NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 8, 2026

by | May 8, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 8, 2026

The Hurricanes push the Flyers to the brink of elimination, the Norris Trophy finalists are announced, and the latest on Cole Caufield, Jason Robertson, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Carolina Hurricanes took a commanding 3-0 lead in their second-round series with the Philadelphia Flyers following their 4-1 victory in Game 3. Jordan Staal and Andrei Svechnikov each had a goal and an assist while Shayne Gostisbehere and Jordan Martinook each had two assists for the Hurricanes, who can complete the sweep during Game 4 on Saturday at 6 pm ET. Trevor Zegras replied for the Flyers.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes are poised to sweep their second straight series in this postseason. This is a deeper, more determined club compared to the recent past.

The Flyers’ performance has improved since their lopsided loss in Game 1. However, they are still struggling to contain Carolina’s offensive depth and to break through the Hurricanes’ defense, especially on the power play. Frederik Andersen continues to provide superb goaltending for the Hurricanes.

NHL.COM: Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres, Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche, and Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets are the finalists for the James Norris Memorial Trophy as this season’s top defenseman, as voted by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Werenski is considered the favorite to win the Norris, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Makar wins it for the third time. This is the sixth straight season that the Avalanche blueliner has been a finalist for this award.

TSN: Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield acknowledged that his production in this postseason is not where it needs to be. A 51-goal scorer in the regular season, the 25-year-old Caufield has only scored once thus far, and that came on the power play.

Caufield said he expects more of himself and will continue to try to improve. He insists that he hasn’t lost confidence in his scoring ability. “There’s no worries here,” Caufield said. “I’m just going to try and continue to work harder.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens’ first line of Caufield, center Nick Suzuki, and winger Juraj Slafkovsky were mostly contained in the first round by the Tampa Bay Lightning, especially at even strength. However, they could have better luck in this series against the Sabres, as they had more scoring chances in Game 1 than in most of their games against the Lightning.

A Montreal pundit suggested the 5-foot-8, 175-pound Caufield might not be cut out for the playoffs, but a quick peek at his previous playoff stats indicates otherwise. In the 2021 playoffs, when Caufield still hadn’t played in his first full rookie season, he was third among their scorers with 12 points in 20 games, including four goals and nine even-strength points. Last year, he had a team-leading three goals in five games and ranked second with four points, half of which came at 5-on-5.

THE ATHLETIC: The second-round series between the Anaheim Ducks and Vegas Golden Knights is tied at one apiece. However, Jesse Granger believes the Golden Knights’ struggles to keep up with the speedy Ducks are a real concern that could tilt the series in the latter’s favor.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars general manager Jim Nill has made signing Jason Robertson to a contract extension his top priority. The 26-year-old winger is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights, completing a four-year deal with an average annual value of $7.75 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nill hopes to get Robertson signed “sooner than later”, but that will be an expensive undertaking. He could seek a long-term deal comparable to teammate Mikko Rantanen’s eight-year, $96 million contract ($12 million AAV). Meanwhile, the Stars have just over $11 million in projected salary-cap space for 2026-27.

Speaking of Rantanen, he tore his MCL during the Winter Olympics playing for Finland. He was sidelined for a month, but the injury still hampered his performance during the Stars’ first-round series against the Minnesota Wild.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rantanen will not require surgery to repair the injury.

DAILY FACEOFF: Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov is healthy, thriving, and looking forward to chasing a gold medal with Finland in the upcoming IIHF World Championship. Barkov missed the entire 2025-26 season after suffering a knee injury in training camp last September.

TSN: Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk and Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll are part of Team USA’s preliminary roster for the 2026 World Championship. Detroit Red Wings defenseman Justin Faulk, Calgary Flames goaltender Devin Cooley, Washington Capitals forward Ryan Leonard, and Boston Bruins center James Hagens are among the notables who are also on that roster.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins signed forward Connor Dewar to a two-year contract extension ($2.25 million AAV) and defenseman Ilya Solovyov to a one-year deal worth $850,000.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 30, 2026

by | Apr 30, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 30, 2026

The Flyers eliminate the Penguins, the Canadiens and Golden Knights are on the verge of advancing to the second round, the Vezina Trophy candidates are revealed, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING WEDNESDAY’S PLAYOFF GAMES

NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Cam York gave the Philadelphia Flyers a 1-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 6 to win their best-of-seven first-round series four games to two. Dan Vladar kicked out 42 shots for the shutout. Arturs Silovs made 31 saves for the Penguins. The Flyers will face the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round.

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Cam York (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: York was so excited about scoring the series-winning goal that he hurled his stick into the crowd. After the game, he told reporters he didn’t realize what he’d done with his stick until well after he scored. York said he hoped no one was hurt in the stands. Fortunately, the fan who caught the stick wasn’t injured and was quite happy to have a memorable souvenir.

The Penguins dominated overtime but couldn’t solve Vladar. The loss raises questions about the future of long-time Penguins stars Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang. Crosby has a year remaining on his contract, Letang has two years, and Malkin is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Vegas Golden Knights center Brett Howden scored a shorthanded goal in double overtime to defeat the Utah Mammoth 5-4 in Game 5 of their first-round series. Pavel Dorofeyev tallied a hat trick while Jack Eichel and Shea Theodore each had two points for the Golden Knights, who hold a 3-2 series lead. Clayton Keller had two points for the Mammoth. The series returns to Utah for Game 6 on Friday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Mammoth were on the verge of winning this game until Dorofeyev completed his hat trick at 19:07 of the third period, setting the stage for Howden’s game-winner. The Golden Knights’ special teams made the difference in this one, going 1 for 5 on the power play while killing off five penalties and netting a shorthanded goal.

Mammoth forward Barrett Hayton made his series debut as he returned from an upper-body injury suffered on March 24.

The Montreal Canadiens nipped the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 in Game 5 of their first-round series. Alexandre Texier snapped a 2-2 tie early in the third period, Brendan Gallagher scored in his series debut, Kirby Dach got his second goal of the series, and Jakub Dobes stopped 38 shots for the Canadiens, who hold a 3-2 lead in the series. Dominic James and Jake Guentzel replied for the Lightning. The series returns to Montreal for Game 6 on Friday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gallagher was a healthy scratch for the first four games, but got into this contest as Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis shook up his forward lines after a disappointing loss in Game 4. This win was a team effort by the Habs, who are getting production throughout their lineup as their top scorers have been largely neutralized.

The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun pointed out that Lightning stars Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, and Andrei Vasilevskiy have not been at their best in this series. Kucherov seems frustrated. Point may still be hampered by the knee injury he suffered in January, while the veteran Vasilevskiy has not outperformed the inexperienced Dobes in the battle of the goaltenders.

Speaking of the Lightning, center Nick Paul missed this game with an illness.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Ilya Sorokin of the New York Islanders, Jeremy Swayman of the Boston Bruins, and Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning are this year’s finalists for the Vezina Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s top goaltender as voted by NHL general managers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Vasilevskiy will likely get the nod. Among goalies with 30 games played this season, the Lightning netminder is first in wins with 39, second in goals-against average (2.31), and third in save percentage (.912).

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: With their season on the line, the Stars need more from winger Mikko Rantanen. He single-handedly carried them into the second round last season, but has only one goal and six points against the Minnesota Wild in this series, none of them at 5 on 5.

SPORTSNET: Speaking of the Stars, team captain Jamie Benn was fined $2,604.17 by the league’s department of player safety for cross-checking Wild forward Ryan Hartman in Game 5 of their first-round series.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild hold a 3-2 lead in this series, with Game 6 on Thursday in Minnesota.

DAILY FACEOFF: Los Angeles Kings center Quinton Byfield played through two torn oblique muscles this season. He tore the right obliques just after the Olympic break ended. Once that healed, he tore the left oblique, which he played through for the remainder of the regular season and the Kings’ first-round series against the Colorado Avalanche.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That would explain why Byfield finished with 49 points in the regular season and was held to just two assists as the Kings were swept by the Avalanche.

BUFFALO HOCKEY BEAT: Sabres center Noah Ostlund will be sidelined for “a period of time” after suffering a lower-body injury in Tuesday’s 2-1 overtime loss to the Boston Bruins in Game 5 of their first-round series. Josh Norris will likely replace Ostlund for Game 6 on Thursday in Boston. The Sabres lead the series 3-2.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin returned to practice on Wednesday for the first time since suffering a concussion during Game 4 of their first-round series against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. He sported a yellow non-contact jersey and could return to action for the Hurricanes’ second-round series against the Flyers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 20, 2026

by | Apr 20, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 20, 2026

The Avalanche, Canadiens, Sabres, and Golden Knights win the opening games of their first-round series, plus the latest on the Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl, the Ducks’ Lukas Dostal, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF SUNDAY’S PLAYOFF ACTION

NHL.COM: Montreal Canadiens winger Juraj Slafkovsky scored in overtime to complete his first NHL playoff hat trick in a 4-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 of their best-of-seven first-round series. Josh Anderson also scored while Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield each collected two assists for the Canadiens. Brandon Hagel tallied twice, and Jake Guentzel had three assists for the Lightning. Game 2 is Tuesday in Tampa Bay at 7 pm ET.

Montreal Canadiens winger Juraj Slafkovsky (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Slafkovsky became the first player in Canadiens history to score three power-play goals in a postseason game.

This was a hard-hitting, fast-paced contest, resulting in both clubs taking costly penalties. Following this game, Lightning head coach Jon Cooper blamed his team’s “stupidity” for taking four penalties in the offensive zone.

The Buffalo Sabres overcame a 2-0 deficit late in the third period to defeat the Boston Bruins 4-3 in Game 1 of their first-round series. Tage Thompson scored the first two goals, Mattias Samuelsson put the Sabres up 3-2, and Alex Tuch’s empty-netter proved to be the game-winner. David Pastrnak had a goal and two assists for the Bruins. Game 2 is in Buffalo on Tuesday at 7:30 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the first playoff game in Buffalo since 2011, and to say Sabres fans were excited would be an understatement. They had little to cheer about for most of this game as the Bruins were doing a good job containing the Sabres’ offense until Thompson finally broke through, opening the floodgates for the comeback win.

Colorado Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood made 24 saves for a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings in Game 1 of their opening-round series. Artturi Lehkonen and Logan O’Connor were the goal scorers for the Avalanche. Kings winger Artemi Panarin scored late in the third period while teammate Anton Forsberg stopped 28 of 30 shots. Game 2 is Tuesday in Denver at 10 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings employed a tight-checking, physical defensive style to hamper the Avalanche’s potent scoring punch, but the latter’s depth made the difference to go up 2-0, a lead they held until Panarin scored to make it interesting.

Three unanswered third-period goals by Mark Stone, Nic Dowd, and Ivan Barbashev lifted the Vegas Golden Knights over the Utah Mammoth in Game 1 of their first-round series. Logan Cooley and Kevin Stenlund gave the Mammoth a 2-1 lead heading into the third, but they were unable to stem the Golden Knights’ offence in the final frame. Game 2 is Tuesday in Las Vegas at 9:30 ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Mammoth gave a good account of themselves in their first playoff game in their short franchise history, but the Golden Knights’ postseason experience made the difference. Stone set the Golden Knights’ record for most postseason goals with 37, surpassing former teammate Jonathan Marchessault.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl could be ready to return to action in Game 1 of their opening-round series against the Anaheim Ducks on Monday. Draisaitl missed the last 14 games of the regular season with a knee injury.

THE ATHLETIC: Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal is looking forward to his first-ever NHL playoff game when his club faces off against the Oilers in Edmonton on Monday.

THE ORANGE COUNTRY REGISTER: Speaking of the Ducks, they signed prospect Roger McQueen to a three-year entry-level contract on Saturday. The 19-year-old center was chosen 10th overall in last year’s NHL Draft.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars will need a better effort from winger Mikko Rantanen if they hope to win Game 2 of their first-round series with the Minnesota Wild. Rantanen was held off the scoresheet as the Stars were thumped 6-1 by the Wild in Game 1.

Rantanen had only eight points in 11 games after returning from an injury suffered during the Olympics in February. Before that, he had 20 goals and 69 points in 54 games. Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan insisted that Rantanen is now at 100 percent.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators offered no update on the status of Artem Zub after the big-minute defenseman was injured in Game 1 of their series with the Carolina Hurricanes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators called up six players from their AHL affiliate on Sunday, with young defenseman Carter Yakemchuk among them. He’ll likely replace Zub if the latter remains sidelined for Game 2.

THE WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets signed forward Cole Koepke to a two-year contract extension

NHLPA: If the NHL expands again, over 34 percent of NHL players polled would like to see a franchise in Houston. 16.9 percent chose Quebec City, 9.8 percent chose Atlanta, 8.9 percent selected Scottsdale, and 5 percent picked Austin.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 11, 2026

by | Mar 11, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 11, 2026

Check out the recaps of Tuesday’s action in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Connor McDavid scored the go-ahead goal as the Edmonton Oilers nipped the Colorado Avalanche by a score of 4-3, ending the latter’s five-game win streak. McDavid and Leon Draisaitl each had two points, and Ryan Nugent Hopkins tallied twice for the 32-28-8 Oilers, who sit second in the Pacific Division with 72 points. Ross Colton, Martin Necas, and Valeri Nichushkin replied for the Avalanche (43-11-9), who sit in first place in the overall standings with 95 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon was ejected from this game in the second period for goaltender interference after colliding with Oilers netminder Connor Ingram, who was cut and had to leave the game. Tristan Jarry stopped 11 of 12 shots in relief of Ingram.

Buffalo Sabres forward Jack Quinn (NHL Images).

The red-hot Buffalo Sabres picked up their eighth straight victory by downing the San Jose Sharks 6-3. Jack Quinn tallied his first NHL hat trick and picked up an assist while Rasmus Dahlin and Ryan McLeod each collected three assists for the Sabres (40-19-6), who hold first place in the Atlantic Division with 86 points. Alex Wennberg had a goal and an assist for the 30-26-6 Sharks (66 points), who sit one point out of the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres are two points behind the Carolina Hurricanes for first place in the Eastern Conference. Sharks center Macklin Celebrini scored for the fourth straight game.

Speaking of the Hurricanes, they recovered from blowing a 4-2 lead to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-4 on a shootout goal by Jackson Blake. Alexander Nikishin had a goal and an assist for the 41-17-6 Hurricanes, who sit first overall in the Eastern Conference with 88 points. Bryan Rust scored twice and added an assist for the Penguins (32-17-15), who sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 79 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (lower-body injury) is with the team on their five-game road trip and participated in Tuesday’s full morning skate without a non-contact jersey. Head coach Dan Muse said Crosby isn’t ahead of schedule in his recovery, but he’s moving in the right direction.

Muse also told reporters that Penguins forward Justin Brazeau is week-to-week with an upper-body injury. Defenseman Samuel Girard and winger Kevin Hayes both have upper-body injuries, with Girard listed as day-to-day.

The Montreal Canadiens beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1, leaving the latter winless in their last eight games (0-6-2). Rookie center Oliver Kapanen tallied his 20th goal of the season for the Canadiens (35-18-10), who have points in 10 of their last 11 games as they leapfrogged the Detroit Red Wings into third place in the Atlantic Division with 80 points. William Nylander scored for the 27-27-11 Maple Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson collected his 116th career NHL assist, setting the league record for the most by a defenseman within their first 150 regular-season games. Meanwhile, Canadiens winger Cole Caufield sat out the first half of the third period with an illness. He travelled with the club to Ottawa for Wednesday’s game against the Senators.

Speaking of the Red Wings, they suffered a 4-3 loss to the Florida Panthers. Carter Verhaeghe tallied twice within the final 1:30 of the third period for the 32-29-3 Panthers. Justin Faulk had a goal and an assist for his first points since being acquired by the Red Wings (36-22-7) at the trade deadline. Detroit holds the first Eastern wild-card spot with 79 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings forward Andrew Copp left this game in the second period with an injured left leg. He will be evaluated on Wednesday.

An overtime goal by Charlie McAvoy lifted the Boston Bruins to a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Mason Lohrei also scored for the 36-22-6 Bruins, who hold the final Eastern wild-card berth with 78 points. Drew Doughty replied for the Kings (26-23-15), who sit behind the Seattle Kraken for the final Western wild-card spot with 67 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Following this game, the Bruins lined up and shook hands with Kings captain Anze Kopitar, who is retiring at the end of this season.

The Kraken, meanwhile, blew a 2-0 lead and fell 4-2 to the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros kicked out 43 shots, and rookie Ryan Ufko’s first NHL goal was the winner for the 29-27-8 Predators (66 points), who are one point behind the Kraken. Kaapo Kakko and Matty Beniers scored for the 29-25-9 Kraken (67 points), as they cling to that final Western wild card.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: On Monday, the Kraken activated goaltender Matt Murray from injured reserve. He has been sidelined by a lower-body injury since Nov. 15.

The Dallas Stars held off the Vegas Golden Knights 2-1. Jake Oettinger stopped 26 shots while Oskar Back and Jamie Benn scored for the 40-14-10 Stars, extending their points streak to 13 games as they hold second place in the Western Conference with 90 points. Jack Eichel scored for the Golden Knights (29-22-14), who have dropped six of their last seven games as they hold third place in the Pacific Division with 72 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan said sidelined winger Mikko Rantanen (lower-body injury) could return to action within the next two to three weeks. Center Roope Hintz (lower-body) remains week-to-week, and it’s hoped that he’ll return in time for the playoffs.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson turned in a 25-save performance to shut out the Utah Mammoth 5-0. Kirill Kaprizov had two points while Bobby Brink scored his first goal since being acquired at the trade deadline for the 38-16-11 Wild, who sit third in the Central Division with 87 points. Karel Vejmelka turned aside 25 shots for the Mammoth (34-26-5), who hold the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 73 points.

Columbus Blue Jackets winger Conor Garland tallied twice for the second straight game to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-2. Sean Monahan and Zach Werenski each had two assists for the 33-21-10 Blue Jackets, who extended their points streak to seven games, sitting two behind the Bruins with 76 points. Gage Goncalves and J.J. Moser replied for the slumping Lightning (39-20-4), who sit second in the Atlantic Division with 82 points, but have dropped six of their last seven games.

Anaheim Ducks forwards Alex Killorn and Ryan Poehling each had a goal and an assist to down the Winnipeg Jets 4-1. Defenseman Jackston LaCombe also had a goal and an assist for the Ducks (36-25-3), who hold first place in the Pacific Division with 75 points. Morgan Barron scored for the Jets (26-27-10).

The New York Islanders (37-23-5) overcame a 3-0 deficit to nip the St. Louis Blues 4-3 on an overtime goal by Mathew Barzal, who finished with three points. The Islanders sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 79 points. Jimmy Snuggerud had a goal and two assists for the 25-29-10 Blues.

New York Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere had a hat trick, and Jonathan Quick stopped 21 shots to blank the Calgary Flames 4-0. Mika Zibanejad had two assists to reach 800 career regular-season points for the 26-30-8 Rangers. Dustin Wolf made 25 saves for the 25-32-7 Flames.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 25, 2026

by | Feb 25, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 25, 2026

The regular-season schedule resumes on Wednesday. Check out the latest on the Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck, the Oilers’ Connor McDavid, the Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

ESPN: Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck will be presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for backstopping the United States to its first gold medal in Olympic Men’s hockey since 1980.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (NHL Images).

Hellebuyck and several of his Team USA teammates, including Jack and Quinn Hughes, and Brady and Matthew Tkachuk, attended the annual State of the Union address to Congress in Washington on Tuesday at the request of President Donald Trump, who met with the players in the Oval Office earlier in the day.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hellebuyck is believed to be the first hockey player to receive this award.

THE ATHLETIC: Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews is expected to rejoin his teammates for Wednesday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He will fly from Washington to Tampa Bay following a visit to the White House and celebrations with Team USA. Matthews was the captain of the United States Olympic Men’s hockey team.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers captain Connor McDavid will be a game-day decision for Wednesday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks. McDavid is with the team as they begin their post-Olympic road trip. The club would like to rest him from this game as it is the first of a back-to-back with the second game being against the Los Angeles Kings, but the decision will be up to him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers want to ensure McDavid is well-rested and ready to return to action after the Olympics and the long journey from Italy to rejoin his teammates. They sit second in the Pacific Division with 64 points, but are only four points ahead of the Kings, who sit just outside the final Western Conference playoff berth.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars winger Mikko Rantanen is expected to miss the next two weeks due to the injury he suffered during the Olympics. He was placed on injured reserve on Monday.

The Stars also placed winger Radek Faksa on injured reserve. He suffered an upper-body injury during the Olympics.

THE WINNIPEG SUN: Winnipeg Jets defenseman Neil Pionk and winger Nino Niederreiter will be sidelined for roughly two weeks. Pionk suffered an undisclosed injury during practice, while Niederreiter aggravated an undisclosed injury that he was dealing with before the Olympics.

The Jets are also dealing with the absence of defenseman Josh Morrissey, who was injured playing for Canada in the Olympics.

They did get one piece of good news, as winger Kyle Connor skipped the invitation to the White House and the State of the Union to rejoin the injury-depleted Jets.

THE ATHLETIC: Speaking of the Jets, Jonathan Toews shot down any notion that he might be willing to move at the trade deadline.

“I wouldn’t consider going anywhere,” Toews said. “I want to keep playing for this team.” The 37-year-old winger has a full no-movement clause.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Given the Jets’ fading playoff hopes, some pundits floated Toews as a trade candidate. There was no indication that he would request to be moved to a contender, nor were there reports of serious inquiries about his availability.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW/PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Colorado Avalanche traded defenseman Samuel Girard and a 2028 second-round draft pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defenseman Brett Kulak.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the first significant post-Olympic trade. It could set the ball rolling for more moves with the March 6 trade deadline fast approaching.

This is a tidy piece of work by Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas. He flipped Kulak, a 32-year-old shutdown defenseman who is UFA-eligible on July 1, for the speedy, puck-moving, 27-year-old Girard, who is signed through 2026-27.

This deal reflects Dubas’ ongoing efforts to make the Penguins competitive while building up for the future by adding younger players. It could also reflect the need to address the decline in Kris Letang’s performance.

The Avalanche is in “win-now” mode. Kulak’s physical defensive style and playoff experience should make him a good rental addition as they push for the Stanley Cup this spring.

This trade gives them over $10 million in projected trade-deadline cap space, so they’re not done making trades before next Friday’s deadline. Their next target could be an experienced third-line center.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The New York Islanders acquired forward Matt Luff from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for forward Julien Gauthier.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Seattle Kraken signed depth centers Ben Meyers and Ryan Winterton to two-year contract extensions.

NEW YORK POST: The family of former NHL star Ron Duguay announced he’s battling cancer. His daughters have launched an online fundraiser seeking $50,000 to deal with his rising treatment costs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow this link if you’d like to contribute.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 24, 2026

by | Feb 24, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 24, 2026

The regular-season schedule resumed on Feb. 25. Check out the latest on Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Mikko Rantanen, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

TRIBLIVE.COM: It remains to be seen if Sidney Crosby will be in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ lineup when they resume their post-Olympic schedule on Thursday against the New Jersey Devils.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

Crosby remains hobbled by a right-leg injury that he suffered playing for Canada in the Olympic Men’s hockey tournament. He was sidelined from the final two games of the tournament, which the United States won with a 2-1 victory over Canada in the gold-medal game.

The Penguins recalled winger Avery Hayes from their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. During Monday’s practice, Hayes skated at left wing alongside right winger Rickard Rakell, who was filling in for Crosby at center. Head coach Dan Muse said this was largely a contingency plan in case the Penguins’ captain can’t play.

Muse offered no update on Crosby’s status. The long-time Penguins superstar was still trekking back from Italy with several of his Team Canada teammates on Monday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby was considered day-to-day during those final days of the Olympic tournament. He was close to playing in the gold-medal game, but took himself out of the lineup because he felt he wasn’t sufficiently recovered to help his team.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers captain Connor McDavid isn’t expected to rejoin his teammates right away when they resume their regular-season schedule.

The Oilers return to action on Wednesday against the Ducks in Anaheim, followed by a game against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.

Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch felt that playing 23-24 minutes in back-to-back games after travelling back from Europe wouldn’t put McDavid in the right position to help the team.

McDavid was named the most valuable player of the Olympic Men’s hockey tournament, setting a single-tournament record with 13 points. He also took over the captaincy of Team Canada with Sidney Crosby sidelined for its final two games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Knoblauch didn’t say if McDavid would miss the first game of the back-to-back series or both. We’ll learn more about his status by Wednesday.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Star winger Mikko Rantanen was placed on injured reserve due to a lower-body injury suffered playing for Finland in the Olympics. That opens up a roster spot to activate defenseman Lian Bichsel (lower-body) from IR. Bichsel had been sidelined since Nov. 30.

Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger won’t play in Wednesday’s game against the Seattle Kraken due to travel logistics. Forward Radek Faksa’s status remains uncertain after he was injured playing for Czechia in the Olympics.

DAILY FACEOFF: Stars center Roope Hintz is a game-day decision as he recovers from an illness.

TSN: Darren Dreger reports Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey will reportedly miss “a good chunk of time” with an upper-body injury suffered playing for Canada in the Olympics.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Critics of NHLers skating in the Olympics will point to these injuries and travel delays as reasons why the players shouldn’t participate in these tournaments.

However, the players want to take part in the Olympics, and most NHL fans want to see them in international best-on-best tournaments. This will not prevent their participation in the 2030 Olympics or the 2028 World Cup of Hockey.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Philip Broberg’s performance for Sweden in the 2026 Winter Olympics demonstrated why he’s the St. Louis Blues’ top defenseman.

Skating alongside veteran blueliner Erik Karlsson. The 24-year-old Broberg played big minutes for Sweden in key matches. He played on the second pairing, but wound up seeing more playing time as the tournament went on, including 24:57 of ice time in their 2-1 loss to the United States.

Broberg finished the tournament with a plus/minus of plus-2 and wasn’t on the ice for any 5-on-5 goals against.

THE MERCURY NEWS: Veteran defenseman Nick Leddy was recalled from the San Jose Sharks’ AHL affiliate, but it remains to be seen when he’ll see NHL action.

Leddy, 34, was claimed off waivers by the Sharks from the Blues last July. He began the season among their top-four defenseman, but was sidelined for several weeks by an upper-body injury, and struggled to regain his place in the lineup. Leddy was placed on waivers on Jan. 18 but went unclaimed.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leddy’s been the subject of some trade speculation. He could end up being moved by the March 6 trade deadline.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Las Vegas Motor Speedway would like to host an outdoor NHL game. The Speedway’s vice president of sales, Aaron Crowley, said the track hosts a large number of events each year, including music festivals and large corporate events.