NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 17, 2026

by | Jan 17, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 17, 2026

Four-point performances by the Predators’ Ryan O’Reilly and the Hurricanes’ Nikolaj Ehlers, the Rangers announce their intention to retool their roster, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING FRIDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Nashville Predators center Ryan O’Reilly tallied a hat trick and collected an assist in a 7-3 upset of the Colorado Avalanche. Filip Forsberg and Roman Josi each had three points as the Predators picked up their third straight win and improved to 23-20-4. Brock Nelson scored two goals for the Avalanche (33-5-8), who remain atop the overall standings with 74 points.

Nashville Predators center Ryan O’Reilly (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the Avalanche’s first regulation loss on home ice this season.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Nikolaj Ehlers had a hat trick plus an assist as his club crushed the Florida Panthers 9-1. Taylor Hall tallied twice, and Mark Jankowski had a goal and two assists for the Hurricanes (29-15-4), who sit in first place in the Metropolitan Division with 62 points. Uvis Balinskis replied for the 24-19-3 Panthers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Panthers signed Balinskis to a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $875,000.

A shootout goal by Jordan Kyrou lifted the St. Louis Blues to a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning, snapping the latter’s 11-game win streak. Joel Hofer stopped 32 shots while Jake Neighbours and Nick Bjugstad gave the Blues a 2-0 lead before the Lightning rallied on goals by Nikita Kucherov and Oliver Bjorkstrand. The Blues (19-21-8) picked up their second consecutive win, while the Lightning (29-13-4) clings to first place in the Eastern Conference with 62 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning hold first place in the East because they have two games in hand over the Hurricanes. Earlier in the day, the Lightning placed center Brayden Point on injured reserve.

The Detroit Red Wings doubled up the San Jose Sharks 4-2. Lucas Raymond had three assists, and Marco Kasper had a goal and an assist for the Red Wings (29-16-4), who are tied with the Lightning and Hurricanes with 62 points. Will Smith and Nick Leddy scored for the 24-20-3 Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was Smith’s first game since being sidelined for 13 games by an upper-body injury. Earlier in the day, the Sharks traded minor-league defenseman Kyle Masters to the Carolina Hurricanes for a 2027 fifth-round pick to make room for Michael Misa’s entry-level contract.

Anaheim Ducks rookie winger Beckett Sennecke had two assists in regulation, and Mason McTavish tallied the winning goal in the shootout to nip the Los Angeles Kings 3-2. Joel Armia had a goal and an assist for the 19-16-12 Kings, while the Ducks improved to 23-21-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Ducks announced that center Leo Carlsson will be sidelined three to five weeks with a thigh injury. They also placed winger Troy Terry (upper body) on injured reserve.

HEADLINES

NEW YORK POST: Rangers general manager Chris Drury released a letter to the team’s fans on Friday promising to retool the club’s struggling roster. This comes less than eight years after former GM Jeff Gorton penned a similar letter to the club’s followers.

Drury acknowledged the fans’ disappointment over the Rangers’ difficulties since last season, when they missed the playoffs after winning the Presidents’ Trophy in 2024. He promised to retool around the team’s core players and prospects, targeting players with “tenacity, skill, speed, and a winning pedigree,” putting the focus on young players and prospects, while freeing up cap space for flexibility going forward.

The Rangers GM also indicated that the club could be parting ways with players “that have brought us and our fans great moments over the years.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The letter prompted speculation over which players will be moved. The most obvious is Artemi Panarin, who is slated to become an unrestricted free agent in July. Management has already informed the 34-year-old center that they won’t be offering him a contract extension. I’ll have more about this situation in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

DAILY FACEOFF: Toronto Maple Leafs winger William Nylander is considered doubtful for Saturday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets. He exited Thursday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights with a lower-body injury.

THE MINNEAPOLIS STAR-TRIBUNE: The Minnesota Wild placed Matt Boldy, Joel Eriksson Ek, Jonas Brodin, and Zach Bogosian on injured reserve.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Flyers starting goaltender Dan Vladar is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. He won’t be suiting up for Saturday’s game against the Rangers.

THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: The Canadiens have returned goaltender Jacob Fowler and forward Owen Beck to their AHL affiliate in Laval.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fowler did a good job in difficult circumstances for the Canadiens, providing much-needed stability between the pipes when the regular goalie tandem of Sam Montembeault and Jakub Dobes was struggling. Given Montembeault’s improvement, Fowler will resume his development in Laval.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 10, 2026

by | Jan 10, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 10, 2026

The Jets end their long losing skid, the Capitals spoil Blackhawks center Connor Bedard’s return from injury, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF FRIDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: The Winnipeg Jets ended an 11-game winless skid (0-7-4) by defeating the Los Angeles Kings 5-1. Mark Scheifele scored twice while Cole Perfetti and Gabriel Vilardi each collected two assists for the 16-22-1 Jets. Quinton Byfield replied for the Kings (18-15-10), who replaced goaltender Darcy Kuemper with Anton Forsberg after Kuemper gave up five goals on 16 shots.

Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele (NHL Images).

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored his fourth goal in his last three games in a 5-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Connor McMichael had a goal and an assist as the Capitals improved to 23-16-6. Oliver Moore scored for the Blackhawks (18-19-7), bringing their four-game win streak to an end.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks superstar Connor Bedard was held pointless as he returned to action after missing 12 games with a shoulder injury.

The Utah Mammoth doubled up the St. Louis Blues 4-2. Nick Schmaltz had a goal and two assists, and Clayton Keller picked up three assists for the Mammoth (22-20-3) as they extended their win streak to three games. Oskar Sundqvist and Pavel Buchnevich scored for the 17-20-8 Blues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mammoth forward Alex Kerfoot left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury.

Speaking of Keller, he’s not a fan of the Mammoth fans’ recent peculiar habit of whistling during the game. “It’s been pretty disruptive, to be honest,” Keller said, adding he’s not sure where it’s stemming from.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: The league’s department of player safety fined Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell $5,000 for high-sticking Montreal Canadiens forward Alexandre Texier during Thursday’s game between the two clubs.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The Flyers placed defenseman Jamie Drysdale (undisclosed) on injured reserve.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks will be keeping rookie Michael Misa for the remainder of this season. Misa’s last NHL game was on Nov. 1, when he suffered an ankle injury. He was subsequently loaned to Team Canada for the 2026 World Junior Championship.

TSN: Chris Johnston got a first-hand look at the Santagiulia Arena in Milan, which will be the main site for the men’s and women’s hockey tournaments in the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics.

An Italian Cup game was played there on Friday, which was stopped briefly at one point during the first period to repair a small hole in the ice. That’s not unusual with new ice surfaces.

Johnston reported the arena remains a construction site, with visible holes in the exterior of the building, spartan concourses inside with unfinished drywall, and ongoing work to complete the dressing rooms. Construction dust also floated over the playing surface.

Nevertheless, Johnston believes these issues are not a threat to the Olympics starting on time.

THE SCORE: Olympic organizers remain 100 percent confident that the NHL won’t pull out of the upcoming tournament. The league is expected to release a statement following its inspection of the facility.










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 7, 2025

by | Nov 7, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 7, 2025

The Penguins’ Sidney Crosby and the Ducks’ Cutter Gauthier are tied for the goal-scoring lead, the Devils hold first place in the Eastern Conference, the Bruins extend their points streaks, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF THURSDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Sidney Crosby tallied twice to lead the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 5-3 victory over the Washington Capitals. The Penguins blew a 3-0 lead until Bryan Rust scored and Connor Dewar collected an empty-net insurance goal to improve their record to 9-4-2. Rust finished the night with three points. Alex Ovechkin had two assists, and Dylan Strome scored and had two helpers for the 7-6-1 Capitals, who have lost five of their last six games.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The 38-year-old Crosby has 11 goals, tying him for the league lead in that category. This game was the 99th time that Crosby and Ovechkin have faced each other since their NHL debut in 2005-06. Meanwhile, Penguins rookie winger Filip Hallander missed this game as he’s day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

Anaheim Ducks winger Cutter Gauthier had a goal and an assist, and Chris Kreider scored twice to help their club upset the Dallas Stars 7-5. Leo Carlsson also had a goal and an assist for the Ducks, who scored seven goals for the second straight game as they moved into sole possession of first place in the Pacific Division with 19 points (9-3-1). Miro Heiskanen had four assists and Wyatt Johnston had a goal and two assists for the 7-4-3 Stars, whose points streak ended at seven games (4-0-3).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gauthier, 21, is tied with Crosby for the league goal-scoring lead. That’s a 17-year age gap between the two stars.

The New Jersey Devils overcame a 3-2 deficit on goals by Timo Meier and Jesper Bratt to nip the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 in overtime. Jack Hughes picked up two assists for the 10-4-0 Devils, who hold first place in the Eastern Conference over the 9-3-2 Canadiens. Kirby Dach, Jake Evans, and Oliver Kapanen scored, and Noah Dobson had two assists for the Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton left the game in the second period with an undisclosed injury. They activated forward Cody Glass off injured reserve for this game after being sidelined for seven games with an upper-body injury. They also placed defenseman Brett Pesce (upper-body injury) on IR.

Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki’s point streak ended at 12 games.

An overtime goal by Pavel Zacha extended the Boston Bruins’ win streak to five games as they downed the Ottawa Senators 3-2. Morgan Geekie and Sean Kuraly also scored for the 9-7-0 Bruins, who moved up into third place in the Atlantic Division. Michael Amadio and Claude Giroux replied for the 6-5-3 Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins forward John Beecher left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury.

Meanwhile, the NHL is taking another look at gambling allegations against Senators forward Arthur Kaliyev after his former girlfriend, model Lauren Mochen, claimed he owes her and others around the league thousands of dollars. The league has yet to find any evidence of wrongdoing, but will continue to examine the case. Kaliyev currently plays for the Senators’ AHL affiliate in Belleville.

The Philadelphia Flyers beat the Nashville Predators 3-1. Noah Cates snapped a 1-1 tie, and Travis Konecny and Cam York each had two points for the 8-5-1 Flyers. Ryan O’Reilly scored for the Predators, who dropped to 5-7-4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: O’Reilly ripped his team’s performance following this game. He was also critical of his own efforts. “The number one center and I turn the puck over everywhere,” he said. “I can’t make a six-foot pass to save my life. Not going to have much success if I’m playing pathetic like that.”

St. Louis Blues goaltender Joel Hofer turned in a 28-save shutout to blank the Buffalo Sabres 3-0. Mathieu Joseph, Nick Bjugstad, and Justin Faulk scored for the 5-8-0 Blues. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 14 shots for the Sabres, who dropped to 5-5-4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The struggling Blues raised eyebrows when they made leading scorer Jordan Kyrou a healthy scratch. That had some observers wondering if a trade might be afoot, but it was head coach Jim Montgomery’s way of sending a message to his players about his unhappiness with their performance this season.

Meanwhile, the Buffalo Sabres placed forward Jiri Kulich on injured reserve. He’s been dealing with an issue related to fluid in his ears.

Tampa Bay Lightning forwards Nikita Kucherov and Brandon Hagel each scored two goals in a 6-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. Kucherov, Hagel, and rookie forward Dominic James each had three points for the Lightning, who improved to 7-5-2. Ivan Barbashev and Mitch Marner each had three points for the 7-3-3 Golden Knights.

The Carolina Hurricanes tamed the Minnesota Wild by a score of 4-3. Jackson Blake and Sean Walker each had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes as they improved to 9-4-0. Matt Boldy tallied twice for the Wild, who dropped to 5-7-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild forward Tyler Pitlick received a major and a match penalty for a hit to the head of Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield, who left the game and did not return. Hurricanes blueliner K’Andre Miller collected an assist in his return to action after missing six games with a lower-body injury.

Florida Panthers winger Brad Marchand scored two goals in a 5-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Sergei Bobrovsky made 24 saves as the Panthers improved their record to 7-6-1. Anze Kopitar and Corey Perry tallied for the 6-5-4 Kings.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NEW YORK POST: Struggling Rangers winger Artemi Panarin has shaved his head in a light-hearted effort to try to break out of his slump. He also admitted that concerns about the future are on his mind. The 34-year-old winger is in the final season of his contract and eligible for unrestricted free-agent status next July. To date, there’s no indication the two sides are close to an extension.

TSN: St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington explained he had every intention of handing over Alex Ovechkin’s 900-goal puck after tucking it into his goalie pants after the Capitals star scored the milestone goal on Wednesday.

Binnington joked that he had a claim to the puck since it was his turnover that led to the goal. “I had full intention to give it back to him.”

ROTOWIRE: Columbus Blue Jackets center Sean Monahan underwent evaluation after suffering an upper-body injury during Wednesday’s loss to the Calgary Flames. More information on his condition is expected before Saturday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks placed rookie forward Michael Misa on injured reserve. He suffered a lower-body injury during the morning skate before Wednesday’s game against the Seattle Kraken.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Toronto Maple Leafs have suspended forward David Kampf for leaving their AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies. It’s expected this situation will be resolved soon, either by his reporting back to the Marlies, the two sides agreeing to terminate his contract, or he gets traded to another club.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 2, 2025

by | Oct 2, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 2, 2025

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

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

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

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

Calgary Flames winger Jonathan Huberdeau (NHL Images).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 11, 2025

by | Sep 11, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 11, 2025

Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov reportedly rejects a $128 million contract offer, plus the latest on Canucks captain Quinn Hughes, Golden Knights center Jack Eichel, Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson, and more in today’s NHL morning Coffee Headlines.

REACTION TO KAPRIZOV REPORTEDLY REJECTING $128 MILLION OFFER

THE ATHLETIC: Michael Russo and Joe Smith cited a report from Bleacher Report’s Frank Servalli claiming that Kirill Kaprizov rejected an eight-year, $128-million contract offer from the Minnesota Wild.

Kaprizov, 28, is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next July. The average annual value of the proposed contract is $16 million, which would’ve made him the NHL’s highest-paid player. His current AAV is $9 million.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov (NHL Images).

Russo and Smith subsequently reported that Wild general manager Bill Guerin claimed talks were ongoing. “We love Kirill. We want to keep him here. I have a good relationship with his agent (Paul Theofanus), and we are still in talks. We are not panicking or anything. This is just part of negotiations.”

Guerin declined to go into detail about the offer. “My job as general manager is to protect my players, and I don’t want this in the public eye. That’s the way we’d like to keep it, so I’m not commenting any further on this.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Appearing on the “10,000 Takes” podcast, Guerin said he didn’t know where the rumors about Kaprizov rejecting a historic offer came from. “I know two things: that info didn’t come from us, and it didn’t come from Kirill’s agent.” Nevertheless, Guerin didn’t appear to deny that the offer had been made or that Kaprizov rejected it.

Russo and Smith wondered what the reported rejection of the offer meant. They feel the Wild must determine if Theofanus thinks his client could get more than $16 million on the open market next summer, or if it’s the beginning of the end for Kaprizov in Minnesota.

Signing Kaprizov to a larger deal will impact their future salary-cap situation as they attempt to build a contender. However, if Kaprizov intends to go to market, the Wild will have to find out from the winger (who has a full no-movement clause) which team he’s willing to get moved to before the March 6 trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was rumored that the Kaprizov camp was fine with the money but wanted a shorter term. We’ll see if that’s the case as we advance.

This could become a nightmare for the Wild. Re-signing Kaprizov for more than their reported offer will hamper their effort to build and maintain a potential Stanley Cup champion. If he intends to become a UFA next summer, they won’t get fair value in a trade, and his departure will be a significant blow to their offense.

Ultimately, the Wild prefers re-signing Kaprizov. Better to keep their superstar at a higher price than to trade him for below market value or lose him for nothing to free agency next July.

CANUCKS CAPTAIN QUINN HUGHES RESPONDS TO BROTHER JACK’S COMMENTS

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes responded to his brother Jack’s comments about wanting to play together someday.

Earlier this year, Canucks president Jim Rutherford mentioned that Quinn would one day like to play with his brothers Jack and Luke Hughes, who both play for the New Jersey Devils. That generated speculation that the Canucks’ defenseman could end up traded to New Jersey or sign with the Devils as a free agent when his contract expires in 2027.

“What’s (Jack) supposed to say, first of all? Like, ‘I don’t want to play with him,’ you know?”, Quinn said. “We have contracts and whatnot. He’s on a different team. Would it be fun to play with those guys at some point? Of course.”

Hughes said that he’s excited to be in Vancouver and hopes to help the team rebound from last season’s disappointing performance. “I’ve been fortunate to play in Vancouver because of the fans and what a special place it is, and how well you’re taken care of, because they love their hockey so much and care about their hockey. It’s normal in a Canadian market.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Quinn has been downplaying the speculation, but it’s not going to go away, especially if the Canucks struggle again this season. Another year out of the playoff picture will only fan the trade rumor flames.

THE LATEST ON JACK EICHEL AND MIKE MATHESON

ESPN.COM: Jack Eichel hopes to remain with the Vegas Golden Knights for the long term. The 28-year-old center is UFA-eligible next July.

“I love the organization. I love living here. I love the guys in the room. I love the people in the city. I love the fans,” Eichel said. “It’s a great place to live. It’s a great place to play hockey. I think there’s a lot of things to love and I’m just really happy here.

Talks between Eichel and the Golden Knights’ management are in the early stages, but the star center is optimistic about the process. Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon recently said getting Eichel re-signed was “an important order of business.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Eichel is the Golden Knights’ first-line center and top offensive player. It’s expected he’ll be re-signed to a long-term deal worth between $13 million and $14 million annually.

LA PRESSE: Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson has had discussions with management about a contract extension, although those talks are not recent.

Matheson is UFA-eligible and is earning an AAV of $4.8 million on his current contract. His agent said the 31-year-old blueliner wants to stay in Montreal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matheson catches some flak from Canadiens fans for his defensive play, but management has praised his skills, experience, and leadership. It wouldn’t be surprising if he gets a four or five-year extension.

IN OTHER NEWS…

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks signed prospect forward Michael Misa to a three-year entry-level contract. The 18-year-old was chosen second overall in the 2025 NHL Draft.

If Misa makes the team this season, the Sharks could end up moving a contract to be within the mandated 50-contract limit.

DAILY FACEOFF: Veteran NHL forward Adam Erne is among four players signed to professional tryout offers by the Dallas Stars. He’s appeared in 382 NHL games with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Detroit Red Wings, and Edmonton Oilers since 2016-17.

Meanwhile, the Florida Panthers signed defenseman Ben Harpur and forward Tyler Motte to PTO contracts.

Blues forward Zach Dean has entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program.

STLTODAY.COM: The St. Louis Blues signed prospect forward Justin Carbonneau to a three-year entry-level deal. He was selected 19th overall in this year’s draft.

FULL PRESS MEDIA: Steve Mayer, President of NHL Content and Events, believes the outdoor games involving the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning this season could become the talk of the sports world.

The Panthers will host the New York Rangers in the NHL’s annual Winter Classic on Jan. 2, 2026, while the Lightning hosts the Boston Bruins in the annual Stadium Series on Feb. 1.

SCOTTY WAZZ: presents the latest in his “Meh Rushmore” of players who just existed on their respective NHL teams. This week: The Central Division.