NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 19, 2025

by | Oct 19, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 19, 2025

Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis achieves a unique record, the Avalanche, Golden Knights, and Kraken extend their season-opening points streaks, the Jets’ Mark Scheifele sets a franchise record, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Seth Jarvis gave the Carolina Hurricanes a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. Jarvis became the first player in NHL history to score four game-winning goals through his club’s first five games of the season. Jordan Staal scored twice as the Hurricanes took a 3-0 lead, but the Kings rallied on goals by Trevor Moore, Andrei Kuzmenko, and Kevin Fiala.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes are the only undefeated team this season with a 5-0-0 record, sitting first in the Eastern Conference and second in the overall standings. The Kings are winless in their last four (1-3-2).

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon scored twice in a 4-1 win over the Boston Bruins. Artturi Lehkonen collected three assists as the Avalanche extended their season-opening points streak to six games (5-0-1), putting them atop the overall standings with 11 points. John Beecher replied for the Bruins, who have lost three straight after winning their first three games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm returned to action after missing three games with a lower-body injury. Before the game, the Avalanche announced that forward Joel Kiviranta is sidelined indefinitely with a lower-body injury.

The Seattle Kraken nipped the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 on an overtime goal by Josh Mahura. Shane Wright, Mason Marchment, and Chandler Stephenson each had two points for the Kraken as they extended their season-opening points streak to five games (3-0-2). John Tavares scored twice for the Maple Leafs, who are 3-2-1 in their first six games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tavares collected his 500th career point with the Maple Leafs, joining Ron Francis, Mark Messier, and Wayne Gretzky as the only NHL players to collect 500 points with two different teams. Tavares had 621 points with the New York Islanders. He needs three goals to reach 500 for his entire career. Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour missed this game as he’s on a leave of absence to attend to a family matter. 

Mitch Marner scored his first two goals with the Vegas Golden Knights as they rolled to a 6-1 drubbing of the Calgary Flames. Mark Stone also scored twice and collected two assists, and Jack Eichel had four assists as the Golden Knights are unbeaten in their first six games (4-0-2). Flames winger Jonathan Huberdeau scored in his season debut after being sidelined by an injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stone left this game midway through this game with an undisclosed injury. Meanwhile, the Flames have lost five straight since winning their season-opener against the Edmonton Oilers.

Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele scored to pass Blake Wheeler as the franchise’s all-time points leader (813) in a 4-1 win over the Nashville Predators. Jonathan Toews, Nino Niederreiter, and Vladislav Namestnikov each had two points as the Jets have won four straight (4-1-0). Michael Bunting scored for the Predators, who are winless in their last three games and 2-2-2 in their first six contests.

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

New York Islanders rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer collected an assist to extend his points streak to five games (1-4-5) as his club defeated the Ottawa Senators 5-4. Anders Lee tallied twice (including the winning goal) and set up another as the Isles have won two straight after dropping their first three games. Shane Pinto scored his league-leading seventh goal for the Senators, who have lost four of their first six games.

The New Jersey Devils picked up their fourth straight victory (4-1-0)with a 5-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers, handing the latter their third loss in their first five contests (2-2-1). Jack Hughes had two goals and an assist, and Nico Hischier collected two assists for the Devils. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored twice and Connor McDavid had two helpers for the Oilers.

Buffalo Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon stopped 32 shots to shut out the Florida Panthers 3-0, giving his club their second straight win after dropping their first three games of the season. Josh Doan scored twice and Owen Power netted his first of the season. Sergei Bobrovsky made 28 saves for the Panthers, who have dropped four in a row after winning their first three of the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers winger Brad Marchand received two minor penalties in the second period after tangling with Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin. He took Dahlin’s helmet with him to the penalty box, where he tore off the straps and threw them and the helmet onto the ice.

Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola and Sabres blueliner Jacob Bryson left this game with upper-body injuries. There was no immediate word on their conditions.

The New York Rangers overcame an early 2-0 deficit to down the Montreal Canadiens 4-3, snapping the latter’s four-game win streak (4-2-0). Artemi Panarin led the way with a goal and three assists for the Rangers, who ended a three-game winless skid and are 3-3-1 on the season. Nick Suzuki and Noah Dobson each scored their first goals of the season for the Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens were without three roster regulars for this game. Defenseman Kaiden Guhle is sidelined for four to six weeks with a lower-body injury, while forwards Patrik Laine and Kirby Dach are day-to-day with lower-body injuries.

An overtime goal by Noah Cates lifted the Philadelphia Flyers to a 2-1 win over the Minnesota Wild, leaving the latter winless in their last three and with a 2-3-1 record on the season. Owen Tippett also scored for the Flyers, who are 2-2-1. Vladimir Tarasenko scored his first of the season for the Wild.

The St. Louis Blues picked up their first home win of the season by holding off the Dallas Stars 3-1. Jordan Kyrou scored his first of the season while teammates Jimmy Snuggerud and Pius Suter also scored for the Blues (3-2-0). Mikko Rantanen replied for the Stars, who have lost two straight after winning their first three games.

Columbus Blue Jackets winger Kirill Marchenko scored early in the third period to snap a 2-2 tie as his club defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2, leaving the latter with a record of 1-3-2 in their first seven games of the season. Kent Johnson and Damon Severson also scored for the 2-3-0 Blue Jackets. Ryan McDonagh and Anthony Cirelli tallied for the Lightning.

The Pittsburgh Penguins got a 31-save shutout from Tristan Jarry to blank the San Jose Sharks 3-0. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin each had a goal and an assist for the 4-2-0 Penguins. Alex Nedeljkovic made 24 saves for the Sharks, who remain winless through five games (0-3-2).










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 26, 2025

by | Sep 26, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 26, 2025

Stars captain Jamie Benn undergoes surgery, Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov injured at practice, Mitch Marner makes his preseason debut with the Golden Knights, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn will undergo surgery for a collapsed lung suffered during Tuesday’s preseason game against the Minnesota Wild.

Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn (NHL Images).

Stars general manager Jim Nill said Benn didn’t feel well after taking a hit late in the third period. The 36-year-old forward was x-rayed at the arena, where a hole was found in his lung. He went to Parkland Hospital for observation, where the decision was made that he should undergo surgery.

Benn is expected to make a full recovery and will be reevaluated in four weeks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Benn was initially listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury following that game against the Wild. The earliest he could return to action is in late October.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov had to be helped from the ice during the club’s first main preseason practice with their regular squad on Thursday.

Barkov appeared to be favoring his right leg. Head coach Paul Maurice didn’t provide much of an update on the 30-year-old center, saying he’ll give an update on Friday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Barkov won the Frank J. Selke Trophy last season as the league’s top defensive forward for the second straight year and the third time since 2020-21. It will be a big loss for the Panthers if he misses significant time, especially with winger Matthew Tkachuk out until January recovering from offseason surgeries and center Tomas Nosek sidelined by a knee injury.

RDS.CA: Mitch Marner made his preseason debut with the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday. He collected an assist on one of Jack Eichel’s two goals in a 3-2 overtime victory over the Utah Mammoth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marner was the biggest name to be moved during the offseason. He was shipped to the Golden Knights by the Toronto Maple Leafs in a sign-and-trade deal.

DAILY FACEOFF: Montreal Canadiens defensemen Noah Dobson, Kaiden Guhle, and David Reinbacher left Thursday’s 7-2 preseason loss to the Maple Leafs.

Dobson and Guhle are listed as day-to-day with groin injuries, while Reinbacher was still being evaluated following the game. Dobson and Reinbacher suffered their injuries during the game, while Guhle was withheld from the contest for maintenance reasons.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said he didn’t think that the injuries were serious and wasn’t too worried about it.

NEW YORK POST: An upper-body injury kept Islanders winger Anthony Duclair out of the lineup as his club defeated the New York Rangers 5-4 in preseason action on Thursday. He’s listed as day-to-day.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Duclair rushed back too soon from a groin injury last season, which affected his performance. They’re taking a more cautious approach this season.

SPORTSNET: The Utah Mammoth placed goaltender Connor Ingram on waivers Thursday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Followers of the Edmonton Oilers are stumping for their club to claim Ingram to bolster their goaltending depth. However, David Staples of the Edmonton Journal pointed out that one of the clubs ahead of the Oilers in the waiver claim order will likely get him first. Staples also pointed out that the Oilers lack the cap space to pick up Ingram’s $1.95 million cap hit.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The Bruins have brought back former captain Zdeno Chara in a front office role. They announced on Thursday that he will serve as their Hockey Operations Advisor and Mentor.

NEW YORK POST: The Islanders will induct former forward Pat LaFontaine into their Hall of Fame during a pregame ceremony on Dec. 13. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report indicates that this will end a long-standing rift between LaFontaine and the organization, dating back to a contract dispute in 1991-92. In 2006, he was brought in as an advisor to then-owner Charles Wang, but resigned six weeks later after Neil Smith was fired as general manager.

THE ATHLETIC: Mark Lazerus reports the return of Carter Hart and Michael McLeod to the NHL seems imminent. Both were among five former Hockey Canada members who were acquitted of sexual assault charges earlier this month.

Both players have been linked to the Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights. Lazerus reports the two teams handled questions about them differently.

According to Lazerus, the Hurricanes “acknowledged the gravity of the situation and were open to talking about it, even in somewhat awkward hypotheticals.” However, the Golden Knights declined to let head coach Bruce Cassidy speak to The Athletic one-on-one after learning of the topic. Before Cassidy’s press conference, a spokesperson pulled the reporter from the room, told them to leave the facility immediately, and revoked their press pass for that night’s game.

The spokesperson claimed the reporter “ambushed” Golden Knights defenseman Noah Hanifin during routine locker-room media interviews that morning, and the team wasn’t comfortable allowing the reporter to cover the game. Lazerus claimed that Hanifin showed no irritation about the questions.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If the Golden Knights aren’t comfortable with a reporter asking questions about rumors linking them to a controversial player, how will they react if they sign that player?










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 29, 2025

by | Aug 29, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 29, 2025

Remembering Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, Mitch Marner talks about leaving the Maple Leafs for the Golden Knights, Kings captain Anze Kopitar talks about the possibility of retirement, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH/CALGARY HERALD: The hockey world is remembering NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew, who were killed by an alleged drunk driver one year ago today.

Johnny Gaudreau 1993-2024 (NHL Images).

Johnny, 31, was preparing for his 12th NHL season at the time of his death. He spent nine seasons with the Calgary Flames from 2013-14 to 2021-22 before signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2022.

NHL.COM: The Gaudreaus are being remembered by Team USA during its Olympic orientation camp. Defenseman Zach Werenski, Johnny’s teammate with the Blue Jackets, admitted it had been an emotional year, saying he’s learned a lot about himself, about his teammates, friendship, and family.

THE ATHLETIC: The brothers’ parents, Guy and Jane Gaudreau, were briefly hospitalized after learning their sons had been killed. Guy had elevated heart and blood pressure levels, while Jane was in what family members described as a catatonic-like state.

Guy and Jane have since recovered, but continue to deal with the grief as they try to carry on with their lives. Guy is considering coming out of retirement to teach hockey to his sons’ children, while Jane has returned to work as a finance associate at Archbishop Damaino School.

Widows Meredith Gaudreau (Johnny’s wife) and Madeline Gaudreau (Matthew’s wife) formed a charitable foundation to honor their late husbands.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My thoughts are with the Gaudreau family today. A year later, I still cannot adequately put into words the sorrow I feel for their loss.

TSN: In an interview with Mark Masters, Mitch Marner opened up about his bittersweet departure from the Toronto Maple Leafs. After nine seasons with the Leafs, he joined the Vegas Golden Knights on June 30 in a sign-and-trade situation.

Marner said the hardest goodbye was with Leafs captain Auston Matthews. Both joined the team in 2016-17 and spent most of their playing time as linemates. Defenseman Morgan Rielly and winger William Nylander were also Marner’s teammates throughout his tenure in Toronto.

“We really came in together and grew together and really leaned on each other for a lot of things,” Marner said. He admitted it was difficult calling those players to let them know what was happening, but both sides understood it was part of the business.

While Marner and his wife loved living in Toronto full-time and being close to family and friends, they felt it was time for a new chapter. He admitted it was tough sometimes because of the media scrutiny that surrounds the Maple Leafs.

Marner revealed that he hired a mental health coach to help him deal with the grind and the negative comments over the final three years of his Leafs tenure. That included dealing with threats that prompted him to have full-time security at his home for two weeks after the Leafs’ season ended last spring.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s one thing for fans to boo players during the game or be critical of their performance. Heaping abuse on them away from the rink and making threats against them crosses the line.

Whatever you think of Marner as a player or a person, he didn’t deserve what he faced during his final years in Toronto. No player does, and stories like that won’t make it easier for the Leafs to attract talent.

MAYOR’S MANOR: Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar made his first public comment this week regarding retirement. The 38-year-old center told KCAL News that the coming season could be the last of his playing career.

Kopitar is the longest-serving player in Kings’ history, playing a team-leading 1,434 regular-season games. He’s also their leader in career assists (838) and is set to surpass Marcel Dionne’s record of 1,307 regular-season points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kopitar has spent his entire NHL career with the Kings. Entering his 20th season, he’s still their top-line center and their best two-way forward. Nevertheless, he’s in the final season of his contract and in the twilight of his playing career.

SPORTSNET: Team Canada general manager Doug Armstrong won’t let the on-ice fistfight that occurred with Team USA during the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament in February affect the roster construction of its Olympic roster.

“I’ve thought quite a bit about that tournament as a whole, and I think the Olympics are going to be played very similar to that, minus (nine) seconds,” said Armstrong. “If you win the front of your net and the front of their net, you have a chance to win the game. We’re going to build a team that can win in those areas, but we’re not going to build a team that can participate in those nine seconds.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As the article points out, the Olympics will be played under IIHF rules, in which anyone who drops the gloves will be assessed a match penalty. It’s doubtful we’ll see the Tkachuk brothers and J.T. Miller trying to initiate a brawl against the Canadians in that tournament.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Ottawa Senators GM Steve Staios confirmed having positive preliminary contract extension talks with Shane Pinto’s representatives. However, a deal won’t be signed before the start of the upcoming season. He indicated they’ll let the season begin and not have Pinto become distracted with contract talks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pinto is in the second season of a two-year contract with an average annual value of $3.75 million. The 24-year-old center will be eligible to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next July.

DAILY FACEOFF: Speaking of the Senators, the Allen Americans have become their ECHL affiliate.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 23, 2025

by | Aug 23, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 23, 2025

Matthew Tkachuk undergoes surgery, William Nylander talks about former teammate Mitch Marner, Marco Rossi’s contract standoff is over, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RDS.CA: cited David Pagnotta of the NHL Network reporting Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk underwent surgery several weeks ago.

Tkachuk, 27, was injured during the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament in February. He sat out the remainder of the regular season before returning for the playoffs.

Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk (NHL Images).

Pagnotta claimed Tkachuk will be sidelined until January, making it likely that he’ll be able to play for Team USA in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy in February.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: After the Panthers won their second straight Stanley Cup in June, Tkachuk admitted he might have to undergo surgery after suffering a torn adductor and a sports hernia.

The Panthers currently sit above the $95.5 million salary cap by $4.5 million. Teams are allowed to be above the cap by 10 percent but must be cap-compliant when they begin the regular season.

Tkachuk earns an average annual value of $9.5 million. The Panthers will likely place him on long-term injury reserve at the start of their regular-season schedule. However, they’ll have to shed salary to get under the cap when Tkachuk returns to action in January.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs winger William Nylander said former teammate Mitch Marner had no premeditated plans to leave the club as a free agent at the end of last season.

“Not sure where that stuff comes from, but I don’t think he was ever thinking of leaving ahead of time,” said Nylander. “I actually asked him during the season, and he said he was concentrating on Toronto. I didn’t want to press him on that and let him be because it was obviously on his mind, but his play was focused on helping us.”

Nylander said he asked Marner again after the season, and he said he wasn’t sure.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nylander addressed this because there was some media chatter suggesting Marner had made up his mind to leave the Leafs and head to the Vegas Golden Knights months in advance.

THE MINNEAPOLIS STAR-TRIBUNE: The contract standoff between the Minnesota Wild and Marco Rossi ended on Friday with the 23-year-old center signing a three-year, $15 million deal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The average annual value (AAV) is $5 million, but Rossi will receive $4 million in actual salary this season, $5 million next season, and $6 million in 2027-28. He lacks no-trade protection because he’s ineligible at this stage of his career to have it included in this contract.

The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports sources claim Rossi rejected a five-year, $25 million contract, countering with a three-year proposal worth more than the $5 million AAV that the two sides ultimately agreed to. He was coming off his entry-level contract, had little leverage in negotiations, and didn’t want to miss training camp or the start of the season.

Wild general manager Bill Guerin told Russo that the Rossi camp re-engaged with them about a month ago. The young center said he’s happy to have a deal done and is looking forward to the coming season.

The Wild got Rossi at their price, but it could cost them considerably more to re-sign him if his performance improves over the next three years.

RDS.CA: A year after being traded to the Washington Capitals, Pierre-Luc Dubois said the entire organization made him feel welcome and comfortable from the start. He responded with a career-best 66-point performance last season.

Dubois said the opportunities he received with the Capitals weren’t the same as those with his previous teams. He claimed that they made him feel like they wanted him to succeed, would give him the chance to do so, and told him to be himself.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dubois’ performance last season played a substantial role in the Capitals exceeding expectations by finishing first in the Eastern Conference.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Florida Panthers signed forward Luke Kunin to a one-year contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: PuckPedia indicates Kunin will earn $775K for 2025-26. That contract is also easy to bury in the minors as a cost-cutting measure to make room for Matthew Tkachuk’s return to the lineup in January if necessary.

TSN’s Darren Dreger reported on “X” that it appears the NHL will move ahead with preparations for the 2028 World Cup of Hockey without the International Ice Hockey Federation. “The league has informed the IIHF it intends on working directly with each Hockey Federation in planning the 2028 event.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That could clear the way for Russia to participate in the NHL-sanctioned World Cup. That nation is banned from IIHF-sanctioned events because it invaded Ukraine.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 21, 2025

by | Aug 21, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 21, 2025

Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews addresses Mitch Marner’s departure, Stuart Skinner believes the Oilers will bounce back more quickly from their Stanley Cup Final loss this time, Patrik Laine hopes to stay in Montreal, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews admits that he and his teammates will miss Mitch Marner, who departed for the Vegas Golden Knights in a sign-and-trade situation on June 30.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

“We’ll miss him,” Matthews said. “He’s a great friend, great teammate. That’s kind of the business side of it that’s tough, but obviously I wish him nothing but the best. We’ll just keep it moving.”

Matthews missed 15 games last season with an undisclosed injury. He said that his health was good and he will be at “100 percent” for the start of the 2025-26 season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A lot of Leafs fans won’t miss Marner, who became their whipping boy for the club’s poor postseason record over the last nine seasons. However, his departure leaves them thin on right wing. Beyond William Nylander, the level of talent drops significantly.

The addition of playmaker Matias Maccelli should offset some of the missing offense if he regains his 57-point form of 2023-24, but he won’t fully replace Marner’s two-way skills.

THE SCORE: Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner believes his club will rebound more quickly from losing the Stanley Cup Final to the Florida Panthers than they did in 2024.

“Going through it the second time, which is obviously devastating, but being able to say you went through this does actually help you get over it quicker, just because you have to go back into training and do it all over again.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers could find it a more difficult challenge staging a third straight run to the Cup Final. They still haven’t addressed their inconsistent goaltending, and their limited cap space could make it harder to bolster their roster before the trade deadline.

TVA SPORTS: Patrik Laine would love to remain with the Montreal Canadiens beyond this season. The 28-year-old winger is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next July.

“Yes, of course,” Laine told Anthony Martineau of TVA Sports. “I don’t think I need to say more. Yes, I would love to be here.”

Laine spent most of the offseason training in Montreal. He believes the Canadiens are on the right track and expects they’ll be even better this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Laine’s future in Montreal depends on his performance this season. He struggled through an injury-shortened campaign in 2024-25, but finished with 20 goals in 52 games, drawing praise from Canadiens management for helping them qualify for the playoffs.

Laine recently said that he’s fully healthy approaching training camp. He could have a productive year if his good health carries over into this season, which would improve his chances of getting a contract extension.

RG.ORG: Sergei Fedorov said he felt “a flood of emotions” after being informed that the Detroit Red Wings will retire his No. 91 in January as part of their centennial season celebrations. The ceremony will be held at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Jan. 12, 2026.

Fedorov spent 13 of his 18 NHL seasons with Detroit before departing as a free agent in 2003. “I was always a Red Wing,” he said.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fedorov’s relationship with Red Wings management was never the same following a messy contract holdout in 1997-98. His departure in 2003 left some bad feelings among Wings fans. However, Fedorov has been received more warmly by the organization and the fans in recent years, especially after he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015.

THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE: Connor Ingram has been cleared by the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program to return to the Utah Mammoth. The 28-year-old goaltender entered the program on March 9 to deal with mental health issues.

SPORTSNET: The Carolina Hurricanes announced that Jesper Fast will rejoin the organization as a development coach. He announced his retirement in June after missing last season recovering from neck surgery.

THE TENNESSEAN: The Nashville Predators signed forward Brady Martin to a three-year entry-level contract. Martin, 18, was chosen fifth overall in this year’s draft by the Predators.










NHL Rumor Mill – August 20, 2025

by | Aug 20, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – August 20, 2025

Check out the latest on Stars winger Jason Robertson, Blues winger Jordan Kyrou, and Bruins forwards Casey Mittelstadt and Pavel Zacha in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE SPORTING NEWS: cited Dallas Stars beat writer Sean Shapiro reporting the club had considered trading Jason Robertson in anticipation of making a bigger deal this summer.

Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson (NHL Images).

According to Shapiro, the Stars were among the clubs pursuing winger Mitch Marner, who ultimately landed with the Vegas Golden Knights via a sign-and-trade deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

To make room for Marner, the Stars would’ve had to trade Robertson. While the deal never happened, this story will only stoke speculation about the 26-year-old winger’s future in Dallas.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Robertson has a year remaining on his contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $7.75 million. He’s eligible to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next July and could be UFA-eligible in July 2027.

Robertson’s contract status is primarily responsible for the conjecture about his future with the Stars. His role with the club has also changed with the addition of winger Mikko Rantanen last season.

THE ATHLETIC: Jeremy Rutherford was recently asked if there was anything to the trade speculation swirling around the St. Louis Blues this summer.

Rutherford indicated he hasn’t heard anything specific, pointing out that trade talks with the Buffalo Sabres about Bowen Byram cooled before the defenseman re-signed with the Sabres. He also pointed out that clubs were still interested in Blues winger Jordan Kyrou.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kyrou frequently surfaced in the rumor mill following the Blues’ first-round playoff elimination this spring. The conjecture continued until after the NHL Draft in late June, with the 27-year-old winger linked to the Montreal Canadiens, but the chatter died out once his no-trade clause kicked in on July 1.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Andrew Fantucchio weighs in on the recent trade speculation surrounding Bruins forwards Casey Mittelstadt and Pavel Zacha.

Fantucchio dismisses the rumors, pointing out that trading away two top-six players will further deplete their already weakened offensive depth. He points out the Bruins intend to compete for the playoffs this season, which they can’t do if they trade away Mittelstadt and Zacha. Fantucchio also noted that it wouldn’t make sense to move either player when their trade stock is low.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fantucchio believes trading Zacha and/or Mittelstadt now would be giving up on the season before it’s begun. Indeed, if they were truly rebuilding, they would’ve likely peddled away both players well before now.

That doesn’t mean they’re untouchable. As Fantucchio points out, if the Bruins are out of playoff contention later in the season, moving either or both players near the trade deadline makes more sense.