the Edmonton Oilers overcame a 3-0 deficit to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 5-3. McDavid netted the game-winning and insurance goals, Leon Draisaitl had a goal and two assists while Darnell Nurse had a goal and an assist. J.T. Miller had a goal and an assist for the Canucks.

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers dressed just 17 skaters as wingers Kailer Yamamoto and Warren Foegele missed this game with undisclosed injuries. Salary-cap constraints limited them to 11 forwards and six defensemen.

The Colorado Avalanche celebrated their 2021-22 Stanley Cup banner raising with a 5-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Artturi Lehkonen scored twice and collected an assist, Valeri Nichushkin tallied two goals and Mikko Rantanen had four assists. Jonathan Toews and Max Domi replied for the Blackhawks.

Montreal Canadiens winger Josh Anderson’s goal with 19 seconds remaining in the third period lifted his club to a 4-3 upset of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Cole Caufield scored twice and Nick Suzuki picked up two assists. John Tavares and William Nylander each had two points for the Leafs.

David Krejci had a goal and two assists in his first NHL game since 2020-21 as the Bostons Bruins beat the Washington Capitals 5-2. David Pastrnak led the way with a goal and three assists while Linus Ullmark made 33 saves for the win. It was a costly victory as Jake DeBrusk left the game in the second period with what appeared to be an injured right arm.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Krejci looked good in his return to the Bruins after spending last season playing in his native Czechia. However, it was Pastrnak who was the standout in this contest. He was dominant throughout this game and is already making the case for a big raise on his next contract.

The Carolina Hurricanes rolled to a 4-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Martin Necas had a goal and two assists while Frederik Andersen made 31 saves for the win. Patrik Laine scored for the Jackets but left the game in the second period with an injured right arm following a collision with Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No word yet on the severity of Laine’s injury. Jackets starting goalie Elvis Merzlikins missed this game due to a non-COVID-related illness.

Anaheim Ducks forward Troy Terry opened and closed the scoring in his club’s 5-4 overtime victory over the Seattle Kraken. Terry and Ryan Strome finished with three points while Trevor Zegras had two points. Kraken rookie center Matty Beniers had a goal and an assist.

HEADLINES

WGR 550: The Buffalo Sabres announced the signing of head coach Don Granato to a two-year contract extension. They also announced defenseman Mattias Samuelsson agreed to a seven-year, $30 million contract extension.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Granato’s extension was no surprise given the improvement of the Sabres thus far under his watch. The length of Samuelsson’s deal raised some eyebrows given his limited body of NHL action with just 54 games over the past two seasons.

Sabres management evidently believes Samuelsson’s going to be a key part of their blueline in the coming years. The 22-year-old’s average annual value starting next season will be over $4.285 million starting in 2023-24. If he develops as projected this contract could turn into a bargain for the Sabres.

TSN: Andy Greene retires as a member of the New Jersey Devils after signing a one-day contract with them. Greene spent 14 seasons with the Devils and was their captain from 2015 to 2020 before getting traded to the New York Islanders. The 39-year-old defenseman finishes with 264 points in 1,057 career games over 16 NHL seasons. He was part of the Devils’ run to the 2012 Stanley Cup Final.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Greene in his future endeavors.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports Tampa Bay Lighting defenseman Ian Cole met with NHL security yesterday but there was no formal announcement or resolution in the aftermath. The league and the NHL Players Association declined to comment. Cole was suspended with pay pending an investigation following a social media post accusing him of sexual assault and grooming.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers winger Vitali Kravtsov will miss the club’s current two-game road trip with an upper-body injury. It’s hoped he’ll rejoin his teammates next week but there is no definitive timeline for his return.

TSN: The Colorado Avalanche reclaimed goaltender Jonas Johansson off waivers from the Arizona Coyotes.

WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets signed winger Brad Lambert to a three-year entry-level contract. The 30th overall pick in this year’s draft, he will start the season with their AHL affiliate.

CAP FRIENDLY: The New York Islanders loaned forward Richard Panik to Swiss League team Lausanne HC for the season. His contract will still count against the Isles’ salary-cap payroll at the amount for players demoted to the minors.

THE MERCURY NEWS: Former San Jose Sharks general manager Doug Wilson will attend a pregame ceremony in his honor before the club’s game on Saturday against the Chicago Blackhawks. Wilson stepped down from his post for medical reasons last year.

NHL.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins named Kerry Huffman as their director of professional scouting.

The Tampa Bay Lightning extended their AHL affiliation with the Syracuse Crunch through the 2026-27 season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 17, 2022

by | May 17, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 17, 2022

Golden Knights fire head coach Pete DeBoer, Patrice Bergeron sheds light on his future, Mitch Marner was the victim of a carjacking, Islanders name Lane Lambert as their new coach & more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

LAS VEGAS SUN: The Vegas Golden Knights fired head coach Pete DeBoer on Monday after less than three seasons in the role. The decision comes after the club failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

Former Vegas Golden Knights coach Pete DeBoer (NHL.com).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Critics suggest DeBoer was made the fall guy for the club’s inability to clinch a postseason berth. He had a number of his core players sidelined by injuries this season as well as management’s inability to suitably address that problem because of limited salary-cap space. The club’s messy split with goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury last summer was also a factor, as was the cost of acquiring Jack Eichel and his late addition to the lineup due to his recovery from neck surgery.

Speculation has already started over DeBoer’s potential replacement. Former NHL coaches such as Barry Trotz, Paul Maurice and Joel Quenneville have been mentioned, though the latter would require the approval of league commissioner Gary Bettman due to his role in the Kyle Beach scandal.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron shot down rumors he could sign with the Montreal Canadiens as a free agent in July. He indicated he’ll either re-sign with the Bruins or retire.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That rumor was fueled in part by NBC Sports Boston analyst Tony Amonte claiming Bergeron grew up as a Canadiens fan, as well as pointing out his former agent was now the Habs general manager. In fact, Bergeron grew up as a Nordiques fan plus the Canadiens’ limited cap space would’ve made it almost impossible to sign him even if they wanted to.

I believe the Bruins will bring back Bergeron for at least another season. The 36-year-old remains among the NHL’s elite two-way centers and his departure would leave the Bruins quite thin at that position.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner was the victim of a carjacking at gunpoint in Etobicoke on Monday evening. Three suspects armed with two handguns and a knife robbed Marner of his black Range Rover at the Cineplex Theatre on The Queensway.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marner and his friend were shaken up but unhurt in the incident and didn’t have guns pointed at them. The suspects apparently didn’t know who he was and were only interested in the vehicle.

TSN: The New York Islanders announced Lane Lambert has been named their new head coach. He served as an associate coach under former bench boss Barry Trotz for the past four seasons.

NHL.COM: New York Islanders defenseman Zdeno Chara, Philadelphia Flyers center Kevin Hayes and Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price for this season’s finalists for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

THE ATHLETIC: Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point is “highly doubtful” for Game 1 of the second-round series with the Florida Panthers. Point appeared to injure his right leg during Game 7 of their first-round series with the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, he could potentially return later in the second round.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers forward Barclay Goodrow might return at some point during their upcoming second-round series with the Carolina Hurricanes. Goodrow is believed to have fractured his foot or ankle in Game 1 of their first-round series with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

SPORTSNET: Golden Knights captain Mark Stone will likely undergo back surgery on Wednesday. He’s expected to be available for the start of training camp in September.

TWINCITIES.COM: Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba confirmed the upper-body injury that sidelined him for 12 games in April was a punctured lung and a dislocated rib. He returned for their first-round series against the St. Louis Blues but admitted being less than 100 percent in that series. The Wild were eliminated by the Blues in six games.

THE ATHLETIC: Los Angeles Kings winger Viktor Arvidsson will undergo surgery on Tuesday to repair a herniated disc. The injury kept him out of the Kings’ series with the Edmonton Oilers. They were eliminated by the Oilers in seven games.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk will undergo surgery for an injured right shoulder that nagged him most of this season.

TRIBLIVE.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins forward Brian Boyle underwent surgery on his left knee on Monday.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators forward Tim Stuetzle suffered an injured left leg playing for Germany against France during a World Championships game on Monday. He left the game and there’s no word yet as to the severity of the injury.