NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 7, 2026

by | Mar 7, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 7, 2026

Recapping Friday’s games, fallout from the trade deadline, contract signings, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF FRIDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Anaheim Ducks winger Chris Kreider had a goal and three assists as his club nipped the Montreal Canadiens 6-5 on a shootout goal by Alex Killorn. Cutter Gauthier, Leo Carlsson, and Jackson LaCombe each had a goal and an assist for the 35-24-3 Ducks, who took over first place in the Pacific Division with 73 points. Cole Caufield had two goals and an assist, and Lane Hutson had a goal and two assists for the Canadiens (33-18-10), who hold the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 76 points.

Anaheim Ducks winger Chris Kreider (NHL Images).

The Golden Knights (29-20-14) dropped a 4-2 decision to the Minnesota Wild, slipping one point behind the Ducks. Filip Gustavsson made 29 saves, and Michael McCarron had a goal and an assist in his debut with the Wild after being acquired from the Nashville Predators. Golden Knights winger Pavel Dorofeyev had two points, including his 30th goal of the season. The Wild sit third in the Central Division with 84 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights captain Mark Stone missed this game with an upper-body injury, but he’s not expected to be sidelined for long.

A shootout goal by Valeri Nichushkin lifted the Colorado Avalanche over the Dallas Stars 5-4, snapping the latter’s 10-game win streak. Nichushkin also scored the tying goal that sent the game to overtime and the shootout, while Martin Necas had a goal and three assists for the Avalanche (42-10-9), who remain atop the overall standings with 93 points. Wyatt Johnston, Miro Heiskanen, and Justin Hryckowian each had a goal and an assist for the 38-14-10 Stars as they sit second in the Western Conference with 86 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars center Roope Hintz left this game after injuring his left leg following a collision with Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon during the second period. There was no postgame update on his condition.

The Carolina Hurricanes got two goals from Jackson Blake in a 6-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. K’Andre Miller collected three assists for the 40-16-6 Hurricanes, who hold first place in the Eastern Conference with 86 points. Zach Hyman tallied twice for the Oilers (30-25-8) as they cling to third place in the Pacific Division.

Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk’s hat trick gave his club a 3-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Sergei Bobrovsky made 28 saves for the Panthers (31-29-3) as his club ended a four-game losing skid. Alex DeBrincat replied for the 35-21-7 Red Wings, who hold third place in the Atlantic Division with 77 points, but have dropped seven of their last 10 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin left this game with a lower-body injury in the third period. Head coach Todd McLellan doesn’t believe Larkin will be sidelined long-term, but he must have his injury attended to.

St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas scored twice, including the winner in overtime, in a 3-2 win over the San Jose Sharks. Dylan Holloway collected three assists for the 24-29-9 Blues. Macklin Celebrini and Kiefer Sherwood replied for the 30-25-5 Sharks (65 points), who sit two points behind the Seattle Kraken for the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Sharks signed goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic to a two-year, $6 million contract extension.

The Vancouver Canucks ended a seven-game losing skid by downing the Chicago Blackhawks 6-3. Brock Boeser scored twice for the 19-36-7 Canucks. Frank Nazar and Ilya Mikheyev each had a goal and an assist for the 23-29-10 Blackhawks.

TRADE DEADLINE FALLOUT

THE ATHLETIC: Blues general manager Doug Armstrong expressed his displeasure regarding leaked reports of a proposed trade involving Colton Parayko to the Buffalo Sabres before the blueliner was approached about waiving his no-trade clause. Parayko ultimately refused to waive his clause, killing the deal.

Armstrong was adamant that the leak didn’t come from the Blues. He ordered a thorough examination of his staff’s phone, text, and email records. “Everyone passed the test, not surprisingly,” Armstrong said. “I knew it didn’t come from us.”

However, Armstrong is not pointing the finger at the Sabres. “There’s so many people involved in things that go on: family members, agents. It’s a never-ending cycle of people that get talked to.”

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Washington Capitals players were shocked and saddened by the trade of long-time Capitals defenseman John Carlson to the Anaheim Ducks.

Team captain Alex Ovechkin said hearing the news was the toughest day of his career. “We’re very close, and it’s hard,” Ovechkin said. “We’ve been together since his Day 1 on Caps, and we’re growing up together as a person, families. It’s hard and it’s a sad day.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Getting traded is part of the business for professional hockey players, but it still takes an emotional toll, especially when they’ve spent years together as teammates.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving shouldered the blame for his club’s poor performance this season. He made the remarks after trading forwards Bobby McMann and Scott Laughton before Friday’s trade deadline. Treliving also acknowledged that more changes could be coming for the struggling Maple Leafs in the offseason.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Treliving could be among those changes. His three-year contract expires at the end of this season.

THE WINNIPEG SUN: Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff said his club’s decline after winning the Presidents’ Trophy last season starts with him. Cheveldayoff admitted that his offseason acquisitions were past their prime. He intends to play more of their younger players for the remainder of this season and is looking toward resetting in the offseason.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Unlike Treliving, Cheveldayoff won’t lose his job over this season’s disappointing effort. However, he must replace some of those aging players with younger talent for the Jets to bounce back next season.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Carolina Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky was expected to make another big trade deadline move after doing so the last two years. However, his only move was acquiring rugged depth forward Nic Deslauriers. Tulsky explained his quiet trade deadline, claiming his club didn’t find any deals that made sense for them.

IN OTHER NEWS…

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins center Evgeni Malkin received a five-game suspension from the league for slashing at the head of Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Kraken signed captain Jordan Eberle to a two-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $5.5 million.

NEW YORK POST: The Islanders re-signed center Jean-Gabriel Pageau to a three-year extension with an AAV of $4.85 million.

DAILY FACEOFF: Speaking of the Islanders, goaltender Semyon Varlamov is not expected to return to action this season. He’s been sidelined by a knee injury since November 2024.

TSN: Free-agent forward Mathieu Joseph signed a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Kings worth a prorated $900,000.

BUFFALO HOCKEY BEAT: Sabres forward Jiri Kulich will likely miss the remainder of the season. He’s been sidelined since November with blood-clot issues.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 6, 2026

by | Mar 6, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 6, 2026

The trade deadline is 3 pm ET today. Check out the recaps of Thursday’s game, the latest notable trades, and more as the deadline approaches in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Buffalo Sabres extended their win streak to five games by defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-1. Josh Norris and Owen Power each had a goal and an assist for the Sabres (37-19-6), who sit second in the Atlantic Division with 80 points. Bryan Rust replied for the 31-17-13 Penguins, who remain in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 75 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins center Evgeni Malkin could receive a suspension after receiving a game misconduct for a slash to the head of Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin. He’s been suspended twice before in his NHL career.

Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar (NHL Images).

Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar played his 1,500th NHL regular-season game in a 5-3 victory over the New York Islanders. Kopitar collected an assist, Artemi Panarin scored his first goal as a King, and interim head coach D.J. Smith got his first win behind the bench for Los Angeles (25-22-14), who are three points out of the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 64 points. Jean-Gabriel Pageau had two assists for the 35-23-5 Islanders, who are third in the Metropolitan Division with 75 points.

The Utah Mammoth got a 16-save shutout performance from Vitek Vanecek to blank the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0. Nick Schmaltz, Clayton Keller, and Michael Carcone scored for the Mammoth (33-25-4), who hold the first Western wild-card spot with 70 points. Dan Vladar stopped 22 of 24 shots for the 28-22-11 Flyers.

Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg had a goal and two assists in a 6-3 win over the Boston Bruins. Matthew Wood tallied twice for the 28-26-8 Predators, who are also three points out of the final Western wild-card position. Charlie McAvoy and Viktor Arvidsson each had a goal and an assist for the Bruins (34-22-5), who cling to the final Eastern Conference wild card with 73 points.

The Columbus Blue Jackets (32-21-8) moved to within one point of the Bruins after doubling up the Florida Panthers 4-2. Ivan Provorov had a goal and two assists, and Mathieu Olivier scored twice for the surging Blue Jackets, who picked up their third straight win. Niko Mikkola and Sam Bennett replied for the 30-29-3 Panthers, who have dropped four straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers sat out forward A.J. Greer, signaling the likelihood that he’ll be moved before today’s deadline.

Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele had a goal and an assist as his club upset the Tampa Bay Lightning by a score of 4-1. Connor Hellebuyck turned aside 26 shots for the 25-26-10 Jets. Brayden Point tallied for the Lightning (38-18-4), who cling to first place in the Atlantic Division with 80 points.

New York Rangers forwards Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafreniere each had a goal and two assists in a 6-2 drubbing of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Will Cuylle scored two goals for the 24-29-8 Rangers. Matias Maccelli and Easton Cowan replied for the Maple Leafs (27-25-11).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Both teams sat out players for “roster management reasons” in anticipation of potentially trading them before today’s deadline. The Rangers scratched center Vincent Trocheck, while the Leafs sat out forwards Bobby McMann, Scott Laughton, and defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson for the second straight game.

The Ottawa Senators kept their playoff hopes alive by beating the Calgary Flames 4-1. Tim Stutzle and Dylan Cozens were among the goal scorers for the Senators (30-22-9), who extended their points streak to five games and sit five points behind the Bruins for that final Eastern wild card. Martin Pospisil tallied his first of the season for the 24-30-7 Flames.

ROUNDUP OF NOTABLE TRADES

NHL.COM: The Anaheim Ducks acquired defenseman John Carlson from the Washington Capitals in exchange for a conditional first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and a third-round pick in 2027.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Carlson had spent his entire 17-season NHL career with the Capitals. It’s the end of an era as he was the linchpin of their blueline for most of his tenure in Washington.

The Columbus Blue Jackets acquire winger Conor Garland from the Vancouver Canucks for a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and a second-rounder in 2028.

The Buffalo Sabres acquired defensemen Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn from the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for prospect forward Isak Rosen, defenseman Jacob Bryson, a 2027 second-round pick, and a conditional fourth-rounder in 2026.

The Detroit Red Wings acquire winger David Perron from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2026 draft.

The Ottawa Senators acquire winger Warren Foegele and a conditional third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a second-round pick and a conditional third-round pick in the 2026 draft.

The Dallas Stars acquired forward Michael Bunting from the Nashville Predators for a third-rounder in the 2026 draft.

The Colorado Avalanche acquired forward Nicolas Roy from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a conditional first-round pick in the 2027 or 2028 NHL Draft and a conditional fifth-rounder in 2026.

The Vegas Golden Knights acquired forward Nic Dowd from the Washington Capitals in exchange for goaltender Jesper Vikman, a third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft, and a second-rounder in 2029.

The Minnesota Wild acquired defenseman Jeff Petry from the Florida Panthers in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: The Anaheim Ducks signed forward Ryan Poehling to a four-year contract extension. PuckPedia indicates the 27-year-old center will receive an average annual value of $3.75 million on his new deal.

The New Jersey Devils placed forwards Evgenii Dadonov, Luke Glendening, and Maxim Tsyplakov on waivers.

The St. Louis Blues placed forward Mathieu Joseph on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract.










NHL Rumor Mill – June 9, 2025

by | Jun 9, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – June 9, 2025

Big changes could be coming for the Rangers, the latest on the Penguins, and a list of potential buyout candidates in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

RUMBLINGS OF BIG CHANGES FOR THE RANGERS

THE ATHLETIC’s Arthur Staple reported that the word at the NHL Draft Combine was that the New York Rangers are among the teams looking to shake up their rosters this summer. The others include the Buffalo Sabres, Utah Mammoth, and Seattle Kraken.

Igor Shesterkin, Adam Fox, and Artemi Panarin are considered the only untouchables on the Rangers roster. Staple believes general manager Chris Drury could attempt to sign Vladislav Gavrikov if the Los Angeles Kings’ defenseman becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks considers it inevitable that the Rangers will trade K’Andre Miller. The 25-year-old defenseman is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights and is coming off a disappointing 2024-25 performance.

New York Rangers defenseman K’Andre Miller (NHL Images).

Several sources told Brooks that they believe Miller will be targeted with an offer sheet if he isn’t moved by July 1. He believes the offer would be around five years with an average annual value between $6 million and $7.012 million, which the Rangers “all but certainly would not match.” They would receive a first and third-round pick as compensation.

Parting with Miller would leave the Rangers without a left-shot defenseman who can skate alongside Fox on their top defenseman pairing. Unless such a blueliner is part of the return in a trade involving Miller, Brooks believes they’ll have to overpay for a UFA like Gavrikov if he’s available.

Brooks also indicated that Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere is “surely available” and was the topic of several conversations at the draft combine, “though it is unclear whether the majority of inquiries were outgoing or incoming.”

If the Rangers can’t move Miller for a defenseman and instead move him for a forward, Brooks believes Drury could use Lafreniere as a trade chip to add a left-shot blueliner.

Brooks pointed out that Vincent Trocheck’s no-trade clause becomes a 12-team no-trade list on July 1. If next season goes sideways, he believes Trocheck could become one of the Rangers’ most attractive trade chips.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Drury was among the busiest general managers in this season’s trade market. He began tinkering with his roster in December, hoping to stage what would be a quick turnaround in their fortunes within a season or two.

If he’s peddling Miller and Lafreniere, he’ll want good NHL players in their prime in return, not draft picks and prospects, unless he intends to use those as trade bait as well.

PENGUINS COULD SPURN FREE AGENCY FOR THE TRADE MARKET

THE ATHLETIC: Josh Yohe reported Pittsburgh Penguins GM Kyle Dubas said he’s probably not going to be as aggressive in the free-agent market, unless it’s for a younger player “who maybe deserves a little more term.”

Dubas said he’s been getting trade inquiries from other clubs, indicating that some of them are rebuilding clubs looking to take the next step in their development.

Yohe stated the Penguins have “a bushel of draft picks and several veterans they’re willing to trade.” In return, Dubas wants young, talented players who no longer fit with their current teams. He’ll also be watching cap-strapped clubs looking to offload some salary.

Penguins fans could want Dubas to target restricted free agents with offer sheets, like the St. Louis Blues did last summer when they signed Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway from the Edmonton Oilers. However, he doesn’t think that’s going to happen much this summer because of the rising salary cap.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins could have two first-rounders in this year’s draft if the Rangers agree to send them their 2025 pick as part of the terms of the J.T. Miller trade with the Vancouver Canucks, who included that pick as part of the return to the Penguins for Marcus Pettersson.

They also have three third-rounders and two fifth-rounders in this year’s draft, three second-rounders and two third-rounders in 2026, and two second-rounders, three third-rounders and two fourth-rounders in 2027.

The veterans who they are willing to move could include defensemen Erik Karlsson and Ryan Graves, goaltender Tristan Jarry, and forward Kevin Hayes. However, rival clubs are likely more interested in top-six forwards Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell.

POTENTIAL BUYOUT CANDIDATES

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli recently published his list of seven players he believes could be bought out of their contracts this summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The first buyout window opens the later of June 15 or 48 hours following the completion of the Stanley Cup Final and closes at 5 pm ET on June 30. A team can get a second, 48-hour buyout window if a player files for arbitration and is settled or awarded, beginning three days following the settlement or award.

Defenseman T.J. Brodie of the Chicago Blackhawks tops Seravalli’s list, with forward Pierre Engvall of the New York Islanders and blueliner Matt Dumba of the Dallas Stars sitting second and third, respectively.

Chicago forward Joe Veleno, St. Louis Blues winger Mathieu Joseph, Detroit Red Wings defenseman Justin Holl, and San Jose Sharks blueliner Marc-Edouard Vlasic round out the list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: All but Veleno are over the age of 26, meaning their buyouts are calculated at two-thirds of the remaining value over twice the remaining term. The 25-year-old Veleno’s buyout would be calculated at one-third of the remaining value over twice the remaining term.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 29, 2024

by | Oct 29, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 29, 2024

The Leafs end the Jets’ win streak, the Sharks long losing skid is over, the Lightning honor former captain Steven Stamkos, and Oilers captain Connor McDavid suffers an injury against the Blue Jackets. Get the details on these and other stories in the NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Toronto Maple Leafs downed the Winnipeg Jets 6-4, ending the latter’s season-opening win streak at eight games. John Tavares had a hat trick while William Nylander and Max Pacioretty each picked up three points for the Leafs. Jets winger Kyle Connor had two goals and two assists.

Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs outshot the Jets 36-23, including 19-6 in the first period. Winnipeg made it interesting as Mark Scheifele and Connor scored third-period goals to cut the Leafs lead to 5-4 before Tavares put it out of reach with an empty-net goal.

The Leafs announced defenseman Jake McCabe agreed to a five-year contract extension with an average annual value of $4.51 million. McCabe, 31, was slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July. He’s earning an AAV of $4 million on his current deal.

The cap hit is alright from the Leafs’ point of view. However, the concern is whether McCabe will still be worth that AAV in the latter years of the contract. He’ll be 32 when it goes into effect next season and will soon reach his mid-thirties when a player’s skills usually decline.

The San Jose Sharks snapped a nine-game losing skid with a 5-4 victory over the Utah Hockey Club on an overtime goal by Alexander Wennberg. They overcame a 4-1 deficit with three unanswered third-period goals by Fabian Zetterlund, Mikael Granlund and Tyler Toffoli to force the extra frame. Zetterlund finished with two goals and Granlund with three points. Matias Maccelli tallied twice for Utah.

An overtime goal by Nick Paul lifted the Tampa Bay Lightning past the Nashville Predators 3-2. Brayden Point and Jake Guentzel each had two points and Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 35 shots for the win. Predators forward Steven Stamkos picked up two assists against his former club.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was an emotional return to Tampa Bay for Stamkos. The Lightning honored his 16 seasons with the club with a three-minute video tribute as he took to the ice acknowledging the crowd, who greeted him with a lengthy standing ovation.

The Columbus Blue Jackets thumped the Edmonton Oilers 6-1. Sean Monahan scored twice and Cole Sillinger had a goal and two assists for the Blue Jackets. Oilers captain Connor McDavid left the game after suffering a lower-body injury during the opening shift.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid injured his left foot falling awkwardly into the boards as he was tripped while chasing the puck. He skated off and was on the bench for several minutes before leaving. McDavid returned to Edmonton for treatment and will miss the remaining two games of the Oilers’ current road trip.

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov returned from a lower-body injury with a two-point performance in a 5-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe also had two points in this contest for the Panthers. Jason Zucker and Rasmus Dahlin replied for the Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Sabres placed forward Zach Benson (lower body) on injured reserve.

The Chicago Blackhawks ended a four-game losing skid by beating the Colorado Avalanche 5-2, snapping the latter’s five-game win streak. Ryan Donato led the way for the Blackhawks with two goals and an assist. Avalanche stars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar each picked up a point to extend their season-opening points streaks to 10 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche forward Ross Colton will miss some time recovering from a lower-body injury after blocking a shot in the first period. He played through the second period before leaving this contest.

Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho scored in overtime for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Martin Necas had a goal and an assist as the Hurricanes took a 3-1 lead before the Canucks battled back to tie it on third-period goals by Quinn Hughes and Pius Suter.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen missed this game dealing with an undisclosed injury. It is unrelated to the blood clots that sidelined him for most of last season.

The Vegas Golden Knights blanked the Calgary Flames 5-0. Keegan Kolesar and Nicolas Roy each had three points and Adin Hill made 16 saves for the shutout. Dan Vladar turned aside 33 shots for the Flames, who’ve dropped three straight games after starting the season 5-0-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames are mourning the passing of former equipment manager Gus Thorson, who died in Calgary on Saturday at age 65. Thorson was the Flames head equipment manager from 1999 to 2010. My condolences to Thorson’s family, friends and the Flames organization.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone, Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros and Dallas Stars center Matt Duchene are the league’s three stars for the week ending Oct. 27.

TRIBLIVE.COM: Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury is preparing for his final game in front of Pittsburgh Penguins fans. Fleury, 39, intends to retire at the end of this season. He spent the first 13 seasons of his NHL career with the Penguins, helping them win three Stanley Cups. The Wild face the Penguins in Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of the Penguins, winger Bryan Rust was still be evaluated on Monday for an injured right leg suffered during Saturday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks.

CBS SPORTS: The Montreal Canadiens placed defenseman Kaiden Guhle (upper body) on injured reserve.

STLTODAY.COM: The Blues will send forward Mathieu Joseph back to St. Louis to receive treatment for a lower-body injury suffered during Saturday’s game against the Canadiens.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers recalled forward Matt Rempe from their AHL affiliate in Hartford.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 3, 2024

by | Jul 3, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 3, 2024

The 2024-25 schedule is released, reaction to Victor Hedman re-signing with the Lightning and Pavel Buchnevich re-upping with the Blues, the latest UFA signings, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL RELEASES 2024-25 SCHEDULE

NHL.COM: The 2024-25 season begins in Europe on Oct. 4 when the Buffalo Sabres face off against the New Jersey Devils at O2 Arena in Prague, Czechia.

The season begins in North America on Oct. 8 with a triple-header on ESPN highlighted by the Florida Panthers raising their first Stanley Cup banner ahead of their home opener against the Boston Bruins. The Utah Hockey Club will have their first home game in Salt Lake City against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Other must-see games include Macklin Celebrini’s potential NHL debut with the San Jose Sharks on Oct. 10 against the St. Louis Blues, the New Jersey Devils meeting the Toronto Maple Leafs as Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe faces his former club for the first time, Nashville Predators winger Steven Stamkos returning to Tampa Bay to face the Lightning on Oct. 28, and the NHL Winter Classic on Dec. 31 between the St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks at Wrigley Field.

LIGHTNING RE-SIGN HEDMAN, BLUES RE-UP BUCHNEVICH

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Tuesday was a bittersweet day for Victor Hedman. He signed a four-year contract extension with the Lightning with an average annual value of $8 million while dealing with the departure of friend and long-time teammate Steven Stamkos the day before.

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (NHL Images).

Hedman admitted Stamkos’ signing with the Predators was “a sad, sad day” for himself and the organization. However, he’s also “super excited and proud” to sign a new contract that will likely ensure he finishes his career with the Lightning.

Asked whether he’ll accept the captaincy vacated by Stamkos’ departure, Hedman replied it was “way too early” to discuss that.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The bottom line is the Lightning felt their top defenseman was more important to retain than their scoring winger. Hedman got the same contract that Stamkos received from the Predators.

The report indicates the Lightning’s offer to Stamkos was believed to be in the $3 million AAV range. No wonder he felt disrespected and opted to hit the open market.

Speaking of the Lightning, they signed winger Cam Atkinson to a one-year, $900K contract. The 35-year-old Atkinson was bought out of the final year of his contract last week by the Philadelphia Flyers.

STLTODAY.COM: The St. Louis Blues and Pavel Buchnevich agreed to a six-year contract extension with an AAV of $8 million beginning in 2025-26.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Buchnevich is among the Blues’ top forwards. Nevertheless, this contract could be a risky investment over the long term. He’ll be 30 when it kicks in, and while the Blues will likely get solid value during the first three years, it could become costly over the final three years if his production begins to fade approaching his mid-thirties.

The Blues also built up their forward depth by acquiring Radek Faksa from the Dallas Stars for future considerations and Mathieu Joseph and a 2025 third-rounder from the Ottawa Senators for future considerations.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I like these additions for the Blues. They gave up nothing for two affordable players who should improve their checking-line depth. The Blues weren’t finished making additions on Tuesday, signing former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph to a one-year contract.

OTHER NOTABLE CONTRACT SIGNINGS

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators signed center Shane Pinto to a two-year contract with an AAV of $3.75 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I speculated yesterday that Pinto would get a two-year deal for around $3 million annually. The 23-year-old had no leverage and staging a holdout wouldn’t have done him or the club any good. There was speculation his agent was angling for a contract offer from a rival club. If so, he didn’t get any nibbles.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Tomas Tatar returns to the Devils on a one-year deal worth $1.8 million. The 33-year-old winger spent two seasons with the Devils from 2021 to 2023.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Victor Olofsson signed a one-year, $1.075 million contract with the Vegas Golden Knights. The 28-year-old winger spent the past six seasons with the Buffalo Sabres.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Florida Panthers signed former Winnipeg Jets defenseman Nate Schmidt to a one-year contract worth $800K.

Jack Johnson is returning to the Columbus Blue Jackets, signing a one-year deal worth $775K. The 37-year-old defenseman spent nearly seven seasons with the Jackets from 2011-12 to 2017-18.

TSN: The Seattle Kraken traded defenseman Brian Dumoulin to the Anaheim Duck for a 2026 fourth-round pick.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche inked Erik Brannstrom to a one-year deal worth $900K. The 24-year-old defenseman spent the past six seasons with the Ottawa Senators.










NHL Rumor Mill – April 19, 2024

by | Apr 19, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – April 19, 2024

Check out the latest on the Senators and Penguins as they head off into the offseason in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE LATEST SENATORS SPECULATION

THE ATHLETIC: Ian Mendes looked at the burning questions facing Ottawa Senators general manager Steve Staios heading into the offseason.

Topping the list is determining the Senators’ next head coach. Staios will have competition as the Buffalo Sabres are also in the market for a new bench boss while the Los Angeles Kings, New Jersey Devils and St. Louis Blues have interim coaches.

Candidates could include established NHL coaches like Craig Berube, Dean Evason and Todd McLellan, AHL coaches such as John Gruden and Joel Bouchard, or current NHL assistant coaches like Doug Houda and Chris Kelly.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s rumored Gruden is at the top of Staios’ wish list.

Goaltending is another area to be addressed as Joonas Korpisalo and Anton Forsberg didn’t have good seasons. Staios believes the duo is better than their stats suggest and expects they’ll have a better offseason in preparation for 2024-25.

Korpisalo has four years and $16 million left on his contract while Forsberg has a year left. Mendes suggested bringing in a third goalie if trading one of the other two isn’t possible and sorting things out during training camp.

Ottawa Senators defenseman Jakob Chychrun (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch claimed the Senators kicked tired on Boston’s Linus Ullmark before the March trade deadline and could revisit their interest. However, Ullmark has a 15-team no-trade list. The Senators could be on that list.

Mendes pointed out that Jake Sanderson is evolving into the Senators’ No. 1 defenseman. Staios might have to choose between Thomas Chabot and Jakob Chychrun.

Chabot’s no-trade clause kicks in on July 1 while Chychrun is a year away from unrestricted free-agent eligibility. Like Sanderson, they’re left-shot defensemen who are more comfortable on their natural side.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Ottawa Sun’s Tim Baines reported Chychrun is uncertain about his future with the Senators. He was the subject of trade speculation leading up to the trade deadline that bothered the 26-year-old blueliner.

It’ll be interesting to see if Chychrun or Chabot are still with the Senators after July 1. One of them could be traded for a right-shot defenseman.

Who do you prefer as a trade candidate, Senators fans? Let me know in the comments section below.

Mendes also wondered what Staios would do with aging defenseman Travis Hamonic. He has a year left on his contract with a $1.1 million cap hit but he holds a full no-movement clause. Restricted free agent blueliner Erik Brannstrom could become a trade candidate.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Garrioch suggested a contract buyout for Hamonic. He also believes forward Mathieu Joseph could get peddled in this summer’s trade market. He lacks no-trade protection and has two years left on his contract with an average annual value of $2.95 million.

UPDATE ON THE PENGUINS

THE ATHLETIC: Rob Rossi speculated on possible offseason changes for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

He expects head coach Mike Sullivan will be back but assistant coaches Todd Reirden and Mike Vellucci could be replaced. Offseason acquisition Erik Karlsson will be back given his large salary-cap hit and full no-movement clause.

The goalie situation remains murky. Struggling starter Tristan Jarry’s contract won’t be easily moved, at least for a quality return. Alex Nedeljkovic is due to become a UFA on July 1 while promising Joel Blomqvist is their most NHL-ready prospect.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette columnist Joe Starkey believes the Penguins need to move on from Jarry. He suggested retaining some of his $5.375 million AAV to make it happen but he could still prove difficult to move.

General manager Kyle Dubas couldn’t find any takers for winger Reilly Smith at the trade deadline. Finding a deal this summer isn’t guaranteed. Rickard Rakell’s trade value might improve given his late-season surge.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dubas isn’t planning on rebuilding his roster but must find a way to shed some salary and bring in some younger, affordable talent this summer.