NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 12, 2025

by | Oct 12, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 12, 2025

A hat trick performance by the Blue Jackets’ Kirill Marchenko, Islanders rookie Matthew Schaefer netted his first goal, the Ducks downed the Sharks in a wild, high-scoring contest, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Columbus Blue Jackets winger Kirill Marchenko’s hat trick powered his club to a 7-4 victory over the Minnesota Wild. Elvis Merzlikins kicked out 48 shots, and Zach Werenski and Boone Jenner each had a goal and two assists for the Blue Jackets. Kirill Kaprizov scored twice and collected an assist, and Zeev Buium tallied his first NHL goal and picked up an assist for the Wild.

Columbus Blue Jackets winger Kirill Marchenko (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jenner’s goal was the 200th of his NHL career, joining Rick Nash and Cam Atkinson as the only players in franchise history to reach that milestone.

New York Islanders rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer scored his first NHL goal, but his club dropped a 4-2 decision to the Washington Capitals. Aliaksei Protas scored two goals and added an assist for the Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Schaefer was the first-overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. He collected his first NHL assist in his first game on Thursday.

An overtime goal by Leo Carlsson lifted the Anaheim Ducks over the San Jose Sharks 7-6. The Ducks erased a 6-4 deficit in the third period. Carlsson also had two assists, Mason McTavish had three assists, and Chris Kreider and Cutter Gauthier each scored twice for the Ducks. Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith each picked up three assists, but Celebrini’s turnover led to Carlsson’s winning goal.

A shootout goal by Mikko Rantanen gave the Dallas Stars a 5-4 win over the Colorado Avalanche. Jake Oettinger made 35 saves, and Thomas Harley had a goal and an assist for the Stars. Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas each had a goal and two assists for the Avalanche.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Avalanche announced that defenseman Samuel Girard would miss this game and is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele tallied two goals as his club rallied from a 2-1 deficit to beat the Los Angeles Kings 3-2. Connor Hellebuyck made 30 saves for the Jets. Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist for the Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets defenseman Haydn Fleury left this game in the second period after blocking a shot by Kempe.

Three straight power-play goals by Aaron Ekblad, Anton Lundell, and Mackie Samoskevich powered the Florida Panthers to a 6-2 win over the Ottawa Senators. Ekblad, Lundell, and Brad Marchand each had a goal and an assist for the Panthers, extending their season-opening win streak to three games. Senators center Shane Pinto scored twice for the second straight game.

The Boston Bruins extended their season-opening win streak to three games with a 3-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Mark Kastelic had a goal and an assist for the Bruins. Jason Zucker replied for the Sabres, who have only one goal in their first two games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters that sidelined center Josh Norris is expected to miss a significant amount of time with an upper-body injury. Norris is still undergoing evaluation, and it’s uncertain how long he’ll be out of action.

Detroit Red Wings forwards Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat each had three points as their club overcame a 2-0 deficit to upset the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3. Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond scored twice, including his 100th career NHL goal. Morgan Rielly and Nicolas Roy each had two points for the Maple Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maple Leafs forward Steven Lorentz exited this game in the first period with a suspected head injury. The Leafs appeared to have difficulty at times adjusting to the Red Wings‘ speed in this game.

The New York Rangers thumped the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-1, giving head coach Mike Sullivan his first victory against his former team. Adam Fox scored two goals and picked up an assist. Penguins rookie Ben Kindel tallied his first NHL goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Rangers announced center Vincent Trocheck is week-to-week with an upper-body injury. Rangers defenseman Carson Soucy exited in the second period with an upper-body injury.

Pittsburgh defenseman Kris Letang left in the third period with an undisclosed injury and is undergoing evaluation. The Penguins activated forward Bryan Rust off injured reserve and sent forward Ville Koivunen to their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

New Jersey Devils forward Connor Brown potted two goals, and Nico Hischier had a goal and an assist in a 5-3 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Luke Hughes also had two assists for the Devils. Max Crozier picked up two assists for the Lightning.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Devils announced that forward Evgenii Dadonov has been sidelined with a fractured hand. A timeline for his return has yet to be determined.

The Carolina Hurricanes nipped the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 on an overtime goal by Seth Jarvis. Bobby Brink had a goal and an assist for the Flyers, who got a 35-save performance by Samuel Ersson.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Brink appeared to have scored the winning goal in overtime, but it was overturned for goalie interference by teammate Travis Sanheim. Flyers winger Matvei Michkov saw limited ice time and was benched during overtime by head coach Rick Tocchet. “I just wanted the guys who I thought were skating,” Tocchet said.

It was a costly win for the Hurricanes as top defenseman Jaccob Slavin left the game in the third period with an undisclosed injury. His status for the remainder of their road trip remains unclear. Earlier in the day, the Hurricanes announced that goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov is out for at least a week with a lower-body injury.

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle scored with 15 seconds remaining in the third period to give his club a 3-2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks. Cole Caufield scored his first goal of the season, and Zach Bolduc tallied his third straight goal for the Canadiens. Sam Rinzel and Connor Bedard replied for the Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Montreal captain Nick Suzuki collected three assists while Caufield and Bolduc finished with two points each. The Canadiens had 10 power-play opportunities but only scored on two of them.

Edmonton Oilers forward Noah Philp scored his first NHL goal, and Leon Draisaitl scored a shorthanded empty-netter in a 3-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Quinn Hughes collected an assist on a goal by Brock Boeser, becoming the Canucks’ all-time franchise points leader for defensemen with 410.

The Utah Mammoth got an overtime goal by Dylan Guenther to defeat the Nashville Predators 3-2. Logan Cooley and Jack McBain also scored for the Mammoth. Filip Forsberg and Erik Haula replied for the Predators.

Third-period goals by Jake Neighbours and Pius Suter enabled the St. Louis Blues to double up the Calgary Flames 4-2. Neighbours finished with two goals, and Robert Thomas had a goal and an assist. Matt Coronato scored both goals for the Flames.

Seattle Kraken forward Jared McCann scored with four seconds remaining in overtime to upset the Vegas Golden Knights 2-1. Matty Beniers also scored for the Kraken. Pavel Dorofeyev tallied his league-leading fifth goal of the season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 10, 2025

by | Oct 10, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 10, 2025

A milestone goal for Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, the debut of Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer, Jonathan Toews played his first game with the Jets, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Sidney Crosby had a goal and an assist, and Evgeni Malkin collected three assists, and Justin Brazeau broke a 3-3 tie as the Pittsburgh Penguins nipped the New York Islanders 4-3. Islanders rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer had an assist for his first NHL point. He was the first-overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby has 626 career regular-season goals, moving past Joe Sakic into fifth place for the most goals with one franchise. Former Penguin Mario Lemieux is fourth with 690. Penguins rookie Harrison Brunicke scored his first goal, becoming the first player from South Africa to score in the NHL.

The Dallas Stars held off the Winnipeg Jets for a 5-4 victory. Mikko Rantanen had a goal and two assists, and Jason Robertson had a goal and an assist for the Stars. Kyle Connor had a hat trick as the Jets rallied from a 5-1 deficit, but fell short. Jonathan Toews was held scoreless in his debut with the Jets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Jets placed forward David Gustafsson on waivers.

Ottawa Senators center Shane Pinto scored twice (including the go-ahead goal) and picked up an assist to down the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-4. Brady Tkachuk and Artem Zub also collected three points as the Senators overcame a 3-1 deficit. Nikita Kucherov tallied twice, and Brayden Point had a goal and two assists for the Lightning.

The Vegas Golden Knights overcame a 3-2 deficit for a 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharks. Jack Eichel scored the tying goal and collected an assist for the Golden Knights. Jeff Skinner scored his first goal with the Sharks after joining them in the offseason.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A solid effort by the Sharks was undone as goaltender Alex Nedeljovic allowed Eichel’s weak game-tying goal late in the third period, followed by a costly turnover near his own blueline on Reilly Smith’s overtime goal.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis scored the go-ahead and insurance goals to beat the New Jersey Devils 6-3. K’Andre Miller tallied twice in his debut with the Hurricanes, while Jesper Bratt and Luke Hughes each had two points for the Devils.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Goaltender Frederik Andersen got the win as Pyotr Kochetkov was unavailable for this game after getting injured in practice earlier this week. He will be evaluated on Friday.

An overtime goal by Fraser Minten lifted the Boston Bruins over the Chicago Blackhawks by a score of 4-3. Casey Mittelstadt, Tanner Jeannot, and Elias Lindholm also scored for the Bruins, while Connor Bedard and Andre Burakovsky each had a goal and an assist for the Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm left this game in the first period with a lower-body injury. Blackhawks forward Jason Dickinson did not come out for the third period due to an undisclosed injury.

The New York Rangers got a 37-save performance from Igor Shesterkin as he shut out the Buffalo Sabres 4-0. Alexis Lafreniere and J.T. Miller each had a goal and an assist, giving Mike Sullivan his first win as head coach of the Rangers. Alex Lyon stopped 29 shots for the Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers center Vincent Trocheck left the game in the second period with an upper-body injury. Sabres forward Josh Norris suffered an upper-body injury in the third period.

Speaking of shutouts, Filip Gustavsson of the Minnesota Wild made 26 saves to blank the St. Louis Blues 5-0. Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy each had three points, and Ryan Hartman scored two goals. Blues goalie Jordan Binnington gave up five goals on 21 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, Wild general manager Bill Guerin defended his club’s signing Kaprizov to an eight-year deal with a league-leading $17 million average annual value (AAV). “Look, everybody’s got a price to where they want to play in their market, and Kirill is worth that to us. He’s that important to us,” Guerin said. “And we couldn’t take the chance of letting him go.”

The Wild announced forward Nico Sturm is expected to miss six to eight weeks with a back injury.

Montreal Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes turned aside 30 shots in a 5-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings, spoiling the latter’s season opener. Zack Bolduc and Oliver Kapanen scored in their second straight games, and Mike Matheson had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens. Dylan Larkin scored for the Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings netminder John Gibson was pulled in the second period after giving up five goals on 13 shots.

A four-goal third period carried the Vancouver Canucks over the Calgary Flames 5-1. Filip Chytil tallied twice for the Canucks, who also got goals from Kiefer Sherwood, Jonathan Lekkerimaki, and Brock Boeser. Morgan Frost scored for the Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was Adam Foote’s first win as head coach of the Canucks. Flames defenseman Kevin Bahl left this game in the third period after being struck in the back of the head by a puck.

The Florida Panthers downed the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 on a third-period goal by Brad Marchand. Anton Lundell also scored for the Panthers, while Noah Cates replied for the Flyers, who got a 32-save effort by Dan Vladar.

Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros kicked out 37 shots, and Ryan O’Reilly scored the winning goal to nip the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1. Michael Bunting also scored for the Predators, and Dmitri Voronkov tallied for the Blue Jackets.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon’s early third-period goal held up as the winner in a 2-1 victory against the Utah Mammoth. Ross Colton also scored for the Avalanche, who got a 32-save performance by netminder Scott Wedgewood. Dylan Guenther tallied for the Mammoth.

The Seattle Kraken defeated the Anaheim Ducks 3-1 on goals by Vince Dunn, Mason Marchment, and Jared McCann. Ducks rookie Beckett Sennecke tallied his first career NHL goal.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 8, 2025

by | Oct 8, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 8, 2025

Recapping the opening night of the regular season, Kyle Connor and the Jets are getting closer to a contract extension, an update on Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF THE OPENING NIGHT GAMES

NHL.COM: Nathan MacKinnon collected two assists and Martin Necas scored twice to lead the Colorado Avalanche to a 4-1 season-opening victory over the Los Angeles Kings. Cale Makar also had two assists, and Artturi Lehkonen had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche. Kevin Fiala replied for the Kings.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon moved past Joe Sakic to become the Avalanche’s franchise points leader (1,017) since the club relocated to Colorado from Quebec City in 1995. Sakic remains the all-time leader in points (1,641), goals (625), assists (1,016), and games played (1,378).

Florida Panthers forward Jesper Boqvist snapped a 2-2 tie in the third period to give his team a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Mackie Samoskevich collected two assists for the Panthers, who raised their second straight Stanley Cup banner in a pregame ceremony. Blackhawks goalie Spencer Knight made 34 saves against his former team, while teammates Frank Nazar, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Teuvo Teravainen each collected two points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers also signed forward Noah Gregor to a one-year, two-way contract.

The Pittsburgh Penguins got a 25-save shutout from goaltender Arturs Silovs to blank the New York Rangers 3-0. Justin Brazeau scored two goals, and Evgeni Malkin had two assists for the Penguins. Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin allowed one goal on 27 shots before being pulled for an extra attacker.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was Silovs’ first NHL regular-season shutout. He had one in the 2024 playoffs with the Vancouver Canucks. This was Mike Sullivan’s first game as head coach of the Rangers, and his first against his former team.

HEADLINES

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the Winnipeg Jets and winger Kyle Connor are moving closer to a contract extension. The 28-year-old winger is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next July. It’s believed the new deal will be a long-term one with an average annual value in the $12 million range.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That would be a substantial raise over Connor’s current AAV of $7.142 million. He’s earned it, sitting eighth among NHL scorers with 282 goals since his breakout performance in 2017-18.

Friedman also reported that the Vegas Golden Knights have announced that Alex Pietrangelo will not play during the 2025-26 regular season and playoffs. The 35-year-old defenseman is taking time away to deal with a nagging hip injury. The Golden Knights will be eligible for full salary-cap relief on his $8.8 million cap hit for this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pietrangelo had suggested last month that he wasn’t ruling out a possible return to the lineup this season. This news puts that possibility to rest.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of the Golden Knights, they signed restricted free agent forward Alexander Holtz to a two-year contract with an AAV of $837,500.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Dallas Stars placed captain Jamie Benn on long-term injury reserve (LTIR). He suffered a collapsed lung last month and is expected to miss the first month of the season. They also recalled defenseman Lian Bichsel and signed free-agent forward Adam Erne to a one-year, two-way contract.

TSN: The Edmonton Oilers placed winger Zach Hyman on injured reserve (IR) to start the season. He is still recovering from a dislocated wrist suffered during the 2025 playoffs.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Minnesota Wild placed winger Mats Zuccarello on IR with a lower-body injury. He could be sidelined until well into November.

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH: Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury. They also announced that forward Milan Lucic will remain in St. Louis to rehab an injury. The Blues haven’t ruled out signing the 37-year-old winger to another professional tryout offer (PTO).

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks placed defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph (groin injury) on IR and recalled defenseman Victor Mancini.

DAILY FACEOFF: Buffalo Sabres goaltender Alexandar Georgiev, Anaheim Ducks goalie Ville Husso, and Utah Mammoth forward Kevin Rooney are among the five players placed on waivers on Tuesday.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 1, 2025

by | Oct 1, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 1, 2025

The latest on Jason Robertson’s contract extension talks with the Stars, the Wild’s Mats Zuccarello and the Canucks’ Nils Hoglander will miss time due to injuries, Max Pacioretty officially retires, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Dallas Stars and winger Jason Robertson have decided to take a “wait-and-see” approach in contract extension talks as a new season opens.

Robertson, 26, is in the final season of a four-year contract with an average annual value of $7.75 million. He’s eligible to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next July, and can become an unrestricted free agent in 2027 if his next contract is awarded via arbitration.

Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson (NHL Images).

The plan is for Robertson to play the entire season with the Stars, and then the two sides will revisit their contract discussions after that.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Robertson surfaced as a trade candidate after the Stars were eliminated from the 2025 Western Conference Final. Some teams reportedly inquired about his availability, but general manager Jim Nill said he never intended to move him.

THE MINNESOTA STAR TRIBUNE: Wild winger Mats Zuccarello will miss at least the next seven to eight weeks after undergoing surgery on a lower-body injury that sidelined him throughout training camp.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Head coach John Hynes told reporters that Zuccarello’s ailment was a back injury. The 38-year-old winger usually skated on the Wild’s top line, so his absence will be felt during the opening weeks of the regular season.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks forward Nils Hoglander will be sidelined for eight to 10 weeks following ankle surgery.

NHL.COM: Max Pacioretty has officially retired after 17 NHL seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, Vegas Golden Knights, Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Capitals, and the Toronto Maple Leafs. He has joined the University of Michigan as a special assistant to the head coach.

Pacioretty, 37, had six 30-plus goal seasons and finished with 335 goals and 346 assists for 681 points in 939 regular-season games, and 28 goals and 58 points in 89 playoff contests. In 2011-12, he was the winner of the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pacioretty spent 10 of his 17 seasons with the Canadiens and was their team captain from 2015-16 to 2017-18. Traded to the Golden Knights in Sept. 2018, the Canadiens received a future captain in Nick Suzuki as part of the return.

THE WINNIPEG SUN: Jets forwards Jonathan Toews and Vladislav Namestnikov left Tuesday’s preseason 3-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild with undisclosed injuries. Head coach Scott Arniel said Toews “tweaked something” and will be reevaluated when the club returns to Winnipeg. There was no postgame update about Namestnikov’s status.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck played in this game after leaving practice with an undisclosed ailment on Monday. Arniel said he will play in the final game of the preseason on Friday against the Calgary Flames.

DAILY FACEOFF: Seattle Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.

Meanwhile, the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators combined for 152 penalty minutes as the Canadiens blanked the Senators 5-0 during their preseason game in Quebec City on Tuesday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That was a rough game, prompting speculation that both teams could sit their best players during their next preseason game on Saturday.

Canadiens winger Ivan Demidov left the game in the third period after being slashed on his right wrist by Senators forward Nick Cousins, but Habs head coach Martin St. Louis doesn’t think Demidov was seriously hurt.

Twenty-two players were placed on waivers on Tuesday. Carolina Hurricanes forward Tyson Jost and Calgary Flames forward Dryden Hunt were among the players hitting the waiver wire.










NHL Rumor Mill – September 27, 2025

by | Sep 27, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – September 27, 2025

Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson is still drawing interest from other clubs, a theory as to why Luke Hughes’ contract talks with the Devils remain stalled, and more in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

R.ORG: James Murphy reports Rasmus Andersson hasn’t closed the door on a possible contract extension with the Calgary Flames. However, that hasn’t stopped some insiders from suggesting that the 28-year-old defenseman will likely be moved by the March trade deadline.

According to an NHL source, the Flames have been taking calls from teams looking into Andersson’s availability. They include the Dallas Stars, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Tampa Bay Lightning.

Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson (NHL Images)

The Detroit Red Wings, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Boston Bruins were also interested in Andersson around the draft. Murphy’s source isn’t sure how much they’re still pushing, but thinks it makes sense if they were.

It had also been reported that the Vegas Golden Knights had a deal in place for Andersson before the draft, but it ultimately fell through. Murphy’s source doesn’t know if they may have circled back.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Teams may be calling about Andersson, but it’s obvious that the Flames haven’t received any tempting offers thus far. That could change once the calendar flips to January and the trade deadline approaches. Some of those teams mentioned by Murphy could be among the suitors by then.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: James Nichols believes the overlooked factor in Luke Hughes’ stalled contract talks with the Devils is the defenseman’s agent, Pat Brisson.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon and Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby are two of Brisson’s clients. MacKinnon was once considered to have one of the best value contracts in the league, and his current one (with a $12.6 million annual cap hit) could make that list again as the salary cap rises. Meanwhile, Crosby’s contract is also a little light on his wallet, with a $2 million surplus value.

Jack Hughes, Luke’s brother and teammate, is another Brisson client. His contract is considered the No. 1 bargain deal in the league today ($8 million AAV).

Luke’s next contract could be an eight-year deal, but the AAV is the sticking point. His camp could seek a figure starting at $9 million or more to ensure he remains well-paid throughout the deal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby’s $8.7 million AAV is based on his superstition over his No. 87. Nevertheless, Nichols does raise an interesting point.

The Hughes camp sees their client as a future No. 1 defenseman. With the salary cap projected to rise significantly, they want to ensure he’ll be compensated as one throughout the tenure of his next contract.

ESPN’s Kevin Weekes recently reported that Washington Capitals goaltender Clay Stevenson’s impressive play during training camp and preseason action has drawn interest from several teams. He could become a potential waiver claim.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren are locks as the Capitals’ goalie tandem this season. Stevenson has to pass through waivers before being sent to their AHL affiliate in Hershey. They could avoid that by carrying all three goalies, but that creates difficulty in finding suitable playing time for everyone.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 26, 2025

by | Sep 26, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 26, 2025

Stars captain Jamie Benn undergoes surgery, Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov injured at practice, Mitch Marner makes his preseason debut with the Golden Knights, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn will undergo surgery for a collapsed lung suffered during Tuesday’s preseason game against the Minnesota Wild.

Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn (NHL Images).

Stars general manager Jim Nill said Benn didn’t feel well after taking a hit late in the third period. The 36-year-old forward was x-rayed at the arena, where a hole was found in his lung. He went to Parkland Hospital for observation, where the decision was made that he should undergo surgery.

Benn is expected to make a full recovery and will be reevaluated in four weeks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Benn was initially listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury following that game against the Wild. The earliest he could return to action is in late October.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov had to be helped from the ice during the club’s first main preseason practice with their regular squad on Thursday.

Barkov appeared to be favoring his right leg. Head coach Paul Maurice didn’t provide much of an update on the 30-year-old center, saying he’ll give an update on Friday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Barkov won the Frank J. Selke Trophy last season as the league’s top defensive forward for the second straight year and the third time since 2020-21. It will be a big loss for the Panthers if he misses significant time, especially with winger Matthew Tkachuk out until January recovering from offseason surgeries and center Tomas Nosek sidelined by a knee injury.

RDS.CA: Mitch Marner made his preseason debut with the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday. He collected an assist on one of Jack Eichel’s two goals in a 3-2 overtime victory over the Utah Mammoth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marner was the biggest name to be moved during the offseason. He was shipped to the Golden Knights by the Toronto Maple Leafs in a sign-and-trade deal.

DAILY FACEOFF: Montreal Canadiens defensemen Noah Dobson, Kaiden Guhle, and David Reinbacher left Thursday’s 7-2 preseason loss to the Maple Leafs.

Dobson and Guhle are listed as day-to-day with groin injuries, while Reinbacher was still being evaluated following the game. Dobson and Reinbacher suffered their injuries during the game, while Guhle was withheld from the contest for maintenance reasons.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said he didn’t think that the injuries were serious and wasn’t too worried about it.

NEW YORK POST: An upper-body injury kept Islanders winger Anthony Duclair out of the lineup as his club defeated the New York Rangers 5-4 in preseason action on Thursday. He’s listed as day-to-day.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Duclair rushed back too soon from a groin injury last season, which affected his performance. They’re taking a more cautious approach this season.

SPORTSNET: The Utah Mammoth placed goaltender Connor Ingram on waivers Thursday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Followers of the Edmonton Oilers are stumping for their club to claim Ingram to bolster their goaltending depth. However, David Staples of the Edmonton Journal pointed out that one of the clubs ahead of the Oilers in the waiver claim order will likely get him first. Staples also pointed out that the Oilers lack the cap space to pick up Ingram’s $1.95 million cap hit.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The Bruins have brought back former captain Zdeno Chara in a front office role. They announced on Thursday that he will serve as their Hockey Operations Advisor and Mentor.

NEW YORK POST: The Islanders will induct former forward Pat LaFontaine into their Hall of Fame during a pregame ceremony on Dec. 13. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report indicates that this will end a long-standing rift between LaFontaine and the organization, dating back to a contract dispute in 1991-92. In 2006, he was brought in as an advisor to then-owner Charles Wang, but resigned six weeks later after Neil Smith was fired as general manager.

THE ATHLETIC: Mark Lazerus reports the return of Carter Hart and Michael McLeod to the NHL seems imminent. Both were among five former Hockey Canada members who were acquitted of sexual assault charges earlier this month.

Both players have been linked to the Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights. Lazerus reports the two teams handled questions about them differently.

According to Lazerus, the Hurricanes “acknowledged the gravity of the situation and were open to talking about it, even in somewhat awkward hypotheticals.” However, the Golden Knights declined to let head coach Bruce Cassidy speak to The Athletic one-on-one after learning of the topic. Before Cassidy’s press conference, a spokesperson pulled the reporter from the room, told them to leave the facility immediately, and revoked their press pass for that night’s game.

The spokesperson claimed the reporter “ambushed” Golden Knights defenseman Noah Hanifin during routine locker-room media interviews that morning, and the team wasn’t comfortable allowing the reporter to cover the game. Lazerus claimed that Hanifin showed no irritation about the questions.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If the Golden Knights aren’t comfortable with a reporter asking questions about rumors linking them to a controversial player, how will they react if they sign that player?