NHL Rumor Mill – February 6, 2026

by | Feb 6, 2026

NHL Rumor Mill – February 6, 2026

The latest on Rangers center Vincent Trocheck, Predators winger Jonathan Marchessault, Flames center Nazem Kadri, Sabres winger Alex Tuch, and more in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

KINGS WERE INTERESTED IN VINCENT TROCHECK

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reported the Los Angeles Kings’ recent acquisition of winger Artemi Panarin doesn’t diminish their need for a center. They reportedly tried to get Vincent Trocheck included in the deal with Panarin, but his preference is to remain in the Eastern Conference. Kings general manager Ken Holland is also looking to move winger Warren Foegele, who’s been a healthy scratch lately.

New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck (NHL Images)

Friedman also mentioned that the Detroit Red Wings attempted to sign Trocheck when he was an unrestricted free agent, but the Rangers beat them to it.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Trocheck is going to draw plenty of attention leading up to the March 6 trade deadline. The 32-year-old center is signed for three more seasons with an average annual value of $5.625 million and a 12-team no-trade list. Most of the teams on that list could be from the Western Conference.

COULD THE PREDATORS SHOP MARCHESSAULT AND O’REILLY?

Elliotte Friedman believes Nashville Predators winger Jonathan Marchessault could be a trade candidate. He has a full no-movement clause, but could waive it to go to a place with a good minor hockey infrastructure for his children.

Friedman believes the Montreal Canadiens are interested in Ryan O’Reilly, but it’s unknown if the Predators center will be traded.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marchessault could be available, but his stock is down from two years ago because of the decline in his production. He’s 35 and carries a $5.5 million average annual value through 2028-29.

As for O’Reilly, Predators general manager Barry Trotz said he hasn’t received an offer suitable enough to take to the 34-year-old center. That could change as the trade deadline approaches, but he could be content to stay in Nashville.

THE LATEST ON FLAMES FORWARDS KADRI AND COLEMAN

Elliotte Friedman believes one of the reasons Nazem Kadri’s market slowed is the availability of Trocheck and St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas. He said the Utah Mammoth checked in with the Calgary Flames and believes this could pick up. There is a slight concern about the remaining term in Kadri’s contract, but the Flames are willing to be flexible.

Friedman also mentioned there has been a lot of talk linking winger Blake Coleman to the Montreal Canadiens, but he doesn’t think that’s feasible.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames are facing pressure to move Kadri and Coleman because the duo is signed beyond this season. Nevertheless, one of them could be on the move by the March 6 trade deadline.

Coleman seems the most likely candidate because of his versatility, experience, and affordable $4.9 million cap hit.

OTHER TIDBITS FROM THE LATEST “32 THOUGHTS” COLUMN

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman believes some teams will use the Olympic break to engage in contract extension discussions.

He wondered how the Winnipeg Jets and center Jonathan Toews might feel about another year. Meanwhile, there’s been some discussion between the Buffalo Sabres and winger Alex Tuch, but they’re not close to a deal. He noted that the Sabres aren’t interested in making their team worse, which suggests they’re not going to move Tuch. Friedman also thinks they might add a “beefier blueliner, if possible.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres are in a good position to end their 14-year playoff drought. They won’t risk upsetting that by moving Tuch even if they can’t agree on a new contract. They’ll hang onto him and revisit those discussions in the offseason.

The Toronto Maple Leafs seek a first-round pick for winger Bobby McMann. What makes it challenging is that several possible suitors, such as the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, and Vegas Golden Knights, traded away their 2026 first-rounders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs could end up settling for a second-round pick bundled with another pick or a prospect.

The Edmonton Oilers need to move Andrew Mangiapane.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Easier said than done thus far. They have reportedly trying to trade him since December without success.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 3, 2026

by | Feb 3, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 3, 2026

Recapping Monday’s action, Barry Trotz to step down as Predators’ general manager, the three stars of the week are revealed, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF MONDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Steven Stamkos scored the tying and winning goals as the Nashville Predators erased a 5-1 deficit to defeat the St. Louis Blues 6-5. Ryan O’Reilly also tallied twice, and Roman Josi collected four assists for the 26-23-6 Predators. Pavel Buchnevich had two goals and an assist while Jordan Kyrou and Jake Neighbours each had three points for the Blues, who dropped to 20-27-9.

Nashville Predators forward Steven Stamkos (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stamkos has 27 goals in 55 games, matching last season’s output in 82 games. He also moved into the top-20 among the all-time regular-season goal scorers with 609, sitting third among active scorers.

The Washington Capitals netted four unanswered goals in a 4-1 victory over the New York Islanders. Nick Dowd had a goal and an assist, and Clay Stevenson made 29 saves for the 28-22-7 Capitals, who picked up their third straight win. Mathew Barzal scored for the Islanders (30-21-5).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin had an assist to reach 1,670 career-regular-season points, putting him in fifth place among NHL players with the most points with one franchise. Gordie Howe is the leader with 1,809. Meanwhile, Capitals defenseman Matt Roy returned to action after missing three games with a lower-body injury.

Utah Mammoth forward Nick Schmaltz had a hat trick and collected an assist to lead his club over the Vancouver Canucks 6-2. John Marino had three assists for the Mammoth (29-23-4). Teddy Blueger had a goal and an assist as the Canucks have one win in their last six games (1-4-1), dropping to 18-32-6.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks center Filip Chytil left this game after the second period.

The Buffalo Sabres got 38 saves from Alex Lyon in a 5-3 win over the Florida Panthers, handing the latter their fourth straight loss. Peyton Krebs had a goal and two assists for the Sabres (32-18-5), who’ve won six of their last seven contests. Sam Reinhart collected two assists for the 28-24-3 Panthers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers forward Sam Bennett left this game with an upper-body injury. After the game, Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk acknowledged his injury-ravaged club is in trouble as they try to remain in the playoff race in the Eastern Conference. With 59 points, the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions are eight points out of a wildcard berth.

The Sabres didn’t emerge unscathed from this game, as forward Zach Benson departed in the third period with an upper-body injury.

Ottawa Senators forward Claude Giroux scored the winning goal to nip the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2. Drake Batherson had two assists as the Senators (27-21-4) extended their win streak to four games. Arturs Silovs made 28 saves, and Egor Chinakhov had a goal and an assist for the 28-15-11 Penguins as their six-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins disputed Giroux’s goal, claiming it was goaltender interference as the Senators forward crashed into Silovs after the latter made the save, dislodging the puck and knocking the net off its moorings. Following a lengthy review, it was determined to be a goal, and Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson was penalized for tripping Giroux.

The Detroit Red Wings blanked the Colorado Avalanche 2-0. John Gibson got the shutout with 21 saves while Marco Kasper and Lucas Raymond scored for the 33-18-6 Red Wings, who ended a three-game winless skid (0-2-1). Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 23 of 24 shots for the 36-9-9 Avalanche, who lead the league with 81 points, but have one win in their last four games.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov scored twice, including the winner in overtime, in a 4-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Quinn Hughes had three assists for the Wild (33-14-10), who picked up their fourth straight win. Brendan Gallagher, Ivan Demidov, and Kirby Dach replied for the 31-17-8 Canadiens, who are 3-0-1 in their last four games.

An overtime goal by Thomas Harley lifted the Dallas Stars over the Winnipeg Jets 4-3 to extend their win streak to five games. Mikko Rantanen, Matt Duchene, and Miro Heiskanen each had two points for the Stars (33-14-9). Cole Perfetti and Gabriel Vilardi each had a goal and an assist for the 22-25-8 Jets.

Chicago Blackhawks forwards Ryan Donato and Ilya Mikheyev each had four points in a 6-3 win over the San Jose Sharks. Jason Dickinson and Connor Murphy each collected two points for the 22-25-9 Blackhawks as they ended a five-game winless skid (0-3-2). Macklin Celebrini had a goal and an assist for the Sharks (27-23-4) as they’ve gone 0-2-1 in their last three games.

The Toronto Maple Leafs doubled up the Calgary Flames 4-2. William Nylander had a goal and two assists for the 26-21-9 Maple Leafs. Nazem Kadri had a goal and an assist for the Flames (22-27-6) as they are 1-4-2 in their last seven contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly missed this game with an upper-body injury and will also sit out their next game against the Edmonton Oilers.

HEADLINES

THE TENNESSEAN: Barry Trotz announced Monday that he will be stepping down as general manager of the Nashville Predators. He will remain in his position until a successor is chosen.

Trotz said he made this decision for family reasons and has no plans to return to coaching. He stated that he informed the Predators’ ownership that he was contemplating retirement when his contract expired at the end of next season.

Predators majority owner Bill Haslam said they were not pushing Trotz out of the job. “He came to us (in December) and said he wanted to retire after his contract,” Haslam said. “After some back and forth, we decided to go ahead and be transparent about it.” He also indicated that the decision was not a reflection of Trotz’s job performance.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Trotz has his priorities in order. Family should always come first.

Trotz is one of the greatest coaches in NHL history. He won the Jack Adams Award twice and coached the Washington Capitals to the Stanley Cup in 2018. However, the Predators’ record since he took over as GM in 2023 has been uneven.

The Predators reached the playoffs in 2024 following a late-season surge but were eliminated in the opening round by the Vancouver Canucks. Trotz made a big splash in the 2024 free-agent market, signing Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei, but they failed to qualify for the postseason last year.

After stumbling through the opening two months of this season, they’ve moved to within three points of a wildcard berth in the Western Conference.

NHL.COM: Seattle Kraken winger Jared McCann, Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, and Philadelphia Flyers winger Travis Konecny are the league’s three stars for the week ending Feb. 1, 2026.

TSN: Edmonton Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard cleared waivers on Monday and will report to their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield.

SPORTSNET: Boston Bruins center Elias Lindholm (upper body) was placed on injured reserve.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 13, 2025

by | Dec 13, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 13, 2025

The Canucks trade Quinn Hughes to the Wild, Blackhawks center Connor Bedard is injured against the Blues, Lightning captain Victor Hedman is sidelined until February, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

CANUCKS SHIP QUINN HUGHES TO THE WILD IN A BLOCKBUSTER TRADE

NHL.COM: The Vancouver Canucks traded defenseman Quinn Hughes on Friday to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for center Marco Rossi, left wing Liam Ohgren, defenseman Zeev Buium, and a first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The retooling of the Canucks roster is underway. Management reportedly knew for some time that Hughes wouldn’t sign a contract extension next summer.

Vancouver Canucks trade Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild (NHL Images).

The fault lies not with Hughes, one of the greatest players in Canucks history, but on a front office that failed to build a stable, winning roster around him. This move seemed inevitable following the drama between centers Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller, resulting in the latter’s trade to the New York Rangers in January.

The Canucks didn’t get full value from the Wild in this return, but no team ever does when they trade a superstar. What they got was three players who could have a positive long-term effect on their roster.

Rossi will fill the second-line center position and has the skills to become a reliable two-way forward. Ohgren and Buium are promising youngsters who could blossom into stars. They also get an unprotected first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, which they can keep for themselves or use as a trade chip to add another NHL-ready player to their roster.

Meanwhile, there’s no question that Minnesota is the immediate winner of this trade. General manager Bill Guerin has signaled his intent to turn the Wild into a Stanley Cup contender.

Hughes is a superstar, a Norris Trophy winner who brings a high level of skill to the Wild’s already deep defense core. He’ll also provide a significant measure of offense from the blueline, especially on the power play. His playmaking talent should mesh well with scoring stars Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy.

Guerin also hopes that Hughes will agree to a contract extension before his eligibility for unrestricted free agent status on July 1, 2027. The earliest he can sign it is next July, when the Wild would have an opportunity to sign him an eight-year, front-loaded, bonus-laden deal before the rules change for those types of contracts on Sept. 15, 2026.

At the very worst, the Wild have Hughes for two playoff runs. If he helps turn them into a Stanley Cup champion, or at least a Cup Finalist, they will consider it a worthwhile investment.

RECAPPING FRIDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: The Chicago Blackhawks lost 3-2 to the St. Louis Blues, and they also lost franchise star Connor Bedard in the final second of the game.

Bedard injured his right shoulder after being checked by Blues captain Brayden Schenn off the faceoff in what Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill called “a freak accident”. Bedard left the ice immediately, gripping his shoulder in obvious pain.

Before the injury, Bedard assisted on both Blackhawks’ goals. He won’t play in Saturday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings, and an update on his condition is expected on Monday. Blues defenseman Logan Mailloux scored his first of the season, and Robert Thomas set up two goals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bedard is tied for third in league scoring (44 points) with San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini. His performance this season is the biggest reason why the rebuilding Blackhawks are jockeying for a wild-card berth in the Western Conference. A lengthy absence could send them into a tailspin. It could also jeopardize Bedard’s chances of playing for Canada in the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The Utah Mammoth picked up their third win in their last 10 games by downing the Seattle Kraken 5-3. Nick Schmaltz had a goal and two assists for the Mammoth as they snapped a three-game losing skid. Mason Marchment scored twice for the Kraken, who’ve lost seven of their last eight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kraken played without winger Jared McCann, who is sidelined for three weeks with a lower-body injury. He’s only appeared in 11 of his club’s 29 games this season.

IN OTHER NEWS…

DAILY FACEOFF: Tampa Bay Lightning captain Victor Hedman will undergo a procedure on his elbow that will sideline him until early February. The 34-year-old defenseman missed 12 games with the injury, returning to action last Saturday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hedman is expected to be ready when the 2026 Winter Olympics begin in February. He will be playing for Sweden.

SPORTSNET: New York Islanders center Bo Horvat is expected to miss one to three weeks with a lower-body injury suffered during Thursday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks.

DAILY FACEOFF: Speaking of the Ducks, they activated goaltender Lukas Dostal off injured reserve on Friday.

WINNIPEG FREE PRESS: Jets winger Nino Niederreiter will become the first Switzerland-born player to appear in 1,000 NHL regular-season games when his club faces the Washington Capitals on Saturday.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils forward Arseny Gritsyuk will be sidelined this weekend with an upper-body injury.

TSN: The Pittsburgh Penguins placed defenseman Matt Dumba on waivers Friday. The move is a result of their acquisition of blueliner Brett Kulak as part of the return in yesterday’s trade that sent goaltender Tristan Jarry to the Edmonton Oilers for netminder Stuart Skinner.

THE TENNESSEAN: The Nashville Predators traded defenseman Spencer Stastney to the Oilers in exchange for a 2027 third-round pick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers added Stastney to fill the gap left by Kulak’s departure to Pittsburgh.

THE MERCURY NEWS: Sharks rookie center Michael Misa is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. It’s the second time he’s been sidelined in just over a month. He will miss the start of Canada’s training camp for the upcoming 2026 World Junior Championship.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Carolina Hurricanes signed rookie defenseman Joel Nystrom to a four-year, $4.9 million contract extension.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 27, 2025

by | Nov 27, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 27, 2025

Avalanche extends their win streak to 10 games, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scores after a pregame ceremony honoring two career milestones, Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki reaches 400 career regular-season points, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The league-leading Colorado Avalanche (17-1-5, 39 points) extended their win streak to 10 games by blanking the San Jose Sharks 6-0. Goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood turned in a 26-save shutout against his former club, Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and an assist, and Cale Makar collected an assist to lead all NHL defensemen with 30 points. San Jose goalie Yaroslav Askarov was pulled early in the second period after giving up four goals on 19 shots. The Sharks slipped to 11-10-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon leads all NHL scorers with 18 goals and 39 points.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored his 908th career regular-season goal in a 4-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Defenseman Jakob Chychrun scored to extend his goal streak to four games as the Capitals (13-9-2) have won five of their last six games. Gabriel Vilardi tallied twice for the Jets, who’ve lost three in a row and dropped to 12-10-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals honored Ovechkin for reaching 900 career goals and 1,500 regular-season games in a pregame ceremony.

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki (NHL Images).

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki reached the 400-point regular-season milestone with two goals and an assist to nip the Utah Mammoth 4-3. Jakub Dobes stopped 31 shots, Zach Bolduc had a goal and two assists, and Ivan Demidov tallied the winning goal as the Canadiens blew a 2-0 lead but rallied to improve their record to 12-7-3. Barrett Hayton, Kailer Yamamoto, and Michael Carcone replied for the Mammoth (12-9-3), who are 2-2-3 in their last seven games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game saw the debut of Canadiens defenseman Adam Engstrom. Meanwhile, Mammoth blueliner Sean Durzi returned to the lineup after missing 21 games with an upper-body injury.

An overtime goal by Simon Nemec lifted the New Jersey Devils to a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Blues. Nico Hischier had a goal and two assists for the 15-7-1 Devils, who moved into first place in the Eastern Conference. Cam Fowler had a goal and an assist for the Blues, who dropped to 7-10-7.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils forward Evgenii Dadonov is expected to be out for a period of time after suffering an undisclosed injury during Monday’s game with the Detroit Red Wings.

Two goals in the opening 90 seconds by Brandon Hagel and Charle-Edouard D’Astous powered the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 5-1 victory over the Calgary Flames. Hagel and Nikita Kucherov each had a goal and an assist, and Andrei Vasilevskiy turned aside 31 shots as the Lightning (14-7-2) picked up their fifth straight win to sit in first place in the Atlantic Division with 30 points. Joel Farabee scored for the 8-14-3 Flames, whose three-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames are reportedly poised to extend the contract of general manager Craig Conroy.

Boston Bruins forward Alex Steeves scored twice for his first NHL multi-goal game in a 3-1 victory over the New York Islanders. Jeremy Swayman kicked out 44 shots as the Bruins improved to 14-11-0. Mathew Barzal scored for the 13-9-2 Islanders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Islanders announced that they would not loan rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer to Canada’s World Junior Team. That’s understandable, given Schaefer’s value to the Islanders. Meanwhile, the Isles announced Jean-Gabriel Pageau is expected to return from an upper-body injury before Christmas.

Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry made 29 saves in his return to action to double up the Buffalo Sabres by a score of 4-2. Matt Dumba and Kevin Hayes tallied their first goals of the season for the Penguins (11-6-5), who picked up their third win in their last 10 games. Jason Zucker and Jack Quinn each had a goal and an assist for the Sabres, who slipped to 9-10-4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Penguins returned goaltender Sergei Murashov to their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Given his solid performance during his call-up, he might not be down on the farm for long.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin had a goal and an assist, and Igor Shesterkin stopped 36 shots in a 4-2 upset of the Carolina Hurricanes. The win improved the Rangers to 12-11-2. Sebastian Aho and Shayne Gostisbehere each had two points for the Hurricanes (14-7-2), who’ve dropped three of their last four games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: New York Rangers captain J.T. Miller picked up an assist as he returned to the lineup after missing the last two games with an upper-body injury.

An overtime goal by William Nylander lifted the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1. Easton Cowan scored to tie the game for the Maple Leafs (10-10-3), who got their second win in their last nine games. Zach Werenski scored for the 11-9-3 Blue Jackets, who are winless in their last three (0-1-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Auston Matthews and Matthews Knies returned to the Maple Leafs lineup after missing several games with injuries. The Leafs also placed forward Sammy Blais on waivers.

Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson had a goal and two assists as the Ottawa Senators defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 on a shootout goal by Shane Pinto. Linus Ullmark made 32 saves for the Senators, who improved to 12-7-4. Brett Howden, Jack Eichel, and Mark Stone scored as the Golden Knights (10-5-8) overcame a 3-1 deficit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stone returned to the Golden Knights’ lineup after being sidelined since Oct.18 with an injured wrist. Meanwhile, Senators captain Brady Tkachuk confirmed he will return to action on Friday against the St. Louis Blues. He’s been out with an injured thumb since Oct. 13.

The Vancouver Canucks got a 37-save performance by call-up goalie Nikita Tolopilo in his season debut to beat the Anaheim Ducks 5-4. Max Sasson, Filip Hronek, and Tom Willander each collected two points for the Canucks (10-12-2), who snapped a three-game losing skid. Jackson LaCombe had a goal and two assists for the 14-8-1 Ducks, who remain in first place in the Pacific Division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks starting netminder Lukas Dostal missed this contest with an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

Dallas Stars defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok snapped a 2-2 tie to lift his club over the Seattle Kraken 3-2. Roope Hintz and Esa Lindell also scored for the Stars (15-5-4) as they extended their road points streak to 10 games. Brandon Montour and Vince Dunn tallied for the 11-6-6 Kraken.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jared McCann collected an assist as he returned to the Kraken lineup after being sidelined since Oct. 18 with a lower-body injury.

The Nashville Predators ended a three-game losing skid with a 6-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Ryan O’Reilly had a goal and two assists for the 7-12-4 Predators. Alex DeBrincat, James van Riemsdyk, and Ben Chiarot scored for the Red Wings (13-10-1), who’ve dropped three of their last four contests.

Four unanswered goals by Emil Andrae, Matvei Michkov, Tyson Foerster, and Sean Couturier rallied the Philadelphia Flyers from a 2-0 deficit to upset the Florida Panthers 4-2. The win improved the Flyers’ record to 12-7-3. Brad Marchand and Carter Verhaeghe scored for the Panthers (12-10-1).

The Minnesota Wild collected their sixth straight win by downing the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 on an overtime goal by Kirill Kaprizov. Matt Boldy had a goal and two assists, and Filip Gustavsson turned aside 34 shots for the 13-7-4 Wild. Connor Bedard had a goal and an assist for the Blackhawks (10-8-5), who are winless in their last five contests (0-3-1).










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 26, 2025

by | Oct 26, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 26, 2025

Milestone games for the Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin and the Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman, the Kraken’s Brandon Montour makes an emotional return to action, the Red Wings stage a big comeback, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin played in his 1,500th career regular-season NHL game, but the Ottawa Senators spoiled the party with a 7-1 victory. Dylan Cozens and Drake Batherson each had two goals and an assist for the Senators as they improved to 4-4-1. Trevor van Riemsdyk scored for the 6-3-0 Capitals, who also lost center Dylan Strome to a lower-body injury in the first period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin is the 24th player in league history to reach 1,500 regular-season games. Only seven players missed fewer games on their way to that milestone, and the eighth to do so with one team. The Capitals superstar remains one goal away from becoming the first player in NHL history to score 900 regular-season goals. Meanwhile, Capitals center Pierre-Luc Dubois returned to the lineup after missing five games with a lower-body injury.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov (NHL Images).

Nikita Kucherov became the second player in franchise history to reach 1,000 regular-season points as the Tampa Bay Lightning nipped the Anaheim Ducks 4-3. Kucherov collected two assists, including the primary one on Anthony Cirelli’s game-winning goal. Cirelli and Jake Guentzel each scored twice, and Lightning captain Victor Hedman had two assists to reach the 800-point milestone. Troy Terry had a goal and an assist for the 4-3-1 Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Steven Stamkos is the Lightning’s franchise points leader with 1,137. Hedman sits fifth among their all-time points leaders with 801. The Lightning (2-4-2) snapped a four-game winless skid (0-2-2). Meanwhile, Ducks center Mikael Granlund left this game with a lower-body injury.

The Seattle Kraken (5-2-2) got two goals from Jordan Eberle to hold off the Edmonton Oilers 3-2, tying them with the first-place Vegas Golden Knights (12 points) in the Pacific Division. Joey Daccord stopped 31 shots, and Matty Beniers collected two assists for the Kraken. Evan Bouchard and Darnell Nurse replied for the 4-4-1 Oilers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour logged over 23 minutes in his return to action from a leave of absence on Oct. 18 to be with his family. His brother, Cameron, passed away due to ALS (otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) two days later. “I’m very, very happy to be his brother,” an emotional Montour said. “He’s probably smiling and chirping me up there, for crying.” My condolences to Montour and his family.

Earlier in the day, the Kraken placed sidelined winger Jared McCann (lower body) on injured reserve.

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson scored the winning and insurance goals as his club overcame a 4-0 deficit for a 6-4 upset of the St. Louis Blues. Jonatan Berggren and J.T. Compher each had a goal and an assist for the 6-3-0 Red Wings. Jake Neighbours tallied two goals for the Blues (3-4-1), who’ve gone 1-3-1 in their last five games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues center Robert Thomas left this game in the third period with an upper-body injury.

Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares’ 499th career regular-season goal came in overtime to lift his club over the Buffalo Sabres 4-3. Tavares also picked up an assist while winger Matthew Knies had two helpers as the Leafs improved to 4-4-1. Tage Thompson tallied twice for the 4-4-1 Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maple Leafs winger William Nylander missed this game due to an injury suffered on Friday night against the Sabres. Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly returned to the lineup after missing Friday’s contest with an undisclosed injury.

The Montreal Canadiens got a three-point performance from Ivan Demidov as they overcame a 2-0 deficit for a 4-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Demidov scored the game-winner and collected two assists, while Nick Suzuki scored to extend his points streak to nine games as the Canadiens (7-3-0) sit atop the Atlantic Division with 14 points. Center Elias Pettersson had a goal and two assists for the 4-5-0 Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Canadiens announced winger Patrik Laine will be sidelined three to four months after undergoing surgery to repair a core muscle injury.

Nashville Predators center Ryan O’Reilly scored two goals and collected an assist, and Ozzy Wiesblatt scored the game-winner in a shootout to nip the Los Angeles Kings 5-4. Juuse Saros kicked out 36 shots in regulation and overtime as the Predators improved to 4-3-2. Joel Armia had a goal and an assist for the Kings, who fell to 3-3-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kings captain Anze Kopitar was held scoreless in his return from a foot injury suffered on Oct. 17. Meanwhile, Predators captain Roman Josi missed this game as he’s listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman made 31 saves for a 3-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche, snapping a six-game losing streak. Morgan Geekie scored the game-winner while Mason Lohrei collected three assists for the 4-6-0 Bruins. Artturi Lehkonen tallied both goals for the Avalanche (5-1-3), who are winless in their last three (0-2-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sidelined Bruins defenseman Jordan Harris is reportedly considering surgery for a lower-body injury.

The Columbus Blue Jackets blew a 4-2 lead but emerged with a 5-4 shootout win on a goal by Kirill Marchenko. Dmitri Voronkov tallied twice for the Blue Jackets, who improved to 4-4-0. Evgeni Malkin and Anthony Mantha collected two points, and Arturs Silovs made 37 saves for the 6-2-1 Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins winger Rickard Rakell left this game in the third period with an undisclosed injury. Earlier in the day, the Penguins announced defenseman Caleb Jones will be sidelined for eight weeks with a lower-body injury.

Philadelphia Flyers forward Trevor Zegras netted his first two goals of the season, and Matvei Michkov scored the shootout winner to down the New York Islanders 4-3. Zegras finished the game with three points as the Flyers improved to 4-3-1. Defenseman Marshall Warren collected two assists in his NHL debut as his Islanders sit at 4-3-1.

The Florida Panthers got a 17-save shutout from Sergei Bobrovsky to blank the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0, handing the latter their first regulation loss. Sam Reinhart, Cole Schwindt, and A.J. Greer scored for the Panthers, who improved to 5-5-0. Akira Schmid made 23 saves for the 5-1-2 Golden Knights.

Utah Mammoth forwards Logan Cooley and Nick Schmaltz each scored two goals in a 6-2 rout of the Minnesota Wild. Karel Vejmelka turned aside 32 shots for the 7-2-0 Mammoth, who extended their win streak to six games and hold first place in the Central Division with 14 points. Marcus Johansson scored both goals for the struggling Wild, who fell to 3-5-1.

The Dallas Stars got two goals from Miro Heiskanen to rally past the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2. Jake Oettinger made 26 saves as the (4-3-1) Stars snapped a four-game losing streak. Jackson Blake and Sebastian Aho tallied for the 6-2-0 Hurricanes.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 21, 2025

by | Oct 21, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 21, 2025

Jonathan Toews scores as the Jets win their fifth straight game, the Golden Knights extend their points streak, the three stars of the week, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF MONDAY’S NHL ACTION

NHL.COM: Jonathan Toews scored his first goal with his hometown Winnipeg Jets in a 2-1 victory over the Calgary Flames. Mark Scheifele also scored for the Jets as they picked up their fifth straight win. Rasmus Andersson scored for the Flames, who’ve lost six straight (1-6-0) and sit last in the overall standings.

Winnipeg Jets center Jonathan Toews (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That was Toews’ first goal since his final game with the Chicago Blackhawks on Apr. 13, 2023. The 37-year-old center has four points in his first six games of this season. Meanwhile, the Calgary Flames placed little-used defenseman Daniil Miromanov on waivers earlier in the day.

The Vegas Golden Knights extended their points streak to seven games (5-0-2) by defeating the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1, snapping the latter’s five-game season-opening win streak. Akira Schmid made 22 saves in relief of Adin Hill after the latter was sidelined in the first period with an injured left leg. Ivan Barbashev had a goal and an assist, and Mitch Marner collected two assists for the Golden Knights, who sit atop the overall standings with 12 points. Nikolaj Ehlers collected his first point with the Hurricanes by assisting on Sebastian Aho’s goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Golden Knights placed captain Mark Stone (wrist) on injured reserve. Hurricanes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere missed this game with a lower-body injury.

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes stopped 30 shots in a 4-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres, snapping the latter’s two-game win streak. Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki collected two assists to extend his points streak to six games, and Lane Hutson tallied the game-winner for the 5-2-0 Canadiens. Alex Lyon made 27 saves, and Jiri Kulich and Tyson Kozak scored for the 2-4-0 Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres defenseman Beck Malenstyn missed this game for personal reasons.

The Philadelphia Flyers got two goals from winger Owen Tippett to down the Seattle Kraken 5-2. Cam York had three assists and Sean Couturier collected two helpers for the Flyers, who improved their record to 3-2-1. Jordan Eberle and Jani Nyma replied for the Kraken as they suffered their first regulation loss (3-1-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kraken winger Jared McCann missed this contest with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

Minnesota Wild rookie winger Danila Yurov scored his first NHL goal as his club beat the New York Rangers 3-1. Jonas Brodin and Kirill Kaprizov also scored for the 3-3-1 Wild. Artemi Panarin scored for the Rangers as their record dropped to 3-4-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild forward Marco Rossi and defenseman Zach Bogosian missed this game as they’re day-to-day with lower-body injuries. Meanwhile, Rangers defenseman Carson Soucy returned to action after missing the last four games with an upper-body injury.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin, Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel, and Colorado Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood were the three stars for the week ending Oct. 19, 2025.

RG.ORG: Anaheim Ducks center Mason McTavish is happy to have put his protracted contract negotiations behind him. The 22-year-old center enjoys playing head coach Joel Quenneville’s up-tempo, aggressive system. He’s now focused on helping his club reach the playoffs for the first time since 2018.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McTavish missed training camp due to his contract negotiations, but it hasn’t adversely affected his performance thus far in this regular season. He’s tied for second among Ducks scorers with five points in as many games.

THE SCORE: Chicago Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno has rejoined his teammates after taking a leave of absence to be with his 12-year-old daughter as she underwent follow-up surgery related to her congenital heart disease. She is now at home and doing well.

TSN: The Vancouver Canucks placed Filip Chytil and Jonathan Lekkerimaki on injured reserve after the two forwards were sidelined during Sunday’s game against the Washington Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chytil left the game following a high hit from Capitals winger Tom Wilson. He has a history of concussions and is still being evaluated.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers winger Kasperi Kapanen is expected to miss several games after leaving Sunday’s contest with the Detroit Red Wings. Meanwhile, Oilers anthem singer Robert Clark announced he has been diagnosed with leukemia. He’ll undergo treatment starting next month, and hopes not to miss too much time.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Clark for a swift and full recovery.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars defenseman Nils Lundkvist (lower body) was placed on injured reserve.