The NHL revealed the players selected for the upcoming 2022 All-Star Game on Thursday. The rosters are headlined by familiar faces like Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, and Nathan MacKinnon, but there are also 18 first-time All-Stars.Each division's team will still have one player added to its roster as fans will be able to vote for the "Last Men In." Fans won't be able to choose from just anyone, though. Each NHL team has a designated player that can be voted for. Here's a look at each team's nominee:PositionPlayerTeamFAleksander BarkovFLAFAndrei SvechnikovCARFBrady TkachukOTTFCam AtkinsonPHIFEvgeny KuznetsovWSHFJake GuentzelPITFJakub VoracekCBJFJason RobertsonDALFJesper BrattNJDFJohn TavaresTORFJonathan MarchessaultVGKFJ.T. MillerVANFLogan CoutureSJSFLucas RaymondDETFMark ScheifeleWPGFMathew BarzalNYIFMatthew TkachukCGYFMika ZibanejadNYRFNazem KadriCOLFPhil KesselARIFRobert ThomasSTLFRyan HartmanMINFSteven StamkosTBLFTage ThompsonBUFFTyler ToffoliMTLFTroy TerryANADCharlie McAvoyBOSDDarnell NurseEDMDDrew DoughtyLAKDMark GiordanoSEADRoman JosiNSHDSeth JonesCHIThe NHL requires each team to have at least one representative at the All-Star Game, which, quite frankly, is just silly. It rewards undeserving players on bottom-feeding teams and punishes elite clubs for having too much talent.Here are our five biggest snubs, both from the initial All-Star rosters and the nominees for the Last Men In.Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins Richard T Gagnon / Getty Images Sport / GettyNo matter how well he plays, Marchand still doesn't seem to get the respect he deserves. He's one of the most dominant players in the league once again, scoring at a 56-goal and 114-point pace this season. This isn't anything new for Marchand; since the beginning of the 2018-19 season, only McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have more points than him.The Bruins forward simply dominates the competition whenever he's on the ice, regardless if it's at five-on-five, shorthanded, or on the power play. He hasn't been able to totally shake the pest label he rightfully earned, but simply put, he has been one of the NHL's biggest stars for years now and should be showcased among the league's best.Jacob Markstrom, Calgary Flames Joel Auerbach / Getty Images Sport / GettyJohn Gibson and Thatcher Demko got the nod in net for the Pacific Division, leaving Markstrom in the dust. Both goaltenders certainly have great cases to be All-Stars, but Markstrom has arguably been the best of the three. His 11.82 goals saved above average ranks seventh among all goalies in the NHL, and his .926 save percentage ranks sixth. Both of those marks are ahead of Gibson and Demko.Johnny Gaudreau rightfully got the call as the Flames' representative, but Markstrom should have been one of the two goaltenders for the division. An easy solution here could have been for Troy Terry to be the Ducks' player selected. The youngster is having an incredible season as he's fifth in the NHL in goals (22) and has been one of the team's most important players.Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche Jared Silber / National Hockey League / GettyRantanen drew the short straw here simply because the Avalanche have too many good players. He entered Thursday seventh in league scoring with 40 points in 30 games, and it's ludicrous that Clayton Keller is on the team over him. No disrespect to Keller, but the Coyotes winger has only tallied 26 points in 34 games. Those are solid numbers but not worthy of an All-Star spot. He made it simply because Arizona has nobody better.The Avalanche deserve at least four All-Stars, including Rantanen - one of the game's brightest young stars. But now, he's snubbed just because the Coyotes had to have a representative.Aaron Ekblad, Florida Panthers Eliot J. Schechter / National Hockey League / GettyEkblad has been in the Norris Trophy conversation all season for his strong play. The Panthers blue-liner entered Thursday fifth among defensemen with 32 points in 35 games, eighth in average time on ice at 25:19, and 15th in expected goals percentage at 56.4%.Yes, Jonathan Huberdeau and Barkov are both worthy representatives for the Cats. However, Ekblad is clearly more deserving of a spot on the team than Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres and Nick Suzuki of the Montreal Canadiens. Heck, Suzuki is a forward, and Ekblad still has 13 more points than him.Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers Bruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / GettyThe Metropolitan Division is stacked between the pipes. Frederik Andersen and Tristan Jarry are both having sensational seasons, but you could argue that Shesterkin has been even better. Here's how the three netminders stack up in save percentage, goals saved above expected, and goals saved above average:GoalieSV%GSAxGSAAShesterkin.93616.517.2Andersen.92916.612.1Jarry.93213.418All three are pretty close, but Shesterkin has a slight edge. The key difference is the Penguins and Hurricanes are two of the best analytical teams in the league, ranking second and fourth, respectively, in expected goals percentage. The Rangers, meanwhile, rank 21st, meaning Shesterkin is responsible for bailing out his club more than the other two.(Analytics source: Natural Stat Trick, Evolving-Hockey)Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL announced the rosters for the 2022 All-Star Game on Thursday.Each team will include 11 players consisting of nine skaters and two goalies. The NHL will allow fans to vote for the last player to make each squad. Voting closes Jan. 17.Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Auston Matthews, and Alex Ovechkin will each serve as captains for their respective divisions.The festivities will take place Feb. 4-5 in Las Vegas. The event was postponed in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Atlantic Division PositionPlayerTeamFAuston MatthewsTORFDrake BathersonOTTFDylan LarkinDETFJonathan HuberdeauFLAFPatrice BergeronBOSFNick SuzukiMTLDRasmus DahlinBUFDVictor HedmanTBLGAndrei VasilevskiyTBLGJack CampbellTORMetropolitan DivisionPositionPlayerTeamFAlex OvechkinWSHFClaude GirouxPHIFChris KreiderNYRFSebastian AhoCARFJack HughesNJDDAdam FoxNYRDAdam PelechNYIDZach WerenskiCBJGTristan JarryPITGFrederik AndersenCARCentral DivisionPositionPlayerTeamFNathan MacKinnonCOLFAlex DeBrincatCHIFClayton KellerARIFJoe PavelskiDALFKirill KaprizovMINFKyle ConnorWPGFJordan KyrouSTLDCale MakarCOLGCam TalbotMINGJuuse SarosNSHPacific DivisionPositionPlayerTeamFConnor McDavidEDMFAdrian KempeLAKFJohnny GaudreauCGYFJordan EberleSEAFLeon DraisaitlEDMFMark StoneVGKFTimo MeierSJSDAlex PietrangeloVGKGJohn GibsonANAGThatcher DemkoVANAndrew Brunette of the Atlantic Division's Florida Panthers, Rod Brind'Amour of the Metropolitan's Carolina Hurricanes, Jared Bednar of the Central's Colorado Avalanche, and Peter DeBoer of the Pacific's Vegas Golden Knights were named the All-Star coaches on Wednesday.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The imminent return of the Quebec Nordiques appears to be a long shot at this point.NHL commissioner Gary Bettman met virtually with Quebec finance minister Eric Girard on Thursday about the possibility of an NHL franchise returning to Quebec City, according to The Canadian Press.Although both parties described the chat as "cordial," it did not yield the results Nordiques fans were seeking."We explained that, while we were appreciative and flattered by the interest expressed, unfortunately, we were not aware of any opportunity that could address that interest at the current time," Bettman said."We appreciate that the lines of communication between the parties have been refreshed, and we agreed to stay in touch with each other as circumstances warrant going forward."Quebec Premier Francois Legault announced his interest in bringing an NHL franchise back to the province's capital last November, stating that there were meetings set up with Bettman in the coming months.One thing Quebec City has in its favor is an NHL-ready arena. The Videotron Centre opened in 2015 and contains 18,259 seats, which would make it the 16th-largest rink in the NHL. The QMJHL's Quebec Remparts are currently the primary tenant.The NHL recently expanded to 32 teams with the addition of the Seattle Kraken. With no further expansion plans on the horizon, a relocation is likely Quebec City's best chance at getting a team.There has been plenty of speculation about the Arizona Coyotes' future in the desert in recent years. The city of Glendale informed the team in August that the 2021-22 campaign will be its last at Gila River Arena, but team president Xavier Gutierrez said at the time that the franchise is "100% committed to finding a long-term arena solution here in Arizona."The Coyotes submitted a bid in September to build an arena in nearby Tempe, Arizona, but they reportedly don't currently have the votes in Tempe City Council to get approval. The team's plans for 2022-23 are unknown.The Quebec Nordiques were an NHL team from 1979-95 before relocating to Colorado and becoming the Avalanche.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Chris Wideman has been suspended one game for headbutting Boston Bruins forward Erik Haula during Wednesday night's contest, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Thursday.The incident occurred in the middle of a scrum during the third period. Haula entered the fray and grabbed Wideman from behind. In the ensuing scuffle, Wideman thrust his head against Haula's.

Our shot props have gone a little cold over the last couple days. Even so, we're still having a fantastic season. Our record sits at 110-90 for +15.31 units.Let's dive into a couple of my favorite props as we look to get back on track.Elias Lindholm over 2.5 shots on goal (-120)Elias Lindholm is one of those guys with extreme home and away splits. On home soil, his shot volume is remarkably consistent. He's averaged 3.45 shots on goal and five shot attempts per game in Calgary. That's led to great success with his shot props, as he's gone over the number (2.5) in eight of 11 contests and fallen just one shot shy in two of the other three.Beyond the Saddledome, it's a drastically different story. He's hit three shots in just eight of 22 away games, recording one shot or fewer eight different times. That's no coincidence, since he's averaged just 3.54 attempts per game on the road. The shot volume is not even in the same stratosphere.Luckily for us, Lindholm is back at home and finds himself in a very juicy spot. The Ottawa Senators rank last in shot suppression on the road, and not just at five-on-five: They also allow shot attempts at a higher rate on the penalty kill than any other team.They are a defensive mess. Tonight, they should be rusty as well; they're playing just their second game since Dec. 18.I expect the Flames to dictate play and pile up the shots. Lindholm, their No. 1 pivot, should be at the forefront of the fun.Patrick Kane over 3.5 shots on goal (-115)Patrick Kane is a volume shooter and one of the best offensive talents in the NHL, and Thursday night, he's drawing the best matchup you could hope for.The Montreal Canadiens are a horrendous team that's missing a plethora of players due to injuries and COVID-19. As such, they're getting railroaded on a regular basis - and bleeding shots in the process.Over the last 10 games, the Canadiens rank last in shots on goal against per 60 minutes across all game states. Thursday's visit to the Chicago Blackhawks is the latter half of a road back-to-back, so there's not much reason to expect improvement.Look for Kane to take advantage.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.

NHL veteran Eric Staal signed a professional tryout contract with the Minnesota Wild's AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild announced Thursday.The 37-year-old Staal plans to see where he's at physically with Iowa in hopes of playing for Team Canada at the Beijing Olympics, according to The Athletic's Michael Russo.NHL players won't compete in the international tournament this year due to COVID-19 issues.Staal, who was an unrestricted free agent, spent four seasons with Minnesota from 2016-20. He last played for the Montreal Canadiens during their Stanley Cup Final run, registering eight points in 21 games while averaging 11:31 of ice time per contest.The forward has represented Canada at the Olympic Games before, winning a gold medal in 2010 in Vancouver.Staal hasn't played in an AHL game since 2005 when he put up 77 points in 77 contests for the now-defunct Lowell Lock Monsters. He's set to play Friday when Iowa squares off against the Chicago Wolves, per Russo.The Ontario native was drafted second overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2003. He has 441 goals and 593 assists in 1,293 career NHL games.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With a jam-packed 11-game slate on the docket, let's get right into our best bets.Blue Jackets (+220) @ Hurricanes (-260)I've been attacking the Columbus Blue Jackets a lot of late and the returns have been very strong. I'm going right back to the well Thursday with the Carolina Hurricanes.Columbus is playing very poor hockey right now. The team controlled just 43% of the expected goals at five-on-five over the last 10 games.By comparison, the Hurricanes rank first in the NHL during that time with a 60.73 xGF% at five-on-five. They should dominate the run of play and pile up chances, especially considering their star power and the ability to get advantageous matchups with last change.I think the Hurricanes will take care of business with relative ease, especially if Columbus is missing important players. Blue Jackets head coach Brad Larsen mentioned a few things are up in the air - including the status of Jakub Voracek.Bet: Hurricanes -1.5 (-110)Kraken (+175) @ Blues (-210)The Seattle Kraken are not a good hockey team. Their goaltending, surprisingly, has turned out to be the worst in the NHL, and they don't have nearly enough offensive firepower to compensate.Even so, I think this line is a little extreme. The St. Louis Blues are a playoff-level squad, but they're not at their best right now. At five-on-five, they've controlled around 49% of the expected goals over the last 10 games. That's about average - certainly not anything to write home about.Vladimir Tarasenko is not expected to play, and neither are David Perron and Brayden Schenn. That's a lot of top-six-caliber forwards out at one time.Seattle's goaltending is unreliable, but the Kraken are not giving up much despite the consistently large goal totals. Wednesday night, for example, they conceded five goals to the Dallas Stars despite allowing only 25 shots and 2.32 expected goals.In terms of goals saved above expectation, Chris Driedger is ahead of Philipp Grubauer by half a puck per game. He's more likely to keep the Kraken in the mix if they deserve to be. With this many key forwards out for the Blues, I think Seattle will be able to keep things close.Bet: Kraken +1.5 (-135)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.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid addressed rumors of Evander Kane joining the club on Wednesday.Kane has been heavily linked to the team in recent days after becoming a free agent. He became eligible to sign with any club after his deal with the San Jose Sharks was terminated for breach of contract and violation of the AHL's COVID-19 protocol."Right now, it's all speculation," McDavid told reporters. "Obviously, Evander is an amazing player and he's had lots of success over the last couple of years. Whatever else is going on, it's not something I look into much."Kane has been the subject of multiple NHL investigations over the past year. The league cleared him in one case after his wife, Anna, claimed Kane gambled on NHL games. Kane was later suspended 21 games for violating the NHL's COVID-19 protocol. He was also investigated for allegations he abused Anna, which the league stated "could not be substantiated.""I’m not really here to discuss optics issues," said McDavid. "If fans don’t like it and media doesn’t like it, I think it is what it is. I think there are a lot of things that go on the ice and whatnot that fans don’t like and we don’t necessarily have to discuss that up here with you guys."McDavid added: "I think Evander is a great player and can help us a lot on the ice and that’s first and foremost."Oilers general manager Ken Holland confirmed Tuesday he's spoken to Kane's agent, but it appears unlikely Kane signs anytime soon. Teams were recently notified that the NHL is investigating Kane for crossing the U.S.-Canada border in December eight days after testing positive for COVID, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported.Kane, 30, played five games for the AHL's San Jose Barracuda this season, notching eight points. He had a career year for the Sharks in 2020-21, registering a team-leading 49 points across 56 contests.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Chicago Blackhawks called up top prospect Lukas Reichel and assigned him to the taxi squad, the team announced Wednesday.The 19-year-old will make his NHL debut Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens, Blackhawks interim head coach Derek King confirmed, according to Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times.The plan is for Reichel to play a couple of NHL games before returning to the AHL's Rockford IceHogs."He's obviously one of our highly skilled prospects coming up, and we want to do it right," King said, according to Pope. "There's been years of seeing players get called up early, started too early, and they don't end up finishing with your team ... The process is going to be key."Reichel leads the IceHogs with 20 points in 20 games and was recently named AHL Player of the Week after logging three goals and three assists in two contests.The Blackhawks selected the German 17th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft.Chicago sits seventh in the Central Division with a 13-18-5 record. The team has the fifth-fewest goals in the league (87) and the third-worst goal differential (-34).Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Kingston Frontenacs forward Shane Wright tops Central Scouting's midseason North American skater rankings leading up to the 2022 NHL Draft.The latest lists for North American and international players were released Wednesday.Here are the top 10 for each pool.North American skatersRankPlayerPositionTeam (League)1Shane WrightCKingston (OHL)2Logan CooleyCUSA U-18 (NTDP)3Matt SavoieCWinnipeg (WHL)4Conor GeekieCWinnipeg (WHL)5Pavel MintyukovDSaginaw (OHL)6Cutter GauthierLWUSA U-18 (NTDP)7Jack HughesCNortheastern (H-East)8Jimmy SnuggerudRWUSA U-18 (NTDP)9Denton MateychukDMoose Jaw (WHL)10Tristan LuneauDGatineau (QMJHL)Wright has dominated the OHL, registering 11 goals and 19 assists in 22 games. That production is par for the course for the young star, who put up 66 points in 58 games during his rookie year.The 18-year-old added one assist in two games during the short-lived 2022 World Junior Championship, which was canceled due to COVID-19 issues.International skatersRankPlayerPositionTeam (League)1Joakim KemellRWJYP (Finland)2Juraj SlafkovskyLWTPS (Finland)3Danila YurovRWMagnitogorsk (Russia)4David JiricekDPlzen (Czech)5Brad LambertCJYP (Finland)6Simon NemecDNitra (Slovakia)7Marco KasperCRogle (Sweden)8Ivan MiroshnichenkoLWOmsk Krylia (Russia-2)9Jonathan LekkerimakiRWDjurgarden Jr. (Sweden-Jr)10Alexander PerevalovLWYaroslavl 2 (Russia-Jr)The 2022 NHL Draft will take place from July 7-8.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL has informed teams that it is investigating Evander Kane for crossing the U.S.-Canada border eight days after he tested positive for COVID-19 in December, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.The development will likely prevent the free-agent forward from signing a deal in the short term as teams await the investigation's results, Friedman added.Kane reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 on Dec. 21 and flew to Vancouver on Dec. 29, according to Friedman. The San Jose Sharks apparently say that Kane didn't have medical clearance to do so.The Sharks placed Kane on unconditional waivers Saturday for the purpose of terminating his contract, citing a "breach of his NHL Standard Player Contract and for violation of the AHL COVID-19 protocols."The 30-year-old cleared waivers Sunday and is an unrestricted free agent. The NHLPA reportedly filed a grievance Sunday night to challenge the voiding of his contract.Kane is free to sign elsewhere while awaiting the results of the grievance, sources told TSN's Pierre LeBrun.Despite the controversies surrounding Kane, some teams are still showing interest.Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland confirmed Tuesday that he's spoken to Kane's agent, Dan Milstein, and said he believes in "second chances."This isn't the first time Kane has been at the center of a league investigation.The NHL cleared Kane in a September investigation focused on allegations from his estranged wife, Anna, that he gambled on NHL games.Two subsequent league probes looked into Kane's alleged use of a fake vaccination card and allegations that he'd abused Anna. He was suspended 21 games for violating the NHL's COVID-19 protocol in October, while the league said the domestic abuse investigation "could not be substantiated."Kane cleared waivers in late November before reporting to the AHL's San Jose Barracuda, where he put up eight points in five games.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tuesday was another great success for our best bets. We went 2-0, pushing our record to 10-2 since last Monday.We'll aim for another winning night as we attack this three-game slate.Kraken (+160) @ Stars (-150)Alright, it's time for the ultimate heat check. It's time to bet an under involving the Kraken.Even though Seattle's offense isn't exactly potent, unders are a scary proposition due to the poor quality of its goaltending. Still, value is value and I see it on the under. Despite playing lifeless hockey, the Kraken give up very few chances, believe it or not.At five-on-five, they rank 31st in high-danger chances per 60 minutes over the last 10 games, ahead of only the Sabres. On the flip side, Seattle ranks 3rd in high-danger chances against per 60.The Stars also play pretty slow, defense-first hockey, so they won't pull the Kraken out of their comfort zone. At five-on-five, Dallas ranks eighth in high-danger chances against per 60 over the last 10.When the team does give up a high-danger chance, it has Jake Oettinger (.923 save percentage) there to clean up the mess.If Philipp Grubauer's performance isn't a complete disaster - a big if, I know - this game should stay under.Bet: Under 6 goals (-125)Morgan Rielly over 2.5 shots on goal (-115)Rielly has shot the puck a lot lately, registering at least three shots in eight of the last 10 games.His attempts per game in that span are around 0.5 higher than they were over his first 24 contests.The Coyotes allow the most shots per game to defenders this season, making them a dream matchup. They concede 10.91 per game - the Senators (10.69) are the only other team giving up more than 10.2 per contest.Arizona clearly lags behind the rest of the pack and I like Rielly to take advantage of that.Bonus round: Mike Hoffman over 2.5 shots (-115). Hoffman consistently plays 18-19 minutes per game and we've seen an uptick in shots as a result. He recorded three shots or more in eight of the last 10 games. Even against a stingy Bruins team, I see value in this price.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 Buffalo Sabres' crease continues to take hits.Goaltenders Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Malcolm Subban are week-to-week and month-to-month, respectively, after suffering injuries in Tuesday's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Sabres announced Wednesday.Veteran netminder Craig Anderson is still listed as month-to-month, while Dustin Tokarski remains week-to-week after a bout with COVID-19.

Maybe it's the byproduct of expanding to 32 teams. Maybe it's the opportunity provided by COVID-19-related absences. Maybe it's just the way the NHL functions with the salary cap stuck at $81.5 million.Whatever the rationale, plenty of obscure players have assumed key roles through three months of the 2021-22 season. On any given night, a relative nobody has produced a wild highlight or statistic.With this in mind, we've again identified three forwards, two defensemen, and one goalie who have so far updated their NHL status from "nobody" to "somebody." Together, they make up the All-Nobody Team - 2021-22 edition.To create structure, the player pool was limited to those who were drafted after the second round or not at all and entered the season with fewer than 500 regular-season minutes played. (Same criteria as last year.)OK, let's get to the squad:Tanner Jeannot, Predators, F John Russell / Getty ImagesThey protected who?That was a common reaction when the NHL announced Jeannot was on the Predators' nine-player protection list ahead of the Seattle expansion draft. To some observers, Jeannot's inclusion appeared to be a necessary step if Preds general manager David Poile wanted to expose Matt Duchene and Ryan Johansen, a pair of underperforming star forwards.Boy, were those people - myself included - dead wrong.Jeannot, a 6-foot-2, 208-pound left-winger from Saskatchewan, has been a revelation through 37 games. He can skate, score, kill penalties, hit, fight - he does it all."The thing that's really impressive is not so much that he's got the 10 goals to this point," Nashville head coach John Hynes told reporters earlier in January, "but just the consistency level that he's playing with, and him playing to his own personal identity as a real strong power forward that can score. As long as he continues to do that, I don't see why the success wouldn't continue." Emilee Chinn / Getty ImagesAfter the support from his coach, Jeannot has scored two more, including the opening goal in Nashville's thrilling 5-4 overtime win over Colorado. He's up to 12 goals, pacing all NHL rookies. His 23 points trail only Lucas Raymond, Trevor Zegras, and Moritz Seider. Impressively, he's picked up 21 of them at even strength.In 2018, the Preds signed Jeannot out of the WHL as an undrafted free agent. The 24-year-old can now be considered nothing short of an absolute bargain at his $800,000 cap hit for this season and next. He's sixth on CapFriendly's cost-per-point list, wedged between Zegras and Carter Verhaeghe.Jeannot is a noted fitness "freak," and he makes sure to show off his strength and stamina on a nightly basis. He's so far been awarded 115 hits, which is the sixth-most in the NHL, and has also been assessed six fighting majors, tied for second in the league. It's as if the dude's from a different era.Amazingly, Jeannot split the 2020-21 regular season between the ECHL (five games), AHL (13), and NHL (15) before appearing in five of the Predators' six playoff games. It's safe to say his time in the minors is officially over.Michael Bunting, Maple Leafs, F Andrew Lahodynskyj / Getty ImagesIn an offseason shuffle that saw beloved top-six forward Zach Hyman sign with Edmonton, the Maple Leafs brought in Nick Ritchie and Michael Bunting, among others, to address a lack of capable bodies on the wing.The Ritchie acquisition has not been GM Kyle Dubas' finest piece of business. Bunting, conversely, has worked out terrifically as a low-risk, high-reward bet.Bunting, picked 117th overall by the Coyotes in the 2014 draft, has essentially replaced Hyman but at one-fifth of the cap hit. Playing almost exclusively at left wing on the top line with all-world center Auston Matthews, Bunting has scooped up seven goals and 14 assists in 34 games while maintaining elite underlying numbers.A self-proclaimed "rat" (or, as ex-teammate Kurtis Gabriel called him on live TV, a "greasy rat"), Bunting has become the worker bee who gets the puck to Matthews and Mitch Marner/William Nylander. In the process, he tends to piss off the opposition as one of the league's prolific penalty magnets; his 18 minors drawn puts him in a three-way tie for third in the league. (That said, since Bunting's taken 12 minors himself, his penalty differential is just plus-six.)Bunting can also wheel and has occasionally displayed silky hands around the net. He scored 10 goals in 21 games last year for Arizona, so the offensive numbers aren't a complete surprise. Still, the 26-year-old's body of work thus far with the Leafs deserves recognition.Alexander Barabanov, Sharks, F Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesBarabanov checks off a lot of secondary boxes for an All-Nobody candidate.He was never drafted and was completely off the NHL radar until two years ago. And, when the Russian left-winger finally arrived in North America following six full seasons in the KHL, he didn't take off as the Maple Leafs had hoped. He was subsequently traded to the Sharks for an AHLer. After signing a one-year, $1-million prove-it contract last May, the left-winger was scratched on opening night of 2021-22.Aside from garnering a bit of media coverage during his time with Toronto, Barabanov was an unknown four months ago. Since then, the crafty playmaker has found a comfy spot on the Sharks' No. 1 forward trio, lining up predominantly with Tomas Hertl and either Timo Meier or Rudolfs Balcers."He’s got extreme skill," Sharks captain Logan Couture told the Mercury News late last season. "He’s got patience with the puck. Just to watch him in practice, as soon as we got him, he showed up and his skill was evident from the first time he touched the ice."Barabanov edged out Ross Colton of the Tampa Bay Lightning as the third forward on the All-Nobody Team because it's hard to look past the production. Playing 16:49 a night, Barabanov has posted 20 points in 32 games.How much of this is Hertl's doing? Probably a fair amount. The Sharks have nonetheless found a complementary player for their top six.Alexandre Carrier, Predators, D John Russell / Getty ImagesAnybody have Carrier logging 20:31 a game on the preseason bingo card?Also protected by the Predators ahead of the expansion draft, the defenseman has broken out in what's technically his fourth NHL season (he played two, three, and 19 games in three previous campaigns). Through 33 games this season, the Quebec City product has primarily been paired with Mattias Ekholm at even strength - though he's recently taken regular shifts with captain Roman Josi, which must be thrilling for a blue-liner who has some of Josi in his own game.Carrier isn't an imposing presence (5-foot-11, 174 pounds) but his high-end hockey sense and puck skills allow him to play a creative, two-way game. The 25-year-old is second among Preds D-men in points (13) and second among all Nashville skaters in both blocked shots (50) and takeaways (17).Dylan Coghlan, Golden Knights, D Kevin Sousa / Getty ImagesCoghlan is the less obvious pick on defense. His value shows mainly in defensive metrics such as five-on-five expected goals against per 60 minutes.The soon-to-be 24-year-old is second among Vegas defensemen with a rate of 2.28 xGA/60 at five-on-five. (All-Nobody Team alumnus Zach Whitecloud is first at 2.00.) With Coghlan on the ice, the Golden Knights are in the positive in actual goal differential (15 goals for and 13 against) over 393 five-on-five minutes.Coghlan, a righty listed at 6-foot-2 and 208 pounds, has accumulated 11 points in 30 games. While he hasn't always been tasked with stymieing the other team's top offensive threats, Coghlan's been beyond solid so far in a depth role.What's perhaps most intriguing is his versatility: He's played forward in multiple games for Vegas head coach Pete DeBoer. Having a cheap, multi-position player in the fold is a luxury for any team and especially useful for a cap-strapped club like the Knights.Daniel Vladar, Flames, G Rich Gagnon / Getty ImagesThe first half of last season produced two strong candidates for the All-Nobody goalie: fringe Vezina Trophy contender Kevin Lankinen and Kaapo Kahkonen.With a couple of weeks to go, the first half of 2021-22 hasn't produced the same quality or quantity. Yet, Vladar has asserted himself with a respectable .910 save percentage in nine games as the No. 2 netminder in Calgary.Like Flames starter Jacob Markstrom, Vladar is tall - 6-foot-5 - and moves very well in the crease. The Czech recorded back-to-back shutouts against the Senators and Bruins in a memorable November that also featured him turning aside 35 of 37 shots in an overtime loss to the Leafs."Darth Vladar" played in three different leagues last year - the top Czech league for Pardubice, the AHL for Providence, and the NHL for Boston - before getting traded to the Flames for a third-round pick. Currently in the second season of a three-year deal worth $750,000 annually, Vladar costs barely anything. He's an easy guy to cheer for as somebody who's clearly grateful for his lot in life after breaking both of his wrists in a training accident during the 2016 offseason.In other words, Vladar's the perfect guy to backstop the All-Nobody Team.John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

One day after signing a one-year deal to rejoin his beloved Boston Bruins, longtime goaltender Tuukka Rask took a moment to reflect on his fellow veterans' futures in Beantown."We're realistic that we're getting older and the window is closing, (whether) that's a year, two or three years, who knows?" Rask said when asked about his conversations with Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron regarding their long-term outlook, according to NHL reporter Amalie Benjamin. "But it's closing, and we know that."Though Rask added he and Bergeron haven't talked much about their future, he did have some advice for how the 36-year-old can boost his longevity."He should do what I did - take half the season off," Rask joked, according to Boston Sports Journal's Conor Ryan.Rask has yet to play in a game this season after undergoing surgery on a torn hip labrum in June. He signed a professional tryout with Boston's AHL affiliate on Thursday with the intention of making a couple of starts with the Providence Bruins, but Providence's games on Friday and Sunday were postponed due to COVID-19 issues.Rask inked a $1-million deal with Boston but will only earn $545,000 because he signed so late in the campaign, according to PuckPedia."I think the biggest motivation is to play with the group I've played with my whole career and have another chance to win. That's about it," he said.

After scoring the overtime winner in his first game back from a stint in COVID-19 protocol, not even an octopus could cramp San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture's style against the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night.The incident in question occurred under a minute into overtime when a fan tossed an octopus at center ice while play was in the Sharks' end. After San Jose had control of the puck, Couture seemingly directed the linesman's attention toward the tentacled intruder before the official swept it out of harm's way.Play continued, and Couture eventually banged the puck past Detroit netminder Alex Nedeljkovic at the goal line to complete the 3-2 victory."It was weird because the crowd was screaming and yelling, and I didn't know what was going on," Couture said, according to Sharks beat writer Curtis Pashelka. "I looked up; I thought there was a jersey on the ice. Then I got closer and saw it was an octopus."The goal was reviewed for a potential offside call, but the octopus certainly had something to do with it."I went over to the ref, and he said, 'We're making sure that the octopus wasn't part of the play,'" Couture said, according to San Jose Hockey Now's Sheng Peng.Tossing an octopus onto the ice is a beloved tradition in Red Wings history, but the ritual looked a little out of place at San Jose's SAP Center."It's something you don't see every day. It's their tradition. But I guess it brought us luck today," Sharks forward Timo Meier said after the game, according to Peng.Couture, 32, had missed the Sharks' previous three contests after landing on the NHL's COVID-19 list on Jan. 4.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Geno is back.Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Evgeni Malkin made his season debut Tuesday against the Anaheim Ducks, as the team announced he would hours before the game.The 35-year-old center underwent knee surgery in June.Malkin practiced on a line between Kasperi Kapanen and Jeff Carter on Monday, and that trio skated together as the Penguins' second line Tuesday.The 2012 Hart Trophy winner recorded 28 points in 33 games last season.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Boston Bruins signed goaltender Tuukka Rask to a one-year contract with a cap hit of $1 million, the team announced Tuesday.Rask will only earn $545,000 since he's signing so late in the season, per PuckPedia.Rask signed a professional tryout with the AHL's Providence Bruins on Thursday. He was aiming to play in a game or two in the minors to get up to speed, but Providence's matchups on Friday and Sunday were postponed due to COVID-19 issues. He was released from his AHL PTO on Tuesday.The 34-year-old underwent surgery on a torn hip labrum in June - an injury that was expected to keep him out for seven months. He practiced with Boston in recent months while rehabbing the injury.Rask, who was an unrestricted free agent, had stated numerous times that the Bruins were the only NHL team he'd play for.His arrival causes a logjam in Boston's crease. Rookie Jeremy Swayman and offseason acquisition Linus Ullmark have both performed admirably:GoalieRec.GAASV%Ullmark11-5-02.57.917Swayman8-6-22.26.918Swayman would not need to go through waivers if he was sent down to the AHL. Ullmark, who signed a four-year, $20-million contract as a UFA in the summer, would.Rask is one of the most decorated goaltenders in Bruins history. He's the franchise's all-time wins leader with 306 and sits fourth in NHL history with a career .921 save percentage. He won the Vezina Trophy in 2014, the Jennings Trophy in 2020, and a Stanley Cup in 2011 (albeit as the backup). He also led the Bruins to Stanley Cup Final appearances in 2013 and 2019.In 24 games last season, Rask recorded a .913 save percentage. He started 11 more games in the playoffs and owned a .919 save percentage.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Minnesota Wild signed defenseman Jon Merrill to a three-year extension carrying an average annual value of $1.2 million, the team announced Tuesday.Merrill has recorded three goals and eight assists in 33 games with the Wild this season while averaging 17:20 per contest. He signed a one-year, $850,000 free-agent contract with the club this past offseason.The 29-year-old doesn't produce much offensively, but he's posted solid defensive metrics over the past three campaigns:

The NHL revealed the bench bosses for the 2022 All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas on Tuesday.The coach of the team in each division with the highest points percentage through Jan. 10 received the honor: Andrew Brunette of the Atlantic Division's Florida Panthers, Rod Brind'Amour of the Metropolitan's Carolina Hurricanes, Jared Bednar of the Central's Colorado Avalanche, and Peter DeBoer of the Vegas Golden Knights in the Pacific Division.Panthers interim head coach Brunette doesn't have much head coaching experience and was thrown into the fire when Joel Quenneville resigned from his post earlier this season. The Panthers have done just fine during his limited tenure, cruising to a 16-7-5 record since the 48-year-old took over.Brind'Amour won the 2021 Jack Adams Award. His Hurricanes are tied for first in the Metropolitan alongside the New York Rangers with a record of 24-7-2, but the Canes have four games in hand.Bednar has led the perennially contending Avalanche to a 22-8-2 record while helping them navigate a myriad of injuries to their top players.Finally, DeBoer's Golden Knights rebounded from a sputtering start to the season to take the top spot in the Pacific with a record of 23-14-1.The All-Star Game rosters and captains will be unveiled Thursday, and All-Star Weekend festivities are set to take place from Feb. 4-5.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Shot props are the gift that keeps on giving. We were one John Carlson shot away from a 4-0 night. Instead, we'll settle for a profitable 3-1 Monday that pushed the season record to 109-83 for +22.20 units.Let's keep the ball rolling with these three shot totals.Patrik Laine over 2.5 shots (-125)Patrik Laine is known as a shoot-first player, and he has certainly been that since returning to the Columbus Blue Jackets' lineup.He's recorded 17 shots on goal in five games (3.4 per game), which is tied for the team lead. Those impressive numbers aren't smoke and mirrors - Laine has been attempting a ton of shots. He has 35 in those five games, which is a good sign his strong outputs are sustainable.Laine - like many offensive players - has done his best work when getting favorable matchups on home soil. He recorded three shots or more in six of his last eight and averaged four shots on goal over his last five games at Nationwide Arena.The matchup is pretty enticing as well. The Chicago Blackhawks have been a below-average shot suppression team at five-on-five and, of late, they're bleeding shots while shorthanded. Laine's shot is a focal point of Columbus' power play, so he certainly stands to benefit.Roman Josi over 3.5 shots (+115)Roman Josi is a shot-generating machine. He's averaged a mouthwatering 4.6 shots on goal over the last 10 contests and has gone over the number (3.5) in seven of the last nine.The Colorado Avalanche may not seem like a great team to target on paper, but they give up quite a bit to defensemen. They're bottom 10 in preventing shots and points from opposing blue-liners.Crucially, the Avs have also been allowing a lot of shots while killing penalties. Only four teams have given up more attempts per 60 over the last 10 games.Don't underestimate how important that is for Josi, the rare type of defenseman who leads his team in shot attempts and shots on goal while on the power play. The Nashville Predators captain stands to benefit greatly from Colorado's PK struggles.Bonus round: Shea Theodore over 2.5 shots (-125). Theodore is scorching hot right now. He has registered 59 attempts and 31 shots on target over the last eight games. He has gone over 3.5 - yes 3.5 - in five straight. With key shooters like Max Pacioretty out of the Vegas Golden Knights' lineup, Theodore is one of the guys picking up the slack.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.

Ron Hextall still holds an NHL front-office job as general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins, but Flyers legend and longtime executive Bobby Clarke sure seems glad that Hextall's tenure in Philadelphia is over."(Hextall) made some huge mistakes. ... He made himself bigger than the team. That is something I would never ever have thought of with Hexy, because he was such a team player," Clarke, a senior adviser for the Flyers, said during an appearance on "The Cam & Strick Podcast" on Monday.Clarke added, "We've got two or three first-round picks that are never gonna play. That's why we're struggling."The 2017 draft especially stands out for the Hall of Famer."We get the second pick in the draft, we end up drafting Nolan Patrick," Clarke said. "None of our scouts wanted Nolan Patrick. ... They wanted (Cale) Makar. ... Hextall made that choice himself."Patrick played 197 games with the Flyers and put up 70 points during a stint that was mired by injuries. He was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights as part of a three-team deal in July.The Colorado Avalanche, meanwhile, selected Makar fourth overall, and the talented blue-liner looks poised to challenge for the Norris Trophy every season.Clarke also questioned Hextall's decision to trade Brayden Schenn to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for Jori Lehtera, a conditional 2018 first-round pick, and the 27th overall pick, which the Flyers then used to select Morgan Frost during that same draft."That was just as bad. ... I sat at the table three seats away from him when he traded Schenn," Clarke said. "Didn't have a clue."Hextall was named general manager of the Flyers in 2014 and was fired in 2018. The team didn't enjoy much success with the 57-year-old at the helm; the Flyers reached the playoffs twice but failed to advance past the first round."When (former team president) Paul Holmgren hired him, I thought it was the best decision that he could have made," Clarke said. "When Hexy came in - we remain friends, but he alienated everybody right away. He shut his door, he locked the doors. He was the boss, and nobody else was part of it."Hextall played 13 seasons in the NHL as a goaltender, mostly with the Flyers. The Penguins hired him as general manager in February.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland confirmed Tuesday that he's spoken to Evander Kane's agent Dan Milstein."I believe in second chances. It's hard to be perfect," Holland said when asked what he'd focus on in a conversation with Kane.Kane became an unrestricted free agent after the San Jose Sharks terminated the final four years of his contract Sunday. They placed him on unconditional waivers "for breach of his NHL Standard Player Contract and for violation of AHL COVID-19 protocols."The 30-year-old is free to sign with any team whenever he wants, even while he awaits the result of the grievance the NHLPA reportedly filed on his behalf Sunday, sources told TSN's Pierre LeBrun.Milstein told LeBrun on Monday that there's lots of interest in his client from a number of teams. LeBrun added that Kane would sign a one-year deal for the rest of the season.Kane is coming off his most productive campaign on a per-game basis. The left winger led the Sharks with 49 points in 56 games a season ago. Throughout his 12-year career, he's averaged 28 goals and 25 assists per 82 contests. Kane is known for playing a physical power-forward style.If the Oilers did land Kane, it would likely represent the team's only major in-season splash. Holland said that he won't deal away any top prospects or high draft picks in exchange for rentals at this year's trade deadline."I wouldn't do that. I think the answer's in that locker room," Holland said.The Oilers have just two wins in their last 13 games and rank 11th in the Western Conference in points percentage. While preventing goals has been Edmonton's primary problem, the Oilers have also had an issue with secondary scoring.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Detroit Red Wings are adding a familiar Hall of Fame defenseman to their front office.The franchise hired Nicklas Lidstrom as its vice president of hockey operations Tuesday. The 51-year-old will be involved in all aspects of hockey operations.Lidstrom is one of the most decorated defensemen in NHL history. He spent his entire 20-year playing career with the Red Wings, winning seven Norris Trophies, four Stanley Cups, and a Conn Smythe Trophy. The Swede became the first European captain in NHL history to hoist the Stanley Cup in 2008.He and Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman were teammates in Detroit for 14 seasons, winning three Stanley Cups together.Lidstrom's management experience is limited. He served as a scout for the Red Wings for three seasons from 2012-2015. He was also a consultant for Team Sweden at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The best bets continue to run hot. The Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins combined for nine goals Monday night, giving us a sweat-free victory on the over of 5.5. The Los Angeles Kings also came through with a 3-1 win, pushing our best bets to 8-2 since last Monday.Let's keep the streak going!Penguins (-180) @ Ducks (+150)The Pittsburgh Penguins are a true powerhouse. They've won 10 of their last 11 games and have dominated their opponents in the process, outscoring them 47-23 on aggregate. Additionally, they've controlled a league-leading 59.05% of the expected goals in that span.Pittsburgh did this mostly without Jake Guentzel, who recently returned to the lineup. He'll be a difference-maker. So, too, will Evgeni Malkin. The dynamic pivot is expected to come back Tuesday, giving the Penguins a 1-2 punch down the middle that few teams - not the Anaheim Ducks - can match.The Ducks are a nice story, but they don't hold a candle to the Penguins. That shows in the numbers. At five-on-five, Anaheim has controlled just 47.40% of the expected goals over the last 10 games. That's good for 23rd in the NHL, slotting the Ducks just behind a very mediocre Philadelphia Flyers team.I think Pittsburgh will control the run of play at full strength. The Penguins will get more chances, and they have the firepower to make the most of them.Not to mention, Pittsburgh has a real edge in goal. Tristan Jarry owns a .931 save percentage through 27 appearances and ranks seventh among all goaltenders in Goals Saved Above Average (+13.9).While Anthony Stolarz has matched Jarry's save percentage, he lags well behind in GSAE per start (+0.251 for Stolarz, +0.519 for Jarry).With edges across the board, the Penguins should be able to get back to their winning ways.Bet: Penguins in regulation (-115)Blackhawks (-115) @ Blue Jackets (-105)This is hardly the most exciting game on the card, but value is value and I see it on the Chicago Blackhawks.The Columbus Blue Jackets are playing truly horrendous defense right now. At five-on-five, they've allowed 35.32 shots on goal per 60 minutes over the last 10 games. That's good for dead last in the NHL during that span.They haven't fared much better in the chance department. Columbus has conceded more than 30 chances per 60, ranking 27th in that span.Making matters worse is the club's ineptitude on the penalty kill. No team has given up scoring chances at a higher rate while shorthanded during this spell of games.Put simply, the Blue Jackets are one of the worst chance-suppression teams at even strength, and they grade out even worse while killing penalties.That's not a recipe for success with Joonas Korpisalo (.886 save percentage) between the pipes, and it's not a recipe for success against stars like Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat.I expect Chicago to give Marc-Andre Fleury more than enough support in this game.Bet: Blackhawks (-115)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.

Ottawa Senators prospect Jake Sanderson will represent the United States at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, he confirmed to The Athletic's Ian Mendes.Sanderson was captaining Team USA in its quest to win back-to-back gold medals at the 2022 world juniors before the event was canceled due to COVID-19. It was at that tournament where he and teammates Matty Beniers and Brock Faber were extended the invitation by American Olympic hockey architect John Vanbiesbrouck."We were pretty speechless when he said that. We were just so excited," Sanderson said. "We thought it was a possibility, just with no NHL players going. We didn't want to get our hopes up too much, but it was in the back of our minds. And when we were asked, we were just so excited. We were freaking out and hugging each other."The Senators chose Sanderson fifth overall at the 2020 NHL Draft. The 6-foot-2 defenseman has recorded 22 points in 17 games this season at the University of North Dakota. He's eligible for the Olympics, which won't feature NHL players, because he's yet to sign his entry-level contract."That was kind of the first thing that went through my mind. Not everyone gets to do this, and I'm not sure if I'm going to be given this opportunity again," Sanderson said. "So, I'm going to take it while I can and run with it. Not everyone gets to be an Olympian in their lifetime, so that was something I really couldn't turn down."Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL fined Dallas Stars head coach Rick Bowness $25,000 on Monday for his behavior on the bench after the club's 2-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Sunday.Bowness yelled at the officials after the final buzzer, then grabbed a stick and slammed it twice before leaving for the dressing room.The officials assessed the Stars two penalties in the final two minutes of the game, which allowed the Blues to score a pair of power-play goals en route to victory.Bowness was also bothered that Blues forward Brayden Schenn wasn't handed a penalty for grabbing Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen's stick and tripping him shortly before Ryan O'Reilly scored the tying goal."If you're watching the game, you saw what happened," Bowness said postgame, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. "They clearly pulled Miro down. Clearly grabbed his stick and pulled him down. That's my opinion. They got lucky."The Blues' Jordan Kyrou netted the winner with 29 seconds remaining.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vancouver Canucks are open to the idea of trading backup goaltender Jaroslav Halak, reports the Toronto Star's Chris Johnston.Halak has two performance bonuses tied to the one-year contract he inked with the Canucks during the offseason. He will be owed $1.25 million if he appears in 10 contests this season and will earn an additional $250,000 if he finishes the year with a save percentage above .905, according to CapFriendly.If he can unlock the bonuses, the money would count against the Canucks' salary cap next year. As a result, Halak's contract only carries a cap hit of $1.5 million this season.Halak has currently appeared in eight games and owns a .915 save percentage this season. He's finished with a mark below .905 only once in his career - in 2012-13 with the St. Louis Blues - and appeared in fewer than 10 games once in 2007-08.Thatcher Demko is locked into the Canucks' starting role, as he's played 27 games this season. The club also has goaltender Spencer Martin on its taxi squad and youngster Michael DiPietro in the AHL.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Buffalo Sabres are giving one of their top prospects his first taste of NHL action this week.Jack Quinn will make his debut against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night, Sabres head coach Don Granato confirmed Monday."I'm excited for him because he's done so well in the American Hockey League that there's a lot of things in the (AHL) that are just easy for him now after gaining experience a year ago and building on it," Granato said, according to NHL.com's Heather Engel."And I think he's ready for this next new challenge, the timing's right for him," the bench boss added. "Again, he's producing at a rate he certainly wasn't a year ago, and it's gotten a lot easier for him there. And it's still work for him, but it's gotten a lot easier. Obviously, his statistics prove that."Quinn is eager for the opportunity."It's pretty cool, it's very exciting," the winger said. "I'm just looking forward to tomorrow."The Sabres selected Quinn eighth overall in 2020 after he lit up the OHL with 52 goals and 37 assists over 62 games for the Ottawa 67s that season. The 20-year-old collected 12 markers and 14 helpers across 20 contests with the AHL's Rochester Americans this campaign.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

This is supposed to be a weekly exercise in determining a valuable price for a team we're looking to bet on in each game that week. With NHL rosters a complete mess, however, it's become more of a warning system for lineup lunacy.At first glance, you might think you're getting the deal of the century on the Seattle Kraken's Monday night visit to the Colorado Avalanche, as the Kraken hover around +325 on the moneyline - a price that's almost 15% higher than it normally would be (around +200). That should set off alarm bells.A bit of research will tell you Seattle is returning from an eight-day COVID-19 layoff, while the Avalanche seem to have hit their stride lately. The Kraken have lost five straight and already fell 7-3 to Colorado this season, so under normal circumstances, the Kraken only had a 37% chance to win the game. With a probable loss, we may never know how the break truly affected Seattle's win probability.What we can do is tell you what the true moneyline (without vig) should be and the moneyline price where we would bet each team. After that, any big discrepancy should lead you to do a quick search into why it might exist, and you can adjust how much risk you're willing to take based on your 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 then how to use those to create your own moneylines.Three weeks ago, we posted my 2021-22 season ratings, which use the metrics I deem important to predict future success. Considering all this lineup inconsistency, I'm going to continue to use an even 50-50 split between those ratings and the preseason priors via the regular-season point-total markets. This gives me a more consistent base for assessing teams in the future, rather than allowing the numbers to be significantly polluted by COVID-generated mismatches.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 just need a 1% edge for a favorite if we're getting better than a fair price on the team that's more likely to win. For the underdog, I'll need 4% or better to make it a bet. On games that I have projected near a coin flip, a 2.5% edge is enough to be a worthwhile wager. Also, I have a 5% win probability consideration for a team playing in the second game of a back-to-back with travel and 3% without travel.DATEGAMETRUE MLPRICE TO BETJan. 10BOS@WSH-103/+103BOS +107/WSH +114SEA@COL+165/-165SEA +197/COL -158NYR@LAK+112/-112NYR +132/LAK -108Jan. 11CAR@PHI-105/+105CAR +105/PHI +116VAN@PHI+173/-173VAN +207/FLA -166TBL@BUF-162/+162TBL -155/BUF +192CHI@CBJ+103/-103CHI +114/CBJ +107COL@NSH-105/+105COL +105/NSH +116TOR@VGK+113/-113TOR +133/VGK -109PIT@ANA-128/+128PIT -123/ANA +151DET@SJS+134/-134DET +158/SJS -129Jan. 12MTL@BOS+187/-187MTL +225/BOS -179SEA@DAL+139/-139SEA +165/DAL -134TOR@ARI-156/+156TOR -150/ARI +185Jan. 13PHI@BOS+189/-189PHI +227/BOS -181VAN@TBL+168/-168VAN +200/TBL -161CBJ@CAR+153/-153CBJ +182/CAR -147WPG@DET-107/+107WPG -103/DET +118NJD@NYI+120/-120NJD +142/NYI -116BUF@NSH+179/-179BUF +214/NSH -172SEA@STL+155/-155SEA +184/STL -149MTL@CHI+149/-149MTL +177/CHI -143OTT@CGY+180/-180OTT +215/CGY -172PIT@LAK+108/-108PIT +127/LAK -104NYR@SJS-103/+103NYR +108/SJS +113Jan. 14DAL@FLA+139/-139DAL +164/FLA -134ANA@MIN+170/-170ANA +203/MIN -163ARI@COL+252/-252ARI +309/COL -240Jan. 15VAN@CAR+134/-134VAN +159/CAR -129NSH@BOS+150/-150NSH +178/BOS -144WSH@NYI-102/+102WSH +108/NYI +113CBJ@FLA+207/-207CBJ +249/FLA -197NYR@PHI-102/+102NYR +108/PHI +113TOR@STL-117/+117TOR -112/STL +137DAL@TBL+175/-175DAL +209/TBL -167BUF@DET+154/-154BUF +183/DET -148ANA@CHI+159/-159ANA +189/CHI -153COL@ARI-201/+201COL -192/ARI +242LAK@SEA+103/-103LAK +114/SEA +107OTT@EDM+217/-217OTT +263/EDM -207PIT@SJS-106/+106PIT +104/SJS +118Jan. 16VAN@WSH+145/-145VAN +172/WSH -140Matt 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.

What a week we had with our best bets. We posted a 6-2 record, only losing because the Penguins and Capitals blew 2-0 leads. Go figure.We'll look for a strong start to the new week.Rangers (-110) @ Kings (-110)The Rangers are not playing good hockey right now. They've won five of the last 10 games - and that's probably overselling the quality of play we've seen.Simply put, they're laboring at both ends of the rink. At five-on-five, they generated just 1.84 expected goals per 60 in that span. Only the Kraken - an injury-plagued expansion team - fared worse.Things haven't been much better defensively: New York ranks 23rd in expected goals against per 60 over the last 10.Since the team struggles to generate or prevent expected goals, it's no surprise that its share (41.18%) ranks dead last in the NHL.The Rangers have stayed afloat mostly thanks to their goaltending. Igor Shesterkin's been a monster as usual, but he'll miss this matchup.While Alexandar Georgiev's numbers are trending upward, Mikko Koskinen and Adin Hill are his closest competition in goals saved above expectation per start. That doesn't inspire confidence he can excel while the Rangers figure things out at five-on-five.This is also a tough schedule spot for the Rangers, who play their third road game in five days. The Kings, meanwhile, haven't traveled since *checks notes* Dec. 19.L.A. is rested, playing very well (fourth in xGF% over the last 10 games), and taking on a New York team missing arguably its most impactful player in Shesterkin. Even if star winger Artemi Panarin were to return, I'd still be comfortable backing the Kings.Bet: Kings (-110)Bruins (-110) @ Capitals (-110)The Bruins and Capitals are rock-solid defensive teams. While you'd probably expect their games to be rather low-scoring affairs, that hasn't been the case for a while.Matchups between the two teams have gone over the number in seven of the last nine meetings. Those contests produced an average of 6.77 goals, with seven or more goals on five occasions.There's a lot more than history leading me to this play, though. For one, Boston has been a scoring machine at five-on-five lately, ranking sixth in the league over the last 10 games.I like the Bruins to stay hot against journeyman Zach Fucale. He's off to a good start in his NHL career, but he owns a sub-.900 save percentage in the AHL this season. As such, there isn't much reason to believe his strong play will continue.The Capitals struggled to fill the net of late but I expect that to change sooner than later. They're fifth in the league in goals this season despite dealing with numerous injuries to key players like Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie - both of whom are expected back Monday.With the firepower available on both sides, 5.5 seems too low of a total.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.

Whew, what a weekend! Shot props went 9-3 from Friday-Sunday, pushing my record to 106-82 for +20.26 units.Let's stay hot and start the week on a high note with today's best bets.Brad Marchand over 2.5 shots on goal (-130)Death, taxes, and betting over on Brad Marchand shot totals. He's scorching-hot, having registered at least three shots on target in nine of the last 10 games.Most nights, it's not even much of a sweat. Marchand has recorded four or more shots eight times in the last 10 while averaging 4.3 during that span.His best work has come on home soil, but he's not exactly a slouch on the road. Marchand has registered four shots or more in six of his last eight games away from TD Garden.The Washington Capitals are far from a preferred target - they're good at limiting shots - but Marchand has routinely recorded four or more since David Pastrnak was taken off his line. Three is a very achievable number regardless of the opponent.Marchand has been very good to us, so we're going to ride the hot hand again in this one.John Carlson over 2.5 shots on goal (-105)John Carlson is another guy who's been featured prominently in this space of late, and for good reason!Carlson has recorded three shots or more in seven of his last 10 games. He's averaged 6.3 attempts in that span, putting him behind only Alex Ovechkin on the Capitals.Put another way, Carlson only needs to hit the target around half the time with the volume in which he's attempting shots.I expect him to do just that in a matchup that's treated him surprisingly well over the years. Carlson has recorded three shots or more in eight of his last 11 games against the Boston Bruins.At near even money, I'll happily take my chances and back him to do so once again.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.

Evander Kane cleared unconditional waivers Sunday, a day after the San Jose Sharks announced their intention to terminate his contract, according to TSN's Chris Johnston.The Sharks placed the forward on waivers "for breach of his NHL Standard Player Contract and for violation of AHL COVID-19 protocols."The NHLPA filed a grievance Sunday night to challenge the voiding of his contract, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Kane's agent, Dan Milstein, also intends to file a grievance, adding that he believes San Jose doesn't have "sufficient grounds for taking this action."Kane is still eligible to sign with another club after clearing waivers, according to CapFriendly. However, it's unclear whether he'd be able to join another team during the grievance process.Milstein says there's lots of interest in Kane from a number of teams, per TSN's Pierre LeBrun. It'd be a one-year deal for the rest of the season if the left winger does latch on with another club.The Sharks and the forward are at odds over a flight he took while in isolation as part of COVID-19 protocol - including whether he was allowed to fly - as well as when he'd return to San Jose's AHL affiliate, reports Friedman.The 30-year-old cleared waivers in late November before reporting to the AHL club. Kane put up eight points in five games for the San Jose Barracuda.Kane has been at the center of several controversies dating back to the summer, which culminated in a hefty 21-game suspension in mid-October after he violated the NHL's COVID-19 protocol.The league cleared Kane in a September investigation focused on allegations from his estranged wife, Anna, that he gambled on NHL games.It opened two subsequent probes looking into domestic abuse accusations made by Anna and Kane's alleged use of a fake vaccination card.Reports also surfaced in August that Kane's teammates were frustrated by his behavior and didn't want him to return to the Sharks. He said in November the locker room's dissatisfaction was news to him.Kane hadn't played with the Barracuda since late December after entering the AHL's COVID-19 protocol.He was the Sharks' leading scorer last season with 49 points in 56 games. He was under contract with San Jose through the 2024-25 season on a deal that carried an annual cap hit of $7 million.Pending the results of his grievance, Kane will forfeit $22,885,000 due to the termination. His cap hit for the remainder of the 2021-22 campaign and the following three seasons will come off the Sharks' books.Kane has 264 goals and 242 assists in 769 career NHL games. He was drafted fourth overall by the Atlanta Thrashers in 2009 and joined San Jose in the 2017-18 campaign.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi exited in the final seconds of overtime against the Anaheim Ducks after suffering an apparent skate laceration to his wrist.Head coach Jeff Blashill said postgame the anticipation is that Bertuzzi is OK, according to The Detroit Free Press' Helene St. James.Here's a look at the play:

Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations Brian Burke knows his club can contend for the Stanley Cup this season but hinted the team likely won't be massive buyers leading up to the trade deadline."What assets are we going to give up to add? The answer is not many," Burke told NHL Network Radio on Sunday, according to NHL.com's Dave McCarthy. "It's time for this team to stop the steady, and this will come out as a negative and I don't want it to because I love Jim (Rutherford), but stop the trend where we are going to give away a lot for a 20% chance at winning. You get close, you add, and Jim did what he was supposed to do. But we have to stop that trend at some point."The Penguins have notoriously been big spenders for much of the past decade and notably under ex-general manager Rutherford. The team currently owns all three of their first-round picks for the next three drafts.In 2020, the club unloaded a first-round pick, Calen Addison, and Alex Galchenyuk to acquire Jason Zucker. In 2019, the club sent three draft picks alongside Riley Sheahan and Derick Brassard to bring in Jared McCann and Nick Bjugstad.After recently winning 10 straight games, the Penguins have shown they still have what it takes to be a legitimate contender in the NHL. However, Burke hinted the club will likely have to work with what they have and reinforcements won't be guaranteed."Do we believe we are a contender? Yes, we do, and we (GM Ron Hextall) have since we got here," Burke said. "Can we add with our cap situation if we decide to? We are pretty limited with the salary cap restrictions that we are under, so making a big deal probably would be difficult to do. But we would look, certainly."The Penguins have a 20-9-5 record and currently sit in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Rangers placed head coach Gerard Gallant in the NHL's COVID-19 protocol, the team announced Sunday.The Rangers previously placed Ryan Reaves, Julien Gauthier, and Igor Shesterkin in the protocol on Jan. 6.Kris Knoblauch will assume coaching duties in Gallant's absence. Knoblauch is the head coach of the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack. He previously served as head coach of the Rangers for six games last season when ex-coach David Quinn was placed in COVID-19 protocol. Knoblauch went 4-2, including a 9-0 victory against the Philadelphia Flyers.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Los Angeles Kings hired Marc Bergevin as a senior adviser to general manager Rob Blake, the team announced Sunday.The ex-Montreal Canadiens GM was fired from his position in November after 10 years with the club."Marc brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our hockey operations staff and will be a valuable addition to our group," Blake said in a press release. "We look forward to his contributions."Prior to joining the Canadiens, Bergevin spent seven seasons as an executive with the Chicago Blackhawks in numerous different roles, including assistant GM from 2011-12."I’ve enjoyed my time away, but I’m excited to join the LA Kings and become an active part of helping the team reach its objectives," Bergevin said. "I have a great amount of respect for (Kings president) Luc (Robitaille), Rob, and the staff they have in place and it’s an honor to provide my input to this highly regarded group."Bergevin's time with the Canadiens was a mixed bag of success and hardship, but he ultimately led the club to a Stanley Cup Final berth last season. He consistently made big splashes in the trade market and free agency as one of the league's most active GMs.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Zach Fucale continues to make history in his fledgling and long-awaited NHL tenure.The Washington Capitals goaltender established a new NHL record for the longest sequence without allowing a goal to start a career by holding the Minnesota Wild off the scoresheet through the first four minutes of the second period Saturday night.Here was the leaderboard entering the period:

Dallas Stars defenseman John Klingberg was blunt when asked about his contract negotiations and future with the club after Saturday's 3-2 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins."I don't think it's entirely true," Klingberg told reporters postgame regarding the rumors that he requested a trade, per Sportsnet."It's not like I've been going out there and asking, 'I want to get traded now,' or something like that. It's something that's been going on with the negotiations and stuff like that."He continued: "At the end of the day, it's a business. I understand it's a business on both sides. I've got to take care of my part as well. It's been standing still."Klingberg concluded by saying: "Lately, it has been going more quietly and quietly. For me, as a player, I don't feel that I've been appreciated in that way when we don't even negotiate. For me, as a player, my agent, we talked to (general manager) Jim (Nill) a couple months back. He agreed that we could start talking with other GMs and see where we were at. Negotiation-wise, with the Stars, it has been very quiet."The 29-year-old's in the final season of a seven-year, $29.75-million contract he inked with the team in 2015. He's set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season.Klingberg has one goal and 16 assists in 26 contests so far this year. He ranks fourth on the team with an average ice time of 21:46, trailing Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell, and Ryan Suter. Klingberg has 25 giveaways and three takeaways while managing a 52.1 expected goals for percentage at all game states, according to Natural Stat Trick.The club re-signed Lindell to a six-year, $34.8-million extension in 2019 and handed Heiskanen a monster eight-year, $67.6-million contract this past summer. The veteran Suter inked a four-year, $14.6-million deal as a free agent during the offseason.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We've absolutely crushed best bets this week, posting a 6-0 record with our picks.Let's look to stay hot as we attack a very busy Saturday card.Penguins (-130) @ Stars (+110)The Penguins are firing on all cylinders and enter Saturday's game as the NHL's hottest side, having won their last 10 games.In that span, they've outscored opponents 31-15 at five-on-five while controlling just under 59% of scoring chances. Complete dominance.What's scary is that Pittsburgh did a lot of that undermanned - Bryan Rust and Jake Guentzel only recently returned to the lineup. Another impact reinforcement is on the way, as Jeff Carter (17 points in 27 games) is expected back Saturday. Oh, and there's also a chance Evgeni Malkin makes his season debut.Put simply, there's reason to believe this already elite Penguins team will get even better. That's a scary thought.While the Stars aren't pushovers, I think they're clearly a tier below Pittsburgh. Dallas' five-on-five chance share is barely above 50% over the last 10 and it's been outscored.The Penguins' hot streak won't last forever, but I like them to finish in the win column again today.Bet: Penguins (-130)Capitals (-110) @ Wild (-110)The Capitals are in the latter half of a road back-to-back and playing without key players T.J. Oshie and Nicklas Backstrom. Still, it's easy to argue Washington enter this contest under much better circumstances than the Wild.Minnesota's roster is a shell of its usual self. The Wild will be without their two best forwards (Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek), two best defensemen (Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin), and starting goaltender, Cam Talbot. That's not even covering all the bases: Regulars like Jordan Greenway and Nick Bjugstad are also on the shelf.Injuries have really taken a toll on Minnesota. It controlled just 43.41% of expected goals over the last 10 games, which ranks 29th in the NHL - sandwiched between the Sabres and Canadiens.Washington enjoyed great success while missing key players - it has points in seven of its last 10 games and ranks in the top 10 in xGF% over that spell.Fatigued or not, I like the Capitals to pick up a win against this bruised and battered Wild team.Bet: Capitals (-110)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.

About a month ago, Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba was connected with a youth hockey player in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area. The main topic of conversation wasn't the local NHL team, skill development tips, or Dumba's career. It was about how the player had been accused recently of "stealing stuff" from his own teammates."It's because he's the Black kid on his team," Dumba told theScore."He's been called racial slurs during games, and by his own teammates. Like, this is insane. For people to turn their cheek and have a blind eye (to these incidents), it's just really frustrating to our group. We see it every day."Dumba relayed that anecdote earlier this week to help explain why the Hockey Diversity Alliance, in partnership with Budweiser Canada, chose to center its new #TapeOutHate campaign on raw examples of overt racism.On Saturday, the HDA and Budweiser released a two-minute video spot highlighting the real-world abuse that many NHLers of color face on a regular basis:Warning: Video contains graphic/offensive contentAfter a short introduction, the video starts by highlighting the kind of racist messages received by the players on social media, including a slur aimed at Dumba, who is Filipino Canadian.Dumba later asks Wayne Simmonds of the Toronto Maple Leafs if he'd consider enrolling his kids in hockey. Simmonds, who had a banana thrown at him in the middle of an NHL exhibition game in Ontario in 2011, replies: "If I knew she was gonna have to face the stuff I faced, probably not."Uncensored and censored versions of the commercial, which was filmed in Toronto last August, have been posted and shared online. The commercial will also be shown on Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday when Simmonds' Leafs and Nazem Kadri's Colorado Avalanche meet in the broadcast's prime-time slot."We wanted to keep things as raw as possible," Kadri said in an interview. "Sometimes, for people to understand, they've gotta see (the vulgar language). I feel like if most people watch it and read those comments, they're going to be disgusted. ... For us, it's about us trying to create awareness and have people see things through a different lens and a different perspective." Budweiser CanadaThe HDA was formed in June 2020 in the wake of George Floyd's murder by a Minneapolis police officer. Active players Dumba, Simmonds, Kadri, and Anthony Duclair, as well as ex-NHLers Akim Aliu, Trevor Daley, Chris Stewart, and Joel Ward, comprise the HDA's executive board. (Another founder, Evander Kane, has been on voluntary leave since last year.) The group's mission is "to eradicate systemic racism and intolerance in hockey."The #TapeOutHate spot has been paired with HDA-themed hockey tape. The rolls of black tape (which are available for purchase online and, as of Jan. 22, at Canadian Tire stores) feature the words "RACISM HAS NO PLACE IN HOCKEY" in white lettering. Budweiser is funding the tape production by Renfrew Pro, with $1 from each purchased roll being donated to the HDA."The truth of the matter is that these are real stories," said Mike D'Agostini, a senior director of marketing at Budweiser. "These are real experiences that the players of the HDA experience - if not every day, then far too often. We felt like it was the right thing to do, to spread that message in the rawest form possible."Over the years, at different levels of the sport, Dumba's been harassed in person and online. "Social media has become kind of a monster behind all of this," Dumba said. He has received hateful messages on Instagram and elsewhere - especially in the summer of 2020, after he delivered a speech condemning racism and then kneeled for the U.S. national anthem before a game in the NHL playoff bubble in Edmonton.Dumba, 27, admits he feels numb to all the hate. "Which isn't right," he said."This is something that I've been dealing with for a long time," said Kadri, who's 31. "And for me to remember certain specific situations when I was 10, 11 years old - you know, this is 20 years ago - it must have had a pretty traumatic impact on me. It was definitely hurtful at the time, but, for myself, I think I had mental toughness to persevere. We're worried about the youth maybe not having that, this really affecting people long term." Dave Sandford / Getty ImagesThe NHL is not involved in the #TapeOutHate campaign. After an initial partnership, the HDA broke off from the league in October 2020, saying the league was "focused on performative public relations efforts that seemed aimed at quickly moving past important conversations about race needed in the game."Dumba said the NHL was "given several opportunities to be involved and participate and help spread this message," referring specifically to the #TapeOutHate campaign, "and they chose not to." He said the league is "scared to create real change and make real difference. At every turn." The blue-liner added: "It always has to be their idea or come from their people."Asked about Dumba's remarks, a league spokesperson provided the following statement to theScore: "The NHL applauds our partner Budweiser and the Hockey Diversity Alliance for their efforts to promote diversity and inclusivity in the sport of hockey. This ongoing movement requires vision and commitment from every stakeholder in hockey. We welcome all who are using their voices and platforms to pursue these important goals and remain determined to continue to use ours and to do the work necessary to create real change."Ultimately, both Dumba and Kadri said, the HDA would like to get on the same page as the league. In the meantime, the group is marching on."There's still racism in our game," Dumba said. "You see it, you hear these stories from these young kids, what they're going through. We've got to stay grinding on this and try tackling this all together."John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vegas Golden Knights sniper Jonathan Marchessault is excited to welcome old friend Marc-Andre Fleury back to Sin City on Saturday.The Chicago Blackhawks netminder is set to play his first game in Vegas since his four-year run with the team came to an abrupt end this past summer after a stunning trade to the midwest."I'm really looking forward to that moment after the video he's going to get," Marchessault said, according to NHL.com's Danny Webster. "He built this city. He built sports in this city. He's the one who made us successful. I'm getting goosebumps thinking about it."Fleury was the Golden Knights' headline pick at their expansion draft in 2017. He previously played 13 seasons and won three Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins before he was selected to join the NHL's 31st franchise.The 37-year-old led the Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season, then won the first Vezina Trophy of his career in 2021. In 192 appearances with Vegas, Fleury posted a 117-60-14 record with a .917 save percentage.Fleury received the warmest of receptions when he returned to Pittsburgh as a Golden Knight for the first time and feels his debut trip to Vegas as a Blackhawk will be the same."I'm sure it will be similar," Fleury said, per NHL.com's Tracey Myers. "It brings back so many memories from my time there. It'll be good to see some of those old teammates and friends and staff from the team and stuff. The fans, right? They've always been very kind to me. So it'll be special."Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

John Olfert, president of Winnipeg Jets owners True North Sports + Entertainment, announced the team will stay put at the Canada Life Centre after exploring the possibility of playing home games in Saskatchewan to avoid Manitoba's attendance restrictions, according to The Athletic's Murat Ates.The Jets had sent out a survey asking season-ticket holders how they felt about the team playing home games elsewhere, with the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon being considered a possible destination, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Saskatchewan currently isn't enforcing any attendance restrictions and the SaskTel Centre can hold a capacity of 15,000 people. Meanwhile, due to public health orders, capacity at Jets home games is limited to 250 people until Feb. 1. Six home contests have already been postponed this season.Olfert sent an email to season-seat holders Friday to inform them that the Jets would not be moving their home games outside of Winnipeg after fans didn't seem too high on the idea, according to Ates.Olfert announced that 40% of survey respondents held negative feelings toward the idea of home matchups being hosted in another jurisdiction, while 30% responded positively to the potential change. The remaining 30% were neutral.The organization said it received thousands of survey responses, according to the Winnipeg Sun's Scott Billeck.The Jets have fared better at home than they have on the road so far this season, posting a record of 10-6-1 in Winnipeg.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

There are just two games on Friday's schedule. While I don't see much value on the board in terms of sides and totals, it's a much different story with player props.Let's break down a couple of my favorite shot totals.John Carlson over 2.5 shots on goal (-105)Carlson's shot production has seen a nice uptick of late. He has piled up 35 shots on goal (63 total attempts) over the last 10 games for an average of 3.5.He has registered at least three shots on goal in seven of those 10 games, good for a 70% hit rate. Carlson finds himself in a sneaky-good matchup to continue his shooting success.The Blues have been giving up a lot of shots. They've conceded 351 shots to defenseman this season, which ties them with the Devils for most in the NHL. On a per-game basis, only the Senators, Blue Jackets, and Coyotes have allowed more to defenders.With the Capitals missing some key weaponry up front - Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie are likely out - Carlson could be relied upon to help pick up the slack offensively.Teuvo Teravainen over 2.5 shots on goal (+100)Teravainen is quietly enjoying a really strong season. He has done his best work on home soil, averaging 3.5 shots on goal per game and going over the number (2.5) 10 times in 13 appearances.By comparison, Teravainen is averaging just 2.3 shots on goal on the road. That's no coincidence; he has fewer shot attempts in 18 away games than he does in just 13 at home.With Friday's game being played in Carolina, the Hurricanes will have last change and the ability to get their top players - such as Teravainen - in advantageous matchups away from the Calgary Flames' top players.Teravainen also stands to benefit from a strong scheduling spot, as the Hurricanes haven't played in six days. They're fully rested, healthy, and ready to go. The Flames, meanwhile, are playing on the road for the third time in four nights.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 Toronto Maple Leafs placed forwards Mitch Marner and Pierre Engvall in COVID-19 protocol, the team announced Friday.Head coach Sheldon Keefe said Marner tested positive on Thursday and that both players are dealing with minor symptoms, according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox.Marner has played in just two games since returning from a shoulder injury sustained in early December. The winger has registered six goals and 15 assists in 26 games this season and leads the Leafs' forwards in ice time.Engvall has posted 10 points in 32 games while thriving in Toronto's hard-checking bottom six. The Maple Leafs control over 50% of the shot attempts, expected goals, and scoring chances when the 25-year-old is on the ice at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick.The Leafs assigned forwards Joey Anderson and Brett Seney to the taxi squad from the AHL in a corresponding move.Marner and Engvall played in Toronto's 4-2 victory against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday.Here's how the Leafs dealt with the absences at practice Friday:

It's Tuukka Time again.Goaltender Tuukka Rask signed a professional tryout agreement with the AHL's Providence Bruins, the team announced Thursday.Providence initially expected him to start on Friday against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, but that contest, as well as Sunday's matchup, got postponed due to COVID-19 issues. Providence's next game isn't until Jan. 14.Prior to the postponements, Rask said he believed he'd only need one or two games in the minors before signing a new contract to return to the Boston Bruins."We have a plan in place, so it shouldn't be an issue," Rask said. "I'm planning on playing tomorrow (in Providence), we'll see about Sunday, and then moving forward next week, I should be with the big guys."Rask isn't concerned about money on his next NHL deal."I'm not looking for a big contract," Rask said. "I just want to come and help out the guys and do my part."Rask, who was an unrestricted free agent, had reiterated on several occasions that the Bruins are the only NHL team he'd play for.The 34-year-old underwent surgery on a torn hip labrum in June and was expected at the time to be out until January, leading to the midseason signing. He practiced with the Bruins in recent months while rehabbing the injury.Rask's potential arrival in Boston could cause a logjam between the pipes. Rookie Jeremy Swayman and veteran Linus Ullmark - who signed a four-year, $20-million contract as a UFA to essentially replace Rask - have formed a solid tandem for the Bruins this season.GoalieRec.GAASV%Swayman8-5-22.20.920Ullmark9-5-02.58.917Swayman would not need to go through waivers if he was sent down to the AHL, though Ullmark would."Having one net for three goaltenders, if that's the case, it will be a challenge, but we'll figure it out," head coach Bruce Cassidy said Thursday.Cassidy added that he spoke with Swayman and Ullmark at the beginning of the season about Rask's plan, and both netminders took it well.Rask is Boston's all-time wins leader with 306 and ranks fourth in league history with a career .921 save percentage. The 2014 Vezina Trophy winner recorded a .913 save percentage in 24 games for the Bruins last season. He started 11 more contests in the playoffs, sporting a .919 save percentage.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Two Hart Trophy hopefuls recently landed in COVID-19 protocol, and while Connor McDavid remains out, that shouldn't affect his candidacy unless he misses a significant amount of time.In general, the sample size this time around is also smaller than it usually is due to a slew of postponements, so the NHL's top five MVP contenders remain largely unchanged as a result. However, some have risen, and some have fallen in the order since our last edition.Here are our top five Hart candidates at this point:5. Steven Stamkos Bruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / GettyGPGAATOIxGF%35162518:2251.56Previous rank: 5thStamkos continues to rank among the NHL leaders in goals and points. The Tampa Bay Lightning captain's significant contributions have helped the club remain near the top of the league standings despite playing without Nikita Kucherov for all but four games.Brayden Point was also absent for 14 contests before returning in late December. Stamkos racked up five goals and 12 assists in 13 games Tampa Bay played with him and without its other two dynamos during that span. He isn't logging as much ice time as he used to, but Stamkos is certainly making the most of his minutes.Stamkos is also posting favorable possession figures, and he's doing most of his damage at even strength. The veteran center, who'll turn 32 on Feb. 7, isn't a Hart front-runner, but he still warrants recognition for the value he provided with other key players out.4. Leon Draisaitl Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyGPGAATOIxGF%34262722:5549.02Previous rank: 2ndDraisaitl has cooled off a bit after having a bonkers November in which he averaged over a goal per game and more than two points per contest. But the prolific Edmonton Oilers pivot is still piling up big numbers that have kept him at the top of the "Rocket" Richard and Art Ross Trophy races.The issue with Draisaitl in terms of MVP consideration is that he's been significantly less valuable than McDavid and the other Hart hopefuls by several metrics. Most notably, the Oilers have subpar possession figures when Draisaitl is on the ice without McDavid at five-on-five. Edmonton has an underwhelming 43.41 expected goals for percentage and a 43.22 scoring chances for percentage in those scenarios.Draisaitl's analytic output is just as poor from an individual standpoint. In addition to his sub-50% xGF at five-on-five, the 2019-20 MVP has authored a 46.27 SCF%. That shows the Oilers are failing to control play when he's on the ice in non-special teams situations.Speaking of which, Draisaitl has also benefited greatly from Edmonton's league-best power play. The 26-year-old has scored half of his goals on the man advantage, whereas McDavid only has five power-play markers, Alex Ovechkin has six, Stamkos has seven, and Auston Matthews has eight. So all of the evidence continues to support the argument that Draisaitl isn't as valuable as he might appear.3. Auston Matthews Claus Andersen / Getty Images Sport / GettyGPGAATOIxGF%29201420:3462.17Previous rank: N/AIt's time to acknowledge that the Toronto Maple Leafs star has been one of the NHL's most valuable players this season. The American sniper is tied for fourth in the league in goals and has five more than the next-closest Maple Leaf. He's responsible for nearly one-fifth of Toronto's scoring, which is particularly impressive considering the team's skilled collection of forwards.Matthews hasn't set up his teammates' goals as much as some of the others on this list, but he's been superb at driving possession. The 24-year-old owns a sterling 60.8 SCF% at five-on-five to go along with his stellar xGF% in those situations. He ranks eighth and sixth in the NHL in those categories, respectively, among players who've logged at least 300 minutes at five-on-five.Plus, his goals for percentage is nearly 10% lower than his xGF%, which indicates Toronto's already favorable share of the goals scored with Matthews on the ice could have been even higher had the club converted more chances.2. Alex Ovechkin Scott Taetsch / Getty Images Sport / GettyGPGAATOIxGF%34242622:0851.12Previous rank: 3rdWhat Ovechkin is doing this season should not be taken for granted. The indefatigable Washington Capitals winger has been so consistently productive throughout his career that another standout campaign might be easy to overlook. But he's firmly entrenched in the Hart Trophy conversation in 2021-22.It's not just that Ovechkin is ranked second in the NHL in goals and third in points. That's impressive considering he's 36 years old, but what's even more remarkable is that the Capitals captain is tied for the league lead in even-strength goals and leads the NHL in even-strength points by six. He's doing it the hard way at an age when most players are either on a steep decline or retired.Ovechkin's production is commendable, but his value is what cements him as a strong Hart candidate. The Russian game-changer has amassed more than double the goals of any of his Washington teammates and has 17 more points than the next-closest Capital. Ovechkin is also averaging his highest ice time since 2008-09, which was his age-23 campaign. If not for the otherworldly talent in the No. 1 spot, he'd be the clear MVP favorite.1. Connor McDavid Steph Chambers / Getty Images Sport / GettyGPGAATOIxGF%33193422:3057.74Previous rank: 1stMcDavid tested positive for COVID-19 and missed Wednesday's loss to the Maple Leafs, but he remains the Hart front-runner. The Oilers have also been mired in a slump that's turned them into a borderline playoff team. But unless McDavid is ultimately out long term and Edmonton plummets out of postseason contention, he's clearly the NHL's most valuable player.The superstar, who'll turn 25 on Thursday, can still take over a game unlike any other NHL player. He's not dominating to the extent he did when he was the unanimous MVP last season. But he leads the league in assists, is tied for the points lead, and only Draisaitl is averaging more ice time than McDavid among all forwards in 2021-22.The Oilers are better when the reigning MVP is on the ice without Draisaitl at five-on-five than they are with both of them out there together or when Draisaitl is on without McDavid. All of these trends make it clear that McDavid's value exceeds both that of his German teammate and his other challengers this season.(Analytics source: Natural Stat Trick)Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Minnesota Wild superstar Kirill Kaprizov left Thursday's game versus the Boston Bruins and was unable to return after being boarded by Bruins forward Trent Frederic.The hit took place in the second period and resulted in an upper-body injury for Kaprizov, the Wild announced. Kaprizov skated off the ice cradling his arm as a scrum broke out after the collision.

The New York Rangers placed goaltender Igor Shesterkin in the NHL's COVID-19 protocol, the team announced Thursday.The club recalled netminder Keith Kinkaid from the taxi squad in a corresponding move to join Alexandar Georgiev on the active roster.Shesterkin joins Artemi Panarin in the protocol, but the latter is expected to rejoin the team when it takes on the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday, according to Mollie Walker of the New York Post. Panarin won't play versus the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night.Shesterkin has been one of the league's best goaltenders so far this season, tallying a 15-4-3 record with a .936 save percentage and 2.09 goals against average.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tampa Bay Lightning superstar Nikita Kucherov suited up Thursday against the Calgary Flames after missing the previous 32 games with a lower-body injury.Kucherov recorded a goal and three assists in three games to begin this campaign, the only three regular-season contests he played before Thursday's tilt since March 10, 2020.The Lightning performed admirably without their star winger, entering Thursday's action ranked first in the NHL with 49 points and sixth with a .700 points percentage.Steven Stamkos also played against the Flames after being deemed a game-time decision.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.