NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 24, 2026

by | Feb 24, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 24, 2026

The regular-season schedule resumed on Feb. 25. Check out the latest on Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Mikko Rantanen, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

TRIBLIVE.COM: It remains to be seen if Sidney Crosby will be in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ lineup when they resume their post-Olympic schedule on Thursday against the New Jersey Devils.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

Crosby remains hobbled by a right-leg injury that he suffered playing for Canada in the Olympic Men’s hockey tournament. He was sidelined from the final two games of the tournament, which the United States won with a 2-1 victory over Canada in the gold-medal game.

The Penguins recalled winger Avery Hayes from their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. During Monday’s practice, Hayes skated at left wing alongside right winger Rickard Rakell, who was filling in for Crosby at center. Head coach Dan Muse said this was largely a contingency plan in case the Penguins’ captain can’t play.

Muse offered no update on Crosby’s status. The long-time Penguins superstar was still trekking back from Italy with several of his Team Canada teammates on Monday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby was considered day-to-day during those final days of the Olympic tournament. He was close to playing in the gold-medal game, but took himself out of the lineup because he felt he wasn’t sufficiently recovered to help his team.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers captain Connor McDavid isn’t expected to rejoin his teammates right away when they resume their regular-season schedule.

The Oilers return to action on Wednesday against the Ducks in Anaheim, followed by a game against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.

Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch felt that playing 23-24 minutes in back-to-back games after travelling back from Europe wouldn’t put McDavid in the right position to help the team.

McDavid was named the most valuable player of the Olympic Men’s hockey tournament, setting a single-tournament record with 13 points. He also took over the captaincy of Team Canada with Sidney Crosby sidelined for its final two games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Knoblauch didn’t say if McDavid would miss the first game of the back-to-back series or both. We’ll learn more about his status by Wednesday.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Star winger Mikko Rantanen was placed on injured reserve due to a lower-body injury suffered playing for Finland in the Olympics. That opens up a roster spot to activate defenseman Lian Bichsel (lower-body) from IR. Bichsel had been sidelined since Nov. 30.

Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger won’t play in Wednesday’s game against the Seattle Kraken due to travel logistics. Forward Radek Faksa’s status remains uncertain after he was injured playing for Czechia in the Olympics.

DAILY FACEOFF: Stars center Roope Hintz is a game-day decision as he recovers from an illness.

TSN: Darren Dreger reports Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey will reportedly miss “a good chunk of time” with an upper-body injury suffered playing for Canada in the Olympics.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Critics of NHLers skating in the Olympics will point to these injuries and travel delays as reasons why the players shouldn’t participate in these tournaments.

However, the players want to take part in the Olympics, and most NHL fans want to see them in international best-on-best tournaments. This will not prevent their participation in the 2030 Olympics or the 2028 World Cup of Hockey.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Philip Broberg’s performance for Sweden in the 2026 Winter Olympics demonstrated why he’s the St. Louis Blues’ top defenseman.

Skating alongside veteran blueliner Erik Karlsson. The 24-year-old Broberg played big minutes for Sweden in key matches. He played on the second pairing, but wound up seeing more playing time as the tournament went on, including 24:57 of ice time in their 2-1 loss to the United States.

Broberg finished the tournament with a plus/minus of plus-2 and wasn’t on the ice for any 5-on-5 goals against.

THE MERCURY NEWS: Veteran defenseman Nick Leddy was recalled from the San Jose Sharks’ AHL affiliate, but it remains to be seen when he’ll see NHL action.

Leddy, 34, was claimed off waivers by the Sharks from the Blues last July. He began the season among their top-four defenseman, but was sidelined for several weeks by an upper-body injury, and struggled to regain his place in the lineup. Leddy was placed on waivers on Jan. 18 but went unclaimed.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leddy’s been the subject of some trade speculation. He could end up being moved by the March 6 trade deadline.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Las Vegas Motor Speedway would like to host an outdoor NHL game. The Speedway’s vice president of sales, Aaron Crowley, said the track hosts a large number of events each year, including music festivals and large corporate events.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 19, 2026

by | Jan 19, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 19, 2026

The Oilers get a shutout in Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ 1,000th career game, reaction to the Flames trading Rasmus Andersson to the Golden Knights, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF SUNDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers center forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored in his 1,000th career NHL regular-season game to help his club blank the St. Louis Blues 5-0. Zach Hyman tallied twice and collected an assist while Connor Ingram turned in a 27-save shutout for the 25-17-8 Oilers. Jordan Binnington stopped 23 shots for the Blues, who dropped to 19-22-8.

Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nugent-Hopkins is only the second player in Oilers history to play 1,000 games for the franchise, and the only one to play his entire career in Edmonton. He needs 38 more games to pass Kevin Lowe as the franchise leader. Nugent-Hopkins is also the 10th player in NHL history to score in his first NHL game and in his 1,000th.

Blues winger (and former Oiler) Dylan Holloway returned to action after missing the last 15 games with an ankle injury. His teammate, Oskar Sundqvist, left this game in the third period with an injured left leg.

The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Dallas Stars 4-1. Jake Guentzel and Dominic James each had a goal and an assist for the Lightning (30-13-4), who extended their points streak to 13 games (12-0-1) and regained first place in the Eastern Conference with 64 points. Oskar Back scored for the slumping Stars (27-13-9), who are 2-6-4 in their last 12 contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy reached the 20-win plateau for the 10th consecutive season. Hall of Famer Henrik Lundqvist is the all-time leader with thirteen 20-win seasons.

An overtime goal by Alex DeBrincat lifted the Detroit Red Wings to a 4-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators. DeBrincat and Andrew Copp each had two points as the Red Wings (30-16-4) have won six of their last seven games. Drake Batherson had a goal and an assist, and James Reimer made 30 saves for the struggling Senators (22-19-7), who are 4-6-3 in their last 13 games.

HEADLINES

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW/CALGARY SUN: The Golden Knights acquired defenseman Rasmus Andersson from the Flames in exchange for defenseman Zach Whitecloud, defense prospect Abram Wiebe, a conditional first-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft, and a conditional second-round pick in 2028.

PUCKPEDIA: The Flames retained 50 percent ($2.275 million) of Andersson’s $4.55 million cap hit. The conditional second-rounder becomes a first-round pick if the Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights did it again, willingly sacrificing futures to acquire a talented player who can help them right away. It also helped that the player they wanted was interested in joining them.

Andersson is the second defenseman the Golden Knights have acquired from the Flames since 2024. That was the year they obtained Noah Hanifin, eventually signing him to a contract extension.

The salary retention by the Flames was necessary to make the dollars fit for the Golden Knights, who moved Whitecloud and his $2.75 million cap hit in this deal. The 29-year-old blueliner is in the fourth year of a six-year contract. This move leaves the Golden Knights with $3.865 million in trade deadline cap space.

It’s a bit of a gamble contract-wise for the Golden Knights, as Andersson would not agree to sign a contract extension. However, that doesn’t mean he won’t re-sign before his eligibility for unrestricted free-agent status on July 1. It wouldn’t be surprising if he does.

As noted in the links provided, the Golden Knights needed an experienced top-pairing defenseman on their right side to replace the sidelined Alex Pietrangelo, who is on long-term injury reserve and whose playing days may be over. This move signals that Pietrangelo won’t return for the playoffs, meaning he’ll be moved to season-ending LTIR at some point, probably at the end of the regular season.

Andersson is a solid all-around defenseman whose puck-moving skills will provide more offense from the blueline for the Golden Knights.

Whitecloud provides the Flames with an experienced shutdown defenseman who can play top-four minutes. He will buy them time to develop promising blueliners Zayne Parekh and Hunter Brzustewicz. The Brandon, Manitoba native said he’s happy and excited about joining the Flames and playing in a Canadian market, so that’s a promising sign going forward.

How well this deal works out long-term for the Flames depends on the development of college prospect Wiebe and the prospects they select with those draft picks.

NHL.COM: Nashville Predators forward Steven Stamkos was fined $2,500 for unsportmanlike conduct against Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Jeremy Lauzon on Saturday.

TSN: Buffalo Sabres center Josh Norris is week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

SPORTSNET: The San Jose Sharks placed defenseman Nick Leddy on waivers.

NHL.COM: Former NHL forward Phil Goyette passed away on Jan. 17 at age 92.

He spent 16 seasons in the NHL with the Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, and Buffalo Sabres from 1956-57 to 1971-72. In 940 regular-season games, he had 207 goals and 467 assists for 674 points, along with 46 points in 97 playoff games.

Goyette won four Stanley Cups with the Canadiens from 1956-57 to 1959-60. He won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy with the St. Louis Blues in 1969-70.

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










NHL Rumor Mill – December 22, 2025

by | Dec 22, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – December 22, 2025

Check out the latest speculation on the Avalanche, Islanders, and Kings in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE DENVER POST: Corey Masisak believes the first-overall Colorado Avalanche will “almost certainly” add another defenseman before the March 6 trade deadline. However, adding a third-line center is a more pressing need.

The Avalanche could stick with Ross Colton in that role. Bednar recently praised Colton’s efforts in his first game in that role. They could stick with him if the cost of finding other options proves expensive.

Nashville Predators center Ryan O’Reilly (NHL Images).

Masisak suggested former Colorado centers such as Ryan O’Reilly of the Nashville Predators and Nazem Kadri of the Calgary Flames as possibilities. However, the cost for both makes them unlikely trade targets for the Avalanche.

Other options include Alexander Wennberg of the San Jose Sharks, Jason Dickinson of the Chicago Blackhawks, and former Av Charlie Coyle of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: O’Reilly reportedly isn’t considering a trade at this time. Kadri’s contract and the Flames’ asking price are too expensive. The Sharks won’t part with Wennberg if they remain in playoff contention.

Dickinson and Coyle could be more affordable if the Blackhawks and Blue Jackets go into sell mode. However, the Avs could be forced to overpay if other clubs get into the bidding, and they’ve already sacrificed future assets in recent years.

NEW YORK POST: Ethan Sears believes the Islanders have a steady, left-shot defenseman and a top-six winger near the top of their Christmas wish list to replace sidelined blueliner Alexander Romanov and winger Kyle Palmieri.

If the Islanders become buyers, they could get salary-cap relief by placing Romanov and Palmieri on long-term injury reserve. San Jose Jose Sharks defensemen Mario Ferraro and former Islander Nick Leddy could be blueline targets, while Kiefer Sherwood of the Vancouver Canucks or Matias Maccelli of the Toronto Maple Leafs might make sense as a replacement for Palmieri.

Sears doesn’t see general manager Mathieu Darche parting with a first-round pick to get any of those players.

For now, it’s too early to tell which path Darche might choose. Sears noted that a couple of bad weeks could knock them out of playoff contention in the tightly packed Eastern Conference.

If Darche buys early, he could be parting with future assets that he’ll need to recoup if things go sideways. If he waits too long, he’ll end up in sell mode with UFA-eligible forwards Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Anders Lee.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Darche will remain patient for now, especially given how few sellers there are in the trade market. The Isles’ performance in January will likely determine which path he takes, especially if more teams become sellers.

The Sharks aren’t likely to part with Ferraro and Leddy if they remain in playoff contention. Sherwood is available, but the Canucks’ asking price could be too high for Darche. Maccelli should be an affordable addition, but his struggles this season don’t make him an enticing trade target.

THE ATHLETIC: Eric Stephens believes the Los Angeles Kings have more work to do after trading center Phillip Danault to the Montreal Canadiens on Friday. He noted they didn’t get a roster player back in the deal, and the club continues to struggle offensively.

Stephens pointed out that the draft pick they got in the Danault deal would look good if the Kings were rebuilding. However, the club is built to win right now, and they still believe they can reach the playoffs and make some noise.

That second-round pick will only be valuable if it can be turned into a player (like Ryan O’Reilly of the Nashville Predators or Brayden Schenn of the St. Louis Blues) who makes the Kings better.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kings GM Ken Holland probably isn’t done making moves. Stephens pointed out that they shed Danault’s $5.5 million cap hit for this season and next, giving the Kings $9.2 million in current cap space, and a projected deadline cap space of $26 million.

As mentioned earlier, O’Reilly isn’t prepared to consider a trade right now. Meanwhile, the Blues intend to seek full value for any player they trade, meaning they’ll want a young NHL player for Schenn instead of draft picks.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 11, 2025

by | Nov 11, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 11, 2025

The Oilers stage a comeback win, the Rangers finally win at home, Zdeno Chara, Joe Thornton, and Duncan Keith highlight the 2025 Hockey Hall of Fame inductions, the 3 stars of the week are announced, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF MONDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Connor McDavid scored twice, Jake Walman netted the tying goal, and Jack Roslovic scored in overtime as the Edmonton Oilers overcame a 4-2 deficit to defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4. Walman finished with three points (including two goals) for the Oilers, who snapped a three-game winless skid (0-2-1) and improved to 7-6-4. Adam Fantilli and Boone Jenner each had a goal and an assist for the 7-7-1 Blue Jackets, who are winless in their last four (0-3-1).

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Oilers placed center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (undisclosed) on injured reserve, moved winger Kasperi Kapanen (undisclosed) on long-term injury reserve, and activated forward Mattias Janmark off injured reserve.

The New York Rangers picked up their first home win of the season by beating the Nashville Predators by a score of 6-3. Artemi Panarin tallied twice, and Alexis Lafreniere had a goal and two assists for the Rangers (8-7-2). Rookie forward Matthew Wood scored all three goals for the Predators, who are winless in five games (0-3-2) and dropped to 5-9-4 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers center Vincent Trocheck collected two assists as he returned to action after missing 14 games with an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, Wood is among the few bright spots for the struggling Predators. The 20-year-old rookie winger sits third among their scorers and fifth among NHL freshmen with 10 points in 11 games.

An overtime goal by Mathew Barzal lifted the New York Islanders over the New Jersey Devils 3-2. Ilya Sorokin made 33 saves as the Islanders, who improved their record to 8-6-2. Timo Meier had a goal and an assist for the Devils (11-4-1), who collected a point and sit in first place in the Eastern Conference with 23 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils forward Zack MacEwen returned to the lineup after missing 13 games with an upper-body injury.

Florida Panthers winger Brad Marchand extended his goal streak to five games in a 3-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. Jesper Boqvist and Sam Reinhart also scored, and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 30 shots for the 8-7-1 Panthers. Tomas Hertl and Ivan Barbashev replied for the Golden Knights (7-4-4), who are winless in their last three games (0-2-1).

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Former NHL stars Zdeno Chara, Joe Thornton, Duncan Keith, and Alexander Mogilny were among those officially inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto on Monday.

Former women’s stars Jennifer Botterill and Brianna Decker were also inducted into the Players’ category. Jack Parker and Daniele Sauvageau were inducted into the Builders’ category.

Chara thanked fellow Hall of Fame defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom for inspiring him as a player. He also thanked several of his Boston Bruins teammates, including Patrice Bergeron, with whom he won the Stanley Cup in 2011.

Keith thanked his mother for taking him to practices when he was a child. He also thanked Trent Yawney, his first coach with the Blackhawks, his long-time defense partner Brent Seabrook, and his son, Colton Keith.

Thornton thanked several Hall of Famers for inspiring him as a child and during his NHL career, including Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky, Pat LaFontaine, Cam Neely, Eric Lindros, and Steve Yzerman. He got emotional as he thanked his wife and children.

Mogilny didn’t attend the ceremony, but sent a video message thanking the teams he played for and their fans. He also joked that he had a shot of Russian vodka to celebrate, as he was unable to return to sleep after getting the call from the Hall at three in the morning.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to the HhoF Class of 2025. You can watch the full induction speeches by following the link above.

NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard, and Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson were the league’s three stars for the week ending Nov. 9.

TSN: Buffalo Sabres forward Jiri Kulich will miss a significant period of time this season due to a blood clot issue that is described as serious. Head coach Lindy Ruff expects Kulich to return later this season, depending on how things go over the next several weeks.

NESN: Boston Bruins center Casey Mittelstadt is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

CBS SPORTS: San Jose Sharks defenseman Nick Leddy has been activated off injured reserve. He’s been sidelined since late October with an upper-body injury.

DAILY FACEOFF: Former Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin has been named GM of Canada’s 2025 Spengler Cup team. Bergevin is currently an advisor with the Los Angeles Kings.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 29, 2025

by | Oct 29, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 29, 2025

A milestone game for Blackhawks center Connor Bedard, a career-best performance by Avalanche winger Victor Olofsson, Canadiens winger Cole Caufield sets a franchise record, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard tallied his first career NHL hat trick and added an assist in a 7-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Frank Nazar, Andre Burakovsky, Nick Foligno, and Louis Crevier each had two points for the Blackhawks, who improved to 5-3-2. Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson each had two points for the 5-5-1 Senators as their three-game win streak ended.

Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard (NHL Images)

Colorado Avalanche winger Victor Olofsson collected his first career hat trick in a career-high five-point performance as his club thumped the New Jersey Devils 8-4. Cale Makar had four assists and Nathan MacKinnon scored twice and set up another for the 6-1-4 Avalanche, snapping their four-game winless skid. Jack Hughes had a goal and an assist as the Devils’ eight-game win streak ended (8-2-0), but they remain atop the Metropolitan Division with 16 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a shaky performance for Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom, giving up eight goals on 42 shots in his first game since being injured two weeks ago. Devils defenseman Brett Pesce missed this game as he is expected to be sidelined for at least a month with an upper-body injury. They also placed forward Cody Glass (lower body) on injured reserve.

The Avalanche dropped struggling captain Gabriel Landeskog from the first line. He has three assists in 11 games.

An overtime goal by Cole Caufield gave the Montreal Canadiens a 4-3 victory against the Seattle Kraken. The Canadiens blew a 3-0 lead until Caufield tallied his franchise-record 11th regular-season overtime goal. Caufield finished the night with two goals for the 8-3-0 Canadiens, who hold first place in the Atlantic Division. Brandon Montour scored twice and picked up an assist for the 5-2-3 Kraken.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki collected three assists to extend his points streak to a league-leading 10 games.

Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger turned in a 24-save shutout performance for a 1-0 win over the Washington Capitals. Tyler Seguin scored for the Stars (6-3-1) as they picked up their third straight win. Logan Thompson turned aside 18 shots for the 6-4-0 Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Stars announced the signing of defenseman Thomas Harley to an eight-year contract extension with an average annual value of $10.587 million. The 24-year-old blueliner is in the second season of a two-year contract with a cap hit of $4 million, but his emergence as a top-four rearguard over the last two years earned him this lucrative new deal.

A 23-save shutout by Jonathan Quick carried the New York Rangers over the Vancouver Canucks 2-0. Mika Zibanejad and Sam Carrick scored for the 4-5-2 Rangers. Thatcher Demko stopped 23 of 24 shots for the Canucks, who dropped to 5-6-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was J.T. Miller’s first game in Vancouver since his trade to the Rangers in January. While he was booed by Canucks fans the first time he touched the puck, he received a standing ovation minutes later during a video tribute honoring his years with the Canucks.

Earlier in the day, the Rangers announced forward Matt Rempe is out “longer term” with an upper-body injury suffered during a recent fight with San Jose Sharks forward Ryan Reaves.

The Philadelphia Flyers nipped the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 on a shootout goal by Bobby Brink, who also had a goal and an assist in regulation. Flyers winger Travis Konecny netted his 200th career NHL regular-season goal as his club improved to 5-3-1. Jonathan Brazeau and Sidney Crosby replied for the Penguins (7-2-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A brawl erupted at the end of overtime, resulting in eight players receiving misconducts, including Crosby, Trevor Zegras, Tyson Foerster, and Owen Tippett, leaving them ineligible to participate in the shootout.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Max Domi scored twice, including the game-winning goal, to lift his club over the Calgary Flames 4-3. Matthew Knies tallied two goals and picked up an assist as the Maple Leafs improved to 5-4-1. Morgan Frost, Joel Farabee, and Samuel Honzek scored for the Flames, who are 2-8-0 on the season.

The Vegas Golden Knights got two late goals from Jack Eichel in a 6-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Eichel finished the night with three points, and Pavel Dorofeyev also had two goals for the 6-1-3 Golden Knights, who sit atop the Pacific Division with 15 points. Andrei Svechnikov, Jordan Martinook, and Logan Stankoven scored for the 6-3-0 Hurricanes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere left this game with a lower-body injury. This comes a day after being activated from injured reserve.

Columbus Blue Jackets winger Miles Wood scored two goals, including the overtime winner, to defeat the Buffalo Sabres 4-3. Jet Greaves turned aside 35 shots for the Blue Jackets as they improved to 5-4-2. Alex Tuch had two assists for the 4-4-2 Sabres.

The Anaheim Ducks squeaked past the Florida Panthers 3-2 on a shootout goal by Mason McTavish. Leo Carlsson had a shorthanded goal and an assist as the 5-3-1 Ducks took a 2-0 lead until the Panthers (5-5-1) rallied on goals by Anton Lundell and Sam Reinhart.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Ducks announced center Mikael Granlund is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Boston Bruins goaltender Joonas Korpisalo stopped 33 shots as his club overcame a 2-0 deficit to beat the New York Islanders 5-2. David Pastrnak, Elias Lindholm, and Michael Eyssimont each had a goal and an assist for the 5-7-0 Bruins. Bo Horvat and Kyle Palmieri tallied for the 4-4-1 Islanders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins activated defenseman Hampus Lindholm off injured reserve and made blueliner Mason Lohrei a healthy scratch for this game.

The Tampa Bay Lightning won their third straight by downing the Nashville Predators 5-2. Zemgus Girgensons scored two goals, and Brandon Hagel had a goal and an assist as the Lightning improved to 4-4-2. Luke Evangelista and Filip Forsberg replied for the Predators, who slipped to 4-5-2.

Winnipeg Jets winger Kyle Connor’s overtime goal lifted his club to a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild. Connor Hellebuyck made 33 saves for the 7-3-0 Jets. Brock Faber and Marco Rossi each had two points for the 3-5-3 Wild, who have one win in their last eight games (1-4-3).

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin scored twice and collected an assist to defeat the St. Louis Blues 5-2. Alex DeBrincat and Lucas Raymond each had two points for the 7-3-0 Red Wings. Brayden Schenn and Jordan Kyrou replied for the Blues (3-6-0), who are 0-4-1 in their last five contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues forward Jake Neighbours is out for five weeks with an injured right leg.

The Edmonton Oilers overcame a 2-0 deficit for a 6-3 victory over the Utah Mammoth, snapping the latter’s seven-game win streak. Connor McDavid scored twice, Leon Draisaitl had a goal and an assist, and Evan Bouchard collected three assists to improve their record to 5-4-2. Logan Cooley, JJ Peterka, and Barrett Hayton scored for the 8-3-0 Mammoth, who remain in first place in the Central Division with 16 points.

Los Angeles Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke snapped a 3-3 tie as his club downed the San Jose Sharks 4-3. The Kings had blown a 3-0 lead before Clarke’s game-winner. Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper got the win with a 37-save performance as his club improved to 5-3-3. Philipp Kurashev and Alex Wennberg each had a goal and an assist for the 2-6-2 Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kings forward Warren Foegele missed this game with an upper-body injury and is expected to miss some time. Meanwhile, the Sharks placed defenseman Nick Leddy (upper body) on injured reserve.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 24, 2025

by | Oct 24, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 24, 2025

Macklin Celebrini leads the Sharks to their first win, Logan Cooley and Clayton Keller lead the Mammoth to victory, the Lightning’s early-season woes continue, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Macklin Celebrini tallied a hat trick and added two assists as his San Jose Sharks got their first win of the season (1-4-2) by nipping the New York Rangers 6-5. Will Smith scored in overtime and in regulation to finish the night with four points, and William Eklund had three assists. Tayler Raddysh had a hat trick for the Rangers, who dropped to 3-4-2 and remain winless at home (0-4-1).

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers also lost center Matt Rempe to an upper-body injury following a first-period fight with Sharks forward Ryan Reaves.

Sharks defenseman Nick Leddy left this contest in the first period with an upper-body injury. Teammate Timothy Liljegren returned to action after being sidelined on Oct. 14 with a lower-body injury.

A natural hat trick by Logan Cooley powered the Utah Mammoth to a 7-4 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Cooley finished with four points, and teammates Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, Dylan Guenther, and JJ Peterka each had three points for the 6-2-0 Mammoth. Jordan Binnington replaced Joel Hofer after the Blues’ backup allowed three goals on six shots. The loss drops the Blues to 3-3-1.

Chicago Blackhawks winger Ryan Donato tallied twice, including the winning goal, as his club upset the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2. Nikita Kucherov and Ryan McDonagh each had two points for the Lightning, who are off to the worst start in franchise history (1-4-2). The Blackhawks improved to 4-2-2.

Anaheim Ducks center Mikael Granlund netted a career-high five points (two goals, three assists) as his club rolled to a 7-5 win over the Boston Bruins. Nikita Nesterenko picked up four assists as the Ducks improved to 4-2-1. Morgan Geekie scored two goals for the struggling Bruins, who have dropped six in a row (3-6-0).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas left this game with a lower-body injury in the first period.

The Edmonton Oilers blew a 3-1 lead but overcame a 5-3 deficit to beat the Montreal Canadiens 6-5 on a late goal by Vasily Podkolzin. Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored power-play goals to set the stage for Podkolzin’s game-winner, and Connor McDavid collected three assists for the 4-3-1 Oilers. Cole Caufield and Alex Newhook each scored twice for the 6-3-0 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens were furious over those two penalty calls that led to the Draisaitl and Nugent-Hopkins’ goals. Pundits in both cities considered those calls questionable. Still, the Habs were guilty of sloppy defensive play and some shaky goaltending from Sam Montembeault.

Speaking of the Canadiens, center Kirby Dach returned to action after missing three games with a lower-body injury. Earlier in the day, Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes said sidelined winger Patrik Laine’s lower-body injury isn’t related to the sprained knee he suffered last season.

Meanwhile, the Oilers announced that winger Kasperi Kapanen (undisclosed) was placed on injured reserve.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby scored twice and collected an assist to lead his team to a 5-3 win over the Florida Panthers. Evgeni Malkin, Erik Karlsson, and Rickard Rakell each had two points as the Penguins collected their fourth straight victory and improved to 6-2-0. Brad Marchand tallied two goals for the 4-5-0 Panthers, who have dropped five of their last six contests

The New York Islanders got two goals from Emil Heineman as they thumped the Detroit Red Wings 7-2. Anders Lee had three assists, and David Rittich stopped 31 shots as the Islanders improved to 4-3-0. Dylan Larkin and Jonatan Berggren replied for the Red Wings, who slipped to 5-3-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer’s six-game season-opening points streak ended, but he played a team-leading 25:14 of ice time and finished with a plus-minus of plus-2. Earlier in the day, the Isles announced they’ve placed defenseman Alexander Romanov (upper body) on injured reserve.

A shootout goal by Seth Jarvis lifted the Carolina Hurricanes to a 5-4 victory over the Colorado Avalanche. Jarvis also had a goal and an assist in regulation for the Hurricanes, who improved their record to 6-1-0. Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin tallied twice, and Trent Miner made 20 saves after Scott Wedgewood was pulled after giving up four goals on 11 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Both clubs honored their heritage in this game with the Hurricanes wearing Hartford Whalers jerseys and the Avalanche sporting Quebec Nordiques jerseys. Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin was placed on injured reserve earlier in the day with a lower-body injury.

Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord kicked out 32 shots for a 3-0 shutout of the Winnipeg Jets. Jaden Schwartz scored two goals, and Jordan Eberle also tallied for the Kraken, who improved to 4-2-2. Connor Hellebucyk stopped 25 of 26 shots for the Jets (5-2-0) as their five-game win streak ended.

An overtime goal by Adrian Kempe gave the Los Angeles Kings a 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars, handing the latter their fourth straight loss (3-3-1). Kempe finished with two points, and Quinton Byfield picked up two assists for the 3-3-1 Kings. Wyatt Johnston and Roope Hintz each had two points for the Stars.

The Ottawa Senators got a 22-save performance from Linus Ullmark to nip the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1. Michael Amadio and Olle Lycksell scored for the 3-4-1 Senators, and Tyson Foerster replied for the Flyers (3-3-1).

Nashville Predators winger Cole Smith snapped a 1-1 tie to give his team a 2-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Juuse Saros turned aside 21 shots, and Ryan O’Reilly also scored for the Predators (3-3-2) as they snapped a four-game losing skid. Max Sasson replied for the 4-4-0 Canucks.

IN OTHER NEWS…

SPORTSNET/DAILY FACEOFF: The Toronto Maple Leafs placed defenseman Chris Tanev (upper body) on injured reserve. Goaltender Joseph Woll (undisclosed)was placed on long-term injury reserve. This comes a month after Woll took a leave of absence to deal with a personal matter.

TSN: Former Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan is joining the NHL hockey operations department. He left the Maple Leafs this summer after 11 years when the club opted not to renew his contract.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: The Golden Knights placed captain Mark Stone on long-term injury reserve.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: The Sabres recalled goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen from his conditioning stint with their AHL affiliate in Rochester.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Washington Capitals have accommodated Sheldon Rempal’s request for contract termination as he explores other opportunities overseas.