NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 4, 2026
The top-20 wingers for 2026-27, Senators coach Travis Green was surprised Brady Tkachuk wanted a trade, the latest front-office changes by the Islanders, Wild, and Maple Leafs, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
NHL.COM: Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning, David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins, and Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild are among the NHL Network’s ranking of the league’s top-20 wingers.
Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow the link above for the complete ranking and let us know what you think in the comments section below.
OTTAWA SUN: Senators head coach Travis Green admitted he was surprised that Brady Tkachuk wanted out of Ottawa. The Senators traded the 26-year-old left winger to the Florida Panthers in June.
Green said he went through a range of emotions when he learned that Tkachuk wanted a trade, including some anger. However, he said that he spoke with the winger following the trade, had a good conversation, wished him luck, and has moved on. Green was a teammate of Brady’s father, Keith, and said he will maintain a good relationship with the Tkachuk family.
As for the coming season, Green believes the Senators still have plenty of upside, citing the ongoing improvement of young players such as Jake Sanderson, Tim Stutzle, and Ridly Greig.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tkachuk’s departure has some Senators fans believing the club will be better without the distraction over the status of their former captain. It will be interesting to see how they adjust this season and who fills the leadership role.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: The New York Islanders officially announced the hiring of Evan Gold as their assistant general manager. Gold has also taken over as general manager of their AHL affiliate in Hamilton.
Gold has previously spent 11 seasons with the Boston Bruins in various front-office roles.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: This hiring was not unexpected as Gold was rumored to be joining the Isles once his contract with the Bruins expired on Aug. 1.
TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs hired Andy O’Brien as their new head of sports performance. O’Brien is the long-time personal trainer of Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, whose clientele also includes Maple Leafs center John Tavares.
A native of Charlottetown, PEI, the 49-year-old O’Brien is founder and president of O’Brien Sports, with 25 years of experience in various athletic performance roles. He’s also been the high- performance consultant for the Florida Panthers since 2021.
DAILY FACEOFF: Former NHL defenseman Alex Goligoski has been moved from player development advisor to player development coach. He was initially hired by the Wild last year after retiring as an NHL player in 2024 following 17 seasons, including three with the Wild.
DAILY FACEOFF: Scott Maxwell recently listed the five most mediocre NHL teams of the past 10 years.
The Detroit Red Wings topped the list, followed by the Arizona Coyotes/Utah Mammoth, Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, and Philadelphia Flyers.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: What do you think, folks? Do those clubs belong on this list? Would you re-rank them? Is there another club that should be on this list? Let us know in the comments section.
Ah yes, an award the Wings and the Yzerplan are truly worthy of! Bravo! 😒
I tend to agree with Green’s view that Tkachuk’s abrupt departure will, with veterans Giroux and Chabot and their long-time experience leading the way initially, result in the team becoming even closer.
Eventually, however, I see Sanderson becoming captain, probably in 2027-28. Now heading into his 5th full season in the league, he already shows a maturity beyond his 24 years that has earned him the complete trust of Green, who goes to him consistently in all critical situations.
And unlike the volatile Tkachuk, Sanderson maintains his composure in all such situations.
I would agree with that George, the trade allowed for the arrival of Eklund who will continue to shine minus the noise.
Tkachuk is a good player but there are too many negatives in his game unless he’s in a supporting role, where he can be very effective.
If the list was mediocre past 40 years you’d have to put Philly number one. 😝
You mean that team that outscored the Penguins 16 – 11 – with 2 shut-outs – in knocking them out of the last playoffs 4 – 2? 🙂
When was the last time they Flyers won the cup? Remind us. Just so we know.
George- even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then
Hah. Good analogy Ed. I was just trying to yank Chrism’s chain … he has such a deep-rooted dislike of the Flyers. Not that I can blame him – having a classless nimrod like Booby Clarke as their captain … and then to compound things by appointing him GM …. will – and did – evoke intense dislike,