NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 4, 2025

by | Sep 4, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 4, 2025

General managers react to the implementation of new CBA rules, Quinn Hughes talks about his future with the Canucks, Blues winger Dylan Holloway on his departure from the Oilers last year, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports on the reaction from several NHL general managers regarding the implementation of new CBA rules regarding a playoff salary cap starting this season.

Teams will no longer be able to stash injured players on long-term injury reserve to use the cap savings to acquire talent for the playoffs. Teams will be limited to a 20-man roster that is cap-compliant for each game.

LeBrun also indicated that changes to the LTIR exception will be applied to salary-cap accounting before the playoffs. “That part needs to be figured out fully before puck drop next month,” he wrote.

Edmonton Oilers general manager Stan Bowman believes the changes could result in fewer moves because teams are always looking ahead. However, he understands why there was concern among fans and media regarding how some teams used LTIR to bolster their rosters for the playoffs.

Washington Capitals GM Chris Patrick believes teams will have to learn as they go and start developing new strategies. Brad Treliving of the Toronto Maple Leafs acknowledged the logic behind the change, and Kent Hughes of the Montreal Canadiens believes it ensures all teams are on an equal footing.

Ken Holland of the Los Angeles Kings was at the forefront of those suggesting a playoff cap several years ago. “I think it’s great for the league, great for the fans, great for the players,” Holland said.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It will be interesting to see how the general managers adjust to the changes. Player movement could be affected during the season, especially in the weeks leading up to the annual trade deadline.

LeBrun also reported that the 2026-27 regular season will begin in late September, and the Stanley Cup will be awarded no later than mid-June. The preseason will be shortened, while the regular-season schedule will be expanded to 84 games.

SPORTSNET: Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes said Tuesday that he hasn’t made any decisions yet about his long-term future with the team.

The 25-year-old defenseman has two years remaining on his contract. He’s eligible to sign a contract extension starting next July. He said he’s focused on helping the Canucks rebound from a disappointing performance last season.

Hughes had hoped that Rick Tocchet would remain as head coach and was disappointed by his departure to the Philadelphia Flyers. However, he praised Adam Foote, who was promoted from defensive coach to replace Tocchet.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speculation arose earlier this year suggesting Hughes would like to play with his brothers, Jack and Luke, one day. That prompted rumors that he could be traded to the New Jersey Devils if he’s unwilling to commit to the Canucks beyond 2026-27. The Canucks ability to bounce back from last season’s tumultuous campaign could determine whether Hughes sees his long-term future in Vancouver.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Jim Parsons cited Dylan Holloway telling “The Cam & Strick Podcast” that the Edmonton Oilers undervalued him and pushed him out when he wanted to stay.

Holloway, 23, signed an offer sheet with the St. Louis Blues last summer, which the Oilers declined to match. He said it rubbed him the wrong way how little Oilers management thought of him.

“I wanted to go back to a team we went so far with, but as soon as Edmonton didn’t reciprocate that feeling, I was all in on St. Louis,” Holloway said.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Parsons wondered if Holloway’s departure affected team captain Connor McDavid, who is UFA-eligible next summer and whose contract extension status is making headlines. He believes the Oilers made “a monumental mistake” letting Holloway go, suggesting that decision could influence the level of trust McDavid has in management’s decisions for the future.

THE MINNESOTA STAR-TRIBUNE: Former NHL stars Zach Parise and Joe Pavelski head the 2025 class for the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.

Former NHL forward Scott Gomez, Team USA defender Tara Mounsey, and photographer Bruce Bennett are also among this year’s inductees.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to the five members of the US HhoF Class of 2025 for this well-deserved honor.

TSN: Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving said contract extension talks are underway with Anthony Stolarz. The 31-year-old goaltender is UFA-eligible next July.

TSN: Utah Mammoth prospect Tij Iginla is fully healthy after undergoing surgery on both hips last season. The 19-year-old forward appeared in only 21 games with the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets in 2024-25. He was chosen sixth overall by the Mammoth in the 2024 NHL Draft.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators’ ending their seven-year playoff drought last season has had a positive effect on the box office. Cyril Leeder, the club’s president and CEO, said season tickets are up about 15-20 percent from last season.

DAILY FACEOFF: Goaltender Aaron Dell announced his retirement on Wednesday. The 31-year-old spent seven of his 13-season professional career in the NHL with the San Jose Sharks, Buffalo Sabres, and New Jersey Devils from 2016-17 to 2022-23.

In 130 regular-season games played, Dell had a record of 50 wins, 50 losses, and 13 overtime losses, with a 2.92 goals-against average, a .905 save percentage, and five shutouts. He saw action in four playoff games, finishing with a 2-2 record, a 3.08 GAA, and an SP of .898.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Former NHL forward Brandon Yip has retired. He spent five seasons with the Colorado Avalanche, Nashville Predators, and Arizona Coyotes from 2009-10 to 2013-14, finishing with 29 goals and 27 assists for 56 points in 174 regular-season games. Yip had six points in 16 postseason contests.

From 2014-15 to 2024-25, Yip spent most of his career playing in the KHL, as well as in Germany and Finland.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 3, 2025

by | Sep 3, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 3, 2025

The postseason salary cap will be implemented for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, plus the latest on Oilers captain Connor McDavid, Bruins winger David Pastrnak, Canucks winger Evander Kane, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE ATHLETIC: James Mirtle reports the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association (NHLPA) have agreed to a rolling implementation of the new rules in the four-year extension of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that they signed in June.

League sources claim the postseason salary cap will be implemented for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Teams will be limited to playing with a 20-man roster that is cap-compliant for each playoff game.

The rule brings an end to the practice of teams stashing players on long-term injury reserve and using the salary-cap savings to add players before the playoffs. It also means a player’s full-season salary will be used to calculate if a team is cap-compliant for the playoffs, even if they were only on the team for a short period during the regular season.

This change means accruing salary-cap space becomes a less-effective tool because it won’t benefit a team in the playoffs.

Teams can still retain salary to facilitate a trade, but the new rules also affect most double-retention deals where a third team is involved. That will make freeing up salary-cap space before the trade deadline more complicated.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mirtle points out that these changes will make it more difficult for general managers to make trades during the season. Some will be forced to become more creative to find a loophole.

Mirtle also noted that the rise in the salary cap to $95.5 million provides most clubs with more cap flexibility to make moves compared to the pandemic-induced flat cap in recent years.

PUCKPEDIA: Other notable rules that will be implemented this season include no deferred salary compensation (effective Oct. 7, 2025) and a restriction on paper loans, which is when a player is assigned to a club’s minor-league affiliate but doesn’t actually report there.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: David Staples cited Jeff Jackson’s appearance on “Oilers Now” to address the rumors about the Oilers’ contract negotiations with Connor McDavid.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

Jackson is the CEO of Hockey Operations for the Oilers. He told “Oilers Now” host Bob Stauffer that they remain confident of getting a deal with McDavid. He indicated the term of the contract is still an issue.

“It’s not as straightforward sometimes as people would like to be,” Jackson said. “He’s just taking his time.”

The Oilers captain is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next July. He recently raised eyebrows by saying he wouldn’t have a problem with starting this season without a contract extension.

Jackson stated that McDavid wasn’t looking to break the bank to make as much money as he could. “He wants to find the razor’s edge where he gets paid for the star player that he is, that allows the team to surround himself with the best players that we possibly can, gives us options to do that beyond next year, so all that comes into his thinking.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Staples believes McDavid is taking his time to study all the details and approach this from all angles for a deal that benefits him and the team.

The Oilers are willing to accommodate whatever contract terms McDavid desires. If he seeks a league-leading average annual value of $20 million on an eight-year deal, he’ll get it. However, Jackson’s comments suggest McDavid could seek a little less than top dollar on a shorter term.

Bold prediction: McDavid signs a five-year extension before the start of this season with an AAV of $18 million. Feel free to weigh in with your predictions in the comments section below.

NESN: David Pastrnak said he and the Boston Bruins teammates expect improvement over last season’s disappointing performance.

“Expectations are always the same here. You play for an Original Six, they are always high and they always will be,” said Pastrnak. “We won’t accept what happened last year. The team that’s going to dress in October is going to be very competitive.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Being more competitive is a good thing, but the depletion of their roster depth in recent years could make it difficult to bounce back as a playoff contender this season.

THE PROVINCE: Ben Kuzma wonders if the addition of Evander Kane to the Vancouver Canucks’ roster will help center Elias Pettersson regain his high-scoring form. Kane is “big, fast, and nasty”, whose style of play could create more time and space for the playmaking Pettersson.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane is 34 and was hampered by injuries during the last two seasons. He also has a reputation for wearing out his welcome with his teammates. Kuzma pointed out that Kane is in his contract year and expects it to provide the veteran winger with additional motivation to play well this season.

CALGARY SUN: The Flames have brought back former captain and assistant coach Dave Lowry. He’ll replace former assistant coach Brad Larsen.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Former Lehigh Valley Phantoms head coach Ian Laperriere is reportedly joining the New York Islanders as a pro scout. Laperriere had been moved from the Phantoms coaching job in an advisory role with the Flyers earlier this year.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs signed young goaltender Dennis Hildeby to a three-year contract extension with an AAV of $841,667. It’s a two-way deal for the first two seasons, becoming a one-way deal for 2027-28.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 27, 2025

by | Aug 27, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 27, 2025

Some updates on the new CBA, plus the latest on Red Wings forward Patrick Kane, Jets captain Adam Lowry, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE ATHLETIC: During an interview with Michael Russo, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly shed some light on some of the changes in the new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the NHL Players’ Association.

Daly explained the rationale behind the reduction of maximum term contracts to six years for an unrestricted free agent (UFA) and seven when re-signing, saying both parties recognized that a player won’t be worth what the contract pays him during its out-years. “So, the most purely monetary benefits of longer-term contracts are kind of scaled back a little bit. That’s really the benefit.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The shorter term could also make it easier to move those contracts in a trade.

As for when the changes in the new CBA go into effect, Daly indicated they will be rolled out in different stages, rather than everything being implemented on Sept. 16, 2026.

“One bucket of items will go into effect as early as this year,” Daly said. “One bucket of items will go into effect as of July 1 of next year – so, the league year, the full league year (July 1 to June 30). And then there’s a list of items that don’t go into effect until Sept. 16 of next year.”

Russo noted that NHLPA assistant executive director Ron Hainsey has indicated that the changes in contract term limits go into effect on Sept. 16, 2026. That means players eligible for UFA status on July 1, 2026, will be eligible for contracts at the current maximum term of seven years if they go to market and eight years when re-signing with their current teams.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The notable UFA-eligible players next July include Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov, and Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel. Those three could be among the last to sign new contracts under the current term limits.

Daly also said the league had a meeting with a group from Atlanta interested in an NHL expansion franchise. He claimed there are “multiple entities within multiple markets” talking to the league about expansion. They haven’t said no to anyone, but none have reached the level of a full proposal yet. “One of those could happen in the future,” he said. “I semi-expect it to happen in the future, but it hasn’t happened yet.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I predict there will be two new NHL franchises by the end of this decade in Atlanta and Houston. Those cities have the ownership groups most likely to be able to afford the $2 billion expansion franchise fee.

NHL.COM: Patrick Kane hopes to make the United States 2026 Men’s Olympic hockey team. The 36-year-old Detroit Red Wings forward is among the 44 players invited to their orientation camp.

“The one thing that’s kind of missing is a gold in best-on-best, right?”, Kane said. “It would be fun to have that opportunity.”

Kane won three Stanley Cups with the Chicago Blackhawks. He played for Team USA in the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. He won a silver medal in the 2010 Games.

CBS SPORTS: Winnipeg Jets captain Adam Lowry was on the ice Tuesday for the first time since undergoing hip surgery on May 27. He was projected to be sidelined for five to six months. His presence on the ice nearly three months following the surgery is a positive sign.

RG.ORG: Colorado Avalanche prospect Mikhail Gulyayev hopes to make the jump to the NHL in 2026. The 20-year-old defenseman plays for KHL team Avangard Omsk.

The Avalanche chose Gulyayev in the 2023 NHL Draft (31st overall) but has yet to sign his entry-level contract. He’s recently taken some shifts as a forward to add new tools to his development as a blueliner. His KHL contract expires at the end of this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche remain in contract with Gulyuyav, but Aarif Deen of Colorado Hockey Now believes it’ll be harder for him to crack their lineup if Cale Makar, Devon Toews, and Samuel Girard continue to make up half of their defense corps.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The San Jose city council voted unanimously to keep the Sharks in San Jose through 2051, and to approve funding for renovations at the SAP Center. They will also agree on a new arena site in 2027.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 17, 2025

by | Jul 17, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 17, 2025

The full 2025-26 schedule is released, bonus restrictions in the new CBA could hurt Canadian teams, Thomas Vanek joins the Sharks’ front office, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The full 2025-26 regular-season schedule was released on Wednesday. Among the notable games:

The Florida Panthers will raise their second straight Stanley Cup banner during their home opener when they host the Chicago Blackhawks on Oct. 7. It will be part of the league’s season-opener triple-header, as the Pittsburgh Penguins travel to New York to face the Rangers while the Colorado Avalanche will meet the Kings in Los Angeles.

The New York Islanders’ season opener could feature 2025 first-overall pick Matthew Schaefer when they face the Penguins in Pittsburgh on Oct. 9.

Speaking of the Penguins, former head coach Mike Sullivan will face his former club from behind the New York Rangers’ bench in Pittsburgh on Oct. 11.

Florida Panthers winger Brad Marchand (NHL Images).

On Oct. 21, former Bruins winger Brad Marchand returns to Boston for the first time since being traded to the Panthers.

The annual Hall of Fame game takes place on Nov. 8 as the Bruins travel to Toronto to meet the Maple Leafs.

On Nov. 14 and 16, the Pittsburgh Penguins face the Nashville Predators in the two-game NHL Global Series in Stockholm, Sweden.

On Nov. 22, the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers will meet in their first game since the 2025 Stanley Cup Final.

The 2026 Winter Classic featuring the New York Rangers and the Panthers will be held on Jan. 2, 2026, at Miami’s loanDepot Park.

On Jan. 19, former Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews returns to Chicago for the first time as a member of another team. He’s staging a comeback this season with the Winnipeg Jets.

Former Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner will face his former club in Toronto on Jan. 23 for the first time as a member of the Vegas Golden Knights.

RG.ORG: Marco D’Amico looked at how some of the changes in the new NHL collective bargaining agreement (CBA) will affect teams around the league.

He observed that changes to bonus restrictions could affect the seven Canadian teams the most. Under the current system, Canadian teams use signing bonuses to attract star talent via free agency. In some cases, those bonuses made up nearly 90 percent of the player’s contract.

This was done because a player in Canada faces higher tax rates compared to some American teams based in no-tax states.

Under the new CBA, signing bonuses will be limited to up to 60 percent of the player’s total salary within the life of the contract. D’Amico cited a source saying that it would have the most impact on Canadian teams and American clubs in higher-tax states like California and New York.

The source also pointed out that there are still other avenues of going about this. D’Amico also cited Jeff Gorton, the Montreal Canadiens’ executive VP of hockey operations, who recently said that there are certain things his club could do to alleviate the tax issue.

D’Amico noted the signing bonuses won’t be going away, but the limitations on them mean they won’t be used as aggressively as in the past.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadian teams pay higher taxes than some American teams (especially those in no-tax states). However, players on Canadian teams have the advantage of being paid in US dollars.

The current exchange rate indicates that the US dollar is worth $1.38 Canadian. As PuckPedia points out, that is a fantastic benefit for players in Canada.

In 2016, Concordia Business Review indicated that a weak Canadian dollar benefits between 25 percent and 50 percent of NHL players. While working in Canada, expenses such as lodging, meals and insurance are all paid with Canadian dollars. Canadians who play for American teams usually maintain their primary residence in Canada and return home during the offseason, thus profiting from the exchange rate.

SPORTSNET: Former NHL player Thomas Vanek is joining the San Jose Sharks as a hockey operations advisor. He spent 14 seasons in the league from 2005-06 to 2018-19 with the Buffalo Sabres, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders and Vancouver Canucks. In 1,029 games, Vanek had 373 goals and 416 assists for 789 points.

THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: The Canadiens signed center Joe Veleno to a one-year, $900,000 contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Veleno doesn’t address the Canadiens’ need for an experienced second-line center. However, he will provide them with a left-handed check-line faceoff specialist who can play center or on the wing.

RG.ORG: Marco D’Amico reports that there were multiple teams interested in Logan Mailloux before the Montreal Canadiens traded him to the St. Louis Blues for Zack Bolduc on July 1. The 22-year-old defenseman is looking forward to playing for his new team, but also praised the Canadiens’ organization.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings signed prospect forward Carter Bear to a three-year entry-level contract. Bear, 18, was chosen 13th overall in this year’s draft by the Red Wings.

TSN: Former NHL goaltender and San Jose Sharks executive Wayne Thomas passed away on Monday at age 77.

Thomas spent eight seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers from 1972-73 to 1980-81. In 243 games, he had a record of 103-93-34 with a 3.34 goals-against average and a .891 save percentage. He joined the Sharks organization in 1993 and spent 22 seasons with the franchise, retiring as assistant general manager and team vice-president.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Thomas’ family, friends, former teammates and coworkers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 13, 2025

by | Jul 13, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 13, 2025

Notable points from the NHL/NHLPA CBA Memo of Understanding, teams vote to continue decentralized, the Canadiens pass on Evgeny Kuznetsov, and more in today’s morning coffee headlines.

NHLPA: released the link to download the 2025 NHL/NHLPA Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding updates to their collective bargaining agreement. It goes into effect on September 16, 2026, and expires on September 15, 2030.

PUCKPEDIA: has a breakdown of the key changes, including playoff long-term injury reserve (LTIR), double-retained contracts, the reduction of contract term limits by one year, elimination of deferred salary on future contracts, revised limitations on front-loaded contracts and signing bonuses, maximum entry-level compensation, emergency backup goalie (EBUG) rules, and more.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Most of the changes were reported late last month and summarized on this site on June 27 and June 28. The NHLPA link provides detailed information on the noteworthy updates, while the PuckPedia link is a worthwhile summary for quick reference.

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks reports the NHLPA was focused more on player lifestyle issues in this MOU.

The league gained on systemic issues, including contract lengths, bonus structure that affects hypothetical buyouts, deferred salary, and front-loading of contracts. However, the PA gained on more universal issues such as pension contributions, workman’s compensation, increasing the playoff fund, and accommodation for family members’ visits. They also codified the NHL’s participation in the 2030 Winter Olympics.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some observers felt the PA gave up too much in this MOU while gaining very little. However, most of their concessions affect only a minority of their membership (the highest-paid players) to a small degree, while the gains are for the good of the overall membership.

SPORTSNET: Sources confirm a two-thirds majority of the NHL’s 32 teams voted to keep the decentralized draft format for 2026. They intend to make changes to the production to shorten the length of the opening round, which lasted over four hours this year.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Like many of you, I’m no fan of the decentralized draft, but if they’re going to continue the format, they must improve their presentation and production. The opening round of this year’s draft was an embarrassment, overshadowing what was the biggest moment in the lives of the young players chosen in that round.

LA PAGE SPORTIVE: Louis-Andre Lariviere reported that the Montreal Canadiens won’t be offering a contract to Evgeny Kuznetsov.

The former Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes center spent last season in the KHL as a linemate with Montreal prospect Ivan Demidov. Kuznetsov was linked to the Canadiens, who need a second-line center this season.

Kuznetsov’s agent, Shumi Babaev, said his client is not currently in the Canadiens’ plans. “Evgeny would be a good fit. He wants to play in Montreal, but there’s no room,” Babaev said.

Babaev said as many as 10 teams are interested in Kuznetsov. He remains optimistic about landing an NHL contract for the 33-year-old center.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The decline in Kuznetsov’s performance during his final two years in the NHL might have had something to do with the Canadiens’ reluctance to sign him.

TSN: Columbus Blue Jackets first-round pick Pyotr Andreyanov signed a five-year contract with KHL club CSKA Moscow last week. The 18-year-old was selected 20th overall in this year’s draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Young Russian prospects often spend several years in the KHL before making the jump to the NHL. This will allow Andreyanov an opportunity to develop his skills against professional players, some of whom have NHL experience.

TSN: Former Olympic figure skating champion David Pelletier joined the Dallas Stars last week as an assistant coach. He spent the last 11 years as a skating coach with the Edmonton Oilers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: NHL players have trained with figure skaters to improve their skating ability since the early 1970s, when former US Olympian Laura Stamm pioneered power skating instruction.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 11, 2025

by | Jul 11, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 11, 2025

The Stars trade Matt Dumba to the Penguins, the Avalanche re-sign Josh Manson, Ilya Sorokin’s agent reacts to recent trade rumors, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins acquired defenseman Matt Dumba and a 2028 second-round pick from the Dallas Stars in exchange for defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a salary dump by the Stars, who were sitting over the salary cap before this deal took place. It clears Dumba’s $3.75 million cap hit from their books, giving the Stars $1.955 million in cap space with 21 active roster players under contract for this season, with no notable players to re-sign.

The Dallas Stars trade Matt Dumba to the Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL Images).

The Athletic’s Josh Yohe considers this move more about the second-round pick for the rebuilding Penguins, continuing management’s theme of taking on bad contracts in the short term to add solid future assets.

Dumba’s performance has declined in recent years, but he won’t make the Penguins’ defense corps any worse than it already is. He’s also in the final season of his two-year contract, and he could be dealt at the March trade deadline for another draft pick if he has a decent performance this season.

Yohe also suggests Dumba can provide depth on the right side of the Penguins’ blueline if they trade Erik Karlsson.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche signed defenseman Josh Manson to a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $3.95 million beginning in 2026-27. It’s a slight discount from his current AAV of $4.5 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Manson, 33, has been plagued by injuries in recent years. When healthy, however, he provides the Avalanche with a physical, right-shot presence on their blueline. It would cost them much more to replace him had he gone to market next summer.

TSN: Player agent Dan Milstein, who represents Ilya Sorokin, took to social media on Thursday to swat down recent trade rumors swirling around the 29-year-old New York Islanders goaltender.

Milstein reminded everyone that his client has a full no-trade clause, claiming Sorokin “has never been part of any trade discussions – not at any point.” He went on to scold those who originated the rumors. “There’s a difference between reporting facts and creating buzz about yourself.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before Milstein’s comments appeared, NYI Hockey Now’s Russ Macias dismissed the Sorokin speculation, citing his no-movement clause and why the Islanders have no reason to move him.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers signed restricted free-agent forward Mackie Samoskevich to a one-year, $775,000 contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This deal generated some buzz yesterday as some readers questioned why Samoskevich accepted less money than the AAV of his entry-level contract ($925,000).

The Panthers were already over the salary cap before re-signing Samoskevich, who had little leverage coming off his entry-level contract. Given their cap situation, it wouldn’t be surprising if management convinced the 22-year-old forward to accept this reduction with the promise of a more lucrative deal next summer, when the Panthers have over $23 million in cap space.

This signing leaves the Panthers sitting above the cap by $3.725 million. They’re allowed to exceed the cap by 10 percent during the offseason, but must be cap compliant when they begin the regular season.

It’s been rumored that Matthew Tkachuk could miss the start of the season if he undergoes surgery this summer to repair a torn adductor muscle and a sports hernia. In that case, the Panthers would place him on long-term injury reserve, enabling them to remain above the cap when the season begins. However, they’ll have to shed salary or find another way to become cap-compliant if he returns to action during the regular season.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW/TORONTO SUN: The Sharks traded defenseman Henry Thrun to the Toronto Maple Leafs for winger Ryan Reaves.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks cleared a logjam on defense following their recent acquisitions of Dmitry Orlov and Nick Leddy. Reaves hasn’t fit within the Leafs’ roster for the past couple of years.

Thrun, 24, will be a decent depth addition to the Leafs’ blueline. Reaves could provide the Sharks with some muscle to ensure rival clubs don’t take liberties against their promising youngsters like Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith.

SPORTSNET: The new NHL-NHLPA collective bargaining agreement (CBA) contains a provision that will allow NHL teams to place one CHL player in the AHL per season. This would enable teams to transition a promising young prospect into professional hockey sooner. Players who are 18 years old would be ineligible for the new rule, which begins in 2026-27.

DAILY FACEOFF: London Knights head coach Dale Hunter has been selected by Hockey Canada to coach its 2026 World Junior team. His brother, Mark Hunter, will be part of the management group.

THE PROVINCE: Patrick Johnston weighs in on Sportsnet’s recent announcement that it is hiking its fees for its subscription-only service from $75.00 (Canadian) to $324.99.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I don’t use Sportsnet’s subscription-only service, but if I did, this significant rate increase would probably have me considering other options. Johnston believes fans aren’t currently getting their money’s worth, citing on-air quality and the degrading of the Hockey Night in Canada brand.