NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 10, 2025

by | Oct 10, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 10, 2025

A milestone goal for Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, the debut of Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer, Jonathan Toews played his first game with the Jets, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Sidney Crosby had a goal and an assist, and Evgeni Malkin collected three assists, and Justin Brazeau broke a 3-3 tie as the Pittsburgh Penguins nipped the New York Islanders 4-3. Islanders rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer had an assist for his first NHL point. He was the first-overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby has 626 career regular-season goals, moving past Joe Sakic into fifth place for the most goals with one franchise. Former Penguin Mario Lemieux is fourth with 690. Penguins rookie Harrison Brunicke scored his first goal, becoming the first player from South Africa to score in the NHL.

The Dallas Stars held off the Winnipeg Jets for a 5-4 victory. Mikko Rantanen had a goal and two assists, and Jason Robertson had a goal and an assist for the Stars. Kyle Connor had a hat trick as the Jets rallied from a 5-1 deficit, but fell short. Jonathan Toews was held scoreless in his debut with the Jets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Jets placed forward David Gustafsson on waivers.

Ottawa Senators center Shane Pinto scored twice (including the go-ahead goal) and picked up an assist to down the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-4. Brady Tkachuk and Artem Zub also collected three points as the Senators overcame a 3-1 deficit. Nikita Kucherov tallied twice, and Brayden Point had a goal and two assists for the Lightning.

The Vegas Golden Knights overcame a 3-2 deficit for a 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharks. Jack Eichel scored the tying goal and collected an assist for the Golden Knights. Jeff Skinner scored his first goal with the Sharks after joining them in the offseason.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A solid effort by the Sharks was undone as goaltender Alex Nedeljovic allowed Eichel’s weak game-tying goal late in the third period, followed by a costly turnover near his own blueline on Reilly Smith’s overtime goal.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis scored the go-ahead and insurance goals to beat the New Jersey Devils 6-3. K’Andre Miller tallied twice in his debut with the Hurricanes, while Jesper Bratt and Luke Hughes each had two points for the Devils.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Goaltender Frederik Andersen got the win as Pyotr Kochetkov was unavailable for this game after getting injured in practice earlier this week. He will be evaluated on Friday.

An overtime goal by Fraser Minten lifted the Boston Bruins over the Chicago Blackhawks by a score of 4-3. Casey Mittelstadt, Tanner Jeannot, and Elias Lindholm also scored for the Bruins, while Connor Bedard and Andre Burakovsky each had a goal and an assist for the Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm left this game in the first period with a lower-body injury. Blackhawks forward Jason Dickinson did not come out for the third period due to an undisclosed injury.

The New York Rangers got a 37-save performance from Igor Shesterkin as he shut out the Buffalo Sabres 4-0. Alexis Lafreniere and J.T. Miller each had a goal and an assist, giving Mike Sullivan his first win as head coach of the Rangers. Alex Lyon stopped 29 shots for the Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers center Vincent Trocheck left the game in the second period with an upper-body injury. Sabres forward Josh Norris suffered an upper-body injury in the third period.

Speaking of shutouts, Filip Gustavsson of the Minnesota Wild made 26 saves to blank the St. Louis Blues 5-0. Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy each had three points, and Ryan Hartman scored two goals. Blues goalie Jordan Binnington gave up five goals on 21 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, Wild general manager Bill Guerin defended his club’s signing Kaprizov to an eight-year deal with a league-leading $17 million average annual value (AAV). “Look, everybody’s got a price to where they want to play in their market, and Kirill is worth that to us. He’s that important to us,” Guerin said. “And we couldn’t take the chance of letting him go.”

The Wild announced forward Nico Sturm is expected to miss six to eight weeks with a back injury.

Montreal Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes turned aside 30 shots in a 5-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings, spoiling the latter’s season opener. Zack Bolduc and Oliver Kapanen scored in their second straight games, and Mike Matheson had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens. Dylan Larkin scored for the Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings netminder John Gibson was pulled in the second period after giving up five goals on 13 shots.

A four-goal third period carried the Vancouver Canucks over the Calgary Flames 5-1. Filip Chytil tallied twice for the Canucks, who also got goals from Kiefer Sherwood, Jonathan Lekkerimaki, and Brock Boeser. Morgan Frost scored for the Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was Adam Foote’s first win as head coach of the Canucks. Flames defenseman Kevin Bahl left this game in the third period after being struck in the back of the head by a puck.

The Florida Panthers downed the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 on a third-period goal by Brad Marchand. Anton Lundell also scored for the Panthers, while Noah Cates replied for the Flyers, who got a 32-save effort by Dan Vladar.

Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros kicked out 37 shots, and Ryan O’Reilly scored the winning goal to nip the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1. Michael Bunting also scored for the Predators, and Dmitri Voronkov tallied for the Blue Jackets.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon’s early third-period goal held up as the winner in a 2-1 victory against the Utah Mammoth. Ross Colton also scored for the Avalanche, who got a 32-save performance by netminder Scott Wedgewood. Dylan Guenther tallied for the Mammoth.

The Seattle Kraken defeated the Anaheim Ducks 3-1 on goals by Vince Dunn, Mason Marchment, and Jared McCann. Ducks rookie Beckett Sennecke tallied his first career NHL goal.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 2, 2025

by | Jul 2, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 2, 2025

Mitch Marner reveals why he left the Leafs for the Golden Knights, reaction to the biggest moves during the opening day of free agency, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

MITCH MARNER SHEDS LIGHT ON HIS DECISION TO LEAVE THE MAPLE LEAFS

TORONTO SUN: Former Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner was formally introduced as the newest member of the Vegas Golden Knights during a press conference in Las Vegas on Tuesday.

The 28-year-old winger was part of a sign-and-trade agreement between the two clubs on June 30, agreeing to an eight-year, $96-million contract. Speaking with the media for the first time since the deal, he revealed the reasons why he changed teams.

Former Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).

Marner said Vegas was his first choice. Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon said the trade between the two teams was agreed to during the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft last Friday. He said they wanted the sign-and-trade to get the eighth year on his new contract, as it slightly lowered the average annual value.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Under the existing CBA, a team can re-sign its own player to a maximum eight-year contract. Had the Golden Knights waited until free agency opened on July 1 to sign Marner, the deal would’ve been a maximum of seven years.

Under the next CBA, the maximum contract will be seven years for re-signing a player, and six years if they become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) starting in 2026-27.

The Golden Knights have been interested in Marner for some time. They attempted to acquire him at the March trade deadline in a three-way deal involving the Carolina Hurricanes. However, his wife was pregnant and he didn’t want to leave Toronto at that time. “And I was still very committed to playing in Toronto, and wanted to focus on being there and finishing a job there,” Marner said.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marner released a statement thanking the Leafs and their fans, acknowledging that he came up short trying to end their long Stanley Cup drought.

It’s a sad end to Marner’s nine seasons in Toronto. He was one of the greatest players in franchise history, sitting fourth all-time with 520 assists and fifth with 741 points. However, his postseason struggles drew the wrath of Leafs Nation, greasing the skids for his inevitable departure.

Marner will add more offense to the Golden Knights’ forward lines, and his elite two-way game will also help them defensively. However, his hefty new contract leaves them top-heavy with expensive forwards, leaving little cap space to address their lack of overall roster depth that has prevented them from repeating as Stanley Cup champions since winning the Cup two years ago.

REACTION TO SOME OF THE NOTABLE MOVES OF THE OPENING DAY OF FREE AGENCY

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I listed most of yesterday’s notable signings and trades here. However, I was unable to post my reactions as I was busy grading the biggest UFA signings for Bleacher Report. You can read those by following this link.

The New York Rangers traded defenseman K’Andre Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for defenseman Scott Morrow, a conditional first-round pick in 2026, and a 2026 second-round pick. The Hurricanes signed Miller to an eight-year, $60-million contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $7.5 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Miller struggled with consistency during his tenure with the Rangers. The Hurricanes are betting he’ll blossom under head coach Rod Brind’Amour’s system.

The Vancouver Canucks signed goaltender Thatcher Demko to a three-year contract extension with an AAV of $8.5 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Demko has a year left on his current deal with a cap hit of $5 million. The 29-year-old netminder was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy in 2023-24, but a nagging lower-body injury limited him to 23 games last season.

The Canucks hope Demko’s injury woes are in the past. His new cap hit is among the league’s highest for goaltenders, but the short term suggests the injury issue remains a concern.

The Hurricanes also re-signed forward Logan Stankoven to an eight-year, $48 million contract. The AAV is $6 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stankoven was acquired from the Dallas Stars as part of the return in the Mikko Rantanen trade in March. A versatile forward who can play center or wing, the 22-year-old had 38 points in 78 games last season between the Stars and Hurricanes, and five goals and eight points in 18 playoff games.

The Hurricanes are betting on Stankoven’s potential to become a second-line forward. They will be hoping this gamble pays off better than the one they made in Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who hasn’t played up to expectations as a second-line center.

The Los Angeles Kings signed forwards Corey Perry and Joel Armia, defensemen Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin, and goaltender Anton Forsberg.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This would be quite a haul for the Kings if most of those players were five years younger. It appears they’ve gotten older, not better.

The Boston Bruins acquired winger Viktor Arvidsson from the Edmonton Oilers for a 2027 fifth-round pick, and signed forward Tanner Jeannot to a five-year contract with an AAV of $3.4 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins did the Oilers a favor by taking Arvidsson and his $4 million cap hit off their books. However, the 32-year-old winger hasn’t been the same since back surgery sidelined him for most of the 2023-24 campaign. They brought in Jeannot to bolster their toughness, but the deal is too long and too expensive for a fourth-line forward.

The Edmonton Oilers signed winger Andrew Mangiapane to a two-year contract with an AAV of $3.6 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mangiapane had a career-best season (35 goals, 55 points) in 2021-22, but his production has dropped off since then. He’s part of the Oilers’ efforts to offset the gaps in their forward lines following the departures of Arvidsson, Perry, Evander Kane and Connor Brown.

The Montreal Canadiens traded defenseman Logan Mailloux to the St. Louis Blues for forward Zachary Bolduc.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This deal should benefit both clubs. The Canadiens drew from their depth in young defensemen to get a promising middle-six forward who tallied 19 goals as a rookie last season. The Blues added a mobile young blueliner with top-four potential to their defense corps.

The Philadelphia Flyers signed Dan Vladar to a two-year, $6.8 million contract with an AAV of $3.4 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers’ goalie depth was dreadful last season. Vladar should be a reliable backup for young starter Samuel Ersson.

The Pittsburgh Penguins traded goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic to the San Jose Sharks for a 2028 third-round pick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Salary dump by the Penguins, clearing his $2.3 million cap hit from their books. Nedeljkovic will back up promising Yaroslav Askarov in San Jose.

IN OTHER NEWS…

DAILY FACEOFF: Winger Nikolaj Ehlers is the top player remaining in the UFA market. Other notables include defenseman Dmitry Orlov, center Pius Suter and winger Jack Roslovic.

RG.ORG: Utah Mammoth defenseman Mikhail Sergachev is pleased with the new CBA, singling out the elimination of escrow that annually withheld a portion of a player’s salary to balance potential revenue shortfalls. With league revenues more stable and predictable, escrow is being phased out.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Escrow was an annoying issue for the players for years. They’re understandably happy that they won’t have to deal with those clawbacks.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Reports suggest Flyers forward Tyson Foerster suffered a biceps injury that could sideline him for some time. Flyers general manager Daniel Briere said Foerster suffered an injury during the 2025 World Championships and came down with an infection that required surgery. There’s been no timeline for his return.

TSN: Long-time hockey analyst and insider Bob McKenzie has retired after 48 years as a journalist. His long career included stops with The Globe & Mail, The Hockey News, and the Toronto Star before joining TSN.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McKenzie was the gold standard for hockey insiders. He was well-liked and highly regarded around the league, and was also the go-to source for information on top NHL prospects. I had only brief interactions with McKenzie, but he was always kind and helpful. Here’s to a long, happy and healthy retirement, Bobfather.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Former Red Wings star Alex Delvecchio passed away on Tuesday at age 93.

A skillful, disciplined and durable playmaker, Delvecchio spent his entire 24-year NHL career with the Red Wings from 1950-51 to 1973-74, winning three Stanley Cups and the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy three times. He’s among their franchise leaders with 1,550 games played, 456 goals, 825 assists and 1,281 points. Delvecchio also had 104 points in 121 playoff games. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1977.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Delvecchio’s family, friends, former teammates, and the Red Wings organization.










NHL Rumor Mill – March 26, 2025

by | Mar 26, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – March 26, 2025

The latest on the Penguins goaltending, the Canadiens offseason plans, and the fallout of Jakob Chychrun’s new contract in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

PENGUINS FACE OFF-SEASON GOALIE DECISION

PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW: Mark Madden wonders if Tristan Jarry has saved his future with the Penguins.

The 29-year-old goaltender struggled in the first half of the season, leading to his demotion to the Penguins’ AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. However, he’s rallied since his recall, prompting Madden to suggest Jarry could stick with the club beyond this season if he keeps playing well.

Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry (NHL Images).

Jarry’s contract is part of the equation. He’s signed through 2027-28 with an average annual value of $5.375 million. His recent improvement isn’t likely to increase interest in him. The Penguins would have to retain salary in any swap.

Madden believes the Penguins can’t retain Jarry and Alex Nedeljkovic. The latter has a year left on this deal with an AAV of $2.5 million. Having both is blocking one of their promising young netminders from moving up

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Madden also mentioned buying out Jarry if need be would be the easy call but his recent play makes that difficult. A buyout would see a cap hit of $1.747 million for 2025-26, rising to $5.047 million in 2026-27, dropping to $4.547 million in 2027-28, and falling to over $797K for each of the final three seasons.

THE LATEST ON THE CANADIENS’ OFFSEASON PLANS

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun recently reported another important offseason awaits the Montreal Canadiens. They have salary-cap flexibility and draft capital at their disposal. Adding another top-six forward is the priority.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Specifically, a reliable second-line center.

Hughes acknowledged the situation but clarified a recent comment where he seemed to suggest a willingness to overpay in the trade market rather than doing so in free agency. He said he was contrasting the two options, adding that it was in the context of signing a 32-year-old player to a seven-year contract that isn’t going to age well. He said his team isn’t in a three-year window where they have to win now and would be comfortable carrying that type of contract on the back end.

The Canadiens GM said that his team needs to be smart about this because they expect to have a much larger window of opportunity. He’ll be engaged in talking with other general managers to explore ways of improving his team but doesn’t want to be short-sighted about it.

LeBrun indicated that finding a center in his mid-twenties this summer will be challenging, especially with teams like the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks seeking the same thing.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hughes has a pretty good offseason trade record but this summer will present his biggest challenge. If he can’t find a suitable option in the trade market, he might have to take a calculated risk on a short-term free-agent signing.

THE FALLOUT FROM THE CHYCHRUN SIGNING.

TSN: Chris Johnston believes Jakob Chychrun’s new eight-year, $72-million contract caught a lot of people around the league by surprise. He’ll be the 10th highest-paid defenseman next season. Some teams believe the salary cap will reach $120 million four years from now, which could make Chychrun’s new deal a bargain by that point.

Darren Dreger believes Chychrun might’ve received more on the open market this summer given the season he’s having. However, the 26-year-old blueliner is comfortable with the Capitals and wants to avoid the uncertainty of free agency.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chychrun’s contract will be used as a comparable by Evan Bouchard’s representatives. The Edmonton Oilers defenseman is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights. The 25-year-old had 82 points last season and is on pace to reach 60 this season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 18, 2025

by | Jan 18, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 18, 2025

A historic game for Penguins goalie Alex Nedeljkovic, the Hurricanes unveil their Quarter-Century Team, the league reportedly intends to cancel escrow payments for the remainder of the season, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING FRIDAY’S NHL ACTION

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic became the first netminder in league history to score a goal and collect an assist in a single game in a 5-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Nedeljkovic picked up the secondary assist on Cody Glass’ game-winning goal and sealed the victory with an unassisted empty-netter. He also made 40 saves.

Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic (NHL Images).

Glass, Bryan Rust and Matt Grzelcyk each collected two points for the Penguins (46 points), who moved within three points of the Boston Bruins for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Owen Power and Zach Benson replied for the Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nedeljkovic also became the first goaltender to score a goal in the NHL, AHL and ECHL.

The Carolina Hurricanes got two goals from Seth Jarvis to hold off the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2, handing the latter their fourth loss in their last five contests. Pyotr Kochetkov made 29 saves as the Hurricanes sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 57 points. Tomas Hertl and Shea Theodore scored for the Golden Knights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Vegas is tied with the Edmonton Oilers for first place in the Pacific Division with 61 points but maintains their hold on first place due to their 26 regulation wins compared to the Oilers’ 22.

The Hurricanes activated goaltender Frederik Andersen from injured reserve and sent Dustin Tokarski to their AHL affiliate in Chicago. Andersen had been out since Oct. 26 with a knee injury.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: The Hurricanes revealed their Quarter-Century Team on Friday.

Forwards Rod Brind’Amour, Eric Staal and Sebastian Aho, defensemen Jaccob Slavin and Glen Wesley, and goaltender Cam Ward comprised the First Team.

The Second Team comprised forwards Ron Francis, Jordan Staal and Justin Williams, defensemen Justin Faulk and Bret Hedican, and goaltender Arturs Irbe.

RG.ORG: Marco D’Amico cited a well-informed NHL source claiming the league will drop the escrow withholding rate from players’ salaries from six percent to zero effective Jan. 30 for the remainder of the regular season.

The source also told D’Amico that, because profits are expected to be higher than previously projected, the players will receive between two and six percent in extra earnings.

This sets the stage for a substantial increase in the salary cap for 2025-26. It was projected to reach between $92 million and $93 million but could now rise higher.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s good news for the players, especially those slated to become free agents on July 1. A higher-than-projected salary cap will also provide welcome help for teams with limited cap room for next season.

SPORTSNET: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman recently dismissed the theory that teams in low-tax states have an advantage over states and provinces with higher taxes. He pointed out that teams in California (with a tax rate comparable to Canadian teams) have won as many Stanley Cups as those in Florida.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As with all Stanley Cup champions, the recent success of the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning comes down to shrewd management and coaching.

The Panthers and Lightning have enjoyed low tax rates throughout their existence but that didn’t prevent them from spending years (in the Panthers’ case, decades) among the NHL’s worst teams. Improved management and coaching built them into champions.

Bettman also dispelled concern over the recent decline in the value of the Canadian dollar, pointing out that they do revenue-sharing in US dollars.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s the biggest difference between now and the 1990s when a low Canadian dollar contributed to the relocation of clubs from Quebec City and Winnipeg and threatened the existence of several other Canadian franchises. Revenue-sharing was built into the CBA in 2005 to assist struggling teams.

The commissioner also said he doesn’t want to expand the playoff format as it diminishes the value of the postseason and regular season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Agreed! The four-round postseason involving 16 teams is long enough. A play-in round is unnecessary.

Bettman hopes to sign a new collective bargaining agreement with the NHL Players Association this year.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: We all want to see that.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Evgeni Malkin’s three Stanley Cup rings were found inside his house following an investigation into the recent burglary of his home. The rings were initially reported missing. The investigation remains active.

SPORTSNET: The Minnesota Wild placed forward Marcus Johansson (upper body) on injured reserve and moved winger Kirill Kaprizov (lower body) on long-term injury reserve retroactive to Dec. 23.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kaprizov is skating with his teammates and is expected to return to action soon. He was put on LTIR to allow the Wild to recall two forwards following Johansson’s injury.

TSN: The Edmonton Oilers signed John Klingberg to a one-year, $1-million prorated contract. The 32-year-old defenseman is attempting to resume his NHL career after recovering from a hip resurfacing procedure in December 2023.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is an affordable gamble by the Oilers to add experienced depth to their roster.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: An instant on-ice chemistry between Matty Beniers and Kaapo Kakko has generated cautious optimism that the young Kraken forwards can elevate each other. Both were chosen second overall in their respective drafts (Beniers in 2021, Kakko in 2019) but struggled to meet expectations.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Beniers won the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year in 2022-23 but has encountered difficulty regaining that promising form. Kakko struggled for several seasons with the Rangers but has been on a tear (10 points in 13 games) since being traded to the Kraken last month.

NHL.COM: New York Islanders winger Maxim Tsyplakov received a three-game suspension from the NHL department of player safety for an illegal hit to the head of Philadelphia Flyers center Ryan Poehling on Thursday.

DAILY FACEOFF: The New Jersey Devils placed forward Erik Haula (ankle sprain) on injured reserve and called up defenseman Colton White.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 18, 2024

by | Oct 18, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 18, 2024

In today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines, a hat-trick performance by Rangers winger Artemi Panarin, the Stars re-sign goaltender Jake Oettinger, Nikita Kucherov lifts the Lightning over the Golden Knights, and more.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin tallied a hat trick and collected an assist in a 5-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Vincent Trocheck had a goal and three assists and Adam Fox collected three helpers for the Rangers. J.T. Compher had a goal and an assist for the Red Wings.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 11 points, Panarin is tied with Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin for the league scoring lead.

Washington Capitals winger Taylor Raddysh snapped a 2-2 tie as his club upset the Dallas Stars 3-2. Tom Wilson scored for the third straight game and Charlie Lindgren made 22 saves for the win. Colin Blackwell and Jason Robertson replied for the Stars.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Stars announced they signed goaltender Jake Oettinger to an eight-year contract extension with an average annual value of $8.25 million. If those numbers sound familiar, it’s because the Boston Bruins inked goalie Jeremy Swayman to a similar deal, though his deal began this season while Oettinger’s starts next season.

Oettinger, 25, will be the league’s fifth-highest-paid goalie. In a statement, Stars general manager Jim Nill said Oettinger “has established himself as one of the elite goaltenders in the NHL.” He’s backstopped the Stars to three straight playoff appearances and back-to-back trips to the Western Conference Final.

The Tampa Bay Lightning nipped the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3. Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov scored twice, including the game-winner with 55 seconds remaining in the third period. Janis Moser had a goal and two assists for the Lightning. Jack Eichel collected two assists for the Golden Knights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Eichel is second among all NHL scorers with 10 points.

An overtime goal by J.T. Miller lifted the Vancouver Canucks to a 3-2 victory over the Florida Panthers. Teddy Blueger and Quinn Hughes also scored for the Canucks while Jesper Boqvist and Anton Lundell scored for the Panthers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers were without center Aleksander Barkov (lower body) and winger Matthew Tkachuk (illness) for the third straight game. Both forwards are expected to return to the lineup next week.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid tallied his first goal of the season as his club doubled up the Nashville Predators 4-2. Brett Kulak scored two goals and Calvin Pickard stopped 25 shots as the Oilers picked up their second straight win. Filip Forsberg and Jonathan Marchessault scored for the Predators, who have lost their first four games of the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Following the game, Marchessault acknowledged this season hasn’t started the way they wanted, admitting the roster is feeling a little fragile right now. The Predators began this season with heightened expectations after signing Marchessault, forward Steven Stamkos and defenseman Brady Skjei.

Predators defenseman Luke Schenn reached a personal milestone, appearing in his 1,000th NHL regular-season game.

The St. Louis Blues got a 34-save shutout from netminder Joel Hofer to blank the New York Islanders 1-0. Jake Neighbours tallied the only goal. Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin turned aside 29 shots.

Los Angeles Kings goalie David Rittich made 26 saves as his club ended a three-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist for the Kings. Justin Barron replied for the Canadiens, who also lost defenseman Mike Matheson in the first period with an upper-body injury, though he’s expected to be ready to play in Saturday’s game against the New York Islanders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis and team captain Nick Suzuki weren’t pleased with their club’s performance against the Kings, with Suzuki calling it “an immature effort.” St. Louis promised to be proactive in addressing the issue after his club’s record sank to 2-3-0.

New Jersey Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom kicked out 30 shots in a 3-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Paul Cotter scored his fifth goal of the season for the Devils while Senators captain Brady Tkachuk netted his first of the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cotter is tied with the Rangers Artemi Panarin and Utah’s Dylan Guenther for second among the league’s goal scorers. Senators backup Anton Forsberg got the start for this game as Linus Ullmark is still recovering from a lower-body strain. He could return for Saturday’s game against the Lightning.

The Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the struggling Buffalo Sabres 6-4. Kirill Marchenko and Mathieu Olivier each had a goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets while Sabres rookie Juri Kulich potted his first career NHL goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The battered Blue Jackets suffered another injury as forward Kent Johnson left the game grasping his left hand and wrist. They did have some news as forward Justin Danforth made his season debut after recovering from wrist surgery.

Meanwhile, Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin said the Blue Jackets “came out hungrier than us.” He believes he and his teammates must be better after opening the season with a 1-4-1 record.

Seattle Kraken winger Jared McCann had a goal and two assists to lead his club to a 6-4 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Kraken forwards Jordan Eberle and Shane Wright each had a goal and an assist. Scott Laughton tallied twice for the Flyers.

The Chicago Blackhawks beat the San Jose Sharks 4-2. Connor Bedard and Teuvo Teravainen each picked up two assists and Tyler Bertuzzi scored his first of the season for the Blackhawks. Tyler Toffoli and Fabian Zetterlund replied for the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blackhawks announced defenseman Alex Martinez (groin strain) was placed on injured reserve before this game.

IN OTHER NEWS…

DAILY FACEOFF: Utah Hockey Club defenseman Sean Durzi (upper-body injury) will undergo surgery and is expected to miss four to five months.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Durzi is one of Utah’s top defensemen. His absence will be a big blow to their blueline depth.

TRIBLIVE.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins activated goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic off injured reserve and have sent him to their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for conditioning.

CALGARY SUN: Flames rookie forward Samuel Honzek is week-to-week with an upper-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 3, 2024

by | Oct 3, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 3, 2024

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

RECAPS OF WEDNESDAY’S NHL PRESEASON GAMES

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

Nashville Predators winger Jonathan Marchessault (NHL Images).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

HEADLINES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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