Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat isn't buying into the narrative that his club is struggling this campaign due to key losses in this past offseason's free agency."I don't believe that," Horvat said, per NHL.com's Kevin Woodley. "Obviously, it's tough to see guys go, but at the same time, you've got to move on and play for the team you are playing for. You can't dwell on anything, and we have a great group of guys here and a lot of good hockey players, and because we lost guys doesn't mean we're trying to play bad."We all want to win here, and we all want to do well, so I don't think that's a theory at all."The Canucks lost All-Star goaltender Jacob Markstrom, forward Tyler Toffoli, and defenseman Chris Tanev to free agency this past fall, largely due to salary cap constraints. All three players were key contributors to Vancouver's run to the playoff's second round in 2020 and are now succeeding with their new teams.After the Canucks lost their fifth straight contest Monday, star defenseman Quinn Hughes caused a stir for suggesting Vancouver's slow start is partly due to the departures."We lost some pretty good players last year, so we're trying to figure it out together," Hughes said, per Woodley.The Canucks are 6-10-0 on the season and sit sixth in the North Division.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston Bruins agitator Brad Marchand has become rather agitated himself over the abundance of video reviews in today's league.Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk appeared to score in the second period, but upon further review, the puck never fully crossed the line. When asked if the league should consider putting some kind of chip in the puck to avoid these situations, Marchand said he'd rather just see reviews go away entirely."All the video (replays) and all that stuff it really bothers me," Marchand told reporters after the club's 3-2 win over the New York Rangers."I just think that being able to challenge all of these plays, like hockey is a game of mistakes, not only by the players but by the referees ... you get your calls against you, but you get your calls that go your way, too."Marchand, who scored the overtime winner to push his point streak to nine games, believes the number of reviews can also impact the officials' credibility."There's a lot of blame that gets put on the refs, but they're there to make those split decision calls, and now they're calling them back all the time. I don't think that it's necessary ... it's just taking hockey to a place where it's annoying."The Bruins sit atop the East division standings with a 9-1-2 record.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vegas Golden Knights were notified during Tuesday's game against the Anaheim Ducks that one of their players tested positive for COVID-19; upon learning of this, Vegas removed forward Tomas Nosek from the contest and placed him in isolation, the NHL announced Wednesday.Nosek played over nine minutes but did not appear in the third period.The Golden Knights and Ducks remain scheduled to play again Thursday. Care tests will be administered to all players and staff members on both teams ahead of the contest.Vegas canceled its practice and media availability Wednesday due to COVID-19 protocols.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday that all venues in the state that can host a minimum of 10,000 people are now permitted to host fans at 10% capacity beginning Feb. 23, according to ESPN's Malika Andrews.Spectators will have to provide a negative COVID-19 test up to 72 hours before the event in question. Fans will also be assigned socially distanced seating and be required to undergo temperature checks and wear face coverings while attending.Cuomo cited the Buffalo Bills hosting 7,000 fans during the recent NFL playoffs as an "unparalleled success," opening up a similar opportunity for the state's other major sports franchises.The Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks are on track to be the first New York teams to welcome fans back under the new arrangement. The Nets will host the Sacramento Kings on Feb. 23 at the Barclays Center, while the Knicks will welcome the Golden State Warriors on the same day to Madison Square Garden.The Knicks announced they intend to host "roughly 2,000 fans at every game." Madison Square Garden normally has a maximum capacity of 19,500 people.Brooklyn is still awaiting approval by the NBA, according to Andrews.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion says Derek Stepan hasn't requested a trade."No, he hasn't indicated anything along that line to us," Dorion told TSN 1200 when asked if the forward would prefer to play in the United States. "We can tell with our conversations that I've had with him that I think it's only human that ... when you only see your newborn for a day or two that it can be difficult on any type of human being."Dorion praised Stepan for making an impact with Ottawa in the short time he's been with the team."He's given us great minutes, he's (proved) to be a great leader ... The best way to describe it is, when you have so many young players on your team ... young players make mistakes. The last two games ... some mistakes were made by young players, and a guy like Derek Stepan can tell these younger guys, 'Just forget it, be better.' It's almost like having an extra coach out there."It was reported Saturday that the Senators were trying to move Stepan.The Arizona Coyotes traded him to the Senators on Dec. 28. The 30-year-old is a U.S. citizen whose wife, Stephanie, gave birth to their third child two days after the Senators acquired him.Stepan spent the first 10 years of his career with U.S.-based clubs, playing seven seasons with the New York Rangers before being shipped to the Coyotes in 2017.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It may feel like we're still in the infant stages of the 2021 NHL season, but most teams - those that haven't battled COVID-19 issues - are through at least 20% of the schedule.That's more than enough of a sample size to begin separating the pretenders and contenders, with teams like the Canadiens and Canucks revealing their true worth to bettors through the opening month.Here's a look at the current Stanley Cup oddsboard compared to what it looked like before the season:TEAMODDS (2/9)ODDS (1/12)Colorado Avalanche+450+450Tampa Bay Lightning+600+800Vegas Golden Knights+700+900Boston Bruins+1000+1200Philadelphia Flyers+1200+1600Toronto Maple Leafs+1200+1200Carolina Hurricanes+1500+2000Dallas Stars+1800+1800Montreal Canadiens+1800+3500St. Louis Blues+1800+1800Washington Capitals+1800+2000New York Islanders+2200+2200Pittsburgh Penguins+2200+2200Edmonton Oilers+2500+2500Calgary Flames+2800+3500New York Rangers+3200+2800Columbus Blue Jackets+3800+3800Nashville Predators+4000+3000Florida Panthers+4500+4500Winnipeg Jets+4500+4500Minnesota Wild+4800+6000Vancouver Canucks+5000+2500Arizona Coyotes+6000+8000New Jersey Devils+6000+8500Buffalo Sabres+6500+5000Los Angeles Kings+8000+7000Anaheim Ducks+8500+7500Chicago Blackhawks+12500+8500San Jose Sharks+12500+7000Detroit Red Wings+25000+25000Ottawa Senators+35000+20000(Odds source: theScore Bet)Trending upMontreal Canadiens (+3500 to +1800)It's hard to find any faults in the Canadiens' game right now. Despite sitting just below the Leafs in the standings, the underlying numbers - including the league's joint-best goal differential and leading the NHL in expected goals percentage at five-on-five (Evolving-Hockey) - all support the Habs as the team to beat in the North Division. There's not a weak spot on this roster, and even with their odds being slashed in half, there's still some value here.Minnesota Wild (+6000 to +4800)The Kirill Kaprizov era is officially underway, but I'm not ready to buy in on the Wild yet. The underlying metrics support their strong start, but eight of their 11 games have come against the Ducks, Kings, and Sharks. They were certainly competitive against the Avalanche despite losing two of three, but I need a much bigger sample size against the West Division's true contenders before I'm ready to say the Wild have arrived - and I say that as someone who was on their bandwagon coming into the season.Arizona Coyotes (+8000 to +6000)Perhaps the team we really should be looking out for in the West is Arizona. The Coyotes (6-5-1) own virtually an identical record to the Wild (6-5), but have faced a much tougher schedule to date with eight games against the Blues and Knights. They've also yet to face the basement-dwelling Kings, a team the Wild have faced four times. Despite the tough schedule, Arizona ranks second in expected goals for per game and 10th in expected goal share at five-on-five. Its young forwards have all taken a step forward, and the ceiling is high with Darcy Kuemper in goal. At 60-1, there's still value on the Coyotes.Trending downNashville Predators (+3000 to +4000)It's been tough sledding for the Predators, who are 3-8 since starting 2-0. I dug to try and uncover reasons for optimism in Nashville, but it wasn't pretty. They're average at best at five-on-five, and an unrivaled disaster on special teams with the league's worst penalty kill joined by an equally feeble power play. And to top it off, both goaltenders are struggling. With a rapidly ageing core, all signs point to this being the start of a steady decline.Vancouver Canucks (+2500 to +5000)It's looking like a lost season for the Canucks, who appear to be much closer to Ottawa's tier in the North Division. A 6-10 record has left them in a massive hole at the quarter mark of the season, and the underlying numbers show just how miserable the team has been, sitting 28th in expected goal share and Corsi For percentage at five-on-five. That's largely down to how bad they've been defensively, ranking dead last on a per game basis in shots allowed, goals against, expected goals against, and scoring chances against at five-on-five. They've allowed at least five goals in nine of their 13 non-Ottawa games this season. Yikes.Chicago Blackhawks (+8500 to +12500)It's hard to make any sense of the Chicago's slide down the oddsboard which, if nothing else, presents a great buying opportunity. The Blackhawks have found something in rookie goalie Kevin Lankinen. He sits third in the NHL with a 5.30 GSAA, and they've taken points from eight of his nine starts (5-1-3). The team in front of him is also playing well after a slow start, generating offense at an above-average rate. They're proving to be undervalued, winning three in a row against the Hurricanes and Stars, while losing just once in regulation in the last 11 games. It's a wide-open race for fourth place in the Central Division, and they're forcing themselves into the conversation.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, strongly believes in the power of the jinx, 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.

John Tortorella and Patrik Laine both claim the forward's benching earlier this week is no longer an issue for the Columbus Blue Jackets."We are by it," the head coach told reporters Wednesday, according to Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch.Tortorella also praised Laine and defended him against critics who question the Finnish sniper's effort.

It's been a rocky start for Patrik Laine with the Columbus Blue Jackets.The 22-year-old sat for the entire third period of the club's 3-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday. The benching was the result of Laine verbally disrespecting a member of the Blue Jackets' coaching staff, a source told The Athletic's Aaron Portzline.It's unclear which coach Laine reportedly clashed with, as the circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear.Laine's last shift on Monday came with 6:19 remaining in the second period, and he logged a season-low 11:14 of ice time.The 6-foot-5 winger appeared to miss his assignment leading up to the Hurricanes' second goal, but head coach John Tortorella said the benching wasn't due to the miscue, and that a "number of things" came into play.Columbus acquired Laine from the Winnipeg Jets for the disgruntled Pierre-Luc Dubois in January. The Finnish sniper has recorded three goals in four games with the Blue Jackets.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers escaped Tuesday's game against the Ottawa Senators with a 3-2 victory but earned the two points in an unfamiliar fashion.It marked the first time since Nov. 28, 2017, versus the Arizona Coyotes that Edmonton won a contest when neither Connor McDavid nor Leon Draisaitl recorded a point, according to Sportsnet Stats.The Oilers were 0-26-2 when their dynamic duo was held off the scoresheet over that span.McDavid and Draisaitl both had three shots on goal Tuesday but saw their 10-game point streaks come to an end. The two still rank first and second in league scoring, with 27 and 25 points, respectively.Defensemen Darnell Nurse, Evan Bouchard, and Tyson Barrie provided the goals Tuesday.While Edmonton was victorious, Ottawa was by far the better team at five-on-five. The Senators owned 64.52% of shot attempts, 65.85% of scoring chances, and 66.41% of expected goals, according to Natural Stat Trick.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tuesday night's contest between the Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals has been postponed, the NHL announced.The postponement comes after a Flyers player tested positive for COVID-19 late Monday night, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.Flyers captain Claude Giroux and defensemen Travis Sanheim and Justin Braun were added to the NHL's COVID-19 list Sunday.The Flyers played the Capitals on Sunday after the league announced the club underwent rapid testing prior to the game, with all tests returning negative results.Philadelphia is now the fifth team currently on pause due to the coronavirus. The Minnesota Wild, New Jersey Devils, Buffalo Sabres, and Colorado Avalanche are all also dealing with outbreaks.Last week, the league enhanced its in-arena safety protocols in an attempt to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The NHL mandated the removal of the glass behind the bench and is now enforcing more social distancing in locker rooms.The NHL has been testing players daily, and the league has recently started to explore broadening rapid testing on game days to identify positive cases faster.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Pittsburgh Penguins hired Ron Hextall as the team's general manager and also named Brian Burke the team's president of hockey operations, the club announced Tuesday.Hextall was among a number of candidates vying for the position and was reportedly deemed a front-runner for the role on Tuesday morning.An NHL veteran of 13 seasons as a goaltender, Hextall has been in various management roles over the past 20 years. He was general manager of the Philadelphia Flyers from 2014-18 and has been an advisor to the Los Angeles Kings' hockey operations department since September 2019.Burke's name wasn't involved throughout the searching process, but he has vast experience as an NHL executive. He's had stints as general manager with the Anaheim Ducks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Hartford Whalers/Vancouver Canucks, and was most recently president of hockey operations with the Calgary Flames from 2013-18.After spending the last couple of years as an analyst with Sportsnet, Burke believed the opportunity to join a franchise like the Penguins was too good to pass up."To me, Pittsburgh is a take-your-breath-away destination for any GM or president of hockey ops," Burke said. "I'm so excited for the opportunity. The Penguins are a storied franchise with outstanding ownership in Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle, and Pittsburgh is just a great hockey city. Ron Hextall and I are very fortunate. We can't wait to get started."While serving as Maple Leafs GM in 2012, Burke took aim at those crediting the Penguins for building a perennially competitive team with high draft picks."What's the Pittsburgh model? They got a lottery. They won a goddamn lottery and they got the best player in the game (Sidney Crosby)," Burke said at the time. "Is that available to me? Should we do that? Should we ask the league to have a lottery this year, and maybe we pick first? Pittsburgh model, my ass."On Tuesday, Burke again harkened back to the 2005 draft, in which his Ducks chose Bobby Ryan with the second overall pick right after the Penguins took Crosby.

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Mikko Koivu has retired from the NHL, general manager Jarmo Kekalainen announced Tuesday.Koivu spent 15 seasons with the Minnesota Wild before joining the Blue Jackets for 2021.The 37-year-old explained his decision to call it a career after recently inking a one-year pact with Columbus."This was not an easy decision for me as I have loved every minute of my short time in Columbus and really hoped to be able to help this team accomplish its goals this season, but the bottom line is I haven't been able to get to the level of play that I need to be true to myself and fair to my teammates, so the time is right for me to retire from hockey," Koivu said."I have been extremely blessed and I am eternally grateful to the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets organizations for the opportunities they have given me to live out my dreams of playing in the National Hockey League for the past 16 years."Koivu recorded one goal and one assist over seven games with the Blue Jackets this season while averaging 12:28 of ice time per contest.Kekalainen expressed his gratitude toward Koivu and said he respects his decision."Mikko Koivu is a consummate pro, and while we are disappointed that his time as a Blue Jacket was short, we understand and respect the decision he has made because it is the result of the deep respect he has for the game, our organization, and his teammates," Kekalainen said.Koivu finishes his NHL career with 206 goals and 505 assists in 1,035 games. He was also the Wild's first permanent captain in franchise history.Additionally, Koivu served as a key member on several of Finland's international teams. He helped the country win Olympic silver and bronze in 2006 and 2010, respectively.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A man with deep ties to the Philadelphia Flyers is on the verge of overseeing their intra-state rivals.The Pittsburgh Penguins have offered their general manager job to Ron Hextall, reports TSN's Frank Seravalli. The two sides are still negotiating terms.Earlier Tuesday, TSN's Pierre LeBrun tweeted "all signs point to Hextall being the front-runner" for the job but that the team was still discussing the position with others.The Penguins reportedly interviewed Hextall last week. Pittsburgh also apparently got permission to speak with Chris Drury of the New York Rangers, Chris MacFarland of the Colorado Avalanche, and John Ferguson Jr. of the Boston Bruins, though New York later promoted Drury after he withdrew from the Penguins' search.Hextall was one of 20 individuals who reportedly reached out to the Penguins to initially express interest in the job.Pittsburgh tabbed Patrik Allvin - previously the club's assistant GM - as interim GM when Jim Rutherford abruptly resigned in late January. The Penguins were expected to interview Allvin before the other candidates.Hextall has been an advisor to the Los Angeles Kings' hockey operations department since September 2019. The 56-year-old former Flyers goaltender was the team's GM from 2014 to 2018 and was previously an assistant GM with both Philadelphia and Los Angeles, helping the latter club win the Stanley Cup in 2012.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A group of 40 hockey players in Edmonton are hoping to set a new record for the longest game ever played while also raising money for cancer research.The group has been playing through frigid temperatures in an attempt to reach 252 hours on the ice by Feb. 15, according to CTV News Edmonton. They set the previous record for longest ice hockey marathon in 2018 after playing for 251 hours, seven minutes, and 58 seconds."At about 3 a.m. we hit -47 (Celsius) with the wind. We had a whole bunch of guys just finish shift, they were super tired and went back to their trailers, and about half of our trailers ran out of heat last night," Andrew Buchanan, one of the players participating in the World's Longest Game, told CTV News on Sunday.The group of players includes a couple of ex-NHLers - former Edmonton Oilers forward Kyle Brodziak and former Vancouver Canuck Zenith Komarniski - as well as some former WHL players, according to Terry Jones of the Edmonton Sun."This will be the most talent we've ever had," founder Brent Saik said.The World's Longest Game has raised more than $5.47 million for Edmonton's Cross Cancer Institute since 2003, and has set a goal of $1.5 million this year.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook has battled a number of injuries recently and hasn't seen game action in well over a year."We’re very concerned for him," general manager Stan Bowman said, according to The Chicago Sun Times' Ben Pope. "He’s been a warrior for us. Think of his time in Chicago - he never really missed any games. But now we’re realizing he was playing through a lot of pain those years, and it’s caught up to him."He was dealing with his shoulders and his hips to the point where he probably should have had (the surgeries) done years ago, but that’s how he’s always been driven - to keep moving forward, don’t worry about injuries, play through it."The blue-liner was limited to 32 games last season. He underwent three different major surgeries for his right shoulder and both of his hips over a six-week span starting in December.The 35-year-old had recovered from the surgeries over the summer and was planning to return to the lineup this season. However, he suffered a setback after tweaking his back right before training camp was set to begin, Bowman added.The setback has held Seabrook out of Chicago's lineup this year, and there is no timetable for his potential return. In November, Seabrook said he had no plans to quit hockey due to his injuries and he wanted to prove his doubters wrong.The 15-year veteran has spent his entire career with the Blackhawks, helping the club win a Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013, and 2015. Beyond this season, he has three more years remaining on his contract at a cap hit of $6.875 million.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Barry Trotz continues to add to his illustrious career.The New York Islanders bench boss picked up win No. 850, passing Ken Hitchock and moving into third on the NHL's all-time coaching wins list on Monday with the club's 2-0 win over the New York Rangers.Trotz now needs 81 wins to pass Joel Quenneville, who's second behind Hall of Famer Scotty Bowman (1,244).The 58-year-old owns an 88-54-19 record as New York's head coach since the club hired him ahead of the 2018-19 campaign. He's led the Islanders to the playoffs in consecutive seasons and captured his second Jack Adams Award as the league's top coach in 2019.The Winnipeg native previously coached the Nashville Predators from 1998-2014 and is the franchise's winningest bench boss. He then served as Washington Capitals head coach from 2014-18.Trotz also ranks 15th all time with 72 playoff victories and won the Stanley Cup with the Capitals in 2018.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Newly acquired Columbus Blue Jackets superstar Patrik Laine was benched for nearly half of Monday's 3-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes.Laine's final shift came with 6:19 remaining in the second period, and he didn't see any action in the third frame. He was on the ice for Carolina's second goal, and the sniper finished the night with no points or shots over 11:31 of action.The 22-year-old was playing his fourth game with his new club since being acquired for Pierre-Luc Dubois, whose tenure with the Blue Jackets came to an unceremonious end after he demanded a trade. Head coach John Tortorella later benched him for a lack of effort.Tortorella didn't get into the specifics of Laine's benching postgame."That's gonna stay in house," he said, according to team reporter Jeff Svoboda. "I know you guys are going to try to work me on that. It wasn't because of the missed assignment. There's a number of things that come into play with that. That will stay in the locker room."It's what I feel I need to do. The last thing I want to do is bench a player."He added that it's important every Blue Jackets player consistently meets the organization's expectations."Through hell or high water I am going to try to find a way to get us to that tightness with a lot of new bodies coming in here and understanding the standard and the culture that we want here," he said.Laine had recorded three goals with Columbus heading into Monday's game. He was not made available to the media after the contest.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL has postponed more games involving the Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild, and New Jersey Devils due to COVID-19 concerns, the league announced Monday.Three Devils games (Feb. 11, 13 vs. Philadelphia, and Feb. 15 against Boston), two Sabres games (Feb. 11, 13 vs. Washington), and two Wild contests (Feb 11. vs. St. Louis and Feb. 13 vs. Los Angeles) have been pushed to a later date.The league’s, NHLPA’s, and clubs’ medical groups will decide on the teams’ resumption of practice and play in the coming days.The Devils, who had their previous two games postponed, had 16 players on the COVID-19 protocol list as of Sunday. New Jersey's last game was against the Sabres on Jan. 31, and the club has now had five games pushed back.Buffalo had several players put on the COVID-19 list after that contest with the Devils and had four matchups delayed last week. The Sabres now have six games in total to make up.Minnesota had three games postponed last week and have not played since Feb. 2. The club now has five games to make up.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Dallas Stars goaltender Anton Khudobin apologized for being late to practice Saturday, which ultimately resulted in him being benched for Sunday's game."I'm happy to be back," Khudobin said Monday, according to NHL.com's Tracey Myers. "Yes unfortunately, that happened, but it's not really a big deal. I talked to the coaches, it's all fine, all settled, so I'm back."Khudobin revealed he missed his alarm on Saturday morning and showed up late to practice. Head coach Rick Bowness said he doesn't have many rules "but you damn well better follow them."Despite the incident, Bowness made it clear on Monday that it's now water under the bridge."It's over," Bowness said. "We've dealt with it, we move on. That's yesterday's news."Khudobin wasn't dressed for Sunday's tilt against the Chicago Blackhawks, as Jake Oettinger took the crease with Landow Bow serving as backup. Dallas lost 2-1 in overtime.Bowness reaffirmed his trust in Khudobin as the team's current No. 1 goaltender with Ben Bishop sidelined, but declined to say whether it will be him or Oettinger in the crease for Tuesday's game.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Washington Capitals got two key players back Monday.Evgeny Kuznetsov and Ilya Samsonov resumed practicing for the first time since the NHL placed them on its COVID-19 protocol list along with Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin and defenseman Dmitry Orlov on Jan. 20. Ovechkin and Orlov returned to the lineup Jan. 30 and Feb. 1, respectively.Kuznetsov isn't sure whether he'll play Tuesday against the Philadelphia Flyers."We're day-to-day, you know, and it's all about how I'm gonna feel (Tuesday)," he said after the on-ice session. "I'm just happy I'm alive today, and (to) be able to practice with the team is just a big step for me."The star forward centered the fourth line at practice Monday, while Samsonov served as the team's third goaltender behind Vitek Vanecek and Craig Anderson, according to The Washington Post's Samantha Pell.Samsonov contracted the virus but said he's on the mend.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Wayne Simmonds suffered a broken wrist on Saturday and is expected to miss six weeks, head coach Sheldon Keefe announced Monday, according to TSN's Kristen Shilton.The 32-year-old left Saturday's contest against the Vancouver Canucks in the third period after taking a clearance attempt off his hand. He scored twice in the game.Simmonds has been a key player for the Leafs early in the season, recording five goals in 12 games. Three of his tallies have come on the power play, which Toronto ranks No. 1 in the league with a 38.5% success rate.Keefe also confirmed the team would dress seven defensemen with Simmonds out of the lineup, and Rasmus Sandin will make his season debut Monday, per Shilton.The Leafs are having some bad injury luck to start the year, as Joe Thornton, Nick Robertson, Jack Campbell, and Travis Dermott are all currently sidelined.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

An off-ice official-in-training was responsible for a miscommunication that led to Carolina Hurricanes forward Vincent Trocheck's goal incorrectly counting in a 6-5 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday.The NHL was still reviewing the play while assessing the Blue Jackets' offside challenge when things suddenly went awry."The video technician is just supposed to coordinate this upstairs (at press level)," NHL executive vice president and director of hockey operations Colin Campbell told The Athletic's Aaron Portzline. "They're not supposed to get involved. They're just supposed to set up things. We do the communicating with the (officials)."We sent the first video (clip) for the linesmen to review - we're looking at them, too, in Toronto - and we hear a voice on the line say, 'He’s onside. That’s a good goal.' He said it twice. The linesmen (Jonny Murray and Tyson Baker) heard that, took off the headsets and stepped away so they could make the call."Referee Ghislain Hebert then announced the goal and handed Columbus a minor penalty for the failed challenge.The linesmen had not yet seen the angle that clearly showed Trocheck was offside. The NHL tried to get the on-ice officials back on their headsets, but the equipment had to be cleaned immediately after use in accordance with the league's COVID-19 protocol.Trocheck's goal gave the Hurricanes a 4-3 lead late in the second period. During the second intermission, Campbell apologized to Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen for the error but said the league would not reverse it because it hadn't previously done so in similar situations."We were talking in the referee's room (during the second intermission) with (NHL official Chris) Rooney. I told him I'd like to take the goal back, but we’ve never had a situation where we've taken a goal back after play had resumed like that."I told Jarmo I wished we could strike the goal, but there’s no precedent for that," Campbell added.The individual responsible for the gaffe is being trained at Nationwide Arena in Columbus as a video coordinator whose job is simply to facilitate communication between the NHL's hockey operations department and the on-ice officials during reviews.Campbell acknowledged the video coordinator shouldn't have intervened but said the individual now understands and feels terrible about what he did.The longtime executive said in the future, the NHL would like to be able to halt play directly from the control room rather than having to get the attention of the on-ice officials. Campbell also said the league would evaluate the video coordinator position going forward.The Blue Jackets were livid about the call postgame. Patrik Laine called it "the biggest joke I've ever seen" and Nick Foligno said it's "a bad look for the NHL to not get it right."Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

This is the third edition of theScore's NHL Power Rankings for the 2020-21 season. Check back for updated rankings every second Monday during the regular season.In this edition, we provide one incredible stat from each team during the early part of the season.1. Tampa Bay Lightning (7-1-1)Previous rank: 3Andrei Vasilevskiy has been a workhorse, as he's played every minute of the Lightning's nine games. The Bolts lead the NHL with a .949 save percentage at five-on-five.2. Vegas Golden Knights (7-1-1) Ethan Miller / Getty Images Sport / GettyPrevious rank: 1Sophomore blue-liner Nic Hague is turning into a stud for the high-powered Golden Knights. The club owns a 73.29% share of expected goals for at five-on-five when he's on the ice this season, which is the best mark among all defensemen.3. Boston Bruins (8-1-2)Previous rank: 5The Bruins are the NHL's best faceoff team, winning 56.7% of their draws.4. Toronto Maple Leafs (9-2-1)Previous rank: 4The Maple Leafs' power play is operating at a league-best 38.5%. They've scored on the man advantage in 11 of their 12 games this season.5. Montreal Canadiens (8-2-2)Previous rank: 2You could make the case the Habs should be higher on this list, as they lead the NHL with a plus-17 goal differential.6. Colorado Avalanche (7-3-1)Previous rank: 6The Avs own the NHL's best penalty kill at 89.7%.7. Florida Panthers (6-1-2) Eliot J. Schechter / National Hockey League / GettyPrevious rank: 19With Sergei Bobrovsky struggling in net once again, goaltender Chris Driedger has been red-hot. Despite entering the season with 15 career appearances, he has a minuscule 1.97 goals-against average and .937 save percentage in five games this year.8. Carolina Hurricanes (7-2-0)Previous rank: 11The budding Hurricanes are off to a torrid start. They won six of their opening seven contests in consecutive seasons for the first time since the franchise moved to Carolina in 1997-98.9. Winnipeg Jets (7-3-1)Previous rank: 12Adam Lowry has enjoyed a breakout campaign for the Jets. The 27-year-old had four goals and 10 points through 49 games in 2019-20 and has already tallied four goals and nine points through 11 contests this season.10. Philadelphia Flyers (8-3-2)Previous rank: 15James van Riemsdyk was a healthy scratch at times last season, but he's collected 18 points in his first 13 games of 2020-21, putting him on pace for 114 in 82 games. The 31-year-old's career-best season was his 62-point 2016-17 campaign with Toronto.11. Washington Capitals (6-3-3)Previous rank: 10After blasting the 710th goal of his career past Carter Hart on Sunday, Alex Ovechkin has now scored against 144 different goaltenders since breaking into the league.12. Dallas Stars (5-2-2) Jamie Sabau / National Hockey League / GettyPrevious rank: 13The Stars entered Sunday with the fewest slap shots taken in the NHL (17), but they've converted on them at a league-best 17.7%.13. St. Louis Blues (7-4-1)Previous rank: 7The Blues have the worst net penalties in the league with a minus-14 rating. They've drawn 45 penalties but have taken 59.14. Columbus Blue Jackets (5-5-3)Previous rank: 18The Blue Jackets have been outshot in all five of their wins this season. In fact, Columbus has outshot its opponent just once in 13 outings.15. Calgary Flames (5-5-1)Previous rank: 14Johnny Gaudreau became the fifth-fastest left-winger in NHL history to reach 300 career assists on Saturday.16. Minnesota Wild (6-5-0)Previous rank: 17Minnesota's defense has been rock solid at limiting opponents' opportunities to start the season. At even strength, the Wild have allowed the second-least high-danger scoring chances against (56).17. Pittsburgh Penguins (5-5-1) Sarah Stier / Getty Images Sport / GettyPrevious rank: 9The Penguins have saved their best hockey for last. Pittsburgh has won three of its five games when trailing after two periods, which is the most in the league.18. Buffalo Sabres (4-4-2)Previous rank: 23Jeff Skinner has managed to collect just one assist and no goals through his first 10 games of 2020-21. Since his rookie year, he's averaged 8.4 points over the first 10 games of a season.19. New Jersey Devils (4-3-2)Previous rank: 16Mackenzie Blackwood's .982 save percentage at five-on-five leads all goaltenders.20. New York Islanders (4-4-2)Previous rank: 8The Islanders are one of the best at closing out games. In 10 contests, they've allowed just four goals in the third period, which tops the NHL.21. Arizona Coyotes (5-5-1)Previous rank: 20The Coyotes own the best penalty kill on the road (96%), giving up just one power-play goal away from home.22. New York Rangers (4-4-2) Bruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / GettyPrevious rank: 24The Rangers aren't going anywhere this season if they can't muster more offense late in games. Of the club's six third-period tallies, a pair were deposited into an empty net, and only two came at even strength.23. Edmonton Oilers (6-7-0)Previous rank: 21Connor McDavid leads the NHL with 26 points in 13 games. This puts him on pace for 112 over 56 contests or 164 over 82 games. The latter would be the most in a season since Wayne Gretzky (168) and Mario Lemieux (199) in 1988-89.24. Nashville Predators (5-6-0)Previous rank: 22The Predators' offense has been almost nonexistent until the final frame on most nights. Nashville has scored just five goals in each of the first and second periods compared to 16 in the third.25. Chicago Blackhawks (5-4-4)Previous rank: 29Rookie puck-stopper Kevin Lankinen's sparkling .928 save percentage has kept the Blackhawks afloat.26. Anaheim Ducks (5-5-3)Previous rank: 27Ducks goalie John Gibson has been busy to start the campaign. He's faced the most high-danger shots against (102) in the league and has the second-highest expected goals against (28.68).27. San Jose Sharks (4-5-1) Norm Hall / National Hockey League / GettyPrevious rank: 25Patrick Marleau can move into sole possession of third place on the NHL's all-time games played list on Tuesday.28. Vancouver Canucks (6-9-0)Previous rank: 28The Canucks have allowed the most goals against (60) and shots per game (35.7) in the entire league so far but have also scored the most at five-on-five (35).29. Los Angeles Kings (3-6-2)Previous rank: 26Anze Kopitar entered the season needing 50 points to reach the 1,000-point milestone. His scorching start has seen him rack up 14 points in 11 games, putting him on pace to get there easily.30. Detroit Red Wings (3-8-2)Previous rank: 30Until Sunday, the last time a goaltender other than Jonathan Bernier won a game for the Red Wings was on Oct. 29, 2019 - or 467 days ago. Thomas Greiss helped snap that streak with a win against the Panthers.31. Ottawa Senators (2-9-1)Previous rank: 31Brady Tkachuk continues to be the focal point of Ottawa's offense, leading the team with seven points. His continuous effort on the ice is evident. He leads the league in shots on goal (51) and has also drawn the most penalties (15).Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Columbus Blue Jackets aren't happy about being victimized by a controversial NHL mistake Sunday.Columbus was unsuccessful in challenging a Carolina Hurricanes goal for a potential offside. After the fact, however, the league revealed there was a miscommunication and the goal should have been overturned."During the review, a miscommunication occurred between the video replay booth in Columbus, the linesmen and the situation room and play resumed before all replays could be reviewed to confirm the offside," the league announced in a statement. "The challenge by Columbus should have resulted in the Carolina goal being disallowed. Subsequently, Columbus was assessed a delay of game penalty. After confirmation in the intermission that the play was offside, the remaining 0:45 of the delay of game penalty issued was rescinded to begin the third period."Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine wasn't impressed with the league's blunder."That's the biggest joke I've ever seen," Laine said postgame, according to The Athletic's Aaron Portzline.Captain Nick Foligno echoed Laine's sentiments, unsure how the league could come to the mistake."It's a bad look for the NHL to not get it right," Foligno said, according to Portzline.Hurricanes forward Vincent Trocheck scored the goal at the end of the second period, which gave his club a 4-3 lead. Carolina ultimately won 6-5.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 4. Roster percentages and position eligibility are courtesy of Yahoo. Stats are entering Sunday's games.Add Pavel BuchnevichTeam: Rangers

The Dallas Stars are benching Anton Khudobin on Sunday against the Chicago Blackhawks due to an "internal issue," head coach Rick Bowness said Saturday, according to NHL.com's Mike Heika.Bowness did not disclose what Khudobin did, but he did not sound pleased with his netminder."I have very few rules, but you damn well better follow them," Bowness said.Khudobin skated onto the ice Saturday as practice was ending, according to Heika, so it's possible he was late for practice."We do it very openly. We communicate very openly here," Bowness said. "We're a family. We'll deal with things internally, but you deal with things by communicating and making your feelings known, what is and what isn't acceptable."Rookie Jake Oettinger will get the start in goal with Landon Bow backing him up.Khudobin has posted a .908 save percentage and a 2.51 goals-against average in six games this season. The 34-year-old signed a three-year, $10-million contract with the Stars in the offseason.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Ottawa Senators are looking to trade forward Derek Stepan, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported on Saturday's "Headlines" segment during Hockey Night in Canada.Ottawa dealt a second-round pick to acquire Stepan from the Arizona Coyotes shortly before the beginning of the season. The 30-year-old is in the final campaign of his contract, which carries a $6.5-million cap hit.Stepan has been fairly productive for most of his career, but his numbers have fallen off over the past few seasons. He's tallied one goal and three assists while averaging 15:53 minutes of ice time over 11 games with the Senators this campaign.However, Stepan isn't believed to be on the trade block due to his on-ice production."I don't think this is a performance issue as much as it's a family issue," Friedman said. "He's away from his family and I think they want to get him closer."Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are partnering with the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association, the team announced Saturday.The Maple Leafs will help support the association's marketing, consult on commercial efforts, and host a game to showcase its players - when Canadian government regulations allow it."Over the years, the Toronto Maple Leafs have been committed supporters of women’s hockey," team president Brendan Shanahan said."Beginning with Brian Burke’s initial support of the now-disbanded CWHL and continuing today, the Maple Leafs stand in support of Jayna Hefford and the PWHPA and recognize their efforts and incredible sacrifice in their determination to form a single, unified, sustainable professional league. Women’s hockey deserves nothing less."The National Women's Hockey League suspended its season on Wednesday due to COVID-19 concerns.The PWHPA is made up of approximately 125 of the world's best women hockey players. The league was created to advance fairness, opportunity, and equity in women's pro hockey.The Leafs are the second NHL team - after the New York Rangers - to partner with the association this season.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

As if there weren't enough prop bets to tackle in Super Bowl LV, theScore Bet has released a host of cross-sport props to take advantage of - if you're willing to test your knowledge across multiple sports.If not, we've done the legwork for you. Here are our favorite cross-sport props and where we lean on each.(All events on Feb. 7 unless noted otherwise.)Nikola Jokic + Jamal Murray points (2/6/21) vs. Super Bowl total points after 3 quartersBETODDSJokic + Murray points -3.5-110Super Bowl points after 3 quarters +3.5-110The Denver Nuggets haven't played their best basketball this year, but their two stars have - Jokic is averaging a career-high 26.1 points, and Murray is scoring 19 points per game as the second option. That adds up to almost exactly 3.5 points more than what you expect through three quarters on Sunday. To help matters, they play the Sacramento Kings, who have the worst defense in the NBA.Pick: Jokic + Murray -3.5 (-110)Nuggets points (2/6/21) vs. Tyreek Hill receiving yardsBETODDSNuggets points -24.5-110Hill receiving yards +24.5-110Denver boasts a top-five offense and is averaging 115.5 points per game. And, as mentioned above, Sacramento's defense ranks dead last in defensive rating and is allowing 121.1 points per game. Hill's receiving prop (94.5) is climbing by the minute, but he'd still have to have a monster game to win this bet. Don't expect the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defense to let him do what he did last time these two teams squared off.Pick: Nuggets -24.5Kevin Durant points (2/6) vs. Chiefs pointsBETODDSDurant points -0.5-110Chiefs points +0.5-110The beauty of this prop is its simplicity. Durant is averaging 30.8 points this year, and the Kansas City Chiefs have averaged 29.6 points this year and are priced at 30.5 on Sunday. Both face a tough test defensively, though the floor feels safer with Durant, who's scored less than 28 points just three times through 17 games.Pick: Durant -0.5 (-110)Liverpool + Manchester City goals vs. Patrick Mahomes + Tom Brady touchdown passesBETODDSLiverpool + Manchester City goals +1.5+165Mahomes + Brady touchdown passes -1.5-185You have to go all the way back to Oct. 17 to find the last time Liverpool allowed more than a goal in a Premier League match at Anfield, while Manchester City have recorded six successive league clean sheets and eight in their last nine. The reverse fixture between these two sides ended 1-1, with a similarly tight encounter expected Sunday. That's a long way from the number of passing touchdowns we'll see in the Super Bowl. Four should be the floor here, with five or six more likely. Lay it all day long.Pick: Mahomes + Brady TD passes -1.5 (-185)Iowa men's basketball points vs. Travis Kelce receiving yardsBETODDSIowa men's basketball points +4.5+130Kelce receiving yards -4.5-150Kelce has been on an absolute tear during the second half of the year, averaging 114 receiving yards per game since Week 8 with a combined 227 in two playoff games. Iowa's offense has been cooking, too, but it hasn't scored 100 points since Dec. 13 despite ridiculous efficiency, and it faces a slow-tempo team in Indiana. This should be a landslide for Kelce.Pick: Kelce -4.5 (-150)Phoenix Open winner final-round birdies vs. Travis Kelce receptionsBETODDSPhoenix Open winner final-round birdies +1.5+105Kelce receptions -1.5-125If you thought Kelce's receiving yards were impressive, he's averaged 11.4 receptions in his last 10 games, with at least 10 catches in all but one of them. The middle of the field should be open for him on Sunday, and unless prime Tiger Woods is walking the course in the final round, Kelce's total should be too much to overcome.Pick: Kelce -1.5 (-125)LaMelo Ball points + rebounds + assists vs. combined 1st-half pointsBETODDSBall points + rebounds + assists -0.5EvenSuper Bowl 1st-half points +0.5-120Can anyone stop Ball? The Charlotte Hornets rookie is averaging 19.8 points in his last four games - which include his first two starts of the season - and he's tallied a combined average of 32 points, rebounds, and assists in that span. That's well over the first-half total of 27.5 for the Super Bowl. Give us the rookie.Pick: Ball -0.5 (Even)Blackhawks goals vs. Chiefs FGs madeBETODDSBlackhawks goals -0.5-140Chiefs FGs made +0.5+120The Chiefs are attempting 1.78 field goals per game this season and have kicked five in two playoff contests. The Buccaneers are the stingiest red-zone defense they've faced yet, so two feels like a relatively safe assumption here. Meanwhile, the Chicago Blackhawks are managing just 2.41 expected goals per 60 minutes this season, and the Dallas Stars are allowing an even stingier 2.22. The Blackhawks have scored just once in each of their last two visits to Dallas, so don't expect them to light the lamp on Sunday. A tie is the likeliest outcome here, so getting +120 is great value.Pick: Chiefs FGs made +0.5 (+120)(Odds source: theScore Bet)Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL announced schedule changes to 27 games affecting all eight teams in the East Division on Saturday.All times ET.GameOriginal dateNew dateTimeFlyers at RangersFeb. 16Feb. 146 p.m.Devils at RangersMarch 4Feb. 167 p.m.Sabres at CapitalsApril 13Feb. 187 p.m.Sabres at IslandersFeb. 2Feb. 227 p.m.Sabres at DevilsFeb. 22Feb. 237 p.m.Devils at SabresApril 9Feb. 257 p.m.Flyers at SabresFeb. 26Feb. 271 p.m.Capitals at DevilsMarch 1Feb. 283 p.m.Islanders at DevilsFeb. 23March 27 p.m.Rangers at DevilsFeb. 6March 47 p.m.Sabres at IslandersFeb. 4March 47 p.m.Rangers at DevilsMarch 5March 61 p.m.Sabres at IslandersMarch 5March 61 p.m.Penguins at DevilsFeb. 9March 187 p.m.Penguins at DevilsMarch 19March 201 p.m.Devils at PenguinsFeb. 2March 211 p.m.Islanders at BruinsMarch 27March 237 p.m.Sabres at PenguinsMarch 26March 257 p.m.Sabres at BruinsFeb. 6March 271 p.m.Islanders at PenguinsMarch 30March 277 p.m.Flyers at SabresMarch 30March 317:30 p.m.Flyers at DevilsApril 20April 17 p.m.Penguins at DevilsMarch 21April 97 p.m.Sabres at BruinsFeb. 8April 137 p.m.Islanders at BruinsApril 13April 146 p.m.Penguins at SabresApril 19April 183 p.m.Devils at PenguinsFeb. 4April 207 p.m.The Devils and Sabres have both been hit by COVID-19 outbreaks.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's an age-old question in hockey: At which point in the season should we start believing what we're seeing? The answer is usually somewhere between the quarter-way point in mid-November and the halfway mark in late January.In this truncated season, well ... we might as well cut to the chase. It's Feb. 6, three-and-a-half weeks into a campaign dominated by uncertainty, and we've identified five team trends to take a temperature check on.Note: Stats are as of Saturday morning.Real or Mirage: Canadiens' torrid start Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyMontreal sits second in the North Division with a 7-2-2 record, largely due to the league's best offense (4.18 goals per game).Matisz: Real. It can be tempting to look for holes in teams fast out of the gate. Doing that with Montreal is overthinking it, though, since both the eye test and underlying numbers suggest the Canadiens are not only in a groove but also a well-built team primed to sustain this early run of success.Over the past few years, the knock on the Habs has been their inability to capitalize on scoring opportunities. Offseason moves appear to have fixed the issue, with Tyler Toffoli and Josh Anderson blitzing the NHL for a combined 16 goals. Three others among the club's versatile forward group - Brendan Gallagher, Nick Suzuki, and Tomas Tatar - have pitched in at least three goals.That said, pucks won't bounce their way forever. A key player will get hurt. There's always the chance a COVID-19 outbreak derails momentum. There will be a detour of some kind here, but the Canadiens have given us no reason to doubt them thus far, so I'm keeping my seat on the bandwagon.Wegman: Real. The hot start is no fluke. The Canadiens are one of the league’s deepest teams and boast the NHL’s second-best expected-goals-for percentage at five-on-five. This club will, at worst, finish second in the North Division behind the Toronto Maple Leafs. They have a genuine chance at a deep playoff run.However, I think their wins will come in a different fashion as the season progresses. Their offense will come down to earth and finish outside the top five. But to offset that regression, Carey Price, who owns a .899 save percentage, will play better.Real or Mirage: Bruins can contend with current blue line Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyBoston lost Torey Krug and Zdeno Chara in the offseason and chose to replace them internally, yet the team hasn't missed a beat, sitting third in the league in points percentage at 8-1-2.Wegman: Mirage. Internally replacing two franchise pillars on defense is mightily impressive - especially considering Matt Grzelcyk has missed six games - but I'm not fully sold.Charlie McAvoy is a workhorse and will garner Norris Trophy consideration. But behind him is a group of unheralded names playing even minutes (besides McAvoy, no D-man averages more than 19:54 or less than 17:08). Boston's player development staff deserves credit for the progress of Jeremy Lauzon, Jakub Zboril, and others.However, the Bruins need to add one more defenseman on the left side if they're to take another run at the Stanley Cup while Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand are still elite. Come playoff time, the current group’s lack of experience could get exposed. Ryan Murray makes lots of sense should the Devils choose to be sellers.Matisz: Real. Admittedly, this topic is the trickiest of the bunch because Krug and Chara's departures hung over this team like a dark cloud coming out of the offseason. The left side of Boston's blue line was suddenly Grzelcyk and … who? This couldn't possibly end well, could it?The early returns are positive. And it's not just the goaltending tandem of Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak that's keeping pucks out of the net. At even strength, Bruins skaters are suppressing shots better than any squad in the NHL. They've shown that a team-wide commitment to defense works.It's hard to divvy up the credit for this development as the impact of a Norris-caliber season from McAvoy can't be ignored, nor can the contributions from the squad's many two-way forwards. And hey, that left side is doing alright.Put another way, it doesn't matter if Boston's blue line is filled with difference-makers. At the very least, it's competent, and the rest of the team is capable of compensating. Absolutely, the B's can contend with this defense corps.Real or Mirage: Canucks' regression Claus Andersen / Getty Images Sport / GettyAfter a strong postseason showing in the summer, Vancouver owns the fourth-worst points percentage in the NHL and the league's second-worst defense (3.93 goals-against per game).Matisz: Real. And this is no false alarm. It's time to panic in Vancouver.Already 25% into their schedule, the Canucks look discombobulated, listless. They're a tire fire defensively, J.T. Miller is a shell of his 2019-20 self, and youngsters Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson - while still exceptional players - have failed to level-up in the early stages of their second and third seasons.That last note is crucial because it winks at how last season's playoff run inflated expectations for this group and its stars. Hughes and Pettersson already shoulder a massive load for the Canucks. How much more can they be reasonably expected to do, especially with goalie Jacob Markstrom gone?On the bright side, rookie forward Nils Hoglander is a hell of a player.Wegman: Real. It’s easy to see how much Markstrom masked Vancouver's defensive issues a year ago. The loss of steady blue-liner Chris Tanev has hurt, too. The Canucks own the league’s worst expected goals-against per 60 minutes at five-on-five this season. They finished fifth-worst a year ago.While this start may cost head coach Travis Green his job, general manager Jim Benning is responsible for this mess. If it weren’t for the egregious contracts he gave to Loui Eriksson, Brandon Sutter, Jay Beagle, and Antoine Roussel (those four players combine for over $16 million), the Canucks would've been able to support their star-studded core properly.Real or Mirage: Devils' huge defensive improvement Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyNew Jersey owned the league's fourth-worst defense a year ago, but in its first season under Lindy Ruff, the club's 2.67 goals-against per game is the ninth-best in the NHL.Wegman: Real. I think the Devils can maintain in the top half of the league in the goals-against category, despite the analytics suggesting they’ve had some luck in that department - ranking 24th in xGA/60 at five-on-five.Keep in mind, starting netminder Mackenzie Blackwood has played only three games due to COVID-19 protocol. Scott Wedgewood, who was projected to be the team’s No. 3 goalie before Corey Crawford retired, has carried the load between the pipes. Additionally, Nico Hischier, one of the game’s best young, two-way centers, has yet to play.The Devils should sharpen up defensively as they get healthier and become further accustomed to Ruff's system, although I still think they're a year or two away from playoff contention.Matisz: Mirage. With due respect to Ruff and the fabulous job he's done behind the bench, this start is hard to wrap your head around. It's fishy.Despite being an improvement over 2019-20, New Jersey's defense corps of Damon Severson, P.K. Subban, Ryan Murray, Dmitry Kulikov, Ty Smith, and Matt Tennyson doesn't strike fear into opponents. Ditto for the three-headed goalie monster of Blackwood, Wedgewood, and Eric Comrie.Severson's a stud. Blackwood and Smith are budding stars. Subban, Murray, and Comrie bring value. This means the Devils could definitely finish 2020-21 in the Top 20 in team defense, thus improving their '19-20 results.But a top-five defense? Highly unlikely. Top 10? I'd bet against that too.I'm happy to be proven wrong, but, based on the personnel and the natural ebbs and flows of a season, I'm confident the Devils will hit a wall in the meaty part of the schedule. Larger sample sizes weed out statistical anomalies.Real or Mirage: Stars are still elite Jamie Sabau / National Hockey League / GettyDespite the possibility of a Stanley Cup Final hangover and starting the season without Tyler Seguin or Ben Bishop, Dallas (5-2-1) ranks eighth in the league in points percentage.Matisz: Mirage. Given how few games they've played (only eight due to COVID-19-related delays) and how uncharacteristically explosive they've been (a whopping four goals per contest), I must stick with my preseason opinion - Dallas is a cut below the NHL's surefire contenders.The Stars are a very good, battle-tested club. They showed us that in the bubbled postseason, as the wins kept piling up despite player after player going down with an injury. However, I'd wager it was closer to a perfect storm than a repeatable performance, and it doesn't feel like this Stars crew - largely intact following the trip to the Cup Final - has another deep run in them.In the Central Division, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes are stronger. So, with the caveat that anything can happen in regards to the coronavirus affecting rosters, the Stars will have a difficult time making noise.Wegman: Mirage. What the Stars have done in the early going of the season is impressive - especially without Seguin - but I still wouldn’t place them among the league’s elite teams. Their hot start has been buoyed by a completely unsustainable 40% power play - tied for best in the league. Joe Pavelski, 36, is averaging nearly two points per game, which isn't going to last. The Stars are still a playoff team, but I don’t see them as a legitimate Stanley Cup threat, despite how close they got last season.(Analytics source: Natural Stat Trick)Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

"Mr. Game 7" is now "Mr. Front Office."The Carolina Hurricanes hired Justin Williams as an advisor to general manager Don Waddell, the GM announced Friday.Williams retired as a player in October. He spent eight of his 19 seasons with the Hurricanes, helping them win the Stanley Cup in 2006 before claiming a title with the Los Angeles Kings in 2012 and 2014. He earned the Conn Smythe Trophy in the latter campaign.The 39-year-old served as Carolina's captain in 2018-19 during his second stint with the club. Williams first suited up for the Hurricanes from 2003-09 before rejoining them for his final three seasons. He took a break from the league to start 2019-20 but returned to suit up for 20 games.Williams is one of only nine players in NHL history to notch 100 goals and win a championship with two different franchises.The former winger collected 320 goals and 477 assists over 1,264 regular-season contests, adding 41 markers and 61 helpers in 162 playoff games.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.There's nothing quite like waking up the morning after sweeping the board.A 3-0 night Thursday continued the momentum from a 4-2 start to the week, and we're now sitting at 7-2 over the last four days heading into the weekend.Here's what I'm looking to bet these next few days:Sharks (+100) @ Ducks (-120)

The NHL and NHLPA are looking into ways to more quickly identify positive COVID-19 cases amid a number of postponements league-wide.The two entities are considering conducting rapid testing for players and other team personnel on game days, reports TSN's Frank Seravalli.Rapid testing was already introduced for critical situations over the last week or so, and that will likely remain in place. The NHL and NHLPA have been reportedly concerned about the availability and accuracy of the faster examinations as they mull using them on a regular basis.The NHL has utilized PCR tests but "the hope is" rapid testing will help identify those who test positive in a timelier fashion, according to Seravalli. PCR tests have a turnaround time of 24 hours, meaning the results may not be known until after a team plays or practices.Four changes to the league's COVID-19 protocols were made Thursday, including the removal of glass behind team benches. The NHL advised players to show up to their respective arenas no more than one hour and 45 minutes before puck drop unless receiving treatment or "to engage in preparations in advance of the game," but the league soon reversed course upon resistance from players.Five teams have temporarily shut down due to COVID-19 protocol this season. The Colorado Avalanche became the latest club to do so Thursday. The NHL has already postponed 26 games in 2021.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Technically, Chris Gerrie is a professional hockey player, having appeared in two ECHL games for the Wichita Thunder over the past 11 months. However, with his roster spot gone and the province of Alberta in lockdown mode, the only ice available to him right now is at outdoor facilities open to the general public."I've tried to use all the resources I can," Gerrie said.At the mercy of weather conditions, ice quality, and crowd size at the two rinks closest to his apartment in Calgary, he's learned it's best to train under the lights after the neighborhood kids have retired for the night. Alone, bundled up, and wearing only half of his equipment, he'll skate laps and fire pucks at a vacant net:Outdoor rink in Calgary area Gerrie, a 24-year-old forward from Mount Royal University in Calgary, made his pro debut last March, just before the ECHL pulled the plug on its 2019-20 season. Throughout the summer and fall, he relied mostly on the Canada Emergency Response Benefit for income as he trained on and off the ice."You just kind of have to come to terms with it, I guess. It's so out of your control, right?" he said. "I definitely have my moments where I feel really sorry for myself, but you've just got to remember everyone's in this pandemic and people are in way worse situations."The Thunder welcomed Gerrie back for training camp in December. He was sent packing shortly thereafter, though, because the club had received four AHL players on loan from the Toronto Marlies. He made $160 for two days of work."I'm starting to get experienced in all of this craziness," Gerrie said, with a nod to his place in pro hockey's pecking order. "It seems like there's new obstacles every week. But I've definitely gotten more mentally strong."Chris Gerrie Adrian Shellard / Mount Royal CougarsGroups of hockey players scattered across North America have either fallen through the cracks or had to reroute their 2020-21 plans.Amid a flurry of NHL postponements, the AHL on Friday will open its regular season four months later than usual. Three U.S. franchises opted out of a campaign in which league-wide ticket revenue will be negligible and teams are playing between 24 and 44 games. Meanwhile, the AHL's all-Canadian division is in limbo while some clubs await approval from government officials.The ECHL is arguably worse off, with only 14 of 26 teams competing in its 50-game regular season. Across both leagues, that's 15 teams and more than 300 roster spots temporarily slashed at the two levels directly below the NHL."There's only so many jobs. We feel for those guys. Believe me, we feel for them," Professional Hockey Players' Association executive director Larry Landon said in an interview. "They're members, they're part of the family."The PHPA is the minor-league equivalent of the NHLPA. Last week, it wrapped up negotiations with the AHL on a return-to-play agreement, which includes a guarantee that players on one-way contracts will be paid 40% of their salaries in 2020-21. The minors rely heavily on game-day revenue, and without full buildings - or a plan to hold a Calder Cup playoff tournament - there's simply not enough money in the system to justify a better deal for the players.Nick DeVito Steve Samoyedny / Four Seasons PhotographyNick DeVito has business and accounting degrees from SUNY Morrisville, so he understands the math. The out-of-work ECHLer isn't pointing the finger at minor-league owners as he spends his days training off the ice and making a few bucks on the side shooting on goalies and teaching kids how to skate.DeVito signed with the ECHL's Adirondack Thunder this past November. The team opted out within days. "That was a blow," he said. "You get the highs of being like, 'All right, I'm set!' and then all of a sudden you're at rock bottom."On Nov. 17, he vented on Twitter, saying, "I just want to play a hockey game.""Literally. That's all I want to do," DeVito said about the tweet three months later. "I just want to play a hockey game. That still resonates. And that tweet meant everything."DeVito, 25, is open to any opportunity at this point, including trying his luck overseas if there's a last-minute fit somewhere. The layoff has given him plenty of time to research the financial job market and, in general, contemplate his life path, though it's been impossible to shake the feeling that he was on the cusp of finding his groove at a new level of hockey.Last March, DeVito, a smart, quick forward, registered an assist for the Worcester Railers in his first ECHL game. He's watched the replay "probably, I don't know, 150 times? Just to feel the happiness of getting a pro point and being a pro hockey player. It's tough to sit by and not play."Participation in the PHPA's Career Enhancement Program has skyrocketed during the pandemic. Everyone from well-paid AHL veterans to cash-strapped ECHL newcomers is reaching out for career counseling, resume preparation, and connections to the real estate, firefighting, and construction industries."It's rough out there. Guys are definitely scrambling," said Steve Carney, the program's coordinator. "Some guys are panicking because they haven't really planned for anything else. There's nothing else they've ever known."Phil Kemp Yale AthleticsThe American college and Canadian major-junior ranks are in states of flux, too. For instance, Big Ten teams have played between 16 and 18 games while all six Ivy League schools canceled their seasons months ago.Phil Kemp, a 2017 seventh-round draft pick of the Edmonton Oilers, was supposed to captain Yale this season before turning pro in 2021-22. The big defenseman now finds himself competing for Vasby IK in the Allsvenskan, Sweden's second-best pro league. He has five points in 18 games so far.Kemp left Yale three credits shy of a history degree, so between workouts, practices, and games, he's been firing up Zoom to attend classes. In his mind, there's no reason why he can't continue his education virtually. "I could be in Antarctica and they wouldn't even know," he said with a laugh.In general, Kemp can't really complain about how the last few months have unfolded since the Oilers were able to find him a comfortable place to develop. Still, the lack of closure on his college career, which ended abruptly last March, is "an absolute heartbreaker and it won't stop stinging for a while.""'Chaos creates opportunity' is kind of the way I'm looking at it," he added. "Chaos opens up new pathways because it's unplanned. So I'm just trying to take advantage of those opportunities (because it) can be huge (for me)."Colby Saganiuk Rena Laverty / USA Hockey’s NTDPIn Canada, the QMJHL season has been off and on due to numerous COVID-19 outbreaks, the WHL committed to a 24-game regular season but doesn't have a firm start date, and the OHL has yet to release a concrete plan.These delays have affected every type of player in junior hockey - from the kids graduating minor hockey to more experienced athletes looking to get on the radar of pro scouts to the top prospects eligible for the 2021 NHL Draft.Logan Mailloux of the London Knights falls into that last bucket. The 17-year-old defenseman's agency sent him to Sweden in November, and he's managed to get decent exposure to NHL scouts in the country's third-tier pro league. He's way up in Skelleftea, almost 500 miles north of Stockholm."It's a good learning experience," Mailloux said of the "unorthodox" scenario of battling with and against men as old as 30."It's a different path than a lot of other people have taken. Even though it might just be a taste of coming over, it could be the only time in my life that I get to play in Europe or in Sweden. I'm definitely trying to take it all in."Mailloux tested positive for the coronavirus earlier in the season but says he's fully recovered after facing minor symptoms. "I've had colds that have felt worse than that," he said. "But obviously everybody takes it differently."Erie Otters forward Colby Saganiuk is also eligible for the 2021 draft. He left the United States National Team Development Program and decommited from Penn State last spring in order to join the Otters. Unfortunately, he's still waiting for that debut shift in the OHL, and it might not come until 2021-22."It's just been really weird," Saganiuk said. "But I'm doing what I can."Saganiuk, who turned 18 on Friday, considered some kind of European adventure, but the travel and living expenses coupled with the uncertainty of COVID-19 kept him in Pennsylvania. In the meantime, the 5-foot-8 forward has added enough muscle to tip the scales at 160 pounds, and he hits the ice three times a week, including once for scrimmages. He and other Pittsburgh-area juniors and pros are forced to gear up in the lobby, spaced 6 feet apart.One silver lining for Saganiuk has been spending time with his grandpa Rocky Saganiuk, a former NHLer. The duo rents ice once a week to refine Colby's shot."What have I taken away?" he said. "You have to live in the moment."Count Gerrie among the pros who are trying to tap into a similar mantra: "I have the mindset of, 'I'm going to play until they take away my skates.'"John Matisz is theScore's national hockey writer. You can follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) and contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Connor Hellebuyck passed Ondrej Pavelec for the most wins in Winnipeg Jets/Atlanta Thrashers history Thursday night, the team announced.RankGoalieWins1Connor Hellebuyck1532Ondrej Pavelec1523Kari Lehtonen944Johan Hedberg575Pasi Nurminen48Hellebuyck accomplished the feat in just his sixth campaign. It took Pavelec 10 seasons to get to 152 victories.The reigning Vezina Trophy winner is just 27 years old and has four years remaining on his contract, giving him plenty of time to pad his lead.Hellebuyck has gone 5-2-1 this season with a .913 save percentage and a 2.48 goals-against average.The Thrashers relocated to Winnipeg prior to the 2011-12 season.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Colorado Avalanche are the latest NHL team to be shut down due to COVID-19 protocols, with the league announcing Thursday that all their games through Feb. 11 are postponed.Two Colorado players are currently on the NHL's COVID-19 list: Tyson Jost and captain Gabriel Landeskog, who was added Thursday.Being placed on the COVID-19 list doesn't necessarily indicate a positive test, and it could just be a precautionary measure.The Avs' schedule through Feb. 11 featured two games versus the St. Louis Blues and two against the Arizona Coyotes. No makeup dates have been announced.However, the Blues and Coyotes rearranged their upcoming schedules and will play each other Feb. 6 and Feb. 8 while the Avalanche are sidelined, the league announced.The 7-3-1 Avs most recently played the Minnesota Wild, who had four games postponed Wednesday. The Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars, Vegas Golden Knights, and New Jersey Devils are among the clubs that have also dealt with outbreaks early in the season.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

As the NHL continues to work through the logistics of its current season, the draft - currently set to begin July 23 - could be the next thing to be significantly affected.There are ongoing conversations at the NHL level surrounding the idea of pushing back the 2021 draft until the following year, TSN's Darren Dreger reported on Thursday's edition of "Insider Trading.""There's lots of talk across the National Hockey League about the draft being pushed from 2021 - this summer - to 2022 - the summer - and the NHL hosting back-to-back drafts," Dreger said.General managers are very much in favor of the idea of delaying the draft, Dreger added. Many 2021-eligible players currently aren't playing hockey due to their respective leagues being on pause as a result of the pandemic.The NHL has never hosted two drafts in the same year.The league indicated prior to the start of the campaign that July 15 would be the last possible day to award the Stanley Cup. With numerous games already postponed due to COVID-19 outbreaks, it's unclear if the end of the season will need to be pushed back.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL is making four changes to its in-arena protocols to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, the league announced Thursday.TV viewers will notice the removal of the glass directly behind all team benches. The league is hoping this will increase airflow in an area where players and coaches are close together for an extended period of time.Sportsnet's Chris Johnston offered clarity on how "puck over the glass" penalties will now be called.

St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong will be the architect for Team Canada in Beijing.Hockey Canada named Armstrong GM for its 2022 men's Olympic team on Wednesday.Armstrong will lead a group that also includes associate GM Ken Holland and assistant GMs Ron Francis, Roberto Luongo, and Don Sweeney, as well as senior vice-president of national teams Scott Salmond.

Doug Armstrong wants Team Canada's roster to be well-rounded for the games in Beijing."We're not picking an All-Star team," the St. Louis Blues general manager and chosen architect for Canada's 2022 Olympic hockey squad said on Sportsnet 590 The Fan Thursday. "We have to have players that can touch every facet - penalty kill, power play, five-on-five play. "Armstrong also said he'll need to ask some players to play outside of their traditional NHL positions."Hockey Canada has always had a belief that a centerman could go to the wing much easier than a winger can go to the center," he said. "If you look at the history of the national teams, there's always been centers that have to go over, and this will be no different."We're going to take the best players to make our team, but there will be people that are out of their natural position."Armstrong was named Canada's GM on Wednesday. He built the Canadian roster for the 2016 World Cup, and the executive was part of Steve Yzerman's staff for the 2014 games in Sochi.Ken Holland, Don Sweeney, and Ron Francis - the general managers of the Edmonton Oilers, Boston Bruins, and Seattle Kraken, respectively - were selected to assist Armstrong.Canada has won three of the five Olympic hockey tournaments with NHL players involved.NHLers going to Beijing is still not guaranteed. The ongoing pandemic is a significant hurdle, and the league and players' association still need to come to an agreement with the IIHF and IOC to facilitate participation.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vancouver Canucks forward Tanner Pearson is hoping to extend his stay on the West coast.Pearson becomes an unrestricted free agent after this season and doesn't appear to be in any hurry to test the open market."When the time comes, I'm all ears, I want to stay here," Pearson said Thursday, according to Daily Hive Vancouver's Rob Williams.The 6-foot-1 winger inked a four-year deal with the Los Angeles Kings in 2017 with an annual cap hit of $3.75 million. Vancouver acquired him in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins before the 2019 trade deadline.Pearson recorded a career-best 45 points through 69 games in 2019-20 and ranked fourth on the Canucks with 21 goals. The 28-year-old added four goals and four assists in 17 playoff contests.Vancouver has $22.86 million in projected cap space for next season but also has multiple key players in line for new deals. Franchise cornerstones Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes are set to become restricted free agents, while veterans Alex Edler, Jordie Benn, and Brandon Sutter are among the club's pending unrestricted free agents.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.Back-to-back 2-1 nights to begin the week have us in good standing heading into a busy Thursday.Here's what I'm looking to bet on:Predators (-105) @ Panthers (-115)It's been a terrific start to the season for the Panthers (5-0-1), who have yet to lose in regulation. However, there's a lot less reason for optimism when you peel back the curtain.Florida's schedule to date has been very kind, with two games each against the Blackhawks, Red Wings, and Blue Jackets. While the Panthers have done well to take advantage, they've only won once by more than a goal. They were just outplayed at five-on-five across two games against Detroit. Plus, the underlying numbers suggest this is a very average hockey team.Regression is coming, and there's no better time for it than Thursday as Florida steps up a weight class. It might not appear as such on the surface, with the Predators sitting at 4-5-0, but they're overdue for an uptick in results. Nashville controlled nearly 56% of the expected goal share at five-on-five against the Lightning, whose talent won out in the end, and has managed a 55% share over its last seven games, five of which have come against the Lightning, Hurricanes, and Stars.The Predators are much better than their record indicates, and we get them at a bargain Thursday. Just make sure Juuse Saros is starting, as Pekka Rinne has endured a miserable start to the season.Pick: Predators (-105)Stars (-130) @ Blue Jackets (+110)The Blue Jackets battled back after a miserable start Tuesday against the Stars to make things respectable, and I'd expect the same response from them here. It's what Columbus has done all season.John Tortorella has been excellent at making adjustments, with the Blue Jackets performing much better in the second contest of a two-game set than the first.OpponentxGF% (Game 1)xGF% (Game 2)Predators46.53%64.05%Red Wings36.95%53.83%Lightning33.33%56.48%Panthers29.92%48.55%Blackhawks37.41%56.31%Stars42.06%TBDBecause of the lopsided nature of Tuesday's 6-3 Stars win, and Dallas' 5-1-1 start to the year, we're getting excellent value here on a resilient Columbus squad on home ice.Pick: Blue Jackets (+110)Capitals (-110) @ Rangers (-110)The Capitals have rolled with the punches this season, coping with key absences without any stumbles. They're second in points per game in the East Division. However, there's plenty of evidence to suggest their hot start isn't sustainable.Washington sits 29th in the NHL in expected goal share (45.23%) at five-on-five. Only the Sharks and Kings have been worse. In fact, the Capitals have struggled across the board at five-on-five. They're 30th in Corsi For percentage and 28th in high-danger chances created per 60 minutes. Washington has benefitted from a 12.32% shooting percentage at five-on-five, well above the league average (just above 8%). It all shouts regression.The Rangers, meanwhile, are due for positive regression, as they have a 6.67% shooting percentage. Plus, we benefit from New York's unlucky start by getting this team at even money. With the end of the Tony DeAngelo distraction, the Rangers can get back to what's really important: winning hockey games.Pick: Rangers (-110)(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, loves a juicy puck line, 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.

Calgary Flames forward Sam Bennett will be a healthy scratch on Thursday against the Winnipeg Jets, head coach Geoff Ward said, according to The Athletic's Hailey Salvian.It was reported Saturday that Bennett was seeking a trade. The request from his agent Darren Ferris reportedly blindsided the Flames, who said the forward had not asked for a move."Everything that's gonna happen in terms of where the speculation is going has to do with (general manager Brad Treliving) and Darren Ferris," Ward said, according to TSN's Salim Nadim Valji.Bennett has failed to meet expectations after he was selected fourth overall by the Flames in 2014. His career high in points is 36 and he's tallied zero goals and one assist while averaging 13:20 per game in nine contests this season.The 24-year-old's underlying numbers don't do him any favors, either. His expected goals share (44.2%) and shot-attempt share (46.7%) at five-on-five this season are both career worsts, according to Natural Stat Trick.Bennett is in the final season of a contract that carries a cap hit of $2.55 million. He'll be a restricted free agent after the campaign.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Buffalo Sabres head coach Ralph Krueger tested positive for COVID-19, the team announced Thursday.Sabres games through at least Feb. 8 have been postponed after forward Taylor Hall and defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen were added to the COVID-19 protocol list.The Sabres played the New Jersey Devils, who currently have 17 players on the COVID-19 list, on Saturday and Sunday.Buffalo is reportedly furious with the league and New Jersey for allowing those weekend games to proceed despite the Devils showing signs of an outbreak.Krueger was hired as head coach in 2019 and has guided the team to a 4-4-2 record so far this season.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are interviewing Ron Hextall for their general manager job Thursday, reports TSN's Darren Dreger.Hextall was listed as one of 20 reported candidates to be interested in the position following the surprising resignation of Hall of Famer Jim Rutherford.Hextall currently works in the Los Angeles Kings' front office as a senior advisor. The 56-year-old previously served as the GM of the Philadelphia Flyers from 2014 to 2018. He's responsible for acquiring the majority of the Flyers squad that won the club's first playoff series in eight years last season.The Penguins were reportedly granted permission to interview Chris Drury, Chris McFarland, and John Ferguson Jr. earlier this week, although Drury withdrew his name from the running Wednesday.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning wanted to re-sign Tyler Toffoli during the offseason, but the timing wasn't on his side."It was our intention to try and get him signed, and if we could have had a little more time, we could have tried to work through that,” Benning said, according to The Province's Ben Kuzma. "It got to a point where I know Tyler wanted to come back, and we were trying to figure it out."We kind of ran out of time with him getting offers and one he needed to take. We would have had to move money out."The Canucks acquired Toffoli at last season's trade deadline, and the forward made an immediate impact. He scored six goals and added four assists in 10 regular-season games, and played through an injury to contribute four points in seven playoff contests.Benning had his hands full during the offseason, letting Jacob Markstrom and Chris Tanev walk in free agency largely due to cap constraints. To fill the gaps, he signed Braden Holtby and Travis Hamonic and acquired Nate Schmidt.The Canucks finished 10th in the league in scoring last year with 224 goals, which Benning reportedly pointed to as a reason for letting Toffoli walk. The GM said there were other priorities to address, such as defense and goaltending, since the club proved its ability to score, according to Kuzma.Toffoli is off to a scorching start with the Montreal Canadiens, who signed him to a four-year, $17-million contract. He's played especially great against Vancouver, scoring eight goals in the five games between the two teams this season.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Minnesota Wild won't play through Feb. 9 due to COVID-19, the NHL announced.Minnesota forwards Nick Bjugstad, Nick Bonino, Joel Eriksson Ek, Marcus Johansson, and captain Jared Spurgeon were placed on the league's COVID-19 protocol list Wednesday, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston. Marcus Foligno was already on the list.Getting placed on the list doesn't necessarily mean a player tested positive.The Wild played in Colorado on Tuesday night. From here until Feb. 9, Minnesota was scheduled to take on the Avalanche again, Arizona Coyotes twice, and St. Louis Blues.All Wild team facilities remain closed until further notice. The league hasn't announced any makeup dates for the postponed games.The NHL has delayed numerous contests due to COVID-19 this season, with the Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars, Vegas Golden Knights, and New Jersey Devils among the teams to have dealt with outbreaks.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice is scratching his head at recent criticisms of Blake Wheeler.Maurice spoke candidly to reporters Wednesday regarding recent jabs at Winnipeg's captain, who has been on the ice for more five-on-five goals against than any other Jets skater this season.Wheeler has been out for three Winnipeg goals at five-on-five and 14 against through 10 games, and some reporters called out the 34-year-old for his lackadaisical effort on a goal scored by Matthew Tkachuk in Tuesday's game against the Calgary Flames."The goal that you're beaking him on (Tuesday) night, he got put in a real tough spot by a horseshit backcheck by somebody else," Maurice said, according to TSN. "I'm sensitive to it because I've been in awe of this guy since I got here."His worth (ethic), like he's unimpeachable, and his character. How he runs that room and how he plays. He's got f------ 11 points in 10 games."Maurice added that while he doesn't have an issue with criticism, he does expect criticism to be accurate."I'd just like you to be right about it," Maurice said. "You'll do your deep dives and analytics, and god, they do a horseshit job of telling you what five guys do."He continued: "So, I'm not so much protective of Blake Wheeler; I'm more protective of the Winnipeg Jets. You get a guy in your town that plays that hard and is such a fine, fine leader, and a fine man? Let's be real careful."If his plus-minus number isn't what you want - like he's prorated out at about 88 points, man. And we're 10 games in, we're 6-3-1, and you're beaking my captain. I'm offended by it."Wheeler has notched three goals and eight assists this season while carrying a plus-minus rating of minus-9.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NWHL has stopped its 2021 season on the eve of the playoffs."The NWHL and the Olympic Regional Development Authority have agreed, due to new positive COVID-19 tests and the resulting safety concerns for the players, their respective staff, and the community, that the remainder of the 2021 NWHL season in Lake Placid (will be) suspended," the league announced Wednesday.The semifinal round of the Isobel Cup Playoffs was set to take place Feb. 4, with the Toronto Six facing the Buffalo Beauts and the Boston Pride taking on the Minnesota Whitecaps. The single-elimination Isobel Cup Final would've been played Feb. 5.This is the second straight season the Isobel Cup Final has been disrupted due to COVID-19. Last year's championship game was scheduled for March 13, 2020 - less than 48 hours after most active professional sports associations went on hiatus due to due to the North American outbreak of the virus. After initially postponing the game, the NWHL canceled it outright in May.The 2021 NWHL campaign faced significant challenges days after the regular season opened Jan. 23. Citing a number of positive test results, the Metropolitan Riveters pulled out of the six-team bubble event Jan. 28, forcing alterations to the league's schedule. The Connecticut Whale followed suit by withdrawing Feb. 1 despite having earned a playoff berth.Here are the final standings for the 2021 campaign, sorted by wins:TEAMGPWLGOAL DIFFToronto Six642+7Minnesota Whitecaps431+2Boston Pride734+10Metropolitan Riveters321+3Connecticut Whale422-3Buffalo Beauts615-17Pride blue-liner Kaleigh Fratkin and Six forward Mikyla Grant-Mentis led all scorers with nine points each, while Grant-Mentis' five goals paced the league.Six goaltender Elaine Chuli tallied a league-best four wins between the pipes, while the Riveters' Sonjia Shelly ranked first with just 0.50 goals allowed per game across two appearances.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.