NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 16, 2025

by | Aug 16, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 16, 2025

Here’s a look back at the notable news during my vacation in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

ESPN.COM: Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk said he remains undecided over whether he’ll undergo surgery for a torn adductor muscle and a sports hernia before the 2025-26 season. However, he acknowledged he could miss the first two to three months of the schedule if he goes under the knife.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Based on Tkachuk’s offseason workouts, he’ll know for certain if he needs surgery. We’ll know by mid-September when the Panthers’ training camp begins.

TSN: Keith Tkachuk shot down any trade speculation about his son, Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk. He said Brady loves it in Ottawa and has cemented himself within the community. Keith believes the Senators are a team on the rise, and Brady wants to be a part of it.

Ottawa Senators left wing Brady Tkachuk (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Keith believes Matthew’s departure from Calgary three years ago has fans wondering if Brady will also do so. However, there was also speculation out of New York last season claiming the Rangers had made the Senators’ captain a trade target, prompting Senators ownership to suggest the Blueshirts were engaged in “soft tampering” regarding Tkachuk.

During his end-of-season press conference, Brady dismissed the rumors as lies. It hasn’t fully put to rest the speculation, given that his father had to recently dispel it. They’ll likely continue to surface whenever the Senators are struggling, and the chatter will likely go into overdrive when he enters the final season of his contract in 2027-28.

RG.ORG: Winger Brad Marchand said the club’s re-signings of center Sam Bennett and defenseman Aaron Ekblad were key reasons behind his decision to ink a six-year contract with Florida.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marchand is in the tail end of his long career and wants to remain with a Stanley Cup contender. Now 37, it’s unlikely he’ll play out the entirety of his contract, but neither he nor the Panthers is concerned about the long term. Winning three Cups in a row and becoming the first true NHL dynasty since the early 1980s New York Islanders is what matters.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson is fully fit a month before training camp and is seeking “revenge” after his abysmal 2024-25 season. The 26-year-old Pettersson said he’s learned from last season and will be a more mature player in 2025-26.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pettersson’s disappointing performance last season was a key factor in the Canucks missing the 2025 playoffs. A return to form this season is a must if they’re to be postseason contenders.

RG.ORG: Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin isn’t surprised that superstar winger Kirill Kaprizov and promising center Marco Rossi remain unsigned. He said the talks have been “pretty consistent, and I’ve been happy with them”. Guerin also said reports claiming Rossi can’t be signed until Kaprizov is under contract are false.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The dearth of real hockey news through the first half of August has fueled speculation over the status of the Wild’s contract negotiations with Kaprizov and Rossi. Kaprizov is in the final season of his contract and eligible to become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) next July, while Rossi is a restricted free agent awaiting a new contract.

Guerin has plenty of time to get both players signed before the start of training camp. However, the speculation will persist if the current drought of notable NHL news continues throughout the remainder of this month.

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks made the case for J.T. Miller to be named the new captain of the Rangers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: We’ll know by October whether the Rangers will have a captain for this season, and who it’ll be. Do you agree with Brooks that it should be Miller? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below.

NESN.COM: Boston Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm has been cleared for training camp in September. He appeared in 17 games last season until sidelined by a fractured kneecap.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lindholm’s absence contributed to the Bruins missing the playoffs last season. He’ll be a key factor in their attempt to rebound in 2025-26.

TSN: Darren Dreger reports an arbitrator ruled in favor of the Philadelphia Flyers in a grievance filed by the NHL Players’ Association following the termination of forward Ryan Johansen’s contract in August 2024.

Johansen was acquired from the Colorado Avalanche on March 6, 2024, and immediately placed on waivers. He was assigned to the Flyers’ AHL affiliate in LeHigh Valley, but didn’t play for the remainder of the season due to a hip injury.

The Flyers placed Johansen on unconditional waivers last August and terminated his contract, citing a “material breach”. He missed all of last season recovering from hip surgery and remains a UFA.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Johansen played every game of the 2023-24 season with the Avalanche, but informed the Flyers that he couldn’t report to the AHL or play due to his hip injury. At the time, he had a year remaining on his contract. The Flyers would’ve been on the hook for that final season had the ruling gone against them.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators and the National Capital Commission (NCC) reached an agreement in which the club will purchase 11 acres of land for a new arena at LeBreton Flats in Ottawa. It’s believed the Senators will pay over $30 million for the land, which is 10 minutes from downtown Ottawa.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report indicates the Senators still have several hurdles to clear before the deal becomes a reality. Nevertheless, this is a significant step toward realizing the dream of a new arena near the heart of Ottawa.

THE MINNEAPOLIS STAR-TRIBUNE: The Wild signed defenseman Jack Johnson to a professional tryout contract (PTO).

TSN: The Detroit Red Wings signed UFA defenseman Travis Hamonic to a one-year, $1 million contract.

USHL.COM: Former NHL forward Pat Maroon joined the coaching staff of the Muskegon Lumberjacks. Maroon won three straight Stanley Cups (2019 to 2021) with the St. Louis Blues and Tampa Bay Lightning.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Former NHL defenseman Josh Gorges was hired by the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets as an assistant coach. Gorges spent eight of his 13 seasons with the Montreal Canadiens.

TSN: Former Toronto Maple Leafs forward Kyle Clifford announced his retirement as a player and is joining the club’s front office in a player development role. Clifford spent 13 seasons in the NHL (2010-11 to 2022-23) with the Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues, and the Maple Leafs, winning two Stanley Cups (2012, 2014) with the Kings. In 753 NHL games, Clifford had 66 goals and 78 assists for 144 points, and 16 points in 65 playoff games.

DAILY FACEOFF: Defenseman Chad Ruhwedel retired after 13 NHL seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, and New York Rangers. In 369 regular-season games from 2012-13 to 2024-25, he had 13 goals and 37 assists for 50 points. He also appeared in 25 playoff contests, winning the Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2016-17.

MLIVE.COM: The Detroit Red Wings will go with their “Hockeytown” center ice logo for their 2025-26 centennial season. The logo was introduced in 1996-97. It was removed in 2018 following the move from Joe Louis Arena to Little Caesars Arena.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 13, 2024

by | Jul 13, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 13, 2024

The latest on the Rangers attempt to trade Jacob Trouba, Predators GM Barry Trotz weighs in on teams like his in “no-tax” states, and the latest signings in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE HOCKEY NEWS’ Stefen Rosner cited former New York Rangers general manager Neil Smith saying team captain Jacob Trouba blocked a trade to the Detroit Red Wings when he learned that’s where the Rangers wanted to trade him.

Smith said the Rangers asked Trouba for his 15-team no-trade list before his no-movement clause changed to a modified no-trade clause on July 1. As per his contract, the Trouba camp refused until July 1. When they did submit the list, Detroit was part of it because it had already been leaked to the media that the Rangers were talking about a trade with the Red Wings.

New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba (NHL Images).

That leaves Rangers management facing what Smith calls some “muddy waters” with their most important player, their team captain. He believes they’ll have to make Trouba feel wanted again.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was clumsily handled by Rangers management but it did provide some intrigue to this summer’s trade market. That deal with Detroit was dead once it got leaked to the press. It seems that way based on all we’ve learned since late June.

Some Rangers supporters still blame Trouba for “putting himself above the team” by invoking his no-trade clause to block the deal to Detroit. However, he did nothing wrong by abiding by the terms of his contract.

The Rangers know which teams aren’t on Trouba’s “no-trade” list. They could attempt to move him to one of those clubs this summer, or before next year’s trade deadline, or at some point next summer. His $8 million cap hit will make that difficult to pull off, but it’s not impossible.

In the meantime, both sides will have to deal with the fallout from this situation. It’ll be interesting to see how this shakes out and what effect (if any) it has on the Rangers in 2024-25.

THE SCORE: Nashville Predators GM Barry Trotz acknowledged that his team has an advantage playing in a state that doesn’t levy a state tax.

“It is an advantage because your dollar goes a little bit further,” he told TSN’s Overdrive on Wednesday. “There’s no question”.

The Predators made headlines this summer by signing unrestricted free agents Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei. Along with the Predators, the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vegas Golden Knights, Dallas Stars and Seattle Kraken also have the advantage of playing where there is no state tax.

Four of the last five Stanley Cup champions were from “no-tax” states. The Lightning won in 2020 and 2021, the Golden Knights in 2023 and the Panthers in 2024.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those clubs have played in “no-tax” states for years. It’s only been recently that three of them enjoyed championship success. Some observers believe this gives those teams an unfair advantage that should be addressed in the next round of collective bargaining. 

The lack of a state tax does help those teams retain their best players and add players via free agency. However,  it does not guarantee success. How management invests that money in building and maintaining a contender remains the determining factor.

The Predators have declined since reaching the 2017 Stanley Cup Final and winning the Presidents’ Trophy the following season. Their previous management was not renowned for making big splashes in the free-agent pool like those that Trotz just made. It remains to be seen how those moves pan out.

As for the Stars, they have had their share of ups and downs since their Stanley Cup victory 25 years ago. The Kraken have only existed since 2021-22 and are still trying to build themselves into a contender.

The Panthers were a laughingstock for over two decades until they finally brought in stable ownership and management. The Lightning endured some ownership and management turmoil following their first Stanley Cup in 2004, including a rebuilding phase directly responsible for their consecutive championships.

Meanwhile, the Golden Knights’ habit of swinging big trades for elite talent left them with a depleted prospect pipeline that could prove costly in the long run.

The salary cap eventually catches up with these clubs.

Limited cap space forced the Lightning to make cost-cutting moves that drained their roster depth, including the recent departure of Stamkos and trading away Mikhail Sergachev.

The Golden Knights recently lost Jonathan Marchessault, Chandler Stephenson, William Carrier, Michael Amadio, and Logan Thompson due to cap constraints while the Panthers had to bid farewell to defenseman Brandon Montour.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers signed defenseman Chad Ruhwedel to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775K at the NHL level.

DAILY FACEOFF: The New York Islanders also signed forward Liam Foudy to a one-year, two-way contract.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Columbus Blue Jackets avoided arbitration with goaltender Jet Greaves, signing him to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $812,500.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Greaves is the fourth who filed for salary arbitration to sign with his club before his arbitration hearing was scheduled. The other three were Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman J.J. Moser, San Jose Sharks blueliner Ty Emberson and Blue Jackets rearguard Jake Christiansen.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 20, 2022

by | Feb 20, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 20, 2022

​The Flames extend their points streak to nine games, the Avalanche widen their lead atop the overall standings, the Leafs and Coyotes make a trade, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Calgary Flames remain red hot as they picked up their ninth straight victory by downing the Seattle Kraken 2-1, spoiling Mark Giordano’s return to Calgary for the first time since being selected by the Kraken in last year’s expansion draft. Elias Lindholm extended his goal streak to seven games with the tie-breaking goal in the third period. Lindholm and Matthew Tkachuk each finished the night with a goal and an assist as the Flames (64 points) hold a four-point lead over the Vegas Golden Knights for first place in the Pacific Division.

Calgary Flames forward Elias Lindholm (NHL Images).

Third-period goals by Alex Newhook and Mikko Rantanen lifted the Colorado Avalanche over the Buffalo Sabres 5-3. With 76 points, the Avs hold a three-point lead over the Florida Panthers for the top spot in the overall standings. Tage Thompson tallied all three goals for the Sabres.

The Edmonton Oilers got their fifth straight win under interim coach Jay Woodcroft by doubling up the Winnipeg Jets 4-2. Oilers captain Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists to become the first player to reach the 70-point plateau this season. The Oilers (59 points) have moved within a point of the second-place Golden Knights in the Pacific Division while the Jets (52 points) sit seven points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Woodcroft’s hiring has given what had been a slumping Oilers club a timely shot in the arm. The players are all buying into his system, especially those who played for Woodcroft when he was coaching their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield. They’re not trying to rely solely on McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to carry the offense. Other players are getting more minutes plus the team has improved its defensive game.

St. Louis Blues winger Pavel Buchnevich scored twice while goaltender Ville Husso kicked out 34 shots in a 6-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Robert Thomas and David Perron each picked up two assists as the Blues moved ahead of the Minnesota Wild into second place in the Central Division with 64 points. William Nylander tallied two goals for the Leafs, who sit in third place in the Atlantic Division with 67 points.

David Pastrnak’s overtime goal lifted the Boston Bruins to a 3-2 win over the Ottawa Senators. Bruins netminder Jeremy Swayman made 32 saves and defenseman Mike Reilly had two assists. Boston holds the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with 60 points.

Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty and Adrian Kempe each had three points as the Los Angeles Kings overcame a 3-1 deficit to drop the Arizona Coyotes 5-3. Kopitar had three assists while Doughty and Kempe each scored two goals and collected an assist. The Kings hold the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference with 59 points.

The Anaheim Ducks remain two points behind the Kings after snapping a four-game skid with a 7-4 drubbing of the Vancouver Canucks. Adam Henrique and Nicolas Deslauriers tallied two goals each while rookie star Trevor Zegras picked up three assists. Elias Pettersson had a goal and two assists for the Canucks, who remain seven points back of the Ducks.

HEADLINES

TSN: The Toronto Maple Leafs traded winger Nick Ritchie and a conditional pick to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin and winger Ryan Dzingel. The conditional pick received by the Coyotes will be either the Leafs’ 2023 third-rounder or their 2025 second-rounder.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ritchie signed a two-year deal ($2.5 million cap hit) with the Leafs this season but failed to play up to expectations and was eventually demoted to their AHL affiliate. This move brings in two affordable depth rentals for the Leafs in Dzingel ($1.1 million) and Lyubushkin ($1.35 million) who should contribute to their roster right away. Ritchie, meanwhile, will get an opportunity for more playing time with the rebuilding Coyotes.

NHL.COM: Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn was fined $5,000.00 by the league’s department of player safety for unsportsmanlike conduct during Friday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

TRIBLIVE.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins signed defenseman Chad Ruhwedel to a two-year contract extension with an annual average value of $800K.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: An affordable depth signing for the Penguins, who evidently liked what they’ve seen of Ruhwedel’s performance over the course of this season. He’s helped to improve the Penguins’ penalty kill.

MLIVE.COM: Gemel Smith is heading back to the Tampa Bay Lightning as they reclaimed him off waivers from the Detroit Red Wings. The Wings had claimed Smith on Jan. 19. He saw action in three games for Detroit, skating with his younger brother Givani.

THE ATHLETIC: The Anaheim Ducks have reportedly parted ways with assistant general manager Dave Nonis. The move is said to be part of the front-office restructuring under new GM Pat Verbeek. Nonis had a year remaining on his contract.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers yesterday announced Emile Francis passed at age 95. Nicknamed “The Cat”, he played for the Rangers as a goaltender and later served as head coach and general manager. He also worked for the St. Louis Blues and Hartford Whalers and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1982. He holds the Rangers’ coaching records for games (654) and wins (342), as well as playoff games (75) and wins (34).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Francis built the Rangers into a powerhouse during the late-60s and early-70s, which saw them reach the semifinals four times and the 1972 Stanley Cup Final. Their rivalry with the Boston Bruins during that time was must-watch hockey. My condolences to his family, friends and the Rangers’ organization.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 29, 2020

by | Aug 29, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 29, 2020

​The playoff schedule resumes today, former Panthers GM under investigation for uttering a racial slur, plus updates on Andrei Svechnikov, John Tortorella, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: The league has released its revised schedule for the resumption of the second round of the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs. Game 4 between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins begins at noon ET, Game 3 between the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders starts at 7 pm ET, and Game 3 between the Vegas Golden Knights and Vancouver Canucks begins at 9:45 ET. The Lightning holds a 2-1 series lead over the Bruins, while the Flyers and Islanders and the Golden Knights and Canucks are tied at a game apiece.

 SI.COM/THE HOCKEY NEWS: Matt Larkin wonders what steps the NHL will take in the wake of the recent player protest against racial injustice to ensure the fight for equality isn’t forgotten. He cites TSN’s Rick Westhead reporting the Hockey Diversity Alliance has requested the league to invest $100 million over 10 years to fund anti-racism, education, and grass-roots initiatives. That works out to just over $312K per team or less than half the minimum salary of one player.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s a reasonable request by the HDA. It’ll also be interesting to see if the NHL Players Association will be working alongside the league in this matter or if they’ll be taking their own steps.

SPORTSDAY: Dallas Stars president and CEO Brad Alberts said his club lost season-ticket holders over its support of Black Lives Matter and protests over racial inequality. He claimed it was a mix of individual and company accounts. “But I/we stand by our organization’s commitment and support our players 100% to express their views,” said Alberts.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the first report I’ve seen by a team regarding the loss of season-ticket holders over the players’ recent protests. Alberts didn’t specify how many season-ticket holders the Stars lost. It could’ve been a large number or a handful. He also said none of the club’s advertisers have pulled funding.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW(subscription required): George Richards reports the NHL is investigating whether former Florida Panthers general manager Dale Tallon used a racial slur while representing the team. Tallon has been accused of using racially-charge language at some point during the Panthers time in the Toronto playoff bubble.

Tallon denied the charge. “I am not a racist by any means,” he said. “I have never said anything of the sort. I am all for peace, am all for this alliance and what everyone is trying to do right now.”

THE ATHLETIC (subscription required): Aaron Portzline reports the $25,000 fine levied by the league on Columbus Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella is the 15th time he’s been punished by the league. Portzline estimates Tortorella has lost “well over $200,000” because of “his mouth and his temper.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I don’t think Tortorella is losing any sleep over those fines. While he’s mellowed a bit over the years, he remains outspoken and irritable. 

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Carolina Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov said he’d be ready to go if his club were still in the postseason. He was sidelined two weeks ago by a high-ankle sprain suffered in his club’s first-round series with the Boston Bruins. Svechnikov said he’s now feeling at almost 100 percent.

TRIBLIVE.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins re-signed defenseman Chad Ruhwedel to a one-year contract extension worth $750K.

THE DETROIT NEWS: The Red Wings loaned defenseman Filip Hronek to Mountfield HK of the Czech League. He’s the fifth player the Wings have loaned to European clubs. All are scheduled to return to the Wings once NHL training camps later this fall.

THE PROVINCE: The death of popular Vancouver sportswriter Jason Botchford was revealed to be caused by an accidental overdose of cocaine and fentanyl. Botchford died suddenly last April at age 48. He covered the Canucks for The Province from 2005 to 2018.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s still a tragic, heartbreaking loss for Botchford’s family, friends, and the hockey community regardless of the cause of death.