NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 22, 2025

by | Dec 22, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 22, 2025

Sidney Crosby surpasses Mario Lemieux as the Penguins’ all-time points leader, Oilers captain Connor McDavid overtakes Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon for the lead in the scoring race, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Sidney Crosby scored and collected an assist to surpass Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux as the Pittsburgh Penguins’ all-time points leader (1,724) in a 4-3 shootout victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Rickard Rakell also had a goal and an assist and tallied the game-winner as the Penguins (15-11-9) ended an eight-game winless skid (0-4-4). Ivan Demidov, Oliver Kapanen, and Juraj Slafkovsky each had two points for the 19-12-5 Canadiens.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby also moved past Lemieux into eighth place among the NHL’s all-time points leaders. He needs 32 points to surpass Steve Yzerman (1,755) for seventh. Crosby now needs 46 goals to break Lemieux’s all-time franchise goals record of 690.

Lemieux applauded Crosby’s achievement in a 30-second video message that was played later in the first period. Crosby was humble after the game, praising Lemieux for what he’s done for the Penguins. “I don’t think you can put a stat line or a number on what he means to this team and to hockey, so yeah, in my mind, he’s No. 1,” Crosby said.

Meanwhile, the Canadiens announced goaltender Sam Montembeault will rejoin the roster ahead of next Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Montembeault was loaned to the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate in Laval last week on a conditioning stint.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid scored for the fourth straight game and collected two assists as his club held off the Vegas Golden Knights by a score of 4-3. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins tallied twice and collected an assist, and Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman each had two points for the 18-13-6 Oilers, who’ve won seven of their last 10 games. Tomas Hertl and Noah Hanifin each had three points for the Golden Knights (16-8-10), who are winless in their last three games (0-2-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid has overtaken Nathan MacKinnon, sitting in first place in the scoring race with 62 points, one ahead of the Colorado Avalanche center.

Oilers forward Trent Frederic was a healthy scratch from this game. The club also announced that goaltender Tristan Jarry will be out for two weeks with an injury, and activated winger Jack Roslovic from long-term injury reserve.

Speaking of MacKinnon, he scored twice to become the first player to reach 30 goals this season in a 5-1 win over the Minnesota Wild. Cale Makar and Brock Nelson each had a goal and two assists for the 26-2-7 Avalanche, who’ve won five straight games and remain in first place in the overall standings with 59 points. Ryan Hartman replied for the Wild (22-10-5) as their seven-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon had led the points race for weeks and seemed poised to run away with the Art Ross Trophy. McDavid’s surge in recent weeks indicates this could be an exciting race over the second half of the season.

An overtime goal by Moritz Seider lifted the Detroit Red Wings over the Washington Capitals 3-2. Cam Talbot made 31 saves for the Red Wings (21-13-3), as they hold first place in the Atlantic Division with 45 points. Ethen Frank scored both goals for the 19-12-5 Capitals, who have two wins in their last seven contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings forward Patrick Kane missed his fourth straight game with an upper-body injury and is expected to miss Tuesday’s match against the Dallas Stars. Meanwhile, the Wings removed Mason Appleton from injured reserve after a 10-game absence.

The Ottawa Senators defeated the Boston Bruins 6-2. Fabian Zetterlund scored two goals and picked up an assist while Drake Batherson and Dylan Cozens each had a goal and two assists for the Senators (18-13-4), as they collected their fourth straight win. David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha tallied for the 20-16-1 Bruins, who are 1-3-1 in their last five contests.

Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 26 shots as his club extended its win streak to six games with a 3-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Josh Norris, Zach Benson, and Peyton Krebs scored for the 17-14-4 Sabres. Jack Hughes scored for the Devils (20-15-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was Hughes’ first game since missing 18 games with an injured hand. Speaking of the Sabres, it has been confirmed that they’ve added Marc Bergevin as associate general manager and Josh Flynn as assistant GM.

Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg scored to extend his points streak to eight games as his club nipped the New York Rangers 2-1. Steven Stamkos also scored for the Predators (15-16-4), who have won five of their last seven contests. Jonny Brodzinski replied for the 18-16-4 Rangers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers were without team captain J.T. Miller, who is considered week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

The Dallas Stars picked up their fourth straight win by downing the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-1. Jake Oettinger made 27 saves, and Jamie Benn had a goal and an assist for the 25-7-5 Stars. Scott Laughton scored for the Maple Leafs (15-15-5), who have lost four of their last five games.

An overtime goal by Clayton Keller gave the Utah Mammoth a 4-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Keller and Mikhail Sergachev each finished with two points for the Mammoth, who improved to 18-17-3. Kyle Connor scored two goals for the (15-17-3) Jets, who have three wins in their last 16 games.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 20, 2025

by | Dec 20, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 20, 2025

Recaps of Friday’s games, the Kings send Phillip Danault back to the Canadiens, the Kraken trade Mason Marchment to the Blue Jackets, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING FRIDAY’S NHL GAMES

NHL.COM: A hat trick by Kiefer Sherwood powered the Vancouver Canucks to a 4-1 victory over the New York Islanders. Thatcher Demko made 22 saves, and Filip Hronek collected two assists for the 14-17-3 Canucks. Anders Lee replied for the 19-13-3 Islanders, who have dropped two straight games.

Vancouver Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Since trading Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild last Friday, the Canucks have won three straight games. Veteran defenseman Tyler Myers played his 1,100th career NHL regular-season game.

Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson scored twice and collected an assist to lead his club to an 8-3 thrashing of the Anaheim Ducks. Roope Hintz and Thomas Harley each had a goal and an assist for the Stars (24-7-5), who picked up their third straight win. Anaheim goaltender Petr Mrazek replaced starter Lukas Dostal after the latter gave up four goals on seven shots in the first period. The Ducks (20-13-2) have lost four of their last five games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars activated forward Adam Erne from long-term injured reserve. He’d been out since Nov. 14 with a lower-body injury.

Earlier in the day, they announced forward Tyler Seguin underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair a torn ACL. He has not been ruled out for the season and will be reevaluated following the Olympic break in February.

The Florida Panthers overcame a 3-0 deficit to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 on a shootout goal by Evan Rodrigues. Brad Marchand, Sam Reinhart, and Sam Bennett each had a goal and an assist for the Panthers (19-13-2), who have won seven of their last eight contests. Sebastian Aho scored twice for the 22-9-3 Hurricanes, whose five-game winning streak ended, as did goalie Brandon Bussi’s nine-game win streak.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes remain atop the Eastern Conference standings with 47 points, but it proved to be a costly victory as versatile forward Seth Jarvis is expected to miss some time after crashing into the Panthers’ net during overtime. They also played without forward Jordan Martinook, who is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

A third-period goal by Parker Kelly proved to be the game-winner for the Colorado Avalanche as they held off the Winnipeg Jets by a score of 3-2. Brent Burns and Martin Necas also scored for the 25-2-7 Avalanche, who remain in first place in the overall standings with 57 points. Morgan Barron and Mark Scheifele replied for the 15-17-2 Jets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche have won four in a row and seven of their last eight games. Meanwhile, the struggling Jets have won only three of their last 15 contests.

The New Jersey Devils nipped the Utah Mammoth 2-1. Stefan Noesen broke a 1-1 tie in the third period, and Nico Hischier had two assists for the 20-14-1 Devils. Daniil But scored his first career NHL goal for the 17-17-3 Mammoth.

HEADLINES

LOS ANGELES TIMES/MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: The Kings traded center Phillip Danault to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Danault is returning to the club where he spent five seasons (2016 to 2021) before signing with the Kings as a free agent. The 32-year-old two-way forward is signed through 2026-27 with an average annual value of $5.5 million. His addition pushed the Canadiens over the salary cap by $1.4 million, but they could demote Owen Beck and Jared Davidson to become cap-compliant. They could also place Alex Newhook on LTIR.

Danault has struggled offensively this season with five points in 30 games. However, he’s a left-shot center whose defensive skills will take pressure off top center Nick Suzuki and help to improve the Canadiens’ defensive game, especially on the penalty kill and in the faceoff circle. He could skate on the third line between Josh Anderson and Alexandre Texier, or he could be reunited with former linemate Brendan Gallagher on their fourth line.

The Kings were reportedly seeking a player in return, and it was rumored their asking price from the Canadiens was Jake Evans. They instead settled for a second-round pick that the Canadiens received from the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Patrik Laine trade in August 2024. The Kings could use that pick as a trade chip to pursue another player.

THE SEATTLE TIMES/THE ATHLETIC: The Kraken traded winger Mason Marchment to the Columbus Blue Jackets for a second-round pick in 2027 and a fourth-rounder in 2026.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kraken acquired Marchment from the Dallas Stars in June, giving up a third-rounder and a fourth-round pick. The gritty 30-year-old winger was used in a top-six role, but he wasn’t a good fit with the Kraken, making him the subject of recent trade speculation. He’s in the final season of a four-year contract with a cap hit of $4.5 million.

Marchment heads to a Blue Jackets club struggling to regain the form that had them challenging for a playoff berth last season. They’re hoping he can regain his 22-goal form and provide a much-needed jolt of physical energy to their lineup.

Both trades occurred before the annual holiday roster freeze went into effect at 11:59 pm ET on Friday, Dec. 19. The freeze is in place until 12:01 am ET on Sunday, Dec. 28.

LAS VEGAS SUN: Golden Knights center Jack Eichel and defenseman Shea Theodore will not be joining their teammates during their weekend Canadian road trip. Eichel was suffering from an illness, but he’s now day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Theodore was listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury, but is now considered week-to-week.

TSN: The Edmonton Oilers placed goaltender Tristan Jarry on injured reserve and called up Connor Ingram from their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield. They also placed winger Jack Roslovic on LTIR.

DAILY FACEOFF: Nashville Predators winger Jonathan Marchessault is out day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: On Friday, the Penguins officially announced that the sale of the franchise to the Hoffman Family of Companies had been completed. It was reported earlier this week that the sale would soon be made official. Fenway Sports Group owned the Penguins for the past four years.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Former forward John MacLean will become the fourth member of the Devils’ Ring of Honor. He will be inducted during a pregame ceremony on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, when the club hosts the Winnipeg Jets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacLean spent 14 of his 18 NHL seasons with New Jersey from 1983-84 to 1997-98. During his tenure with the Devils, he scored 347 goals and 701 points in 934 regular-season games, and 75 points in 88 playoff contests. He won a Stanley Cup with them in 1995 as a player and another in 2003 as an assistant coach.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 28, 2025

by | Nov 28, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 28, 2025

A 15-game schedule for Friday, evaluations of the 32 teams, the latest on the attempted sale of the Penguins, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The return of Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk from injury and the Colorado Avalanche’s pursuit of their 11th straight win highlight Friday’s 15-game schedule.

Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk (NHL Images).

Tkachuk has been sidelined since Oct. 16 following surgery to repair torn ligaments in his right thumb. He’s making his return in his hometown of St. Louis against the Blues.

The Avalanche sit atop the overall standings with a record of 17-1-5 (39 points). They have an opportunity to win 11 straight games for the second time in franchise history. Center Nathan MacKinnon leads all NHL scorers with 18 goals and 39 points, while defenseman Cale Makar leads all defensemen with 30 points.

Meanwhile, the “Black Friday” tradition continues as the Boston Bruins host the New York Rangers. In California, the Anaheim Ducks host the Los Angeles Kings as the two rivals jockey for first place in the Pacific Division.

CNBC: Michael Ozanian made his annual evaluation of all 32 NHL franchises.

The Toronto Maple Leafs once again top the list at $4.30 billion, followed by the New York Rangers ($3.8 billion), Montreal Canadiens ($3.4 billion), Los Angeles Kings ($3.15 billion), and Edmonton Oilers ($3.1 billion).

The Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals, and Detroit Red Wings round out the top 10 franchises.

The Columbus Blue Jackets ranked 32nd ($1.4 billion), with the Buffalo Sabres at 31 ($1.42 billion), the Ottawa Senators at 30 ($1.44 billion), the Winnipeg Jets at 29 ($1.46 billion), and the San Jose Sharks at 28 ($1.55 billion).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Being in two of the NHL’s smallest markets partly accounts for the Senators and Jets’ placement. The Blues Jackets and Sharks have been rebuilding in recent years, while the Sabres have missed the playoffs for a league-record 14 years.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: There are conflicting reports regarding the sale of the Penguins.

Pittsburgh sports radio host Mark Madden claimed the attempt by current owner Fenway Sports Group to sell the team to the Hoffman Group was off. However, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the negotiations remain more difficult than expected, but the Hoffman Group remains within its exclusive negotiating window and is moving forward.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As Friedman said, “We will see.”

TSN: Edmonton Oilers winger Kasperi Kapanen appeared to suffer an injury during practice on Thursday. He has been sidelined since Oct. 19 with an undisclosed injury and only recently rejoined his teammates in practice.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Speaking of the Oilers, winger Jack Roslovic is questionable for Saturday’s game against the Seattle Kraken after blocking a shot during Tuesday’s loss to the Dallas Stars.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: The Canadiens reclaimed forward Sammy Blais off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs and sent him to their AHL affiliate in Laval.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 9, 2025

by | Oct 9, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 9, 2025

Recaps of Wednesday’s action, the Oilers re-sign Mattias Ekholm and add Jack Roslovic, Cam Atkinson to retire with the Blue Jackets, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Shootout goals by Adrian Kempe and Trevor Moore lifted the Los Angeles Kings over the Vegas Golden Knights 6-5. Quinton Byfield and Andrei Kuzmenko each had a goal and an assist for the Kings, who overcame a 5-3 deficit. Jack Eichel had a goal and three assists, Pavel Dorofeyev tallied a hat trick, and Mitch Marner collected two assists for the Golden Knights.

Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Golden Knights re-signed Eichel to an eight-year extension with an AAV of $13.5 million, which may have provided a little extra motivation for his season opener. He and Marner are already showing some promising offensive chemistry. Meanwhile, Dorofeyev’s hat trick is the first one of this new NHL season.

The Calgary Flames overcame a 3-0 deficit to defeat the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 on a shootout goal by Nazem Kadri. Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf stopped 32 shots for the win. Oilers center Leon Draisaitl scored his 400th career regular-season goal.

Before this game, the Oilers announced that defenseman Mattias Ekholm had agreed to a three-year contract extension with an average annual value (AAV) of $4 million. They also announced the signing of unrestricted free-agent forward Jack Roslovic to a one-year, $1.5 million contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: When healthy, Ekholm is a solid defensive blueliner and an invaluable part of the Oilers’ defense corps. He will be 36 when his new contract begins in July. However, with the salary cap rising significantly over the next two years, and with Connor McDavid taking a discount on a two-year contract extension, the Oilers felt it was a worthwhile investment as they continue their quest for the Stanley Cup.

Roslovic reportedly rejected an offer from Edmonton when free agency opened in July. He recently changed agents, which led to his new deal with the Oilers. It’s uncertain what role he’ll play with his new club.

The Toronto Maple Leafs won their 10th straight home opener with a 5-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Morgan Rielly snapped a 2-2 tie midway through the third period, and William Nylander had a goal and two assists for the Leafs. Oliver Kapanen and Zachary Bolduc replied for the Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game was closer than the score suggests, with the Leafs’ final two goals being empty-netters. Speaking of the Leafs, former defenseman Mark Giordano joined their AHL affiliate as a coaching advisor.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak had a goal and two assists to lead his club over the Washington Capitals 3-1, giving head coach Marco Sturm his first NHL victory. Elias Lindholm and Morgan Geekie each had a goal and an assist, and Jeremy Swayman kicked out 35 shots for the Bruins. Tom Wilson scored for the Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pastrnak has picked up from where he left off last season for the Bruins. Swayman also played well, getting off to a better start compared to last year, when he gave up four goals on 24 shots in his 2024-25 season opener after missing training camp and the preseason due to a contract dispute. He got the win in that game, but his performance was much sharper in this one.

Speaking of the Bruins, they named Pastrnak, Lindholm, and Charlie McAvoy as alternate captains, but intend to play this season without a team captain. The San Jose Sharks will also be without a captain this season, with sophomore center Macklin Celebrini among their five alternates.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE ATHLETIC: Cam Atkinson will end his 13-season NHL career where it began: with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Atkinson, 36, will sign a one-day contract with the Blue Jackets on Oct. 16 and simultaneously announce his retirement.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Atkinson had 253 goals and 236 assists for 489 points in 809 regular-season games with the Blue Jackets, Philadelphia Flyers, and Tampa Bay Lightning. He also had 10 goals and 26 points in 35 playoff games. He spent 10 of his 13 NHL seasons with the Blue Jackets, including a career-best 41 goals and 69 points in 80 games in 2018-19. Atkinson is second all-time among Blue Jackets skaters with 213 goals and 402 points and third in games played with 627.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: The Flyers will honor the memory of Hall of Famer Bernie Parent with a jersey patch and a preseason ceremony during their home-opener on Oct. 13. There will also be a celebration of his life at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Nov. 21.

The beloved Flyers goaltender passed away on Sept. 21 at the age of 80.

DAILY FACEOFF: Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan Strome will miss the start of the season with an upper-body injury.

CBS SPORTS: Tampa Bay Lightning forward Zemgus Girgensons will miss the first two games of the regular season with an undisclosed injury. He was placed on injured reserve on Monday.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 8, 2025

by | Oct 8, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – October 8, 2025

The potential effect of Connor McDavid’s new contract on the UFA market, the latest on Jack Eichel’s contract talks with the Golden Knights, Lane Hutson’s negotiations with the Canadiens, and more in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

HOW MCDAVID’S CONTRACT COULD AFFECT THE UFA MARKET

TSN: Pierre LeBrun believes the Los Angeles Kings would’ve attempted to sign Connor McDavid had he gone to free agency next July. He also thinks the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, and Dallas Stars would’ve been among the suitors for the 28-year-old center, who signed a two-year extension with the Edmonton Oilers on Monday.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman believes all eyes will be on Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar as the next big contract explosion. He claims the Avalanche have prepared for it and could just hand him a blank check. Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks could be another.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Both players are eligible for unrestricted free-agent status in July 2027. The earliest their teams can attempt to re-sign them is July 1, 2026.

The recent signings of McDavid and Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov convinced Friedman that there will be more players earning eight-figure salaries. He singled out Winnipeg Jets winger Kyle Connor, Los Angeles Kings winger Adrian Kempe, Colorado Avalanche forward Martin Necas, and Buffalo Sabres power forward Alex Tuch.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s been speculation suggesting that some NHL teams might point to McDavid accepting well below market value to stay with the Oilers to get their own superstars to do the same. However, most player agents will simply say that McDavid’s case was a unique one that has no bearing on their clients’ contract situations.

For example, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has been underpaid for years, partly because of his superstition about his No. 87, and partly because his previous contract was an extremely long one (12 years). Those deals no longer exist due to the implementation of contract term limits since 2013.

Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (NHL Images).

Today, 45 players carry a higher AAV than Crosby. Not all of them are superstars.

UPDATE ON JACK EICHEL’S CONTRACT TALKS

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports contract negotiations are ongoing between the Vegas Golden Knights and Jack Eichel. The 28-year-old center doesn’t want to go anywhere, and both sides are focused on an eight-year deal. LeBrun also said that Kirill Kaprizov’s $17 million average annual value with the Wild isn’t much of a factor in these negotiations.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman also noted it’s a happy marriage between Eichel and the Golden Knights, and he expects they’ll get a new deal done. He claimed the club would prefer to get Eichel and Mitch Marner for a combined $25 million. Marner is already earning $12 million annually on an eight-year deal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Eichel is earning $10 million annually on his current contract. The Golden Knights might be offering $13 million, but he could be seeking something between $14 and $15 million.

THE LATEST ON THE CANADIENS

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the Montreal Canadiens made an eight-year contract extension offer to Lane Hutson. He believes it had some salary deferral, which the Hutson camp wasn’t interested in. Both sides are taking some time now to let things cool down before resuming discussions.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman felt that Hutson was hoping to sign an extension before the start of this season. He cited several sources claiming it was “slightly below 8 x $9 million”, including some deferral to lower the cap hit. The Canadiens also pitched a Canadian retirement compensation arrangement (RCA), which many players use to soften the tax burden. Hutson’s representatives were slightly above the $9 million AAV but weren’t interested in salary deferral or the RCA.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Friedman indicated that the Canadiens still want to keep Hutson, and he still wants to stay. General manager Kent Hughes said the club’s fans shouldn’t be worried, pointing out that the 21-year-old defenseman isn’t eligible for unrestricted free-agent status until July 2031.

Hughes also acknowledged the recent new contracts for New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes and Anaheim Ducks blueliner Jackson Lacombe. He considers Hughes a better comparable for Hutson than Lacombe.

RG.ORG: Marco D’Amico believes the Canadiens are preparing to make a big trade during this season.

Instead of icing a 23-man roster to start this season, the Canadiens are using 22 players. In this way, they save about $775K in early-season salary obligations, which could compound into several million dollars by the trade deadline.

The Canadiens could be targeting a move before the December trade freeze (Dec. 20-27), as some teams could be pushed into becoming early sellers in the trade market. They’ll have around $14.5 million in prorated cap space by then, giving them a potential advantage over other teams.

UPDATE ON ROSLOVIC

TSN: Chris Johnston believed free-agent forward Jack Roslovic might not have to wait too long to land with an NHL team. He indicated that the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets are among several clubs already looking for forwards.

OTHER NOTABLE RUMORS FROM FRIEDMAN’S LATEST “32 THOUGHTS”

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman believes the Philadelphia Flyers are “definitely checking” to see what’s available on defense in the trade market.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: William James of Philly Hockey Now pointed out that defenseman Cam York is joining fellow Flyers blueliner Rasmus Ristolainen on injured reserve to start the season. They have over $6.6 million in cap space after trading away Ryan Ellis’ contract to San Jose earlier this week, giving them cap flexibility to add a defenseman.

The Vancouver Canucks are continuing their search for a center. The Toronto Maple Leafs want to add a top-six forward, while the Carolina Hurricanes are “always lurking.” The Ottawa Senators could attempt to make a big move this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speaking of the Hurricanes, Friedman reported they attempted to sign Evan Bouchard to an offer sheet this summer before he eventually re-signed with the Oilers. They instead acquired blueliner K’Andre Miller from the New York Rangers.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 4, 2025

by | Oct 4, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – October 4, 2025

In today’s NHL Rumor Mill, we look at recent speculation about Cale Makar’s next contract with the Avalanche, the latest on Lane Hutson’s contract talks with the Canadiens, and an update on free-agent forward Jack Roslovic.

DAILY FACEOFF: Tyler Yaremchuk and Carter Hutton recently discussed how much Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar could make on his next contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Makar, 26, is signed through 2026-27 with an average annual value of $9 million, after which he’ll become an unrestricted free agent unless he and the Avalanche agree to an extension before then. The earliest they can re-sign him is July 1, 2026.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (NHL Images)

Yaremchuk and Hutton believe Makar could earn between $17 million and $18 million annually. He’s the best defenseman in the world and knows that he’s going to get a significant raise given how much the salary cap is rising.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The salary cap is going up significantly over the next two seasons for sure, and probably longer. With the flat cap era over, the cost of signing players is increasing, especially for superstars like Makar. We’re starting to see it with the eight-year contract worth $17 million annually that Kirill Kaprizov recently got from the Minnesota Wild.

It’ll be interesting to see whether clubs in smaller markets can keep pace with the rising cap. There is revenue sharing in the CBA to help those clubs, but some of them may still lack sufficient funds to spend against the cap each year. Those teams could be forced to part ways with their top talent if they cannot afford to re-sign them.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Canadiens are engaged in detailed discussions with Lane Hutson’s camp. The final price of re-signing the 21-year-old defenseman could be close to the new contracts of New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes and Anaheim Ducks blueliner Jackson LaCombe.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Both defensemen signed long-term contracts with their respective teams, with each worth an AAV of $9 million.

Friedman acknowledged the suggestions that the new deals for Hughes and LaCombe meant it could cost the Canadiens between $10 million and $11 million annually to re-sign Hutson. However, he thinks the Canadiens blueliner could end up with an AAV closer to $9 million.

Marc Dumont points out that Hutson will be coming off his entry-level contract next summer and ineligible to receive an offer sheet from a rival club. He also lacks arbitration rights. He indicated that Friedman said there is still work to be done, but the two sides might not be far off from their ideal number.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s not surprising that the Canadiens are trying to get Hutson signed to an extension as quickly as possible. If he builds on last season’s Calder Trophy performance, he could seek closer to $11 million annually, especially if he finishes as a finalist for the Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman.

It seems that $9 million annually is the baseline for Hutson’s next contract. Keeping that number under $10 million would be quite the accomplishment for Habs management.

TSN: Pierre LeBrun recently said that Jack Roslovic had an offer from the Edmonton Oilers on July 1, but it didn’t interest him. The 28-year-old forward is the most notable player still available in this year’s unrestricted free-agent market.

Roslovic has since changed agents, but LeBrun is surprised that he spurned an opportunity to play with Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl. Nevertheless, he believes the versatile forward will sign with a team soon.