NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 8, 2025

by | Nov 8, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 8, 2025

The Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini and the Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard jockey for the scoring lead, Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin takes a leave of absence for family reasons, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF FRIDAY’S GAMES.

NHL.COM: San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini had a goal and an assist in a 2-1 upset of the Winnipeg Jets. With 23 points, the 19-year-old Celebrini took over sole possession of first place in the NHL scoring race. Will Smith snapped a 1-1 tie in the third period as the Sharks improved to 6-6-3, picking up five wins in their last six games. Josh Morrissey scored for the 9-5-0 Jets.

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks have recovered from their stumbling start to this season. After going 0-4-2 in their first six games, they’re 6-2-1 in their last nine.

Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard had a goal and three assists while goaltender Spencer Knight made 33 saves to shut out the Calgary Flames 4-0. Tyler Bertuzzi tallied twice for the 7-5-3 Blackhawks. Dustin Wolf turned aside 23 shots for the Flames, who dropped to 4-10-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The 20-year-old Bedard sits one point behind Celebrini in the scoring race. Meanwhile, Blackhawks center Frank Nazar left this game in the first period after an awkward fall. He is listed as day-to-day. Flames rookie defenseman Zayne Parekh left the game with an upper-body injury and is expected to miss some time as a result.

The New York Rangers defeated the Detroit Red Wings 4-1. Artemi Panarin had a goal and two assists, and Jonathan Quick stopped 32 shots for the 7-6-2 Rangers, who made history by becoming the first NHL team to pick up their first seven wins of the season on the road (7-1-1). J.T. Compher replied for the 9-6-0 Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings forward Patrick Kane was held scoreless in his return to action after missing nine games with an upper-body injury.

The Minnesota Wild got a goal and an assist from Kirill Kaprizov in a 5-2 win over the New York Islanders. Minnesota winger Mats Zuccarello collected an assist in his season debut after returning from a lower-body injury. The Wild improved to 6-7-3. Emil Heineman and Jean-Gabriel Pageau replied for the 6-6-2 Islanders.

HEADLINES

TSN: Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin has taken a temporary leave of absence to deal with a personal matter in Sweden. He is spending time with his fiancee as she continues her recovery from heart surgery during the summer. Everything is ok with her for now, but there is no timetable for Dahlin’s return.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Here’s hoping things continue to go well on her path to a full recovery.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins rookie winger Filip Hallander was diagnosed with a blood clot and will be sidelined for three months.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The blood clot isn’t considered life-threatening, and Hallander is expected to make a full recovery. It’s a disappointing setback for the 25-year-old forward, who was off to a promising start to this season.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko skipped practice on Friday for a maintenance day. They recalled goalie Jiri Patera on an emergency basis. Whether he’ll be ready for this weekend’s games remains to be seen.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Given Demko’s injury history, the Canucks are giving him whatever extra time he needs to recover from a busy stretch of the schedule.

CBS SPORTS: The Carolina Hurricanes placed defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere (abdomen) on injured reserve.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs have sent goaltender Joseph Woll to their AHL affiliate for conditioning. Woll, 27, missed training camp and the opening month of the season for personal reasons.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 24, 2025

by | Oct 24, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 24, 2025

Macklin Celebrini leads the Sharks to their first win, Logan Cooley and Clayton Keller lead the Mammoth to victory, the Lightning’s early-season woes continue, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Macklin Celebrini tallied a hat trick and added two assists as his San Jose Sharks got their first win of the season (1-4-2) by nipping the New York Rangers 6-5. Will Smith scored in overtime and in regulation to finish the night with four points, and William Eklund had three assists. Tayler Raddysh had a hat trick for the Rangers, who dropped to 3-4-2 and remain winless at home (0-4-1).

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers also lost center Matt Rempe to an upper-body injury following a first-period fight with Sharks forward Ryan Reaves.

Sharks defenseman Nick Leddy left this contest in the first period with an upper-body injury. Teammate Timothy Liljegren returned to action after being sidelined on Oct. 14 with a lower-body injury.

A natural hat trick by Logan Cooley powered the Utah Mammoth to a 7-4 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Cooley finished with four points, and teammates Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, Dylan Guenther, and JJ Peterka each had three points for the 6-2-0 Mammoth. Jordan Binnington replaced Joel Hofer after the Blues’ backup allowed three goals on six shots. The loss drops the Blues to 3-3-1.

Chicago Blackhawks winger Ryan Donato tallied twice, including the winning goal, as his club upset the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2. Nikita Kucherov and Ryan McDonagh each had two points for the Lightning, who are off to the worst start in franchise history (1-4-2). The Blackhawks improved to 4-2-2.

Anaheim Ducks center Mikael Granlund netted a career-high five points (two goals, three assists) as his club rolled to a 7-5 win over the Boston Bruins. Nikita Nesterenko picked up four assists as the Ducks improved to 4-2-1. Morgan Geekie scored two goals for the struggling Bruins, who have dropped six in a row (3-6-0).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas left this game with a lower-body injury in the first period.

The Edmonton Oilers blew a 3-1 lead but overcame a 5-3 deficit to beat the Montreal Canadiens 6-5 on a late goal by Vasily Podkolzin. Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored power-play goals to set the stage for Podkolzin’s game-winner, and Connor McDavid collected three assists for the 4-3-1 Oilers. Cole Caufield and Alex Newhook each scored twice for the 6-3-0 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens were furious over those two penalty calls that led to the Draisaitl and Nugent-Hopkins’ goals. Pundits in both cities considered those calls questionable. Still, the Habs were guilty of sloppy defensive play and some shaky goaltending from Sam Montembeault.

Speaking of the Canadiens, center Kirby Dach returned to action after missing three games with a lower-body injury. Earlier in the day, Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes said sidelined winger Patrik Laine’s lower-body injury isn’t related to the sprained knee he suffered last season.

Meanwhile, the Oilers announced that winger Kasperi Kapanen (undisclosed) was placed on injured reserve.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby scored twice and collected an assist to lead his team to a 5-3 win over the Florida Panthers. Evgeni Malkin, Erik Karlsson, and Rickard Rakell each had two points as the Penguins collected their fourth straight victory and improved to 6-2-0. Brad Marchand tallied two goals for the 4-5-0 Panthers, who have dropped five of their last six contests

The New York Islanders got two goals from Emil Heineman as they thumped the Detroit Red Wings 7-2. Anders Lee had three assists, and David Rittich stopped 31 shots as the Islanders improved to 4-3-0. Dylan Larkin and Jonatan Berggren replied for the Red Wings, who slipped to 5-3-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer’s six-game season-opening points streak ended, but he played a team-leading 25:14 of ice time and finished with a plus-minus of plus-2. Earlier in the day, the Isles announced they’ve placed defenseman Alexander Romanov (upper body) on injured reserve.

A shootout goal by Seth Jarvis lifted the Carolina Hurricanes to a 5-4 victory over the Colorado Avalanche. Jarvis also had a goal and an assist in regulation for the Hurricanes, who improved their record to 6-1-0. Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin tallied twice, and Trent Miner made 20 saves after Scott Wedgewood was pulled after giving up four goals on 11 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Both clubs honored their heritage in this game with the Hurricanes wearing Hartford Whalers jerseys and the Avalanche sporting Quebec Nordiques jerseys. Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin was placed on injured reserve earlier in the day with a lower-body injury.

Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord kicked out 32 shots for a 3-0 shutout of the Winnipeg Jets. Jaden Schwartz scored two goals, and Jordan Eberle also tallied for the Kraken, who improved to 4-2-2. Connor Hellebucyk stopped 25 of 26 shots for the Jets (5-2-0) as their five-game win streak ended.

An overtime goal by Adrian Kempe gave the Los Angeles Kings a 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars, handing the latter their fourth straight loss (3-3-1). Kempe finished with two points, and Quinton Byfield picked up two assists for the 3-3-1 Kings. Wyatt Johnston and Roope Hintz each had two points for the Stars.

The Ottawa Senators got a 22-save performance from Linus Ullmark to nip the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1. Michael Amadio and Olle Lycksell scored for the 3-4-1 Senators, and Tyson Foerster replied for the Flyers (3-3-1).

Nashville Predators winger Cole Smith snapped a 1-1 tie to give his team a 2-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Juuse Saros turned aside 21 shots, and Ryan O’Reilly also scored for the Predators (3-3-2) as they snapped a four-game losing skid. Max Sasson replied for the 4-4-0 Canucks.

IN OTHER NEWS…

SPORTSNET/DAILY FACEOFF: The Toronto Maple Leafs placed defenseman Chris Tanev (upper body) on injured reserve. Goaltender Joseph Woll (undisclosed)was placed on long-term injury reserve. This comes a month after Woll took a leave of absence to deal with a personal matter.

TSN: Former Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan is joining the NHL hockey operations department. He left the Maple Leafs this summer after 11 years when the club opted not to renew his contract.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: The Golden Knights placed captain Mark Stone on long-term injury reserve.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: The Sabres recalled goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen from his conditioning stint with their AHL affiliate in Rochester.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Washington Capitals have accommodated Sheldon Rempal’s request for contract termination as he explores other opportunities overseas.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 24, 2025

by | Sep 24, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 24, 2025

Check out the latest on Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, Jets center Jonathan Toews, Blues defenseman Torey Krug, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

TSN: Darren Dreger reports that defenseman Alex Pietrangelo’s recent comments about a possible return with the Vegas Golden Knights were met with “too much optimism”.

Pietrangelo, 35, is expected to be placed on long-term injury reserve this season with a lingering hip injury. Earlier this week, he left the door open for a possible return with the Golden Knights later in the season.

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (NHL Images).

Dreger stated that those close to Pietrangelo claim it was difficult for him to play last season. “Now, he’s just trying to get a place, lifestyle-wise, where he is a healthy and happy husband and father. He is not playing this year, and as we know, he’s got two years remaining on his contract.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pietrangelo mused about possibly returning in time for the 2026 playoffs. Dreger’s report suggests that could be wishful thinking.

SPORTSNET: Jonathan Toews made his debut with the Winnipeg Jets in preseason action against the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday. The 37-year-old center played 18:36 and finished minus-one with no shots on goal.

It was Toews’ first game since Apr. 23, 2023, with the Chicago Blackhawks. “I felt like I made some plays and, as the game went on, just relaxed a little bit,” Toews said. He admitted he was still getting used to playing with a different team and getting his conditioning and timing back, but he’s happy to be back in action again.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s unlikely that Toews will regain the form that made him one of the best two-way centers in the league. Nevertheless, the Jets hope that he’ll play well enough to fill the second-line center position.

THE ATHLETIC: Jeremy Rutherford did a feature on Torey Krug, who underwent career-ending ankle surgery last year. The 34-year-old defenseman is now at peace and getting on with his life.

A 13-year NHL veteran with the Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues, Krug had to adjust to no longer being a player over the course of last season as he recovered from surgery. He is considering coaching, but for now, he’s easing into retirement and enjoying time with his family as his health improves.

Krug has two years remaining on his contract. He will be placed on long-term injury reserve this season. He thanked the Blues’ organization for their support and their belief in him when they signed him in 2020.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers signed winger Vasily Podkolzin to a three-year contract extension with an average annual value (AAV) of $2.95 million.

Podkolzin’s offensive numbers aren’t great (eight goals and 16 assists last season), but head coach Kris Knoblauch and center Leon Draisaitl praised his versatility, his defensive play, forechecking, and physical style.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll has taken a leave of absence to attend to a personal family matter. There is no timetable for his return.

Dennis Hildeby is expected to fill in for Woll during his absence.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood engaged in a light workout on his own with some of the coaches on Tuesday. He’s week-to-week with an undisclosed injury, and it’s uncertain if he’ll return in time for their season opener on Oct. 9.

Defenseman Samuel Girard remains sidelined but is expected to be in the lineup for their first game of the season.

TSN: Ottawa Senators forward Drake Batherson left practice early on Tuesday with an undisclosed injury. Head coach Travis Green said that he “pulled something” and provided no update on his status.

DAILY FACEOFF: San Jose Sharks forward Colin White will be out “a couple of weeks” with an upper-body injury. Defenseman John Klingberg (upper body) is listed as day-to-day.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins will enshrine Scotty Bowman, Ron Francis, Kevin Stevens, and Eddie Johnston in their restarted Hall of Fame on Oct. 25.

THE ATHLETIC: James Mirtle looked at possible loopholes in the NHL’s new playoff salary-cap system.

One could be replacing the backup goaltender with a more affordable third-string netminder. Mirtle doubted that this move would cost a team a playoff game, since second goalies are rarely used in those games, and when they are, it’s in a game that’s already lost.

Another option could be sitting an overpaid player who is underperforming. He cited New Jersey Devils forward Ondrej Palat as an example, noting that his AAV is $6 million but the aging winger’s performance is well below that pay level.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: NHL general managers and capologists have always found ways to circumvent salary-cap rules legally. Don’t be surprised if they employ some of the potential tactics mentioned by Mirtle.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 21, 2024

by | Oct 21, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 21, 2024

The Jets remain undefeated, the latest on Linus Ullmark and Anthony Duclair, former Oilers Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway fitting in well with the Blues, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Winnipeg Jets overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-3 on three unanswered third-period goals by Adam Lowry, Mason Appleton and Nino Niederreiter. Eric Comrie stopped 39 shots and Nikolaj Ehlers had two assists for the Jets, extending their season-opening record to 5-0-0 for the first time in franchise history. Lars Eller tallied twice and Alex Nedeljkovic made his season debut with a 31-save effort for the Penguins.

Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Long-time Winnipeg forward Bryan Little signed a one-day contract with the club to retire as a Jet and was honored by the club in a pregame ceremony. Little suffered a perforated eardrum after being struck on the head by a puck on Nov. 5, 2019, ending his playing career. His 843 career games with the Jets are the second-longest in franchise history.

Pittsburgh’s sloppy defense proved costly in this contest. Meanwhile, struggling Penguins starter Tristan Jarry was a healthy scratch as Joel Blomqvist backed up Nedeljkovic.

Jets fans serenaded the Penguins with a chant of “Where is Rutger?” in the closing moments of this game, referring to forward Rutger McGroarty, who forced a trade to the Penguins this summer after telling the Jets he had no intention of signing an entry-level contract with them. The Penguins demoted McGroarty to their AHL affiliate last week.

Colorado Avalanche forward Ross Colton scored two goals in a 4-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks, handing the latter their sixth straight loss (0-4-2). Cale Makar had a goal and two assists while Nathan MacKinnon collected two assists. William Eklund scored for the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche placed winger Jonathan Drouin (upper body) on injured reserve before this game.

Third-period goals by Adrian Kempe, Alex Laferriere, Kevin Fiala and Mikey Anderson lifted the Los Angeles Kings over the Anaheim Ducks 4-1. Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal made 34 saves in a losing cause.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dostal kept the Ducks in this contest but their porous defense couldn’t contain the Kings, who outshot them 19-5 in the third period.

HEADLINES

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators sent goaltender Mads Soogaard back to their AHL affiliate in Belleville. It’s considered the clearest sign that sidelined starter Linus Ullmark is set to return to action when the Senators face the Utah Hockey Club on Tuesday.

NEW YORK POST: The Islanders’ decision to place forward Julian Gauthier on waivers Sunday implies Anthony Duclair’s leg injury might not be as serious as originally feared. Duclair suffered the injury during Saturday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens. There was no update on Duclair’s condition on Sunday.

STLTODAY.COM: Defenseman Philip Broberg and forward Dylan Holloway have paid early dividends for the St. Louis Blues. The duo were signed away from the Edmonton Oilers by offer sheets in August.

Broberg has six points in as many games with the Blues earning quality minutes alongside defense partner Justin Faulk. Holloway has two points skating on the third line with Brayden Schenn and Mathieu Joseph.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The departures of Broberg and Holloway contributed to the Oilers’ slow start to this season. Their loss is the Blues’ gain as both players appear to fit in well with their new teammates.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll revealed he’s been dealing with “a little bit of groin tightness” since the club’s final practice before the regular season. He’s been on injury reserve since last Wednesday.

YARDBARKER: Former NHL defenseman Anton Stralman officially announced his retirement to become coach of a women’s football club in Sweden.

Stralman, 38, spent 16 seasons in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, Arizona Coyotes and Boston Bruins from 2007-08 to 2022-23. He had 63 goals and 230 assists for 293 points in 938 regular-season games and 26 points in 113 playoff contests.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Former Bruins defenseman Jakub Zboril signed a five-year contract with HC Dynamo Pardubice in the Czech Extraliga.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chosen 13th overall by the Bruins in the 2015 NHL Draft, Zboril struggled to crack their roster full-time. He appeared in 76 games between 2018-19 and 2022-23, finishing with 16 points.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 10, 2024

by | Oct 10, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 10, 2024

Recapping Wednesday’s games, the Kraken sign Joey Daccord to a contract extension, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Montreal Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault turned in a 48-save shutout to blank the Toronto Maple Leafs 1-0. Cole Caufield tallied for the Canadiens. Leafs netminder Anthony Stolarz stopped 26 shots.

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the first shutout loss for the Leafs since Nov. 20, 2021. Before this game, the Leafs placed netminder Joseph Woll (lower body) on injured reserve, raising questions about his reliability as their starter this season.

Sidelined Canadiens winger Patrik Laine received a loud ovation from the Montreal crowd during the pregame introductions. The 26-year-old winger is out for two-to-three months with a sprained knee.

The New York Rangers got 29 saves from Igor Shesterkin in a 6-0 drubbing of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Chris Kreider scored two goals, Alexis Lafreniere had a goal and an assist and Jacob Trouba collected two assists for the Rangers. Tristan Jarry made 35 stops for the Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a complete team victory by the Rangers, getting scoring from their top-six and bottom-six forwards to dominate the Penguins throughout this contest.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck had a 30-save shutout to down the Edmonton Oilers 6-0. Mason Appleton had a goal and two assists while Mark Scheifele and Adam Lowry collected a goal and an assist each. Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner was lifted in favor of Calvin Pickard after giving up five goals on 13 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: One could blame the flat-footed Oilers’ loss on the dreaded “Stanley Cup Final hangover.” However, The Athletic’s Daniel Nugent-Bowman cited inexperience on right defense, a slower lineup, and a penalty kill still working in new personnel for the loss.

Earlier in the day, the Oilers reclaimed forward Raphael Lavoie off waivers from the Vegas Golden Knights, who had claimed him off waivers earlier in the week.

An overtime goal by Connor Zary lifted the Calgary Flames to a 6-5 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Flames winger Anthony Mantha and Canucks center J.T. Miller each had a “Gordie Howe hat trick” (goal, assist, fighting major) and Canucks winger Brock Boeser tallied twice.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a wild one as the Canucks jumped to a 4-1 lead in the first period only to see the Flames rally to take a 5-4 lead in the third. Miller, who was playing in his 800th career regular-season game, tied it with 1:37 remaining in regulation, sending the game to overtime and Zary’s game-winner.

Miller also laid a hard hit against Flames forward Kevin Rooney in the first period. A stretcher was called but Rooney left the game under his own power. That led to Mantha and Miller squaring off later in the period, resulting in their fighting majors.

Canucks forward Pius Suter missed this game with an upper-body injury.

The Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Colorado Avalanche 8-4. Ivan Barbashev scored two goals and picked up two assists and Jack Eichel collected four assists for the Golden Knights. Mikko Rantanen tallied a hat trick and Nathan MacKinnon had two helpers for the Avalanche.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Alexandar Georgiev’s shaky goaltending and defensive breakdowns led to this ugly loss for the Avalanche. Georgiev gave up five goals on 16 shots before being replaced by Justus Annunen.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Kraken signed goaltender Joey Daccord to a five-year contract extension with an average annual value of $5 million. He earned that deal with a breakout performance last season, sporting a record of 19-18-11 with a 2.46 goals-against average and a save percentage of .916.

SPECTORS’ NOTE: Daccord, 28, is in the final season of a two-year deal worth an AAV of $1.2 million. It’s a significant raise and could prompt questions about starter Philipp Grubauer’s future with the Kraken. He’s signed through 2026-27 with an AAV of $5.9 million and a 10-team no-trade list.

THE TENNESSEAN: Nashville Predators goalie Juuse Saros was in practice yesterday despite being listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. He remains uncertain for their season-opener on Thursday against the Dallas Stars.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: Sabres forwards JJ Peterka (concussion) and Zach Benson (lower-body injury) hope to be in the lineup for their club’s home opener on Thursday against the Los Angeles Kings.

THE FOURTH PERIOD: Speaking of the Kings, they’re in line to host the 2025 NHL Draft.










NHL Rumor Mill – January 3, 2024

by | Jan 3, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – January 3, 2024

Are the Leafs and William Nylander close to a contract extension? Are the Leafs going to add a goaltender? What’s the latest on Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LEAFS AND NYLANDER CLOSING IN ON AN EXTENSION?

SPORTSNET: Nick Kypreos said he’s heard the Toronto Maple Leafs could be getting close to a contract extension with William Nylander. The 27-year-old winger is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander (NHL Images).

Kypreos said the general feeling between the two sides is to get a deal done before the 2024 NHL All-Star weekend. The All-Star Game will be held on Saturday, Feb. 3.

The annual average value of Nylander’s new contract could be around $11.25 million for eight seasons on a front-loaded deal. It would be similar to that of Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak.

Luke Fox cited Elliotte Friedman saying that the paperwork on a Nylander extension could be completed by this week. He echoed Kypreos’ claim that the Leafs would prefer to have this taken care of before the All-Star weekend.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The original asking price from the Nylander camp last summer was reportedly an AAV of over $10 million. However, his strong performance this season had more than a few observers (including yours truly) suggesting it could go higher.

With projected cap space of $32.5 million for 2024-25, the Leafs can afford to sign Nylander to that contract. It would leave around $20 million to re-sign or replace other pending UFAs like Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi, TJ Brodie, Mark Giordano and Martin Jones. They’ll also have restricted free agents like Timothy Liljegren and Noah Gregor to re-sign but they would be affordable to retain.

On the horizon will be a contract extension for Mitch Marner before 2025. At his current AAV of $10.9 million, he’ll likely seek more than whatever Nylander gets.

Captain John Tavares’ contract also expires in 2025. He’ll have to accept a substantial pay cut from his current $11 million AAV to stay in Toronto. Matthew Knies and Joseph Woll will be their notable RFAs in 2025.

LEAFS GM NOT HOPEFUL OF FINDING A GOALIE IN THE TRADE MARKET

THE ATHLETIC: Jonas Siegel wrote that Treliving isn’t ruling out pursuing another goalie with Ilya Samsonov currently in the minors and Joseph Woll uncertain to return from injury before the All-Star break. “We always look at everything,” he said.

Given the limited options currently in the trade market, Treliving may have little choice but to bet on what they’ve got. It’s hoped that Samsonov will regain his form with help from the Leafs goalie coach. For now, they’re allowing Samsonov time for a physical and mental reset. He won’t be playing or practicing with the Marlies for at least this week.

TORONTO STAR: Kevin McGran reports Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving doesn’t sound optimistic about finding a trade for a suitable goaltender. “I checked outside, the goaltender tree was empty,” said Treliving. “I couldn’t pick one off there. We’ll see with a little bit of sun, maybe they’ll grow a few more.”

SPORTSNET: During Monday’s “32 Thoughts” podcast, Elliotte Friedman reported the Leafs were offering up a late-round pick (like a sixth-rounder) in the goalie market. However, the clubs they spoke with prefer a better return like a prospect.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If Martin Jones can hold the fort until Woll’s return or Samsonov regains his confidence (whichever comes first), the Leafs might dodge a bullet and come out of this still holding a playoff berth in the Atlantic Division. If Jones should struggle or become sidelined by an injury, they could be in big trouble by the end of this month. It could force Treliving into overpaying for help in the trade market.

LATEST ON DEBRUSK

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Mick Colageo wondered if push will come to shove for Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk by the March 8 trade deadline or on July 1 when he’ll be eligible for UFA status. The 27-year-old’s inconsistent performance during his career in Boston suggests an uncertain future with the Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa last month pondered whether the Bruins would re-sign DeBrusk, trade him, or let him depart this summer as a free agent.

He considers trading the winger the least likely option unless they can make a hockey trade and land a player in return. Otherwise, they’d be trading him for futures that won’t help them this season. Shinzawa cited a league executive suggesting he’d fetch at best a second-round pick and a B-grade prospect.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see DeBrusk still on the Bruins’ roster following the March 8 trade deadline. Whether he sticks around beyond July 1 remains to be seen.