NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 22, 2025

by | Oct 22, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 22, 2025

Milestone games for the Penguins’ Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang, and Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer, Panthers winger Brad Marchand returns to Boston, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING TUESDAY’S NHL ACTION

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby scored to pass Mario Lemieux for the most regular-season and playoff points (1,896) in franchise history in a 5-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Kris Letang collected two assists to reach 600 for his career, and Justin Brazeau had a goal and two assists for the 5-2-0 Penguins. Conor Garland replied for the injury-depleted Canucks, who are 4-3-0 in their first seven games.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks were missing Filip Chytil, Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Teddy Blueger, and Derek Forbort. The four remain sidelined by injuries. Winger Brock Boeser also missed this game as he’s on a leave of absence for personal reasons.

New York Islanders rookie Matthew Schaefer scored and collected an assist as his club nipped the San Jose Sharks 4-3, handing the latter their sixth straight loss (0-4-2). Schaefer became the youngest defenseman in NHL history to score a game-winning goal, and tied the record for the longest points streak to begin a career for a defenseman (six games). The Islanders have won three straight after losing their first three games. Collin Graf had a goal and an assist, and rookie forward Michael Misa picked up an assist for his first NHL point.

Brad Marchand collected two assists to help the Florida Panthers defeat his former club, the Boston Bruins, by a score of 4-3. During the first period, the Bruins honored Marchand with a video tribute, garnering a standing ovation from Boston fans that moved the winger to tears. Carter Verhaeghe scored with 26 seconds left for the Panthers, snapping a four-game losing skid. Pavel Zacha had a goal and an assist for the Bruins, who’ve lost five straight after winning their first three games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins held defenseman Hampus Lindholm out of this game as he continues to be hampered by a nagging lower-body injury.

New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes’ hat trick powered his club to a 5-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jesper Bratt collected three assists for the Devils, who have won five straight games after dropping their season-opener. John Tavares had a goal and an assist, and Matias Maccelli scored his first goal for the Leafs as their record dropped to 3-3-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hughes is off to a hot start, with six goals in his last three games. Meanwhile, Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev left this game in the second period with an upper-body injury.

An overtime goal by Jake Walman lifted the Edmonton Oilers (3-3-1) over the Ottawa Senators by a score of 3-2, snapping a three-game losing skid. Oilers captain Connor McDavid and rookie forward Isaac Howard scored their first goals of the season. Dylan Cozens and Thomas Chabot replied for the 2-4-1 Senators, who have one win in their last six games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers winger Kasperi Kapanen missed this game as he’s week-to-week with an undisclosed injury.

The Utah Mammoth got an overtime goal from Dylan Guenther to upset the Colorado Avalanche 4-3. Karel Vejmelka stopped 30 shots and Mikhail Sergachev had a goal and two assists as the Mammoth (5-2-0) extended its win streak to four games. Cale Makar, Jack Drury, and Martin Necas scored for the Avalanche, whose points streak has reached seven games (5-0-2).

Columbus Blue Jackets forwards Boone Jenner, Adam Fantilli, and Kent Johnson each had a goal and an assist in a 5-1 upset of the Dallas Stars. Elvis Merzlikins stopped 22 shots for the Blue Jackets, improving their record to 3-3-0. Tyler Seguin replied for the Stars, who have lost three straight after winning their first three games of the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars center Matt Duchene missed this contest as he’s day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.

Washington Capitals forward Nic Dowd had a goal and an assist as his club defeated the Seattle Kraken 4-1. Aliaksei Protas collected two assists for the Capitals, who have won five of their last six and are 5-2-0 on the season. Jaden Schwartz scored for the Kraken, whose record dropped to 3-2-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kraken played with winger Mason Marchment, who is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

The Anaheim Ducks got a goal and two assists from winger Ross Johnston in a 5-2 win over the Nashville Predators. Cutter Gauthier had a goal and an assist for the Ducks, who are 3-2-1 in their first six games. Tyson Jost and Filip Forsberg scored for the 2-3-2 Predators, who have dropped four straight (0-3-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Predators winger Jonathan Marchessault missed this game with a lower-body injury.

An overtime goal by Adrian Kempe lifted the Los Angeles Kings over the St. Louis Blues by a score of 2-1. Alex Laferriere also scored for the Kings as they ended a four-game winless streak (0-2-2). Justin Faulk replied for the 3-2-1 Blues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Kings placed captain Anze Kopitar (foot) on injured reserve. Meanwhile, Corey Perry made his season debut with the Kings after being sidelined by knee surgery before training camp.

IN OTHER NEWS…

DAILY FACEOFF: Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane will miss his club’s next two games with a lower-body injury.

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Wild placed defenseman Zach Bogosian (lower body) on injured reserve.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: The Sabres are sending goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to their AHL affiliate for conditioning.

DAILY FACEOFF: Hurricanes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere will miss his team’s next two games with an undisclosed injury.

Speaking of the Hurricanes, they and the Colorado Avalanche will wear Hartford Whalers and Quebec Nordiques jerseys for two matchups this season.

THE SCORE: The NHL has cancelled an Olympic sendoff event scheduled for February at the New York Islanders’ arena (UBS Arena), and will instead hold All-Star Weekend festivities there in 2027.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 2, 2025

by | Oct 2, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 2, 2025

Updates on Rangers captain J.T. Miller and Flames winger Jonathan Huberdeau, the Oilers acquire Connor Ingram, the Maple Leafs topped Sportico’s latest franchise valuations, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers are taking a cautious approach with J.T. Miller as he recuperates from a lower-body injury suffered during practice on Monday. The Rangers captain is listed as day-to-day and won’t play in Thursday’s preseason game against the New Jersey Devils.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The goal is to have Miller ready for their season opener on Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

TSN: Calgary Flames winger Jonathan Huberdeau left Wednesday’s preseason game against the Vancouver Canucks. He suffered an undisclosed injury after crashing into the Canucks net. He was on the ice for several minutes but left under his own power. There was no postgame update regarding his condition.

Calgary Flames winger Jonathan Huberdeau (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames are hoping that Huberdeau’s injury isn’t serious. His playmaking abilities will be crucial to the Flames’ hopes of reaching the playoffs this season.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers acquired goaltender Connor Ingram from the Utah Mammoth on Wednesday for future considerations. The Mammoth will retain $800K of his $1.95 million cap hit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers acquired Ingram to bolster their goaltending depth, which has been considered a weakness over the past two seasons. Having cleared waivers with the Mammoth earlier this week, he’s going directly to the Oilers’ AHL affiliate in Bakersfield.

SPORTSNET: The Toronto Maple Leafs are the NHL’s most valuable franchise. According to Sportico’s latest franchise valuations, the Leafs are worth $4.25 billion, up 16 percent from last year’s mark of $3.66 billion.

The New York Rangers are second at $3.65 billion, the Montreal Canadiens third ($3.3 billion), the Boston Bruins fourth ($3 billion), and the Los Angeles Kings are fifth ($2.96 billion).

The Edmonton Oilers are sixth at $2.76 billion, followed by the Chicago Blackhawks ($2.74 billion), the Philadelphia Flyers ($2.66 billion), the Washington Capitals ($2.3 billion), and the Detroit Red Wings ($2.11 billion).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Click this link to see the complete list. A notable fact is that the average value of an NHL franchise has risen to $2.1 billion.

The Athletic’s James Mirtle observed that the valuation gap is finally narrowing between the league’s have and have-not franchises.

“It attracts better, well-heeled ownership,” Mirtle writes.“Which in turn leads to more stability for the league overall and higher revenues for individual markets that traditionally haven’t produced big dollars at the game.”

DAILY FACEOFF: Evgeny Kuznetsov has put his desire to return to the NHL on hold, signing a one-year contract with KHL club Metallurg Magnitogorsk.

THE DENVER POST: Erik Johnson announced his retirement after 17 NHL seasons with the St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche, and Philadelphia Flyers, spending 14 seasons with the Avalanche.

Johnson netted 348 points in 1,023 NHL regular-season games and 13 points in 58 playoff contests. He helped the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup in 2021-22. He played 731 regular-season games with the Avs, sitting second to Adam Foote for the most games by a defenseman (967) in franchise history.

RG.ORG: San Jose Sharks center Michael Misa is focused on improving his 200-foot game as he approaches his NHL rookie season. The 18-year-old center was chosen second overall in this year’s NHL Draft, and compares his game to Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares and former Boston Bruins great Patrice Bergeron.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: James van Riemsdyk has rejoined his Red Wings teammates after taking time off to deal with a family matter. His wife gave birth to twins two weeks ago, but some complications required an additional stay in the hospital. The 36-year-old winger signed with the Red Wings this summer as a free agent.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen re-aggravated a lower-body injury during Wednesday’s preseason game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No word yet regarding the severity of Luukkonen’s injury. If he’s out long term, they could turn to Alexandar Georgiev or Alex Lyon as their starter for the coming season.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Kraken defenseman Ryker Evans is sidelined until November with an upper-body injury.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Ottawa Senators forwards Hayden Hodgson and Nick Cousins were fined for their actions during Tuesday’s preseason game against the Montreal Canadiens.

Hodgson was fined over $2,000 for boarding Canadiens forward Alex Newhook, while Cousins was fined over $2,100 for slashing Canadiens rookie winger Ivan Demidov.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Demidov left the game favoring his right wrist, but he wasn’t seriously injured. The 19-year-old winger is expected to be in the lineup for the Canadiens’ final preseason game on Saturday against the Senators.

THE TENNESSEAN: Nashville Predators rookie forward Matthew Wood is listed as week to week with a lower-body injury. Meanwhile, the Predators claimed winger Tyson Jost off waivers from the Carolina Hurricanes.

DAILY FACEOFF: 38 players were placed on waivers on Wednesday.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 27, 2025

by | Sep 27, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 27, 2025

Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov is sidelined for the season, Marc-Andre Fleury returns to the Penguins for a special weekend, an update on Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov underwent surgery to repair injuries to ligaments in his right knee suffered during practice on Thursday. He is expected to be sidelined for seven to nine months.

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov (NHL Images).

Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said Barkov’s absence leaves a big hole in their roster. “He is such an important piece in that locker room,” Maurice said. “What we’ll get to know now is some of the other leaders in the room.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers were already dealing with winger Matthew Tkachuk recovering from offseason surgeries, but they knew that he would return by January. Barkov’s absence is a much bigger blow to their hopes for a Stanley Cup “three-peat.”

Barkov is one of the key reasons why the Panthers reached the Stanley Cup Final three straight times, winning the Cup twice in a row since 2024. They will miss his leadership and elite two-way play.

Depending on Barkov’s recovery, it’s unlikely that he will return later in the regular season. The earliest he could be back is for the first round of the 2025 playoffs, and even that’s not a certainty.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Marc-Andre Fleury joined the Penguins’ practice on Friday as part of a special weekend for the 40-year-old goaltender.

Fleury began his NHL career with the Penguins, spending 13 of his 21 seasons in Pittsburgh. He retired at the end of last season, but signed a tryout contract to practice with the Penguins on Friday and play one period of Saturday’s preseason game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

It was a special reunion for Fleury with his former teammates Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Bryan Rust. It felt like old times as he good-naturedly chirped his teammates and played some pranks on them, including putting decals of his jersey number (29) on their vehicles.

Fleury also clarified that he wants it to be known that he’s retiring as a member of the Minnesota Wild, with whom he spent his last four NHL seasons. He’s grateful to finish in Pittsburgh, where everything started for the future Hall of Famer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The usually buttoned-down Crosby couldn’t hide his joy over having his old teammate back for a final practice. Wearing his throwback yellow pads, Fleury made several saves that drew cheers from the fans in attendance, including a windmill save on a Crosby one-timer.

Speaking of the Penguins, goalie Joel Blomqvist will be sidelined for four weeks with a lower-body injury.

TSN: Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said starting goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy is expected to be ready for their season opener on Oct. 9. Vasilevskiy has been absent since Sept. 19 with an undisclosed injury.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers winger Artemi Panarin returned to practice with his teammates on Friday. He’d spent the past week nursing a lower-body injury.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: Sabres winger Alex Tuch will be in the lineup when they face the Detroit Red Wings in preseason play on Saturday. He missed their first three preseason contests with an undisclosed injury.

Sabres starting goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (lower body) could return to play their final two preseason games.

TORONTO STAR: The Maple Leafs signed James Reimer to a professional tryout offer. The 37-year-old goaltender began his NHL career with the Leafs in 2010-11, becoming a fan favorite during his six seasons with the franchise.

The Leafs have brought back Reimer as insurance with Joseph Woll on a leave of absence for personal reasons and Dennis Hildeby an unproven rookie.

TSN: Speaking of the Maple Leafs, defenseman Marshall Rifai requires wrist surgery after suffering an injury during Thursday’s preseason win over the Montreal Canadiens.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks forward Nils Hoglander is listed as week-to-week with a sprained ankle.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Canadiens defenseman David Reinbacher suffered a broken bone in his hand and will be sidelined for four weeks.

DAILY FACEOFF: Goaltender Ivan Fedotov, forward Liam Foudy, and defenseman Kevin Connauton are the notable players placed on waivers on Friday.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 13, 2025

by | Sep 13, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 13, 2025

Marc-Andre Fleury to have a last hurrah with the Penguins, Kings winger Corey Perry injured, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Marc-Andre Fleury is returning to the Penguins on a professional tryout contract.

The 40-year-old goaltender will appear in a training camp practice on Sept. 26 and in a preseason game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sept. 27 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.

Retired NHL goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (NHL Images).

That will be the extent of Fleury’s comeback with his original NHL team. He announced his retirement earlier this year. Fleury confirmed that he will be playing one period against the Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A future Hall-of-Famer, Fleury was drafted by the Penguins first overall in the 2003 NHL Draft, spending 13 of his 21 seasons in Pittsburgh, winning three Stanley Cups. This is a last hurrah as he completes his long career where it began.

MAYOR’S MANOR: Los Angeles Kings winger Corey Perry suffered a possible injury while skating with his teammates on Friday. It’s uncertain if he caught a rut or collided with another player. The 40-year-old Perry was taken off the ice in a wheelchair for further medical evaluation.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Perry signed with the Kings as an unrestricted free agent earlier this summer. An update on his status could come as early as Saturday.

THE ATHLETIC: Matthew Fairburn reports that an injury to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was the reason why the Buffalo Sabres signed free-agent goaltender Alexandar Georgiev to a one-year contract.

Luukkonen reported to the Sabres earlier this week, nursing an injury that was described as a “tweak”. The club is unsure of the severity of the injury and is uncertain how long the 26-year-old netminder will be sidelined.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Luukkonen has been the Sabres’ starting goalie for the past two seasons. Losing him for a significant period could be an early setback to their hopes of snapping their league-record 14-year playoff drought.

CBS SPORTS: Calvin de Haan signed a one-year contract with the Swedish Hockey League’s Rogle BK on Friday.

The 34-year-old defenseman spent the past 13 seasons in the NHL, collecting 149 regular-season points in 679 games with the New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Tampa Bay Lightning, Colorado Avalanche, and New York Rangers.

DAILY FACEOFF: The New York Rangers signed defenseman Andrej Sustr to a professional tryout offer.

Sustr, 34, spent the past three seasons in Europe. Before that, he spent eight seasons (2012-13 to 2021-22) with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Anaheim Ducks.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 25, 2024

by | Jul 25, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 25, 2024

Reaction to the Oilers hiring Stan Bowman as their new GM, the Sabres sign Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to a long-term contract, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers announced they hired Stan Bowman as their new general manager and vice president of hockey operations. He becomes the 11th general manager in Oilers history.

Bowman spent over 20 years with the Chicago Blackhawks, 12 of those as general manager. He resigned from the Blackhawks in 2021 after an independent investigation found he and others mishandled sexual assault allegations by player Kyle Beach in 2010 against the club’s then-video coach Bradley Aldrich. Bowman was suspended by the NHL until lifted earlier this month by league Commissioner Gary Bettman.

During his introductory press conference, Bowman admitted his response to the Beach situation was inadequate and mishandled, saying it was something he regrets. He worked with Sheldon Kennedy and his organization, Respect Group, as part of the process of learning about the prevention of bullying, harassment, abuse and discrimination. Kennedy recently endorsed Bowman’s effort to return to the NHL.

Edmonton Oilers hire Stan Bowman as new GM. (NHL.com).

Bowman also said that he reached out to Beach with Kennedy’s encouragement. The two have kept in touch since last year, including Bowman spending a day and a half working with Beach at Trinity Western University in British Columbia, where Beach works as an assistant coach. Bowman said he called Beach the day before his hiring by the Oilers, calling it an encouraging conversation.

Nevertheless, Bowman’s hiring by the Oilers was not well received on social media.

THE ATHLETIC: Mark Lazerus reviewed Bowman’s work as Blackhawks general manager. He knows how to win by building around a superstar core and bold enough to go for it with a team in contention. In that regard, he makes sense for an Oilers team in “win-now” mode.

Lazerus also noted Bowman’s mistakes, such as his reputation as a poor contract negotiator and his inability to stick to a rebuilding plan. The Blackhawks had poor player development under his watch, and his trades of Patrick Sharp, Phillip Danault, Teuvo Teravainen, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Artemi Panarin didn’t pan out.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bowman inherited a strong Blackhawks roster and managed it well for several years, winning three Stanley Cups from 2009-10 to 2014-15. However, the wheels quickly fell off during the latter years of his tenure.

He should do well with the current Oilers roster but it remains to be seen if he learned from his mistakes with the Blackhawks. Otherwise, the Oilers could face a swift, ugly decline in a few years.

Kennedy’s endorsement was crucial to Bowman’s return to the management ranks and I trust his judgment. Bowman’s efforts to learn and grow helped him establish a positive relationship with Beach.

Nevertheless, I’m having difficulty accepting this news. The Beach situation was bad enough but Lazerus also pointed out it was the failure of people like Bowman that led directly to the sexual abuse of a minor by Aldrich.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: The Sabres avoided salary arbitration with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen as the two sides agreed to a five-year deal with an average annual value of $4.75 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Luukkonen earned that new deal with a solid performance in an otherwise disappointing season for the Sabres. He’s established himself as their starter going forward.

Some wondered what this means for promising netminder Devon Levi, especially after the Sabres signed James Reimer to a one-year contract. Levi will likely spend this season developing his game with the Sabres AHL affiliate in Rochester.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The Flyers formerly introduced winger Matvei Michkov to the media on Wednesday. Michkov, 19, was their first-round pick (seventh overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft.

“We don’t see him as a saviour,” said Flyers GM Daniel Briere. “That’s certainly not what we’re putting on his shoulder. He’s 19-years-old. He’s coming in to learn, to expand his game.”

Flyers fans have high hopes that Michkov could blossom into a scoring superstar. He said he’s overwhelmed by the fans’ reaction and how welcoming they’ve made him feel.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Michkov has the potential to become an NHL scoring star. Nevertheless, the Flyers must carefully manage his usage in his rookie season and those heightened expectations by their fans.

NASHVILLE HOCKEY NOW: An arbitrator awarded Predators defenseman Spencer Stastney a two-year contract. The first year is a two-way deal with a cap hit of $825K at the NHL level. He’ll earn $850K in the second year.

SJ HOCKEY NOW: The San Jose Sharks re-signed defenseman Henry Thrun to a two-year contract with an AAV of $1 million.

SPORTSNET: Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia said he’d be interested in returning the NHL to Arizona one day.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I don’t doubt Ishbia’s sincerity but it’ll take more than words to make that a reality, like a suitable NHL venue and the dollars to make a suitable expansion bid. Build a new arena and put up $1 billion and then I’ll believe you’re serious. Otherwise, this is just empty talk no one wants to hear anymore.










NHL Rumor Mill – March 25, 2024

by | Mar 25, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – March 25, 2024

A look at some of this summer’s notable restricted free agents in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SPORTSNET: Luke Fox recently listed the latest rumors and reports regarding this summer’s top-12 restricted free agents.

The Vancouver Canucks recently offered an eight-year, $52-million contract extension ($6.5 million average annual value) to Filip Hronek. However, the 26-year-old defenseman’s camp rejected that proposal. Fox believes the Canucks want to keep Hronek’s salary below Quinn Hughes’ $7.85 million AAV but the blueline could try to push it into the $7 million range.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hronek is completing a three-year deal with an AAV of $4.4 million. He’s enjoying a career-high performance in his contract year with 45 points in 71 games. Hronek has arbitration rights and is a year away from UFA eligibility. It could cost the Canucks between $7 million and $7.5 million annually to keep him in the fold.

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider (NHL Images).

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider is completing his entry-level contract. Fox doubted that Wings general manager Steve Yzerman would attempt to lowball the 23-year-old blueliner. He speculated Seider could get an eight-year deal worth $8.6 million annually.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Seider is the Wings’ best defenseman and a key piece of their rebuilding roster, winning the Calder Memorial Trophy in 2021-22. He’s yet to reach his playing prime. A long-term deal at $8.6 million AAV could become a bargain over time.

The Buffalo Sabres trading Casey Mittelstadt to the Colorado Avalanche earlier this month was based on the belief they would be unable to re-sign him to a long-term extension. Following the trade, the 25-year-old center pointed out how much the Avalanche wanted him by giving up defenseman Bowen Byram in return.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mittelstadt seems to be settling in well as the Avalanche’s second-line center. A strong performance over the rest of the regular season and in the 2024 playoffs will ensure he’ll get a lucrative long-term extension.

While Fox thinks Seider will get a long-term deal from the Wings, he believes Lucas Raymond could end up with a short-term contract. Like Seider, he’s completing his entry-level deal. Fox pointed out that Yzerman signed Alex DeBrincat last summer to a four-year contract averaging $7.875 million per season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll be interesting to see how Yzerman handles Raymond’s contract situation. The 21-year-old winger leads the Wings in scoring with career highs in goals (24), assists (36) and points (60), but he has had bouts of inconsistency in his short NHL career.

Fox wondered if the Carolina Hurricanes will attempt to sign Seth Jarvis to a bridge deal coming out of his entry-level contract or bet big that the 22-year-old winger will break out and sign him to a long-term deal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: After struggling at times during his sophomore campaign, Jarvis has played well this season for the Hurricanes, sitting third in scoring with a career-high 57 points. I’d say bet big and lock him up long-term. A bridge deal could make him more expensive to sign down the road.

Despite Thomas Harley’s 40-point performance this season, Fox speculates that Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill could sign the 22-year-old defenseman to a bridge deal coming out of his entry-level contract. He noted that Nill did the same with winger Jason Robertson.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I think Harley will get a bridge deal. This is his first full season after splitting the past two seasons between the Stars and their AHL affiliate.

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman refused to comment on an early March report claiming contract extension talks had begun. However, he didn’t deny the report.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Swayman signed an affordable one-year deal last summer due to the Bruins’ limited cap space for this season. He’s going to get a big raise over his $3.475 million and will likely take over as their full-time starter next season. There’s already speculation that his goalie partner Linus Ullmark could be traded during the offseason.

Fox noted the emergence of Quinton Byfield this season leaves Los Angeles Kings GM Rob Blake facing a big decision. He could sign the 20-year-old forward to a bridge deal or attempt to ink him to a long-term contract. Fox suggested the latter might come in between $6.5 and $7 million annually.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: On the one hand, it’s tough to justify a lucrative long-term deal based on one good year. On the other, it’ll cost a lot more than $7 million to sign Byfield coming off a bridge deal if he continues to improve as projected. He’s steadily improved with each season.

Hurricanes winger Martin Necas is completing a two-year bridge deal worth $3 million annually and has arbitration rights. The 25-year-old forward is in a position to justify a significant raise.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Necas has surfaced in trade rumors over the past two seasons. He might end up getting that raise from another club.

Turning to the remaining players on Fox’s list, Matty Beniers’ struggles in his sophomore season could see the 2023 Calder Trophy winner getting a short-term bridge deal from the Seattle Kraken.

Arizona Coyotes defenseman Sean Durzi will seek a lucrative offer coming off his bridge contract. He’s on pace for a career-best performance.

The Buffalo Sabres could try to sign Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to a mid-term deal. He’s performed well this season but it’s a small sample size to justify a long-term contract.