Editor's note: This article was published before the NWHL announced on Feb. 3 that the remainder of its Lake Placid season has been suspendedWhen the Hockey Hall of Fame weighs whether to enshrine Hilary Knight, the American winger will be remembered and judged for how she played the game.Excuse the obviousness of that remark a moment and pause to ponder some of her greatest hits. The 2015 world championships in Sweden, where the United States topped the podium and she was named MVP. South Korea's 2018 Olympics, where she opened the scoring in the United States' gold-medal win. The 2019 worlds on hostile Finnish ice, which she led in goals and points. The many far-flung commitments that make up the women's hockey calendar: Rivalry Series dates with Canada, promotional events at NHL All-Star weekend, pop-up tournaments at youth rinks across the continent …2020-21 has produced no such highlights. Knight, 31, is from Idaho skiing country, but she relocated to Blaine, Minnesota, in the fall to join 24 fellow elite players in a training hub, one of five regional chapters of the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association. Pandemic restrictions have kept the PWHPA from initiating the second Dream Gap Tour, the barnstorming exhibition series the group created last season to showcase their players while lobbying for a sustainably funded pro league.Knight, a veteran of the sport at its highest and fieriest level, has been left to identify a silver lining in these quiet past few months. "I still get to skate and practice," she said.Hilary Knight skates against Canada in the 2019-20 Rivalry Series. Meg Oliphant / Getty ImagesContrasts define women's hockey in 2021. The action at its peak is electric, but no major championship has been awarded for almost two years. U.S.-Canada matchups draw massive attention, yet women's pro games have never commanded that kind of notice, even when they feature the same stars. In October, when the Secret deodorant brand funded the PWHPA with $1 million, that cheery news had to be situated in the context of COVID-19."While many men's professional sports have continued to push forward defying all odds, women's professional hockey has taken a back seat and is in jeopardy of losing all momentum," Secret and the PWHPA wrote in the press release that announced the deal.So started the strangest, most trying season in memory, one that presents shared stakes to the PWHPA and the National Women's Hockey League as they each try to move the sport forward: Survive until fans can crowd the stands again. In the meantime, officials like Jayna Hefford, the Canadian Hall of Fame forward and PWHPA operations consultant, are determined to relish any and all gains. Late in the fall, Sonnet Insurance sponsored the PWHPA's Toronto hub and Scotiabank backed the Calgary roster, tangible affirmation that those companies value the women's game and believe in its future."But the irony is: Now we can't play," Hefford said.––––––––––Hefford is right on one count: COVID-19 has nixed the possibility of running a travel schedule. But the women of the PWHPA do have some say in the matter.When the Canadian Women's Hockey League disbanded in 2019, U.S. and Canadian national teamers united under the PWHPA banner, maintaining that the continent's lone remaining pro option wasn't stable enough to last or, eventually, to pay players a living wage. That option is the NWHL, whose teams have sequestered for the past 10 days in Lake Placid, New York, shuttling between the rink and nearby hotels to string together a short but turbulent - and historic - 2021 season.Toronto Six vs. Minnesota Whitecaps at Lake Placid. Michelle JayWhen the NWHL semifinals air nationally on NBC Sports Network on Thursday night, they'll become the first women's pro matchups ever broadcast on major U.S. TV. NBCSN will show the Isobel Cup final, too, at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, women's hockey's biggest and most important night to date of the coronavirus era.Ideological differences separate the NWHL and PWHPA, but the players on either side of the split are charting parallel paths forward. They have competing visions for how best to pursue a common goal: elevate the state of the pro game for their generation and for the benefit of the girls who'll someday take the torch.Women's pro hockey in 2020-21NWHL teams (6) PWHPA hubs (5)Boston PrideCalgaryBuffalo BeautsMinnesotaConnecticut WhaleMontrealMetropolitan RivetersNew HampshireMinnesota WhitecapsTorontoToronto SixHunkering in upstate New York was the NWHL's short-term solution. Lake Placid was the site of 1980's Miracle on Ice, and now it's hosting the debut of the Toronto Six, the expansion club from a famously rabid hockey market that won't take the ice at home till Year 2."Nothing surprises me with women's sports, because sometimes, in order to make news, in order to make history, you have to think outside the box," Toronto president and head coach Digit Murphy said in an interview last week. "Anywhere we can play, especially in the spotlight, it's just heaven for me as a leader, and I think the players appreciate it, as well."COVID-19 has complicated the NWHL's operations since last March, when the Boston Pride and Minnesota Whitecaps were set to meet in the Isobel Cup title game. That plan was scrapped on the eve of puck drop, the final was officially canceled later in the spring, and the pandemic delayed the league's 2020-21 start date by several months. COVID-19 remained an issue at Lake Placid: An outbreak among the Metropolitan Riveters forced that team to withdraw from the season last Thursday, by which time they'd played just three games.Boston vs. Buffalo. Michelle JayThe NWHL tweaked the schedule, pausing play for a couple days and guaranteeing the Six, Whitecaps, and Connecticut Whale berths in the semifinals. Then the Whale chose to forfeit their last regular-season game Monday evening and withdrew from the tournament hours later. Rather than battle for one final playoff spot, the Pride and Buffalo Beauts both were elevated into the semis, nudging the league within sight of the finish line it was unable to reach in 2020."Last season was really difficult for everyone. It was understandable why we couldn’t (finish it). But we were expecting to play our Isobel Cup game about three months later, and when that didn’t happen, it was really disappointing," Whitecaps goaltender Amanda Leveille, the NWHL's career wins record-holder, told reporters from Lake Placid last week."To be able to be here is just unbelievable. I personally didn’t think it was going to happen. Each week we got closer, and they didn’t announce anything canceling it, we just got more and more excited."NWHL playoffsDateTime (ET)Toronto (1) vs. Buffalo (4)Thursday5:30 p.m.Minnesota (2) vs. Boston (3)Thursday8:30 p.m.Isobel Cup finalFriday7 p.m.Without Olympians present in Lake Placid, players of lesser renown have shined on Twitch, which has streamed the whole tournament live. Pride defender Kaleigh Fratkin leads the league in assists and points (10). Rookie teammate Sammy Davis, the top pick in the NWHL's 2020 draft, paces Boston with four goals, second overall to 22-year-old Toronto forward Mikyla Grant-Mentis' five. Before the Riveters departed, goalie Sonjia Shelly cultivated a 119:50 shutout streak, only to lose her second appearance 1-0 when Minnesota scored on a five-on-three with 10 seconds left. Five netminders - Shelly, Leveille, Boston's Lovisa Selander, Toronto's Elaine Chuli, and Connecticut's Abbie Ives - own save percentages of .936 or better.Helped in part by a new sponsorship accord with credit card provider Discover, the NWHL paid more than $2 million to organize the season, per Sportico's Emily Caron. Underpinning the expense was the idea that the league needed to play some amount of games in 2021 to avoid an 18-month lapse in competition. As first-line Whale center Emma Vlasic said in a midseason media availability, a two-week sprint to the championship still was "better than nothing.""To have a hockey season when people are just clamoring for sports, and to amplify your sport and your message, is a massive leg up relative to other women's sports," Murphy said. "You've got the WNBA that played in this bubble. You've got (the National Women's Soccer League). That's it. Now, to be part of that club, it's huge for our sport. We've arrived. We have enough money where we can actually be in a bubble."Out in the wider world, some of the PWHPA's U.S.-based players faced men's junior teams in exhibition games in January in Tampa, the extent of their formal competition since March. The group hasn't been able to replicate last season's Dream Gap Tour, which touched down in hockey hotbeds Toronto, Chicago, and Philadelphia, plus Hudson, New Hampshire, and Tempe, Arizona, for weekend tournaments.Sarah Nurse (left) defends Kendall Coyne Schofield in 2019-20. Meg Oliphant / Getty ImagesIn a recent interview, Hefford said the PWHPA intends to hold some tour events this spring, pandemic protocols permitting. Scheduling and other logistical questions abound - crossing the border might be a nonstarter, for example - but ideally, the five hubs will get to vie for the Secret Cup, with cash prizes on the line and a broadcast deal in place. (The first of these games will be held Feb. 28 at Madison Square Garden, the PWHPA announced Wednesday.)Keeping sharp has remained top of mind in each PWHPA region. In Minnesota, Knight has skated and lifted weights as part of a roster that includes Kendall Coyne Schofield, another Olympic mainstay. Until Christmastime, when strict lockdown measures took effect in Toronto, eight skaters and a goalie from the local roster were able to practice together at once. The setup suited two-on-two and three-on-three work, which wasn't without upside, Canadian forward Sarah Nurse said: players could prioritize personal skills development over team tactics and systems."I think the (first Dream Gap Tour) actually prepared us a little bit for COVID," Nurse said. "We're very used to having to adapt and be very creative with what we do and how we do it."What hasn't changed from 2020 is the dissonance between the PWHPA and NWHL - the gulf between one side's ambitions for a new league and the model the other is pursuing.Boston vs. Connecticut. Michelle JayPrivate owners run the NWHL's Pride and Six, and the league is seeking investors to buy the four other franchises. Players aren't paid much and need to hold down day jobs - and in many cases, they worked remotely from Lake Placid. (Boston star Jillian Dempsey is teaching fifth grade over Zoom; rookie Six defender Lindsay Eastwood has blogged about the competition for Sportsnet.) That said, the NWHL didn't prorate its $150,000 salary cap this condensed season. Half of the league's sponsorship profit goes to players, and new agreements that include the Discover deal could boost their take by up to 50%, NWHLPA director Anya Packer told FiveThirtyEight's Marisa Ingemi.Since the inception of the PWHPA, its players have said that they're holding out for an optimally professional environment. They want a living wage, support and game-day staff for each team, and access to ice time at palatable hours (read: before 9 p.m.). They'd like to be able to devote full attention to their craft, and they maintain that for a women's league to be sufficiently resourced, the NHL needs to be a major partner, a view Hefford reiterated to theScore.Absent the NHL's backing, support for women's hockey in the men's game has been individualized. Alexis Lafreniere and Mitch Marner have been photographed rocking blue PWHPA hoodies. J.T. Brown, the former NHL forward who recently signed in Sweden, joined the NWHL's Twitch chat on the first night of play in January to gift fans subscriptions to the streaming service.

Chris Drury will not be the Pittsburgh Penguins' next general manager.The New York Rangers assistant GM informed the Penguins on Wednesday that he doesn't want to leave the Rangers or New York City at the moment, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie.Pittsburgh reportedly got permission to interview Drury recently, along with several other candidates. The former NHL forward was among 20 individuals who originally expressed an interest in the position.Drury became the Rangers' assistant GM in 2016 and added GM duties for the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack to his responsibilities the following year. New York hired him as director of player development in 2015.The Penguins also got the green light to interview Boston Bruins executive director of player personnel John Ferguson Jr. and Colorado Avalanche assistant GM Chris MacFarland.Longtime Pittsburgh GM Jim Rutherford resigned from the post last week.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Rangers are breaking new ground in growing women's hockey.The club will host a Dream Gap Tour game on Feb. 28, becoming the first NHL team to present a contest involving the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association. It will be the first pro women's game ever held at Madison Square Garden."This is a major milestone for women's hockey and young girls who aspire to play professional hockey but don't have the option to make it a career today," PWHPA operations consultant Jayna Hefford said.The PWHPA, which contains 125 of the world's best women's hockey players, was formed in 2019 after the Canadian Women's Hockey League dissolved. The Dream Gap Tour is a traveling showcase, with its most recent edition having been put on hold amid the COVID-19 pandemic.February's game at MSG will be the tour's first stop, and the league will add additional events in both Canada and the United States. Logistics for the matchups will follow local guidelines.The PWHPA's goal is to form one league that pays players a living wage while providing them suitable facilities, resources, and marketing. Hubs currently exist in Calgary, Minnesota, Montreal, New Hampshire, and Toronto.Another entity, the National Women's Hockey League, has operated since 2015, and its six teams were playing an abbreviated bubble season in Lake Placid, New York, before shutting down the season Wednesday due to the pandemic.The PWHPA was originally buoyed by Canadian and U.S. national team members who believed the NWHL wasn't sustainable as the only pro option for women's hockey players.Feb. 3 is National Girls and Women in Sports Day in the United States.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Petr Mrazek underwent surgery on his right thumb, team president and general manager Don Waddell announced Wednesday.A timeline for his return will be determined within the coming days.Mrazek has missed the last two games after being hurt early in Saturday's win over the Dallas Stars.The 28-year-old has gone 2-1-0 and stopped 63 of 66 shots over four contests this season.James Reimer started both games in Mrazek's absence, earning a pair of victories and improving to 4-0-0 on the campaign.Mrazek is in his third season with the Hurricanes after a brief stint with the Philadelphia Flyers. He also spent parts of six campaigns with the Detroit Red Wings.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tony DeAngelo is drawing significant attention on the trade market, one day after the New York Rangers announced the defenseman has played his last game with the club."We know he's been told to go home and await a trade. There's a ton of interest all of the sudden in Tony DeAngelo," TSN's Darren Dreger reported Tuesday on "Insider Trading.""I'm told, according to a source, that DeAngelo could be moved within the next few days," Dreger said.DeAngelo was placed on waivers Sunday after he reportedly got into an altercation with teammate Alexandar Georgiev following an overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.He cleared waivers, but Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton confirmed Monday that DeAngelo wouldn't suit up for New York again. Gorton said the organization and Pat Brisson, the player's agent, would work on executing a trade.New York scratched DeAngelo prior to a pair of contests earlier in the season due to poor performance, and Gorton said the 25-year-old wasn't able to move on from that decision. The GM told him if his name comes up in anything, he'd be placed on waivers.DeAngelo's social media presence - which has included saying COVID-19 is a hoax - wasn't a factor in his dismissal from the Rangers, though he was spoken to about it, team president John Davidson said Monday.The blue-liner signed a two-year, $9.6-million extension with the Rangers after recording 53 points over 68 games last season. In 2021, he's notched one point over six matchups.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With no shortage of interest in the open Pittsburgh Penguins general manager position, the club has added three more names to its list of candidates.Pittsburgh has been granted permission to interview New York Rangers assistant general manager Chris Drury, Colorado Avalanche assistant GM Chris MacFarland, and Boston Bruins director of player personnel John Ferguson Jr., TSN's Frank Seravalli reported on Tuesday's edition of "Insider Trading."The Penguins have received more than 20 expressions of interest in the position, Seravalli adds. Pittsburgh is reportedly hoping to shorten its list to six or seven candidates by the end of the week and hire its new GM within the next two weeks.Drury, 44, played 12 NHL seasons before retiring after the 2010-11 campaign. The Connecticut native joined the Rangers as their director of player development in 2015 before being promoted to assistant GM in 2016. He's also been the GM of the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack since 2017.The Avalanche hired MacFarland in 2016 after he'd spent 16 years in the Columbus Blue Jackets' hockey operations department. The 50-year-old also served as the Blue Jackets' assistant GM from 2008-2015.Ferguson, 53, joined the Bruins organization in 2014. He's also served as a scout for the San Jose Sharks and as the GM for the Toronto Maple Leafs.Jim Rutherford resigned as the Penguins' GM last week after holding the position since June 2014.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL postponed all Buffalo Sabres games through Feb. 8 due to COVID-19 concerns, the league announced Tuesday.Forward Taylor Hall and defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen have both been placed on the club's COVID-19 protocol list, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.Buffalo was scheduled to face the New York Islanders on Thursday before playing a pair of games against the Boston Bruins on Feb. 6 and 8.The Sabres played the New Jersey Devils, who now have 14 players on the COVID-19 protocol list, on Saturday and Sunday despite the Devils showing signs of an outbreak.Buffalo reportedly requested more information from the league regarding the health of the Devils but was denied, according to The Athletic's John Vogl."Buffalo is furious with the league and with New Jersey," a source told Vogl.It's unclear when the trio of postponed games will be rescheduled.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL postponed Tuesday's game between the Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders due to COVID-19 protocol.The Sabres delayed flying to New York City from Buffalo until Tuesday because of weather conditions Monday. That change affected COVID-19 contact tracing and testing procedures, forcing the league to reschedule the game.Buffalo split a back-to-back against the New Jersey Devils on home ice Saturday and Sunday. On Monday, the NHL postponed the Devils' games through at least next Saturday following an outbreak within the club that caused 10 players to land on the league's COVID-19 protocol list.

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.We got the week started off on the right foot with a profitable Monday. We'll look to keep the momentum going on a quieter day on the ice due to a pair of postponements.Here are a couple of games I'm looking to bet on Tuesday:Stars (-110) @ Blue Jackets (-110)We have yet to see the Blue Jackets put together a strong showing in the first contest of a two-game set. Columbus has been drastically outplayed in the first matchup - controlling an average of just 35.61% of the expected goal share - before stepping things up in the rematch. Patrik Laine's debut won't change that.The Stars have followed a similar trend, though they haven't been as incompetent in their first go-around. They also hold an edge on special teams and in goal, making them a good value with Jamie Benn back in the lineup.Pick: Stars (-110)Flames (-120) @ Jets (+100)I posted the Flames as a bet versus the Jets on Monday, and I'm going back to the well. The revenge factor is being blown a bit out of proportion early in the season. Teams in the second leg of a back-to-back are 8-6 straight up after losing against the same club the previous night. That's not enough to tilt the scales for me given just how dominant Calgary was Monday.Winnipeg had an early lead thanks to a pair of power-play goals but the Jets were the inferior team from start to finish. The Flames owned an almost unheard of 75.6% share of the expected goals at five-on-five and a still-impressive 63.59% share overall.Connor Hellebuyck's heroics earned Winnipeg a point but the team won't have him to lean on in the second half of this back-to-back. Calgary won't have Jacob Markstrom either, but given the Flames' ability to control the balance of play, the Jets' downgrade in goal is a bigger concern.Pick: Flames (-120)Ducks (+110) @ Kings (-130)This one won't be pretty. While the thought of betting on the Ducks sounds as appetizing as boiled chicken, the price here warrants a play. There's very little difference between the Kings and the Ducks, who rank 30th and 31st in expected goal share at five-on-five, respectively.Anaheim is allowing a lot of quality chances, while Los Angeles is struggling to generate offense. The Kings have created a league-low 38 high-danger chances at five-on-five, while the 96 allowed by the Ducks are second-most. But there's a clearer path to success for Anaheim, which can lean on John Gibson's excellence to earn points. L.A. is flat-out struggling to generate quality offense, suggesting regression is imminent.This is an inflated price between two evenly matched teams, with the 'dog holding a significant edge in goal. I'll take that every time.Pick: Ducks (+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.

Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon is week-to-week with a lower-body injury, head coach Jared Bednar said Tuesday, according to The Athletic's Peter Baugh.MacKinnon left Sunday's loss to the Minnesota Wild after playing the first two periods. It's unclear when he suffered the injury.The 25-year-old ranks third in the NHL with 12 assists and is tied for third with 14 points in 10 games. He finished second in Hart Trophy voting last season and was the runner-up in 2018.The Avalanche are dealing with a slew of injuries, much as they did in 2019-20. Bednar said Tuesday that forwards Matt Calvert and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, defensemen Erik Johnson and Devon Toews, and goaltender Pavel Francouz are all week-to-week as well.MacKinnon played all but one of Colorado's 70 games last season, racking up 35 goals and 58 assists. His linemates, Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog, missed 16 and 28 contests, respectively, and netminder Philipp Grubauer was limited to 36 games.The Avalanche are tied with the St. Louis Blues for first in the West Division, though the Blues have a game in hand.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Riga, Latvia, will be the sole host of the 2021 IIHF World Championship.The IIHF Council has voted to confirm the decision, hockey's governing body announced Tuesday.The IIHF selected Minsk, Belarus, as one of the event's two host cities alongside Riga in 2017. But the body determined in January that Minsk would no longer serve as co-host due to "safety and security issues that are beyond the IIHF's control."Widespread protests against the Belarusian government and its authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko, have been raging in the country since his re-election in 2020.Several sponsors threatened to withdraw from the tournament if it remained in Minsk.IIHF president Rene Fasel previously said awarding the event solely to Riga wasn't an option.Last year's worlds were canceled due to COVID-19.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Patrik Laine will play his first game for the Columbus Blue Jackets when they host the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night, Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella confirmed, according to team reporter Jeff Svoboda.Laine had been in quarantine and also on injured reserve after the Winnipeg Jets traded him to Columbus on Jan. 23.The Blue Jackets landed the Finnish sniper along with Jack Roslovic in the blockbuster deal that sent Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Jets. Roslovic has already played three games for Columbus. Dubois hasn't yet taken the ice for Winnipeg.Laine has suited up for only one game this season, notching two goals - including the overtime winner - and an assist in the Jets' win over the Calgary Flames in both clubs' 2021 opener.The Jets placed the 22-year-old on injured reserve one day before the trade.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New York Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton has confirmed that defenseman Tony DeAngelo has played his last game for the club, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.DeAngelo's agent, Pat Brisson, said he and Gorton are talking to clubs interested in acquiring the blue-liner, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.Brisson added he's confident a move will come to fruition soon, and DeAngelo will remain at home while awaiting a deal. DeAngelo went unclaimed Monday after being placed on waivers Sunday.The 25-year-old reportedly got into an altercation with teammate Alexandar Georgiev following the squad's 5-4 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.DeAngelo has been a healthy scratch for two games this season after a breakout 2019-20 campaign. He's recorded one assist through six contests while averaging 18:29 minutes of ice time.Gorton said DeAngelo "wasn't able to move on" from being scratched, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli."I told him if his name came up in anything at all that he would be on waivers. ... I felt like I had to stay true to my word, the organization's word," Gorton said, according to Seravalli.New York signed DeAngelo to a two-year, $9.6-million contract in October.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Rangers placed forward Kaapo Kakko on the COVID-19 list Monday, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.Kakko's Type 1 diabetes could make him more prone to complications if he contracted COVID-19, but Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton said the 19-year-old is "fine," according to The Athletic's Rick Carpiniello.Being on the COVID-19 list doesn't necessarily mean a player has the virus.The 2019 second overall pick has tallied two goals and no assists in eight games this season.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL is postponing all New Jersey Devils games through at least Feb. 6, the league announced Monday.Ten Devils players are currently on the NHL's COVID-19 protocol list. Tuesday's and Thursday's contests versus the Pittsburgh Penguins and Saturday's clash with the New York Rangers have been postponed as a result. The games will be made up at later dates.Mackenzie Blackwood, Connor Carrick, Aaron Dell, Andreas Johnsson, Janne Kuokkanen, Michael McLeod, Kyle Palmieri, Sami Vatanen, Pavel Zacha, and Travis Zajac are the players on the list, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.Players who land on the list have not necessarily tested positive; Vatanen and Dell are included due to international travel, while Carrick recently left the club for the birth of his child.The Devils played a back-to-back against the Buffalo Sabres this past weekend and currently sit fifth in the East Division with a 4-3-2 record through nine games.The NHL has dealt with numerous pandemic-related postponements early in the season. The Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars, and Vegas Golden Knights are among the teams to have their schedules affected so far.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL has changed the dates of six games involving the Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues, and Vegas Golden Knights.They are as follows:AwayHomeOriginal DateNew DateTime (ET)BluesGolden KnightsJan. 28March 2210 p.m.Golden KnightsSharksFeb. 1Feb. 134 p.m.Golden KnightsSharksFeb. 3Feb. 2510:30 p.m.DucksSharksFeb. 13April 610:30 p.m.Golden KnightsDucksFeb. 26April 2310 p.m.BluesSharksFeb. 26March 810:30 p.m.The Golden Knights' games originally scheduled for Jan. 28, Feb. 1, and Feb. 3 (which also involve the Blues and Sharks) were postponed after Vegas experienced a COVID-19 outbreak. Three coaches were forced to isolate and star defenseman Alex Pietrangelo landed on the league's COVID-19 protocol list as a result.The other three contests were presumably moved to accommodate the new dates for the first three.Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon said Monday the team had four days of exclusively negative tests. Those who tested positive are now doing well, and he expects the team will be able resume playing as planned against the Los Angeles Kings on Friday and Sunday.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Rasmus Sandin skated in 28 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs as a 19-year-old rookie last season, but he's yet to play in a contest this year."It's obviously a little frustrating," he said Monday, according to TSN's Kristen Shilton. "It was a very long time ago that I played a game. But we're hanging in there, having fun in practice. Great to be back with the guys."Following an injury to Jake Muzzin in the postseason, the Maple Leafs opted to roll with veteran Martin Marincin instead of Sandin. That means the young blue-liner hasn't played a competitive game since March 10, 2020.Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said the team is "sensitive" to the fact Sandin hasn't cracked the lineup yet."We've tried to prioritize with him using this time ... to learn what's necessary to be an everyday NHL player," Keefe said. "There is some growth to be had there. We have no doubt he's going to be an everyday NHLer."Sandin said before the campaign that he bulked up in the offseason and that teammate William Nylander couldn't "even handle me on the ice."However, Keefe said Sandin is still "maturing his body" in the gym and not just working on his skills.The Maple Leafs selected Sandin 29th overall at the 2018 draft. He collected eight points in 28 games last season while averaging 14:19 of ice time per contest. His 48.7% expected goals share at five-on-five last season ranked eighth out of the team's nine defensemen to play in at least 10 games.Toronto lost Tyson Barrie and Cody Ceci to free agency in the offseason, but its blue line is much deeper thanks to the additions of TJ Brodie, Zach Bogosian, and Mikko Lehtonen."Whenever I get the chance I'll be ready," Sandin said.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Every Monday, theScore offers a weekly fantasy hockey column detailing a handful of moves you should make. This edition focuses on Week 3. Roster percentages and position eligibility are courtesy of Yahoo.Sell high on Brock BoeserTeam: Canucks

The Calgary Flames say Sam Bennett has not asked the club to trade him.Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman said Saturday that Bennett's agent, Darren Ferris, told him his client would like the team to consider giving him a change of scenery.But the Flames were stunned by Ferris' proclamation that the forward wants to be dealt, multiple sources told Sportsnet's Eric Francis.No one within the Flames organization is questioning Friedman's reporting, according to Francis, but he adds neither Bennett nor Ferris has communicated to the team a desire for a trade."One thing I've gleaned in just calling around is that (the Flames are) not in any hurry to do it," Friedman said Saturday.Bennett, 24, has excelled in the playoffs but struggled during the regular season through his six-plus campaigns with Calgary. The Flames drafted him fourth overall in 2014.It was also reported Saturday that another Ferris client, Montreal Canadiens defenseman Victor Mete, had "officially" asked for a trade. Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin denied that report and said the team wouldn't be trading Mete.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Victor Mete will get a chance to showcase himself to the Montreal Canadiens and the rest of the league on Monday night.The disgruntled defenseman will make his season debut against the Vancouver Canucks, head coach Claude Julien announced. Mete will draw in for Brett Kulak.Mete reportedly requested a trade, with his agent Darren Ferris citing a lack of opportunity.However, Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin shot down the rumors and said the team isn't trading him.Mete has been a healthy scratch in each of the team's first eight games this season. The emergence of rookie Alexander Romanov and the offseason addition of veteran Joel Edmundson pushed Mete down the depth chart.The 5-foot-9 blue-liner already has 171 games of NHL experience despite being just 22 years old. He's collected 31 career points while averaging 16:37 of ice time per contest.Mete has registered strong underlying numbers, posting a five-on-five expected goals share of at least 53.5% in each of his three campaigns, according to Natural Stat Trick.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New York Rangers defenseman Anthony DeAngelo cleared waivers Monday, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.DeAngelo got into an altercation with netminder Alexandar Georgiev following the club's 5-4 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday, multiple sources told The Athletic's Rick Carpiniello.Rangers head coach David Quinn refused to address the report and said the decision was not made based on one incident."There’s always rumors, as you know," Quinn said, according to Carpiniello. "I’m not going to address rumors. This isn’t about one incident. It’s not about one thing. It’s a situation the organization felt was best at this current time, and we’ll see how the situation plays out."DeAngelo was scratched for a pair of games earlier this season and amassed one assist through six contests while logging 18:29 of average ice time per game.The 5-foot-11 blue-liner finished tied for fourth in both goals (15) and points (53) among all defensemen in 2019-20.New York signed the 25-year-old to a two-year, $9.6-million contract in October.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Edmonton Oilers superstars Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid went nuclear Sunday versus the Ottawa Senators, combining for 11 points in an 8-5 victory.Draisaitl had a whopping six assists, falling one shy of tying the single-game record set on numerous occasions by Wayne Gretzky. The reigning MVP became the 29th player in league history to accomplish the feat and the first since Hall of Famer Eric Lindros in 1997, according to Sportsnet Stats.Draisaitl is also the only player in NHL history to record six assists through the first two periods of a game, according to Stats bt STATS.McDavid had a goal and four assists one night after collecting three points - including the overtime winner - against the Toronto Maple Leafs.Edmonton's dynamic duo did most of their damage on the power play, which was 4-for-5 on the night.McDavid (22) and Draisaitl (21) now own commanding holds on first and second place in the NHL points race through 11 games. They were the league's top two scorers last season.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon was ruled out for the remainder of Sunday's game against the Minnesota Wild with a lower-body injury, the team announced.MacKinnon played the first two periods of Sunday's contest and didn't come out for the third. It's unclear when the forward suffered the injury."I haven't even talked to the trainers yet. I just know he wasn't able to go for the third period," head coach Jared Bednar said postgame, according to the Denver Post's Mike Chambers.The 25-year-old had 15:24 of ice time through two periods and registered two assists.MacKinnon has amassed two goals and 12 assists through 10 games this season, including Sunday's contest.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Minnesota Wild prospect Marco Rossi has returned to his native Austria to rest due to COVID-19 complications, the team announced Saturday.The club didn't provide a timeline for his return, but the 19-year-old won't play in the NHL this season, The Athletic's Michael Russo reports.Rossi was ruled out indefinitely with an upper-body injury earlier in January. The ailment stems from having COVID-19 in November, according to Russo.Minnesota drafted Rossi ninth overall in 2020 after he posted 120 points in 56 games with the OHL's Ottawa 67's last season.Rossi captained Austria at the 2021 world juniors in Edmonton, going pointless in four contests.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Montreal Canadiens removed forward Josh Anderson from Saturday's loss to the Calgary Flames due to flu-like symptoms, head coach Claude Julien said postgame."They chose to send him home," Julien said. "Obviously, we don't want that spreading, but he's tested negative for (COVID-19 and) he'll be tested again (Sunday). But with everything that's going on right now, it was cautionary measures by our medical staff."Anderson played seven shifts in the first period of his team's 2-0 loss, but he logged only one in the second frame and one more in the third. The Canadiens then announced he wouldn't return.The 26-year-old has collected four goals and an assist in his first eight games with Montreal. The club signed him to a seven-year, $38.5-million contract in October after acquiring him in a trade sending forward Max Domi to the Columbus Blue Jackets.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin denied reports that defenseman Victor Mete has requested a trade despite the player's agent saying the opposite."Not true and not trading him," Bergevin wrote in a text message to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.It was reported Saturday that Mete wants out of Montreal. His agent, Darren Ferris, said the request stems from a lack of playing time."There isn't opportunity to get in the lineup," Ferris said, according to LeBrun. "It's best for both the player and the team."Mete has been a healthy scratch in each of the Canadiens' eight games this season, failing to crack a stout Montreal blue line after the additions of veteran Joel Edmundson and dynamic rookie Alexander Romanov.The Habs' reconstructed defense corps has paid dividends to this point, as the club is 5-1-2 on the year.Mete, 22, appeared in 51 games for Montreal last season, registering 11 points while averaging 16 minutes per night. He carries a $735,000 cap hit and will be a restricted free agent at the end of the campaign.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Calgary Flames forward Sam Bennett wants out.Bennett's agent confirmed as much to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman."There was a rumor going around (Saturday) morning that Bennett might want a change of scenery, and I did call his agent, Darren Ferris, who said, 'Yes, that's true, he would like it to be considered,'" Friedman reported on the latest edition of "Saturday Headlines."The Flames have not commented on the situation, according to Friedman."One thing I've gleaned in just calling around is that they're not in any hurry to do it," he added.Bennett is in his sixth full season with the Flames, who drafted him fourth overall in 2014.The 24-year-old has failed to live up to the lofty expectations that accompany his draft position. He entered Saturday's game against the Montreal Canadiens with no goals and one assist in six contests.Bennett posted a career-high 18 markers and 18 helpers as a rookie in 2015-16, but he hasn't matched that output since then. He did produce five points in as many games during the 2018-19 playoffs, though, adding five goals and three assists in 10 postseason contests in 2020.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ovi is officially back.The Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin made his official return Saturday after being added to the active roster.Ovechkin and defenseman Dmitry Orlov were cleared to return from the COVID-19 list earlier Saturday, head coach Peter Laviolette told NHL.com's Tom Gulitti.The superstar forward will skate on a line with T.J. Oshie and Richard Panik against the Boston Bruins. Orlov is not playing in the contest.Ovechkin, Orlov, center Evgeny Kuznetsov, and goaltender Ilya Samsonov had been in quarantine since Jan. 20 after violating COVID-19 protocols. Kuznetsov and Samsonov remain in quarantine.The Caps went 3-0-1 without four of their most important players.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Travis Konecny is out of the lineup against the New York Islanders on Saturday night, Philadelphia Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault confirmed pregame, according to The Athletic's Charlie O'Connor.Konecny is tied as the team's leading scorer with five goals and is second in points with eight through eight games. However, he's taken just one shot on goal and collected only one point - an assist - over his last three contests.Vigneault acknowledged Konecny is one of the club's best three forwards and is doing some good things, but the bench boss cited both the team's lackluster five-on-five play as well as the 24-year-old forward's struggles in those situations. Vigneault said he spoke to Konecny about it Saturday morning."I've been talking to the players about it for some time, areas we need to be better at, areas that we have been good at in the past," the head coach said. "TK is the one tonight who is not going to play. His five-on-five game needs to be better in the areas that he's aware of."Vigneault added he's asked the club to play better at five-on-five "basically after every game."Konecny led the Flyers with 24 goals and 61 points in 2019-20.Sam Morin, a former defenseman who the Flyers converted to forward before the start of the season, will make his 2021 debut with Konecny out.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's Pasta time.Boston Bruins superstar David Pastrnak will make his season debut Saturday against the Washington Capitals, head coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters, including NHL.com's Amalie Benjamin.Pastrnak, 24, underwent a right hip arthroscopy and labral repair in September.Cassidy confirmed Pastrnak will rejoin Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron in his typical spot on the top line.The sniper co-led the NHL with 48 goals in 2019-20 to capture his first career Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy. He also tallied a team-leading and career-best 95 points through 70 games.Pastrnak ranks third in goals (155) since the start of the 2016-17 season and second in power-play markers with 60.The Bruins are 5-1-1 this season and sit second in the East division entering Friday's action.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Defenseman Vince Dunn seems to have fallen out of favor with the St. Louis Blues. In his fourth NHL season, he hasn't made the strides St. Louis expected. He still struggles defensively and was already a healthy scratch this year.However, the 2015 second-round pick remains an intriguing player and could benefit from a fresh start. He's an excellent skater with a heavy shot and good vision. Over the last three seasons he ranks 20th among qualified defenseman in goals per 60 minutes and 51st in points per 60 minutes. He's posted strong possession numbers over the last three years, too, albeit in soft matchups with lots of offensive zone starts.Dunn, who carries a $1.875-million cap hit this season, still has upside, but it will require the right fit in order to unlock some of his potential. The Blues have always had a strong blue line, which has made it difficult for him to carve out a significant role. He needs to go to a team thin on the back end - not only so he can receive enough playing time, but so they're able to protect him in this offseason's Seattle expansion draft.With the Blues reportedly dangling him in trade talks, we picked five teams that should take a flier on the 24-year-old.Ottawa Senators Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyOutside of Thomas Chabot, the Senators' blue line sorely lacks offensive upside. Mike Reilly has some, but his overall potential pales in comparison to Dunn's. Nikita Zaitsev, Erik Gudbranson, Braydon Coburn, and Josh Brown are all black holes offensively.Ottawa would be able to give Dunn around 18-20 minutes per night (he was only averaging 16:32 in St. Louis) and time with the second power-play unit. The team is in clear rebuilding mode, so even if there are some hiccups this season, it's worth it if he can develop into a legitimate top-four defenseman.Detroit Red Wings Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyThe Red Wings are in a similar boat. They're in clear rebuilding mode, yet the majority of their blue line is filled with low-upside veterans like Marc Staal, Danny DeKeyser, Patrik Nemeth, Alex Biega, and Troy Stecher. Filip Hronek and Dennis Cholowski are their lone rearguards with potential.Detroit's defense is so bad that Dunn would probably slot in on the No. 1 pairing and quarterback the top power-play unit.Los Angeles Kings NHL Images / National Hockey League / GettyThe Kings' blue line is much better than Ottawa's and Detroit's, but it's quite lopsided. Drew Doughty, Sean Walker, and Matt Roy make up a solid right side for a team in transition, but the left side - featuring Olli Maatta, Mikey Anderson, and Kurtis MacDermid - is much weaker.Dunn is a left-shot defenseman, so he could fill in on the team's blue line without taking ice time away from someone who is a clear part of the team's future.New York Rangers Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyThe Rangers are much further along in their rebuild than the Kings, but their blue line is also uneven. Jacob Trouba, Adam Fox, and Tony DeAngelo form a solid right side, but the left side has some holes. Former first-rounder K'Andre Miller has impressed in his rookie campaign, and 22-year-old Ryan Lindgren has some potential. But Jack Johnson and Brendan Smith likely don't have futures with the club.Both Fox and Miller are exempt from the expansion draft, so if Dunn flourished in the Big Apple, the Rangers could still protect him, Trouba, and either DeAngelo or Lindgren.Winnipeg Jets Jonathan Kozub / National Hockey League / GettyThe Jets seem like the least likely team on this list to acquire Dunn. It would create an issue for the expansion draft, leaving the team to decide between protecting Dunn or Dylan DeMelo (assuming Josh Morrissey and Neal Pionk are protected).Additionally, for a team trying to compete this year, Canada's 14-day quarantine rule for crossing the border is a hassle, and they're already going through it with Pierre-Luc Dubois. This isn't as big of an issue for the Senators since they're rebuilding.However, the Jets do have holes on their blue line, so nothing can be entirely ruled out. Dunn would provide an immediate upgrade over Nathan Beaulieu, Derek Forbort, and Sami Niku.(Analytics source: Natural Stat Trick)Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Minnesota Wild forward Kevin Fiala has been suspended three games for boarding Los Angeles Kings defenseman Matt Roy on Thursday night, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Friday.Fiala was ejected from Minnesota's 5-3 win over Los Angeles in the second period after plowing Roy into the boards from behind.The NHL's explanation said Fiala was "entirely in control of how this play develops," adding "from the time the puck is dumped in, he sees nothing but Roy's numbers."The league also added "the onus is on Fiala to create a new angle of approach" to either deliver a clean hit, avoid making it, or reduce the amount of contact and minimize the danger.Officials gave Fiala a five-minute boarding major and a game misconduct.Roy didn't return to the game, but Kings head coach Todd McLellan said afterward he expected the blue-liner to be able to travel with the club.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Two upcoming games between the Vegas Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks, scheduled for Feb. 1 and Feb. 3, have been postponed, the league announced Friday.Three Vegas coaches are currently isolating, and defenseman Alex Pietrangelo was placed on the NHL's COVID-19 protocol list Thursday.Thursday's contest between the Golden Knights and St. Louis Blues was also postponed. No makeup dates have been announced for any of the delayed games.Vegas announced Tuesday that the entire coaching staff is isolating out of an "abundance of caution." All team facilities remain closed until further notice.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Notorious agitator Brad Marchand won't try to get under the skin of long-time friend and former teammate Zdeno Chara when the Boston Bruins clash with the Washington Capitals on Saturday."He's the kind of guy where when he's out there, you're an opponent. He's not going to have any friends out there. He's going to play the game and compete and battle," Marchand said, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski."I'm not going to poke the bear in any way. The biggest thing I can do is just skate away from him. If you get within that reach or his grasp, then you're not going anywhere."Chara signed a one-year contract with Washington this offseason after 14 campaigns with the Bruins. The 43-year-old suited up for over 1,000 games with Boston, claiming a Norris Trophy in 2009 and the Stanley Cup in 2011.The future Hall of Fame blue-liner downplayed the reunion with his former teammates, saying he knows what to expect when Marchand is on the forecheck."I don't think it's going to be any different," Chara said. "He's a guy who will always go out there and compete for his teams. I think we had many practices against each other and we both compete pretty hard. I don't expect anything else from him or anybody else."The Capitals and Bruins enter Saturday's contest as the East Division's top two teams in the young 2021 season.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.We gave back Tuesday's profit with a 1-2 night on Thursday, so we'll look to stay in the black ahead of a busy weekend in the NHL.Here are my favorite bets on the board.Blue Jackets (-135) @ Blackhawks (+115)

Minnesota Wild forward Kevin Fiala has a hearing Friday for boarding Los Angeles Kings defenseman Matt Roy during Thursday's contest, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced.The play occurred in the second period. Refs handed Fiala a five-minute major and game misconduct for the infraction.

It's early in the NHL season, but several players have already begun to separate themselves from the pack in the hunt for the Hart Trophy.Given the small sample size, there's no shortage of names for which one could make a case. But there are a handful of players who have demonstrated immense value relative to their teammates.It should also be noted that while a team's position in the standings is generally taken into account when determining the Hart winner, it's not as much of a concern at this juncture.Here are our top five MVP candidates through the first two-plus weeks of the 2020-21 campaign:5. Mitch Marner Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyGPGAATOIxGF%SCF%95823:3446.2654.25Yes, Marner has a deep supporting cast, but the Toronto Maple Leafs forward is one of the biggest reasons his team occupies first place in the North Division.The 23-year-old ranks near the top of the early goal-scoring race and is tied for second in points among all players. But it's not just his production that's put him in the Hart conversation. It's the way he's produced.Marner leads all NHL forwards in average ice time, logging a whopping 23:34 per game so far. He's also tied for the NHL lead in even-strength goals, and his 13 points in all situations are four more than the next-closest Toronto skater. Marner isn't doing it all by himself, but the Maple Leafs wouldn't be off to such a promising start without the winger's significant contributions.4. John Gibson Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyGPRecordSV%HDSV%GAAxGA/60GSAA73-2-2.942.8651.863.018.26Gibson is the early front-runner for the Vezina Trophy, and he deserves some Hart consideration, too. The Anaheim Ducks would clearly be in the NHL's basement without the ever-dependable goaltender.Gibson is used to a heavy workload by now, but his efforts still warrant recognition, especially with the Ducks in contention amid the parity of the West Division. Anaheim ices the league's worst offense, and the 27-year-old netminder has faced the second-most shots among NHL goalies.Gibson has kept the Ducks afloat with barely any assistance from his teammates, cementing his status as one of the game's most valuable players.3. Patrick Kane Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyGPGAATOIxGF%SCF%83420:3144.1243.7Kane doesn't have the eye-popping numbers of the other forwards on this list, but don't let that fool you. The dynamic winger has carried the Chicago Blackhawks amid the long-term absences of top centers Jonathan Toews and Kirby Dach. Kane's skilled linemate, Alex DeBrincat, and an important young defenseman, Adam Boqvist, are also in COVID-19 protocol for at least two weeks.Despite the Blackhawks' depleted roster, Kane has kept the self-professed rebuilding club within two points of first place in the Central Division, albeit among a couple of clubs with games in hand due to postponements.Rookie pivot Pius Suter racked up a hat trick for his first three NHL goals Sunday, but Kane has been the one providing the most consistent production for Chicago. The 32-year-old superstar notched points in five straight games after being held off the scoresheet in the opener.Much like Gibson, the 2016 Hart winner has willed his team into the early hunt when no one expected it to be there.2. Mark Stone David Becker / National Hockey League / GettyGPGAATOIxGF%SCF%72918:4862.1754.44Stone contributes in so many ways for the Vegas Golden Knights. He excels at both ends of the ice and on special teams, and he provides both physicality and offense. The star forward is also proving he can more than handle the added responsibility of being the first captain in franchise history.The 28-year-old sits among the league scoring leaders despite getting far less ice time than his closest competitors. Stone has also been one of the NHL's most productive players at even strength so far, and his offensive exploits are all the more remarkable considering his dogged dedication to the 200-foot game.Max Pacioretty's six goals shouldn't be discounted, but Stone has assisted on five of them, with primary helpers on three. The captain has also posted four more points than his next-closest teammate. That doesn't sound like much, but it's illuminating with only seven games played, and it shows how critical Stone is to his squad's success.1. Connor McDavid Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / GettyGPGAATOIxGF%SCF%95922:3367.1560.87McDavid is back, folks. He never truly left, of course, but the 2017 Hart Trophy winner has rocketed out of the gate this season after watching teammate Leon Draisaitl claim the honor in 2020.The Canadian superstar leads the NHL in points in all situations and is tied for first in points at even strength (nine), which means he's not inflating his production on the man advantage. Draisaitl has been great, too, but he's posted only one of his six goals and just six of his 13 points at evens. Meanwhile, McDavid has notched four of his five goals and nine of his 14 points in non-special teams situations.McDavid is also getting more ice time than his German teammate, averaging over half a minute more than Draisaitl while ranking among the league's top forwards in that regard. McDavid is also tied for second in shots among all players, further illustrating the Edmonton Oilers captain is on a mission to capture his second Hart Trophy in five years.The Oilers haven't played consistently as a team in the early going, but they're still in contention in the North Division, and McDavid is the biggest reason they haven't completely bottomed out.Honorable mention: Draisaitl, Nathan MacKinnon, Anze Kopitar, Tyler Toffoli, Bo Horvat(Analytics source: Natural Stat Trick)Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Minnesota Wild forward Kevin Fiala was tossed from Thursday's game for a questionable hit on Los Angeles Kings defenseman Matt Roy.The officials handed Fiala a five-minute major for boarding and a game misconduct after he leveled Roy from behind in the second period.

The Pittsburgh Penguins' search for a new general manager has begun with no shortage of names eyeing the job.Twenty candidates contacted the club to express interest in the position as of Thursday afternoon, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported on the latest edition of "Insider Trading."Jason Botterill, Chris Drury, Ron Hextall, Mark Hunter, Tom Fitzgerald, Peter Chiarelli, Scott Mellanby, Mike Gillis, Laurence Gilman, John Ferguson Jr., and Mike Futa are all on the Penguins' radar, according to LeBrun.Patrik Allvin, the Penguins' interim general manager, will reportedly get the first interview. Pittsburgh promoted him to the role when longtime GM Jim Rutherford resigned Wednesday for personal reasons.Pittsburgh is aiming to have a new GM in place within two-to-three weeks, LeBrun added.Fitzgerald is the current general manager of the New Jersey Devils. Chiarelli formerly held the same role with the Boston Bruins and Edmonton Oilers, while Hextall served as GM of the Philadelphia Flyers from 2014-18. Hextall is currently a hockey operations advisor for the Los Angeles Kings and served as their assistant GM from 2006-13.Chiarelli and Hextall reportedly interviewed for the Minnesota Wild's GM vacancy in 2019 before the team hired Bill Guerin.Rutherford began his tenure as Penguins GM in 2014, helping the team win the Stanley Cup in 2016 and 2017. He previously spent 20 years with the Carolina Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers franchise, overseeing the Hurricanes' title run in 2006.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pierre-Luc Dubois' agent, Pat Brisson, hasn't been a fan of John Tortorella's recent comments regarding his client."From Day 1 of camp, John Tortorella wanted to expose Pierre-Luc Dubois," Brisson said, according to TSN's Darren Dreger on Thursday's edition of "Insider Trading." "This included going on (the) radio the second week, which made it more difficult for (general manager Jarmo Kekalainen) to do his job. Now, he continues to use different media platforms trying to justify his position."Tortorella has repeatedly spoken about Dubois' trade request in late December. In early January, prior to Dubois' trade to the Winnipeg Jets, the Columbus Blue Jackets head coach said on the radio that Dubois "hasn't given a reason why he wants to leave." In an interview that aired Wednesday, Tortorella acknowledged that he and the 22-year-old had conflict while calling today's athletes "softer."After being dealt to Winnipeg last week, Dubois said he didn't demand a trade due to his relationship with Tortorella.Additionally, Brisson pointed to Jets head coach Paul Maurice as an example of how he would've liked Tortorella to handle the situation."I have not heard Paul Maurice once say anything about a trade request from both (Patrik) Laine and (Jack) Roslovic," Brisson said. "This could've been Operation Submarine, but ah well, Torts wasn't able to help himself."Dubois has yet to make his Jets debut due to his mandatory quarantine upon entering Canada.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Thursday's contest between the Vegas Golden Knights and St. Louis Blues was postponed as the result of a Golden Knights player and member of the coaching staff entering COVID-19 protocol, the league announced.Alex Pietrangelo was later identified as the player. The 31-year-old has been added to the NHL's COVID-19 protocol list, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.Landing on the list does not mean a player has tested positive for COVID-19. Players can be placed on the list for numerous reasons, including mandatory isolation for those showing symptoms, quarantine for those considered high-risk contacts, and travel-related isolation.Vegas announced Tuesday that its entire coaching staff was isolating "out of an abundance of caution." General manager Kelly McCrimmon assumed coaching duties for Tuesday's overtime loss against the Blues.The Golden Knights canceled Thursday's skate, and the club's facilities will remain closed until further notice.The league is reviewing and revising the Golden Knights' schedule, and a decision on next week's games will be made in the next 24-48 hours.This marks the second game-day postponement for the NHL so far this season.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.We took home some decent profit with Tuesday's picks, finishing 2-1. After a quiet day off Wednesday, we're back at it with another monster NHL slate.Here are my favorite bets on the board.Penguins (+110) @ Bruins (-130)We were on the Bruins in this game Tuesday and got to celebrate an overtime win, but I'm changing my tune this time around. The expectation is the Penguins turn to Casey DeSmith while Boston pivots to Jaroslav Halak, which is a better goaltending matchup for Pittsburgh.Tuesday's contest was a coin flip. The expected goal share was essentially dead even, sitting at 1.52-1.51 in favor of Pittsburgh at five-on-five and 2.42-2.39 in Boston's favor at all strengths. The Bruins won late in overtime, but the Penguins had a number of chances to win in the extra frame, including a missed three-on-none.The Penguins have been very good at making adjustments this season when facing the same team for the second consecutive game. We also get a better goaltending matchup and plus money in what essentially boils down to a 50-50 game. There's value with Pittsburgh at +100 or greater.Pick: Penguins (+110)Panthers (-105) @ Blue Jackets (-115)On one hand, the Blue Jackets were unlucky not to win Tuesday's game, with the Panthers scoring the tying goal with three seconds left. On the other hand, they were lucky to even come out with a point. Florida controlled a remarkable 70.08% share of the expected goals (xGF%) at five-on-five.We've seen this before from the Blue Jackets, who've made a habit of being outplayed in the first contest of a two-game set before bouncing back impressively in the second.OpponentxGF% (Game 1)xGF% (Game 2)Predators46.53%64.05%Red Wings36.95%53.83%Lightning33.33%56.48%The Panthers have played well this year, but given the small sample size, this feels like a good sell-high spot. The Blue Jackets have a proven ability to perform better in the second half of back-to-backs, and we get them at a bargain here with what feels like an overreaction to Tuesday's loss.Pick: Blue Jackets (-115)Maple Leafs (-130) @ Oilers (+110)It's been a curious start to the season for the Maple Leafs, who don't quite look like their former selves. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as they've been playing strong defensive hockey, but it has come at the expense of their typically high-end offensive production.They've been below average at generating offense at five-on-five, relying instead on a power play that's converting at an absurd 41.7% clip - second-best in the NHL. That mark is due for serious regression, and with a downgrade to their special teams, their pedestrian five-on-five play will be amplified.The Leafs were significantly outplayed at five-on-five by the Oilers in their two meetings in Toronto, controlling just 38% and 41.79% of the expected goal share. It was a similar story in both wins over the Flames. Regression looms for a Toronto team that's managed to steal positive results from negative ratios.Pick: Oilers (+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.

The Chicago Blackhawks inked defenseman Madison Bowey to a two-year deal with an average annual value of $725,000, the team announced Thursday.The contract is a two-way deal in Year 1 and transitions to a one-way deal ahead of the 2021-22 campaign.Bowey, 25, recorded three goals and 17 points while averaging 17:54 of ice time over 53 games with the Detroit Red Wings last season.The Washington Capitals selected the 6-foot-2 rearguard in the second round of the 2013 draft. He's amassed five goals and 39 points over 154 career contests.Bowey will meet the minimum exposure requirements for the expansion draft by playing one more NHL game. The only Blackhawks defenseman eligible for exposure is Connor Murphy, according to CapFriendly.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Columbus Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella made it clear he won't change his approach to coaching star players once Patrik Laine joins the club."I coached (Pierre) Luc (Dubois) like I coach every other player here, like any other player coming here, and like I'm going to coach (Patrik) Laine when he comes in here," Tortorella told Sportsnet in a recent interview. "The best thing I can do for the player is to be honest with him every day."Last Saturday, the Blue Jackets made a blockbuster trade that sent a disgruntled Dubois and a 2022 third-round draft pick to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for Laine and Jack Roslovic.The coach's methods were largely presumed to be why Dubois wanted out of Columbus, who drafted him third overall in 2016. However, the 22-year-old insisted that his former bench boss wasn't the reason for his highly-publicized trade request in the offseason.Tortorella and Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen have both said they wish to know the reason for Dubois' discontent but are now focused on injecting one of the league's most lethal goal scorers into their lineup."We have problems scoring goals. We have the past few years," Tortorella said. "I've had conversations with Patrik, a couple of them yesterday, and he's a very intelligent guy who wants to know who he's playing with and what the power-play setup is."Since entering the NHL in 2016, Laine ranks 10th among all players - and fourth among right-wingers - in goals with 140 in 306 games.Laine currently remains in Canada trying to obtain his U.S. work visa, according to The Athletic's Aaron Portzline.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Welcome to the first edition of theScore's Norris Trophy Power Rankings.Our rankings this season are going to focus more on analytics and defensive acumen rather than points.

The NHL has put itself into a sizeable financial hole to offset the monetary impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.The league has added approximately $1 billion in new debt on the private placement market, Sports Business Journal's Mark J. Burns and Chris Smith report. The NHL will create a central entity with the funds to allow all 31 teams to withdraw as much as $30 million to account for cash-flow problems, payroll concerns, and additional operating expenses.The funds are reportedly secured against future league revenue. The lenders could not be identified, and the NHL declined to comment.A league-wide credit facility already exists, but this is separate from that system, according to Burns and Smith, who added that some teams that have "well-financed" owners aren't likely to take advantage of the opportunity.NHL commissioner Gary Bettman acknowledged earlier this month that the league is expected to lose billions of dollars this season.The NBA took a similar step in December, raising $900 million in debt to dole out $30 million to each of its 30 clubs.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The San Jose Sharks can finally return home.San Jose started the season training and playing in Glendale, Arizona, due to COVID-19 restrictions in Santa Clara County. The ban on contact sports has since been lifted, paving the way for the club to return to the SAP Center.The Sharks have yet to play a home game as they were scheduled to play eight straight road contests to open the season. The team's upcoming two games against the Vegas Golden Knights on Feb. 1 and 3 will still be played in Arizona as previously scheduled."While we are pleased to have received permission for the team to return to Santa Clara County, there are numerous health and safety issues - both from the county and league level - that need to be implemented to ensure the safety of the returning players and staff," the team announced, according to NBC Sports' Brodie Brazil.The Sharks' first game at SAP Center will be on Feb. 13 against the Anaheim Ducks. Due to local restrictions, fans won't be allowed to attend.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Ottawa Senators traded defenseman Christian Jaros to the San Jose Sharks for forward Jack Kopacka and a 2022 seventh-round pick, the team announced Wednesday.Jaros, a fifth-round pick in 2015, has tallied 13 points in 76 career NHL games while averaging 13:32 per contest. He's right-handed and brings significant size at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds.Kopacka has yet to appear in an NHL game. A fourth-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks in 2016, he tallied 15 points in 37 games with the AHL's San Diego Gulls a year ago. The left-winger stands at 6-foot-2 and weighs 199 pounds.The Sharks acquired Kopacka from the Ducks earlier on Wednesday in exchange for defenseman Trevor Carrick.Senators general manager Pierre Dorion and Sharks GM Doug Wilson appear to have a good relationship. The two executives have made four trades with each other, per CapFriendly - most notably the Erik Karlsson blockbuster in 2018.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

In the first edition of theScore's 2021 Vezina Trophy Power Rankings, we get an early look at which netminders have been the toughest to beat so far this season.Since the sample sizes are still quite small, goaltenders must have made a minimum of four starts to be considered. Here are the five puck-stoppers who've stood out the most through the opening two weeks.GAA = Goals against average

Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford resigned from his position, citing personal reasons, the team announced Wednesday.Assistant GM Patrik Allvin will take over responsibilities on an interim basis as the club begins its search for a new executive."It has been a great honor to serve as general manager of the Penguins, and to hang two more Stanley Cup banners at PPG Paints Arena," Rutherford said. "I have so many people to thank, beginning with the owners, Ron Burkle and Mario Lemieux, and team president David Morehouse. There always has been so much support from everyone involved with the Penguins, both on the hockey and business staffs, and, of course, from a special group of players led by Sidney Crosby."The fans here have been tremendous to me and my family. I know it's a little unusual to have this happen during a season, but just felt this was the right time to step away."The sudden departure isn't health-related, Morehouse confirmed. Rutherford's contract expires at the end of the 2021 season, and he'll assess his NHL future this summer, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.He took over as GM in 2014 and led Pittsburgh to back-to-back championships in 2016 and 2017. Rutherford made several major trades during his tenure, acquiring the likes of Phil Kessel, Patric Hornqvist, Jason Zucker, and Patrick Marleau, among others.The 71-year-old also hired current head coach Mike Sullivan, who transformed an uninspired Penguins team falling well short of expectations into Cup champions immediately after his arrival.Pittsburgh owns a 276-154-56 record since Rutherford's hiring. The club ranks fifth in wins, points, and point percentage over that span. The Penguins currently sit fourth in the East Division through seven games.Before joining the Penguins, Rutherford spent 20 years as GM of the Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes, winning the Stanley Cup in 2006.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.