Darryl Sutter will officially begin his second stint as head coach of the Calgary Flames early next week and the veteran wants this tenure to be different from last."For me, it's unfinished business," Sutter said during media availability on Friday, according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet.Following a 7-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night, Geoff Ward was fired as head coach. Sutter, 62, was immediately named successor.While it's Sutter's job, the bench boss will have to go through protocol and will not be eligible to coach until practice on Tuesday, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Assistant coach Ryan Huska will run the bench this weekend against the Edmonton Oilers and Senators.Sutter originally became head coach of the Flames in the midst of the 2002-03 campaign. The next year, while also acting as the team's general manager, he helped lead the club to a Stanley Cup Final, which they lost in seven games to the Tampa Bay Lightning.After the lockout the following season, Sutter's Flames won the Northwest Division with a 46-25-11 record but ultimately lost in the opening round of the playoffs. Sutter stepped down as head coach at the end of the campaign, citing difficulties handling both roles.From 2002-06, Sutter managed the Flames to a 107-73 record with 15 ties and 15 overtime losses. Since then, Sutter head coached the Los Angeles Kings from 2011-17, winning two Stanley Cups and boasting a 225-147-53 record.The Flames are currently fifth in the North Division with an 11-11-2 record and minus-7 goal differential.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams wants to make a deal to improve his lackluster club."Adams is trying. He's working aggressively looking for a trade," TSN's Darren Dreger said Friday on WGR 550. "He's looking to upgrade in every possible scenario, it's just like every other (general) manager that's struggled."Dreger added that while Adams is extensively working the phones seeking a move, that effort isn't leading to any serious discussions."Lots of conversations, but really no substance to the conversations for a myriad of reasons," Dreger said.One hurdle to any trade is the quarantine players would potentially be required to enter upon switching squads. There are also restrictions prohibiting non-essential travel at the border between Canada and the United States.The Sabres were expected to take a step forward in 2021 after Adams signed prized free agent Taylor Hall to a one-year contract and acquired veteran center Eric Staal in a trade with the Minnesota Wild during the offseason. However, Buffalo has struggled mightily this campaign, ranking third-last in the NHL in points percentage while going 6-12-3 through 21 games.Last month, the Sabres were forced to remain idle for two weeks amid a COVID-19 outbreak that followed two games against the New Jersey Devils, who had just experienced their own outbreak.Nevertheless, several key Buffalo players have underachieved in 2021. Captain Jack Eichel has produced only two goals in 19 games, despite amassing a team-high 14 assists. Hall has collected only two markers in 21 contests. And Jeff Skinner, who carries a $9-million cap hit through 2026-27, has managed just one point (an assist) in 18 games, and he's repeatedly been a healthy scratch.Making matters worse, Sabres goaltender Linus Ullmark - who had played well this season considering how poorly the club is performing - will be out for a month after suffering an injury last week.Buffalo hasn't made the playoffs since 2011 when it lost in the first round for the second straight season.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Brent Seabrook can no longer play as a result of injuries he sustained throughout his career, the longtime Chicago Blackhawks defenseman announced Friday."After several surgeries, countless hours of rehab, and training to get back on the ice at the level of my expectations, it will not be possible for me to continue playing hockey," Seabrook said in a statement. "This is what is best for me and my family."Seabrook has a long-term issue with his right hip, team physician Dr. Michael Terry confirmed. Though Seabrook's official retirement is inevitable, he remains on the Blackhawks' roster by virtue of being under contract through 2023-24. However, the club placed him on long-term injured reserve Friday in order to remove his $6.875-million cap hit.

Boston Bruins netminder Tuukka Rask felt it was unfortunate there were no fans present Wednesday to pay tribute to Washington Capitals defenseman Zdeno Chara, who returned to Boston as an opposing player for the first time since 2006."That's half the tribute is when the fans are there and they're cheering. I believe he would've gotten a pretty long standing ovation," Rask said postgame, courtesy of NBC Sports Boston. "We lived those moments together. It's odd to see him on the other side, but I think, personally, for me, it wasn't as emotional as it would've been if there were fans in the stands."The Bruins honored their ex-captain with a touching video tribute during a TV timeout.

Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving is looking to add a right-shooting right-winger to his team, TSN's Frank Seravalli reported on Thursday's edition of "Insider Trading."The Flames have often deployed Elias Lindholm as their top right-winger, but he's frequently played as a center this season, and the team prefers to have him centering its second line, Seravalli added.Josh Leivo, Brett Ritchie, Buddy Robinson, Glenn Gawdin, Derek Ryan, and Lindholm are the only right-shooting forwards to appear on Calgary's active roster this season.Flames head coach Geoff Ward has been shuffling his lines throughout the season as the team struggles to find consistency. This is how the lineup looked Thursday morning ahead of Calgary's game against the Ottawa Senators:

The Calgary Flames fired head coach Geoff Ward and hired former Flames bench boss Darryl Sutter as his replacement, the team announced following Thursday's 7-3 win over the Ottawa Senators.Calgary replaced former bench boss Bill Peters with Ward in November 2019 on an interim basis. He led the club to a 24-15-3 record last season before being made permanent head coach in September.The Flames struggled to carry over that momentum to this season, however and have won three of their last nine games while ranking 23rd overall with 2.71 goals for per game.Sutter served as Flames head coach from 2002-2006 and led the club to the Stanley Cup Final in 2004. He last coached in the NHL with Los Angeles in 2016-17 and won a pair of Cups with the Kings.Ward is the second head coach to be fired this season. The Montreal Canadiens dismissed Claude Julien on Feb. 24.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce was fined $5,000 for a dangerous trip on Detroit Red Wings forward Robby Fabbri during Thursday's contest, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced.

Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson will miss Thursday's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, according to The Athletic's Rick Dhaliwal.The 22-year-old didn't finish Thursday's morning skate, according to TSN's Farhan Lalji. The star pivot is battling an unknown ailment, though it isn't believed to be serious, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.In a corresponding move pre-game, the Canucks activated forward Marc Michaelis, who's expected to make his NHL debut in Pettersson's place, Dhaliwal added.Pettersson has 10 goals and 11 assists in 26 games this season.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

San Jose Sharks forward Joachim Blichfeld is suspended two games for his hit to the head of Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon during Wednesday's contest, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced Thursday.Blichfeld was ejected for the hit, while MacKinnon exited the game with 12 minutes remaining and didn't return.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby was activated from the COVID-19 list and is in the lineup against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday, the team announced.Crosby was placed in the protocol Tuesday and subsequently missed that night's 5-2 victory over the Flyers.The 33-year-old is tied for the team lead in goals (seven), assists (11), and points (18) through 20 games.Assistant coach Todd Reirden, who was placed in the protocol Tuesday as well, is also cleared to return Thursday.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm will miss six weeks with a fractured left wrist, the team announced Thursday.Lindholm, 27, suffered the injury during Saturday's overtime loss against the Vegas Golden Knights. He missed the previous three games with a lower-body injury.The Swedish blue-liner ranks second on the club in average ice time per game (22:02) and has tallied two goals and six points through 18 outings this season.Anaheim has lost eight consecutive contests and owns the second-worst points percentage (.370) in the league entering Thursday's action.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier is out week-to-week with a sinus fracture after taking a puck to the visor during Saturday's game against the Washington Capitals, the team announced Thursday.The play occurred with under five minutes to play in the Devils' 5-2 loss when P.K. Subban's point shot caught Hischier up high.

A rocky start to the week has dropped me to 68-53 (+16.52 units) on the season. There was nothing fun about watching the Panthers and Wild blow late leads on Monday night, only to lose in overtime.But that's hockey, and we've had a few of those go our way this year as well.Here are a couple of plays I've singled out for Thursday.Rangers (-115) @ Devils (-105)I enjoyed betting the Devils early in the season, but they've managed just 43.18% of the expected goal share at five-on-five across their last seven games. That number drops even further at all strengths, with the Devils struggling a great deal on special teams. Their power play ranks 27th in the league, while the penalty kill is dead last by a wide margin with just a 63% success rate. To put that miserable number into perspective, the Red Wings are second-worst, sitting at 70.4%.To compound matters, New Jersey will be without captain Nico Hischier once again after he took a puck to the face in Saturday's game against the Capitals. The Rangers appear to be getting Kaapo Kakko back - he hasn't played since Feb. 18 - and while Artemi Panarin remains away from the team for the fifth game, they've been managing well in his absence with 52.48% of the expected goal share at five-on-five.Oddsmakers were too low on the Devils early on, and after finally catching up, there seems to be an overcorrection happening now. They're also too low on a Rangers team playing strong hockey without their leading scorer. We're getting a bargain on the Blueshirts on Thursday.Pick: Rangers (-115)Flyers (-120) @ Penguins (+110)After cashing on the Penguins on Tuesday, I'm really liking this bounce-back spot for the Flyers. The Pens have struggled in the second of two-game sets, putting in much more convincing performances in the initial meeting. They've lost the second game in three of the last four occasions after winning the first, and the underlying numbers show that's hardly a coincidence.Opponent xGF% (Game 1) xGF% (Game 2)Capitals55.228.7Islanders63.6137.45Capitals59.2440.26Islanders54.3730.24Flyers48.88???Thursday's ask is even tougher as they're once again without Sidney Crosby after rallying impressively in the captain's absence in the opener. Meanwhile, the Flyers are getting healthy, and have no notable absences after Travis Konecny returned to the lineup on Tuesday.Tuesday's scoreline was a bit flattering for the Penguins, who capitalized on a rough outing from Carter Hart. The young netminder has had his share of struggles this season, but we won't have to worry about that here as Brian Elliott is expected to get the start. The man they call "Moose" has been nothing short of spectacular this season, ranking third in the NHL in GSAA/60 among goalies with at least five starts. He's also posted a terrific 4.41 GSAx, ranking ninth in the league, while Hart sits 64th out of 69 goalies with a minus-7.84 mark.Pick: Flyers (-120)(Odds source: theScore Bet)Alex Moretto is theScore's supervising editor of sports betting. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, despises how the NHL handles starting goalie announcements, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs' inability to defend has hindered their progress in recent years, but they appear to be turning a corner this season and allowed just one goal over nine periods in a three-game sweep of the Edmonton Oilers.Toronto held the NHL's leading scorer, Connor McDavid, pointless in three straight contests for just the third time in his career, according to Sportsnet. The Oilers captain couldn't offer an explanation as to how the Leafs shut him and his club down."For whatever reason, we couldn't figure those guys out and they had us pretty figured out," McDavid said following Wednesday's 6-1 loss.Fellow superstar Leon Draisaitl, who picked up one assist in the three-game set, was equally mystified."I think they played really good all three games - made it hard on us," Draisaitl said. "But we also didn't push back enough."The Maple Leafs' 2.33 goals against per game is the fourth-best in the league. Toronto hasn't finished a season with a top-10 defense since 2002-03 or a top-five defense since 1992-93.The most notable personnel changes on the blue line came in the form of TJ Brodie and Zach Bogosian replacing the departed Cody Ceci and Tyson Barrie, the latter of whom now plays for the Oilers."They gave us a bit of a lesson there that they're probably the team in our division that's the gold standard right now. ... They embarrassed us three games in a row," Barrie said.Having played under Sheldon Keefe, Barrie knows the defensive system that the Leafs head coach has been trying to implement since he was hired in November 2019. That system appears to be coming together now."You can't chase that team," Barrie said. "They're playing super well structurally, and they're not giving us any freebies and any looks that we wouldn't earn."The Leafs are 45-19-7 since Keefe took over for Mike Babcock last season.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

San Jose Sharks forward Joachim Blichfeld will have a hearing with the NHL's Department of Player Safety after delivering a hit to the head of Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon on Wednesday.

The Minnesota Wild sent a message to a longtime fixture of the franchise.Zach Parise was a healthy scratch against the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday night for the first time in his tenure with the Wild, and only the second time during his 16-year career.Parise skated Wednesday, but he didn't take part in line rushes.

Toronto Maple Leafs star pivot Auston Matthews and No. 1 goaltender Frederik Andersen returned to the lineup Wednesday as Toronto looks to complete a three-game sweep of the Edmonton Oilers.Matthews missed the team's last two games with a wrist injury, an ailment he's played through for most of the campaign. He appeared to aggravate the issue last week against the Calgary Flames while crashing into the boards. The 23-year-old still leads the NHL with 18 goals.Andersen hasn't played since Feb. 20 against the Montreal Canadiens due to a lower-body injury. Michael Hutchinson and Jack Campbell held down the fort, going 3-1-0 with only four goals against. Andersen owns a .905 save percentage and a 2.69 goals-against average over 16 games this season.Here is Toronto's lineup with Alexander Barabanov coming out for Matthews.

Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin revamped his coaching staff last week, firing head coach Claude Julien and associate Kirk Muller while promoting assistant Dominique Ducharme to interim bench boss. Goalie coach Stephane Waite initially appeared to be safe, but Bergevin wasn't done tinkering.Waite was informed during the second intermission of Tuesday's game against the Ottawa Senators that he was being let go, Bergevin said Wednesday, according to The Athletic's Arpon Basu."This decision was not based only on this season," Bergevin said. "I had seen a bit of a pattern."Starting netminder Carey Price has struggled this season. Even after stopping 26 of 27 shots Tuesday night, his .893 save percentage and 2.96 goals-against average are both worse than the league average. Price's $10.5-million cap hit makes him the NHL's highest-paid goalie, and there's still an additional five years left on his contract.Bergevin insisted the 33-year-old remains elite and might just need a different voice in the form of new director of goaltending Sean Burke."Carey is still an excellent goalie, one of the best in the league, but he needs help," Bergevin said.The Canadiens hired Burke as a scout in 2016, but he'll need to quarantine for 14 days before he can join the team. Bergevin believes Burke's experience going through the "ups and downs" through his 18 years as an NHL goaltender will help Price.Bergevin added he did not consult Price before making the change."The day I decide to do that, it will mean I'm not the right guy for the job," he said.Bergevin didn't dive into what Burke's role will entail or whether there will be a goaltending department in the future similar to the Florida Panthers' recent innovative approach. Burke's contract still expires at the end of the season.Waite had been Montreal's goalie coach since 2013-14, meaning he oversaw Price's career year in 2014-15 when he won the Vezina and Hart trophies.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Montreal Canadiens fired Stephane Waite and named Sean Burke their new director of goaltending, the team announced Tuesday.Waite held the position since 2013. He joined the Canadiens after winning Stanley Cups with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010 and 2013 and worked closely with Carey Price during the prime of his career.The Canadiens hired Burke as a scout in 2016. He also spent six seasons with the Arizona Coyotes in a variety of roles, including assistant general manager. He had an 18-year NHL career as a netminder and was GM of Canada's 2018 Olympic team.Burke needs to quarantine for 14 days before he can join the team.Montreal fired former head coach Claude Julien and assistant Kirk Muller last week. The team named Dominique Ducharme its new bench boss on an interim basis.The Canadiens' goaltending has been a focal point amid the club's recent slump, as Price has posted an .888 save percentage in 12 appearances this season. Jake Allen has registered significantly superior stats in the backup role.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Something's got to give in the negotiations between the Carolina Hurricanes and Dougie Hamilton.The two sides have held discussions about a new contract for the pending unrestricted free-agent defenseman, but the talks have simmered since February and there's "a tangible gap" between what Hamilton's camp and the team are looking for, reports The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.Hamilton would be the best blue-liner available if he were to hit the open market when eligible July 28.The 27-year-old is in the final season of the six-year, $34.5-million pact he inked with the Calgary Flames in 2015. Calgary traded him to the Hurricanes in a deal that sent rearguard Noah Hanifin and forward Elias Lindholm out west in 2018.Hamilton has thrived since joining Carolina, forming one of the NHL's top pairings alongside Jaccob Slavin and posting 0.6 points per game with stellar underlying numbers over two-plus campaigns.The 6-foot-6 defender has posted one goal and 13 assists while averaging over 22 minutes of ice time in 22 games this season.Carolina is expected to have more than $28 million in cap space for 2021-22, according to CapFriendly.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are in the market to reinforce their forward corps prior to the trade deadline, TSN's Darren Dreger reported on Tuesday's edition of "Insider Trading.""Management would like to bolster their forward group," Dreger said. "They'd like to give this group a little more depth and firepower, particularly in the middle of the lineup."As long as the Leafs continue to win, then I know (general manager Kyle) Dubas is going to try and bolster the group up front."This season's trade deadline is set for April 12.Toronto added several forwards this past offseason, including Joe Thornton, Wayne Simmonds, Travis Boyd, and Jimmy Vesey. Rookie winger Nick Robertson made the club at the start of the season, but has been limited to one NHL game due to an injury.The Leafs sit first in the NHL with 36 points in 23 games. They also boast the league's top offense with 81 goals.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Edmonton Oilers forward Alex Chiasson was suspended one game for cross-checking Toronto Maple Leafs forward Jimmy Vesey, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced Tuesday.Chiasson was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct. The play occurred after the final buzzer Monday, which the league factored into its decision.

Sidney Crosby is on the NHL's COVID-19 protocol list and won't play Tuesday night against the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said.Sullivan added that the Penguins canceled their morning skate due to protocol. Being placed on the list does not necessarily mean a player tested positive.Crosby is tied for the team lead with seven goals and ranks first among Pittsburgh skaters in both assists (11) and points through 20 games. The 33-year-old Penguins captain sits second among the club's forwards in average ice time, logging 20:24 per contest.The NHL's COVID-19 cases - both suspected and confirmed - have appeared to decrease lately following multiple outbreaks earlier in the season. Tuesday's list featured just three players: Crosby, Ryan Johansen of the Nashville Predators, and Tomas Hertl of the San Jose Sharks.The league updates the list around 5 p.m. ET every day.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Nashville Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis will miss four-to-six weeks with an upper-body injury, the team announced Tuesday.Additionally, forward Luke Kunin is out for two-to-four weeks with a lower-body injury, and Ryan Johansen was placed on the NHL's COVID-19 list.Losing Ellis is significant for the Predators as he's one of the league's premiere blue-liners and ranks second on the club in average ice time, logging nearly 25 minutes per game.Nashville sits sixth in the Central Division with 20 points through 21 games, leaving the club eight points back of a playoff spot.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers claimed goaltender Alex Stalock off waivers from the Minnesota Wild on Monday, the team announced.Stalock will report directly to the Oilers following his 14-day quarantine, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.The 33-year-old owns a .909 save percentage and 2.61 goals-against average in 151 career games between the Wild and San Jose Sharks - quality numbers for a backup. He's yet to make an appearance this season.The underlying numbers don't support Stalock as strongly, though.

Ottawa Senators forward Derek Stepan will miss the rest of the season with a dislocated left shoulder, general manager Pierre Dorion announced Tuesday.Stepan will undergo surgery later this week to repair labrum damage in his shoulder after suffering the injury during a win over the Montreal Canadiens on Feb. 23. The team expects him to be fully recovered for next season.The 30-year-old center collected one goal and five assists in 20 games with Ottawa this campaign. The Senators acquired him in a trade with the Arizona Coyotes in December, sending a 2021 second-round pick to the West Division club.Ottawa reportedly tried to trade Stepan earlier this season, but last month, Dorion denied the notion that the veteran wanted to play in the United States to be closer to his wife and newborn child.Stepan spent the previous three campaigns with the Coyotes after playing seven seasons with the New York Rangers, who drafted him 51st overall in 2008.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen doesn't plan on making a coaching change amid the team's five-game losing streak.Kekalainen called a press conference Tuesday to address any questions about head coach John Tortorella's job status."I wanted to have this call to just kind of clarify that this coaching staff has got us out of the slumps before, they've done a great job for us in the past five, six years they've been here, and they are the ones that are going to get out of this jam," the general manager said.Tortorella, who has been Columbus' bench boss since the 2016-17 campaign, is easily the most successful coach in the franchise's history, leading the team to playoff appearances in each of his four prior campaigns at the helm. No other coach in the club's history has led the team to multiple playoff berths."He's done a great job for us. I think we owe him a lot for what he's done for this franchise," Kekalainen said of Tortorella, who's in the last year of his contract. "All the other issues will get solved in time."The 8-10-5 Blue Jackets are seventh in their division in points percentage, ahead of only the Detroit Red Wings. Columbus got off to a slow start last season, too, beginning the year 5-7-3. Kekalainen believes a similar turnaround is in the cards, despite the shortened campaign."I have full confidence we're going to snap out of this," Kekalainen said.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

On March 1, 2018, exactly three years ago to this day, Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk announced his club was entering a rebuild."Now is the time for us to focus on the future, rather than dwelling on a difficult season," Melnyk wrote at the time.At that point, the Senators hit rock bottom. The team, one year removed from being a goal away from the Stanley Cup Final, sat 29th in the league standings.We decided this three-year anniversary would serve as a good opportunity to dive into Ottawa's rebuild, ask some pressing questions, and determine whether the team is on the right track.How realistic was Melnyk's timeline? Andre Ringuette / National Hockey League / GettyAlmost a year after declaring a rebuild, Melnyk, on Feb. 6, 2019, provided a timeline on the club's growth."The Senators will be all-in again for a five-year run of unparalleled success - where the team will plan to spend close to the NHL’s salary cap every year from 2021 to 2025," the owner said.The announcement came while the club was dead last in the standings. Mike Hoffman and Erik Karlsson were already traded, and Matt Duchene and Mark Stone would be shipped away later that month.Quick turnarounds aren't completely uncommon in the NHL, but a lot needs to fall into place. We've seen teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs and Colorado Avalanche go from basement dwellers to juggernauts overnight. Some rebuilding franchises - such as the Edmonton Oilers - took longer than expected. Others - like the Buffalo Sabres - are still looking for answers.With all due respect to key building blocks Brady Tkachuk and Thomas Chabot, Ottawa didn't have a generational talent on its hands. The Senators weren't expected to land one that offseason, either, as their first-round pick that summer belonged to Colorado as part of the Duchene deal. So, no, Melnyk's timeline wasn't realistic.The COVID-19 pandemic hasn't made things any easier. The virus' financial repercussions have been hard on many teams, but small-market clubs like the Senators are hit harder. The pandemic also makes it more difficult to scout and develop prospects, which is crucial for a rebuilding organization. It may also lead to the 2021 draft's postponement.However, the pandemic gave the Senators one edge that they failed to take advantage of properly.2020 offseason: A missed opportunity Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyBefore COVID-19, the NHL salary cap was expected to increase by as much as $6.5 million - a substantial amount in a hard-cap league. Due to the pandemic, the league's cap is likely staying flat at $81.5 million for at least the next three seasons.The flat cap forced many teams this offseason to trade away quality players for pennies on the dollar due to cap constraints. This meant teams with ample cap space could take advantage of the market.The Senators did this in one move, netting a second-round pick from the Tampa Bay Lightning for taking Cedric Paquette and Braydon Coburn's contracts. But most of Ottawa's offseason deals left much to be desired.The Sens sent a second-round pick and a prospect to the Pittsburgh Penguins for goalie Matt Murray and handed him a four-year, $25-million contract. Murray, who struggled in two of his last three seasons in Pittsburgh, has been dreadful this year, posting a .884 save percentage.Ottawa also surrendered a second-round pick for Derek Stepan, a fourth-round selection for Josh Brown, and a fifth-round pick for Erik Gudbranson. None of those players are likely pieces of the puzzle moving forward. The Stepan acquisition was particularly perplexing, considering he's already declining and a pending UFA.If the Senators intended on trading draft capital to improve this offseason, they should've used it on players who could be valuable long-term assets.For instance, Devon Toews, a quality top-four defenseman who just turned 27, was traded to the Avalanche for two second-rounders because the New York Islanders couldn't afford to give him his RFA raise. Had the cap increased, he likely wouldn't have been available. Ottawa could've landed Toews for the second-rounders it gave up for Murray and Stepan, and he would've been a smart use of cap space (he signed a four-year deal with Colorado at $4.1 million per season).The Senators could've further bolstered their blue line by acquiring Ryan Murray, who the cap-strapped Columbus Blue Jackets traded to the New Jersey Devils for a fifth-round pick. Murray has struggled to stay healthy, but he's two years younger than Gudbranson and a far superior player. They're both pending UFAs, but Murray would've been worth keeping around for the competitive window. Gudbranson clearly isn't. Evolving-Hockey.comA blue line featuring Chabot, Toews, Murray, Erik Brannstrom, Nikita Zaitsev, and Artem Zub would've sped up the rebuild. Yes, prospects like Jake Sanderson, Jacob Bernard-Docker, and Lassi Thomson are eventually coming, but that isn't a reason not to improve the current product. Instead, big, physical, immobile defenders like Gudbranson, Brown, and Coburn weigh the team down.Bottom line: Top-four defensemen don't grow on trees, and Ottawa had an opportunity to acquire two of them for below market value. Instead, the Sens handed a big contract to an inconsistent goalie and spent draft picks on mediocre players who may only stick around for a season.The current status Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyThe Senators are playing better as of late and have proven to be a nuisance for some North Division contenders this season. They rank 12th in the league in five-on-five Corsi For percentage, too, showing they're not getting dominated in games. They ranked 26th in that regard a year ago, so there's some underlying improvement.Most importantly, rookies Tim Stutzle and Josh Norris have been impressive, and Ottawa is getting significant contributions from other youngsters such as Brannstrom and Drake Batherson.However, the team still hasn't taken a step in the wins department. The Sens sit last in the league standings, and their .326 points percentage stands to be the worst in franchise history since 1995-96.While not having games against fellow bottom feeders like the Sabres and Detroit Red Wings doesn't help, having one of the worst statistical seasons in club history during Year 3 of a rebuild is highly disappointing.Should anyone be feeling the heat? NHL Images / National Hockey League / GettyPierre Dorion has been Ottawa's general manager since April 2016. He's done a lot of good for the organization, despite this past offseason not being his best work.The Senators ranked third on The Athletic's Corey Pronman's post-draft list of every team's young talent. Dorion comes from a scouting background, so it's a good sign that he's excelling in the area he knows best.However, Dorion's trade history is a mixed bag. His first major deal - swapping Mika Zibanejad and a second-round pick for Derick Brassard and a seventh-rounder - looked bad at the time and even worse now.The Duchene acquisition was Dorion's next big move, and while he deserves some credit for going all-in, that trade clearly backfired. How good would Bowen Byram look in a Sens uniform right now?On the positive side, Dorion hit a home run on the Karlsson trade. The return may have looked underwhelming at the time, but the first-round pick Ottawa received from the San Jose Sharks turned into Stutzle. And Norris has developed better than expected.Dorion also did well netting a first-round pick and two prospects for Duchene and first- and second-round selections for Jean-Gabriel Pageau.The return for Stone - a second-round pick and Brannstrom - will be judged by the latter's development, but it looks like the blue-liner's ceiling is high.Dorion shouldn't be on the hot seat yet, but he needs to find a way to make impactful additions to the young core so the team can take the next step in 2021-22. If the next offseason is anything like 2020, where he fails to properly take advantage of the market and team's cap space, then it's fair to call for his job.As for head coach D.J. Smith, he's only in his second season at the helm and clearly hasn't had much to work with. His job is safe, but an improved record by next season is important.When would it be time to panic? Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyMelnyk's timeline was never realistic - and COVID-19 didn't help - but it wasn't totally far off.A run of "unparalleled success" was a major stretch, but showing improvement by next season and making the playoffs by 2022-23 should be considered realistic goals. The young core is talented enough and will only improve.Plus, Dorion should have the financial resources to shore up the roster's remaining holes, considering Melnyk doubled down with his high hopes when he boldly stated in October that the Senators would be a "Stanley Cup winner within four years."If the Sens are still bottom-feeders two or three seasons from now, Dorion and Smith will probably be gone. Then, Melnyk will be the only person left to blame.Melnyk is the most outspoken owner in the league, and perhaps in all of North American sports. Fans have made it clear they want him out. If he fails to deliver on his promises, maybe Melnyk will think twice about making such bold proclamations next time.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Calgary Flames suffered another embarrassing loss to the Ottawa Senators on Monday, and veteran forward Milan Lucic is holding his teammates accountable despite recent speculation that head coach Geoff Ward could be on the hot seat."You hear a lot of outside noise talking about coaching and all this … style of play and all this bullshit," Lucic said after Monday's 5-1 loss, according to Sportsnet960's Pat Steinberg. "But that has nothing to do with the coaches. That has everything to do with the guys that are playing."Ottawa, currently sitting last in the North Division, routed Calgary 6-1 last week as well. The Flames have only three wins in their last 10 games and tallied just one goal in each of the seven losses during that span.Ward took over head coaching duties in November 2019 and guided the club to a 24-15-3 record before the campaign paused in March. Calgary has struggled to match that level of play this season, and Ward recently called out his team for its inconsistent play.Lucic apparently agreed with his coach's message Monday and said it's up to the players to put in the work."It seems like … we just want it easy on a night to night basis," Lucic said, per Steinberg. "We don't want to work hard like we did when this coaching staff took over last year. There's more than enough people in this organization that need to look in the mirror."The Flames own a 10-11-2 record and rank 27th in goals per game (2.52) this season.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Edmonton Oilers goaltender Alex Stalock revealed to The Athletic's Michael Russo that he was diagnosed with myocarditis after testing positive for COVID-19 in November.Stalock had been sidelined all season with what the Minnesota Wild classified as an upper-body injury before being claimed by the Oilers on waivers Monday.Stalock said he showed no symptoms and returned multiple negative tests, but team doctors told him last year he was positive. He underwent examinations that revealed myocarditis, which is an inflammation of the heart muscle and can lead to cardiac arrest. He was told to rest for six weeks."Those first couple weeks were scary," Stalock said. "You go on the internet and read stuff and you're like, 'Holy shit.'"I was completely asymptomatic, but they think because I had no symptoms and had it in my system that because it was right at the time where we were ramping things up with skating and working out and ramping up for the season that my heart was working and working and working and started to get stressed and swell because of the virus in my system."Stalock continued: "It was mentally draining and very frustrating. Every doctor you talk to, they’re like, 'This is so new, we don’t know what can happen.' And you're like, 'Well, that doesn’t help.'"Stalock visited a specialist in Boston in mid-January and was given clearance to begin working out again.The Wild waived Stalock to give way for Cam Talbot and Kaapo Kahkonen in goal, a tandem that's been highly effective for the club this season.Stalock will have to quarantine for two weeks before being eligible to suit up with the Oilers. The 33-year-old owns a .909 save percentage in 151 career appearances.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Longtime NHL player Todd Bertuzzi was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence last weekend in Michigan, TMZ reports.The 46-year-old was reportedly swerving all over the road and ran a red light before he was pulled over Saturday morning in Auburn Hills.Responding officers believed Bertuzzi was under the influence of alcohol, but he refused a breathalyzer test, according to TMZ. He reportedly showed signs of impairment while undergoing other field sobriety tests.Bertuzzi was eventually arrested and taken to Oakland County Jail, per TMZ. Police reportedly received a warrant for a blood draw, but the results are currently unknown.The former Vancouver Canucks star is best remembered for sucker-punching Steve Moore and slamming his head into the ice during a game against the Colorado Avalanche in 2004. The NHL suspended Bertuzzi for 20 games, and he pleaded guilty to assault. Moore suffered three fractured vertebrae among other injuries and never played pro hockey again.Bertuzzi also played for the New York Islanders, Florida Panthers, Detroit Red Wings, Anaheim Ducks, and Calgary Flames over his 1,159-game career.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Patrick Kane notched another career milestone Sunday night, and he's already thinking of the next one.The Chicago Blackhawks superstar buried his 400th career goal in a rout of the Detroit Red Wings. When asked to reflect on the achievement, Kane opted to look ahead."I think it leaves you wanting more," he said, per NBC Sports. "I feel pretty good about my game and where it's at right now. I'll just try to keep getting better."Kane is the 100th skater in NHL history to hit the 400-goal mark. He's also the fourth Blackhawk and ninth U.S.-born player to reach the accomplishment.The 32-year-old is in the midst of an MVP-caliber campaign, currently tied for second in league scoring behind Connor McDavid with 34 points in 23 games - nine points clear of the next closest Blackhawk.Kane recorded his 1,000th career point prior to last season's pause and is on the verge of playing his 1,000th NHL game. His resume also features three Stanley Cups, a Conn Smythe, a Hart, an Art Ross, and a Calder Trophy.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

John Tortorella isn't concerned about his job security after the Columbus Blue Jackets dropped their fifth straight game Sunday."I never worry about that. I do my job the best I can," Tortorella said following a 2-1 defeat to the Nashville Predators, according to The Athletic's Aaron Portzline. "If people want to make decisions on me, that's their decision. ... I go about my business, and I'm going to coach this team the best way I possibly can."The Jackets' recent slide has dropped the club to fifth in the Central Division. They're five points out of a playoff spot despite playing more games than all the teams ahead of them. Columbus has missed the playoffs only once since Tortorella was hired for the 2015-16 season.The veteran bench boss has preached defense for his entire tenure with the club, but the Blue Jackets haven't met expectations in 2021. They rank 28th in goals against per game this season (3.54) after finishing the 2020 campaign with the NHL's third-best mark (2.61).Columbus was the talk of the NHL in January after dealing a disgruntled Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Winnipeg Jets for sniper Patrik Laine. Dubois requested a trade in the offseason, and his relationship with the club appeared to become irreparable after Tortorella benched him for a lack of effort.The Blue Jackets' next chance to snap their skid comes Tuesday versus the Detroit Red Wings.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jack Eichel claims he didn't get injured during the pregame warmup before Thursday's home loss to the New Jersey Devils, contrary to what Buffalo Sabres head coach Ralph Krueger told reporters that night.After the Philadelphia Flyers shut out the Sabres for the second straight day, Eichel said he got hurt in New Jersey, presumably during Buffalo's win over the Devils on Tuesday, according to The Athletic's John Vogl. He added that the injury that forced him out Thursday, as well as Saturday's contest, wasn't a new development.The Sabres captain missed the morning skate Thursday and was a late scratch from his team's overtime defeat that evening. After the game, Krueger said Eichel was hurt during the warmup and the injury wasn't related to his absence that morning."This was a completely new development," the bench boss said at the time.Eichel also left Tuesday's game with an injury. However, Krueger said Sunday he wasn't trying to mislead anyone with his statements Thursday."When I mentioned it, the specific region that actually took him out of the game (Thursday), the first time I'd heard about it was warmup," Krueger told the media, including WROC's Thad Brown, on Sunday."That he was injured and he came out of the Jersey game (Tuesday) injured was clear to me, but it turns out that there was multiple lower-body injuries and whatever," Krueger continued. "The point is that he came out of Jersey hurt. The warmup call and the region that ended up being (aggravated), it was his first time back in his skates since that game and it changed the game."Krueger added: "I definitely didn't do gamesmanship there. It was just that we had hoped he was going to play that game."The Sabres have lost three straight contests. Buffalo has only one win in its last five games and has collected only three points during that span.Eichel leads the club with 12 assists but has produced only two goals in 17 games. He has a goals for percentage of 40 compared to an expected goals for percentage of 60.36 at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Every week, theScore offers a fantasy hockey column detailing a handful of moves you should make. This edition focuses on Week 7. Roster percentages and position eligibility are courtesy of Yahoo.Add Vladimir Tarasenko Scott Rovak / National Hockey League / GettyTeam: Blues

Washington Capitals goaltender Ilya Samsonov started against the New Jersey Devils on Sunday afternoon, returning to the crease exactly six weeks after his previous NHL appearance.Samsonov last played Jan. 17 in his second start of 2021. He entered this season as the Capitals' No. 1 netminder but landed on the NHL's COVID-19 protocol list on Jan. 20 and reportedly tested positive.The league placed the 24-year-old on its list along with Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, and Dmitry Orlov, and the team later admitted the players had violated protocol by interacting in a hotel room. The NHL fined the Capitals $100,000.Ovechkin and Orlov returned in late January and early February, respectively. Samsonov initially rejoined the Capitals for practice along with Kuznetsov on Feb. 8, and while the forward resumed playing for Washington on Feb. 14, the team assigned Samsonov to its AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears, for a conditioning stint on that date.Samsonov played four games for the Bears, going 2-1-1 with an .869 save percentage. He earned a victory while stopping 25 of 28 shots Friday against the Binghamton Devils.The Capitals rode rookie Vitek Vanecek heavily in Samsonov's absence. The 25-year-old started 16 of Washington's 17 games from Jan. 19 through Saturday. He's gone 9-4-3 with a .909 save percentage and 0.8 goals saved above average in 17 contests this season.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Florida Panthers placed forward Brett Connolly on waivers Sunday, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Connolly, 28, is in the second season of a four-year, $14-million deal he signed with the Panthers ahead of the 2019-20 campaign.The 6-foot-3 winger tallied 19 goals and 14 assists over 69 games last season but has just one goal and three points through 16 contests in 2020-21.Selected sixth overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2010 NHL Draft, Connolly has amassed 99 goals and 191 points over 512 career outings.Florida has 13 wins in its opening 20 games for the first time since the 1995-96 campaign.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The St. Louis Blues pulled goaltender Jordan Binnington from Saturday's 7-6 victory against the San Jose Sharks after he allowed four goals on 19 shots through the first period-and-a-half.Binnington was clearly upset on his way out and went after several Sharks players, including opposing goalie Devan Dubnyk.

Buffalo Sabres goaltender Linus Ullmark will miss at least one month with an undisclosed injury, head coach Ralph Krueger confirmed on Saturday, according to the Times Herald's Bill Hoppe.Ullmark exited in the first period of Thursday's 4-3 overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils and didn't come back. The 27-year-old owns a 2.44 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage over 12 games this season.Meanwhile, defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen returned against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday after his grueling bout with COVID-19 earlier this month.The Finnish blue-liner recently opened up about his struggles with significant drops in oxygen levels, intense chest pain, and fatigue. The 26-year-old hadn't played since Jan. 31.Sabres captain Jack Eichel remains day-to-day and missed his second straight game, but he could return Sunday. Winger Jeff Skinner, who had been a healthy scratch during the team's previous three contests, also returned to the lineup Saturday.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A split on Thursday takes us to 16-7 on this current run as we look to finish off a strong February.With injury uncertainties it was difficult to write this in advance, but now that we've got more clarity there's still value on the board heading into Saturday night.Hurricanes (-115) @ Panthers (-105)We're getting an excellent number with the Hurricanes here in what's setting up as the ideal goaltending matchup between Sergei Bobrovsky for Florida and James Reimer likely starting for Carolina.Bobrovsky ranks 61st among all goaltenders in the NHL in GSAx with a minus-7.52 mark, and while his surface stats look improved of late, two of those starts came against the Red Wings. He was lit up for eight goals on 49 shots - an .836 save percentage - in two starts against the Lightning, and now faces a Carolina team with an equally potent offense.In fact, the Hurricanes actually rate as the league's best five-on-five offense by a decent margin so far this season, generating 2.84 expected goals per 60 minutes. They also boast a top-10 power play. The Panthers have been one of the league's better stories early on, but I have doubts about the sustainability when I look at this roster top to bottom. This is a great price to get in on one of the league's best teams.Pick: Hurricanes (-115)Canadiens (-130) @ Jets (+110)I was on the Canadiens on Thursday and got burned as they blew an early 3-1 lead. There's a lot that went into the loss, and to blame it all on Carey Price isn't fair, but he's a big part of why they lost that game.Price let in a brutal go-ahead goal to Nate Thompson in the third period, which proved to be the game-winner, just minutes after the Canadiens did well to kill off a pair of penalties. It was a deflating goal and completely took the wind out of their sails. It's been a theme for them of late, with Price letting in soft goals in recent starts against both the Senators and Maple Leafs that have cost the Habs dearly.It looks like they've learned their lesson, as Jake Allen is getting the start Saturday. Allen has been nothing short of spectacular for Montreal, ranking top 10 in the NHL in GSAA and GSAx, while Price sits 64th out of 68 goalies in both categories. His struggles have plagued this team and it's time the torch is passed to the Fredericton, New Brunswick, native.The massive uptick between the pipes makes the Canadiens worthy of this price, even without Josh Anderson, who isn't expected to play. Add in the fact the Jets are one of the league's worst five-on-five teams going up against one of the best, and I'm willing to bite again. Let's hope I don't live to regret it once again.Pick: Canadiens (-130)(Odds source: theScore Bet)Alex Moretto is theScore's supervising editor of sports betting. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, despises how the NHL handles starting goalie announcements, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews will not play Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers due to a wrist injury, head coach Sheldon Keefe said, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Matthews' wrist has bothered him "virtually all season," according to Keefe. The NHL's leading goalscorer appeared to aggravate it on Wednesday against the Calgary Flames when he crashed into the boards.However, the Leafs will get some reinforcements, as goaltender Jack Campbell, defenseman Jake Muzzin, and forward Joe Thornton will all draw back into the lineup.Campbell hasn't played since Jan. 24 due to a leg injury. His return comes at a key time as starting netminder Frederik Andersen remains out due to a lower-body injury.Muzzin has missed the last two games with a face injury. He'll be forced to play with a full face shield. The 32-year-old ranks second among Toronto blue-liners in points and third in average ice time.Thornton has also missed the last two contests with an undisclosed ailment. He was riding a four-game point streak before going down.Here's Toronto's projected lineup for Saturday night based on Friday's practice lines:LWCRWJoe ThorntonJohn TavaresMitch MarnerAlexander BarabanovAlexander KerfootWilliam NylanderIlya MikheyevPierre EngvallZach HymanNic PetanTravis BoydJason SpezzaLDRDMorgan RiellyTJ BrodieJake MuzzinJustin HollTravis DermottZach BogosianThe Leafs won their lone game without Matthews this season - a 4-2 victory over the Oilers on Jan. 22.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A month after surprisingly resigning as general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Jim Rutherford has his eyes set on a potential return to hockey."I still got the bug," Rutherford told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun."I can tell you that I feel good, I have a lot of energy, I love the game. I’ve watched as many games as I can every night to stay in the loop. I have an emotional connection to the Penguins for obvious reasons, but I still have the bug to be with a team and try to contribute and make it better."The 72-year-old still hasn't elaborated on why he left his position with Pittsburgh, simply citing personal reasons. Shortly after his resignation, the club hired Ron Hextall as general manager and brought in Brian Burke as president of hockey operations.Rutherford had been general manager of the Penguins since 2014, helping lead the club to back-to-back Stanley Cup victories in 2016 and 2017.While a return to Pittsburgh doesn't seem to be in the books, Rutherford added he won't necessarily be actively looking for a front-office position and instead will wait to see if an opportunity comes his way."I’ve done this long enough, and I have a lot of friends in the game and a lot of respect for everybody, and I’m not looking to take somebody’s job," Rutherford said. "So I’m not going to be making phone calls and saying that I’m looking for a job that somebody already has."It’s a place where most people would like to get to in their life. You can work if you want, but you don’t have to. I don’t have any more things to accomplish in the league, but I do think I have a lot to offer to a team in the right situation."Rutherford won the Jim Gregory GM of the Year Award in 2016 and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2019. He also previously spent 20 years as general manager of the Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes, winning the Stanley Cup in 2006.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Buffalo Sabres forward Jeff Skinner was a healthy scratch for the third straight game Thursday night, but the 28-year-old doesn't think watching from the press box will help him break out of his lengthy slump."I don't think you learn anything extra by not being out there, but, obviously, this situation is maybe not that straightforward in the fact that 'lessons being learned' is maybe more of a vague concept," Skinner said Friday, according to The Athletic's John Vogl.Skinner, who's in the second season of an eight-year, $72-million contract, has yet to score and has just one assist through 14 games. He skated with the club's taxi squad during Thursday's practice.Sabres head coach Ralph Krueger said Thursday that he doesn't have a doghouse and that he'll continue to work with Skinner to find his potential. The 5-foot-11 winger understands Krueger's decision and insists it hasn't impacted how he views his future with the club."I try and help the team win as much as I can," Skinner said. "That's my main focus. Obviously, the coach is trying to do that, too. ... He has 23 other guys to worry about. He has a team to coach. I just have to play hockey.He added, "I love being a Sabre. I love the city of Buffalo. I wouldn't have chosen to stay here if that wasn't (the) case, so that answer is simple."The Sabres could certainly use Skinner's offensive touch. Buffalo ranks 27th in scoring this season and sits last in the East Division through 17 games.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

St. Louis Blues star Vladimir Tarasenko is nearing his long-awaited return.Head coach Craig Berube said Friday that there's a "good chance" Tarasenko will make his season debut on the Blues' upcoming road trip, according to NHL.com's Lou Korac.The 29-year-old sniper hasn't suited up in a game since Aug. 14, as he underwent shoulder surgery shortly after. He played only 10 contests last season due to a separate shoulder procedure in October 2019 but eclipsed the 30-goal mark in each of his five previous campaigns.Tarasenko skated alongside David Perron and Brayden Schenn during Friday's practice and competed in contact drills.The Blues begin a six-game road trip against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday. It wraps up back in the Bay Area on March 8.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews did not take part in Friday's practice and is considered day-to-day with a hand injury, the team announced.Matthews' status for Saturday's game against the Edmonton Oilers currently remains unclear.The 23-year-old appeared to be in discomfort after going hard into the boards on Wednesday against the Calgary Flames.

Welcome to the sixth edition of "Looking North," our weekly Friday dive into the all-Canadian division. This installment dates back to Feb. 19.The rundown Derek Leung / Getty Images Sport / GettyAre the Edmonton Oilers for real? Time will tell if this is just another short-lived hot streak, but Connor McDavid and Co. appear to have found their rhythm two months into the season. The Oilers have won eight of their last nine contests and sit second place in the North division.The Montreal Canadiens' fall from grace culminated in the firing of former head coach Claude Julien on Wednesday as the club hopes to rediscover its dominant form from the season's opening 10 games. Meanwhile, the Vancouver Canucks' campaign continues to slip away. The club went winless last week, collecting just one point while falling further down the standings.The Winnipeg Jets and Toronto Maple Leafs continue to find ways to win, while the Calgary Flames are still trying to discover their identity. The Ottawa Senators, who routed the Flames 6-1 on Thursday, have won three straight and are playing their best hockey of the season.TeamPoints over last weekEdmonton Oilers8 (4-0-0)Winnipeg Jets6 (3-0-0)Ottawa Senators6 (3-0-0)Toronto Maple Leafs4 (2-1-0)Calgary Flames3 (1-3-1)Montreal Canadiens2 (0-2-2)Vancouver Canucks1 (0-3-1)The stars Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyForward: McDavid strengthened his bid for a second Hart Trophy, pacing all skaters in the division in both goals (five) and points (eight) last week. The Oilers captain stole the show in the latest installment of the Battle of Alberta, lighting up the Flames for five points, which included a natural hat trick.Defenseman: Thomas Chabot has been the Senators' best player this season, and his elite abilities have catalyzed the club's first three-game winning streak this season. The 24-year-old rearguard played just under half the contest and set up the game-winner in the Sens' second of two victories over the Canadiens last week. Chabot added two more assists in the team's thrashing of the Flames as Ottawa owned 61.33% of scoring chances at five-on-five with him patrolling the ice.Goalie: The Oilers have been a different team since Mike Smith returned to the crease earlier this month. The veteran puck-stopper is red-hot, allowing just four goals (.953 save percentage) over his last three starts - all wins. Smith's 32-save shutout against the Canucks on Thursday punctuated what's been an invaluable stretch of play to the Oilers.Canadian of the week Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyGood for Matt Murray. McDavid may have stolen the show with his offensive bona fides, and Smith was easily the top puck-stopper last week, but Murray should be recognized for bouncing back from a dreadful start to his campaign. The Senators netminder, who hadn't won consecutive games this season, earned a victory in all three of his starts last week, authoring a .929 save percentage across those outings.The momentsNylander's heroicsWilliam Nylander has been criticized for his lack of involvement at times this season, but the dynamic winger silenced his critics with a heroic performance against the Flames on Wednesday. With the Leafs in danger of being shut out for a second consecutive game, Nylander pounced on a loose puck late to force overtime.Nylander put his incredible skill on display again in the extra frame to secure the Leafs' victory. The 24-year-old became the fourth player in franchise history - and first since 1995 - to score the tying goal with under two minutes to play in regulation and the overtime winner in the same game, according to NHL Public Relations.

Among the handful of major NHL awards handed out each year by a voting body, the Vezina Trophy tends to be the most predictable and straightforward.Historically, Vezina voters - the league's general managers - have valued three main things: a heavy workload, winning, and a strong save percentage. Every Vezina winner in the past 10 non-lockout seasons has started at least 53 games, won at least 31 games, and owned a save percentage of at least .922.That said, the uniqueness of this season calls for some mental gymnastics. Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesTeams are playing just 56 regular-season games, and coaches are giving extra starts to the backup in many instances to better tackle the condensed schedule. What's more, the league-average save percentage has dipped under .910 for the first time in 12 seasons while goalies exclusively face shooters from their division.Do the GMs simply prorate their usual criteria? Or, do voters, on aggregate, adopt a more nuanced approach to the "best goalie of the year" debate?Tampa Bay's Andrei Vasilevskiy, Vegas' Marc-Andre Fleury, Chicago's Kevin Lankinen, Florida's Chris Driedger, and the Islanders' Semyon Varlamov are all popping off the page this season.Here's each netminder's baseline statistics and how they rank among the 29 goalies who have started at least 10 times through Thursday night's action:GOALIESTARTSWINSSV%EV SV%Vasilevskiy15 (t-6th)11 (t-1st).935 (2nd).942 (2nd)Fleury11 (t-21st)8 (t-8th).942 (1st).943 (1st)Lankinen14 (t-11th)8 (t-8th).921 (6th).937 (3rd)Driedger10 (t-24th)7 (t-12th).928 (t-3rd).927 (6th)Varlamov14 (t-11th)9 (t-3rd).928 (t-3rd).931 (4th)Let's dig deeper to account for shot quality, seeing as no two team environments are exactly the same. (Case in point: The Blackhawks' loose defensive structure is in stark contrast to the Islanders' lock-it-down style.)Here's a breakdown of the same five goalies in the key categories of goals saved above expected (GSAx) and goals saved above average (GSAA) from Evolving Hockey:GOALIEGSAxGSAAVasilevskiy11.84 (1st)11.67 (1st)Fleury8.23 (2nd)10.06 (2nd)Lankinen3.45 (4th)6.26 (4th)Driedger2.32 (6th)6.16 (5th)Varlamov3.27 (5th)8.67 (3rd)Vasilevskiy, the award's 2018-19 winner, appears to grade out the best based on what's presented above, though Fleury - who hasn't seen the crease quite as often as Vasilevskiy - carries great intrigue. He has gaudy stats and a tidy narrative. Fleury has never won a Vezina despite sitting fifth all time in goalie wins, so the affable 36-year-old is about as "due" as they come.Meanwhile, Lankinen is building a convincing case for the Calder Trophy, Driedger is outduelling partner Sergei Bobrovsky in a big way, and Varlamov is playing arguably the best hockey of his career on a 10-6-3 Isles club.Keep an eye on Colorado's Philipp Grubauer, Los Angeles' Cal Petersen, and New Jersey's Mackenzie Blackwood as the season chugs along. All have been fantastic so far, too, and could soon challenge the other five.At any rate, good luck with this one, GMs. I don't envy you.Fleury's resilient - againSpeaking of Fleury, he's managed to reclaim the Golden Knights' net following a bubbled postseason in which he appeared in only four of 20 games.Remember, Fleury was also at the center of a firestorm set off by his own camp. (You may remember Fleury's agent tweeted an image depicting his client being impaled by a sword labeled "DeBoer," as in coach Pete DeBoer.) In the offseason, it felt like Fleury's name was constantly in the rumor mill. Christian Petersen / Getty ImagesThe early-season bounce back is impressive, and it reminds me of a conversation with Pascal Vincent, Fleury's Quebec junior coach.Back in early 2004, Vincent watched a young Fleury struggle with "more than a few weeks" of confidence issues. Fresh off an all-time gaffe at the world juniors, the Pittsburgh Penguins returned Fleury - the 2003 first overall pick - to Vincent's Cape Breton Screaming Eagles following 22 NHL games."He's wearing the Team Canada jersey and he wants to win the gold, and even though you win as a team and lose as a team, he felt responsible, and that crushed him," recalled Vincent, who's now the head coach of the Winnipeg Jets' AHL affiliate.Fleury, then 19, was so down he told Vincent he didn't believe he was as talented as the lesser-known junior goalies. The coach countered with a pearl of wisdom: that one moment won't define your career - unless you allow it to. Bruce Bennett / Getty Images"I just had to let him be and (let him) go through his feelings," Vincent said. "Let him know that, 'Hey, I'm here. We believe in you. We're just going to wait for you to believe in yourself again, the way you should, and things will be fine. Don't worry about it. It sucks, it's not great. You feel the way you feel because you care so much. But we're here. And we'll be here this year, next year, in 10 years.'"That lost confidence and joy - which is so prevalent in Fleury's demeanor on and off the ice - was eventually rediscovered, and life reverted back to normal."Looking back today and (on) what he's accomplished, I think what happened at that time was probably a blessing in his life," Vincent said.Fleury's a grown man now, and these are two different situations, but there's some symmetry between Fleury's current bounce back and his arc in 2004.Cats, Huberdeau sneaky goodYears of mediocrity and a lackluster showing in the bubble made the Florida Panthers easy to dismiss in the lead up to the season. Yet, 19 games in, the Cats are atop the Central Division with 28 points and sit third overall in points percentage. It's true they've already played Detroit six times, winning four, but the Panthers are also a combined 4-2 in their six meetings with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Dallas Stars, who met in the Stanley Cup Final last year.Captain Aleksander Barkov has been lauded over his career for his two-way wizardry and has been praised again during this hot streak - rightfully so. Conversely, Jonathan Huberdeau, Barkov's longtime running mate, hasn't been properly credited throughout his career. The 27-year-old has been overshadowed, not only by Barkov, but also by his peers in bigger markets. Gregory Shamus / Getty ImagesHuberdeau currently ranks eighth in league scoring with seven goals and 16 assists. He's the main facilitator on a lethal power play and is producing at a point-per-game pace on the wing for a third consecutive season."The people who have played with him over the years definitely realize how good he is," former teammate Vincent Trocheck said ahead of 2020 All-Star Weekend. "It's crazy to think this is his first All-Star Game. He's been in the league for eight years, and he's an outstanding player. He's probably deserved it six out of those eight years."Huberdeau's 0.83 points-per-game rate since his 2012-13 debut is tied with Brock Boeser, Jake Guentzel, and Joe Pavelski for 42nd (minimum 100 games). That group is one notch below Jonathan Toews and Vladimir Tarasenko and one notch ahead of Alexander Radulov, Patrik Laine, and Kyle Connor.Pretty solid company for the oft-overlooked star.Forward TOI rabbit holeOn Monday, Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner logged a career-high 26:41 of ice time in a 3-0 loss to the Calgary Flames. On the winning squad, Elias Lindholm clocked in almost a minute higher at 27:32.Even though forwards typically don't see more than 22 minutes a night, Marner and Lindholm's ice times didn't seem to register as a league-wide story. At first glance, it looks like two top players earning a few extra shifts. No big deal. On second thought, 26:41 and 27:32 is a ton of ice time during a game that ended in regulation, no matter the underlying circumstances. Kevin Sousa / Getty ImagesIs this a new trend? An anomaly? Let's parse the data to find out.In 2019-20, two forwards (Leon Draisaitl and Jack Eichel) averaged 22 or more minutes, while nine averaged between 21 and 22, and 13 more averaged between 20 and 21. So far in 2020-21, four forwards (Marner, Connor McDavid, Patrick Kane, and Draisaitl) are averaging 22 or more minutes a game, while six are averaging between 21 and 22, and 14 are averaging between 20 and 21. That's two additional forwards in the 22-plus tier.Let's check in on individual-game ice time.A forward eclipsed the 26-minute mark on 15 occasions this season, whereas the 26-minute mark was eclipsed 41 times in 2019-20. That's a 26-minute forward in 2.6% of all team games this campaign versus 1.9% last season.Since there have been only 291 games in 2020-21, it's too early to label nights like Marner's and Lindholm's a legitimate trend. Still, there appears to be something about this weird year that's leading to high-TOI games for select forwards. Perhaps it's because every game carries more weight in a shortened campaign, or maybe coaches want to push stamina limits.Karlsson's double whammyFrans Nielsen passing through waivers and Jeff Skinner getting scratched three times refueled the classic cap-era debate about the NHL's worst contract.There are plenty of exorbitant cap hits out there. There are plenty of overcommitments to term as well. But it's the pile of double whammies - drawn-out, expensive deals for players providing little value or hope of value to the organization - where you'll find the worst of the worst.Skinner, at $9 million through 2026-27, is certainly in the running for the (dis)honor. Matt Duchene and Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who make $8 million and $7 million, respectively, through 2025-26, are both cringeworthy. Bobrovsky, at $10 million through 2025-26, is perhaps worse than all three. Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesYet, the worst contract might belong to Erik Karlsson, at $11.5 million through 2026-27. Karlsson, a two-time Norris Trophy winner, was on the trajectory of a first-ballot Hall of Famer before inking a massive, $92-million ticket with the San Jose Sharks in June 2019. But his game has tanked, in large part due to major injuries. He's a shell of his former self.To put Karlsson's albatross contract into perspective, it eats up more than 14% of San Jose's allotted room under the $81.5-million upper limit. Armed with a no-move clause, he's locked in for another six years.At the opposite end of the spectrum lives Conor Garland, whose expiring two-year deal is arguably the best non-entry-level, non-star contract in the NHL.Last year, the Arizona Coyotes winger - who makes $775,000 annually - finished first among forwards in Cap Friendly's cost-per-point analysis. This year, he paces all players (including those on ELCs), making an efficient $43,055 per point (18 points in 19 games) in a first-line role with Arizona.3 parting thoughtsKirill Kaprizov: The Minnesota Wild stud and rookie scoring leader has delivered on the hype. Kaprizov's a mesmerizing player whose intensity, smarts, puck skills, and edgework are all pluses on the scouting report.

We're still less than halfway through the 2021 NHL season and dozens of games have been rescheduled due to COVID-19. However, while the sample size remains relatively small, it's large enough to have a better idea of who's in the Hart Trophy running.Two otherworldly players have put some distance between themselves and the field. While they each have a compelling case as the front-runner, one of them has been more valuable than the other so far.Here are our top five MVP candidates at this juncture:5. Nathan MacKinnon Christian Petersen / Getty Images Sport / GettyGPGAATOIxGF%SCF%1541420:3259.2162.07MacKinnon hasn't lit the world on fire in terms of goal-scoring this season, but he remains elite at playmaking and driving possession. The perennial Hart Trophy candidate has produced exceptional analytic figures, recording a 61.52 Corsi For percentage and a high-danger Corsi For percentage of 55.The Colorado Avalanche have played fewer games than many other teams due to COVID-19 postponements; perhaps those interruptions have made it tough for MacKinnon to establish his typical clockwork scoring. Nevertheless, he's still one of the league's best players, and he's been exceedingly valuable to a very strong Avalanche club.MacKinnon has figured in on 39% of Colorado's goals this season, so even though he isn't lighting the lamp at his usual rate, he's still helped create more than one-third of his team's offensive output. He leads the Avalanche in points and has racked up four more than his next-closest teammate. These trends show how much even a deep team like Colorado heavily relies on MacKinnon's contributions.4. Leon Draisaitl Jeff Vinnick / National Hockey League / GettyGPGAATOIxGF%SCF%22102422:0349.7846.95Draisaitl isn't a top three Hart contender this time around, but the 2019-20 recipient has been excellent this season.The German center has again proven he can excel without Connor McDavid at five-on-five, though he still benefits from playing alongside the 2017 MVP on the Edmonton Oilers' effective power play.However, Draisaitl's underlying numbers at five-on-five are illuminating - his expected goals for percentage in those situations is under 50, and significantly lower than his goals for percentage of 75.Still, he's piling up points at an impressive clip. While the 25-year-old has scored half of his goals with the man advantage, he deserves recognition for picking up where he left off offensively in 2019-20.3. Patrick Kane Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images Sport / GettyGPGAATOIxGF%SCF%21102122:1343.945.21Kane has been a dark horse candidate for most of the season. The Chicago Blackhawks superstar is the biggest reason his team has exceeded expectations despite numerous injuries and long-term absences.The 32-year-old has only one more goal than Alex DeBrincat, but Kane is creating more offense than his linemate. Kane's assist total is more than double the number of DeBrincat and Dominik Kubalik's helpers (10 apiece), and Kane has 13 more points than DeBrincat, his next-closest teammate.Kane has been on an unreal tear lately, notching five goals and 15 assists in his last 10 games, including a four-point effort Tuesday night - his second such performance this season. He already has nine multi-point nights in 2021. This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for Chicago, but the game-breaking winger's exploits have the Blackhawks in a playoff spot.2. Auston Matthews Claus Andersen / Getty Images Sport / GettyGPGAATOIxGF%SCF%20181321:5456.159.13Matthews has cemented his spot as a serious Hart Trophy contender with a remarkable scoring run. The Toronto Maple Leafs dynamo, who leads the NHL in goals by a wide margin, scored 10 tallies during an eight-game streak before notching seven goals over a four-game run.Toronto's franchise cornerstone has amassed twice as many goals as his next-closest teammate, Mitch Marner. Marner is one point behind Matthews thanks to his team-leading 21 assists, but 11 of those helpers came on Matthews' markers. The American center has scored a whopping 24.3% of Toronto's goals in 2021.Matthews has also improved defensively, ranking at or near the top of the NHL among forwards in puck battle wins, stick checks, blocked passes, and blocked shots, according to Sportlogiq's Mike Kelly.His performance is even more impressive considering his wrist has bothered him for most of the campaign. Matthews would be a shoo-in for this honor if not for one man.1. Connor McDavid Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyGPGAATOIxGF%SCF%22142622:3361.1158.43McDavid is the NHL's most talented player, and he's been the league's most valuable one in 2021.The Oilers megastar has authored stellar underlying numbers across the board, in addition to his typically excellent conventional figures. His expected goals percentage is higher than his goals for percentage. It's the opposite for Matthews.McDavid has played at a Hart Trophy level for most of the season. He's figured in on an astounding 51% of the Oilers' goals, though Draisaitl has helped create 43% of them. McDavid isn't scoring at Matthews' blistering pace, but that isn't the lone consideration when it comes to the MVP race.In addition to the eye-popping analytics and McDavid's hefty share of Edmonton's offensive production, he's also leading the NHL in points and ranks second among forwards in average ice time behind Marner.Honorable mentions: Marc-Andre Fleury, Anze Kopitar, Mark Scheifele, Marner.(Analytics source: Natural Stat Trick)Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price is as perplexed as anyone at his poor form to start the 2021 campaign.Price entered Thursday's tilt against the Winnipeg Jets with a 5-3-3 record and .893 save percentage before allowing five goals in the loss - his fifth in his last six games. Afterward, he addressed his recent struggles."Maybe I'm overthinking things. That's all I've got for you," Price said, per The Athletic's Arpon Basu.Montreal entered this campaign with high expectations after a busy offseason that brought in several new faces. Despite the roster overhaul, Price remained the Habs' biggest X-factor for success, and he looked poised for a big year after posting a .936 save percentage through 10 games in the bubble playoffs over the summer.Price, 33, started the season undefeated in regulation through six starts but has earned just one victory since. Jake Allen, Montreal's backup goalie, is 4-2-1 this season with a .932 save percentage.The Canadiens began their 2021 schedule with a 7-1-2 record but have since cooled off and now sit fourth in the North Division at 9-6-2. Thursday's game marked the club's first under head coach Dominique Ducharme, who took over the role on an interim basis after Claude Julien was fired Wednesday.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Matthew Tkachuk squashed any speculation he would drop the gloves with brother Brady as the Calgary Flames and Ottawa Senators gear up to clash in five of their next six games."Anybody that thinks we're going to fight is an idiot," the Flames winger said, according to Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch.Both Tkachuk brothers are known to mix it up physically, but going toe to toe with each other evidently crosses the line. Their father, Keith, who scored 538 NHL goals, hopes he doesn't have to discipline his sons for any extracurricular affairs."The brothers should never fight, that's the bottom line," Keith told "The Athletic Hockey Show" on Monday. "There's plenty of guys to fight out there on the opposing teams, so they don't need to fight each other. They're brothers, they're best friends. (My wife) Chantal wouldn't like it and I wouldn't like it."Both Tkachuk brothers are off to strong starts this season. Matthew's notched 14 points in 20 games for the Flames, while Brady leads the Sens with 15 points and ranks first in the NHL in shots (89) and second in hits (90).Calgary sits fifth in the North Division, seven points clear of last-place Ottawa.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.