NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 31, 2025

by | Mar 31, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 31, 2025

Alex Ovechkin reaches 890 goals, the Jets widen their lead in the overall standings and the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth changes hands again. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is five goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894 goals. He scored his 890th goal in an 8-5 loss to the Buffalo Sabres and also collected two points to finish the game with three points. Sabres forwards Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch each scored two goals for the Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Washington holds first place in the Eastern Conference with 103 points but has gone 0-2-1 in their last three games. Capitals head coach Spencer Carberry shook up his top-two in the third period, saying his team needs more from its top-six forwards amid a three-game skid.

The Winnipeg Jets widen their lead in the overall standings with a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Kyle Connor had a goal and an assist and Connor Hellebuyck made 23 saves for the Jets (106 points), opening a three-point lead over the Capitals. Pius Suter scored for the Canucks (81 points), who remain six points behind the St. Louis Blues for the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki (NHL Images).

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki scored the winning goal and picked up two assists to double up the Florida Panthers 4-2. Rookie defenseman Lane Hutson set up three goals and Juraj Slafkovsky had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens, who regained the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 77 points. Sam Reinhart and Seth Jones replied for the Panthers as they sit third in the Atlantic Division with 91 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hutson leads all rookies this season with 59 points. The Canadiens have the same points total as the New York Rangers but hold the wild card with a game in hand. Meanwhile, the Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning are tied in points but the latter holds second place in the division with 37 regulation wins.

The Toronto Maple Leafs opened a three-point lead atop the Atlantic Division (94 points) with a 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Steve Lorentz broke a 2-2 tie, Mitch Marner scored his 23rd goal of the season, and Joseph Woll stopped 29 shots for the Leafs. Leo Carlsson tallied his 20th of the season for the Ducks.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Seth Jarvis scored two goals as his club downed the New York Islanders 6-4. Sebastian Aho had a goal and two assists for the Hurricanes, who sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 94 points. Pierre Engvall tallied twice for the Islanders, who’ve gone 0-3-2 in their last five contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes are on a roll, winning 11 of their last 13 games. Meanwhile, the Islanders are three points behind the Canadiens for the final Eastern wild-card spot.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby’s overtime lifted his club to a 1-0 blanking of the Ottawa Senators. Tristan Jarry kicked out 31 shots for his first shutout of the season. Anton Forsberg turned aside 34 shots for the Senators (84 points) as they collected a point to sit seven points ahead of the Canadiens in the first Eastern wild-card position.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins played without forward Boko Imama as he underwent surgery on Friday to repair a torn bicep. His recovery timeline is four-to-six months.

Los Angeles Kings forwards Adrian Kempe and Warren Foegele each scored two goals to crush the San Jose Sharks 8-1. Team captain Anze Kopitar collected three assists as the Kings moved ahead of the Edmonton Oilers into second place in the Pacific Division standings with 91 points. Sharks rookie Cam Lund scored for the second straight game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kopitar notched his 316th multipoint game, moving ahead of Sergei Fedorov into ninth place all-time among NHL players born outside North America. Jaromir Jagr is the leader with 540.

Utah Hockey Club forward Alex Kerfoot had a goal and two assists in a 5-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Mikhail Sergachev had a goal and an assist for Utah while Ryan Donato netted his 29th of the season for Chicago.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Utah defenseman Robert Bortuzzo returned to action after missing 35 games with a lower-body injury.

IN OTHER NEWS…

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers captain Connor McDavid (lower-body injury) will not travel with his teammates as they begin their four-game road trip. There is a slight chance he could rejoin the club before their road trip ends in Anaheim on April 7.

THE ATHLETIC’s Michael Russo reports Minnesota Wild forwards Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek practiced for the first time yesterday, but their return to action remains to be determined.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Boston Bruins placed Patrick Brown and Vinni Lettieri on waivers. The Wild did the same with Brendan Gaunce and Devin Shore. If they are claimed off waivers, they will be ineligible to play in the postseason with their new teams following the trade deadline.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: The Lightning must free up salary-cap space to sign prospect Isaac Howard to an entry-level contract.










NHL Rumor Mill – March 29, 2025

by | Mar 29, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – March 29, 2025

In today’s NHL Rumor Mill, we look ahead at the potential offseason plans for the Red Wings and Predators and what Matthew Knies’ next contract with the Maple Leafs might look like.

MORE SPECULATION OVER THE RED WINGS’ OFFSEASON PLANS

THE ATHLETIC: Max Bultman looked at general manager Steve Yzerman’s possible offseason plans as the Detroit Red Wings stumble down the stretch.

Bultman believes Yzerman must improve the Red Wings depth, but not by adding a third-line forward or third-pairing defenseman. He felt there must be more help for top forwards Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond, more puck-movers among their defense, and more players who have a more consistent impact on the game.

Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman (NHL.com).

The Washington Capitals and St. Louis Blues were fringe clubs in 2023-24 that made bold offseason moves that have improved their performance this season. The Capitals are jockeying with the Winnipeg Jets for first overall while the Blues have surged into a wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As I’ve said before, this summer could be the most consequential of Yzerman’s tenure as general manager of the Red Wings. Another inconsistent season that extends their franchise-record postseason drought could cost him his job by this time next year.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Bob Duff believes this season will be Alex Lyon’s last with the Red Wings. The 32-year-old is an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and has dropped to No. 3 on their goaltending depth chart.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wings goalies Petr Mrazek and Cam Talbot each have a year left on their contracts with promising Sebastian Cossa waiting in the wings. Lyon will be hitting the open market on July 1. 

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE PREDATORS?

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun recently interviewed Barry Trotz about his first season as Nashville Predators general manager and what comes next following his club’s disappointing 2024-25 campaign.

Trotz made a series of trades this season partly to ensure his cap situation is as tidy as possible entering the offseason. However, he also wants to leave enough space for some of the organization’s top prospects if they’re ready to make the jump next season.

The Predators’ recent moves left holes on the blueline. They also need depth at center, which was partly why Trotz didn’t move Ryan O’Reilly despite interest from other clubs.

LeBrun believes the Predators are trying to remain competitive while bridging the gap to their next wave of talent.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Predators have over $18 million in projected salary cap space for 2025-26 with 20 active roster players under contract. Restricted free agent Luke Evangelista is their only notable player to be re-signed and he’ll likely receive an affordable bridge contract.

Trotz will have the cap room to address his roster issues this summer. However, it doesn’t sound like he’ll make big splashes like he did last summer when he signed Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei.

The Predators have three first-round picks and two second-rounders in this year’s draft. He could use one or two picks as trade bait to add a young NHL-ready player to the roster.

HOW MUCH COULD MATTHEW KNIES GET ON HIS NEXT CONTRACT WITH THE MAPLE LEAFS?

TORONTO STAR: Nick Kypreos recently looked at how much Matthew Knies could make on his next contract with the Maple Leafs. The 22-year-old left wing is completing his entry-level contract and lacks arbitration rights. He’s having a solid sophomore season with a career-high 25 goals and 49 points in 68 games.

Kypreos noted that Minnesota Wild forward Matt Boldy is earning $7 million annually while Seth Jarvis of the Carolina Hurricanes makes $7.42 million per season. Given the rising salary cap and Knies’ role as a power forward, he would see something north of $8 million per season.

It’s also unlikely that Knies will receive an offer sheet from another club. If it’s between $6 million and $9 million, the Leafs have the cap space to match. If someone wants to offer more than that, Kypreos recommends taking the four compensatory first-round draft picks and moving on.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nobody will offer Knies over $9 million annually. Given the Leafs’ cap space, it’s a waste of time trying to sign him to an offer sheet.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 26, 2025

by | Mar 26, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 26, 2025

The Jets clinch a playoff berth, Alex Ovechkin moves closer to the all-time goals record, Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov and Sabres coach Lindy Ruff reach notable career milestones, the Capitals re-sign Jakob Chychrun, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF TUESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: The Winnipeg Jets became the first Western Conference team to clinch a playoff berth as they defeated the Washington Capitals 3-2 on an overtime goal by Nikolaj Ehlers. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 27 shots for the Jets (102 points), who sit one point back of the league-leading Capitals. Washington captain Alex Ovechkin tallied his 889th regular-season goal, putting him six away from breaking the all-time goal record held by Wayne Gretzky.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals signed defenseman Jakob Chychrun to an eight-year, $72-million contract extension earlier in the day. The average annual value is $9 million and is a considerable raise over his current AAV of 4.6 million.

Chychrun’s been a terrific addition to the Capitals blueline with 18 goals and a career-best 44-point performance (and counting) this season. The 26-year-old’s new contract reflects the cost of signing top-four defensemen with the salary cap projected to rise significantly in the coming years. It will affect comparable blueliners like Edmonton’s Evan Bouchard who are due for new contracts this summer.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov (NHL Images).

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov had a goal and two assists to pass the 100-point milestone in a 6-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Anthony Cirelli tallied twice for the Lightning as they sit third in the Atlantic Division with 87 points. Bryan Rust replied for the Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kucherov is the 21st player in NHL history to reach the 100-point plateau five times. It’s the most for a Russian-born player, with Washington’s Alex Ovechkin doing it four times and Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin three times. Meanwhile, Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak left this game in the first period with an undisclosed injury.

Head coach Lindy Ruff collected his 600th regular-season win with the Buffalo Sabres as his club nipped the Ottawa Senator 3-2. Tage Thompson tallied the tie-breaker early in the third period for the Sabres. Brady Tkachuk and David Perron scored for the Senators, who hold the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 79 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ruff is the second coach in league history to have 600 wins with one franchise. Al Arbour holds the record (740) with the New York Islanders.

This was the first game between Buffalo and Ottawa since Dylan Cozens was shipped to the Senators for Josh Norris and Jacob Bernard-Docker at the March 7 trade deadline. Bernard-Docker scored against his former club while Cozens picked up an assist. Norris has missed the Sabres’ last five games with an undisclosed injury.

Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel had a hat trick to beat the Minnesota Wild 5-1. Mark Stone and Noah Hanifin each had two assists for the Golden Knights, who have won four straight games and hold first place in the Pacific Division with 94 points. Marcus Johansson scored for the Wild, who hold the first Western wild-card spot with 85 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Vegas defenseman Shea Theodore picked up an assist in his first game since Feb. 8. It was the 500th regular-season game of his career.

The St. Louis Blues got their seventh straight win with a 6-1 drubbing of the Montreal Canadiens. Robert Thomas and Philip Broberg each had a goal and three assists as the Blues (83 points) maintained a four-point lead over the Calgary Flames for the final Western wild-card berth. Nick Suzuki replied for the Canadiens, who cling to the final Eastern wild card (75 points) but are winless in their last three games (0-1-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blues are red hot and could overtake Minnesota for the first Western wild-card berth.

An overtime goal by Nazem Kadri gave the Calgary Flames a 4-3 win over the Seattle Kraken. Kadri finished the night with two goals while Jonathan Huberdeau and Matt Coronato each had two assists as the Flames (79 points) remain four points behind the Blues.

Los Angeles Kings winger Kevin Fiala tallied two goals to defeat the New York Rangers 3-1, extending their franchise-best home points streak to 15 games. Darcy Kuemper stopped 22 shots for the Kings, who’ve won four straight and sit second in the Pacific Division with 89 points. J.T. Miller scored for the Rangers (74 points), who remain one point behind the Canadiens.

Toronto Maple Leafs forwards William Nylander and John Tavares each scored twice to crush the Philadelphia Flyers 7-2. Nylander reached the 40-goal plateau for the third consecutive season as the Leafs moved into first place in the Atlantic Division with 89 points. Ryan Poehling and Sean Couturier replied for the Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Florida Panthers also have 89 points, but the Leafs have the edge with 42 regulation plus overtime wins compared to the Panthers’ 38.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and an assist to extend his home points streak to 22 games in a 5-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Devon Toews had a goal and two assists to sit third in the Central Division with 91 points. J.T. Compher had a goal and an assist for the faltering Red Wings (72 points), who’ve dropped three of their last four to remain three points out of the final Eastern wild card.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With Petr Mrazek and Cam Talbot sidelined, the Wings recalled goalie Sebastian Cossa on an emergency basis to back up starter Alex Lyon.

The Nashville Predators upset the Carolina Hurricanes 3-1. Luke Evangelista scored twice and Juuse Saros turned aside 34 shots for the Predators. Taylor Hall scored for the Hurricanes, who sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 90 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Tennessean’s Alex Daugherty reported Monday that the Predators won’t release any information on sidelined Predators captain Roman Josi until after the season ends. “There is zero chance he plays any games the rest of this season.”

IN OTHER NEWS…

TSN: The 2025 NHL Draft Lottery is expected to be held on May 5 or 6, depending on the playoff schedule.

CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: Blackhawks forward Jason Dickinson will miss the remainder of the regular season with an injured wrist.










NHL Rumor Mill – March 21, 2025

by | Mar 21, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – March 21, 2025

Speculation over the futures of Leafs president Brendan Shanahan and Kings GM Rob Blake, an update on Sam Bennett’s contract talks, and the latest on John Gibson in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR SHANAHAN AND BLAKE?

TORONTO STAR: Nick Kypreos believes Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan and Los Angeles Kings general manager Rob Blake are two executives to watch this summer.

Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan (NHL.com).

Shanahan’s contract expires at the end of this season. The Leafs’ performance in the upcoming postseason could determine his fate. The Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders could be monitoring his situation.

Speculation suggests Blake could reassess his future with the Kings regardless of how far they go in the postseason.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres need someone to oversee its hockey operations while the Islanders could shake up their front office if Lou Lamoriello steps down as president of hockey operations and general manager.

UPDATE ON BENNETT’S CONTRACT TALKS

TORONTO STAR: Nick Kypreos reports the contract talks between the Florida Panthers and Sam Bennett are going well. The 29-year-old center is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Some believe Bennett will re-sign with the Panthers. Kypreos cites Bennett’s love of the team, head coach Paul Maurice’s love of the player, and a contract that could be around $60 million with no state tax.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The average annual value of a seven-year contract would be just over $8.57 million. If it’s eight years, it’s $7.5 million.

LATEST ON GIBSON

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman believes there’s some frustration John Gibson wasn’t moved at the trade deadline from the player, Ducks management and the teams interested in him. Friedman expects this could resume in the offseason.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gibson has two years left on his contract with an AAV of $6.4 million and a 10-team no-trade list. The Carolina Hurricanes reportedly looked into acquiring him last summer but opted to stick with their current goaltenders.

It’s believed the Ducks’ reluctance to retain salary hampered previous efforts to trade Gibson. With the salary cap rising significantly over the next three years, they could have better luck finding a suitor willing to take on his full cap hit. However, the rising cap could make the Ducks willing to retain some of his AAV to facilitate a trade and bring this ongoing saga to a close.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 21, 2025

by | Mar 21, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 21, 2025

The Capitals become the first team to clinch a playoff berth as Alex Ovechkin moves closer to breaking the goals record, the Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck and the Leafs’ John Tavares reach notable milestones, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Washington Capitals became the first team to clinch a 2025 playoff berth by nipping the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2. Alex Ovechkin tallied his 888th regular-season goal and Anthony Beauvillier collected two assists as the Capitals sit first overall in the standings with 100 points. Ryan Poehling had a goal and an assist for the Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin is seven goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894 goals. Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen has been sidelined with an upper-body injury since March 11 and is now listed as day-to-day.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. (NHL Images).

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck stopped 21 shots for his 40th win of the season in a 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Kyle Connor’s shorthanded goal in overtime gave the Jets the win as they sit first in the Western Conference with 100 points. Jeff Skinner tallied twice for the Oilers, who hold second place in the Pacific Division with 85 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hellebuyck reached the 40-win plateau for the second time, joining Marc-Andre Fleury as the only active goaltender to achieve that feat and joined Ryan Miller as the second American-born netminder to do so. He also joined Hall-of-Famer Ken Dryden as the fourth-fastest goalie to reach the 40-win single-season milestone.

The Oilers entered the game with leading scorer Leon Draisaitl sidelined with an undisclosed injury. Captain Connor McDavid missed the third period with an upper-body injury for precautionary reasons and goaltender Stuart Skinner was pulled late in that period due to concussion protocols following a collision in the crease.

Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares scored twice and collected an assist to reach the 1,100-point plateau in a 4-3 win over the New York Rangers. Jake McCabe had three assists as the Leafs got their third straight win to tie the Atlantic Division-leading Florida Panthers with 87 points. Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck each had two points for the Rangers (72 points), who’ve lost three straight and sit two points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

Speaking of the Panthers, they got an overtime goal from Aleksander Barkov to blank the Columbus Blue Jackets 1-0. Sergei Bobrovsky turned in a 25-save shutout as the Panthers hold first place in the Atlantic with 35 regulation wins. Elvis Merzlikins turned aside 27 shots for the Blue Jackets as they dropped their fifth straight game and sit three points back of the Canadiens.

Meanwhile, Montreal (74 points) picked up a point in a 4-3 overtime loss to the New York Islanders. Bo Horvat tallied twice, including the game-winner, and Ilya Sorokin kicked out 38 shots and collected two assists for the Islanders, who are two points behind the Canadiens. Patrick Laine and Brendan Gallagher scored as the Habs overcame a 3-1 deficit to force the extra period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, Gallagher announced his mother Della passed away on March 8 following a long battle with brain cancer. My condolences to Gallagher and his family.

Vegas Golden Knights winger Pavel Dorofeyev tallied a hat trick in a 5-1 victory over the Boston Bruins. Dorofeyev reached the 30-goal plateau for the first time while Jack Eichel, Brandon Saad and Noah Hanifin each had two points for the Golden Knights, who sit first in the Pacific Division with 88 points. Morgan Geekie scored for the Bruins, who’ve lost four straight and sit five points behind the Canadiens.

An overtime goal by Philip Broberg lifted the St. Louis Blues over the Vancouver Canucks 4-3, vaulting them one point ahead of the Canucks into the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 77 points. Dylan Holloway and Tyler Tucker each had a goal and an assist as the Blues picked up their fourth straight win. Canucks winger Brock Boeser scored twice, including the tying goal with four seconds left in the third period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Holloway and Broberg have become key contributors for St. Louis this season. Since being signed away from the Oilers last summer, Holloway sits second among Blues scorers with 56 points while Broberg (22 points) leads their defensemen with a plus/minus of plus-13 and sits fourth in ice time per game (20:21).

The Carolina Hurricanes extended their win streak to eight games by beat the San Jose Sharks 3-1. Seth Jarvis, Sebastian Aho and Sean Walker were the goal scorers as the Hurricanes sit second in the Metro Division with 88 points. William Eklund scored for the Sharks, who played without defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic (upper-body injury).

Brock Nelson scored his first two goals with the Colorado Avalanche in a 5-1 win over the Ottawa Senators. Cale Makar, Jonathan Drouin and Ross Colton each collected two points as the Avalanche put this game away early with four goals in the first period. Dylan Cozens scored for the Senators, who pulled goalie Linus Ullmark after he gave up those four first-period goals on 13 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche sit third in the Central Division with 87 points. The Senators have lost two straight but hold the first Eastern wild card with 77 points, three up on the Canadiens. Senators defenseman Nick Jensen missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury.

The Los Angeles Kings defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1, mathematically eliminating the latter from the 2025 playoff race. Trevor Moore, Alex Turcotte and Joel Edmundson scored for the Kings, who’ve won six of their last seven contests to sit two points behind the Oilers with 83 points. Connor Bedard replied for the Blackhawks, who’ve lost six straight games.

Four unanswered third-period goals by Connor Zary, Daniil Miromanov, Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri lifted the Calgary Flames over the New Jersey Devils 5-3, putting them within two points of the Blues for the final Western wild-card spot. Devils captain Nico Hischier had a goal and an assist as his club sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 80 points.

Shootout goals by Nikita Kucherov and Gage Goncalves gave the Tampa Bay Lightning a 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars. Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli each had a goal and an assist for the Lightning (85 points), who sit two points behind the Panthers and Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division. Oskar Back and Mason Marchment replied for the Stars, who got a 38-save performance from Casey DeSmith. They sit second in the Central with 90 points.

The Anaheim Ducks got 33 saves from goalie John Gibson to defeat the Nashville Predators 4-1. Gibson had missed seven games with a lower-body injury. Trevor Zegras had a goal and an assist for the Ducks while Steven Stamkos scored for the Predators.

Three unanswered third-period goals by Dylan Guenther, Kevin Stenlund and Mikhail Sergachev got the Utah Hockey Club a 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres. The Stenlund goal resulted from an attempted pass by Sabres center Tage Thompson on a 6-on-4 situation that inadvertently went into his own net. The win puts Utah (73 points) four points behind the Blues for the final Western wild card.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres announced defenseman Jacob Bryson signed a one-year, $900K contract extension before this game.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 20, 2025

by | Mar 20, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 20, 2025

Recaps of Tuesday’s games, Gary Bettman talks about the playoff format and the All-Star Game, seven NHL prospects among this season’s Hobey Baker Award candidates, and more in today’s morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: An accidental interference by referee Kelly Sutherland resulted in Steven Lorentz’s game-winning goal in the third period as the Toronto Maple Leafs nipped the Colorado Avalanche 2-1. Sutherland stumbled and fell when he caught a rut, accidentally blocking a clearing attempt by Leafs defenseman Simon Benoit. The puck remained in the neutral zone, where Lorentz picked it up and beat Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood from the faceoff circle.

Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll kicked out 38 shots and Auston Matthews tallied his 27th goal of the season. Valeri Nichushkin replied for the Avalanche as their nine-game points streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs move into a tie with the Florida Panthers with 85 points, but the latter holds first place in the Atlantic Division with 35 regulation wins to the Leafs’ 33. Colorado holds third place in the Central Division with 85 points. The Avs announced before the game that defenseman Josh Manson will miss three to four weeks with an upper-body injury.

Minnesota Wild forward Matt Boldy (NHL Images)

Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson stopped 34 shots to shut out the Seattle Kraken 4-0. Matt Boldy scored twice for the Wild, who hold the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 83 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild forward Marco Rossi left this game in the first period with a lower-body injury after being accidentally struck by a shot from Boldy. Kraken center Chandler Stephenson departed in the second period for undisclosed reasons and didn’t return. There was no postgame update on either player.

HEADLINES

TSN: NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman took questions from reporters yesterday following the final day of general managers’ meetings.

Bettman gave an emphatic “no” when asked if the league would consider changes to the playoff format, saying he liked the current setup.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bettman appears to be in the minority as there are growing calls from fans and pundits for changes to the playoff format. Don’t expect any tinkering while he remains in charge.

He said the league remains committed to staging an All-Star Game hosted by the New York Islanders next season. However, he said they’re reevaluating the format after last month’s 4 Nations Face-Off tournament “raised the bar.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The 4 Nations tournament gave the fans a meaningful event with hockey played at the highest level by many of the world’s top players who were fully invested. Fans don’t want a gimmicky skills competition followed by All-Stars going through the motions because they don’t want to risk injury on a nothing game.

The commissioner declined to speculate about the discussion between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this week about a United States-Russia hockey series featuring NHL and KHL stars.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Russia’s war with Ukraine prompted the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to ban them from participating in international tournaments. The NHL has honored that ban.

Bettman said the 2025-26 season will open on Oct. 7. He also indicated that talks with the NHL Players’ Association regarding a new collective bargaining agreement will begin the first week in April. “I’m hoping we can do this quickly, quietly and painlessly,” said Bettman.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The atmosphere between the league and the PA has been free of the animosity and distrust that hung over previous negotiations, leading to work stoppages that hurt the game’s momentum and upset its fans. Here’s hoping things go smoothly this time around.

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals prospect forward Ryan Leonard and Minnesota Wild prospect defenseman Zeev Buium are among the 10 candidates for the 2025 Hobey Baker Memorial Award, which annually honors the top US men’s college hockey player.

Leonard plays for Boston College while Buium skates for the University of Denver. Other candidates with NHL ties include Michigan State forward Isaac Howard (Tampa Bay Lightning), University of Minnesota forward Jimmy Snuggerud (St. Louis Blues), University of Denver winger Jack Devine (Florida Panthers), Penn State winger Aiden Fink (Nashville Predators), and Clarkson winger Ayrton Martino (Dallas Stars).

The three finalists will be revealed on Apr. 3 and the winner will be announced on Apr. 11.

STLTODAY.COM: Blues head coach Jim Montgomery is optimistic that sidelined defenseman Colton Parayko might return before the end of this season. Parayko underwent a scope of his left knee on March 6 with a recovery timeline of six weeks. Montgomery said the defenseman’s rehab is progressing well.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers coach Paul Maurice said defenseman Dmitry Kulikov (right arm injury) is expected to be sidelined for two weeks. He’s expected back before the playoffs begin next month.

ROTOBALLER: Carolina Hurricanes blueliner Dmitry Orlov is expected to return to action tonight against the San Jose Sharks. He missed the last five games with an upper-body injury.

TSN: Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas is expected to be named GM of Canada’s team at the 2025 IIHF World Championship in May.