The Detroit Red Wings signed forward Robby Fabbri to a three-year extension carrying an average annual value of $4 million, the team announced Monday.Fabbri has registered eight goals and six assists in 28 games this season while averaging 16:59 per contest. His underlying numbers are a bit of a mixed bag:

The Montreal Canadiens' search for a new general manager has begun, and at least three women are being considered for the position, reports The Athletic's Arpon Basu and Marc Antoine Godin.A committee has reportedly been formed to conduct the search. It includes owner Geoff Molson, executive vice president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton, minority owner Michael Andlauer, and former Canadiens GM Bob Gainey.The group has already put together an extensive list of potential candidates but doesn't appear to be in a rush to make a hire, Basu and Godin add.Marc Bergevin was fired in November after nearly a decade as general manager. Molson then hired Gorton as VP of hockey operations, and while Gorton only speaks English, Molson insists he will hire a bilingual GM.A woman has never held a GM position in the NHL. Kim Ng became the first woman to be named general manager in one of North America's four major sports leagues when the Miami Marlins hired her in 2020.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Dallas Stars placed goaltender Anton Khudobin on waivers Monday, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.The Stars entered the season with a logjam in net after adding veteran Braden Holtby during the offseason. With Jake Oettinger playing well and Ben Bishop recently deciding to retire, Khudobin now appears to be the odd man out in Dallas.Khudobin, 35, has one year left on his contract after this season with a $3.33-million cap hit. He's struggled in the seven games he's appeared in so far in 2021-22, recording an .873 save percentage and 3.73 goals against average.Oettinger, 22, has a sparkling .951 save percentage and 1.52 goals against average in seven contests, while Holtby seems to have found his game again as he leads the way in Dallas with 13 starts, paired with a .923 save percentage.Khudobin had a brilliant run with the Stars during the 2020 playoffs, where he led the team to the Stanley Cup Final. He came back down to earth a bit last season, managing a .905 save percentage in 32 contests.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Maybe the head coach matters? Perhaps not always from an Xs and Os standpoint, but at the very least, cleaning house midway through the season seems to grab players' attention. That appears to be what's happening with the Canucks.Vancouver opened the season 8-17 on the moneyline, with an even-strength xG share of 47.89% and an even-worse 45.18 HDCF% at five-on-five, fifth-worst in the NHL.Since bringing in Bruce Boudreau to replace Travis Green, the Canucks are 4-0, with a 51.78 xG% and a 52.17 HDCF% at even strength.Is there a way to account for that predictively? Honestly, other than blind faith, no, there isn't. If you thought the Canucks were 10% more likely to win these games before they were played, you would have bet them and cashed four times last week. However, the Flyers are 2-2 since letting go of Alain Vigneault, and the Canadiens haven't won since cleaning out their front office. In the end, it's all just educated guessing, but if you want to build in a 10% probability bump for a week the next time a head coach gets whacked, it's hard for me to argue.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.I've taken the advanced stats I value most from those games, the market rating for regular-season win-total markets, and last season's advanced stats to rate each team. I've also made adjustments for injuries to key players.With roughly a third of the season played, we can say goodbye to last season's metrics and are now just using pre-season priors via the regular-season point-total markets (60%) and what the teams have done on the ice this season (40%).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.DATEGAMETRUE MLPRICE TO BETDEC. 14OTT@FLA+229/-229OTT +279/FLA -219MTL@PIT+157/-157MTL +186/PIT -151VGK@BOS+118/-118VGK +139/BOS -114LAK@TBL+170/-170LAK +203/TBL -163NJD@PHI+113/-113NJD +133/PHI -109NYI@DET-108/+108NYI -104/DET +127CAR@MIN+119/-119CAR +140/MIN -114BUF@WPG+200/-200BUF +241/WPG -191STL@DAL+132/-132STL +156/DAL -127TOR@EDM-106/+106TOR +106/EDM -117NYR@COL+122/-122NYR +143/COL -117CBJ@VAN+139/-139CBJ +164/VAN -133SEA@SJS+111/-111SEA +131/SJS -107DEC. 15WSH@CHI-122/+122WSH -117/CHI +143NYR@ARI-128/+128NYR -123/ARI +151SEA@ANA+117/-117SEA +138/ANA -112DEC 16LAK@FLA+161/-161LAK +192/FLA -155VGK@NJD-107/+107VGK -103/NJD +125DET@CAR+153/-153DET +182/CAR -147PHI@MTL+102/-102PHI +113/MTL +108OTT@TB+243/-243OTT +298/TB -232BOS@NYI-101/+101BOS +109/NYI +112COL@NSH-117/+117COL -112/NSH +138BUF@MIN+220/-220BUF +267/MIN -210CBJ@EDM+158/-158CBJ +188/EDM -152VAN@SJS+112/-112VAN +132/SJS -108DEC. 17VGK@NYR+121/-121VGK +143/NYR -117BUF@PIT+278/-278BUF +345/PIT -264DAL@STL+105/-105DAL +116/STL +106WSH@WPG+102/-102WSH +112/WPG -109NSH@CHI-122/+122NSH -117/CHI +144ARI@ANA+142/-142ARI +167/ANA -136DEC. 18FLA@MIN-102/+102FLA +108/MIN +113LAK@CAR+133/-133LAK +157/CAR -128BOS@MTL-130/+130BOS -125/MTL +154OTT@PHI+162/-162OTT +193/PHI -155TOR@VAN-120/+120TOR -115/VAN +141NJD@DET+100/+100NJD +111/DET +110CHI@DAL+145/-145CHI -139/DAL +171TB@COL+103/-103TB +114/COL +107EDM@SEA-124/+124EDM -119/SEA +146CBJ@CGY+145/-145CBJ +171/CGY -139DEC. 19VGK@NYI-103/+103VGK +107/NYI +114STL@WPG+126/-126STL +149/WPG -121BOS@OTT-131/+131BOS -126/OTT +155NSH@CAR+127/-127NSH +150/CAR -122LAK@WSH+157/-157LAK +186/WSH -150PIT@NJD-118/+118PIT -113/NJD +139TOR@SEA-140/+140TOR -135/SEA +166ARI@VAN+152/-152ARI +181/VAN +181This chart is a good reference to determine whether you're truly getting value betting on one side or the other. However, keep in mind that new injuries or lineup issues will naturally arise, or in the case of the Flames this week, games could even be postponed.Matt 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 © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Just a few months ago, Cole Caufield was the stone-cold favorite to win the Calder Trophy.Fast forward and the 20-year-old winger has netted just once through 21 games and seems more likely to have another stint in the AHL than to finish inside the top 10 in Calder voting.Let's take a look at the current board and break down how the race is shaping up.PlayerOdds to winLucas Raymond+275Trevor Zegras+330Moritz Seider+600Dawson Mercer+1200Jeremy Swayman+1600Michael Bunting+1800Dan Vladar+2200Spencer Knight+2500Bowen Byram+2500Seth Jarvis+2500Jonathan Dahlen+2500Cole Caufield+3000Alex Nedeljkovic+3000Jamie Drysdale+3000Alex Newhook+3500Cole Sillinger+3500Anton Lundell+3500FavoritesLucas Raymond was one of my dark horses prior to the season. He has lived up to the hype and then some, piling up 10 goals and 14 assists through 28 games while skating on the top line for the surprisingly competent Detroit Red Wings. One of the most impressive things about Raymond has been his efficiency at five-on-five. He's averaging more points per minute in that game state than the likes of Evgeny Kuznetsov, Andrei Svechnikov, Patrice Bergeron, and David Pastrnak, among many others.It hasn't taken long for Trevor Zegras to develop into a human highlight reel at the NHL level. The flashy Anaheim Ducks pivot has picked up 22 points over 28 games and has served as the primary play-driver and facilitator on one of the league's more underrated lines with Rickard Rakell and Sonny Milano. He'll be in the mix until the end.Moritz Seider is going to be a franchise defenseman. You can argue he already is for the Red Wings. He's on pace for 55 points this season and yet his play without the puck might be more impressive than his offensive ability. He has logged more than 22 minutes per night - often against top competition - and has shown the ability to slow down elite players with his fantastic positioning, stickwork, and anticipation. Seider is certainly carrying the heaviest workload in this rookie class, and it sure looks like he can handle it.Wild cardDawson Mercer, like the New Jersey Devils as a whole, has slowed a bit as of late. However, he remains within striking distance of entering the race. Mercer sits two goals back of the team lead and owns a plus-7 goal differential at five-on-five while playing for a team that is minus-4 on the year. Put another way, the Devils are -11 when Mercer isn't on the ice. If New Jersey's power play can get going and help Mercer prop up his offensive output a little bit, he could get back into the mix.Long shotAnton Lundell plays for the powerhouse Florida Panthers so he's not asked to do as much as the aforementioned rookies. Even so, he deserves plenty of credit for what he has accomplished thus far. At five-on-five, the Panthers have controlled 52.50% of the shot attempts with Lundell on the ice. They've fared even better when looking at goals (58.33%). He has helped Florida maintain an edge when its depth lines are on the ice and is already the team's ace on the penalty kill. Lundell has played 65 minutes shorthanded; Jonathan Huberdeau (55) is the only other forward on the roster who has logged more than 40 minutes. Lundell likely needs Aleksander Barkov or Sam Bennett to miss considerable time in order to really push - he won't put up enough points otherwise - but his two-way prowess could place him in the conversation.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Calgary Flames have postponed at least their next three games after six players and one staff member entered the NHL's COVID-19 protocol over the last 24 hours, the league announced Monday.Elias Lindholm, Andrew Mangiapane, Brad Richardson, Adam Ruzicka, Chris Tanev, and Nikita Zadorov are the players that were put on the COVID-19 list, the team announced.The Flames were scheduled to play on the road against the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday night and then versus the Nashville Predators on Tuesday. Calgary was concerned about border issues as its players may have had to face lengthy quarantine requirements upon returning to Canada if they tested positive, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Calgary's home game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night has also been postponed.The Flames are the third NHL team to have games postponed due to COVID-19, following the New York Islanders and Ottawa Senators, and eight games in total have had to be rescheduled.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Team Canada has unveiled the 25 players it will take to Alberta for the 2022 World Junior Hockey Championship.The roster features the next two projected first overall NHL draft picks in 17-year-old Shane Wright and 16-year-old Connor Bedard, as well as 2021's No. 1 selection Owen Power.Bedard is now in an elite company of 16-year-olds who have made the team. Only seven other players were chosen for Canada's world junior squad at that age: Connor McDavid (2014), Sidney Crosby (2004), Jason Spezza (2000), Jay Bouwmeester (2000), Eric Lindros (1990), Bill Campbell (1981), and Wayne Gretzky (1978).Here's the full roster:*denotes returning playerForwardsPlayerCurrent teamNHL rightsConnor BedardRegina (WHL)2023 eligibleXavier BourgaultShawinigan (QMJHL)EDMMavrik BourqueShawinigan (QMJHL)DALWill CuylleWindsor (OHL)NYRElliot DesnoyersHalifax (QMJHL)PHIRidly GreigBrandon (WHL)OTTDylan GuentherEdmonton (WHL)ARIKent JohnsonMichigan (NCAA)CLBMason McTavishPeterborough (OHL)ANAJake NeighboursEdmonton (WHL)STLCole Perfetti*Manitoba (AHL)WPGJustin SourdifVancouver (WHL)FLALogan StankovenKamloops (WHL)DALShane WrightKingston (OHL)2022 eligibleDefensePlayerCurrent teamNHL rightsLukas CormierCharlottetown (QMJHL)VGKKaiden Guhle*Prince Albert (WHL)MTLCarson LambosWinnipeg (WHL)MINRyan O'RourkeSoo (OHL)MINOwen PowerMichigan (NCAA)BUFDonovan SebrangoGrand Rapids (AHL)DETRonan SeeleyEverett (WHL)CAROlen ZellwegerEverett (WHL)ANAGoaltendingPlayerCurrent teamNHL rightsBrett BrochuLondon (OHL)2022 eligibleSebastian CossaEdmonton (WHL)DETDylan Garand*Kamloops (WHL)NYRWashington Capitals 2020 first-rounder Hendrix Lapierre is the most notable cut. The 19-year-old center has already played in six NHL games for the Caps this season. Additionally, Canada didn't invite Los Angeles Kings' 2021 eighth overall pick defenseman Brandt Clarke to its training camp.This squad has no shortage of star power, though, as it features 12 players NHL teams already selected in the draft's first round: Bourgault, Bourque, Greig, Guenther, Johnson, McTavish, Neighbours, Perfetti, Guhle, Lambos, Power, and Cossa.While the club lacks world junior experience, it isn't short on pro experience. McTavish, Neighbours, and Perfetti have already combined to play 20 games in the league this campaign.Power, meanwhile, was a key cog in Canada's gold medal victory at the 2021 World Championship.Canada is coming off a silver-medal result at the 2021 world juniors, as the United States took gold. The team has alternated gold medals in recent years, though, winning in 2018 and 2020, and they're 18-time winners at the event - the most all-time.The Canadians will open their 2022 tournament on Boxing Day against the Czech Republic.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Jacob MacDonald had to be stretchered off the ice on Sunday after taking a big hit from Florida Panthers forward Ryan Lomberg.

The injuries continue to pile up for the Colorado Avalanche.Gabriel Landeskog is expected to miss two weeks or so with a lower-body injury, head coach Jared Bednar announced Sunday.The Avs captain suffered the injury during Friday's 7-3 win against the Detroit Red Wings.Nazem Kadri, who missed Friday's contest, won't return Sunday versus the Florida Panthers after getting hurt against the New York Rangers on Wednesday.Colorado will at least get one player back from injury against the Panthers, as goaltender Pavel Francouz just finished a conditioning stint in the AHL and is set to back up Darcy Kuemper for the first time this season.Landeskog ranks second on the team with 27 points in 22 contests this season. Only four players on the roster have appeared in all 24 games - Tyson Jost, Erik Johnson, Logan O'Connor, and Darren Helm.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Los Angeles Kings defenseman Alexander Edler had to be helped off the ice early in Saturday's game against the Minnesota Wild after getting hit hard into the boards.The 35-year-old landed awkwardly and couldn't put any weight on his left leg after Wild forward Brandon Duhaime checked him along the wall less than three minutes into the first period.Edler got to the bench with the assistance of the Kings' medical staff and immediately went to the dressing room.The team later ruled him out for the rest of the game, and head coach Todd McLellan said postgame that Edler would be out "long term," according to Kings editorial content manager Zach Dooley.Los Angeles has dealt with numerous injuries to blue-liners this season. The Kings' No. 1 rearguard, Drew Doughty, missed 16 games with a knee issue before returning Nov. 30. Top-four defenseman Sean Walker is out for the campaign after tearing the MCL and ACL in his right knee on Oct. 25.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Petr Mrazek is starting on Saturday night against the Chicago Blackhawks, head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed, according to Postmedia's Lance Hornby.Mrazek hasn't played since Oct. 30 after re-aggravating a groin injury. He's only appeared in two games this season, posting a .877 save percentage and 4.20 goals-against average.The Leafs signed Mrazek to a three-year contract worth $3.8 million annually this past offseason. The hope was he would form a strong tandem with Jack Campbell, who instead has taken the job and run with it in Mrazek's absence.Mitch Marner was placed on long-term injured reserve to make room for Mrazek's activation, per CapFriendly.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ben Bishop is hanging up his pads after an 11-year NHL career due to a knee injury, Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill said Saturday, according to The Dallas Morning News' Matthew DeFranks.The Stars netminder hasn't played a regular-season NHL game since March 10, 2020. Bishop made three appearances for Dallas during the 2020 bubble playoffs in August.The 35-year-old underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in October 2020 and has spent the last 14 months rehabbing the injury. The organization assigned Bishop to the AHL's Texas Stars on a rehab assignment this past week, and he allowed eight goals on 34 shots in his lone appearance."It’s no secret, he has a degenerative knee injury, and he went down there, he wanted to be a big part of this," Nill said. "He wanted to do everything he could to get back. In the end, by going through the process, going down there, and playing, he found out that it’s the end of his career."He’s the one that said, 'No, that’s it,'" Nill added. "In the end, he’s the one that had to make that decision."Bishop was a three-time Vezina Trophy finalist (2014, 2016, 2019) and finishes his career with 222 wins, 33 shutouts, a 2.32 goals against average, and a .921 save percentage - the latter of which currently ranks fifth on the all-time list behind Dominik Hasek, Ken Dryden, Tuukka Rask, and Jack Campbell.The 6-foot-7 Bishop proved to be a big-game goaltender as well, posting a 2.27 goals against average and a .924 save percentage in 52 career playoff games. The netminder also guided the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Stanley Cup Final in 2015.Stars head coach Rick Bowness was a Lightning associate coach for five campaigns from 2013-2018."It hurts," Bowness said. "I feel terrible for him because he’s such a great person, and as I’ve always said when he’s on, he’s a top-three goalie in the league. He took us to the Finals in Tampa. When you go that far, you have a special bond."I’ve always felt very close with Bish. I’m devastated for him and his family, I know he wants to play. It’s just a very, very unfortunate thing that’s happened."In addition to his time in Dallas and Tampa, Bishop also played for the Los Angeles Kings, Ottawa Senators, and St. Louis Blues.Bishop is in the fifth season of a six-year, $29.5-million contract. He was recalled from his conditioning loan on Saturday and placed on long-term injured reserve, where he will remain through the duration of his deal.While Bishop would've been a welcome addition had his comeback been successful, the Stars already have a crowded puck-stopper room. Offseason acquisition Braden Holtby and youngster Jake Oettinger have been sensational this campaign. Meanwhile, veteran Anton Khudobin has struggled and is reportedly on the trade block.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal Canadiens forward Tyler Toffoli is expected to miss eight weeks after undergoing hand surgery, the team announced Saturday.Toffoli suffered the injury on Dec. 4 against the Nashville Predators. He was initially projected to be out for a few weeks.The Canadiens are battling an inordinate amount of injuries while struggling to earn wins this season as they sit 31st in the league standings. The club started the campaign with Shea Weber and Paul Byron on long-term injured reserve, and the team currently has Jeff Petry, Josh Anderson, Joel Edmundson, and Toffoli on injured reserve. Brendan Gallagher and Sami Niku are also sidelined due to COVID-19.Toffoli has recorded five goals and 12 assists in 26 games this season. He ranks second on the Canadiens with 17 points.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The people of Saint-Narcisse, Quebec, Yanni Gourde's hometown, packed 10 buses when they flocked an hour south to Victoriaville to watch the last regular-season game he played in junior.He treated them to a show. Gourde's team, the Victoriaville Tigres, handed out thousands of yellow T-shirts to salute his 2011-12 QMJHL scoring title. Coach Yanick Jean wore one to spice up his pregame speech. Then Gourde met the convoy's expectations, eviscerating the Shawinigan Cataractes for a goal and four assists in a 7-5 win."Racking up points," Jean said. "That's what he was doing that year."Offensive punch was Gourde's calling card a decade ago, when he bagged close to two points nightly as a 5-foot-9 overager who'd gone undrafted to the NHL. Gourde was used to the snub; no QMJHL club drafted him, either. From humble origins, he became a Stanley Cup champion twice over, pestering puckhandlers and scoring in the clutch as the Tampa Bay Lightning surged to back-to-back titles.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is pouring cold water on the recent rumors that the Arizona Coyotes could leave the Phoenix area."The Coyotes aren't going anywhere," Bettman said following the Board of Governors meeting Friday, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.The city of Glendale announced in August that it'll opt out of its lease agreement for Gila River Arena after this season, which means the Coyotes need to find a new home building.On Wednesday, it was reported that the city of Glendale was planning to lock the Coyotes out of the arena Dec. 20 due to $1.3 million in unpaid state and city taxes. On Thursday, the club said it settled the debt.Bettman argued Friday that Glendale has it out for the Coyotes and reiterated that the league has no problems with the club itself."There's no issue with the Arizona Coyotes," Bettman said, according to TSN's Rick Westhead. "It's clear the city of Glendale has either an agenda or an edge in the way they are dealing with the Coyotes."There hasn't been an update on the Coyotes' plans for next season in months. However, the team did file a bid for land in nearby Tempe to be the construction site for a new arena.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With the 2022 Beijing Olympics rapidly approaching and COVID-19 cases climbing globally, there's been some concern that the NHL will pull out of its participation in the Winter Games.However, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said Friday the decision will rest in the players' hands."In good faith, we made a promise to the players, and ultimately, this is going to have to be a player's decision," Bettman said, according to NHL.com's Nick Cotsonika.The league committed to allowing NHLers to go to the Olympics as part of a new CBA signed during the summer of 2020. Players weren't permitted to attend the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics.It's been reported that the league has until Jan. 10 to officially withdraw from the Games, but deputy commissioner Bill Daly said there's no hard deadline for the NHL to pull out.Bettman added that "a number of players are expressing concerns" about going to Beijing and quarantine requirements, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. There are no official protocols set out yet, but players could potentially be required to quarantine in China for multiple weeks if they test positive for COVID-19 while there.The Olympics are set to begin Feb. 4 and conclude Feb. 20.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Thursday was a mixed bag on the ice. While the side and total picks in our best bets failed to hit, the three shot props highlighted in the player props article all came through.We'll look to end the week on a high note as we comb through the best bets for the weekend ahead.Predators (+100) @ Devils (-120)

Over to you, Mr. Rutherford.On Thursday, Jim Rutherford - the trade-loving architect of three Stanley Cup-winning teams in the salary-cap era - was named the Vancouver Canucks' new president of hockey operations. The soon-to-be 73-year-old also holds the title of interim general manager while he searches for a permanent replacement for Jim Benning, who was fired Sunday. Bruce Bennett / Getty ImagesRutherford has yet to speak at length with the media, so it's unclear how he'll attack the search. There are a handful of paths he can take here, including:

The New Jersey Devils placed goaltender Jonathan Bernier on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, the team announced Friday.Head coach Lindy Ruff said he's "worried and concerned" about the goalie's long-term health due to a hip injury, according to team reporter Amanda Stein. Bernier has been dealing with the injury all season.The 33-year-old has appeared in 10 games this season, going 4-4-1 with a .906 save percentage and a 3.06 goals-against average. He started off the season hot - rattling off three straight wins - but has lost five of his last six.The club recalled netminder Akira Schmid in a corresponding move.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Winnipeg Jets have loaned forward Cole Perfetti to Team Canada for its selection camp prior to the upcoming 2022 World Junior Championship, the team announced Friday.Hockey Canada released the full list of invitees to the selection camp on Wednesday, with the camp taking place Dec. 9-13.Perfetti was selected with the 10th pick in the 2020 NHL Draft by the Jets. Since being drafted, he's collected 41 points in 49 games with the AHL's Manitoba Moose over the last two campaigns and is scoreless in two games with Winnipeg this season.After failing to make the roster in 2020, the 19-year-old had six points in seven games with Team Canada in last year's world juniors but failed to capture a gold medal, falling to the United States in the championship game.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Buffalo Sabres forward Casey Mittelstadt is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery, the team announced Friday.Details of the surgery and timetable for recovery are unknown, but Mittelstadt had been dealing with an upper-body injury, according to The Athletic's John Vogl.Mittelstadt has missed 21 games this season after suffering an injury in the Sabres' season opener. He returned to the lineup last week but sustained another injury against the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday.Head coach Don Granato said postgame there was concern that it was a "re-injury" and could potentially keep Mittelstadt out long term, according to NHL.com's Kurt Haumesser.The 23-year-old has one goal in four contests this season.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Marc-Andre Fleury put himself in rarefied air Thursday night, shutting out the Montreal Canadiens 2-0 to earn his 500th career victory.The Chicago Blackhawks goaltender joined Hall of Famers Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy as the lone netminders in NHL history to accomplish the feat.The crowd at the Bell Centre in Montreal chanted Fleury's name in the final seconds, and he acknowledged that afterward."It meant a lot for me to have so many people from Quebec maybe being proud of me for being from here and achieving this goal," Fleury said, according to NHL.com's Sean Farrell."The NHL always seemed too far away from me, too good for me, and I never really actually thought I was going to make it," the veteran goalie added. "I just kept playing and trying my best with it."Brodeur congratulated Fleury later on Thursday night.

Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper made history Thursday night, winning his 400th game faster than any other NHL bench boss ever.Cooper guided the Lightning to a 5-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, achieving the milestone in his 659th contest as a head coach.The 54-year-old is the longest-tenured active coach in the NHL, having led Tampa Bay since March 2013.Cooper has led the Lightning to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships and has also helped the club reach the final in 2015. Tampa's made two other conference final appearances during his stint.The British Columbia native ranks 39th on the NHL's all-time wins list among bench bosses and 50th in games coached. Cooper's also notably held his current position entirely in the shootout era when regular-season wins have been more common.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL will extend its commitments to inclusion, diversity, safety, and respect, it announced at the board of governors meeting on Thursday.The new initiatives come in the wake of the alleged sexual assault of Kyle Beach in 2010 and the Chicago Blackhawks' mishandling of the incident.NHL senior executive vice president of social impact, growth, and legislative affairs Kim Davis is spearheading the initiatives, which are built on a foundation of prevention, reporting, counseling, and accountability.The league intends to cooperate with Sheldon Kennedy's Respect Group to create a mandatory online training program for all executives, staff, and players with the aim of positively changing hockey culture. Kennedy, a sexual abuse survivor and former NHL player, founded the Respect Group in an effort to prevent abuse and harassment in sports.The sessions will last 90 minutes and contain messaging customized by each team, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen.The goal is for all teams and employees to be certified in the training program by June 30, 2022.The league also announced its mission to establish a hotline for anyone affiliated with non-NHL organizations to confidentially report incidents of abuse and misconduct.The NHL has had such a system in place since 2019, which Davis said is working as it should. League commissioner Gary Bettman said the NHL abuse hotline has received more calls but nothing to the magnitude of the Blackhawks scandal, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.The league will also focus on diversifying hiring practices and hold a "Respect Hockey Summit" in 2022 to bring together leaders of the largest organizations in the sport to discuss culture challenges.The NHLPA, AHL, Hockey Canada, USA Hockey, the Premier Hockey Federation, and the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association are among the organizations committed to participating.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Coyotes said they're all square with the city of Glendale and the state of Arizona.The club, which owed $1.3 million in state and city taxes, said Thursday it has paid "all bills and tax liabilities," according to PHNX Sports' Craig Morgan.On Wednesday evening, The Athletic's Katie Strang reported the city of Glendale told the Coyotes it would lock them out of Gila River Arena if they failed to settle up by Dec. 20.Last Friday, the Arizona Department of Revenue filed a tax lien notice in Maricopa County against IceArizona Hockey LLC - which owns the NHL club - stating the team owed $1.3 million, Strang reported.Later on Wednesday night, the Coyotes blamed the debt on apparent "human error" and said they're looking into it, according to the Arizona Republic's Jose M. Romero."We will make sure that by (Thursday) morning, the Arizona Coyotes are current on all of our bills and owe no state or local taxes whatsoever," the team said in a statement. "And we will take immediate steps to ensure that nothing like this can ever possibly happen again."If the Coyotes had failed to settle their debt by the deadline, the city had told ASM - the company that manages Gila River Arena - not to let team employees or arena vendors into the facility, according to Strang.A letter from city manager Kevin Phelps to Gutierrez said the team owed Glendale about $250,000 of that amount, with the rest owed to the state.The Coyotes owed taxes dating back to June 2020, according to the tax lien notice.Phelps said he apprised NHL commissioner Gary Bettman of the situation Wednesday."It was a fairly short conversation," Phelps said, per Morgan. "I told him I was calling as a courtesy to the league because potentially it would impact teams that are making schedule and flight arrangements. I felt like the league should be made aware as soon as possible."Phelps said Bettman thanked him and said: "This isn't very good news."Glendale said in August that it planned to opt out of its lease agreement for Gila River Arena after this season, meaning the Coyotes will need a new building after June 30, 2022.Two weeks after the city revealed its plans, the team filed a bid for land in nearby Tempe to be the site of a new arena.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL's Board of Governors unanimously approved the sale of the Pittsburgh Penguins to Fenway Sports Group."The purchase remains subject to negotiation and execution of documentation before the transaction can be closed," the league said Thursday.The new owners signed an agreement to buy a majority interest in the club on Nov. 29. At the time, the sale was subject to league approval and was expected to close by year's end. The purchase price is still unconfirmed.Previous majority owners Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle will retain minority shares, and the team's senior management staff will remain in place.Fenway Sports Group, which also owns MLB's Boston Red Sox and the Premier League's Liverpool, reportedly explored a merger with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment before pursuing the Penguins. MLSE oversees the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs, the NBA's Toronto Raptors, MLS' Toronto FC, and Scotiabank Arena.Lemieux and Burkle rescued Pittsburgh from bankruptcy after buying the team in 1999. The Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 2009, 2016, and 2017.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vancouver Canucks have hired Jim Rutherford as president of hockey operations and interim general manager, the team announced Thursday.Rutherford's contract is for three years, reports TSN's Pierre LeBrun.The veteran executive will lead the team's search for a full-time GM."It is time for a new vision and a new leader who will set a path forward for this team," Canucks chairman and governor Francesco Aquilini said. "Jim has tremendous experience building and leading winning organizations, and I believe he will help build the Vancouver Canucks into a team that can compete for championships again."Rutherford comes with a wealth of experience and pedigree. He served as president and GM of the Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes for 20 years, guiding the franchise to its only Stanley Cup in 2006. He won two more Stanley Cups (2016, 2017) as GM of the Pittsburgh Penguins before resigning in January following a seven-year stint.The 72-year-old was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder in 2019. He won the Jim Gregory GM of the Year Award in 2016.The Rutherford hire is the latest move in the Canucks' organizational shake-up. The team fired GM Jim Benning and head coach Travis Green on Sunday. Green was replaced behind the bench by veteran bench boss Bruce Boudreau, while Stan Smyl had been filling in as interim GM.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs traded forward Kurtis Gabriel to the Chicago Blackhawks for defenseman Chad Krys.Gabriel signed a one-year, $750,000 contract with Toronto in the offseason. The Newmarket, Ontario product never suited up in a regular-season game for the Leafs and has spent the entire 2021-22 campaign thus far with the AHL's Toronto Marlies, recording one goal, one assist, and 36 penalty minutes over 13 contests.The 28-year-old has tallied five points and 153 penalty minutes in 49 career NHL games between the Minnesota Wild, New Jersey Devils, and San Jose Sharks.The Blackhawks selected Krys in the second round of the 2016 draft. The 23-year-old blue-liner has never appeared in an NHL game, but he's registered two goals and 13 assists in 64 career AHL contests with the Rockford IceHogs.Krys enjoyed a stellar NCAA career at Boston University prior to turning pro, racking up 58 points over 105 games for the Terriers.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We bounced back in a big way on Wednesday, winning both best bets and two of three bonus picks on Twitter.We'll look to keep the ball rolling in the right direction Thursday night as we prepare for a whopping 10-game slate.Lightning (+110) @ Maple Leafs (-130)No Nikita Kucherov, no Brayden Point, no problem. The Lightning continue to find ways to win. They've posted a 7-2-1 record over their last 10 games and are just two points back of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers for top spot in the division.While their offense has been potent, the Lightning have found success on the back of defense and goaltending. They don't give up many quality looks, sitting fourth in expected goals against per 60 minutes of five-on-five play. Limiting dangerous shots is a recipe for success, especially when you have Andrei Vasilevskiy to patch up any leaks.Toronto has mostly defended well this season and has benefited from all-world goaltending from Jack Campbell. Combine the two and the Leafs sit third in goals against per game, believe it or not. Pretty good.Tampa Bay is playing its fourth straight on the road and is missing its two best weapons. Toronto is playing for the fourth time in six nights and is missing star winger Mitch Marner. With so much firepower absent and a lot riding on this game, I like it to stay under the number.Bet: Under 5.5 goals (+100)Red Wings (+145) @ Blues (-170)The Blues are dealing with plenty of injuries and COVID-19 issues, which really shows in the numbers.They've controlled a putrid 44% of expected goals at five-on-five over the last 10 games. A lot of that stems from their defensive issues: They're giving up 2.91 expected goals per 60 in that time, ranking them ahead of only the Montreal Canadiens. Yeah.They're giving up a lot of quality looks on a nightly basis, and with Jordan Binnington and Ville Husso out of the picture, things seem destined to get worse.Charlie Lindgren is expected to get the nod in goal. He's consistently posted sub-.900 save percentages in the AHL, so I'm not sure he'll be able to mask the Blues' defensive issues the way Husso has lately.The Red Wings are also playing respectable hockey. They won't be short players like St. Louis and, regardless of who they start, they have an edge in goal Thursday night.Back Detroit at a very juicy price.Bet: Red Wings (+145)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Shot totals continue to be a success for us. We've posted a 65-47 record thus far for +17.32 units.Let's get into our best bets for Thursday night's 10-game slate.Mike Hoffman over 2.5 shots (-120)Canadiens forwards are dropping like flies. Tyler Toffoli, Brendan Gallagher, and Josh Anderson, among others, have suffered injuries over the last couple of weeks. That's led to more opportunities for Mike Hoffman.In six of the last seven games, he's logged over 18 minutes. He's averaged 5.4 shots in games he's seen that type of workload while recording at least three shots on goal.The lone contest Hoffman's usage wasn't as high was Tuesday's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, where Montreal was protecting a lead and relying more on defensive players.Hoffman should get plenty of reps on the top line and top power-play unit on Thursday in a good spot versus the Blackhawks.Chicago is a below-average shot suppression team at five-on-five - only five teams allow scoring chances at a higher clip while killing penalties. As the go-to shooter on the man advantage, Hoffman should benefit.Steven Stamkos over 2.5 shots (-115)Stamkos let us down last time but we're going right back to the well in this game. He's recorded three shots on goal in seven of 11 road dates this season, including his previous encounter with the Maple Leafs on Nov. 4.He's consistently generating shots away from home. I don't see that changing despite the Maple Leafs defending well this season. Toronto is 26th in attempts against per 60 minutes at five-on-five over the last 10 games. The injured Rasmus Sandin, who's been terrific this season, will be missed.With so many key players out for Tampa Bay, a lot is falling on Stamkos' shoulders. Back him to come through for us in this key divisional matchup.Bonus round: Darnell Nurse over 2.5 shots (-130). Nurse has piled up 31 shot attempts - of which 18 have been on target - in four games since returning to the Oilers' lineup. The Bruins are a strong defensive team, but they give up significantly more shot volume on the road and they're in the latter half of a back-to-back.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba didn't receive supplementary discipline for hitting Chicago Blackhawks forward Jujhar Khaira during Tuesday night's contest, according to The Athletic's Mark Lazerus.The league reportedly didn't see the head as the main point of contact and argued that Khaira's posture made head contact unavoidable.Khaira had to be stretchered off the ice following the collision. The Blackhawks announced Wednesday he is in concussion protocol, according to Lazerus.The 27-year-old is currently on the mend."Khaira was released from Northwestern Hospital early this morning after extensive testing and returned home. Despite the significant injury, his prognosis is excellent, and we expect a full recovery. At this point, it is too early to put a timeline on return to play," the Blackhawks said in a statement Wednesday.Interim head coach Derek King said Khaira was coherent following the Blackhawks' 6-2 loss."He's up, he's talking, he's very responsive. I think he wants to get back on the ice," he said.Midway through the second period, Trouba slammed into Khaira in the Blackhawks' zone. Khaira's head was down, as he appeared to be trying to find the puck in his skates before the hit.Khaira lay motionless on the ice after contact, and play was immediately halted.

Pittsburgh Penguins star winger Jake Guentzel is week-to-week with an upper-body injury, head coach Mike Sullivan announced Wednesday.Guentzel has been scorching hot, notching 12 goals in his past 12 games. The 27-year-old leads the Penguins in scoring this season with 27 points through 24 contests.Pittsburgh has been decimated by injuries to key players all year, but the team currently holds the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with 29 points and a 7-2-1 record in its last 10 showings.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vancouver Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau hopes deploying Elias Pettersson on the penalty kill will provide an offensive jolt for the young superstar.Pettersson has struggled to produce this season, registering just 13 points in 26 games. In Boudreau's debut behind the bench on Monday, Pettersson logged 39 seconds on the kill - a modest amount but still more than usual.The veteran coach believes change can be a good thing."You look at good teams, a lot of their best offensive players are also better killers," Boudreau said, according to NHL.com's Kevin Woodley. "They get more ice time and they feel more into it, so it's a good thing as long as they're committed to doing the right things defensively."Pettersson has only played 10:24 shorthanded in his career, but Boudreau thinks the responsibility of an expanded role can help rebuild the confidence his star has been missing this season."It's like a do-over," Boudreau said. "Sometimes new coaches come in and they put you in different positions, different roles, and it works for you."The Canucks own the NHL's worst penalty kill this season, operating at a paltry 65.5%. They return to the ice Wednesday night against the Boston Bruins.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Ian Cole was fined $5,000 for kneeing Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele during Tuesday's game, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced.Cole received a five-minute major and a game misconduct for the knee-on-knee hit.

We started the week on a high note Monday. Unfortunately, things didn't go too well Tuesday night. The Tampa Bay Lightning generated 27 shots while facing a Montreal Canadiens team allowing about 40 shots per game over its last 10, which made it difficult to cover the puck line. The Chicago Blackhawks let us down as well. They jumped out to a 2-1 lead before allowing five unanswered in a blowout loss.You need to keep a short memory in the betting world, so we're putting that behind us and looking to rebound on tonight's four-game slate.Bruins (-140) @ Canucks (+120)We backed the Canucks in Bruce Boudreau's debut behind the bench and it was a sweat-free success. We're going right back to the Canucks in this game - not to win, but to help the game stay under the number.Vancouver, believe it or not, is playing good defensive hockey - at least at five-on-five. The Canucks have allowed just 2.04 expected goals per 60 minutes over the last 10 games, which is good for third in the NHL.It just so happens that the Boston Bruins grade out even better. They've conceded a league-best 1.91 expected goals per 60 over the same period. Simply put, both teams are doing a great job of slowing the opposition's offense at full strength.Tonight's projected starters, Jeremy Swayman and Thatcher Demko, have both saved more goals than expected. They're good bets to hold up their end of the bargain.Unless these offenses make a lot of noise on the power play - and that's possible, given Vancouver's penalty-kill woes - this contest is unlikely to be a goal fest.Bet: Under 5.5 goals (-105)Travis Konecny over 2.5 shots on goal (-120)Konecny has recorded at least three shots on goal in eight of the last 10 games on the road and averaged 3.5 in that span.A volume shooter recently promoted to the Philadelphia Flyers' top line, he finds himself in a fantastic spot against the New Jersey Devils. At five-on-five, the Devils sit 25th in shot attempts against per 60 over the last 10 games.Konecny went over the number when the two sides last met - and that was while logging less than 15 minutes of ice. He played nearly 18 in his first game under Mike Yeo. With that kind of usage in an advantageous matchup, he should be able to go over the number.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

NHL teams took a massive financial hit last year due to the pandemic with a shortened 56-game season and extremely limited attendance for most clubs. However, things are looking up, as the average team value has risen to $865 million - an increase of 32% from last year, according to Forbes' Mike Ozanian. That's the biggest one-year jump since 2013.For the seventh straight year, the New York Rangers sit atop Forbes' annual list of team valuations, and they've become the first NHL franchise valued at $2 billion. The Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks, and Boston Bruins round out the unchanged top five.The Edmonton Oilers had the biggest jump of any team, doubling last year's $550 million valuation to $1.1 billion.No teams decreased in value from last year. The team with the smallest increase - the Vancouver Canucks - saw a 14% rise in value from last year and an 18% rise over the last five years.Here's the full list:RankTeamValue1-year change 5-year change1New York Rangers$2B21%60%2Toronto Maple Leafs$1.8B20%64%3Montreal Canadiens$1.6B19%43%4Chicago Blackhawks$1.4B29%51%5Boston Bruins$1.3B30%63%6Philadelphia Flyers$1.2B50%67%7Edmonton Oilers$1.1B100%147%8Los Angeles Kings$1.03B24%71%9Detroit Red Wings$990M28%58%10New York Islanders$950M83%147%11Washington Capitals$930M24%62%12Pittsburgh Penguins$900M38%58%13Seattle Kraken$875MN/AN/A14Vancouver Canucks$825M14%18%15New Jersey Devils$775M46%142%16Dallas Stars$720M25%44%17Vegas Golden Knights$710M25%N/A18Calgary Flames$680M42%66%19Minnesota Wild$675M35%69%20Tampa Bay Lightning$650M38%113%21St. Louis Blues$640M25%106%22Colorado Avalanche$630M35%75%23San Jose Sharks$625M21%33%24Anaheim Ducks$620M35%49%25Nashville Predators$600M38%122%26Winnipeg Jets$575M42%69%27Carolina Hurricanes$550M25%139%28Ottawa Senators$525M22%48%29Buffalo Sabres$500M30%67%30Columbus Blue Jackets$475M53%94%31Florida Panthers$450M53%91%32Arizona Coyotes$400M40%67%Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Like the rest of the hockey world, Anaheim Ducks rookie Trevor Zegras was in awe of the assist he pulled off Tuesday against the Buffalo Sabres."I still can't believe it worked. I think it's pretty funny. I've tried it a couple times and haven't even come close," Zegras told reporters following Anaheim's 2-0 victory.With the game tied 0-0 in the second period, Zegras had the puck behind the net and lifted it like he was going to try to pull off the "Michigan," a rare move in which a player scoops up the puck with the blade of his stick and tucks it into the net.Instead, Zegras flipped the puck over the net in an alley-oop pass to teammate Sonny Milano. Milano managed to bat the puck out of midair and past unsuspecting Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.Zegras added that he heard Milano yelling "Michigan" at him during the play and said he wanted to get Milano the puck."For him to whack it out of the air and keep it under the crossbar, it's pretty incredible," Zegras said.Zegras was visibly stunned after the goal."He said nothing, I think. He was in shock," Milano said. "Yeah, I was in shock. Actually, not really. I kinda expected it from him."I think (Zegras) is going to do it automatically because usually whenever he's by the net, he tries it, so I was waiting for him to do it. He ended up listening to me."Ducks head coach Dallas Eakins praised Zegras' ingenuity after the game."It's who he is," Eakins said, according to the Orange County Register's Elliott Teaford. "He's highly creative. He believes he can do anything with the puck. You're seeing it right across hockey. We're seeing these plays from behind the net because they can do it. The generation when I played, there wasn’t a chance any of us could do it."He added: "I think it's great for the sport. We're in the entertainment business. That was a really special goal."Ducks legend Teemu Selanne tweeted one word to express his own amazement: "Wow."Though the Sabres were victims of the surefire Goal of the Year candidate, some Buffalo players who were on the ice for the play couldn't help but tip their caps."I didn't even see him pick the puck up. It's a high-skilled play from a skilled player. You don't see that very often, so it's not easy to be ready for, either," forward Rasmus Asplund said, according to The Buffalo News' Lance Lysowski.Zegras, 20, has 21 points in 24 games this season. Milano, 25, has 19 points in 21 contests.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Jason Spezza was handed a six-game suspension for kneeing Winnipeg Jets defenseman Neal Pionk in the head, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Tuesday.Spezza took a run at a vulnerable Pionk on Sunday after the Jets blue-liner injured Leafs defenseman Rasmus Sandin with a knee-on-knee hit. Sandin is expected to miss two-to-three weeks, while Pionk was suspended two games and had to be placed in concussion protocol.Here's a look at the incident, as explained by the NHL Department of Player Safety:The league considered the play "reckless and retaliatory" and noted Spezza enacted "forceful retribution on a player in a vulnerable position."Spezza will appeal the ruling, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. The first stage of the appeal process will go through NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. Spezza can opt for independent arbitration if he isn't satisfied with Bettman's ruling.This is the first time Spezza has been suspended or fined in his 19-year NHL career.The 38-year-old veteran has been an integral player for the Leafs, both for his leadership and on-ice performance. Spezza entered Tuesday tied for fourth on the team with seven goals in 26 games despite averaging only 11:58 of ice time per contest.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs assistant general manager Laurence Gilman is "definitely in the mix" for the Vancouver Canucks' GM opening, TSN's Darren Dreger reported on Tuesday's edition of "Insider Trading."Gilman has held his role with Toronto since May 2018. He serves as the senior vice president and governor of the AHL's Toronto Marlies, manages the Maple Leafs' player development and farm system, and assists in player-personnel matters, among other duties.Gilman spent seven campaigns in the Canucks' front office from 2009-15, serving as assistant GM and vice president of hockey operations under former general managers Mike Gillis (six seasons) and Jim Benning (one season). He also filled a variety of roles in the then-Phoenix Coyotes' front office from 1998-07.The 56-year-old worked in the league office between his stints with Vancouver and Arizona.Stan Smyl is currently serving as the Canucks' interim general manager after the team fired Benning on Sunday.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs will be without forward Mitch Marner and defensemen Rasmus Sandin and Travis Dermott for the foreseeable future.Marner will miss three-to-four weeks with a shoulder injury after colliding with teammate Jake Muzzin in practice last week, head coach Sheldon Keefe said Tuesday, according to ESPN's Kristen Shilton.Dermott is also dealing with a shoulder injury, though he isn't expected to be out as long as Marner, Keefe said, per The Athletic's Jonas Siegel.Sandin is expected to miss two-to-three weeks after taking a knee-on-knee hit from Winnipeg Jets defenseman Neal Pionk on Sunday. Pionk earned a two-game suspension for the collision. Sandin avoided structural damage to his knee, but he's on crutches, Shilton adds.The Leafs recalled defensemen Alex Biega and Kristians Rubins as well as forward Alex Steeves from the AHL. Toronto is also likely to be without forward Jason Spezza for a few games, as he faces an in-person hearing with the Department of Player Safety on Tuesday for his retaliatory hit on Pionk.Here's the Leafs' projected lineup for Tuesday's tilt with the Columbus Blue Jackets:

We have a full slate of games on the docket tonight, which means the return of shot props! We've posted a 61-43 record and are up 17.66 units on the season.Let's get into our best bets as we try to keep climbing.Steven Stamkos over 2.5 shots on goal (+110)Stamkos has recorded at least three shots on goal in seven of the last 10 games on the road. I like his chances of continuing that trend tonight against an injury-plagued Montreal Canadiens side that is bleeding shots.At five-on-five, the Canadiens have allowed 66 shot attempts - including 39 shots on goal - per 60 minutes over the last 10 games. Both totals rank them dead last. And they posted those numbers with Jeff Petry, their best defender, in the lineup. One can only imagine how they'll fare without him.Montreal has also struggled to suppress shots while killing penalties, sitting 28th in shots against per 60 in that time. Stamkos is a go-to shooter on the man advantage so he figures to benefit most from this advantageous spot.Given Stamkos' road success and this mouth-watering matchup, I'm happy to back him at plus money.Timo Meier over 3.5 shots on goal (-115)Death, taxes, and Timo Meier going over his shot totals. He has amassed at least four shots on target in eight of his last 10 games and has averaged 4.9 in that span.Meier has done his best work on home soil, going over the number in six of seven tries while recording 5.1 shots on target per contest.While the Calgary Flames are a strong defensive side, they're much more exploitable on the road.They concede only 23.33 shots on goal per 60 in their own building, which comfortably ranks them first. However, Calgary allows more than 31 shots per 60 on the road, putting it 17th in the league.The Sharks will no doubt look to get their sniper in favorable matchups and, at home, they should be able to do just that. Back Meier to stay hot against the Flames.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Florida Panthers superstar Aleksander Barkov is back in the lineup for Tuesday's clash with the St. Louis Blues after missing eight games with a lower-body injury, the team announced.Defenseman Gustav Forsling is back as well.Barkov has been sidelined since taking a knee-on-knee hit from New York Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield on Nov. 16.The first-place Panthers went 6-2 without their captain.Barkov's been his typical dominant self so far this season, registering 17 points in 15 games while averaging nearly 21 minutes per contest.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We started the week on a high note, going 2-1 with our best bets. The Vancouver Canucks blanked the Los Angeles Kings while the Anaheim Ducks kept things close and covered the +1.5 spread against the Washington Capitals. If not for a couple of posts from the New Jersey Devils, we could have been looking at a perfect night.Nevertheless, we gave ourselves a good base to build upon, so let's get into our best bets for tonight's busy slate.Rangers (-130) @ Blackhawks (+110)The Blackhawks are not a good team. They just don't have the necessary defensive acumen or depth throughout their roster. However, they are better than they were at the start of the year.Chicago has won six of its last 10 games. In that time, the team ranks 16th in shot attempt share, 22nd in scoring chance share, and it owns a positive goal differential. The Blackhawks aren't playing great hockey, per se, but they're competent, particularly when Marc-Andre Fleury starts.Fleury has really responded from the worst start imaginable. Among 37 eligible netminders, Fleury sits eighth in five-on-five save percentage. He's sandwiched between Thatcher Demko and Connor Hellebuyck - great company!Things haven't gone as smoothly for Alexandar Georgiev, who's projected to start tonight for the Rangers. He's conceded 7.7 more goals than expected through eight appearances this season. Among those with at least seven games played, only Aaron Dell and Anton Khudobin have allowed more goals than expected per 60 minutes than Georgiev (minus-1.25).While New York's play is trending upwards, Georgiev tends to erase a lot of the good work done in front of him.I see value on Chicago as home underdogs.Bet: Blackhawks (+110)Lightning (-220) @ Canadiens (+180)The Canadiens have struggled from the word go this season, and things are somehow getting worse. They've controlled just 38.5% of the expected goals at five-on-five over the last 10 games, which is an unfathomably bad number.With key players like Tyler Toffoli, Brendan Gallagher, Josh Anderson, and Jeff Petry out of the lineup due to injury, I don't see things getting better for Montreal. They might well get worse.The Lightning have controlled better than 52% of the expected goals on the season. They should have their way against the injury-plagued Canadiens.Andrei Vasilevskiy, who will return to the pipes following a night off, should have little problem fending off this putrid Canadiens offense.I don't see Montreal hanging around in this game.Bet: Lightning -1.5 (+120)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The International Ice Hockey Federation announced Tuesday that China's men's hockey team will participate in the 2022 Olympics.Host countries receive automatic berths in each sport, but the status of China's men's hockey team was in question due to eligibility and quality concerns.The team is largely made up of players from the KHL's Kunlun Red Star. IIHF officials monitored two of their games against league opponents in November in order to determine whether the Chinese squad would be competitive enough to face Olympic teams filled with NHL players come February.Despite getting the green light to play, China undoubtedly faces an enormous test as it shares a group with Canada, USA, and Germany.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's a time of change for the Vancouver Canucks.Team owner Francesco Aquilini and interim general manager Stan Smyl held a press conference to discuss the club's decision to shake things up amidst the Canucks' abysmal 8-15-2 start.The main message? Vancouver's on-ice product wasn't good enough."The status quo was just not acceptable," Aquilini said, according to TSN's Farhan Lalji. "We will get it right."The Canucks let go of head coach Travis Green, assistant coach Nolan Baumgartner, assistant general manager John Weisbrod, and much-maligned general manager Jim Benning on Sunday.Benning had taken the brunt of the heat from fans, with "fire Benning" chants raining down at the end of Vancouver's 4-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.Aquilini was honest when asked if the Canucks had held onto Benning for too long."Maybe we were too patient, we could've maybe done it sooner, I don't know," Aquilini said, according to The Athletic's Thomas Drance.A fan tossed their jersey onto the ice at the end of Saturday's contest, which was the last straw for Smyl."The end of that game was very tough to watch," he said. "And at that point, I felt that I needed to get involved and to make my views known."Moving forward, Aquilini said the plan is to find a general manager and "maybe a president." Smyl can make moves for the organization if the opportunity arises.There is no current timeline for the search.Above all, Aquilini reiterated his faith in the club but added that the next general manager would have to decide whether Vancouver goes through a rebuild.Canucks new head coach Bruce Boudreau also addressed the media Monday and outlined his game plan as the new guy in town."You'd really like to make it a winning team from here on in. To get the guys happy, to get the fanbase happy again with them winning and wherever that leads, that leads. We just don't want things to continue the way they were continuing," he said."If it ends up getting into a playoff spot, fine and dandy. ... I never think it's an impossibility."Following their first skate with Boudreau, several Canucks players took the time to talk about the franchise's monumental changes made to the organization."I really believe in our group, I believe in our core players, I believe in our young guys. I want to win here. I want to be a Canuck, I want to win here as a Canuck," captain Bo Horvat said, per TSN. "Looking at management, they believe in us too."I don't think anyone wants to rebuild here."Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Back to life. Back to reality.While the number of star players returning to NHL rosters last week probably wasn't the focus of Soul II Soul's hit song, it should have had hockey fans doing some '90s-style dancing. Meanwhile, I was just happy that I no longer had to make educated guesses about how much Nathan MacKinnon, Jack Hughes, Drew Doughty, and Max Pacioretty mean to any game's win probability.Of course, it can't all be so simple, as Aleksander Barkov is still listed as out and various day-to-day injuries abound with the Colorado Avalanche, among other teams.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.I've taken the advanced stats I value most from those games, the market rating for regular-season win-total markets, and last season's advanced stats to rate each team. I've also made adjustments for injuries to key players.With roughly 30% of the season played, here's how I'm weighing those three factors as of Dec. 6:LAST SEASONMARKET2021-225%60%35%We're pulling away from last season's advanced metrics, for reasons exemplified by a pair of eastern Canadian teams: the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators. Relying on last season's numbers makes them look better than they really are.However, the regular-season point total markets painted a different picture, as hope for a step forward for Ottawa wasn't reflected in its 76.5-point projection. Meanwhile, despite the Canadiens' run to the Stanley Cup Final, their missing pieces tempered expectations, which led to an 89.5-point projection. In hindsight, even that looks too high.Both teams are among the worst in my statistical ratings this season, and the longer that continues, the more my rating is legitimized.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 worthwhile wager.DATEGAMETRUE MLPRICE TO BETDEC. 6COL@PHI-160/+160COL -153/PHI +190ANA@WSH+168/-168ANA +200/WSH -161OTT@NJD+166/-166OTT +197/NJD -159ARI@DAL+209/-209ARI +253/DAL -200PIT@SEA-105/+105PIT -101/SEA +124LAK@VAN+101/-101LAK +111/VAN +110DEC. 7NYI@OTT-103/+103NYI +107/OTT +114TB@MTL-113/+113TB -108/MTL +132NSH@DET-125/+125NSH -120/DET +147CBJ@TOR+219/-219CBJ +266/TOR -209ANA@BUF+141/-141ANA +166/BUF -135CAR@WPG+112/-112CAR +132/WPG -108FLA@STL-120/+120FLA -115/STL +141NYR@CHI-116/+116NYR -112/CHI +137MIN@EDM+108/-108MIN +127/EDM -104CGY@SJS-107/+107CGY -103/SJS +126DEC. 8PHI@NJD+129/-129PHI +152/NJD -123COL@NYR-139/+139COL -133/NYR +164BOS@VAN-106/+106BOS -102/VAN +125DAL@VGK+132/-132DAL +156/VGK -127DEC. 9CHI@MTL+111/-111CHI +131/MTL -107ANA@CBJ+110/-110ANA +129/CBJ -105TBL@TOR+141/-141TB +167/TOR -136NSH@NYI+113/-113NSH +133/NYI -109DET@STL+115/-115DET +135/STL -110BOS@EDM+110/-110BOS +129/EDM -106CAR@CGY+111/-111CAR +131/CGY -107WPG@SEA-105/+105WPG +106/SEA +116DAL@LAK+127/-127DAL +150/LAK -122MIN@SJS-126/+126MIN -121/SJS +148DEC. 10PIT@WSH+113/-113PIT +133/WSH -108NYR@BUF-133/+133NYR -128/BUF +157NSH@NJD+128/-128NSH +151/NJD -123DET@COL+230/-230DET +280/COL -219FLA@ARI-160/+160FLA -154/ARI +191PHI@VGK+167/-167PHI +199/VGK -160WPG@VAN+127/-127WPG +150/VAN -122DEC. 11TBL@OTT-117/+117TB -112/OTT +138WSH@BUF-145/+145WSH -139/BUF +172MTL@STL+109/-109MTL +128/STL -105CHI@TOR+180/-180CHI +215/TOR -172ANA@PIT+177/-177ANA +211/PIT -169NJD@NYI+150/-150NJD +177/NYI -144PHI@ARI-123/+123PHI -118/ARI +145CAR@EDM+120/-120CAR +142/EDM -116CBJ@SEA+142/-142CBJ +169/SEA -137BOS@CGY+102/-102BOS +113/CGY +109MIN@LAK-114/+114MIN -110/LAK +134DAL@SJS-105/+105DAL -101/SJS +124DEC. 12ANA@STL+130/-130ANA +154/STL -125NSH@NYR+129/-129NSH +153/NYR -124FLA@COL+131/-131FLA +155/COL -126MIN@VGK+110/-110MIN +130/VGK -106CAR@VAN+126/-126CAR +148/VAN -121This chart is a good reference to determine whether you're truly getting value betting on one side or the other. However, keep in mind that new injuries or lineup issues will naturally arise.Matt 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 © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Winnipeg Jets defenseman Neal Pionk has been suspended two games for kneeing Toronto Maple Leafs blue-liner Rasmus Sandin during Sunday's testy contest, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Monday.The incident occurred six minutes into the final frame. Sandin was helped off the ice and avoided putting any weight on his right leg following the knee-on-knee collision.Pionk wasn't penalized on the play.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Jason Spezza will have a hearing via Zoom on Tuesday for kneeing Winnipeg Jets defenseman Neal Pionk, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced Monday.Spezza can be suspended for more than five games since it's an in-person hearing.Pionk received a two-game suspension for kneeing Maple Leafs defenseman Rasmus Sandin during the contest.Both players delivered controversial hits in Sunday's chippy affair. Pionk caught Sandin with a knee, and Spezza retaliated while Pionk was in a vulnerable position soon after.Sandin was unable to put weight on his leg when he exited the contest. There's no update on his status to this point.Maple Leafs forward Wayne Simmonds also received a $2,500 fine for cross-checking Jets forward Jansen Harkins.Winnipeg won the contest 6-3.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vancouver Canucks are parting ways with general manager Jim Benning, the team announced late Sunday night.Benning had held the position with the organization since 2014. The club also relieved Travis Green of his head coaching duties earlier Sunday and hired Bruce Boudreau to take over. Assistant GM John Weisbrod and assistant coach Nolan Baumgartner were also let go."First, I want to sincerely thank Jim, John, Travis and Nolan for their passion and dedication to the organization and our community," Canucks chairman Francesco Aquilini said in a statement. "We are grateful for everything they have done for the Canucks during their tenure, and we wish them nothing but success in the future."These are difficult decisions, but we believed we would have a competitive group this year. As a result, I'm extremely disappointed in how the team has performed so far. I'm making these changes because we want to build a team that competes for championships and it's time for new leadership to help take us there."Stan Smyl will be in charge of hockey operations in the interim as Vancouver searches for new leadership. Ryan Johnson, Chris Gear, Daniel and Henrik Sedin, and Doug Jarvis will also aid in the day-to-day operations of the club.During Benning's reign, which dated back to 2014-15, the Canucks owned the NHL's sixth-worst points percentage (.487) while holding a 242-257-61 record.Benning is responsible for drafting a number of franchise stars, including Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes, Thatcher Demko, and Brock Boeser. He also acquired J.T. Miller from the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2019.Benning handed out a number of contracts that weighed the team down during his tenure. He signed Loui Eriksson to a six-year, $36-million pact in 2016, Brandon Sutter to a five-year, $21-million deal in 2015, and Antoine Roussel and Jay Beagle to identical four-year, $12-million contracts in 2018.However, the Canucks only made the playoffs twice under Benning, advancing to the second round in 2020.The 58-year-old was busy this past summer, locking up Pettersson and Hughes to long-term extensions and making a big splash in the trade market by bringing in Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Conor Garland.Despite the moves, the Canucks have had a miserable start to the 2021-22 campaign, owning an 8-15-2 record and losing 10 of their last 13 games. Vancouver fans recently showed their disdain for the general manager by chanting "Fire Benning" at home games. One supporter even tossed a Canucks jersey on the ice on Saturday night.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Philadelphia Flyers have fired head coach Alain Vigneault, the team announced Monday.Mike Yeo will take over as head coach on an interim basis. Philadelphia also dismissed assistant Michel Therrien.Yeo has been a Flyers assistant since 2019. He previously worked under Philadelphia general manager Chuck Fletcher as head coach of the Minnesota Wild and coached the St. Louis Blues for parts of three seasons.The Flyers lost their eighth straight game Sunday, suffering an embarrassing 7-1 defeat on home ice to the Tampa Bay Lightning. They've been outscored 37-13 during their skid.Philadelphia hired Vigneault in 2019, signing him to a five-year contract worth $5 million annually, according to CapFriendly. He led the Flyers to the playoffs in his debut season behind the bench, but they failed to qualify in 2020-21.Vigneault previously had stints with the Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers, reaching the Stanley Cup Final with both teams. The 60-year-old won the Jack Adams Award as the league's top head coach in 2007.The Flyers sit seventh in the Metropolitan Division with an 8-10-4 record. They take the ice Monday night versus the Colorado Avalanche.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.