Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun is one of several intriguing blue-liners on the market, and contending teams are reportedly doing their due diligence with the trade deadline just two months away.The New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, and Florida Panthers are among the clubs interested in acquiring the 23-year-old's services, Sportsnet's Jeff Marek reported on Saturday's edition of "32 Thoughts."The Coyotes are reportedly looking for a young player, a prospect, and a first-round pick to pry Chychrun from the desert. Arizona has "at least one offer" that fits the bill, Marek added.The Rangers have discussed including 2018 first-round pick Vitali Kravtsov in a potential deal, but it's unclear if the 22-year-old forward would significantly pique the Coyotes' interests, per Marek.Kravtsov didn't make New York's opening night roster this season, and the team reportedly granted him permission to seek a trade in October. The club loaned him to the KHL's Traktor Chelyabinsk in November.However, the Panthers may be the "team to watch," according to Marek.The Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks, and Columbus Blue Jackets are also reportedly interested in Chychrun.The sixth-year defenseman has struggled this season, recording two goals and six assists over 28 games with the basement-dwelling Coyotes. Chychrun broke through offensively during the 2020-21 campaign, registering 41 points in 56 contests.He's currently in the third season of a six-year deal with an annual cap hit of $4.6 million.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Washington Capitals have looked into the possibility of adding free agent Evander Kane to their roster, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported on Saturday's edition of "32 Thoughts.""Another team that has at least discussed it and considered it is the Washington Capitals," Friedman said. "There's nothing done, no contract or anything like that, but the Capitals are another team, in addition to the Oilers, that have looked into this."Kane became a free agent Jan. 9 after his contract with the San Jose Sharks was terminated due to a breach of contract and violation of the AHL's COVID-19 protocol.Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland said earlier in January that he believes in "second chances" and had spoken to Kane's agent. Kane is reportedly free to sign with another club as he awaits the results of the grievance the NHLPA filed on his behalf.The NHL is still investigating the situation, and it remains unclear if Kane will be suspended further for his actions. The 30-year-old was banned 21 games earlier this season for violating the NHL's COVID-19 protocol.Kane skated with the AHL's San Jose Barracuda for five games this year, recording eight points. He had 22 goals and 27 assists in 56 games with the Sharks last season.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL will showcase its biggest viral star at the league's All-Star festivities in Las Vegas next month.Trevor Zegras confirmed Saturday that he's participating in the Breakaway Challenge event in the skills competition.

The Winnipeg Jets activated captain Blake Wheeler and moved forward Nikolaj Ehlers to long-term injured reserve Saturday, the team announced.Wheeler was subsequently inserted into the lineup for Saturday's clash with the Boston Bruins. The veteran forward hadn't played since Dec. 10 due to a leg injury.Ehlers took a knee-on-knee hit from the Washington Capitals' Dmitry Orlov on Tuesday; the defenseman was suspended two games for the incident. Ehlers was ruled week-to-week with an MCL sprain, but the move to LTIR means he can't return until Feb. 14 at the earliest.Wheeler entered Saturday with one goal and 16 assists in 22 games this season while Ehlers has tallied 25 points in 34 contests.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Eric Staal appears to be heading back to the Olympic Games.The veteran center is among the players selected to the final roster for Canada's men's hockey team in Beijing, reports The Athletic's Scott Wheeler. Fellow forwards Daniel Carr, Adam Cracknell, David Desharnais, Landon Ferraro, Kent Johnson, and Daniel Winnik are also on the squad, as are defensemen Mark Barberio, Jason Demers, and Owen Power.Staal signed a pro tryout contract with the AHL's Iowa Wild on Jan. 13. The 37-year-old planned to evaluate his physical conditioning during the stint in hopes of playing in the Olympics. He told The Athletic's Michael Russo at the time that there were still some complications outside of hockey, so his participation wasn't guaranteed. Staal has two goals and three assists in four games since joining Minnesota's affiliate.The former Carolina Hurricanes captain hasn't played in the NHL this season after helping the Montreal Canadiens reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2021.Staal was a member of Canada's gold-medal-winning side at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. He's also represented his country at three world championships, winning gold in 2007 and silver one year later.Power, the Buffalo Sabres' No. 1 overall pick in 2021, was reportedly named to the 2022 team in early January. He and Johnson, his Michigan teammate who was drafted four picks later, excelled for Canada at the most recent World Junior Championship before the remainder of the event was canceled.NHL players aren't participating in the Games this year due to COVID-19 concerns.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Buffalo Sabres phenom Jack Quinn will miss four-to-six weeks with a lower-body injury, the team announced Saturday.The 20-year-old rookie made his NHL debut Jan. 11 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He played his second game on Thursday against the Dallas Stars and recorded two points, including his first NHL goal.Quinn had been tearing the AHL up this season before his recall, producing 35 points in 24 games with the Rochester Americans.The Sabres selected the winger eighth overall at the 2020 draft.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New York Islanders icon and Hockey Hall of Famer Clark Gillies died at 67 years old, the team announced Friday.Gillies played 12 seasons with the Islanders, winning four consecutive Stanley Cups in the 1980s. He finished his career with a two-year stint in Buffalo, ultimately racking up 697 points in 958 games.He had his No. 9 retired by the Islanders in 1996 and was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2002."The entire Islanders community is devastated by the loss of Clark Gillies," Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello said."He epitomized what it means to be a New York Islander. The pride he felt wearing the Islanders sweater on the ice was evident by his willingness to do anything to win. Off the ice, he was just as big of a presence, always taking the time to give back to the local community."The New York Islanders have four Stanley Cups because of the sacrifices he and the members of those dynasty teams made for the franchise. On behalf of the entire organization, we send our deepest condolences to the entire Gillies family."NHL commissioner Gary Bettman released the following statement:"The National Hockey League mourns the passing of Clark Gillies, a tower of strength on the ice for the dynastic New York Islanders of the early 1980s and a pillar of the Long Island community ever since. Gillies helped define the term "power forward" during a 14-season, Hall of Fame career with the Islanders and Buffalo Sabres that was highlighted by winning four Stanley Cups with the Islanders."Gillies was one of 17 Islanders to win every championship between 1980 and 1983.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

San Jose Barracuda forward Krystof Hrabik has been suspended 30 games for directing a racist gesture toward Tucson Roadrunners winger Boko Imama, who is Black.Hrabik committed the act during a game on Jan. 12 and has already sat out for three contests.The 22-year-old center will take part in education and training with the NHL's Player Inclusion Committee. He can apply to have the suspension reduced after March 12, and that ruling would be made based on his progress with the committee."I've been dealing with situations like this my entire life. ... It's frustrating and disheartening that this is still going on in 2022!" Imama posted in a statement later Friday. "Even though I honestly believe the sport has made positive strides, we still have a long way to go to educate the ignorant and to make hockey a safe place for everyone."

The Edmonton Oilers have been garnering a ton of attention as of late, and not in the good "Connor McDavid just did something amazing" way.The team just lost its seventh game in a row on Thursday night, a 6-0 shellacking at the hands of the contending Florida Panthers. Since the Oilers' last win on Dec. 18, head coach Dave Tippett publicly lambasted struggling goaltender Mikko Koskinen to the media and a reporter accused star forward Leon Draisaitl of being "pissy."At the center of it all, Tippett and the Oilers' goaltending issues are firmly in the hot seat amid the team's free fall in the standings after a blisteringly hot start to the season.However, the players aren't interested in playing the blame game."It's unfair just to blame one guy. We're all responsible on the ice … we're all responsible together," Oilers forward Warren Foegele told the media Friday, according to TSN. "We're a team and we're here to win. You just can't be pointing fingers and saying, 'Oh it's that guy's fault, this guy's fault.' It doesn't work like that, that's not how you win."Teammate Colton Sceviour echoed Foegele's sentiment of togetherness."As much as people want to say it's one guy or one thing or another, it's on all of us," Sceviour said. "I think when you hear the talk - it's hard not to hear it - that you can't help but feel responsible that there's something you could be doing differently in certain situations to help your teammates and the other guys on the ice out."I'm sure I’m not the only one (who) looks at themselves and tries to figure out how they can do something differently to benefit the team."Tippett, meanwhile, emphasized the importance of taking things one game at a time."They've been great, they're all in. … People are trying to find solutions here, it's not as if we're just rolling around," he said. "People are trying to find solutions. We’ll continue to pound away until we can get them."The Oilers return to action in an all-important clash against the Calgary Flames on Saturday.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Marc-Andre Fleury is focused on finding a way to lead the Chicago Blackhawks to the playoffs this spring, not the trade speculation surrounding him."All I want is to have this team make the (Stanley Cup) Playoffs," Fleury said Thursday, per NHL.com's Tracey Myers. "Honestly, that's what's in my head right now. To me, it's not worth looking too far ahead. I just want to put this team in a good position to make the playoffs, and that's my goal."The Blackhawks are a long shot to qualify for the postseason, sitting eight points back of the Western Conference's second wild-card spot. Fleury's frequently been mentioned as a target for playoff hopefuls looking to bolster their depth in goal due to his status as a 37-year-old pending unrestricted free agent and Chicago's struggles.Fleury has been one of the Blackhawks' few bright spots this season, posting a .916 save percentage across 27 starts. The team won four of its last five, and its recent form is giving Fleury hope for a charge up the standings."We've been winning some games, so I think it's not just me," he said. "As a team in general, we've been playing well, giving ourselves a chance to win every night. I think guys are playing well in front of me, too, which makes my job easier. I feel good."The Blackhawks acquired Fleury, then fresh off winning the Vezina Trophy, in a stunning trade from the Vegas Golden Knights this past offseason. He posted a 117-60-14 record over four years in Sin City.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We have a busy weekend ahead on the ice with 19 games over the next couple of days - eight on Friday night and 11 on Saturday.Let's highlight some of the bets that stick out.Panthers (-200) @ Canucks (+180)

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jake Allen will be out for eight weeks with a lower-body injury.Allen has already missed four games after departing early in a loss to the Boston Bruins on Jan. 12. The 31-year-old left the Canadiens' road trip for further evaluation. Montreal head coach Dominique Ducharme initially said the netminder would need at least one week to recover.The struggling Canadiens have leaned on Allen without Carey Price so far this season. The former St. Louis Blues puck-stopper is 5-16-2 with a .901 save percentage while playing 24 of Montreal's 39 contests in his second campaign with the club.Sam Montembeault has gone 1-0-2 with a .926 save percentage in Allen's absence. Montembeault excelled while being bombarded in the last two contests, stopping 97 of the 104 shots he faced.The Canadiens acquired Allen from the Blues for a pair of seventh-round picks in September 2020.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Boston Bruins have taken exception to the hit that forced star winger Brad Marchand to exit Thursday's contest against the Washington Capitals.Capitals forward Garnet Hathaway hit Marchand into the boards during the second period. Hathaway received a two-minute penalty for interference and Marchand went down the tunnel immediately afterward but temporarily returned to the bench.

Los Angeles Kings forward Quinton Byfield made his season debut against the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night after being recalled from the AHL.Byfield, the second overall pick in the 2020 draft, skated in six games with the Kings last season. He suffered a fractured ankle during preseason action this year.The 19-year-old played 11 games with the AHL's Ontario Reign this season, recording four goals and two assists. He joined fellow top prospects Arthur Kaliyev and Samuel Fagemo in the Kings' lineup.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers is week-to-week with an MCL sprain after taking a knee-on-knee hit from Washington Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov during Tuesday's contest, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.The Jets placed the 25-year-old on injured reserve earlier Thursday.The incident occurred in the third period of the Jets' 4-3 overtime loss. Ehlers was slow to get up and had to be helped off the ice.There was no penalty called on the play, but Orlov was suspended for two games Wednesday.Ehlers was initially expected to miss Winnipeg's next three games, according to the Winnipeg Free Press' Mike McIntyre.The native of Denmark has 25 points in 34 games this season.The Jets are set for a busy weekend with back-to-back matchups against the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers are actively seeking an upgrade in goal leading up to March's trade deadline, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported on Thursday's edition of "Insider Trading.""They are, according to sources, looking at all (goalie) options across the NHL," LeBrun said."For example, we're told they've kicked tires on Joonas Korpisalo in Columbus, who's a pending UFA at the end of the year. They've discussed internally about Anton Khudobin, who, of course, cleared waivers last month."The Oilers rank 26th in the NHL this season with an all-situations save percentage of .897, according to Evolving-Hockey. Here's a look at how Edmonton's incumbent netminders have fared this season along with the numbers of the two goalies LeBrun mentioned.GoalieRecordSv%GSAAMikko Koskinen12-7-1.900-5.9Stuart Skinner4-6-0.907-0.8Mike Smith2-2-1.898-2.4Korpisalo4-7-0.882-12Khudobin3-4-1.879-7.2Korpisalo carries a $2.8-million cap hit, while Khudobin is owed $3.3 million per year until 2023, according to Cap Friendly. Edmonton is currently operating with no cap space.The Oilers are riding a significant slump and sit six points outside of a Western Conference playoff spot with five games in hand. Since the start of December, they rank 31st in the NHL with a 3-10-2 record.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ontario announced a three-step plan to ease COVID-19 restrictions on Thursday that will affect fan capacity at the province's indoor sporting venues, per Sean Davidson of CTV News.The plan is set to gradually reopen the province and will affect the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators, as well as the NBA's Toronto Raptors.From Jan. 31 to Feb. 20, the province will allow a maximum of 500 spectators at indoor sporting venues. From Feb. 21 to March 13, venues will be limited to 50% fan capacity. Ontario will then lift all capacity limits on March 14.The province is currently not allowing any fans at indoor sporting venues.The Senators have 15 home games scheduled before March 14, while the Maple Leafs have 10, and the Raptors have nine. Ex-Raptor Kyle Lowry is scheduled to return to Toronto for the first time with the Miami Heat on Feb. 1.The Maple Leafs are scheduled to play the Buffalo Sabres outdoors at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ontario, for the Heritage Classic on March 13. It has yet to be determined if the restrictions will affect the status of the game, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Canada's key FIFA World Cup qualifier versus the United States on Jan. 30 - also to be staged at Tim Hortons Field - will permit 50% capacity for spectators.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We're in for a very busy night on the ice with nine games scheduled. Let's break things down and get right into the best way to attack the slate through shot props.Tage Thompson over 2.5 shots (-120)You all know the story by now: Tage Thompson is a pedestrian shot generator on the road and flat-out elite at home. His splits are as crazy as any player in the league.On home soil, Thompson prints us money. The Buffalo Sabres winger has averaged 3.9 shots on goal and registered at least three shots in 16 of 19 contests - that's an 84% hit rate.Thompson averages 2.1 shots per game on the road, which is barely over half of what he generates in Buffalo. He has gone over the number only five times in 17 road dates for a success rate of just 29%.The Dallas Stars are a solid defensive team, but they can get outplayed on the road. The Stars allow four more shots per game when they aren't on home ice and getting the matchups they want on a shift-to-shift basis.Expect Thompson to benefit from that.Mark Scheifele over 2.5 shots (-115)The Nashville Predators are a very good squad, but their defense hasn't been nearly as stout lately. The Preds have allowed 35.43 shots per game over the last 10, ranking them 27th in the NHL. Not great!Mark Scheifele is definitely known as more of a passer than a shooter, but he is putting a lot of rubber towards the net right now for the Winnipeg Jets. Scheifele has amassed 53 shot attempts and 35 shots on goal over the last 10 and has recorded at least three shots in seven of the last nine. In the only two exceptions, he fell just one shot short.With an increased shooting mentality and a divisional matchup against a Nashville side that's bleeding shots, I like Scheifele to go over the number for us.Jared McCann over 2.5 shots (-130)The Seattle Kraken are where shots go to die - they don't allow many, and they don't take many. Jared McCann is the exception to the rule.McCann has piled up at least three shots in 17 of the last 26 contests (65%), including seven of the last 10.The left-winger has averaged 3.4 shots per game in that span and has recorded nine more shot attempts than the closest teammate to him (Jordan Eberle). McCann, who has 15 goals through 33 games, is clearly Seattle's best scoring threat, and they feed him shots accordingly.The San Jose Sharks are a mediocre shot suppression club, and their numbers are trending downwards. San Jose is not a side we have to shy away from attacking.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We have a full slate of games to work through tonight, with nine games scheduled to go.That leaves us plenty of meat on the bone when looking for best bets. Let's get into a couple of my favorites.Capitals (+155) @ Bruins (-175)The Bruins and Capitals are both strong defensive teams - elite, even. Boston concedes only 2.0 expected goals per 60 minutes of five-on-five play, which is the lowest rate in the NHL. Washington allows 2.26 per 60, slotting it sixth. Both of these teams can defend with the best.Yet, for whatever reason, they find themselves in track meet after track meet when squaring off against one another.Bruins versus Capitals games have gone over the number in seven of their last 10 meetings, with an average of 7.1 goals scored on a per-game basis.Scoring hasn't been nearly as big of a problem for Boston since it put David Pastrnak on the second line, giving the lineup much more balance.Meanwhile, the Capitals are in the top 10 in goals per game despite dealing with an abundance of injuries to key players all season long. Nicklas Backstrom has missed 33 games, Anthony Mantha has missed 30, and T.J. Oshie has missed 22 - and it hasn't really mattered.Don't be surprised if we see fireworks in this game; we usually do between these two teams.Bet: Over 6 goals (+100)Stars (-200) @ Sabres (+170)We have frequently targeted the Sabres for months now, and it has led to plenty of success. While they hurt us last time out, that's not going to scare us away. This team is bad - very bad.Buffalo has been out-chanced by 117 over the last 10 games. That's an average of 11.7 per game. Their share of the chances (39.27%) is tied for the lowest in the league in that span, putting them on the same level as the Canadiens.On the flip side, the Stars have a +36 chance differential over the last 10 games. That's not an astronomical number, but their 53% share ranks them 11th over that span, slotting them just ahead of the Penguins and Golden Knights. That's pretty good.It's almost a certainty the Stars will dominate the chance share in this game. They're the much better team, and they're coming off three straight losses, including one to Montreal. They're going to come out hungry, and I don't think the Sabres will be able to match them in skill or intensity.That wouldn't be the end of the world if Buffalo had quality goaltending, but it doesn't. Its tandem currently consists of Aaron Dell (.892 save percentage) and Michael Houser - a journeyman that has played more ECHL games than NHL games this season.I don't think either will be able to hold up against what will likely be 40+ shots from a good team. Back the Stars to take care of business in 60 minutes.Bet: Stars inside regulation (-120)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe had a scathing review of his club's performance after Wednesday's 6-3 loss to the New York Rangers."We got exposed today for being a team that was just soft. Soft and purposeless and just kind of playing the game hoping it was gonna work out," Keefe said, according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox."This one should bother us greatly," he added.Toronto stormed out to a 3-1 lead after the first period but allowed five unanswered goals and was overmatched by New York's forecheck. The Maple Leafs have now surrendered multi-goal leads in four of their past five games."We took our foot off the gas ... it's becoming something that we really need to stop doing," forward Mitch Marner said, per the Toronto Sun's Terry Koshan.The Leafs sit in third in the Atlantic Division, six points back of the Florida Panthers with two games in hand. They return to action Saturday against the New York Islanders.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Washington Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov will sit two games for kneeing Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers during Tuesday's contest.Orlov delivered a knee-on-knee hit late in the third period. The incident didn't result in a penalty.Jets interim head coach Dave Lowry said Ehlers will miss at least the remaining three games of the team's road trip, according to the Winnipeg Free Press' Mike McIntyre.Ehlers has 13 goals and 12 assists in 34 games this season. Orlov has 19 points in 38 contests.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Newly appointed Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes held an introductory press conference Wednesday and offered some insight on what kind of roster he hopes to construct."In a perfect world, we would be an offensive-minded club," Hughes said, also identifying team speed and puck possession as key characteristics for the future, according to TSN's John Lu.Hughes also stressed the importance of using advanced statistics as a tool, per Sportsnet's Eric Engels.Canadiens owner Geoff Molson revealed the team interviewed 11 candidates, and Hughes won the job after the list was narrowed down to three finalists.It's Hughes' first front-office job after working as a high-profile player agent for several years. With the Canadiens currently sitting last in the NHL standings, Hughes is aware there's plenty of work ahead."The word doesn't matter to me - whether it's rebuild, reset - my vision is to build a team that can win for years," Hughes added.He opted to make the switch from agent to executive due in large part to the lure of working for his childhood team."This is somewhat a homecoming for me, and I'm proud to be back with the team of my childhood," Hughes said."I grew up dreaming of playing for the Canadiens, but this is the second-best option," he added, according to Jared Book of Eyes on the Prize.Hughes is the 18th GM in Canadiens history. He succeeds Marc Bergevin, who was fired in November.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Brad Marchand isn't willing to let things go after his taunt of Vincent Trocheck backfired spectacularly.Hours after the two forwards exchanged barbs through the media Tuesday, Trocheck's Carolina Hurricanes walloped Marchand's Boston Bruins by six goals.Earlier in the day, Trocheck responded to a question about whether his playing style is similar to Marchand's by asking, "Are you calling me a rat?"Marchand fired back in an Instagram post by writing, "This is like comparing a Lambo to a Prius," with a side-by-side comparison of their statistics. He deleted the post before the game.The Hurricanes had some fun with the lopsided victory following the afternoon's back-and-forth:

On Thursday, the Golden Knights welcome the Montreal Canadiens to Las Vegas for the final game in what's been a messy first half of the season for the club.Vegas is first in the Pacific Division with a 23-15-2 record. However, the Knights, a preseason Stanley Cup favorite, rank 13th overall in points percentage. The team has been hammered by misfortune, already losing roughly 250 man-games to injury or illness. Meanwhile, superstar Jack Eichel, acquired from Buffalo in November, has yet to play a single shift for his new club after undergoing his long-awaited surgery.All of this has forced head coach Pete DeBoer to project Vegas' future."We've played well enough without everybody in the lineup that I am optimistic that if we can get to full health here, we have the ability to really find another level," DeBoer said Tuesday in a phone interview with theScore. Christian Petersen / Getty ImagesDeBoer, 53, has been behind an NHL bench every season since 2008-09. He started in Florida, moved on to New Jersey and then San Jose, and then landed in Vegas two years ago. Only Colorado and Carolina own a better regular-season points percentage than the Knights in the DeBoer era, though both coach and franchise remain locked in on that elusive first Stanley Cup.We caught up with DeBoer to discuss the state of the Knights and more.(Note: The following conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.)You're atop the Pacific Division with a plus-19 goal differential, but this season has been a journey thanks to a long list of injuries and COVID-19 absences. How would you evaluate your club's performance at what's roughly the halfway point of the season?I'd use the word "resilient" in my evaluation. And I would say I still don't have a good handle on how good we are because of that. I've never had a year where we've had this many man-games lost to injuries. When you throw COVID-19 into it, which has hit us hard, (it hasn't been easy). And we haven't had good timing with it, either. It's been two or three guys every week instead of a large group where you get everybody back (at the same time). It's been a short lineup every night, and I think we've been resilient in our approach and in our ability to survive it.When I look around the league, there are some teams that, in similar situations, have been buried. I'm looking forward to getting the injuries and COVID in the rearview mirror and seeing down the stretch what our team really has the opportunity to be.What would you like to see your team improve upon in the second half?Off the top of my head, we've got to defend better, from our goaltender (starter Robin Lehner has a .904 save percentage) through our team structure. That's what wins in the playoffs. That's what's always been foundational for us. We have to defend our net better. I think special teams can always use improvement. Those would probably be the two areas that jump out to me.

We have just three games on the slate Wednesday. While only one jumps out to me, we luckily have some shot props to attack and beef up the card.Let's get into the best bets.Coyotes (+180) @ Devils (-220)The Arizona Coyotes are arguably playing their best hockey of the season. They've posted a 4-4-2 record over the last 10 games and have scored 34 goals, tying them for 10th in the NHL during that span. Tenth!But while I can see the Coyotes being competitive in this game, the New Jersey Devils are a tier or two above them, and that'll shine through here.The Devils have dealt with injuries and COVID all season long. They've largely idled over the last couple of weeks, which has given all of their players time to recover and return to the lineup.Dougie Hamilton and Miles Wood aside, New Jersey should be at full strength tonight. Yegor Sharangovich, Pavel Zacha, Andreas Johnsson, Jesper Bratt, and Mackenzie Blackwood, among others, were activated over the last few days and will play.All of those returns not only give the Devils more star power to work with than the Coyotes, but also more depth.I like New Jersey to take care of business at home against a bad Coyotes team playing its fourth game in six nights.Bet: Devils in regulation (-140)Rickard Rakell under 2.5 shots on goal (-118)Rickard Rakell is overvalued on the player prop market and has been for quite some time. He just doesn't shoot the puck enough to be priced like three shots is a near 50/50 proposition. It isn't.Rakell has generated just 22 shots on goal over the last 10 games. He's gone over the number (2.5) just three times in that span.That's no coincidence given that he attempted only 43 shots in that span, which is 15-20 below what most of our over targets produce in a 10-game sample.Believe it or not, Rakell has been less productive on home ice this season. He's hit three shots only six times in 15 games, compared to eight in 16 on the road.Plus, Rakell finds himself in a very difficult matchup against the Colorado Avalanche. At five-on-five, they've allowed just 49.88 shot attempts per 60 minutes over the last 10 games. That's only a couple of attempts more than the likes of the Boston Bruins and Vegas Golden Knights; good company to be keeping.Rakell hasn't shown the ability to generate shots at a high clip for quite some time. I don't see him having a big night against such a strong shot-suppression team.Nazem Kadri over 3.5 shots on goal (-118)Nathan MacKinnon's recent unfathomable levels of shot generation have masked Nazem Kadri's impressive outputs.Kadri has amassed 69 shot attempts and 41 shots on goal over the last 10 games, both of which rank him in the top 10 among NHL forwards.Kadri has also recorded at least four shots seven times over that span, including five of his last six.While he's probably not going to average more than four shots per contest over a large period of time, I don't expect him to cool down in this spot. The Anaheim Ducks are missing several key pieces, and they've been getting kicked in the teeth defensively.Only the Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, and Columbus Blue Jackets - three rebuilding teams - have conceded more shots per game over the last 10.Back Kadri to get it done.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Dallas Stars appear set to make a major impact on this season's trade deadline, as recent reports suggest they're ramping up efforts to deal disgruntled blue-liner John Klingberg.Klingberg is a pending unrestricted free agent and one of the most high-profile rentals said to be available. The Stars are likely to field several offers from contenders looking to add such an enticing piece for the stretch run.It's become custom for financially strapped buyers to perform major cap gymnastics to make deadline deals work, and Klingberg's situation is no different. The 29-year-old carries a $4.25-million cap hit and a base salary of $6 million, according to CapFriendly. However, suitors could swindle a significant discount if they can get Dallas to retain some money and/or use a third party to eat a chunk of it, which would bring the cap hit down to as low as $1.0625 million. That, and the ever-popular use of long-term injured reserve come the postseason, makes Klingberg's market bigger than it may appear.Despite the money being manageable, Klingberg still won't come cheap. There are premiums on defensemen - especially right-handed shots with 60-point potential - during deadline season, so it's reasonable to expect Dallas wanting a first-round pick and a high-end prospect, at the very least. That price will only go up if Klingberg agrees to an extension with his new club.Klingberg isn't without his flaws, though. As great as he is offensively, he's posted rather alarming defensive metrics over the last three seasons: Evolving-Hockey.comStill, Klingberg's upside will be too difficult for some contenders to ignore, and if he lands with the right team, he could be the final piece of a Stanley Cup puzzle. Below, we analyze the five most logical destinations:Carolina Hurricanes Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images Sport / GettyPotential top 6 with Klingberg:LDRDJaccob SlavinBrett PesceBrady SkjeiJohn KlingbergIan ColeTony DeAngeloThe Hurricanes are the most obvious members of this list because they're the only team that's actually been linked to Klingberg so far. They reportedly contacted the Stars about his availability back in November.The fit is obvious: Carolina let Dougie Hamilton walk in the offseason and tried to replace him by committee with the additions of DeAngelo and Ethan Bear. That's worked to an extent. Both players have flaws, but they've played relatively well all things considered. Still, it'd be worrisome for a team with championship aspirations to enter the playoffs with one of them in its top four.Klingberg is a proven playoff performer who's registered 30 points in his last 39 postseason contests. His combination of experience and upside would make it a gamble worth taking for the Canes, who seem to elevate every newcomer they welcome in.Boston Bruins Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyPotential top 6 with Klingberg:LDRDMatt GrzelcykCharlie McAvoyMike ReillyJohn KlingbergDerek ForbortBrandon CarloThe Bruins are candidates to make a splash every trade deadline so long as their veteran core is intact. Opportunities at another championship are running out, and with Tuukka Rask back in the fold, Boston seems to look like a contender again after experiencing an early-season funk.Klingberg would undoubtedly make the Bruins' thin right side deeper, and adding him to an always-dangerous power play as the quarterback could be a game-changer for a team that hasn't produced goals to its usual standards this season. Charlie McAvoy has been good on the man advantage this season, but he's used so frequently in other situations. A break from power-play duties could help keep him fresh for the physical demands of postseason hockey.If, for some reason, Klingberg didn't mesh with the first unit, he'd certainly be an upgrade on the second group. Plus, his puck-moving and transition abilities would provide an element that's missing within Boston's D-corps beyond its top pairing.Toronto Maple Leafs Kevin Sousa / National Hockey League / GettyPotential top 6 with Klingberg:LDRDMorgan RiellyTJ BrodieJake MuzzinJohn KlingbergRasmus SandinJustin HollToronto's second pairing has been an issue all season. Jake Muzzin appears to have lost a step and can no longer carry Justin Holl, who's been a healthy scratch at times.In an ideal world, the Maple Leafs would add a top-four right-handed defenseman who excels on the defensive side of the puck, but beggars can't be choosers, and Klingberg is by far the best righty that's knowingly available.The fit could still work, though. The Maple Leafs prioritize skill and puck possession more than any other team in the league, areas where Klingberg shines. Playing in a system that encourages offensive creativity could help get the most out of the Swede. At times, it's appeared as though he's been shackled playing under Dallas' tight defensive scheme.The Leafs rank fifth in the league in points percentage and the front office is facing immense pressure to win at least one playoff round, so don't be surprised if they're willing to push all their chips into the middle this season.Florida Panthers Eliot J. Schechter / National Hockey League / GettyPotential top 6 with Klingberg:LDRDMackenzie WeegarAaron EkbladGustav ForslingJohn KlingbergBrandon MontourRadko GudasWith so many high-quality right-handed shots on their blue line, the Panthers may opt to reinforce the left flank rather than pursue Klingberg. However, Montour has experience on both sides of the ice, and the thought of adding another offensively dynamic defenseman for the league's top attack is a terrifying thought for the rest of the East.It's clear Florida is in a position to go for it this season. The Cats have looked like a juggernaut since the puck dropped in October, and they'd be wise to do their due diligence on Klingberg to both bolster their odds at the first Stanley Cup in franchise history and keep him away from Atlantic Division foes.As unstoppable as Florida looks, the road through the Atlantic is going to be a bloodbath. Adding an extra playmaker into the fold could be the difference between a deep playoff run and an early exit.Tampa Bay Lightning Dave Sandford / National Hockey League / GettyPotential top 6 with Klingberg:LDRDVictor HedmanJohn KlingbergRyan McDonaghErik CernakMikhail SergachevJan RuttaHedman's D partners are typically of the stay-at-home variety, but it's hard to imagine Klingberg would have trouble meshing with the Norris Trophy hopeful since he's carried Rutta around for most of the season. Klingberg and Hedman are also both from Sweden and have been teammates on the international stage.The Lightning have traded away at least one first-round pick in each of the past two deadlines to acquire key pieces - David Savard (2021), Blake Coleman (2020), and Barclay Goodrow (2020) - to help propel Stanley Cup runs. Don't be shocked if they do it again.Tampa Bay is loaded, but if the club has one weakness, it's the right side of the blue line. Look for general manager Julien BriseBois to address it in hopes of a three-peat.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL is set to loosen its COVID-19 testing policies.The league will stop testing asymptomatic players and staff members for the coronavirus after the Feb. 3-6 All-Star break, the NHL and NHLPA announced Tuesday.Testing will continue on a limited "for cause" basis for fully vaccinated players and staff who develop symptoms or require testing for cross-border travel.The new protocol is contingent on the league's COVID-19 cases continuing to decline, according to Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli.The NHL reintroduced daily testing in December after a league-wide outbreak driven by the Omicron variant that caused several game postponements. The NHL and NHLPA will meet and review protocol changes on Jan. 31.Prior to that, fully vaccinated players were tested at least once every 72 hours. Unvaccinated individuals were tested every 48 hours. Players who have a confirmed positive test result aren't subject to testing for 90 days after they leave isolation.In December, the NHL also lowered its COVID-19 isolation period for vaccinated players from 10 to five days.Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi is the NHL's only player who isn't vaccinated against COVID-19.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston Bruins winger Brad Marchand and Carolina Hurricanes center Vincent Trocheck got into a testy exchange through the media Tuesday.It all started when Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer asked Trocheck if his playing style is similar to Marchand's."Are you calling me a rat?" Trocheck responded, referencing Marchand's nickname among rival fans due to the winger's physical appearance and agitating on-ice persona.In a now-deleted Instagram post, Marchand shared his thoughts on the zinger. Spoiler alert: He wasn't a fan."This is like comparing a Lambo to a Prius," he captioned the post, which included three screenshots comparing the two players' stats.

Colorado Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri, Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos, Anaheim Ducks forward Troy Terry, and New York Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad won the final roster spots for the 2022 All-Star Game as a result of the "Last Men In" fan vote, the NHL announced Tuesday.Zibanejad is unable to attend the festivities for personal reasons and will be replaced by Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jake Guentzel - who finished second in voting in the Metropolitan Division.Kadri is having one of the best seasons of his career with 49 points in 33 games. He ranks fifth in the league in both scoring and points per game. He will join teammates Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon in Las Vegas.Stamkos ranks sixth in the NHL with 46 points in 39 contests. He will join teammates Victor Hedman and Andrei Vasilevskiy on the Atlantic Division squad.Terry emerged this season as a legitimate threat in Anaheim, totalling 22 goals in 38 games so far. Guentzel has 38 points this season and has notched at least one point in all but five games he's skated in.The All-Star Game will take place on Feb. 5, with the skills competition slated for Feb. 4.Each division's full roster can be seen here.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Muzzin is dealing with a concussion, head coach Sheldon Keefe said Tuesday, according to TSN's Mark Masters.Muzzin suffered the injury on Saturday against the St. Louis Blues following a big hit by Klim Kostin.

Nils Hoglander appears to be one of the latest victims of the dreaded sophomore slump.Vancouver Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau is optimistic about the forward's future, but he admitted Hoglander needs to become more well-rounded."He's got some scoring potential, but he needs to learn how to play the game," Boudreau said Tuesday. "He's still a young kid, quite frankly, and I don't know, someday he might score 40 goals, but if you're going to hover around the 20-goal mark, you better learn to play both ends of the ice."As a guy that played overseas, he's still learning that game. There's a lot of things that he could do better, but his natural talent is definitely there."Hoglander was one of the few bright spots on an underachieving Canucks team a year ago. The Swede tallied 13 goals and 14 assists and averaged 15:27 of ice time in 56 games as a 20-year-old rookie while finishing eighth in Calder Trophy voting.However, his production is down this season, as he's only recorded 14 points in 38 games. His average ice time per contest is also down by more than a minute.The analytics tell a similar story. Here's a look at Hoglander's underlying numbers from 2020-21: Evolving-Hockey.comAnd here's a look at this season: Evolving-Hockey.comThe Canucks have flourished since Boudreau took over as head coach on Dec. 5, posting a 9-3-1 record. The majority of the team's players are playing closer to their potential, but Hoglander's ice time has decreased to 13:20 per tilt, and he's recorded just four points in 13 games.Hoglander was selected 42nd overall by the Canucks in 2019. He ranks fourth among his draft class in games played (94), trailing only the top three picks - Jack Hughes, Kaapo Kakko, and Kirby Dach.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We have a pretty full plate tonight as 16 sides will be in action.Let's take a closer look at the best way to attack this slate.Jets (+115) @ Capitals (-135)I think the Winnipeg Jets are getting a little too much respect in this spot. They've controlled just over 48% of the expected goals over their last 10 games (at five-on-five), and their share of high-danger chances (46.83%) is even lower, sandwiching them between the Montreal Canadiens and Arizona Coyotes. That's not a great place to be.Even with some key players in and out of the lineup, the Washington Capitals have been better. They've controlled nearly 51% of the expected goals and they rank just one spot behind the Nashville Predators in high-danger chance share.The Capitals also have home-ice advantage, which is a nice little bonus. The Jets have won just seven of their 17 road games thus far and won't be able to get the matchups they want against Alex Ovechkin - arguably the game's best finisher.Bet: Capitals (-135)Sabres (+170) @ Senators (-200)The Buffalo Sabres are playing truly horrendous hockey. They've won just two of their last 10 games, and frankly, those results might be generous.At five-on-five, they've controlled 43% of the shot attempts and an unfathomable 38% of the expected goals. Put another way, opponents are generating about two expected goals for each one Buffalo creates. Abysmal.While the Ottawa Senators aren't exactly world-beaters, they're on a different planet than this version of the Sabres. Ottawa has controlled 47.4% of the expected goals, good for 21st in the NHL during this same period of play.The Sens are at home and fully rested, having barely played over the last month. It's a much different situation for the Sabres, who are in a back-to-back and playing their third game in four nights.I expect the Senators to take care of business with relative ease.Bet: Senators in regulation (-120)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

There are eight games on the ice tonight, which means there's no shortage of shot props to comb through.Let's dive into a couple of my favorites as we look to stay hot.Joe Pavelski over 2.5 shots on goal (+110)Roope Hintz is generally the player to target when the Stars are at home. We've seen a bit of a changing of the guard lately, though, as Pavelski has picked up the slack as the primary shooter.Pavelski has recorded at least three shots in seven of his last nine home games, including six straight. The veteran winger has averaged 4.5 shots on goal during his hot streak, so he's not just sneaking over the number - he's often going well past it.I expect him to do just that again tonight against the Canadiens. They have allowed 37.5 shots per game over their last 10 road contests, which is dead last in the NHL.Montreal struggles to defend at the best of times, and now it's playing in the latter half of a road back-to-back. I expect the Stars to generate a ton of shots in this game - and Pavelski should be at the forefront of the action.Thomas Chabot over 2.5 shots on goal (-120)Chabot - like many offensive players - benefits greatly from playing on home ice. He has 61 shot attempts over his last 10 games in Ottawa, good for six per night.By comparison, Chabot generated 47 attempts over his last 10 road contests. So you're getting an extra 1.5 attempts per night on home soil, which is a big difference. That's why Chabot averages nearly half a shot more per game in Ottawa this season.Like Pavelski, Chabot should also benefit from an advantageous matchup against a bad defensive team in a back-to-back situation.The Sabres are awful in the defensive zone - especially on the road. They've conceded 36.77 shots per game over the last 10 away from home, only faring better than the Canadiens and Blue Jackets.Buffalo should give up a lot of volume in this game. There's no better target for us than Chabot, who just so happens to lead the Senators in attempts at home this season by 22.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Montreal Canadiens have hired Kent Hughes as the club's 18th general manager in franchise history. Hughes signed a five-year contract with the team.Hughes, a Montreal native, has primarily worked in the NHL as a player agent. His current roster of over 20 clients includes Patrice Bergeron, Kris Letang, and Darnell Nurse. He began his career as an agent by representing Vincent Lecavalier in 1998."We are very excited to add Kent Hughes to our organization. Kent is highly respected in the hockey world, having built an excellent reputation as an NHL player agent for over 25 years now," Canadiens owner Geoff Molson said in a statement.Hughes will work side-by-side with recently hired executive vice president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton. The club fired longtime GM Marc Bergevin earlier this season."The process of finding our new general manager afforded us the opportunity to meet a number of extremely qualified candidates. Kent stood out, and we believe he is the right person to be the general manager of the Canadiens," Gorton said. "We also believe that Kent's experience as an agent will be a great asset to the organization."Hughes is the father of New York Rangers prospect Riley Hughes and 2022 draft-eligible top prospect Jack Hughes.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

"So you're telling me there's a chance ..."The infamous and excessively repeated line from "Dumb and Dumber" hasn't felt all that applicable this NHL season, as favorites have been winning at an alarming rate. That trend is due partly to frequent matchups between teams ravaged by COVID-19 and squads that are unscathed at that moment. The moneyline rises to a level that would normally be absurd, the undermanned team predictably loses, and the price tag on the favorite is validated.Then came the Coyotes' road game against the Avalanche last Friday. Arizona's largely anonymous lineup reached as high as +500 before closing at +460 - making the visiting team one of the five biggest underdogs in the last 15 seasons. NHL bettors bet the Coyotes on principle and deserved better. With the game tied and headed to a shootout, it felt like they had a chance.The point here is that once player health and lineup predictability stabilize somewhat, there should be a belief that as long as there's value in the bet - no matter the price - any team does, in fact, have a chance.Last week, we stated the true (pre-vig) moneyline for Arizona's trip to Colorado should have been Coyotes +252/Avalanche -252. All we can do is tell you what the true moneyline (without vig) should be and the price at which we would bet each team. After that, any major discrepancy should lead to some quick research into why it might exist. Bettors can then adjust their risk tolerance based on their findings.The recipeBefore the season, we provided a three-chapter series on how to use the regular-season point-total market to create team ratings, how to interpret home-ice advantage, and how to use that information to create your own moneylines.Four weeks ago, we shared my 2021-22 season ratings, which use the metrics I deem important to predict future success. Considering all the lineup inconsistency across the league this season, I'll continue to rely on a 50-50 split between those ratings and the preseason priors via the regular-season point-total markets. This provides a more consistent base for assessing teams in the future, rather than allowing mismatches generated by COVID-19 to pollute the numbers.The cheat sheetThe following includes my fair price on the games (true moneyline) and the moneyline price I would need to bet either side. I only need a 1% edge for a favorite if we're getting better than a fair price on the team more likely to win. For the underdog, I'll need 4% or better to make it a bet. For games I project to be closer to a coin flip, a 2.5% edge is enough for a worthwhile wager. I also have a 5% win probability consideration for a team playing in the second game of a back-to-back with travel and a 3% consideration for a team on the second leg of a back-to-back without travel.DATEGAMETRUE MLPRICE TO BETJan. 18WPG@WSH+118/-118WPG +139/WSH -113BUF@OTT+147/-147BUF +175/OTT -141NYI@PHI+104/-104NYI +115/PHI +106CAR@BOS+141/-141CAR +167/BOS -136VAN@NSH+117/-117VAN +137/NSH -112MTL@DAL+197/-197MTL +237/DAL -189FLA@CGY-121/+121FLA -116/CGY +142TBL@LAK-110/+110TBL -106/LAK +129Jan. 19ARI@NJD+189/-189ARI +227/NJD -181TOR@NYR-110/+110TOR -106/NYR +129COL@ANA-171/+171COL -164/ANA +204Jan. 20DAL@BUF-127/+127DAL -122/BUF +150WSH@BOS+129/-129WSH +152/BOS -123OTT@PIT+203/-203OTT +245/PIT -194CBJ@PHI+129/-129CBJ +152/PHI -124WPG@NSH+105/-105WPG +116/NSH -105FLA@EDM-105/+105FLA +105/EDM +117COL@LAK-102/+102COL +108/LAK +113MTL@VGK+197/-197MTL +236/VGK -188SJS@SEA+108/-108SJS +119/SEA +103Jan. 21NYR@CAR+112/-112NYR +131/CAR -107PIT@CBJ-122/+122PIT -118/CBJ +144DAL@DET+108/-108DAL +120/DET +102ARI@NYI+188/-188ARI +225/NYI -180MIN@CHI-124/+124MIN -119/CHI +146STL@SEA+105/-105STL +116/SEA +105FLA@VAN+102/-102FLA +112/VAN +109TBL@ANA-163/+163TBL -156/ANA +193Jan. 22PHI@BUF-104/+104PHI -100/BUF +122WPG@BOS+152/-152WPG +181/BOS -146MTL@COL+202/-202MTL +243/COL -193OTT@WSH+182/-182OTT +218/WSH -174ARI@NYR+227/-227ARI +276/NYR -216CAR@NJD+130/-130CAR +153/NJD -124TOR@NYI-106/+106TOR +104/NYI +118DET@NSH+166/-166DET +198/NSH -159CHI@MIN+139/-139CHI +164/MIN -133CGY@EDM+123/-123CGY +145/EDM -118TBL@SJS-106/+106TBL +104/SJS +118Jan. 23WPG@PIT+160/-160WPG +191/PIT -154OTT@CBJ+169/-169OTT +201/CBJ -162LAK@NJD+127/-127LAK +150/NJD -122FLA@SEA-146/+146FLA -140/SEA +173STL@VAN+117/-117STL +138/VAN -113Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We're almost exactly halfway through the 2021-22 season. For some teams - like the Anaheim Ducks - we are exactly halfway through the campaign.With enough of a sample size to have a proper evaluation of teams, we can separate the contenders from the pretenders.We'll do just that as we look at the current Stanley Cup odds, identifying the best buys and sells in the market.TEAMODDS (Jan. 17) ODDS (Nov. 29)Colorado Avalanche+500+625Florida Panthers+800+850Tampa Bay Lightning+800+850Vegas Golden Knights+800+900Toronto Maple Leafs+900+1100Carolina Hurricanes+1200+1200Minnesota Wild+1500+1400Washington Capitals+1600+2000Boston Bruins+1800+1400Pittsburgh Penguins+1800+2800Calgary Flames+2000+2400Edmonton Oilers+2000+1200New York Rangers+2000+2500St. Louis Blues+2500+2400Dallas Stars+3500+3500Anaheim Ducks+4000+7500Winnipeg Jets+4000+3000Nashville Predators+4500+5500New York Islanders+6000+2200Vancouver Canucks+9000+10000Los Angeles Kings+10000+6000Chicago Blackhawks+15000+10000Columbus Blue Jackets+15000+10000Detroit Red Wings+15000+10000New Jersey Devils+15000+6000Philadelphia Flyers+15000+4000San Jose Sharks+15000+7000Montreal Canadiens+20000+10000Seattle Kraken+20000+10000Buffalo Sabres+30000+15000Ottawa Senators+30000+15000Arizona Coyotes+100000+50000BuyColorado Avalanche (+500)This isn't a "fun" pick, but sometimes you have to eat the chalk, and backing the Avalanche might be one of those times. They've dealt with a plethora of injuries and COVID issues all season long. You could probably count on one hand the number of games they've played with all of their key guys in the lineup. Yet they lead the league with 4.25 goals per game. Colorado has a ton of firepower up front, its blue line is loaded, and this team attacks you with a level of speed that's essentially unmatched. If Darcy Kuemper can get on track between the pipes, the sky is the limit here.Florida Panthers (+800)I'm not sure why the Panthers aren't getting more love in the betting market. They lead the league in points percentage and goals, and they're a hair behind the Maple Leafs for first in expected goals for percentage. Their top six is as potent as anybody's, they have scoring depth all throughout the lineup, and the defense - led by Aaron Ekblad and Mackenzie Weegar - is in very good shape. I know some - myself included - have questioned the team's goaltending, but the Panthers rank 13th in save percentage. So long as they can get average netminding, they have what it takes to go on a long run.Pittsburgh Penguins (+1800)The Penguins are third in the NHL in wins over the last 25 games. They rank in the top 10 in almost every five-on-five metric available during that span, including their Corsi share, expected goals, and actual goals. They're an elite penalty-killing side, and with Evgeni Malkin, Jake Guentzel, and Co. back in the mix, we might soon be able to say the same about their power play. They're garnering fantastic results at both ends of the ice, and Tristan Jarry (sixth in Goals Saved Above Expected) has proven capable of bailing the Penguins out whenever necessary. Like Colorado, Pittsburgh has been without key players all season long and the team is still piling up the wins. I don't think the Penguins are getting enough respect.SellEdmonton Oilers (+2000)What. A. Waste. The Oilers look more like a bubble team than a contender despite having two of the league's most dynamic talents on their roster. To put things into perspective, they have just one more win than the Coyotes over the last 25 games. Edmonton has next to no depth, its goaltending is inconsistent, and the team has issues behind the bench. That's the only explanation for not having one (1) win this season when trailing after 20 minutes. The Oilers are 0-12-2 in such situations. Only one other team - the Flames - is winless when losing after 20, but they've had six fewer tries. Calgary is also a structured, defense-first side that doesn't feature game-breakers the caliber of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers are broken.Dallas Stars (+3500)The Stars aren't a great hockey team. Heck, they might not be a good one. At five-on-five, they've controlled only 49% of the expected goals over the last 25 games. They've been outscored in that time. Oh, and one of their top players - John Klingberg - wants out. This team has one and done written all over it - if Dallas even makes the playoffs.New York Islanders (+6000)These odds are ugly, and yet I think they're still too generous to the Islanders. Forget winning the Stanley Cup - this team will be lucky to make the playoffs. New York's odds of qualifying are below 10%. Sure, the Islanders have a few games in hand on the Bruins. But they're 18 points behind. 18! I don't know if they can outperform a mediocre team by 18 points the rest of the season, let alone one with as much talent as the Bruins. Simply put, a team that'll miss the playoffs more than nine times out of 10 shouldn't be given a nearly 2% implied probability of winning the Stanley Cup.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price is restarting his rehab from offseason knee surgery and remains out indefinitely, vice president of hockey communications Chantal Machabee said Monday.The restart follows recent COVID-19 restrictions and consultation with Price's doctor, Machabee said. She added that the 34-year-old is "slow to progress."Price hasn't suited up in a game this season. He missed time at the beginning of the campaign after voluntarily entering the NHL's player assistance program in October. He exited the program after one month and has since been rehabbing.The Canadiens have been ravaged by injuries all season and sit last in the NHL with a 7-24-5 record. Jake Allen has handled the lion's share of goaltending duties in Price's absence, posting a .901 save percentage and 3.15 goals against average in 2021-22.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We have a full slate of games to comb through on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. As a result, we're going to give out standard best bets *and* shot props, something that is yet to happen on a Monday.Let's get into it.Kings (-115) @ Sharks (-105)The Los Angeles Kings are playing some truly fantastic hockey right now. They've won seven of the last 10 games and have controlled a whopping 57.68% of the expected goals at five-on-five in that span. Only the Vegas Golden Knights and Boston Bruins have fared better in that regard.While the Kings aren't overflowing with high-end talent and natural finishing, their ability to control such a large share of the expected goals has made them a very difficult team to beat, especially considering how good their goaltending is.Jonathan Quick has turned back the clock this season, saving 18.1 goals above expectation thus far. That ranks third in the NHL.His platoon partner, Cal Petersen, leads all goaltenders in five-on-five save percentage since the beginning of December. It doesn't matter who the Kings start - they're consistently getting great goaltending.Combine that with the fact they're outchancing their opponent on a nightly basis, and it's not hard to see why they're piling up the wins.The San Jose Sharks aren't pushovers, but I see a few edges for the Kings in this game. L.A. is better at controlling the run of play, and the team also has much better goaltending.James Reimer is expected back in the lineup Monday. That would've been big news a couple of months ago. But Reimer has really struggled, posting a .899 save percentage over the last two months.The Kings should get more of the chances in this game. Given the difference in the caliber of goaltender - regardless of who starts - I expect that to be enough for them to pull out another win.Bet: Kings (-115)Canadiens (-105) @ Coyotes (-115)It's not every day you want to back the Arizona Coyotes - let alone as favorites - but that's what this situation calls for.The Montreal Canadiens are awful. They've won one of their previous 10 games and have scored fewer five-on-five goals than all but the Anaheim Ducks in that time. They're consistently outchanced and rarely convert on the opportunities they do get.The Coyotes aren't a lethal offensive team, but they'll be aided by Montreal starter Sam Montembeault. On average, he's given up 0.53 goals more than expected on a per-start basis. Only seven goaltenders to play even semi-regularly have been worse.Karel Vejmelka, by comparison, has conceded only 1.3 goals more than expected through 21 appearances. That's -0.07 GSAE per start.With a big edge in goal, and home ice, I think Arizona is priced a little too short here.Shot propsTage Thompson over 2.5 shots on goal (-130) vs. the Detroit Red Wings - Thompson has been lethal on home soil this season, averaging 3.9 shots on goal per game and going over the total of 2.5 shots in 15 of 18 contests. The Red Wings bleed shots, so I don't expect them to be one of the rare sides that can limit Thompson in Buffalo.Nazem Kadri over 3.5 shots on goal (+120) vs. the Minnesota Wild - Kadri has been a shooting machine of late, recording at least four shots on goal in 12 of his last 18 games (66% hit rate). The Wild are struggling on the defensive side of things as a byproduct of all their injuries. Believe it or not, they rank 30th in attempts against per 60 over the last 10. I like Kadri in this spot, especially at such juicy odds.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

This is the eighth edition of theScore's NHL Power Rankings for the 2020-21 season. Check back for updated rankings every second Monday during the regular season.In this edition, we look at the most unheralded player on each team: The guys who make their teams go but just don't get talked about as much as they deserve.1. Florida Panthers (26-7-5)Previous rank: 4The Panthers are locked and loaded with talent throughout their lineup, but Carter Verhaeghe deserves more recognition. With a $1-million cap hit this season, he might be one of the NHL's most valuable contracts. He ranks third on the team with 31 points and has also chipped in 13 goals.2. Carolina Hurricanes (25-8-2)Previous rank: 1Jordan Staal's career-high 29 goals came during his rookie season, so it feels like a bulk of the hockey community views his career with some disappointment. But he's easily one of the game's best defensive centers and the perfect captain to embody what head coach Rod Brind'Amour preaches.3. Colorado Avalanche (24-8-3)Previous rank: 9Cale Makar gets all the love for his flashy plays and highlight-reel moves, but Devon Toews is quietly trucking along as one of the best defensemen in the NHL. He's playing at over a point-per-game pace with 26 points in 24 contests and ranks second on the team with a 59.0 expected goals for percentage at five-on-five.4. Tampa Bay Lightning (26-9-5)Previous rank: 3Ondrej Palat is rarely a part of the discussion when it comes to what makes the back-to-back champs so dangerous. The veteran forward was sensational while the Lightning battled through injuries to their big-ticket stars. He ranks second on Tampa Bay with 15 goals.5. Toronto Maple Leafs (24-9-3) Kevin Sousa / National Hockey League / GettyPrevious rank: 5David Kampf's 15.8% offensive zone start percentage is the lowest in the NHL among qualified skaters. However, despite the circumstances, he's posted relatively solid possession metrics (49.1% expected goals share). He's not flashy offensively, but Kampf has been exactly what Toronto needs out of a shutdown third-line center: Someone to do the dirty work and free up Auston Matthews and John Tavares for more offensive opportunities.6. Pittsburgh Penguins (22-10-5)Previous rank: 8Teddy Blueger has been excellent for the Penguins this season. He was forced into a prominent role earlier in the year with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin out, but he's now settled into his shutdown role. He performs that as well as any bottom-six center in the league.7. New York Rangers (25-10-4)Previous rank: 6Adam Fox now rightly gets the attention he deserves, but his partner, Ryan Lindgren, flies under the radar. The 23-year-old has been a perfect steadying, defensive presence alongside Fox and is easily the team's best left-handed blue-liner.8. Minnesota Wild (22-10-2)Previous rank: 11The Wild as a whole are unheralded, but Ryan Hartman's year to date deserves singling out. The 27-year-old journeyman leads Minnesota with 16 tallies and is one point away from matching a career-high 31.9. Boston Bruins (22-11-2)Previous rank: 17Jeremy Swayman got the short end of the stick once Tuukka Rask returned. He's unfortunately stuck in the minors for the foreseeable future after proving he belongs in the NHL by posting a .918 save percentage in 16 appearances while sharing starting duties with Linus Ullmark. His contributions while in the lineup can't be forgotten as Boston heats up.10. Washington Capitals (21-9-9)Previous rank: 2 Scott Taetsch / Getty Images Sport / GettyDmitry Orlov is an elite blue-liner whose contributions in the defensive zone often go overlooked when dissecting what makes the Capitals successful year after year. He leads all regular Washington defensemen in five-on-five goals against per 60, shot attempts against per 60, and expected goals per 60.11. Nashville Predators (24-12-3)Previous rank: 12The Preds are full of options after a surprising start - they even had two entrants on our All-Nobody Team - but we'll go with Alexandre Carrier. Nashville churns out young defensemen better than any other organization, and Carrier, a fourth-rounder in 2015, is the latest example. The 5-foot-11 rearguard plays much bigger than his size and has been a staple in the club's top four this season.12. St. Louis Blues (22-11-5)Previous rank: 10Ville Husso has only appeared in nine games so far this season but has been fantastic as the Blues' backup goaltender. His .935 save percentage is second among all goalies with at least nine appearances. With Jordan Binnington struggling as of late, it wouldn't be surprising if St. Louis turns to Husso more often as the season goes on.13. Vegas Golden Knights (23-14-2)Previous rank: 7Zach Whitecloud is blossoming into a legitimate top-four defender on the Golden Knights' right side. The 25-year-old is averaging the most ice time (19:01) of his career by a significant margin and leads all Vegas blue-liners with a 57.41% expected goals rate at even strength. The six-year, $16.5-million extension he signed in October is starting to look like a steal.14. Los Angeles Kings (20-13-5)Previous rank: 19One of the biggest surprises of the Kings' season so far has been Jonathan Quick's resurgence. After a few years of subpar play, the 35-year-old has been playing his best hockey in a while with a .921 save percentage and league-leading 12.1 goals saved above average at five-on-five.15. Winnipeg Jets (17-12-5)Previous rank: 18 Norm Hall / National Hockey League / GettyAndrew Copp is on pace to shatter his offensive career bests across the board and sits fourth on the Jets in scoring. He picked a good year to break out, too, considering he's an unrestricted free agent at season's end.16. Dallas Stars (18-15-2)Previous rank: 20More people need to be talking about Jason Robertson. He's now played 82 career games and has 78 points. He's leading the Stars with both a 64.2 expected goals for percentage and a 60.99 Corsi For rating. He's quietly been among the league's best since entering the league but hasn't gotten the recognition he deserves.17. Anaheim Ducks (19-15-7)Previous rank: 14Troy Terry and Trevor Zegras occupy most of the spotlight for the surprising Ducks, but Sonny Milano is putting together a brilliant year and is one of Anaheim's top contributors. The 16th overall pick from 2014 has notched 25 points in 35 games.18. Calgary Flames (17-11-6)Previous rank: 13It appears Oliver Kylington has arrived. The 24-year-old rearguard has more points than any other Flames defenseman with 19 and is playing four minutes more per game than he's averaged to this point in his career. Kylington has always had a high ceiling, and it looks like this is the year he's finally put it all together.19. Vancouver Canucks (17-18-3)Previous rank: 15Conor Garland ranks third on the Canucks in points but is 10th in average ice time. The feisty winger appears to be underrated both on a league-wide scale and within his own organization.20. Edmonton Oilers (18-15-2)Previous rank: 16 Bruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / GettyThe Oilers are still struggling to get production from many of their players, but Jesse Puljujarvi is continuing to trend upward after revitalizing his career with the club last season. His 25 points in 33 games ranks fourth on the team, and he's been a great complementary piece in Edmonton's top six at the low cost of $1.175 million.21. San Jose Sharks (20-17-2)Previous rank: 21Brent Burns has been doing some heavy lifting in San Jose this season, averaging 25:59 minutes of ice time per game, fourth-most in the NHL. He might not be the offensive juggernaut or top defenseman he once was, but his 26 points are still good for 11th among all blue-liners. Not bad for a soon-to-be 37-year-old.22. New York Islanders (11-13-6)Previous rank: 26Adam Pelech doesn't rack up points, but he's exceptional defensively. He might've even made Team Canada if NHLers ended up going to the Olympics.23. Detroit Red Wings (17-17-5)Previous rank: 24Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider are rightfully getting most of the attention for the Red Wings this year thanks to their great rookie seasons so far, but Dylan Larkin looks like he's back on track with 34 points in 34 games after a rough last season.24. Columbus Blue Jackets (17-18-1)Previous rank: 23Alexandre Texier is tied for second on the Blue Jackets with 11 goals and is on track for the most productive season of his young career despite averaging less than 15 minutes per night. His 2.51 all situations points per 60 ranks third among Columbus forwards.25. Chicago Blackhawks (15-18-5)Previous rank: 25 Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyThe Seth Jones trade was relentlessly mocked as an overpayment, and while many still feel the same way today, the 27-year-old has ignored critics and quietly put together a quality debut season in the Windy City. Jones is third on the team with 25 points in 35 games while logging a whopping 25:54 per night.26. New Jersey Devils (14-18-5)Previous rank: 27Jesper Bratt may lead the Devils with 32 points in 34 games, but it still feels like he's very unheralded around the league. His 58.2 xGF% also leads the Devils by a whopping 4%.27. Philadelphia Flyers (13-17-7)Previous rank: 22Cam Atkinson has proven to be a nice addition. He clearly can't cure what ails the underachieving Flyers on his own, but he leads the club with 15 goals and is second with 28 points.28. Ottawa Senators (11-18-2)Previous rank: 28The Senators' blue line has been a disaster at times this season, but Artem Zub has been one of the few steadying presences. He trails only noted workhorse Thomas Chabot in average ice time at 21:59.29. Buffalo Sabres (11-20-6)Previous rank: 30Kyle Okposo is authoring a renaissance year with a team-leading 23 points in 35 games. It's a welcome development for the veteran sniper, who was sidelined by an unfortunate string of injuries for each of the past two seasons.30. Arizona Coyotes (8-24-4)Previous rank: 32 Norm Hall / National Hockey League / GettyKarel Vejmelka deserves a tip of the cap. He gets pelted with rubber every night on one of the worst teams on paper in recent memory, but he's posted a respectable .906 save percentage. It's his first season playing in North America, too.31. Seattle Kraken (10-23-4)Previous rank: 29Jamie Oleksiak is 6-foot-7, skates well, can play both sides, and has posted superb underlying metrics this season. He's a player almost every team in the league wishes they had.32. Montreal Canadiens (7-24-5)Previous rank: 31There isn't much to like about the Canadiens' season so far, but Alexander Romanov deserves more credit than he's getting. He's in just his second season, but the 22-year-old has taken on a much bigger role with the Canadiens due to their thin blue line. It's been rough at times for him, but overall he continues to show immense promise in his development.(Analytics sources: Evolving-Hockey, Natural Stat Trick)Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid was nearly at a loss for words after his club's 6-4 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday."I'm not sure what to tell you," McDavid said when asked to evaluate what happened in the defeat. "Obviously, it's been a long layoff. Come in and work ourselves to a 3-1 lead and give it away."The 25-year-old added: "I wish I had an answer for you. We've talked it over and over and over again in that room and, obviously, we haven't found an answer yet. That being said, we gotta show up, and we got three practices here before our next one, and we get back to work."The Oilers entered the third period of Saturday's contest with a 3-1 lead but surrendered five goals in the final frame. It was Edmonton's first contest in 10 days after several of its games were postponed.McDavid finished the game without a point, with the Oilers getting goals from Brendan Perlini, Darnell Nurse, Zack Kassian, and Kailer Yamamoto. Third-string goaltender Stuart Skinner allowed five goals on 25 shots.Kassian didn't offer any excuses about the team's performance."Hockey's a weird game at times. (This is) the same group at the beginning of the year that was one of the best teams in the league, and now we seem like we're finding ways to lose when we need to find ways to win," he said. "That snowball going downhill, I don't think that's an excuse anymore. We had that off break; all those postponements, I think, was a perfect time to regroup."The Oilers sit sixth in the Pacific Division with an 18-15-2 record. The club is 2-6-2 in its last 10 games after a hot start to the 2021-22 season.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Dallas Stars are ramping up their efforts to trade disgruntled defenseman John Klingberg, reports Sportsnet's Jeff Marek.Klingberg's name has been in the rumor mill for much of the season. Earlier this month, he said contract negotiations with the club were quiet and that he didn't feel appreciated.The 29-year-old is a pending unrestricted free agent and is likely to draw plenty of interest leading up to the trade deadline from contenders looking to bolster the right side of their blue line. The Carolina Hurricanes are among the teams that have inquired about the blue-liner's availability, Marek previously reported.Klingberg carries a $4.25-million cap hit and a $6-million base salary, according to CapFriendly. He's spent his entire career with the Stars after being drafted in the fifth round in 2010.The smooth-skating Swede broke into the NHL in 2014-15 and has collected 344 points in 508 games - good for ninth among all defensemen over that span.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's been 99 games since Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner's last power-play goal, which seems almost unbelievable given his penchant to light up the scoresheet.The last time Marner scored on the power play was in February 2020. He somehow still led the Leafs with 14 power-play points in 55 games in the 2020-21 season despite never lighting the lamp on the man advantage.For Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe, Marner's lack of power-play goals is eyebrow-raising, but he isn't pushing the panic button."I find it odd and we're aware of it ... we're trying to do different things to help something to fall for him," Keefe said Saturday, according to the Toronto Sun's Terry Koshan. "This season, our PP has been as good as anyone in the league. I'm not too concerned about it."The Leafs' power-play percentage is 29.6%, tied for second in the league with the St. Louis Blues - their opponents Saturday night.Toronto's production is far better than it was last year. Its power play was firmly in the middle of the pack with a 20% success rate.Heading into this campaign, the Leafs brought in Spencer Carbery to take over power-play coaching duties from Manny Malhotra, who remains on the coaching staff.Marner has seven power-play points in 26 games so far this season.The Markham, Ontario, native missed Toronto's last three games due to COVID-19 protocol and said Friday that he's ready for Saturday's contest, according to The Hockey News' David Alter.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Dallas Stars head coach Rick Bowness appears to be sick and tired of road losses.His club fell victim to a 7-1 thrashing at the hands of the league-leading Florida Panthers on Friday night, dropping Dallas' road record to a dreadful 4-11-1 on the season. The Stars have only one regulation victory away from American Airlines Center in 2021-22."We have some guys who are very comfortable playing at home and very uncomfortable playing on the road," Bowness said postgame, according to The Athletic's Saad Yousuf. "It's very obvious."The Stars found themselves two goals behind less than 10 minutes into Friday's clash. Florida eventually went ahead 6-0 before Roope Hintz stopped the bleeding with a third-period tally.Bowness didn't mince words about what went wrong."There was a lot," he said. "A lot. It starts with just not being willing to compete. Starts with that. If you don't want to work, you don't want to compete, you get that."Bowness has made his frustration clear on numerous occasions of late. He was fined $25,000 by the league after destroying a stick on the Stars' bench following a 2-1 road loss to the St. Louis Blues on Sunday.Dallas sits three points outside a wild-card spot in the Western Conference with four games in hand. Despite their road woes, the Stars have been able to stay in the race thanks to a 14-3-1 record at home.The Stars return to the ice Saturday in Tampa Bay.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon didn't hold back when discussing teammate Nazem Kadri's current exclusion from the upcoming All-Star Game."It's silly. I don't think every team should send a guy," said MacKinnon, the Central Division's All-Star captain, according to The Athletic's Peter Baugh.MacKinnon added: "It's an All-Star Game, not a participation game."Kadri is easily having the best season of his career so far, posting 48 points in 30 games. He ranks fourth in the league in points and second in points per game.However, the NHL's current All-Star format requires each team to have at least one representative. Arizona Coyotes forward Clayton Keller was named an All-Star for the Central Division despite having 22 fewer points than Kadri in four more games.Now, Kadri's fate rests in the hands of fans as he can still be voted in as one of the "Last Men In."MacKinnon also believes the Avalanche should have "five or six" guys on the team. Although Cale Makar earned an All-Star nod, other notable teammates like Mikko Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog, and Devon Toews weren't recognized.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers placed goaltender Alex Stalock on waivers, the team announced Friday.The move marks the next step in the 34-year-old's journey back to the NHL. Stalock was initially expected to miss the entirety of the 2021-22 season due to a heart condition.If he passes through waivers, the Oilers intend to have Stalock play in the AHL if his health permits, according to The Athletic's Daniel Nugent-Bowman.The Athletic's Michael Russo reported earlier this week that Stalock had been cleared by his doctor and was headed to Bakersfield, California - the site of the Oilers' AHL affiliate - to take a physical. Russo added that Stalock would be placed on waivers if he cleared his physical.When addressing Stalock's condition at the beginning of training camp in September, Oilers general manager Ken Holland said the goaltender's heart issue was flagged after he underwent more tests following the team's physical exam at the end of the 2020-21 campaign.Stalock started the 2020-21 season as a member of the Minnesota Wild and was waived by the team in late February. The Oilers picked him up, but Stalock spent the majority of the season on the taxi squad and didn't end up playing in a single game.He logged a .910 save percentage across 38 appearances in 2019-20 - his last taste of NHL action.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston Bruins winger Brad Marchand isn't fazed after being snubbed from the 2022 All-Star Game."I'm not bothered at all," the 33-year-old said to the media Friday."It's a nice event to go to some years. Depends on where it is, but Vegas is obviously a good spot."The two-time All-Star erupted for 41 points in 29 games to start the season and looked poised to get in on the fun once more. However, he will ultimately be left off the Atlantic Division roster after teammate Charlie McAvoy was chosen for the "Last Men In" ballot.For now, captain Patrice Bergeron is Boston's sole representative in Las Vegas, and Marchand wouldn't have it any other way."Bergy's been our best player for 18 years now. He's the best two-way player in the league. He's the backbone to our team," Marchand said. "I'm not surprised at all that he's there. He deserves to be and he's earned that right. I'm very happy for him."Marchand still called out the NHL's process for selecting the All-Star lineups. Every team must have at least one player compete at the event, including players from struggling squads like the Arizona Coyotes and Montreal Canadiens."That's how it goes when the league format is the way it is. There's guys that probably deserve or could be there," he said.Marchand identified Colorado Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri as an egregious snub. With 48 points in 30 contests, Kadri is fourth in league scoring behind only Alex Ovechkin, Connor McDavid, and Leon Draisaitl.Though Kadri was left off of the Central Division's initial roster, he still has a chance to make the team thanks to the "Last Men In" voting.The All-Star Weekend will take place from Feb. 4-5 in Las Vegas.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With under one month to go until the 2022 Beijing Games, Hockey Canada unveiled the management and coaching staff for Canada's men's Olympic team Friday.Former NHLer and current Arizona Coyotes executive Shane Doan will take the reins as general manager, while ex-Montreal Canadiens skipper Claude Julien will lead the way as head coach."We are excited to continue working with the entire staff as it prepares to represent Canada and build a roster that Canadians can support as it looks to bring home an Olympic gold medal," Hockey Canada CEO Tom Renney said in a statement.With NHL players no longer attending the Olympics due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Doan steps into St. Louis Blues executive Doug Armstrong's place as GM, while Julien replaces Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper behind the bench.Doan, who is currently the Coyotes' chief hockey development officer, has plenty of experience guiding Team Canada in international competition. He served as general manager and assistant coach at the 2021 Channel One Cup in December, where the national team finished in third place. He captured gold as Canada's assistant general manager at the 2021 IIHF World Championship.The 45-year-old represented Canada as a player during the 2006 Winter Games in Italy.Julien has a wealth of coaching experience at the international level, having won Olympic gold as an assistant coach at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi. He served as Canada's head coach at the 2021 Channel One Cup as well.The 61-year-old also has no shortage of NHL experience; Julien has coached a total of 1,274 games and has one Stanley Cup championship.Rounding out Canada's management group are senior vice president of hockey operations and assistant general manager Scott Salmond and director of player personnel Blair Mackasey.Joining Julien on the bench are assistants Nolan Baumgartner, Jeremy Colliton, and Tyler Dietrich. The Chicago Blackhawks fired Colliton as head coach earlier this season."Shane, the entire management, and the coaching staff have been working extensively to evaluate players and build a roster that gives us the best chance to compete for a gold medal, and we look forward to unveiling that roster in the coming weeks," Salmond said.Canada's men's team will kick off its Olympic competition in a preliminary-round clash against Germany on Feb. 10.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We only have three games to work with tonight. While not much pops off the page in terms of sides or totals, a few shot props appeal to me.Let's break them down.Jonathan Huberdeau over 2.5 shots on goal (-125)Jonathan Huberdeau lives for home games. The Florida Panthers forward registered at least three shots in 13 of his last 15 in Sunrise and has averaged 3.6 shots over his last 10 home dates.By comparison, Huberdeau recorded fewer than three shots in nine of 14 games (64%) on the road and generated only 2.1 shots per game in those contests.There's a huge discrepancy between his shot volume at home and on the road. While the Dallas Stars are a strong defensive team, Huberdeau recently hit against quality sides like the Calgary Flames and Tampa Bay Lightning. The opponent hasn't mattered as much as the location of the game.I like Huberdeau to get it done again tonight.Kevin Fiala over 3.5 shots on goal (+105)Kevin Fiala has piled up 43 shots on goal and 64 shot attempts over his last 10 home dates. He leads the team - yes, he's even ahead of Kirill Kaprizov and Ryan Hartman - in both categories.Fiala has been very successful on home soil all season long, going over the number in nine of 15 games (60%) and registering at least three shots in 14 of 15. He's hitting at a good rate and coming within striking distance almost every night.I expect no different against the Anaheim Ducks on Friday. They've been a pleasant surprise this season, but it's not because of their shot-suppression abilities - especially not on the road. They're 23rd in shots against per road contest this season.Look for Fiala to take advantage.Nathan MacKinnon over 4.5 shots on goal (+110)I know, I know. It's a big number. But hear me out: Nathan MacKinnon has registered at least five shots on goal in nine of his last 10 home games. He's averaged 6.3 shots in that span and a whopping 7.6 over his last five.With Gabriel Landeskog out, a bit more of the offensive load falls on MacKinnon's shoulders. He is also in a great spot against an Arizona Coyotes team that really struggles to defend. They gave up 46 shots to the Toronto Maple Leafs last time out (five to Auston Matthews, four to John Tavares; the star centers popped) and I expect a similar performance against this powerhouse Colorado Avalanche team.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Team USA revealed its men's Olympic hockey squad Thursday for the upcoming 2022 Winter Games in Beijing.With NHL players no longer attending the international competition due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States' lineup is a mix of prospects and journeymen. Sixteen of the 25 players are 23 years old or younger, while six of the remaining nine are 30 or over.Here's the full 25-man roster:ForwardsPlayerAgeCurrent TeamNHL rightsNick Abruzzese22Harvard (NCAA)TORKen Agostino29Torpedo (KHL)NoneMatty Beniers19Michigan (NCAA)SEABrendan Brisson20Michigan (NCAA)VGKNoah Cates22Minnesota-Duluth (NCAA)PHISean Farrell20Harvard (NCAA)MTLSam Hentges22St. Cloud State (NCAA)MINMatthew Knies19Minnesota (NCAA)TORMarc McLaughlin22Boston College (NCAA)NoneBen Meyers23Minnesota (NCAA)NoneAndy Miele33Torpedo (KHL)NoneBrian O'Neill33Jokerit (KHL)NoneNick Shore29Novosibirsk (KHL)NoneNathan Smith23Minnesota State (NCAA)WPGBeniers, drafted second overall in 2021, and Brisson, selected 29th overall in 2020, are the most highly touted forwards on the team. Knies, a second-rounder in 2021, has impressed in his freshman year at Minnesota and is a name to watch.Shore is the most experienced ex-NHLer of the group, having played in 299 career games with the Los Angeles Kings, Ottawa Senators, Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Winnipeg Jets.DefensemenPlayerAgeCurrent TeamNHL rightsBrian Cooper28IK Oskarshamn (SHL)NoneBrock Faber19Minnesota (NCAA)LADrew Helleson20Boston College (NCAA)COLSteven Kampfer33Ak Bars Kazan (KHL)NoneAaron Ness31Providence (AHL)NoneNick Perbix23St. Cloud State (NCAA)TBJake Sanderson19North Dakota (NCAA)OTTDavid Warsofsky31Ingolstadt (DEL)NoneDespite their age, Faber and Sanderson could log heavy minutes for this blue line. Sanderson, the No. 5 pick in 2020, won a world junior gold with the U.S. in 2021 and was the captain for this year's team before the tournament was canceled. Faber, a second-rounder in 2020, was also a returning member of Team USA's world junior squad.Kampfer (231 NHL games) is the most seasoned member of the blue line and will be counted on for experience.GoaliesPlayerAgeCurrent TeamNHL rightsDrew Commesso19Boston University (NCAA)CHIStrauss Mann23Skelleftea (SHL)NonePat Nagle34Lehigh Valley (AHL)NoneIt's hard to project who might get the call between the pipes to open the tournament, but Mann has posted a .930 save percentage in Sweden this year following a stellar NCAA career at Michigan.The last time NHL players attended the Olympics was in the 2014 Sochi Games, where the United States took fourth place after falling to Finland in the bronze-medal game. Team USA failed to reach the podium again in 2018.The United States' men's team hasn't captured a medal since winning silver during the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.Team USA will hit the ice for the first time at the Olympics in a preliminary-round clash against China on Feb. 10.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.