NHL Rumor Mill – May 24, 2025

by | May 24, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – May 24, 2025

What’s the latest on the Blues and Kings? Which teams might be willing to part with their 2025 first-round picks? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

BLUES COULD SEEK A CENTER THIS SUMMER

THE ATHLETIC: Jeremy Rutherford believes the St. Louis Blues must address their depth at center and right-side defense this summer, with the second-line center position being the priority.

Sam Bennett of the Florida Panthers would be the best option in this summer’s unrestricted free-agent market. John Tavares of the Toronto Maple Leafs would be another, but he’s optimistic about staying in Toronto. Brock Nelson of the Colorado Avalanche is another option, but consistency is an issue.

Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett (NHL Images).

Former Blues center Ryan O’Reilly, now with the Nashville Predators, has been mentioned in trade rumors. Others include Shane Pinto of the Ottawa Senators, Marco Rossi of the Minnesota Wild, and Elias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks. Rutherford doubted some of them would be available and believes the Blues should avoid Pettersson.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bennett will be the most-pursued center in this summer’s UFA market if he doesn’t re-sign with the Panthers. He could prove too expensive for the Blues in a bidding war. Recent rumors suggest Rossi as the most likely to be available of those trade candidates, but he could also draw a lot of interest.

KINGS COULD BE AGGRESSIVE IN THIS SUMMER’S TRADE & UFA MARKETS

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports the Los Angeles Kings will try to be aggressive this summer under new general manager Ken Holland.

LeBrun believes Holland intends to go “big-game hunting”. He wouldn’t be surprised if the Kings get into the Mitch Marner sweepstakes if the Toronto Maple Leafs winger heads to the open market on July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings have a projected cap space of $21.7 million for 2025-26 with 21 active roster players under contract. Re-signing pending UFA defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov and RFA forward Alex Laferriere will take up a significant chunk, but they should have enough to make a big splash this summer.

BLUE JACKETS, SHARKS, AND CAPITALS OPEN TO MOVING FIRST-ROUNDERS

SI.COM: Nick Horwat reports the Columbus Blue Jackets hold two picks in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft. GM Don Waddell indicated he’s willing to use both picks as trade chips for more immediate roster help.

THE ATHLETIC: Eric Stephens reports San Jose Sharks GM Mike Grier will keep his options open with the second-overall pick in this year’s draft. That could include moving down from No. 2 in the first-round order if the return fetches an additional player who can help the Sharks improve now.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Sammi Silber reports Washington Capitals GM Chris Patrick isn’t ruling out moving his first-round pick, which is 27th overall. “I think you have to be open to all options,” said Patrick.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 8, 2025

by | Apr 8, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 8, 2025

The Jets set a franchise record for wins while ending the Blues’ franchise-record win streak, Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov reaches a significant milestone, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF MONDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: The Winnipeg Jets collected their franchise-record 53rd single-season victory by beating the St. Louis Blues 3-1, ending the latter’s franchise-record win streak at 12 games. Morgan Barron, Alex Iafallo and Adam Lowry scored for the Jets (110 points), opening a three-point lead over the Washington Capitals for first place in the overall standings. Pavel Buchnevich replied for the Blues, who hold the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 93 points.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov (NHL Images).

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov had a goal and two assists in his club’s 5-1 win over the New York Rangers. Brayden Point scored twice and set up another and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 38 saves as the Lightning (96 points) sit two points behind the first-place Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division. The Rangers (79 points) remain six points back of the Montreal Canadiens for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 115 points, Kucherov is tied for first place in the scoring race with Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon. He also collected his 80th assist, joining Wayne Gretzky, Paul Coffey and Bobby Orr as the only players in NHL history to accomplish that feat in at least three consecutive seasons.

The Calgary Flames kept their playoff hopes alive by nipping the San Jose Sharks 3-2. Dustin Wolf stopped 29 shots while Adam Klapka, Jonathan Huberdeau and Matt Coronato scored for the Flames, who sit four points behind the Minnesota Wild for the final Western wild card with 87 points. Sharks rookie Will Smith scored twice and teammate Macklin Celebrini set the rookie franchise record for assists with 36.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: San Jose winger Tyler Toffoli missed this game as he’s day-to-day with a lower-body injury. The Sharks also announced defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin’s upper-body injury will sideline him for the remainder of the regular season.

Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal kicked out 45 shots in a 3-2 upset win over the injury-depleted Edmonton Oilers. Cutter Gauthier tallied twice for the Ducks. Adam Henrique and Jeff Skinner replied for the Oilers (93 points), who remain four points behind the Los Angeles Kings in third place in the Pacific Division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers forward Trent Frederic’s return from an ankle injury was short-lived. He missed this game after aggravating that injury during Saturday’s loss to the Kings.

Speaking of the Kings, they dropped a 2-1 decision to the Seattle Kraken. Matty Beniers and Brandon Montour scored and Joey Daccord turned aside 28 shots for the win. Quinton Byfield tallied his 20th of the season for the Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kings defenseman Drew Doughty was given time off from this game as he rests his surgically repaired ankle. Teammate Adrian Kempe left this game in the third period to attend to a personal matter. Forward Tanner Jeannot missed this contest with an undisclosed injury and is listed as week-to-week.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki, and St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas are the league’s three stars for the week ending April 6, 2025.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers have a growing list of injured players. Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart, Niko Sturm, Dmitry Kulikov and Gustav Forsling are sidelined, and the club could rest some of them for several games to ensure they’ll be fully healthy for the coming playoffs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers have already clinched a playoff berth so they have the luxury of giving some of these players an extra game or two to rest up over their remaining five games in the schedule.

It’s given rise to a silly conspiracy theory that they’re sandbagging the rest of the season to drop further in the standings, ensuring they draw the Toronto Maple Leafs as their first-round opponent.

If the playoffs started now, the Panthers would face the Lightning in the opening round. The theory suggests they prefer meeting the Leafs because they’re an easier opponent.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of playoff-bound teams with injury-ravaged rosters, the Avalanche hope to have sidelined defenseman Josh Manson and Samuel Girard and forwards Martin Necas and Jonathan Drouin back in the lineup later this week.

DAILY FACEOFF: Utah Hockey Club blueliner John Marino is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

TSN: The NHL and NHL Players’ Association continue their collective bargaining agreement negotiations this week in New York City. CBA talks between the two sides began last week. The current agreement expires in September 2026.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: League commissioner Gary Bettman hopes to get a new CBA in place as soon as possible, perhaps by the 2025 NHL Draft in late June. The recent relationship between the NHL and NHLPA lacks the rancor and mistrust that hampered previous CBA negotiations.

THE ATHLETIC: Meredith Gaudreau gave birth to her and late husband Johnny Gaudreau’s third child (a boy named Carter Michael Gaudreau) on April 1. Carter’s middle name is the same as his father’s.

Johnny and his brother Matthew were killed by an alleged drunk driver last August. The alleged driver faces charges including reckless vehicular homicide, aggravated manslaughter, and leaving the scene of a fatal accident.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My thoughts go out to the Gaudreau family. Here’s hoping Carter has a long and happy life.

TSN: Long-time NHL goaltender and broadcaster Greg Millen died on Monday at age 67. The cause of death was not revealed.

Millen spent 14 seasons as an NHL goaltender from 1978-79 to 1991-92 with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Hartford Whalers, St. Louis Blues, Quebec Nordiques, Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings. He played in 604 games, making 582 starts with a 3.88 goals-against average and a save percentage of .873.

Following his playing career, Millen went on to a long broadcasting career mostly with CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada and the NHL on Sportsnet.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Millen’s family, friends, teammates and broadcasting colleagues.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 28, 2025

by | Mar 28, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 28, 2025

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby sets a notable offensive record, Nikita Kucherov leads the Lightning with a four-point game, the Blues strengthen their hold on the final Western wild card, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING THURSDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby broke Wayne Gretzky’s record of consecutive seasons averaging a point-per-game in a 7-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. Jiri Kulich scored twice for the Sabres while Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, Rasmus Dahlin, Bowen Byram and Peyton Kreb had two points each.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby has 20 consecutive seasons averaging a point-per-game. That’s an impressive display of offensive consistency, especially at this stage of his career on a team rebuilding its roster.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov had a goal and three assists and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made 25 saves to shut out the Utah Hockey Club 8-0. Victor Hedman had a goal and two assists while Jake Guentzel and Oliver Bjorkstrand each scored twice for the Lightning (89 points), who moved within one point of the first-place Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning are tied with the Florida Panthers in points but the latter holds a game in hand.

Speaking of the Maple Leafs, they overcame a 5-3 deficit in regulation to the San Jose Sharks but fell 6-5 on shootout goals by Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini. Tyler Toffoli scored twice and picked up an assist for the Sharks. William Nylander tallied twice and Mitch Marner collected three assists for the Leafs, who sit atop the Atlantic Division with 90 points.

The St. Louis Blues strengthened their hold on the final Western Conference wild-card berth by nipping the Nashville Predators 3-2, picking up their eighth straight win. Dylan Holloway scored two goals, including the game-winner in the third period. Robert Thomas had two assists for the Blues (85 points), opening a five-point lead over the Vancouver Canucks. Fedor Svechkov and Brady Skjei scored for the Predators, who’ve been officially eliminated from the playoff race.

Minnesota Wild forward Frederick Gaudreau scored twice and Matt Boldy had a goal and an assist in a 4-2 win over the Washington Capitals. Filip Gustavsson stopped 28 shots for the Wild, who remain two points ahead of the Blues for the first Western wild card. Matt Roy and Brandon Duhaime replied for the Capitals, who remain in first place in the overall standings with 103 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin was held off the score sheet and remains six goals from breaking Gretzky’s all-time goals record of 894. Following the game, Ovechkin led his teammates in a handshake lineup for Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who is expected to retire following this season.

The Dallas Stars got a 46-save performance by backup goalie Casey DeSmith to beat the Calgary Flames 5-2. Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz, Mikko Rantanen, Matt Duchene, Mikael Granlund and Mason Marchment each collected two points for the Stars, who picked up their fourth straight win to sit second in the Central Division with 98 points. Nazem Kadri scored both goals for the Flames (79 points), who sit six points back of the surging Blues in the Western wild-card race.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames had two goals disallowed, leaving them feeling like the referees robbed them. They also lost forward Connor Zary as he left the game early in the third period favoring his left knee after colliding with Rantanen.

Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark turned aside 31 shots as his club held off the Detroit Red Wings for a 4-3 victory. Michael Amadio scored what proved to be the game-winner as the Senators (81 points) opened a six-point cushion over the Montreal Canadiens in the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Lucas Raymond had a goal and an assist for the Red Wings, who remain three points behind the Canadiens with 72 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game featured two teams going in different directions. The Senators have won eight of their last 11 games while the Red Wings have only three wins in their last 14 contests.

Meanwhile, the Canadiens (75 points) blew a golden opportunity to expand their lead in the final Eastern wild-card spot by dropping a 6-4 decision to the Philadelphia Flyers, who had fired head coach John Tortorella earlier in the day. Sean Couturier and Matvei Michkov each had two goals and an assist for the Flyers, who got their first win under interim coach Brad Shaw. Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson picked up two assists, becoming the first rookie defenseman since 1985-86 to have 50 assists.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, Flyers general manager Daniel Briere spoke to the media about the decision to fire Tortorella. He claimed a number of reasons led to the decision, not just Tortorella’s comments on Tuesday expressing frustration over the club’s losing skid in recent weeks. He declined to get into the specifics, saying it wouldn’t be fair to his former coach.

Flyers defenseman Cam York was benched for the entire game against the Canadiens. Shaw claimed it was for disciplinary reasons but didn’t go into detail.

The last rookie defenseman to reach the 50-assist plateau was Gary Suter with the Calgary Flames. He went on to win the Calder Memorial Trophy that season.

Colorado Avalanche goalie Mackenzie Blackwood had 22 saves to blank the Los Angeles Kings 4-0. Martin Necas scored twice and picked up an assist while Nathan MacKinnon had an assist to extend his home points streak to 23 games. The Avalanche sit third in the Central Division with 93 points, while the Kings are second in the Pacific Division with 89 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon (108 points) holds a three-point lead over Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov atop the points race. Kings forwards Alex Turcotte and Tanner Jeannot missed this game as they’re day-to-day with undisclosed injuries.

A five-goal second period carried the Seattle Kraken to a 6-1 upset of the Edmonton Oilers. Jaden Schwartz scored twice and Joey Daccord kicked out 36 shots for the Kraken. Zach Hyman scored for the Oilers, who remain third in the Pacific Division with 87 points.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: Boston Bruins defenseman Michael Callahan was fined over $2,000.00 by the department of player safety for cross-checking Anaheim Ducks forward Jansen Harkins on Wednesday.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers forward Matt Rempe is listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – March 23, 2025

by | Mar 23, 2025

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – March 23, 2025

The latest coaching speculation plus updates on the Wild and Sharks in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

FOUR COACHES COULD BE ON THE HOT SEAT

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Adam Proteau believes four current NHL head coaches could be searching for new jobs in the offseason.

Andrew Brunette of the Nashville Predators could be among the job hunters following his club’s disappointing performance after a summer of notable free-agent additions like Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: General manager Barry Trotz deserves some of the blame, as he’s the one who made those big signings last summer. Nevertheless, the coach suffers for management’s mistakes and Brunette could take the fall here.

Lindy Ruff’s return to the Buffalo Sabres failed to reverse their fortunes. The Sabres are poised to extend their league-record playoff drought to 14 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bringing back Ruff was a mistake. His style isn’t suited for the type of team the Sabres have constructed.

Joe Sacco took over as Boston Bruins head coach on an interim basis following the firing of Jim Montgomery last November. The Bruins continued to slide on Sacco’s watch and are five points out of a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.

Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe also believes Sacco will be replaced as head coach. He expects he’ll be retained as part of the coaching staff if ownership retains Don Sweeney as general manager and Cam Neely as team president.

Mike Sullivan has been the bench boss of the Pittsburgh Penguins for a decade. However, they could decide to part ways with Mike Sullivan as they continue retooling their roster.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sullivan has done the best he can with the rosters Dubas and his predecessor have given him. However, the Penguins are transitioning toward younger talent and Dubas could decide to shake things up behind the bench.

New York Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette could be added to this list. He guided the Blueshirts to the Presidents’ Trophy in 2023-24 but has sometimes looked lost seeking solutions for this season’s on-ice woes. It hasn’t helped that management has been shaking up the roster in the trade market since December. Nevertheless, they could decide that a coaching change is in order.

WILL THE WILD BE BIG SPENDERS THIS SUMMER?

NHL.COM: Dan Rosen reports Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin has his eyes on the offseason and what could be available to his club once the buyout charges for Ryan Suter and Zach Parise go down.

The combined cost of buying out Suter and Parise is over $14.7 million against the Wild’s cap. However, that cost drops to $1.66 million annually for the next three seasons, giving them a projected cap space of $21.8 million for 2025-26.

Rosen warns that doesn’t mean the opening of the 2025 free-agent market on July 1 will be like Christmas Day for the Wild. They must keep in mind the significant raise required to re-sign superstar Kirill Kaprizov before his eligibility for unrestricted free-agent status next year. Young center Marco Rossi is a restricted free agent and will seek a significant raise coming off his entry-level contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Guerin could make a cost-cutting move to free up extra cap space if he wants to go big-game hunting this summer. If not, he could content himself with affordable depth signings to improve his club’s chances of a deep playoff run next year.

SHARKS MUST ADDRESS GOALIE DEPTH THIS SUMMER

THE MERCURY NEWS: Curtis Pashelka observed the San Jose Sharks must improve their goaltending depth and defensive play. They have the league’s worst goals-against per game (3.64 as of March 23) while their .890 save percentage is 30th.

Rookie goaltender Yaroslav Askarov is the only Sharks goalie under contract next season. Veteran Alexandar Georgiev is UFA-eligible this summer and has been inconsistent this season, though he cannot bear sole responsibility for the Sharks’ defensive woes. Rookie Georgi Romanov is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pickings for goalies are slim in this summer’s free-agent market. The notables include New Jersey’s Jake Allen, Carolina’s Frederik Andersen, former Sharks netminder Vitek Vanecek, Calgary’s Dan Vladar, Detroit’s Alex Lyon and Los Angeles’ David Rittich.

Trade options aren’t much better. John Gibson of the Anaheim Ducks is the most noteworthy having frequently surfaced in trade rumors over the last two years. He’s signed through 2026-27 with an average annual value of $6.4 million. Gibson also has a 10-team no-trade list, which could put the Sharks out of the running.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 23, 2025

by | Mar 23, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 23, 2025

Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl and Oilers center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins lead their clubs to victory with hat tricks, six teams in wild-card races pick up wins, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Tomas Hertl tallied his second hat trick in a seven-game span to lead the Vegas Golden Knights to a 6-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Jack Eichel had a goal and three assists and Mark Stone had a goal and two assists as the Golden Knights sit atop the Pacific Division with 90 points. Patrick Kane had a goal and two assists for the Red Wings (70 points), leaving them five points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

Vegas Golden Knights forward Tomas Hertl (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings have lost eight of their last 10 games. Barring a significant turnaround over their final 13 games, they’ll extend their postseason drought to nine seasons.

A hat trick by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins enabled the injury-depleted Edmonton Oilers to hold off the Seattle Kraken 5-4. Darnell Nurse and Mattias Ekholm each collected two points as the Oilers sit three points behind the Golden Knights in second place in the Pacific Division. Kaapo Kakko scored twice for the Kraken.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers won with superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl sidelined by injuries. Both players could return in a week, with Draisaitl reportedly closer to returning to action. Meanwhile, Kakko has rejuvenated his career since being traded to the Kraken in December. With 39 points, he’s one away from tying his career-high 40-point season in 2022-23 with the New York Rangers.

The Minnesota Wild got a 20-save performance from goaltender Filip Gustavsson for his third straight win as they downed the Buffalo Sabres 4-1. Mats Zuccarello had a goal and an assist and Matt Boldy collected two assists as the Wild hold the first Western Conference wild-card spot with 85 points. JJ Peterka scored for the Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin picked up an assist after missing nine games with a lower-body injury.

St. Louis Blues forwards Alexey Toropchenko and Nathan Walker each had a goal and an assist in a 4-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blues extended their win streak to a season-high five games and hold the final Western wild-card spot with 79 points. Ilya Mikheyev replied for the Blackhawks, who’ve lost seven in a row.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks forward Patrick Maroon played his final game against his former club after announcing he’ll retire at the end of this season. The St. Louis native received a standing ovation by Blues fans and was named the game’s first star. He helped the Blues win the Stanley Cup in 2019.

Maroon has spent 14 seasons in the NHL with the Blackhawks, Blues, Anaheim Ducks, Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils, Tampa Bay Lightning, Minnesota Wild and Boston Bruins, collecting 320 points and 1,076 PIMs in 840 regular-season games and 53 points in 163 playoff contests, winning three Stanley Cups, including two with the Lightning.

The Calgary Flames are two points behind the Blues following a 4-3 overtime win over the New York Islanders. Nazem Kadri tallied the game-winner, Jonathan Huberdeau had a goal and two assists, Matt Coronato scored twice and Rasmus Andersson collected three assists for Calgary as they’ve won three straight games. Noah Dobson and Maxim Tsyplakov each picked up two assists for the Islanders (73 points), who are two points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar missed this game with a lower-body injury while forward Joel Farabee was sidelined by illness. Weegar is expected to return for Tuesday’s game against the Kraken.

New York Rangers forward Jonny Brodzinski tallied two goals and J.T. Miller scored an empty-netter against his former club to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 5-3. Igor Shesterkin kicked out 36 shots for the Rangers (74 points), who are one point out of the final Eastern wild card. Canucks forwards Elias Pettersson and Nils Hoglander left this game with injuries as their club slipped three points behind the Blues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks dominated the Rangers in this game but couldn’t put them away. It’s a costly defeat at a time when the Blues and Flames are surging. The loss overshadowed Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood breaking the league’s single-season record for hits with 384.

The Colorado Avalanche blew a 4-1 lead before defeating the Montreal Canadiens 5-4 on a shootout goal by Brock Nelson, who had a goal and an assist in regulation play. Juraj Slafkovsky scored twice for the Canadiens, who cling to the final Eastern wild-card berth with 75 points. The Avalanche sit third in the Central Division with 89 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Despite the loss, the Canadiens earned a valuable point to retain that wild card. They have points in 12 of their last 13 contests (8-1-4).

Ottawa Senators forwards Brady Tkachuk and Drake Batherson scored second-period goals within 33 seconds of each other to hold off the New Jersey Devils 3-2. Linus Ullmark stopped 25 shots for the win as the Senators hold a four-point lead over the Canadiens in the first Eastern wild-card spot. Luke Hughes collected assists on both goals for the Devils, who are third in the Metropolitan Division with 80 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators’ Thomas Chabot became the fourth defenseman in franchise history to reach the 500-game milestone, joining Chris Phillips, Wade Redden and Erik Karlsson.

Dallas Stars defenseman Thomas Harley opened the scoring and ended the game with a two-goal performance in a 3-2 overtime victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. The Stars hold second place in the Central Division with 92 points. Travis Konecny and Ryan Poehling replied for the Flyers, who’ve lost four straight.

The Los Angeles Kings crushed the Carolina Hurricanes 7-2, winning for the seventh time in their last eight games. Anze Kopitar, Kevin Fiala, Quinton Byfield, Andrei Kuzmenko and Tanner Jeannot each had a goal and an assist and Drew Doughty collected two assists as the Kings sit third in the Pacific Division with 85 points. Dmitry Orlov and Mark Jankowski scored for the Hurricanes as they hold second place in the Metro Division with 88 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes winger Seth Jarvis left the game in the third period with an apparent head injury when he crashed into the end boards after being hauled down by Kings winger Warren Foegele. Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour expressed optimism in his postgame press conference that Jarvis avoided serious injury.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin collected two assists in a 6-3 victory over the Florida Panthers, giving them their ninth win in their last 10 contests. Tom Wilson and Connor McMichael each had a goal and an assist as the Capitals opened a two-point lead over the Winnipeg Jets for first place in the overall standings with 102 points. Sam Bennett had a goal and an assist for the Panthers, who remain in first place in the Atlantic Division with 87 points.

The Utah Hockey Club kept their playoff hopes alive by upsetting the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-4. Logan Cooley and Alex Kerfoot led the way with two goals each for Utah (75 points), who sit four points behind the Blues in the Western wild-card race. Brayden Point netted two goals and Jake Guentzel had a goal and two assists for the Lightning, who sit third in the Atlantic Division with 85 points.

Five unanswered goals powered the Nashville Predators to a 5-2 upset of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Filip Forsberg scored twice and picked up an assist as the Predators snapped a four-game losing skid. John Tavares scored his 30th of the season for the Leafs, who sit second in the Atlantic Division with 87 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs and Panthers have identical 42-25-3 records, but the latter holds the tiebreaker with 35 regulation wins compared to the Leafs’ 34.

The San Jose Sharks beat the Boston Bruins 3-1. Lucas Carlsson’s tiebreaker was his first goal with the Sharks and his first since 2021-22 with the Panthers. Carlsson and teammate William Eklund each finished with a goal and an assist. Casey Mittelstadt replied for the slumping Bruins, who’ve lost their fifth straight game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins played without forward Mark Kastelic, who returned to Boston for further evaluation of an upper-body injury and will miss the remainder of their five-game road trip.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 18, 2025

by | Mar 18, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 18, 2025

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

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews scored two goals and collected an assist to lead his team over the Calgary Flames 6-2. William Nylander had a goal and two assists for the Leafs (83 points) as they moved within two points of the Atlantic Division-leading Florida Panthers. Rasmus Andersson and Kevin Bahl replied for the Flames (71 points), who remain two points behind the Vancouver Canucks for the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthews set an NHL record among American-born players with 36 multi-goal periods, surpassing Hall-of-Famer Jeremy Roenick (35). The Leafs are tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning but the latter holds second place in the division with 34 regulation wins. Meanwhile, the Flames have lost seven of their last nine games.

Speaking of the Lightning, they got a 21-save shutout from Andrei Vasilevskiy to blank the Philadelphia Flyers 2-0. Nikita Kucherov and Jake Guentzel scored for the Lightning as they pulled within two points of the division-leading Panthers. The Flyers have dropped eight of their last 10 games.

New Jersey Devils goaltender Jake Allen kicked out 45 shots in a 2-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets, handing the latter their fourth straight loss. Timo Meier and Jesper Bratt each tallied their 20th goals of the season. Mathieu Olivier scored for the Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils are third in the Metropolitan Division with 80 points. The Blue Jackets (70 points) remain two points behind the New York Rangers for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

Third-period goals by Mats Zuccarello and Marcus Johansson gave the Minnesota Wild a 3-1 win against the Los Angeles Kings, snapping the latter’s five-game win streak. Adrian Kempe scored for the Kings (81 points), who remain one point behind the second-place Edmonton Oilers in the Pacific Division. The Wild hold the first Western wild card with 81 points.

An overtime goal by Alex Tuch lifted the Buffalo Sabres over the Boston Bruins 3-2. Owen Power had a goal and two assists for the Sabres, who won two of their last three games. Morgan Geekie had a goal and an assist for the Bruins (69 points), who’ve lost six of their last eight and remain three points out of the final Eastern wild card.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres forwards JJ Peterka, Josh Norris and Jiri Kulich missed this game due to injuries. Peterka and Norris are expected to return to action later this week.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Los Angeles Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper, New Jersey Devils winger Jesper Bratt, and Seattle Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour are the league’s three stars for the week ending March 16, 2025.

The San Jose Sharks have been officially eliminated from the 2025 playoff race. A lack of secondary scoring doomed the rebuilding club’s postseason hopes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks’ postseason drought has reached six seasons. Before 2019-20, their longest stretch without playoff appearances was two years (1991-92 to 1992-93, 1995-96 to 1996-97).

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog joined his teammates for a full practice on Monday, though he’s still not cleared for contact. It marks the first time this season Landeskog has participated in a full practice as he attempts a comeback since undergoing knee surgeries nearly three years ago.

ROTOWIRE: Speaking of the Avalanche, defenseman Josh Manson will likely be sidelined week-to-week with an upper-body injury suffered during Friday’s game against the Calgary Flames.

NEW YORK POST: The Islanders will continue to rely heavily on goaltender Ilya Sorokin as they attempt to remain in the Eastern Conference wild-card race.

TSN: Clarification on goaltender interference and other coach’s challenges were the main topics on Monday during the league’s annual spring general managers’ meeting.

NHL.COM: Former NHL defenseman Tomas Kloucek sided Sunday following a skiing accident in Czechia. He was 45 years old.

Kloucek appeared in 141 NHL regular-season games with the New York Rangers, Nashville Predators and Atlanta Thrashers from 2000-01 to 2005-06, tallying two goals and eight assists for 10 points and 250 PIMs. He spent the remainder of his playing career in Europe, retiring in 2017.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Kloucek’s family, friends, former teammates and coaches.