NHL Rumor Mill – October 3, 2026

by | Oct 3, 2026

NHL Rumor Mill – October 3, 2026

Could the Panthers acquire Red Wings center Dylan Larkin if Aleksander Barkov is sidelined again? Did the Maple Leafs try to flip recently acquired forward Miles Wood? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

NHL NETWORK: Elliotte Friedman was asked if there was a situation where Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin might become available to the Florida Panthers if their captain Aleksander Barkov is out long-term.

Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Barkov injured his left knee during Thursday’s game between the Panthers and San Jose Sharks. He underwent an MRI on Friday, and an update is expected on Saturday. Barkov underwent season-ending surgery last September on his right knee, so there’s concern he might be sidelined for a while.

Friedman thinks the Panthers are among the teams on Larkin’s list of trade destinations.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers are on his list, though his rumored preference is the Minnesota Wild.

According to Friedman, the Panthers expect Barkov to miss some time, but the hope is he won’t be out long term. They had interest in Larkin earlier this summer.

Red Wings interim general manager Shawn Horcoff said his club isn’t looking at rebuilding. They want a return for Larkin that will help them right now. Friedman thinks the Wings would point to what the Columbus Blue Jackets got from the Toronto Maple Leafs (Matthew Knies) in the Kirill Marchenko trade earlier this week and will want a comparable return.

Friedman believes the Panthers may have been willing to part with Eetu Luostarinen when they were looking at Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck before settling on Jacob Markstrom. They really like Luostarinen and won’t want to move him, but it could come down to whether he’s the kind of player the Red Wings would want for Larkin.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings probably wouldn’t mind Luostarinen as part of the return, but not the centerpiece. The Panthers would have to include more to meet the Wings’ immediate needs, but they have limited trade capital.

DAILY FACEOFF TORONTO: cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman saying the Maple Leafs attempted to flip forward Miles Wood after acquiring him from the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Marchenko trade.

“I think they were trying to flip Miles Wood that day,” Friedman said during a recent episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast. “I think they were trying to work on trades to see if they could move him elsewhere, but obviously that didn’t happen.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Maple Leafs took Wood as part of the return for salary-cap reasons because the Blue Jackets wanted to shed salary in the deal. The 31-year-old depth winger is in the fourth season of a six-year deal with an average annual value of $2.5 million. He also has a six-team no-trade list.










Maple Leafs Ship Matthew Knies to Blue Jackets for Kirill Marchenko in Multi-Player Trade

by | Sep 28, 2026

Maple Leafs Ship Matthew Knies to Blue Jackets for Kirill Marchenko in Multi-Player Trade

The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired winger Kirill Marchenko, forward Miles Wood, and goaltender Elvis Merzlikins from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for winger Matthew Knies, forward Steven Lorentz, defenseman Emil Andrae, and a conditional 2027 second-round draft pick.

The Maple Leafs signed Marchenko to a six-year, $75-million contract extension with an average annual value of $12.5 million. The Blue Jackets retain 18 percent of Merzlikin’s $5.4 million cap hit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Who said blockbuster moves no longer happen on the eve of the regular season?

Columbus Blue Jackets trade winger Kirill Marchenko to the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL Images).

This is a significant move by both clubs. Marchenko was a fixture in the rumor mill over the summer after it was reported that he was unwilling to sign an extension with Columbus. Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell insisted that he wasn’t seeking draft picks and prospects for the 26-year-old winger, instead preferring a comparable scoring winger in return.

Waddell gets his wish with Knies. The 23-year-old power forward is in the second season of a seven-year contract with an affordable AAV of $7.75 million. He’s made steady progress in his three-season NHL career. Despite being hampered by a knee injury last season, he reached a career-high 66 points in 79 games. He’ll likely skate at left wing on the Blue Jackets’ first line alongside young center Adam Fantilli.

Meanwhile, Marchenko will take Knies’ former spot alongside Maple Leafs superstar center Auston Matthews. Unlike Knies’ physical net-front presence, Marchenko is a swift, offensively creative forward who had a career-best 74-point performance in 2024-25. His style could mesh well with Matthews’ game.

The rest of the players in this deal are mostly depth players being swapped for salary-cap reasons.

Merzlikins was formerly the Blue Jackets’ starting goaltender until losing that job last season to Jet Greaves. He’s sidelined indefinitely due to offseason shoulder surgery and will go on long-term injury reserve. Merzlikins is in the final season of his contract and is UFA-eligible next summer. Given his injury status, it’s unlikely he’ll suit up for the Leafs this season.

So what do you think of this deal? Let us know in the comments below.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 27, 2026

by | Sep 27, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 27, 2026

Recapping the final-day preseason games, plus the latest waiver and injury updates in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators each picked up a win in split-squad action on Saturday.

Montreal Canadiens winger Chris Kreider (NHL Images)

Chris Kreider scored his first preseason goal for the Canadiens, Juraj Slafkovsky had a goal and two assists, and Phillip Danault and Noah Dobson each had a goal and an assist to double up the Senators 4-2 in Montreal. William Eklund scored the winning goal, and Claude Giroux had a goal and two assists in the Senators’ 4-3 win in Ottawa.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki faced off with brother Ryan Suzuki for the first time in an NHL game. Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson left the game in Ottawa midway through the second period for precautionary reasons with an undisclosed ailment. Speaking of the Senators, they acquired goaltender Jonas Johansson from the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday for future considerations.

The Carolina Hurricanes blanked the Nashville Predators 6-0. Jackson Blake had a goal and two assists, and Brandon Bussi turned in a 22-save shutout. Juuse Saros made 20 saves for the Predators.

Mats Zuccarello had a goal and two assists in his preseason debut to lead the Los Angeles Kings to a 6-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Alex Turcotte scored twice and picked up an assist, and Drew Doughty had three assists for the Kings. Nikita Nesterenko and Beckett Sennecke replied for the Ducks.

Vancouver Canucks winger Jake DeBrusk scored and collected two assists to nip the Seattle Kraken 4-3. Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson each had a goal and an assist, and Kevin Lankinen stopped 25 shots for the Canucks. Brandon Montour had a goal and an assist for the Kraken.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kraken forward Mackie Samoskevich missed this game with an upper-body injury and is considered day-to-day.

New Jersey Devils winger Luke Evangelista scored two goals in a 4-1 win over the New York Islanders. Simon Holmstrom scored for the Islanders.

Edmonton Oilers forwards Connor McDavid and Kasperi Kapanen each had a goal and an assist to douse the Calgary Flames 4-1. Matt Coronata replied for the Flames.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby tallied his first goal of the preseason in a 3-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan McLeod scored for the Sabres, who lost goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in the third period with an undisclosed injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins winger Bryan Rust left this game with an undisclosed injury midway through the second period. He was still being evaluated following the game.

The San Jose Sharks beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2. Macklin Celebrini and Mason Marchment had a goal and an assist each, and Yaroslav Askarov made 28 saves for the win. Tomas Hertl and Nic Dowd were the Golden Knights’ scorers.

Washington Capitals forward Andrew Cristall had a goal and an assist as his club downed the Philadelphia Flyers 5-1. Jamie Drysdale replied for the Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: During warmups, the Flyers skated with tucked jerseys to protest teammate Trevor Zegras receiving a minor penalty for wearing his jersey in a similar fashion during their previous game.

Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Jet Greaves kicked out 31 shots for a 4-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Charlie Coyle and Valeri Nichushkin each scored a goal and collected an assist for the Blue Jackets. Ben Chiarot had a goal and an assist for the Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Red Wings claimed defenseman Andreas Englund off waivers from the Calgary Flames.

Utah Mammoth goalie Karel Vejmelka had a 25-save shutout in a 2-0 upset of the Colorado Avalanche. Jack McBain and Logan Cooley were the goal scorers. Scott Wedgewood turned aside 33 shots for the Avalanche.

The Chicago Blackhawks got a 29-save performance by Spencer Knight to hold off the St. Louis Blues 3-2. Rookie Roman Kantserov tallied what proved to be the winning goal for the Blackhawks, while Jonatan Berggren and Colton Parayko replied for the Blues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues defenseman Logan Mailloux left this game with an undisclosed injury. Earlier in the day, the Blues announced defenseman Tyler Tucker is expected to miss the start of the season with a knee injury.

The Tampa Bay Lightning defeat the Florida Panthers 3-2 on a shootout goal by prospect forward Benjamin Rautiainen, who also scored the tying goal in the third period.

DAILY FACEOFF: New York Islanders forward Pierre Engvall, Columbus Blue Jackets forward Miles Wood, and Boston Bruins winger Lukas Reichel were among the 18 players placed on waivers on Saturday.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 16, 2025

by | Oct 16, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 16, 2025

Recaps of Wednesday’s games, injury updates, the highlights from the latest Board of Governors’ meeting, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING WEDNESDAY’S NHL GAMES

NHL.COM: The Buffalo Sabres snapped their season-opening three-game losing streak with a convincing 8-4 victory over the Ottawa Senators, handing the latter their third straight defeat. Jason Zucker, Ryan McLeod, and Jack Quinn each tallied twice, and Zach Benson collected four assists in his season debut with the Sabres. Jordan Spence had three assists, and Jake Sanderson scored and set up another for the Senators.

Buffalo Sabres forward Zach Benson (NHL Images

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators played without left wing Brady Tkachuk, who is seeking a second opinion regarding his hand/wrist injury suffered on Monday against the Nashville Predators. If the Senators captain requires surgery, he could be sidelined for two months.

Meanwhile, Sabres forward Justin Danforth left this game with a lower-body injury.

Chicago Blackhawks forwards Connor Bedard and Lukas Reichel each had three points to lead their club over the St. Louis Blues 8-3. Bedard had three assists, and Reichel scored two goals and picked up an assist as the Blackhawks got their second straight win after going 0-2-1. Jake Neighbours had a goal and an assist for the Blues as their win streak ended at two games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Blackhawks announced that team captain Nick Foligno is taking a leave of absence as his daughter undergoes a follow-up surgery related to her congenital heart disease. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Florida Panthers 4-1. Patrick Kane scored what proved to be the winning goal, and teammate Mason Appleton netted two goals as the Wings picked up their third straight win. Brad Marchand replied for the Panthers, who have dropped two straight after opening the season with three consecutive victories.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Panthers announced defenseman Dmitry Kulikov will be sidelined for five months following wrist surgery. As a result, the Panthers claimed blueliner Donovan Sebrango off waivers from the Senators. Kulikov joins Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov, left wing Matthew Tkachuk, and winger Tomas Nosek on injured reserve.

The Red Wings played without winger Lucas Raymond, who is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

Utah Mammoth forwards Barrett Hayton, JJ Peterka, and Kevin Stenlund scored to lead their club to a 3-1 win over the Calgary Flames. Rasmus Andersson scored for the Flames, who have lost four straight following their season-opening win. Devin Cooley stopped 29 shots for Calgary.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Mammoth also revealed their mascot, “Tusky”.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE LATEST NHL BOARD OF GOVERNORS MEETING.

SPORTSNET: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the league is concerned about the progress of the two hockey rinks under construction for the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics in February.

Bettman made the remarks to reporters following the NHL Board of Governors meeting on Wednesday. If the main arena isn’t ready on time, Bettman stated that the International Olympic Committee must deal with it, adding the league has made the IOC aware of its concerns. Bettman also said the NHL Players Association shares those concerns.

Deputy commissioner Bill Daly said plans for the 2028 World Cup of Hockey are on schedule.

Bettman said expansion was not discussed during the meeting, despite stated interest from two groups in Atlanta and another in Phoenix. Daly stated that expansion is not an initiative that the league is pursuing before 2030.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The reason Daly mentioned 2030 is that is when the current CBA will expire. It’s also rumored that the league would seek an expansion fee of $2 billion for each new franchise.

Bettman indicated that no changes are expected for the projected salary-cap numbers for the next two years. The cap is projected to rise from $95.5 million to $104 million for 2026-27 and $113.5 million for 2027-28.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Recent media speculation suggests that the cap could be higher than expected due to greater-than-anticipated revenue. If that’s the case, we’ll likely have to wait until later in the season for confirmation.

INJURY UPDATES AND MORE

NEW YORK POST: Rangers center Vincent Trocheck (upper-body injury) was placed on long-term injury reserve (LTIR) on Wednesday. He’s expected to miss at least the Rangers’ next seven games.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars center Matt Duchene is day-to-day with an upper-body injury suffered during Tuesday’s game against the Minnesota Wild.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom is expected to miss the next two weeks with a lower-body injury. They have recalled netminder Nico Daws from their AHL affiliate.

DAILY FACEOFF: Columbus Blue Jackets winger Miles Wood is out for at least a week after suffering an eye injury during Monday’s game against the Devils.

THE MERCURY NEWS: San Jose Sharks defensemen John Klingberg and Timothy Liljegren are day-to-day with injuries.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Vancouver Canucks placed defenseman Derek Forbort on injured reserve.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Flyers defenseman Cam York is expected to make his season debut on Thursday against the Winnipeg Jets. They have activated him from injured reserve.

LOS ANGELES TIMES: The Kings have reacquired goaltender Pheonix Copley from the Tampa Bay Lightning for future considerations. Copley was claimed off waivers by the Lightning earlier this month.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 5, 2025

by | Oct 5, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 5, 2025

The Wild re-sign Filip Gustavsson, the Penguins placed Ryan Graves on waivers, the Stars are examining options for a new arena, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE MINNESOTA STAR-TRIBUNE: The Wild and goaltender Filip Gustavsson agreed to a five-year, $34 million contract extension. Gustavsson, 27, will earn an average annual value (AAV) of $6.8 million.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: PuckPedia indicates Gustavsson’s new contract also includes a full no-movement clause in the first two seasons, and a 15-team no-trade clause for the remainder of the deal.

After re-signing superstar Kirill Kaprizov last month, getting Gustavsson under contract was a priority for the Wild. He’s in the final season of his current deal with an AAV of $3.75 million, and was slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July.

Gutavsson took over the starting goaltender role for the Wild during the last two seasons. He would’ve drawn considerable attention had he gone to market next summer.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins placed defenseman Ryan Graves on waivers. If he clears, he’s expected to be sent to their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The 30-year-old Graves is in the third season of a six-year contract with an AAV of $4.5 million and a 12-team no-trade list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins signed Graves in 2023 as a replacement for Brian Dumoulin. However, he struggled over the past two seasons and slipped down the Penguins’ depth chart, becoming a frequent healthy scratch last season.

The Penguins could try to trade Graves, but as Pittsburgh Hockey Now’s Dan Kingerski observed, he has no trade value given his declining performance and the remaining term on his contract. They could attempt to move him for another player on a bad contract, but that doesn’t help either team.

Kingerski expects Graves to be demoted to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for this season, freeing up $1.15 million of his $4.5 million cap hit. After that, he’ll likely become a contract buyout candidate next June.

THE ATHLETIC: The Dallas Stars are evaluating all options for a new arena when their lease with American Airlines Arena expires in 2031.

The Stars have shared American Airlines Arena with the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks since it opened in 2001.

One option includes relocating to a new arena in Plano, Texas, approximately 20 miles outside of Dallas. They’re also in discussions with Arlington, Texas.

NHL.COM: Prospect winger Gavin McKenna scored a goal and collected two assists in two games during his NCAA weekend debut with Penn State University.

McKenna, 17, is projected to become the top prospect in the 2026 NHL Draft. He made headlines this summer when he left the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers to sign with Penn State.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers blanked the Tampa Bay Lightning 7-0 in a brawl-filled game that saw 16 players ejected as the two rivals combined for 322 penalty minutes. The Panthers also had a goal taken away because a player who had been previously ejected was on the ice when it was scored.

“It just got silly, got stupid,” Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues said. “By the end of it, it wasn’t really hockey out there.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fans of fight-filled preseason games should enjoy it while it lasts. Those antics are expected to decline when the preseason is shortened starting next year. Teams will play up to four preseason games, which is two to three games shorter than the current preseason schedule.

WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets lost defenseman Dylan DeMelo and forward Cole Perfetti to injuries during their 5-4 shootout loss to the Calgary Flames.

DeMelo left the game in the first period after taking a stick to the throat/face area from Flames forward Blake Coleman. He was kept out of the rest of the game for precautionary reasons. Perfetti suffered a lower-body injury in the second period and will be re-evaluated.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators defenseman Nick Jensen returned to the lineup for his club’s 3-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. Jensen, 35, had been sidelined since undergoing hip surgery on May 19.

SPORTSNET: Edmonton Oilers forward Mattias Janmark is expected to be sidelined for one week with an undisclosed injury.

NHL.COM’s Brooks Bratten reports that Nashville Predators defenseman Nicolas Hague (upper body) and forward Matthew Wood (lower body) have been placed on injured reserve. Hague is expected to be sidelined for two to three weeks, while Wood remains week-to-week.










Notable NHL Trades and Signings – June 27, 2025

by | Jun 27, 2025

Notable NHL Trades and Signings – June 27, 2025

The Florida Panthers signed Sam Bennett to an eight-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $8 million. He was slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s doubtful anyone’s surprised by this news. Bennett, 29, won the 2025 Conn Smythe Trophy, helping Florida win their second straight Stanley Cup. His versatility and agitating two-way style made him an important part of the roster core that turned the Panthers into the NHL’s dominant team over the past two years.

Bennett completed a four-year contract with an average annual value of $8 million, which is what most observers projected he’d get. He might’ve received a little more on the open market from teams eager to overpay for his services, but he never had any intention of leaving a proven winner, especially when they were keen to pay up to keep him.

The Panthers intend to keep their roster core intact to remain a Cup contender for the foreseeable future. However, Bennett’s gritty style of play could catch up with him over the latter half of his deal, which could make this deal burdensome in its final years.

The Montreal Canadiens acquired defenseman Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders in exchange for the 16th and 17th overall picks in this year’s draft and forward Emil Heineman. The Habs also signed the 25-year-old defenseman to an eight-year contract worth an average annual value of $9.5 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the biggest move yet by Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes. Dobson is a right-shot blueliner who netted a career-best 70 points in 2023-24. His production dropped to 39 points last season, but so did the offensive output of most of the Islanders in 2024-25. There were also rumors that he was clashing with Islanders head coach Patrick Roy.

New York Islanders trade Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens (NHL Images).

Dobson is entering the prime of his career. If he returns to form under Montreal coach Martin St. Louis, it will take considerable pressure off young star Lane Hutson on the right side of the Canadiens’ blueline.

The Islanders didn’t seem to be much in return for Dobson. However, those two first-round picks could be used to make a trade to move up in the round, putting them in position to draft center (and Long Island native) James Hagens.

The Toronto Maple Leafs re-sign John Tavares to a four-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $4.38 million. He also gets a full no-movement clause in the first two years, followed by a five-team trade list for the final two seasons.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was never in doubt. Tavares stated he wanted to stay in Toronto following the Leafs’ second-round playoff exit. He knew he’d have to accept a pay cut from the $11 million AAV of his previous contract. This shows his willingness to remain a Maple Leaf.

The Colorado Avalanche traded center Charlie Coyle and winger Miles Wood to the Columbus Blue Jackets for prospect center Gavin Brindley, a 2025 third-round pick, and a 2027 second-rounder.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a salary dump by the Avalanche. The 33-year-old Coyle is a versatile middle-six forward who can play center or right. Acquired at the trade deadline from the Boston Bruins, he has a year left on his contract with an AAV of $5.25 million. 

Wood frequently surfaced in the rumor mill after struggling through injuries and inconsistency in 2024-25. The 29-year-old checking-line winger is signed through 2028-29 with an AAV of $2.5 million. 

Taking into account Brindley’s $775K cap hit, the Avalanche have $8.9 million in cap space with 16 active roster players under contract. They could be planning other moves with that cap room to shore up their depth.