NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 3, 2025

by | Aug 3, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 3, 2025

A theory behind the lack of offer sheets this summer, Lane Hutson reportedly passed over for Team USA’s Olympic orientation camp, the Maple Leafs avoid arbitration with Nick Robertson, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RG.ORG: James Murphy examined the lack of offer sheets thus far for this summer’s restricted free agents.

The rise in the salary cap to $95.5 million for 2025-26 left several clubs flush with cap space. Factor in the St. Louis Blues signing away Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway from the Edmonton Oilers last summer, and there was anticipation of more offer sheet signings this year.

However, one NHL player agent theorized that some team owners may be reluctant to drive up the market value by overpaying players with expensive offer sheets. Another factor is that there are clubs with plenty of cap room that can easily match any offer for one of their restricted free agents.

Anaheim Ducks center Mason McTavish? (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: PuckPedia indicates 10 teams have over $10 million in cap space for 2025-26. Some of those teams, like the Carolina Hurricanes, could target another team’s RFAs to bolster their roster for a future Stanley Cup run.

However, there are also teams with the cap room to match an offer sheet. For example, Mason McTavish of the Anaheim Ducks is frequently mentioned as a possible target, but the Ducks have over $21 million in cap space. It’s a waste of time to target McTavish when his club can quickly and easily match it.

It’s been suggested that teams should test that theory by offering McTavish a contract with a cap hit of $9 million or more. However, all that accomplishes is driving up the value of comparable players, which is great for them, but not for the teams that have to pay them.

The compensation for signing a player like McTavish to a grossly inflated cap hit is also costly to the team making that signing. Anything between $9.36 million and $11.7 million costs two first-round picks, a second-round pick, and a third-round pick. Anything over $11.7 million is four first-rounders.

McTavish, 22, is a very good player with considerable upside, but he’s not worth over $9.3 million annually, nor is he worth the cost in futures a club would have to pay for a successful signing.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: cited a report by Tony Marinaro of “The Sick Podcast” claiming Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson will not be invited to attend Team USA’s Olympic orientation camp.

Hutson, 21, won the Calder Memorial Trophy last season as NHL Rookie of the Year, becoming the first Canadien to do so since Ken Dryden in 1971-72. However, the Americans already have a defenseman of comparable size and skills in Vancouver Canuck captain Quinn Hughes, who also has more NHL experience than Hutson.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hutson will get more opportunities to represent his country on the international stage in future tournaments, including the 2030 Winter Olympics. The Americans already have a deep, experienced defense core with Hughes, Zach Werenski, Brock Faber, Adam Fox, Jaccob Slavin, Charlie McAvoy, Noah Hanifin, and Jake Sanderson. Most of those blueliners were part of Team USA in February’s 4 Nations’ Face-Off.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs avoided salary arbitration with winger Nick Robertson. Both sides agreed to a one-year contract worth $1.85 million on Saturday.

The Robertson camp sought $2.25 million while the Leafs offered $1.25 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That concludes this summer’s arbitration period. The 11 players who filed and the two who were to be taken to arbitration ultimately agreed to new contracts before their scheduled hearings.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Center James Hagens looks forward to starting his NHL career with the Bruins as soon as possible. However, it appears he’s committed to returning to Boston College this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins selected Hagens with the seventh-overall pick in this year’s draft. It’ll do the 18-year-old center good to spend at least one more season in the NCAA to develop his skills before making the jump to the pro ranks.

RDS.CA: Anaheim Ducks prospect Roger McQueen is reportedly leaving Canadian junior hockey to join the NCAA’s ranks this season. Rather than return to the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings, the 18-year-old center is expected to join Providence College.

McQueen was chosen 10th overall by the Ducks in this year’s draft. He’ll join Chicago Blackhawks prospect center Julius Sumpf, who has also joined Providence after spending the last two seasons with the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 23, 2025

by | Jul 23, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 23, 2025

Chris Kreider talks about his move to the Ducks, the top available UFAs, the arbitration schedule is released, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE ATHLETIC: Former Rangers winger Chris Kreider is gradually adjusting to life with the Anaheim Ducks. He was traded to the Ducks last month after 13 seasons as one of the most productive players in Blueshirts history.

Anaheim Ducks winger Chris Kreider (NHL Images).

Kreider said he was intrigued by the Ducks’ recent hiring of Joel Quenneville as their new head coach. He also likes the club’s young core, especially at center.

The 33-year-old winger revealed he underwent surgery following last season to repair his injured left hand, which hampered his performance. He has recovered and is in training for the coming season.

While he hasn’t traveled to Anaheim since the trade, Kreider intends to make the journey soon. He indicated that he’s found a place where he can be close to his new teammates.

ESPN.COM: Forwards Jack Roslovic and Max Pacioretty, defenseman Matt Grzelcyk, and goaltenders Ilya Samsonov and Alexandar Georgiev are the notable players among the remaining unrestricted free agents.

Others include forwards Victor Olofsson and Robby Fabbri, defenseman Jan Rutta, and goaltender James Reimer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Roslovic has surfaced frequently in the rumor mill. The 28-year-old winger has been linked to the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks, but there’s no indication he’s close to signing with any club yet.

Some of the players available in the UFA market could sign short-term contracts with new teams before training camp opens in September. The rest will consider signing professional tryout offers (PTOs), continuing their playing careers in Europe, or retirement.

PUCKPEDIA: The arbitration hearing schedule was released on Monday for the remaining six restricted free agents who filed on July 5.

Nicolas Robertson, Toronto Maple Leafs: August 3

Dylan Samberg, Winnipeg Jets: July 30

Arvid Soderblom, Chicago Blackhawks: July 28

Jayden Struble, Montreal Canadiens: August 3

Conor Timmins, Buffalo Sabres: August 2

Maxim Tsyplakov, New York Islanders: July 29.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Kraken winger Kaapo Kakko’s hearing was set for July 25. However, he and the club avoided arbitration by agreeing to a three-year contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $4.525 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Arbitration hearing dates are usually treated as a deadline for the player and the team to agree to a new contract. Don’t be surprised if the others end up following Kakko’s lead.

Kakko’s new cap hit is nearly double the $2.4 million of his previous deal. Traded to the Kraken from the New York Rangers last December, he fit in well with his new club. After managing 14 points in 30 games with the Rangers, he had 30 points in 49 games with the Kraken.

TORONTO SUN: New Maple Leafs forward Dakota Joshua will wear No. 81, which was formerly worn by Phil Kessel.

Like Kessel, Joshua is a survivor of testicular cancer. “I knew his story and looking forward to playing a long time here like Kessel did.”

TRIBLIVE.COM: Anthony Mantha has endured season-ending knee surgery and a lengthy rehab, aiming to be ready for training camp in September. On July 2, the 30-year-old winger signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW’s Sheng Peng reports player agent Mike Curran denied a recent report suggesting his client, Kevin Labanc, could be heading to the KHL. Current said Labanc has fully recovered from season-ending shoulder surgery and is “ready to go”.










NHL Rumor Mill – July 10, 2025

by | Jul 10, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – July 10, 2025

Check out the latest on Erik Karlsson, Ilya Sorokin and Jordan Kyrou, plus five teams that could make moves this summer, in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

RG.ORG: James Murphy reports multiple teams are interested in Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson.

According to a league source, the Toronto Maple Leafs are among them. They’re in the market for an offensive defenseman and have also been linked to Dougie Hamilton of the New Jersey Devils. The Penguins would have to retain part of their share ($10 million) of his average annual value.

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson (NHL Images)

The source also dismissed the notion of bad blood between Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas and his former team. It’s also believed the Detroit Red Wings, Anaheim Ducks, Utah Mammoth and Dallas Stars were involved.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs have $4.9 million in cap space, meaning the Penguins must retain up to half of their share of Karlsson’s cap hit. Even then, the Leafs would have to shed more salary to make it work.

Karlsson is reportedly willing to waive his no-movement clause to join a contender. That rules out the Red Wings, Ducks and Mammoth.

The Stars meet the contender criteria, but they’re over the cap by nearly $1.8 million. It’s unlikely they could make the dollars fit.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Stefen Rosner is skeptical of a recent report suggesting the New York Islanders were considering trading goaltender Ilya Sorokin during the 2025 NHL Draft.

The report claimed Islanders GM Mathieu Darche might’ve dangled Sorokin in an attempt to move up in the first-round draft order to select Long Island native James Hagens. However, Rosner pointed out that Darche indicated teams weren’t willing to trade their first-rounders.

Rosner also doesn’t see the Islanders trading their franchise goaltender when backup Semyon Varlamov is coming off lower-body surgery. He also noted that Sorokin is in the second season of an eight-year contract with a full no-movement clause.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The only reason Darche would trade Sorokin is if he were staging a full roster rebuild. As Rosner noted, the Islanders aren’t moving their core players if they remain committed to being competitive.

STLTODAY.COM: Lynn Worthy doesn’t put much stock into recent trade rumors surrounding Blues winger Jordan Kyrou.

He acknowledged the 27-year-old’s scoring ability is what would make him a great trade chip. However, it’s also a big reason why the Blues should retain him, especially since they were 13th last season in goals scored.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Most of the Kyrou speculation occurred before his no-trade clause kicked in on July 1. Unless he’s keen to move on (and he’s publicly expressed no such sentiment), he’ll be in their lineup when the regular season begins in October.

SPORTSNET: Sonny Sachdeva listed the Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, Los Angeles Kings and Colorado Avalanche as five teams that could make moves in this summer’s trade market.

It’s believed the Oilers considered moving out a key player like Adam Henrique or Darnell Nurse to continue reshaping their roster, but they declined to waive their no-trade clauses.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sachdeva suggested the Oilers take a swing at adding Minnesota’s Marco Rossi or Florida’s Evan Rodrigues, or a depth forward like New Jersey’s Dawson Mercer or Colorado’s Ross Colton. Their biggest need, however, remains between the pipes. However, the limited goaltending options available mean they could be waiting for a while to find a suitable trade target.

The Maple Leafs could use a couple of scoring forwards. Sachdeva proposed Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust of the Pittsburgh Penguins as trade targets. Moving out forwards Calle Jarnkrok and David Kampf would free up $4.5 million to create additional cap space to facilitate a trade.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs could get Rakell or Rust but not both. However, they lack the tradeable assets to interest the Penguins, like a first-round pick or a good, young NHL player.

The Jets have the cap space ($19.8 million) to work with if they wish to continue adding to their forward lines. One option could be Utah Mammoth center Nick Schmaltz, who has a year left on his contract with a cap hit of $5.85 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Mammoth hopes to push for a playoff berth this season, so it’s unlikely Schmaltz is available. It might be a different story if they’re outside the postseason picture by the March trade deadline.

Sachdeva noted the Kings made some additions via free agency (forwards Corey Perry and Joel Armia, defensemen Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin), but they need more if they hope to take the next step this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sachdeva mentioned acquiring Jason Robertson from the Dallas Stars, but even he considers that to be a remote possibility.

The Avalanche could be a landing spot for Schmaltz or one of the Penguins’ wingers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: See my previous comments on Rust, Rakell and Schmaltz.










NHL Rumor Mill – June 23, 2025

by | Jun 23, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – June 23, 2025

Check out the latest on Jeremy Swayman, Brock Boeser, Rasmus Andersson and Andrew Mangiapane, plus updates on the Rangers and Blue Jackets in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE LATEST BRUINS SPECULATION

RG.ORG: James Murphy reports a source claimed the Edmonton Oilers were among the clubs looking into the availability of Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman last summer.

The 26-year-old Swayman was in the midst of contentious contract negotiations before signing an eight-year, $66-million deal with the Bruins last October.

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (NHL Images)

Swayman’s struggles this season had some teams wondering about his status as the March 7 trade deadline approached. However, the Bruins retained him and haven’t lost faith in their starting goaltender.

Murphy noted there is currently plenty of trade speculation building around the Oilers. He wondered if they might revisit their interest in Swayman, who lacks no-trade protection until next July.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: David Staples cited Murphy’s report, and isn’t surprised about the Oilers’ rumors given general manager Stan Bowman’s plans to address his goaltending. However, Staples pointed out the Oilers lack the cap space to acquire Swayman without making a major roster overhaul, something he doesn’t see them doing.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins wouldn’t have signed Swayman to that eight-year deal if they didn’t intend to stick with him as their starting goalie. He’s a crucial part of what they hope will be a bounce-back performance next season.

Yes, anything’s possible, but it would take a substantial offer to convince the Bruins to part with Swayman. It would also leave them without a reliable starting goalie. Joonas Korpisalo is a solid backup, but he’s proven that he can’t handle the starter’s job full-time.

NESN: Kayla Gregoire cited Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli speculating the Bruins could go after Brock Boeser when the free-agent market opens next Tuesday (July 1). The 28-year-old Vancouver Canucks right wing is expected to go to market, but the Canucks haven’t ruled out bringing him back.

Gregoire noted that Boeser is projected to receive a six-year contract with an AAV of $8.46 million. She doesn’t rule out the Bruins pursuing him, citing their salary-cap space ($26.2 million) for 2025-26.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As I noted earlier, the Bruins hope to rebound quickly from last season’s disappointing performance. They’ll be in the market for another scoring winger this summer. Boeser’s production was down last season, but he tallied a career-high 40 goals in 2023-24.

UPDATES ON THE RANGERS

THE ATHLETIC: Peter Baugh reports the New York Rangers have yet to decide what they’ll do with their 2025 first-round pick (12th overall). They owe the Pittsburgh Penguins either this year’s pick or their 2026 first-rounder. They have until June 25 to decide.

If they keep this year’s pick, that will take them out of the offer-sheet game since they would need their 2026 pick as compensation for a major successful signing. They also lack their own 2026 second-rounder.

Meanwhile, the Rangers have been exploring the trade market for K’Andre Miller. If they move him, Baugh believes they must find a suitable replacement, potentially via free agency. Vladislav Gavrikov of the Los Angeles Kings, Ivan Provorov of the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Aaron Ekblad of the Florida Panthers are this summer’s top UFA blueliners.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Remy Mastey cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman claiming Gavrikov doesn’t have a long list of potential UFA destinations. Friedman believes that’s why so many observers have linked the 29-year-old defenseman to the Rangers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With the 2025 NHL Draft weekend fast approaching, the trade market should kick into high gear this week. If Miller is moved, the Rangers could be poised to make Gavrikov a significant offer if he tests the market next Tuesday.

POTENTIAL SUITORS FOR RASMUS ANDERSSON

CALGARY SUN: Wes Gilbertson cited recent reports indicating contract extension talks didn’t go well between the Flames and Rasmus Andersson. That’s generated conjecture suggesting the Flames could trade the 28-year-old defenseman, who is a year away from UFA eligibility.

Gilbertson noted that Andersson has a six-team no-trade list, but speculates he could have more control than that. To maximize the return, the Flames could allow suitors to discuss a contract extension with the blueliner.

The Carolina Hurricanes and Dallas Stars are mentioned as one destination, but the Stars face a salary-cap crunch. Some wonder if Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving (the former Flames GM) might try to bring Andersson to Toronto. Meanwhile, some Flames fans suggest offering Andersson to the Buffalo Sabres for winger JJ Peterka.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flames GM Craig Conroy has shown a willingness to be patient to get the return he seeks. It’s no secret that he’s in the market for a second-line, right-shot center. A deal could be had if someone is willing to make that offer, but there aren’t a lot of those available.

BLUE JACKETS EXPECTED TO BE BUYERS

THE ATHLETIC: Aaron Portzline reports Columbus Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell has been quietly working behind the scenes on deals big and small. He cited colleague Pierre LeBrun reported the Jackets GM spoke to the Dallas Stars about Mason Marchment before the gritty winger was shipped last week to the Seattle Kraken.

Portzline indicates the Jackets seek a top-six forward and a right-shot center, a right-shot, right-side top-four defenseman, and a goaltending upgrade.

Trade chips could include their 2025 first-round pick (14th overall), left winger Yegor Chinakhov, goaltender Elvis Merzlikins, the No. 20 pick in this year’s draft (originally from the Minnesota Wild), the rights to pending UFA defenseman Ivan Provorov, and perhaps gritty center Cole Sillinger.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blue Jackets possess over $40 million in cap space for next season with 18 active roster players under contract. Expect them to make at least one big move this summer.

MANGIAPANE TO TORONTO?

LEAFS NATION’s Nick Alberga confirmed a report by The Fourth Period claiming the Maple Leafs are expected to pursue Andrew Mangiapane when the Washington Capitals winger hits the UFA market next Tuesday.

The 29-year-old Mangiapane played for Leafs GM Brad Treliving during their days with the Calgary Flames. Alberga claims he’s on the Leafs’ list of free-agent targets.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 21, 2025

by | May 21, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 21, 2025

The Panthers defeat the Hurricanes in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final, the highlights of the Leafs and Jets end-of-season interviews, an update on the CBA talks, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

PANTHERS TAKE GAME 1 OF THE EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL

NHL.COM: Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky made 31 saves to backstop his club to a 5-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final.

Carter Verhaeghe had a goal and an assist while Aaron Ekblad tallied the winning goal in the first period. Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho cut the lead to 2-1, but the Panthers put the game out of reach on goals by A.J. Greer, Sam Bennett and Eetu Luostarinen.

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (NHL Images).

Game 2 is in Raleigh on Thursday, May 22, at 8 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers only had a one-day break from eliminating the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday before facing the Hurricanes. Nevertheless, they opened the scoring, never relinquished the lead thanks partly to Bobrovsky’s solid goaltending, and made the most of their opportunities while adjusting to their new opponent.

The Hurricanes tried to get under Bobrovsky’s skin with frequent contact, but he shook it off and remained focused. Carolina captain Jordan Staal summed up the game by saying the Panthers capitalized on their scoring chances and the Hurricanes didn’t.

Florida’s Brad Marchand was tossed from the game in the third period for tussling with Hurricanes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere after the latter appeared to shoot the puck intentionally at Marchand. The Panthers winger got a four-minute roughing minor and a 10-minute misconduct, while Gostisbehere received a minor for roughing.

Game 1 of the Western Conference Final between the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers is on Wednesday, May 21, in Dallas at 8 pm ET.

HEADLINES

THE ATHLETIC: Auston Matthews declined to disclose the specifics of an injury that plagued him throughout this season during the Toronto Maple Leafs’ end-of-season media availability. Matthews said he suffered the injury during training camp and wouldn’t require surgery, saying he believes he’ll be fully healthy next season.

Mitch Marner’s return to the Leafs remains in doubt. The 28-year-old winger is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He said he’ll talk with his wife in the coming weeks about his next steps. Marner tried to put an optimistic spin on what playing in Toronto meant to him, but his voice seemed to be a mix of resignation and disappointment.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ll have the latest Marner speculation in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

John Tavares is also UFA-eligible on July 1. However, the 34-year-old center remains “very optimistic” that he’ll be back next season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs head coach Craig Berube said he’d love to have Tavares and Marner return next season. He’ll likely get his wish with Tavares but not with Marner.

Max Pacioretty had a solid postseason with the Leafs, but seems to be considering retirement. Injuries have limited the 36-year-old winger to 37 regular-season and 11 postseason games with the Leafs.

Matthew Knies is slated to become a restricted free agent without arbitration rights on July 1. The 22-year-old winger could receive an offer sheet from a rival club, but he shot down that notion. “I want to be here, I want to play here, that’s all that really matters to me.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There has been recent speculation over which RFA players could get offer sheets this summer. That’s because of the rising salary cap and last summer’s successful signings of Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg by the St. Louis Blues.

However, the player has to be receptive to signing an offer sheet. Knies doesn’t sound like he’s open to the idea.

Goaltender Anthony Stolarz said he suffered a concussion in Game 1 of the second-round series against the Panthers. He missed Games 2 through 6, returning as a backup for Game 7.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stolarz said he suffered the injury after being struck in the head by the forearm of Panthers center Sam Bennett. He didn’t believe there was any ill intent on Bennett’s part.

NHL.COM: Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck believes the adjustments he made to his game may have resulted in a drop in his performance during the postseason.

Hellebuyck made the comments during his club’s end-of-season media availability. He struggled at times, getting pulled three times during their first-round series with the St. Louis Blues. Hellebucyk admitted he overthought the game at times.

THE WINNIPEG SUN: Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey suffered a strained knee ligament in Game 6 of their second-round series with the Dallas Stars. He admitted he would’ve been out for the rest of the playoffs had the Jets forced a Game 7. Morrissey indicated that he wouldn’t require surgery.

Jets blueliner Luke Schenn said he suffered a couple of cracked ribs during the second game of their first-round series with the Blues.

THE ATHLETIC: NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the league and the NHL Players Association have made good progress in their current collective bargaining agreement negotiations.

According to Daly, the talks began last month and are well underway. He remains optimistic of a successful conclusion well before the September 2026 expiration of the current agreement.

Daly confirmed that future rules regarding the usage of long-term injury reserve have been a central part of the discussions, adding that there has been good progress in those talks. He also insisted the league isn’t looking to expand and hasn’t been soliciting bids, though there have been some conversations with various potential owners.

The deputy commissioner also indicated that there have been no discussions regarding a change to the playoff format.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll be interesting to see what changes emerge in the next CBA, but it’s good news for fans (and those of us who cover the league) that a new agreement could be in place soon. We’ve enjoyed over 12 years of labor peace. Nobody wants another lockout.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The Bruins signed general manager Don Sweeney to a two-year contract extension.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This isn’t surprising given the Bruins’ overall record under Sweeney. Nevertheless, the reaction seems mixed among the club’s followers, some of whom believe it’s time for a change in the front office.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: New York Islanders center Bo Horvat suffered a lower-body injury playing for Canada in the World Championships. He’s left the team early and returned to Long Island to meet with the Isles’ team doctors.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators defenseman Nick Jensen underwent surgery on Monday for a lower-body ailment. There is no timeline for his recovery.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 19, 2025

by | May 19, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 19, 2025

The Panthers eliminate the Maple Leafs and advance to the Eastern Conference Final. Check out the recap and the fallout in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers advanced to the Eastern Conference Final by thumping the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-1 in Game 7 of their second-round series.

Brad Marchand and Eetu Luostarinen each had a goal and two assists, Seth Jones and Aleksander Barkov each collected two points, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 19 saves for the win. Max Domi scored the lone Leafs goal.

Florida Panthers winger Brad Marchand (NHL Images).

Marchand became the first player in NHL history to defeat the same team in five Game 7 appearances. He also has the most points (10 in 13 games) in Game 7s among active players.

Panthers winger Evan Rodrigues returned to action after missing the last two games with an undisclosed injury. Maple Leafs winger Matthew Knies also played after leaving Game 6 in the first period with an injury.

Referee Chris Rooney left the game early in the second period after being accidentally clipped in the face by the stick of Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola. He received a cut above the eye that required stitches and missed the rest of this contest. Standby official Garrett Rank replace him.

The Panthers will appear in their third straight Eastern Conference Final. They face off against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, May 20, in Raleigh at 8 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers reminded everyone in this game why they’re the defending Stanley Cup champions. They weren’t rattled by losing Game 6, came out strong to start this game and were relentless as this contest progressed. They set the tempo early and never let up, squeezing away what little will to win the Leafs had.

Florida coach Paul Maurice tried to downplay his club’s dominance, claiming the puck just went their way. He’s just being kind toward an opponent that has consistently shown since 2018 that they can’t rise to the occasion when it matters most.

Leafs captain Auston Matthews, who appeared to be hampered by an injury in this postseason, felt there were “too many passengers” among his teammates in this game. He believes they came out strong and had a good start, but struggled after falling behind 2-0 and couldn’t get back into the game.

Toronto coach Craig Berube believes the memory of previous failures hurt his club in this series. “For me, it’s all between the ears. It’s a mindset,” he said. Berube wasn’t part of those previous failures, but he has a lot of work ahead to help his mentally fragile team.

As expected, there are plenty of opinions in the Toronto media over what’s next for the Maple Leafs after another disappointing playoff exit. I’ll have the highlights in today’s Rumor Mill.

IN OTHER NEWS…

ROTOWIRE: Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey required further evaluation after suffering a knee injury during Game 6 of his club’s second-round series against the Dallas Stars. Jets coach Scott Arniel said the injury “wasn’t good.” The Jets were eliminated in that game.

SPORTSNET: Hockey fans donated over $46K to the Jets’ charitable foundation to support Mark Scheifele, whose father died suddenly hours before Game 6 against the Stars. Many fans made $55 donations in honor of Scheifele’s jersey number.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The hockey community rallied around Scheifele, with a number of donations from Dallas fans.