NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 23, 2026

by | Jul 23, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 23, 2026

The latest on Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer, a look at possible trends regarding restricted free agents, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Defenseman Matthew Schaefer said it would be an honor if he were named captain of the New York Islanders, but that’s not his focus right now.

New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (NHL Images).

Schaefer, who turns 19 in September, pointed out that the Islanders already have so many leaders. He singled out Bo Horvat and Brayden Schenn, who were captains with their previous teams. “I’m still young, so I’m in no rush.”

Entering his second NHL season, Schaefer will be eligible to sign a contract extension next July. However, he’s not concerned about getting a big payday.

“I’ll let my agent think about that,” Schaefer said. “I don’t need to think about that. I’m still a kid; I’m still a year away from any of that. I love Long Island; we have something special going on there. I don’t care about the money. I just want to play the game of hockey, and that’s what I love.”

The first-overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, Schaefer won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the 2025-26 Rookie of the Year.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Schaefer may not be thinking about his next contract, but his agent and Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche definitely will be. If he improves on his impressive debut campaign, he’ll be in line for a substantial raise that could reach at least $18 million annually.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Andre Leal recently suggested that Connor Bedard’s new five-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks signals a trend among restricted free agents signing mid-term contract extensions rather than maximum term.

Other RFAs who signed five-year deals include Leo Carlsson (via offer sheet) and Pavel Mintyukov of the Anaheim Ducks, Simon Nemec of the Calgary Flames, Cole Perfetti of the Winnipeg Jets, Brandt Clarke of the Los Angeles Kings, and Dylan Holloway of the St. Louis Blues.

Notable RFAs who opted for four-year terms this summer were Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale of the Philadelphia Flyers, Peyton Krebs of the Buffalo Sabres, and Jordan Spence of the Ottawa Senators.

Meanwhile, Ryan O’Hara noted that Utah Mammoth defenseman John Marino signed an eight-year extension this week. He suggested Marino’s deal might be the first of many massive extensions before Sept. 15.

That date is the deadline for teams to sign players to eight-year contracts. After that, the maximum term for re-signing players drops to seven years. Those for unrestricted free agents go from seven years to six.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It will be interesting to see how many opt for the maximum term or a shorter deal. The remaining noteworthy RFAs include Cutter Gauthier of the Anaheim Ducks, Adam Fantilli of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Simon Edvinsson of the Detroit Red Wings, and Alexander Nikishin of the Carolina Hurricanes.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: The Blue Jackets signed forward Danton Heinen to a one-year, two-way contract.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Stefen Rosner cited a report claiming former Boston Bruins assistant general manager Evan Gold could be heading to the New York Islanders.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 22, 2026

by | Jul 22, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 22, 2026

The Stars and Jason Robertson avoid arbitration, the Mammoth re-sign John Marino, the Blue Jackets and Jett Greaves remain apart in contract talks, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars and winger Jason Robertson avoided salary arbitration, agreeing on Tuesday to a one-year, $12 million contract.

Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson (NHL Images).

Robertson, 26, was a restricted free agent coming off a four-year contract worth an average annual value of $7.75 million. He was slated for an arbitration hearing on Saturday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Robertson was reportedly seeking $14 million annually while the Stars countered with $12 million.

This contract buys time for both sides. Robertson wants to remain with the Stars, vetoing a trade to the Seattle Kraken after refusing their offer of an eight-year deal worth $15 million annually. The Stars want to keep him, especially as they push for a Stanley Cup in 2026-27, but at their price.

Robertson was due for a substantial raise after leading the Stars in scoring last season with 45 goals and 96 points. He’s also been consistently among their top scorers since his rookie season during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season, finishing no lower than second in each of those seasons.

Another high-scoring season will ensure that Robertson will get a big pay bump on his next deal. He’ll either get that lucrative new contract with the Stars or another club as an unrestricted free agent next July. Given the rise in the salary cap to $113.5 million for 2027-28, his asking price could be more than $14 million annually.

The Stars will have more salary-cap space next summer ($41.163 million as per PuckPedia) to re-sign Robertson. They can open contract extension talks on Jan. 1.

Robertson was the subject of frequent trade speculation last season. The longer he goes without an extension, the more rumors will arise about his future in Dallas.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Utah Mammoth signed defenseman John Marino to an eight-year contract extension worth an AAV of $6.75 million. He’s in the final season of a six-year deal with an AAV of $4.4 million.

Marino, 29, is coming off a career-best 36-point performance in 80 games last season. He’s been among their best all-around defensemen, playing a key role in the Mammoth’s improvement as they reached the playoffs last season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mammoth general manager Bill Armstrong believes Marino can become an elite puck-moving defenseman. They consider him to be an invaluable part of their blueline corps. Given the steady rise of the salary cap, this could become a cost-effective contract.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: The Blue Jackets and goaltender Jet Greaves appear to be far apart in contract negotiations as his July 23rd arbitration hearing approaches.

Both sides submitted their briefs to the arbitrator on Tuesday on a one-year contract. Greaves is seeking $7.5 million while the Blue Jackets offered $2.8 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If this goes to arbitration, Greaves could get an amount somewhere around the midpoint of those two submissions. However, he and the Jackets could also reach an agreement before Thursday’s scheduled hearing, which is usually the outcome as these cases rarely go before an arbitrator.

THE ATHLETIC: The New York Rangers hired two former players for development roles.

Jonathan Quick will become the Rangers’ new director of goaltending development. Derick Brassard becomes a player development assistant.

Quick, 40. retired at the end of 2025-26 after 19 seasons as a goaltender, 16 of those with the Los Angeles Kings. He spent the past three seasons as the Rangers’ backup.

Brassard spent 16 seasons in the NHL as a center, with four of those as a Ranger.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks defenseman Zeev Buium is hoping for a breakout performance this season. The 20-year-old finished third among rookie blueliners last season with 26 points in 76 games. He’s spending the offseason focused on improving his stamina.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Buium was part of the return the Canucks received in the trade that sent superstar rearguard Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild. He’s expected to become an important part of the club’s rebuild.

ESPN.COM: The Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild, and St. Louis Blues will have their games produced and distributed by NHL Productions this season.

The four clubs had agreements with Main Street Sports, which operated regional channels under the FanDuel Sports Network brand and went out of business at the end of last season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 24, 2024

by | Oct 24, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 24, 2024

The Capitals defeat the Flyers, Blues forward Robert Thomas and Utah defensemen Sean Durzi and John Marino sidelined by injuries, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Washington Capitals downed the Philadelphia Flyers 6-3 in Wednesday’s only game.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

Connor McMichael tallied twice, Pierre-Luc Dubois had a goal and an assist and Alex Ovechkin scored his 855th career goal for the Capitals. Owen Tippett and rookie winger Matvei Michkov each had a goal and an assist for the Flyers as they scored three goals after falling behind 4-0 before Dubois and Ovechkin put the game out of reach.

The Capitals have won five straight games while the Flyers have lost six in a row (0-5-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin is 40 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894.

The Flyers are struggling but Michkov has been a bright spot for them. He leads all rookies with seven points in as many games.

STLTODAY.COM: Blues forward Robert Thomas will miss six weeks with a fractured ankle after blocking a shot during Tuesday’s loss to the Winnipeg Jets.

NHL.COM: The Blues activated Oskar Sundqvist (knee) from injured reserve. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blues could find it difficult to replace Thomas’ offense during his absence. He led the club with a career-best 86 points in 2023-24 and is second in points with six this season.

THE SCORE: Utah Hockey Club defensemen Sean Durzi and John Marino will be sidelined for a while. Durzi will miss four to six months following surgery on his right shoulder while Marino will be out three to four months after having a procedure on his back.

Durzi had two points in four games this season before his injury. Marino was acquired from the New Jersey Devils during the offseason but had yet to suit up with Utah because of his back.

In a related move, Utah called up defenseman Maveric Lamoureux.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Utah is 4-2-1 despite the absences of Durzi and Marino. If their right-side defense begins to suffer as the season progresses, they could seek help in the trade market.

SPORTSNET: Montreal Canadiens defenseman Justin Barron is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury following a hit by New York Rangers blueliner Jacob Trouba on Tuesday. There was no penalty on the play and Trouba won’t face supplemental discipline.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: The Lightning placed forward Conor Sheary on waivers. It’s unlikely that another club will claim Sheary and his $2 million annual average value through 2025-26. Instead, he could be demoted to the Lightning’s AHL affiliate in Syracuse.

TSN: Justin Schultz signed a one-year contract with HC Lugano in Switzerland. The 34-year-old defenseman spent 12 seasons in the NHL (2012-13 to 2023-24) with the Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals and Seattle Kraken, tallying 71 goals and 324 points in 745 regular-season games and 43 points in 82 playoff contests, winning two Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh in 2016 and 2017.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Schultz reportedly had offers of two-way contracts from some NHL clubs but was waiting for a one-way deal. He was expected to play in Europe if he didn’t get a suitable NHL proposal.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche assigned forward Calum Ritchie back to the Oshawa Generals of the OHL.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Former NHL goaltender Michael Leighton is among the 2025 inductees into the American Hockey League Hall of Fame. He’s fifth all-time in wins (250) and the league’s all-time shutout leader with 50. He made the All-Rookie team in 2002 and won the Baz Bastien Memorial Award as best goaltender in 2008.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leighton played 110 games in the NHL from 2002-03 to 2016-17 with the Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes. He’s best known among NHL fans for backstopping the Flyers to the 2010 Stanley Cup Final.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 19, 2024

by | Oct 19, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 19, 2024

Three Jets have four-point performances against the Sharks, injury updates, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Cole Perfetti, Neal Pionk, and Vladislav Namestnikov each collected four points to lead the Winnipeg Jets over the San Jose Sharks 8-3. Perfetti had two goals and two assists while Pionk and Namestnikov each had a goal and three assists. Jets winger Nikolai Ehlers also scored two goals and picked up an assist. Tyler Toffoli had a goal and an assist for the Sharks, who are winless in their first five games (0-3-2).

Winnipeg Jets forward Cole Perfetti (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets (4-0-0) are among three teams still unbeaten this season, joining the 4-0-0 Calgary Flames and 3-0-0 Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Sharks could also be without sidelined rookie Macklin Celebrini (hip injury) longer than expected. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported Friday that the 18-year-old center could be out for another couple of weeks.

An overtime goal by Nathan MacKinnon lifted the Colorado Avalanche to their first win of the season with a 4-3 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. MacKinnon’s goal came after Ducks winger Troy Terry tied the game with 13 seconds left in the third period. Mikko Rantanen collected three assists and Ross Colton tallied twice for the Avalanche. Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal kicked out 45 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Ducks announced forward Isac Lundestrom is out day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

The Carolina Hurricanes scored four straight goals, including two on the power play, to down the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-1. Frederik Anderson made 25 saves while Martin Necas and Jesperi Kotkaniemi each had two points for the Hurricanes. Joel Blomqvist stopped 35 shots and Drew O’Connor scored for the Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins defenseman Kris Letang and center Lars Eller ripped their team’s performance following this game. “They worked harder than us, and they got rewarded for it,” said Letang. “There were so many things that needed to be better,” Eller said. “The attitude, the energy, the execution.”

HEADLINES

OTTAWA SUN: Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark (lower-body strain) said he felt better yesterday following practice. However, it remained uncertain if he’ll return to action against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. Ullmark’s last game was a 4-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens last Saturday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report indicates Ullmark and the Senators are being careful to avoid aggravating that injury. It’s best to ensure he’s 100 percent given how much they rely on him this season.

THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens defensemen Mike Matheson and Kaiden Guhle are day-to-day with upper-body injuries, forcing the Habs to recall Logan Mailloux from their AHL affiliate in Laval. Meanwhile, winger Juraj Slafkovsky suffered an apparent shoulder injury during practice on Friday and is questionable for Saturday’s game against the New York Islanders.

THE SCORE: Utah Hockey Club head coach Andre Tourigny said defenseman John Marino will be sidelined for months with an upper-body injury. He was acquired in June from the New Jersey Devils but his injury has prevented him from joining his new teammates.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Adam Kierszenblat believes the absence of Dakota Joshua is a key factor behind the Vancouver Canucks’ slow start. The 28-year-old energy forward is still recovering from offseason surgery for testicular cancer.

DAILY FACEOFF: Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Motte is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

RG.ORG: NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly believes the best Russian hockey players still want to play in the NHL.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 the country has been banned from participating in International Ice Hockey Federation tournaments. The NHL also suspended its transfer agreement with the KHL.

That’s led to speculation NHL teams could attempt to cut side deals for unofficial transfers of Russian prospects from the KHL to the NHL. Daly denies this, saying the top Russian talent wants to come to the NHL because it’s the elite league for the world’s best players. That includes players buying their way out of KHL contracts.

There’s also been conjecture suggesting some KHL clubs are limiting the playing time of young NHL prospects like SKA St. Petersburg winger Ivan Demidov, a top prospect of the Montreal Canadiens. His coach disputes the accusation, saying ice time for young players is based on merit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: KHL teams tend to limit the ice time of promising young players until they’re better established. Philadelphia Flyers fans were concerned early last season over the playing time of winger Matvei Michkov before St. Petersburg loaned him to HK Sochi.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 3, 2024

by | Oct 3, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 3, 2024

Recapping Wednesday’s preseason action, injury updates, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF WEDNESDAY’S NHL PRESEASON GAMES

NHL.COM: Four first-period goals powered the Nashville Predators to a 6-4 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center in Raleigh. Jonathan Marchessault tallied twice for the Predators while rookie forward Felix Unger Sorum had a goal and two assists for the Hurricanes.

Nashville Predators winger Jonathan Marchessault (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes raised nearly $300K from ticket revenue, donations, and a silent auction from the sellout crowd which will be used for Hurricane Helene relief efforts.

The Florida Panthers nipped the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 on an overtime goal by Sandis Vilmanis. Spencer Knight made 26 saves for the Panthers. Nikita Kucherov scored for the Lightning.

Winnipeg Jets winger Nino Niederreiter scored two goals and Gabriel Vilardi collected three assists in a 5-2 win over the Calgary Flames. Niederreiter snapped a 2-2 tie with 6:38 remaining in the third period. Dustin Wolf stopped 22 shots for the Flames.

The Seattle Kraken thumped the Edmonton Oilers 6-2. Shane Wright scored twice and Philipp Grubauer made 28 saves for the Kraken. Leon Draisaitl scored and picked up an assist and Darnell Nurse logged 22:17 of ice time in his preseason debut. Nurse has been dealing with an undisclosed injury since the Stanley Cup Final in June.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kraken winger Jared McCann was a late scratch with a lower-body injury. Head coach Dan Bylsma listed him as day-to-day.

Anaheim Ducks forward Leo Carlsson had a goal and two assists in a 5-2 victory over the Utah Hockey Club. Lukas Dostal kicked out 35 shots for the Ducks. Utah goalie Karel Vejmelka stopped 32 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Utah defenseman John Marino will miss the club’s season opener with an upper-body injury. He’s missed all of training camp and preseason dealing with this ailment.

HEADLINES

OTTAWA SUN: Senators forwards Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle and defenseman Thomas Chabot are all okay after leaving Tuesday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens with injuries. Meanwhile, Carter Yakemchuk is making the case to start this season with the Senators. The 19-year-old defenseman is their leading scorer in this preseason with five points, including two goals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators can keep Yakemchuk in their lineup for up to 10 regular-season games without using up the first year of his entry-level contract. He was chosen seventh overall in this year’s NHL draft.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks and their fans are breathing a sigh of relief after Macklin Celebrini was listed as day-to-day after crashing hard into the boards during Tuesday’s game against Utah. The 18-year-old center was chosen first overall in this year’s draft.

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE/CBS SPORTS: Penguins goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury. Winger Blake Lizotte is out indefinitely with a concussion after being struck by a puck during last Sunday’s preseason game against Ottawa.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: St. Louis Blues defenseman Justin Faulk looks forward to a healthy season after nursing ankle and shoulder injuries that limited him to 60 games in 2023-24.

SPORTSNET/THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks forward Pius Suter is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. They also lost goaltender Jiri Patera off waivers yesterday to the Boston Bruins.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Washington Capitals could keep promising prospect Andrew Cristall on their roster for the opening games of this season. The 19-year-old had a strong training camp and performed well in preseason action.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings released forward Alex Chiasson from his professional tryout offer.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury didn’t play in his club’s preseason home game on Tuesday against the Chicago Blackhawks. Nevertheless, he still found a way to get on the ice, pranking his teammates by disguising himself as an ice crew member and chirping the Wild bench during a TV timeout.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Admit it, folks, we’ll miss Fleury when he retires at the end of this season.










Notable Trades – Day 2 Of The 2024 NHL Draft

by | Jun 29, 2024

Notable Trades – Day 2 Of The 2024 NHL Draft

The Tampa Bay Lightning traded Mikhail Sergachev to the Utah Hockey Club in exchange for JJ Moser, Conor Geekie, a second-round pick in the 2025 draft that originally belonged to the Toronto Maple Leafs, and a seventh-rounder in this year’s draft.

Tampa Bay Lightning trade Mikhail Sergachev to Utah Hockey Club (NHL Images).

The Vegas Golden Knights traded goaltender Logan Thompson to the Washington Capitals for pick No. 83 in this year’s draft and a 2025 third-rounder. 

The New Jersey Devils traded goaltender Akira Schmid and forward Alexander Holtz to the Vegas Golden Knights for forward Paul Cotter and a 2025 third-round pick. 

Toronto Maple Leafs acquired the rights to defenseman Chris Tanev from the Dallas Stars in exchange for minor-league forward Max Ellis and a seventh-round pick in the 2026 Draft. 

The Utah Hockey Club trades the 49th overall pick and a 2025 second-rounder (originally belonging to the Edmonton Oilers) to the New Jersey Devils for defenseman John Marino and a fifth-rounder that originally belonged to the Colorado Avalanche.

Los Angeles Kings acquire winger Tanner Jeannot from the Tampa Bay Lightning in return for a pick in this year’s draft (#118) and a second-round pick in 2025. 

The St. Louis Blues have traded forward Kevin Hayes and a 2025 second-rounder to the Pittsburgh Penguins for future considerations. 

Buffalo Sabres acquired forward Beck Malenstyn from the Washington Capitals in exchange for a second-round pick (43rd overall) in this year’s draft.