NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 24, 2025

by | Oct 24, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 24, 2025

Macklin Celebrini leads the Sharks to their first win, Logan Cooley and Clayton Keller lead the Mammoth to victory, the Lightning’s early-season woes continue, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Macklin Celebrini tallied a hat trick and added two assists as his San Jose Sharks got their first win of the season (1-4-2) by nipping the New York Rangers 6-5. Will Smith scored in overtime and in regulation to finish the night with four points, and William Eklund had three assists. Tayler Raddysh had a hat trick for the Rangers, who dropped to 3-4-2 and remain winless at home (0-4-1).

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers also lost center Matt Rempe to an upper-body injury following a first-period fight with Sharks forward Ryan Reaves.

Sharks defenseman Nick Leddy left this contest in the first period with an upper-body injury. Teammate Timothy Liljegren returned to action after being sidelined on Oct. 14 with a lower-body injury.

A natural hat trick by Logan Cooley powered the Utah Mammoth to a 7-4 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Cooley finished with four points, and teammates Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, Dylan Guenther, and JJ Peterka each had three points for the 6-2-0 Mammoth. Jordan Binnington replaced Joel Hofer after the Blues’ backup allowed three goals on six shots. The loss drops the Blues to 3-3-1.

Chicago Blackhawks winger Ryan Donato tallied twice, including the winning goal, as his club upset the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2. Nikita Kucherov and Ryan McDonagh each had two points for the Lightning, who are off to the worst start in franchise history (1-4-2). The Blackhawks improved to 4-2-2.

Anaheim Ducks center Mikael Granlund netted a career-high five points (two goals, three assists) as his club rolled to a 7-5 win over the Boston Bruins. Nikita Nesterenko picked up four assists as the Ducks improved to 4-2-1. Morgan Geekie scored two goals for the struggling Bruins, who have dropped six in a row (3-6-0).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas left this game with a lower-body injury in the first period.

The Edmonton Oilers blew a 3-1 lead but overcame a 5-3 deficit to beat the Montreal Canadiens 6-5 on a late goal by Vasily Podkolzin. Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored power-play goals to set the stage for Podkolzin’s game-winner, and Connor McDavid collected three assists for the 4-3-1 Oilers. Cole Caufield and Alex Newhook each scored twice for the 6-3-0 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens were furious over those two penalty calls that led to the Draisaitl and Nugent-Hopkins’ goals. Pundits in both cities considered those calls questionable. Still, the Habs were guilty of sloppy defensive play and some shaky goaltending from Sam Montembeault.

Speaking of the Canadiens, center Kirby Dach returned to action after missing three games with a lower-body injury. Earlier in the day, Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes said sidelined winger Patrik Laine’s lower-body injury isn’t related to the sprained knee he suffered last season.

Meanwhile, the Oilers announced that winger Kasperi Kapanen (undisclosed) was placed on injured reserve.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby scored twice and collected an assist to lead his team to a 5-3 win over the Florida Panthers. Evgeni Malkin, Erik Karlsson, and Rickard Rakell each had two points as the Penguins collected their fourth straight victory and improved to 6-2-0. Brad Marchand tallied two goals for the 4-5-0 Panthers, who have dropped five of their last six contests

The New York Islanders got two goals from Emil Heineman as they thumped the Detroit Red Wings 7-2. Anders Lee had three assists, and David Rittich stopped 31 shots as the Islanders improved to 4-3-0. Dylan Larkin and Jonatan Berggren replied for the Red Wings, who slipped to 5-3-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer’s six-game season-opening points streak ended, but he played a team-leading 25:14 of ice time and finished with a plus-minus of plus-2. Earlier in the day, the Isles announced they’ve placed defenseman Alexander Romanov (upper body) on injured reserve.

A shootout goal by Seth Jarvis lifted the Carolina Hurricanes to a 5-4 victory over the Colorado Avalanche. Jarvis also had a goal and an assist in regulation for the Hurricanes, who improved their record to 6-1-0. Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin tallied twice, and Trent Miner made 20 saves after Scott Wedgewood was pulled after giving up four goals on 11 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Both clubs honored their heritage in this game with the Hurricanes wearing Hartford Whalers jerseys and the Avalanche sporting Quebec Nordiques jerseys. Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin was placed on injured reserve earlier in the day with a lower-body injury.

Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord kicked out 32 shots for a 3-0 shutout of the Winnipeg Jets. Jaden Schwartz scored two goals, and Jordan Eberle also tallied for the Kraken, who improved to 4-2-2. Connor Hellebucyk stopped 25 of 26 shots for the Jets (5-2-0) as their five-game win streak ended.

An overtime goal by Adrian Kempe gave the Los Angeles Kings a 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars, handing the latter their fourth straight loss (3-3-1). Kempe finished with two points, and Quinton Byfield picked up two assists for the 3-3-1 Kings. Wyatt Johnston and Roope Hintz each had two points for the Stars.

The Ottawa Senators got a 22-save performance from Linus Ullmark to nip the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1. Michael Amadio and Olle Lycksell scored for the 3-4-1 Senators, and Tyson Foerster replied for the Flyers (3-3-1).

Nashville Predators winger Cole Smith snapped a 1-1 tie to give his team a 2-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Juuse Saros turned aside 21 shots, and Ryan O’Reilly also scored for the Predators (3-3-2) as they snapped a four-game losing skid. Max Sasson replied for the 4-4-0 Canucks.

IN OTHER NEWS…

SPORTSNET/DAILY FACEOFF: The Toronto Maple Leafs placed defenseman Chris Tanev (upper body) on injured reserve. Goaltender Joseph Woll (undisclosed)was placed on long-term injury reserve. This comes a month after Woll took a leave of absence to deal with a personal matter.

TSN: Former Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan is joining the NHL hockey operations department. He left the Maple Leafs this summer after 11 years when the club opted not to renew his contract.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: The Golden Knights placed captain Mark Stone on long-term injury reserve.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: The Sabres recalled goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen from his conditioning stint with their AHL affiliate in Rochester.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Washington Capitals have accommodated Sheldon Rempal’s request for contract termination as he explores other opportunities overseas.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 14, 2025

by | Oct 14, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 14, 2025

Recaps of Monday’s games and the three stars of the week are revealed in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

NHL.COM: The Philadelphia Flyers upset the Florida Panthers 5-2 as captain Sean Couturier led the way with two goals and two assists, giving Rick Tocchet his first win as the Flyers’ head coach. Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett scored for the Panthers, who suffered their first loss of the season.

Philadelphia Flyers captain Sean Couturier (NHL Images).

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon scored two goals and defenseman Cale Makar netted his first of the season in a 3-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Tage Thompson replied for the Sabres, who are 0-3 to open the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin wasn’t happy with his performance and that of his teammates. “Better start today, worse ending,” Dahlin said in his postgame interview. “Not good power play. Good PK and goaltending, we just can’t catch a break. We have to get out of this bullshit.”

Meanwhile, the Avalanche sent goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood to their AHL affiliate for conditioning. An injury sidelined him throughout training camp.

Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros stopped 31 shots and Jonathan Marchessault tallied twice to beat the Ottawa Senators 4-1, handing the latter their second straight loss. Ridly Greig scored for the Senators, who lost captain Brady Tkachuk in the third period to an upper-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tkachuk was injured on a cross-check by Predators captain Roman Josi in the first period. He tried to play through it, but left with about 10 minutes remaining in the game. Senators coach Travis Green had no update on his captain, saying Tkachuk was still being evaluated.

A late goal by Mason Appleton lifted the Detroit Red Wings to a 3-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Goalie Cam Talbot kicked out 38 shots while Dylan Larkin and former Leaf James van Riemsdyk also scored for the Wings. Matthew Knies had a goal and an assist for the Leafs, who had rallied to overcome a 2-0 deficit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond suffered an upper-body injury in the second period and didn’t return. There was no update on his condition. Meanwhile, Leafs coach Craig Berube singled out William Nylander’s poor play since the start of the season, while praising rookie Easton Cowan’s energy and physicality in his NHL debut.

The Tampa Bay Lightning got two goals from Anthony Cirelli as they held off the Boston Bruins 4-3, handing the latter their first loss of the season. Jonas Johansson made 30 saves for the Lightning. Pavel Zacha collected two assists for the Bruins.

New Jersey Devils forward Dawson Mercer tallied twice to nip the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2. Devils goalie Jake Allen turned aside 23 shots before leaving after the second period with muscle cramps. Timo Meier also scored for the Devils. Kirill Marchekov and Dmitri Voronkov replied for the Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Devils announced that forward Zack MacEwen will miss a considerable period of time with an injury.

Blue Jackets forward Miles Wood left this game after taking a high stick in the face from Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton. Jackets defenseman Erik Gudbranson missed this game with an upper-body injury and will be sidelined indefinitely.

Rookie winger Jimmy Snuggerud scored twice for his first NHL multi-goal game as the St. Louis Blues rolled to a 5-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Jordan Binnington made 27 saves and Brayden Schenn had a goal and an assist for the Blues. Kiefer Sherwood scored both goals for the Canucks.

Winnipeg Jets forwards Nino Niederreiter, Tanner Pearson, and Morgan Barron each had a goal and an assist in a 5-2 win over the New York Islanders, handing the latter their third straight defeat. Defenseman Logan Stanley also had a goal and an assist for the Jets. Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Emil Heineman scored for the Islanders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets forward Cole Koepke left this game in the second period with a lower-body injury.

The Minnesota Wild blew a 3-0 lead to the Los Angeles Kings but got a shootout goal from Marco Rossi for a 4-3 win. Jared Spurgeon, Kirill Kaprizov, and Matt Boldy scored in regulation for the Wild, while Kevin Fiala, Quinton Byfield, and Adam Kempe replied for the Kings.

Chicago Blackhawks forward Ilya Mikheyev scored two goals, and Andre Burakovsky potted the winning goal to defeat the Utah Mammoth 3-1, giving Jeff Blashill his first win as the Blackhawks coach. JJ Peterka scored for the Mammoth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Mammoth announced that defenseman Sean Durzi will be sidelined for a month with an upper-body injury suffered on Saturday against the Nashville Predators.

NHL.COM: Vegas Golden Knights winger Pavel Dorofeyev, Ottawa Senators center Shane Pinto, and Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky are the three stars for the week ending Oct. 12.










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 – October 5, 2025

by | Oct 5, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 5, 2025

The Wild re-sign Filip Gustavsson, the Penguins placed Ryan Graves on waivers, the Stars are examining options for a new arena, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE MINNESOTA STAR-TRIBUNE: The Wild and goaltender Filip Gustavsson agreed to a five-year, $34 million contract extension. Gustavsson, 27, will earn an average annual value (AAV) of $6.8 million.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: PuckPedia indicates Gustavsson’s new contract also includes a full no-movement clause in the first two seasons, and a 15-team no-trade clause for the remainder of the deal.

After re-signing superstar Kirill Kaprizov last month, getting Gustavsson under contract was a priority for the Wild. He’s in the final season of his current deal with an AAV of $3.75 million, and was slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July.

Gutavsson took over the starting goaltender role for the Wild during the last two seasons. He would’ve drawn considerable attention had he gone to market next summer.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins placed defenseman Ryan Graves on waivers. If he clears, he’s expected to be sent to their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The 30-year-old Graves is in the third season of a six-year contract with an AAV of $4.5 million and a 12-team no-trade list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins signed Graves in 2023 as a replacement for Brian Dumoulin. However, he struggled over the past two seasons and slipped down the Penguins’ depth chart, becoming a frequent healthy scratch last season.

The Penguins could try to trade Graves, but as Pittsburgh Hockey Now’s Dan Kingerski observed, he has no trade value given his declining performance and the remaining term on his contract. They could attempt to move him for another player on a bad contract, but that doesn’t help either team.

Kingerski expects Graves to be demoted to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for this season, freeing up $1.15 million of his $4.5 million cap hit. After that, he’ll likely become a contract buyout candidate next June.

THE ATHLETIC: The Dallas Stars are evaluating all options for a new arena when their lease with American Airlines Arena expires in 2031.

The Stars have shared American Airlines Arena with the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks since it opened in 2001.

One option includes relocating to a new arena in Plano, Texas, approximately 20 miles outside of Dallas. They’re also in discussions with Arlington, Texas.

NHL.COM: Prospect winger Gavin McKenna scored a goal and collected two assists in two games during his NCAA weekend debut with Penn State University.

McKenna, 17, is projected to become the top prospect in the 2026 NHL Draft. He made headlines this summer when he left the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers to sign with Penn State.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers blanked the Tampa Bay Lightning 7-0 in a brawl-filled game that saw 16 players ejected as the two rivals combined for 322 penalty minutes. The Panthers also had a goal taken away because a player who had been previously ejected was on the ice when it was scored.

“It just got silly, got stupid,” Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues said. “By the end of it, it wasn’t really hockey out there.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fans of fight-filled preseason games should enjoy it while it lasts. Those antics are expected to decline when the preseason is shortened starting next year. Teams will play up to four preseason games, which is two to three games shorter than the current preseason schedule.

WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets lost defenseman Dylan DeMelo and forward Cole Perfetti to injuries during their 5-4 shootout loss to the Calgary Flames.

DeMelo left the game in the first period after taking a stick to the throat/face area from Flames forward Blake Coleman. He was kept out of the rest of the game for precautionary reasons. Perfetti suffered a lower-body injury in the second period and will be re-evaluated.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators defenseman Nick Jensen returned to the lineup for his club’s 3-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. Jensen, 35, had been sidelined since undergoing hip surgery on May 19.

SPORTSNET: Edmonton Oilers forward Mattias Janmark is expected to be sidelined for one week with an undisclosed injury.

NHL.COM’s Brooks Bratten reports that Nashville Predators defenseman Nicolas Hague (upper body) and forward Matthew Wood (lower body) have been placed on injured reserve. Hague is expected to be sidelined for two to three weeks, while Wood remains week-to-week.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 4, 2025

by | Oct 4, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 4, 2025

The Oilers re-sign coach Kris Knoblauch, the Lightning reportedly extended coach Jon Cooper’s contract, the Predators sign Luke Evangelista, the Senators acquire Kurtis MacDermid, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers signed head coach Kris Knoblauch to a three-year contract extension. His new deal runs through the 2028-29 season. Knoblauch’s record is 94 wins, 47 losses, and 10 overtime losses in 151 games. He’s second in wins among NHL coaches over the period.

Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Knoblauch’s solid record as head coach isn’t the only reason he got an extension. It can also be another way for the Oilers to entice captain Connor McDavid into signing an extension. Knoblauch’s ties to the Oilers’ superstar go back to their days with the OHL’s Erie Otters over a decade ago.

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper quietly signed an extension several months ago. LeBrun isn’t sure how long the new deal is, but Cooper is signed beyond this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s odd that the Lightning wouldn’t announce Cooper’s new contract, especially after there was speculation over the summer that he might head to the Utah Mammoth at the end of this season. Nevertheless, it’s not surprising that they’re keeping him in the fold.

Under Cooper’s coaching, the Lightning have been the most successful team in the NHL since 2014-15. Over that period, they went to four Stanley Cup Finals (winning the Cup in 2020 and 2021), reached the Eastern Conference Final twice (2016 and 2018), and won the Presidents’ Trophy in 2018-19.

THE TENNESSEAN: The contract standoff between the Nashville Predators and winger Luke Evangelista ended Friday, with the two sides agreeing to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $3 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: These negotiations dragged on longer than necessary. It was rumored that the Predators were offering $2 million annually while the Evangelista camp sought $3.25 million. It shouldn’t have taken up the entire training camp and preseason period to close that gap.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators acquired forward Kurtis MacDermid from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Zack MacEwen.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators wanted more muscle after getting thumped by the Montreal Canadiens during a recent preseason game. Meanwhile, the Devils freed up some cap space by swapping MacDermid’s $1.15 million cap hit for MacEwen’s $775K.

The Devils remain above the $95.5 million salary cap by $2.895 million, but they could place sidelined defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic and his $4 million AAV on long-term injury reserve to be cap-compliant when the regular season begins next week.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of the Devils, defenseman Brett Pesce could miss their season-opener with an undisclosed injury.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs center Scott Laughton is sidelined week-to-week with a lower-body injury. They also placed forward David Kampf on waivers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kampf was among 12 NHL players placed on waivers on Friday. He’s expected to clear waivers given his $2.4 million AAV.

TSN: Montreal Canadiens forward Zachary Bolduc is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

TSN: Florida Panthers forward A.J. Greer was fined over $2,200 for roughing Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel during a preseason game on Thursday.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers claimed winger Cole Schwindt off waivers from the Vegas Golden Knights. Schwindt was part of the package the Panthers sent to the Calgary Flames in 2022 to acquire Matthew Tkachuk.

THE ATHLETIC: The Minnesota Wild claimed defenseman Daemon Hunt off waivers from the Columbus Blue Jackets. He had been part of the return sent to the Blue Jackets last season for defenseman David Jiricek.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Givani Smith earned a one-year, two-way contract with the Carolina Hurricanes after attending training camp on a professional tryout offer. He will be sent to their AHL affiliate in Chicago if he clears waivers on Saturday.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Former Avalanche defenseman Jack Johnson was released from his PTO contract with the Wild on Friday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This could be the end of Johnson’s NHL career. The 38-year-old defenseman spent 19 seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Los Angeles Kings, Pittsburgh Penguins, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, and the Avalanche, winning a Stanley Cup with the latter in 2022.

THE ATHLETIC: The Buffalo Sabres parted ways with director of player development Adam Mair following his September arrest for allegedly driving while intoxicated.










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.