Columbus Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella didn't mince words when discussing the recent trade of his past disgruntled star Pierre-Luc Dubois."Have Luc and I had conflict? Goddamn right we've had conflict," Tortorella said in an interview with Sportsnet's Christine Simpson. "If someone doesn't want to be here, that's a hard thing for me to stomach, quite honestly."He added: "I'll tell you this, I do think the athletes (today), it's a softer athlete. And the benching; I'd do it again."After Tortorella benched Dubois for the majority of what turned out to be his final game with the Blue Jackets early last week, many people speculated that the failing relationship between the two led to the center's trade demand last month.However, after being dealt to the Winnipeg Jets last week, Dubois said Tortorella wasn't the reason for his trade request. Dubois added that he has "nothing but respect for him." The 22-year-old hasn't explained why he demanded a trade.While Tortorella is well aware of his reputation for having a brass nature and tough coaching style, Columbus' bench boss says he pays no attention to it."A lot of people have some perceptions of me that don't have a clue who I am," Tortorella said.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New York Islanders head coach Barry Trotz knows every game in a shortened season counts, and he doesn't like his team's effort so far this year."It's playoff mentality right now and I'm not sure we have our playoff mentality yet," Trotz said postgame on Tuesday, according to The Athletic's Arthur Staple. "And it's pissing me off."The Islanders lost to the Washington Capitals on Tuesday after allowing the game-winning goal with 26.7 seconds left. Washington outplayed New York all game, finishing with a Corsi For of 56.52% at even strength and nine high-danger scoring chances to the Islanders' five.Trotz vowed he'll change the lineup moving forward to try to get something going."We need more. I just felt we had one line," Trotz said, according to NHL.com's Tom Gulitti. "That’s all I felt like I had tonight and that’s a couple games in a row here, so we’re going to shake it up and put some new people in and go from there."After New York won three of its first four games of the season, it's now lost the last two to bring its record to 3-3-0.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The St. Louis Blues are evaluating the market for struggling defenseman Vince Dunn."I'm told that the Blues have engaged with teams (in) conversations about Vince Dunn," TSN's Frank Seravalli reported Tuesday on "Insider Trading."The Blues made Dunn a healthy scratch Tuesday night against the Vegas Golden Knights, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The rearguard has collected one goal and one assist while averaging 16:32 in ice time over the first six games.Dunn signed a one-year, $1.875-million contract Dec. 31. The 24-year-old had been a restricted free agent.He played poorly in Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Kings, as Carl Grundstrom burned Dunn for a goal that Blues head coach Craig Berube lamented postgame."Gotta play better. Can't get walked one-on-one. We'll keep that in-house talking about it," Berube said.Dunn spent his previous three NHL seasons with the Blues, who drafted him 56th overall in 2015.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere was removed from the club's COVID-19 protocol list, the team announced Tuesday.A few hours later, the club confirmed Gostisbehere has been reunited with Ivan Provorov on the blue line, meaning the rearguard nicknamed "Ghost" will make his season debut against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday.Gostibehere ultimately cracked the starting lineup alongside Provorov, his usual defense partner.The 27-year-old previously tested positive for COVID-19 and rejoined the Flyers at practice Monday for the first time since Jan. 8.Gostisbehere is looking to rebound from a down season in which he recorded a career-low 12 points through 42 contests. He was made a healthy scratch early in 2019-2020 and underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in January, which kept him out of the lineup for 14 games down the stretch.He ranks first in points (153) and power-play goals (14) and second in total goals (34) among Flyers blue-liners since the start of the 2016-17 campaign.Philadelphia will hope Gostisbehere can provide a defensive boost, as the Flyers rank 25th in goals against per game (3.50) heading into Tuesday's action.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vegas Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon will take over the club's coaching duties as its staff isolates "out of an abundance of caution," the team announced Tuesday.The news comes hours before the Golden Knights are set to take on the St. Louis Blues at 9 p.m. ET. McCrimmon will be joined by members of the AHL's coaching staff behind the bench.McCrimmon has a lengthy coaching history outside of the NHL. He served as the bench boss of the WHL's Brandon Wheat Kings from 1990-92, 2004-11, and 2013-16. McCrimmon won the WHL Championship in his final campaign with the team.The Golden Knights have won five of their six games this season under head coach Peter DeBoer. It's unclear how long McCrimmon will take over coaching duties.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Chicago Blackhawks head coach Jeremy Colliton said Tuesday that forward Alex DeBrincat and defenseman Adam Boqvist will miss at least two weeks due to COVID-19 protocols, according to team writer Carter Baum.The Blackhawks added both players to the NHL's COVID-19-related absences list Monday.DeBrincat, one of Chicago's best players, has registered two goals and four assists in six games while playing on the team's top line opposite Patrick Kane.Boqvist, the club's eighth overall pick in 2018, has collected three assists over the first six contests. He has averaged 15:59 in ice time and logged time on the Blackhawks' power play that entered Tuesday ranked second in the NHL.Chicago has already been without its top two centers, Jonathan Toews and Kirby Dach, due to an illness and an injury, respectively.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs netminder Jack Campbell will be out "weeks" with a leg injury suffered during the club's 3-2 win over the Calgary Flames on Sunday, head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Michael Hutchinson, who appeared in 15 games for the Maple Leafs last season, will assume backup duties behind Frederik Andersen.Campbell appeared to tweak something in his leg during the final minutes of Sunday's contest, but he remained in the game to record his second victory of the season.A few plays after the injury occurred, Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk accidentally fell on Campbell's leg while attempting to score the tying goal.After receiving some postgame criticism, Tkachuk called it "classic" to accuse him of deliberately trying to injure the Leafs puck-stopper.The Leafs and Flames meet Tuesday night for the second of nine matchups between the sides 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.I still find myself questioning the NHL's schedule-makers, who've made some inexplicable decisions over the past few days.They scheduled just five games on the first Saturday with no NFL football only to play 11 on Championship Sunday. Then we get just one game Monday and two Wednesday, but nearly the entire league is playing Tuesday and Thursday. How hard is it to space things out?At least we can enjoy a busy night tonight. Here are my favorite bets on the board.Penguins (+115) @ Bruins (-135)The Penguins are being valued a bit high here coming off a pair of fortunate wins over the Rangers, in which they controlled less than 45% of the expected goal share at five-on-five. That's not to say Pittsburgh was entirely undeserving, but there was definitely some luck involved in what was essentially a pair of coin-flip games.This is a significant step up in class against a Bruins team that has dominated since opening night despite results just recently starting to follow. Boston ranks second in the NHL in CF% (56.84%) and fourth in xGF% (57.07%) at five-on-five and has been strong on special teams as well. Pittsburgh is a hair under 50% in expected goal share at five-on-five.We get a reasonably short price with the Bruins, who will control play at even strength and require no downgrades for special teams, against a Penguins team that's banged up defensively and weaker in goal.Pick: Bruins (-135)Rangers (-105) @ Sabres (-115)Both teams come into this game below .500 and in need of a boost, yet the perception seems to be that the Sabres have started the season strong while the Rangers are failing to meet expectations. And there is some truth to that, as Buffalo has been dominant at five-on-five.The Sabres rank second in the NHL with a 57.67% share of the expected goals at five-on-five, but they've benefitted greatly from facing a Flyers team ranking last in the NHL in that regard as well as a Capitals team that ranks 25th and was incredibly shorthanded for its most recent two-game set against Buffalo.Conversely, the Rangers have faced stiff competition thus far in the Penguins and Islanders and have impressed since a disastrous first game of the season. In the four contests since then, the Rangers have managed a 55.7% share of the expected goals at five-on-five but won just once. Positive regression is coming for New York offensively, and we're getting a discount tonight with a reactionary line.Pick: Rangers (-105)Sharks (+180) @ Avalanche (-220)I typically don't like these chalky bets, but I'm seeing no reason to be concerned about the Avalanche, and this is a great spot for them offensively. Colorado has been dominating teams as expected, sitting sixth in CF% and seventh in xGF%.The issue with the Avalanche has been, uncharacteristically, finishing their chances. But the floodgates are going to open soon enough, and all signs point to it being tonight against a Sharks team that employs one of the league's worst goaltending tandems. San Jose is allowing the fourth-most goals per 60 minutes at five-on-five and the seventh-most at all strengths. This is a prime get-right spot for Colorado.Pick: Avalanche -1.5 (+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.

One of the best stories so far in the young season is Bobby Ryan being just a goal off the NHL lead with four tallies in five games.The Detroit Red Wings forward believes he wouldn't be off to such a strong start if he was still playing for the Ottawa Senators.“I was thinking about it the other day. Personally, I think the fresh start was welcome. There’s just an excitement that feels different than Ottawa,” Ryan told Ian Mendes on "The Athletic Hockey Show" Podcast.The Senators bought out the final two years of Ryan's contract this offseason - a decision he said came as a "complete shock." The 33-year-old then inked a one-year, $1-million deal with the Red Wings.“I just don’t think I would have the same buzz that I have now about playing the game going back to Ottawa," he said. "There was just too much there in the past. I don’t think it would have translated this way for me there.”Ryan's tenure in Canada's capital was a rocky one on and off the ice. The 2005 No. 2 pick joined the Senators with plenty of promise after averaging 32 goals and 63 points per 82 games over his first five NHL campaigns with the Anaheim Ducks. He averaged just 19 goals and 48 points per 82 games over seven seasons in Ottawa.Ryan also took a leave of absence from the Senators last season to enter the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program to seek help for his struggles with alcohol abuse. He scored a hat trick during his first home game back in the lineup, and Ryan was later named the recipient of the Bill Masterton Trophy for his perseverance.“There is part of me that wanted to go back (to Ottawa) and do it the right way, like I am now. Not only sober, but correctly - as a professional,” Ryan said. “But it’s hard to argue with that ending.”Ryan is the first player in Red Wings history to score four goals in his first three games with the club.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ottawa Senators head coach D.J. Smith isn't happy with some of his players, and he threatened to change the lineup after the Vancouver Canucks routed the club 7-1 on Monday."We got some guys that maybe are taken for granted positions in the NHL and we've got to find the right combination," Smith said following the team's fifth straight loss, according to TSN's Brent Wallace."And we've got to give some other guys some opportunity to see if they want to play a little harder than some of the guys that are playing now," he added.The Canucks didn't need their loaded power play in the win while scoring six of the team's seven goals at even strength and one while shorthanded.Netminder Matt Murray logged his first forgettable start of the season, allowing seven goals for just the second time in his career, and the first since his sophomore campaign in 2016-17.Smith said he thought about pulling Murray in the second period, but the bench boss decided to let his goaltender ride out the tough loss."He’s got to find a way to work through it," Smith said, according to Wallace. "He certainly didn’t have a very good game but, you know what, he’s got to find a way to work through it and battle for us."The Senators fell to 1-4-1 with the loss and are last in the North division. The two sides meet twice more this week, with back-to-back contests Wednesday and Thursday to close out the three-game set.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

In the first edition of theScore's 2021 Calder Trophy Power Rankings, we get an early look at how this season's freshmen are adapting to NHL life.With such a small sample size - and little contributions from the 2020 draft class so far - this list is destined to change drastically.5. Pius Suter, Blackhawks Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images Sport / GettyGPPATOIxGF%6415:0445.25Suter has made an impact early in his career with the Blackhawks. The 24-year-old undrafted center who spent the last five seasons in his native Switzerland is logging first-line minutes alongside future Hall of Famer Patrick Kane, and he bagged the first of his three goals this campaign during an impressive performance versus the Red Wings. Suter's analytic metrics are poor, and his monstrous shooting percentage (20%) is bound to regress, but Chicago has to be pleased with the early returns from an unheralded offseason signing.4. Josh Norris, Senators Jonathan Kozub / National Hockey League / GettyGPPATOIxGF%6416:2057.00Norris' development has been a lengthy project for the Senators, but it's beginning to pay dividends. The 21-year-old didn't receive much attention after being included in the Erik Karlsson trade package from San Jose, and he's quickly established an important role in his first full season in Ottawa. Norris is centering the club's dangerous top line and getting first-unit power-play minutes. The forward is proving he's worthy, too, while ranking third in rookie scoring. Keep an eye on Norris, who could be a dark horse rookie of the year candidate.3. Ty Smith, Devils Jared Silber / National Hockey League / GettyGPPATOIxGF%5615:3137.65Smith has been a bright light on a surprising Devils squad. The 17th pick in the 2018 draft has frequently shown flashes of his brilliant offensive instincts, and he can become a legitimate star with some effort to improve and adapt to defending at the NHL level. If Smith puts his name on the scoresheet in his next contest, he'll become only the second blue-liner in NHL history to open their career with a six-game point streak.2. Alexander Romanov, Canadiens Rich Lam / Getty Images Sport / GettyGPPATOIxGF%6219:0556.65The Canadiens expected big things out of Romanov right away, and he's delivering for the red-hot Habs. Only 21, Romanov plays with poise and a hockey IQ well beyond his years. His versatile style features strong skating, quick puck movement, and physicality. He'll be in tough to win hardware this season without racking up points, but Romanov has been spectacular so far.1. Kirill Kaprizov, Wild Harry How / Getty Images Sport / GettyGPPATOIxGF%6618:4247.93Nearly six years after drafting him, Kaprizov has emerged as everything the Wild had hoped for and more. The former KHL dynamo is leading Minnesota - and all rookies - in scoring while providing a significant spark to a Wild attack that's long been starving for creativity and playmakers. Kaprizov's play during his first stretch of games indicates he may run away with the Calder Trophy after entering the season as a favorite.(Analytics source: Natural Stat Trick)Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The relationship between the Columbus Blue Jackets and supposed franchise star Pierre-Luc Dubois has gone sour, but general manager Jarmo Kekalainen still doesn't know exactly why the 22-year-old wanted out. However, he remains positive the reason had nothing to do with the contract negotiations between the two sides."There was never any problem with the negotiation of this contract, it came to a conclusion very quickly," Kekalainen said Monday on TSN Radio 1050's "Leafs Lunch.""... Once the player and the agent wanted to engage in the talks and we agreed on the length, it was a very easy process. There was nothing about these negotiations, and I wish that Pierre-Luc would tell the truth about why he wanted out. He hasn’t even told me, he hasn’t told his teammates or anybody else. It certainly wasn’t about contract negotiations, I can assure you of that."Shortly after both parties agreed to a two-year, $10 million deal in late December, reports revealed Dubois had requested a trade. While no specific reason was given, there was speculation the Quebec native became unhappy during the negotiations.Dubois hasn't given a specific reason for his demand but recently divulged the move was something he had been thinking about, and his feelings strengthened during the negotiations."It was a process, I was thinking about a long time, it wasn't overnight. It wasn't I just woke up one morning and it was a decision to make. It was something that I thought about," Dubois said to Sportsnet's Ron MacLean."As negotiations were going, obviously you don't take anything personally, but as they go longer and longer, you kind of start to think about stuff and situations."When Kekalainen was asked whether he believed the talks caused Dubois to request a trade, he vehemently denied it."That’s just flat out not true at all, and he knows that, so I don’t know why he would say that or even insinuate something like that because that’s not true," Kekalainen said.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Matthew Tkachuk is well-aware of his reputation around the league, but the Calgary Flames pest denied any notion he intentionally fell on netminder Jack Campbell in the dying moments of Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs."It was just a battle in front ... six-on-five situation just banging away at the puck," Tkachuk told reporters Monday. "I live in that area, I live in that crease area throughout the games, and I'm just digging for a puck and I was battling with Brodes (TJ Brodie) a little bit there and guys started coming in."I just got knocked over and obviously I didn't have any intention of falling into him or anything like that. That's a complete ... it's just a classic thing to try and accuse me of there."Campbell, who had seemingly tweaked something in his lower body just minutes earlier, remained in the game and collected his second victory of the season.Tkachuk, who leads the Flames with three goals in four games this campaign, says he has no problem tuning out the criticism."I get very surprised with some things that come out of other people's mouths these days, but it's a good thing I don't listen to it. I just get asked it from other people," he said. "Thank god I don't go on my phone I guess too much after games or else I'd drive myself crazy."The Leafs and Flames meet again Tuesday for the second of nine matchups between the sides this season.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ottawa Senators rookie Tim Stutzle says he'll return to the lineup Monday against the Vancouver Canucks after missing the club's previous three games with an undisclosed injury, according to TSN's Brent Wallace.Stutzle, 19, has tallied one goal in two games this season after the Senators selected him with the third pick in the 2020 draft.The 6-foot-1 German will start the game on a line with Connor Brown and Chris Tierney, head coach D.J. Smith said, according to TSN 1020.Ottawa has lost four straight contests and sits last in the North division entering Monday's game.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL has suspended former Arizona Coyotes general manager and president of hockey operations John Chayka through Dec. 31, 2021, for conduct detrimental to the league and game, reports TSN's Darren Dreger.The ruling is related to the multiple years left on Chayka's contract and his attempts to terminate the deal, Dreger adds.Chayka and the Coyotes underwent an ugly split in July 2020. The organization said he quit on the team by terminating his contract. Chayka responded by criticizing the club's ownership.Prior to the split, New Jersey Devils owner Josh Harris reportedly approached Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo for permission to speak to Chayka about a job opportunity. The position apparently would've had Chayka overseeing aspects of the other teams in Harris' ownership portfolio, including the Philadelphia 76ers and Crystal Palace FC. Meruelo initially denied the request but eventually allowed it to happen.Meruelo reportedly asked commissioner Gary Bettman to adjudicate the split. Coyotes ownership apparently stated that Chayka's breach of his contract won't allow him to serve as president of hockey operations or general manager of another team in the league for the life of his deal.Chayka became the youngest GM in NHL history when Arizona hired him at age 26 in May 2016. The team failed to make the playoffs in his first three seasons at the helm but qualified for the expanded postseason this past summer.In August, the NHL stripped the Coyotes of their 2020 second-round pick and 2021 first-round pick for violating the league's scouting combine policy of conducting physical testing on draft-eligible players. Chayka was the team's GM when the investigation was launched in January 2020.Prior to joining the Coyotes, Chayka was part of a hockey analytics company called Stathletes.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 2. Roster percentages and position eligibility are courtesy of Yahoo.Add Jesse PuljujarviTeam: Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers placed forward Tyler Ennis on waivers, the team announced Monday.Ennis went pointless in four games to start the season while averaging 9:47 of ice time per contest. His underlying numbers were poor as well as the Oilers controlled just 38% of the shot attempts and 31.3% of the expected goals when Ennis was on the ice at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick.Edmonton acquired Ennis in a deadline deal with the Ottawa Senators last season. He finished the campaign with 16 goals and 37 points in 70 games split between the two clubs.The Edmonton, Alberta native signed a one-year, $1-million contract with the Oilers this past offseason.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Nashville Predators netminder Connor Ingram will be away from the team indefinitely while voluntarily participating in the NHL and National Hockey League Players' Association's joint player assistance program, the league announced Monday.Ingram, 23, appeared in 33 games for the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals in 2019-20, posting a .933 save percentage and a 1.92 goals-against average.Nashville acquired Ingram from the Tampa Bay Lightning for a seventh-round pick in June 2019. The Predators inked him to a three-year, $2.2-million extension last March.The Lightning originally selected the 6-foot-2 puck-stopper in the third round of the 2016 NHL Draft.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL postponed Tuesday's game between the Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning due to COVID-19 protocols, the league announced Monday.Carolina had three games postponed last week. The club currently has five players on the COVID-19 protocol list, and general manager Don Waddell recently confirmed three players tested positive for the virus. One test, however, produced a false positive.The league also released other schedule changes, including new dates for each of the Hurricanes' previously postponed games.*All times ESTGameOriginal dateNew dateTimeHurricanes at PredatorsJan. 19March 28 p.m.Panthers at HurricanesJan. 21Feb. 175 p.m.Panthers at HurricanesJan. 23March 75 p.m.Lightning at HurricanesJan. 26Feb. 227 p.m.Blue Jackets at HurricanesFeb. 16Feb. 157 p.m.Panthers at LightningFeb. 16Feb. 157 p.m.Hurricanes at LightningFeb. 22Feb. 245 p.m.The Florida Panthers, who've already had their schedule interrupted twice by the pandemic, have played only two games so far. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes have played just three.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Washington Capitals have unveiled a new set of third jerseys, the team announced Monday.The color scheme is similar to what the club wore for the 2018 Stadium Series, but the primary logo is a large W like the one Washington sported in the 2015 Winter Classic. WashingtonCaps.comThe central vertex of the W is intended to symbolize the Washington Monument. The three stars represent Maryland, D.C., and Virginia. WashingtonCaps.comWashington will debut the new uniforms Tuesday against the New York Islanders. The Capitals will wear the ensemble seven times this season - once against each divisional opponent.DateOpponentJan. 26vs. IslandersFeb. 7vs. FlyersFeb. 21vs. RangersMarch 25vs. DevilsApril 8vs. BruinsApril 15vs. SabresMay 1vs. PenguinsCopyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Scouting this year's draft-eligible prospects could be difficult since many haven't hit the ice due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the NHL is looking into an interesting solution.The league is exploring the idea of holding a prospect showcase tournament ahead of this year's draft, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston."One thing that has been discussed is a tournament, a series of games, what have you, at some point in the spring, in which those players could play," Johnston said Saturday during Hockey Night in Canada's "Headlines" segment."Obviously you could invite scouts or have them watch from a safe distance through video, but it might be a way to get some eyeballs on these guys, because it's been a tough year on those teenagers, too," he added.Neither the OHL nor the WHL have played games this season, although there are plans for teams in both leagues to begin a condensed schedule later this year. The QMJHL is the lone major junior league in Canada that has played, but it needed to take more than a month-long pause.The NCAA, the USHL, and most overseas leagues have played games this season.The CHL holds an annual top prospects game, but it appears the NHL's potential idea would be to stage more than just one contest.The 2021 NHL Draft is tentatively set for July 23-24.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Former Toronto Maple Leafs captain George Armstrong died at 90 years old, the team announced Sunday.Armstrong, who played all 21 of his NHL seasons with the Maple Leafs, was the team's captain for 12 years and led the club to four Stanley Cups, including the team's most recent championship in 1967."George is part of the very fabric of the Toronto Maple Leaf organization and will be deeply missed," said team president Brendan Shanahan. "A proud yet humble man, he loved being a Maple Leaf but never sought the spotlight even though no player played more games for Toronto or captained the team longer."Always one to celebrate his teammates rather than himself, George couldn't even bring himself to deliver his speech the day he was immortalized on Legends Row."Armstrong is one of 14 Maple Leafs players to have a bronze life-sized statue outside of Scotiabank Arena, known as Legends Row. The organization retired his No. 10, and he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1975.The Skead, Ontario, native ranks first in franchise history with 1,188 games played and fifth in points with 713. Armstrong was one of the first players of Indigenous descent to play professional hockey.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pierre-Luc Dubois hasn't revealed the exact reason why he wanted to be traded from the Columbus Blue Jackets, but he did acknowledge that head coach John Tortorella wasn't a factor in his decision."Before I got drafted to Columbus, I knew what kind of coach he was, and I heard from players that played for him in the past, some when he was in Tampa. I heard from Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis. The consensus I got, and this is my opinion, is he helps guys," Dubois told Sportsnet's Ron MacLean on Saturday."He pushes guys, he motivates guys, he gets guys going. It's hard sometimes to see it when you're 20 or it's in the moment, but all those guys all said the same thing: 'One day when you're older you'll look back at it and you'll remember that he did great things for your career.'""I know for some people it might be (Tortorella) that's the reason, but it's not. He was a hard coach and I can take it, nothing's personal," Dubois added. "I grew up from a dad that coached and he told me if a coach challenges you it's never personal, he just wants what's best for you, and that's how I see Torts - I have nothing but respect for him."Dubois was dealt to the Winnipeg Jets earlier on Saturday in a blockbuster trade for Patrik Laine, Jack Roslovic, and a third-round pick. The 22-year-old made it known in late December he wanted a change of scenery.Dubois was benched for the majority of his last game with the Blue Jackets, finishing with 3:55 minutes of ice time. Despite the tough love from Tortorella, Dubois said he understands the importance of it."He did good things to challenge you and to make you more mature and for you to grow up, and that's something that I know wasn't always easy, but you have to appreciate the honesty and you have to appreciate he was trying to make me a better player, trying to make me a better person," Dubois added.Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen was reportedly planning on being patient in finding a trade partner for Dubois, but the benching made it clear that a deal would have to come sooner than later.It's unclear how long Dubois will need to quarantine before he can make his debut for his new club, as the Canadian government requires people to isolate for 14 days upon arriving in the country. The Jets have asked the government to reduce his quarantine period to seven days, reports Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Carter Hart acknowledged he let his frustration get the best of him Saturday night.The Philadelphia Flyers goaltender repeatedly slammed his stick against his net after allowing six goals on 26 shots in a 6-1 loss to the Boston Bruins.

The Columbus Blue Jackets traded forward Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for forwards Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic, the team announced Saturday.Winnipeg also receives a 2022 third-round draft pick from Columbus and will retain 26% of Laine's $6.75-million cap hit. The 22-year-old is on the final year of his current deal and will become a restricted free agent after this season.Roslovic, who was a restricted free agent, also signed a two-year, $3.8-million deal with the Blue Jackets. The 23-year-old Columbus native, who previously requested a trade, tallied 12 goals and 29 points through 71 games with the Jets last season.Dubois, who played just 3:55 in his final game with Columbus on Thursday, also asked for a trade before the campaign began. The 22-year-old has one goal through five games this season after leading the Blue Jackets with 49 points through 70 games in 2019-20.The deal gives Winnipeg some much-needed depth at center. The club now has Mark Scheifele, Dubois, and veteran Paul Stastny as its top three pivots.The Jets placed Laine on injured reserve with an upper-body injury on Friday, and he hasn't played since the club's season opener on Jan. 13. The Finnish sniper tallied two goals - including the overtime winner - and one assist in that contest.The Blue Jackets have been one of the league's lowest-scoring teams since the start of the 2019-20 campaign, and adding Laine should give the squad a boost in that department. The 6-foot-5 winger ranks ninth in goals (140) among all skaters since entering the league in 2016-17.The young stars were two of the 2016 NHL Draft's most coveted players, with Laine going second overall to Winnipeg and Dubois going third overall to Columbus.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Columbus Blue Jackets and Winnipeg Jets completed a blockbuster trade on Saturday: Pierre-Luc Dubois and a 2022 third-round draft pick are off to Winnipeg in exchange for Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic. The Jets are retaining 26% of Laine's cap hit ($6.75 million) and salary ($7.5 million).Let's take a look at some winners and losers from the intriguing swap:Winner: Pierre-Luc Dubois Elsa / Getty ImagesDubois' wish has been granted … sort of.Disgruntled and pouty in Columbus, Dubois reportedly made it known to Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen during recent contract negotiations that he preferred to play on a bigger stage. Winnipeg is arguably on par with Columbus as far as market sizes go, so even though Dubois forced Kekalainen's hand, he didn't exactly land in Montreal.However, the trade has gifted Dubois something significant: The opportunity to unlock his potential on the offensive side of the puck. After a 14-day quarantine, the 22-year-old center will slide into the Jets' top-six behind Mark Scheifele with at least one of Winnipeg's stud wingers - Kyle Connor, Nik Ehlers, Blake Wheeler - lining up beside him. (For context, Dubois' linemates at 5-on-5 through five games in Columbus had been Oliver Bjorkstrand and Mikhail Grigorenko. He recorded one point in 62:40 of ice time.)That being said, Dubois' reputation has taken a major hit over the past few days. Columbus head coach John Tortorella justifiably benched him for the final 40 minutes of Thursday's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Based on the cringeworthy tape, Dubois seemed to quit on his teammates, essentially using poor play and a lackluster effort as leverage - and it worked.While it remains up to Dubois to repair his image in his new home, the third pick in the 2016 NHL draft should get along nicely with new bench boss Paul Maurice because, well, who doesn't get along with Maurice? Also of note: Dubois' dad, Eric, is an assistant coach for the Jets' AHL affiliate. The familiarity between franchise and player might smooth the transition.Loser: CBJ brass Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesAnother star player has left the Blue Jackets organization.Superstar Artemi Panarin and starting goalie Sergei Bobrovsky told Columbus brass early in 2018-19 that they would not re-sign with the team at the end of the season. Even winning the club's first playoff series couldn't convince them - or in-season pickup Matt Duchene - to change their minds.Practically speaking, Columbus now has a hole at the center position. Recent transgressions aside, Dubois is an attractive long-term piece - a 6-foot-3, two-way guy who skates well and can put up 50-60 points over a full campaign. His breakout performance in the bubbled postseason underlined his already strong case as a building block alongside Seth Jones and Zach Werenski.In other words, losing Dubois sucks, no matter who's coming back the other way. There's certainly no guarantee Laine - a pending restricted free agent - will want to make Columbus his home beyond this truncated season, but there is hope."We're going to try to build a long-term relationship with him," Kekalainen told reporters Saturday afternoon, noting he'd already had preliminary discussions with Laine's camp on an extension. We'll see where that goes over the next few months.Winner: CBJ brass John Russell / Getty ImagesYes, Kekalainen and company are also winners. Let me explain.The GM-coach duo of Kekalainen and Tortorella is about as strong as it gets in the NHL. They support each other unequivocally, which is a rare dynamic in a league that constantly spits out coaches. GMs sometimes side with the player in untenable situations, but that just doesn't happen in Columbus.The culture the Blue Jackets have built is stronger today than it was yesterday. There is no grey area, no second-guessing where the organization stands on so-called star player entitlement. It's a commendable approach for a small-market club. If you're going to have a difficult time attracting star players for typical reasons - the off-ice lifestyle, the spotlight, a tradition of excellence - you might as well double down on the team-orientated brand.Plus, Laine is a generational shooter, and Tortorella desperately needs another goal scorer - maybe two - at his disposal. From a purely hockey standpoint, they have acquired a tantalizing winger with 50-goal potential. And Roslovic, who's from Ohio and signed a two-year deal as part of the trade, helps deepen the forward group. He could be a middle-six center for years to come.There are far worse trade packages. I like what Columbus accomplished.Loser: Patrik Laine Jonathan Kozub / Getty ImagesThere are so many ways to look at Saturday's news from Laine's perspective.You could argue he's a winner: Similar to Dubois, the trade offers Laine - who's also 22 and uber-talented - a clean slate and a sterner coach. He will be Columbus' top offensive dog by a sizeable margin, which is a notable change from being one of many top dogs in Winnipeg. Ice time and usage shouldn't be an issue, and the power play will likely run through his wicked shot.But on the flip side, is Laine capable of being the top dog, the guy who's expected night in and night out to carry the offense? He mainly rode shotgun with the Jets as he tried to round out his two-way game. And who's going to feed him passes? Max Domi? Alex Texier? Mikko Koivu? At first glance, the fit doesn't scream "This is a home run!" like it does for Winnipeg and Dubois.The fact that Columbus is the destination - out of the 30 NHL teams Laine could have conceivably been traded to - makes him a slight loser. Simply put, considering his skill set and trajectory as a player, there are a handful of better scenarios across the league. But, hey, maybe Laine will prove us wrong here.Winner: Lovers of chaos Darcy Finley / Getty ImagesHockey fans, and specifically those who love the transactional side of pro sports, are big winners here. A mid-pandemic blockbuster? Sign. Me. Up.Couple the household names with the uncertain long-term outlooks for both situations, and you have plenty of storylines to follow now and later. Both players wanted out and got their wish but landed in comparable markets (and by the way, Columbus and Winnipeg are objectively awesome hockey cities regardless of size) and on teams that, at the end of the day, are imperfect. Even after the trade, both the Jets and Blue Jackets could easily go on lengthy playoff runs or miss the playoffs entirely.Let's not forget Dubois is also on a short-term deal ($5 million this year and next) and will still be an RFA when his deal's up in 2022. Will Dubois and/or Laine be on the move again sometime before their respective contracts expire, or are these simultaneous changes of scenery the first steps towards both finding a permanent NHL home? Let the pontificating continue.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.

Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen has already had preliminary talks with Patrik Laine's camp about a contract extension, he told The Athletic's Aaron Portzline.Laine, acquired from the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday as part of a blockbuster trade, is playing out the final year of his current contract and will be a restricted free agent this summer. The Blue Jackets hold his rights through the 2022-23 season.Kekalainen indicated he wants Laine in Columbus for the long haul."We're going to try to build a long-term relationship with him," Kekalainen told Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.With Winnipeg retaining a portion of Laine's salary, the Finnish sniper carries a cap hit of only $5 million for Columbus this season. However, as one of the game's most prolific goal-scorers at 22, he'll certainly require a substantial raise - especially on a long-term deal.Columbus projects to have over $25 million in cap space this summer, according to CapFriendly, with veterans Nick Foligno, David Savard, and the injured Brandon Dubinsky coming off the books after this season.Laine's averaged 38 goals per 82 games since entering the league in 2016-17.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen "aggressively pursued" a trade involving his disgruntled forward, Pierre-Luc Dubois, on Friday, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.The Winnipeg Jets are among numerous suitors, and their package would include Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic, Friedman adds. The Calgary Flames and Montreal Canadiens have also expressed interest.Both Laine and Roslovic have requested to be dealt, as has Dubois.Dubois will reportedly be a healthy scratch Saturday when the Blue Jackets face the Tampa Bay Lightning. Columbus head coach John Tortorella benched the 22-year-old for all but about four minutes of an overtime loss to Tampa Bay on Thursday.The skilled center took responsibility for the benching Friday after declining to speak Thursday night.Dubois reportedly expressed a desire to be traded before this season started, signing a two-year contract rather than a longer one earlier this month in order to facilitate his eventual departure.He's in his fourth NHL season and he's spent his whole career with the Blue Jackets, who drafted him third overall in 2016.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois is expected to be a healthy scratch for Saturday's contest against the Tampa Bay Lightning, The Athletic's Aaron Portzline reports.Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen has reportedly been trying to find a trade partner for his star player since the end of December after Dubois made it known he would like a change of scenery.The situation between the two sides took a turn on Thursday when the 22-year-old was benched for the majority of Columbus' game, playing just 3:55 in a 3-2 OT loss vs. the Lightning.After declining to speak to the media postgame, Dubois took ownership for his benching after practice on Friday. He acknowledged he wasn't playing at his usual high level and that he needed to step up his game.Dubois has one goal in five games this season. He has 66 goals and 93 assists in 239 career games.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers won't receive further discipline for his dangerous hit on Montreal Canadiens forward Joel Armia on Thursday, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced Friday."After reviewing all available video, the Department of Player Safety has concluded that there will be no supplemental discipline for this hit as it did not violate the illegal check to the head rule," the video explained.It concluded, "This is a legal, full-body check with an unfortunate end result."The hit occurred toward the end of the third period during the Canucks' 7-3 blowout loss. Myers was assessed a match penalty, and Armia was diagnosed with a concussion.

Brad Marchand isn't happy the Washington Capitals failed to follow the NHL's COVID-19 protocols earlier this week."I think the big thing is, it’s more a respect thing," the Boston Bruins star said Thursday, according to WEEI's Scott McLaughlin. "We all want to be able to play, and there's rules put in place for a reason. They’re not that hard to follow. We all know the consequences of breaking the rules, and we know what the rules are. So they brought that on themselves. We've all been told very heavily what we're allowed to do and what we're not allowed to do, so it is what it is on their side of things."You can easily hurt your team by breaking the rules and potentially getting it and having to quarantine. It's pretty simple to follow the rules. If you get it by chance, it is what it is. It's almost inevitable. But if you’re going to put yourself in a situation, that's on you.”The NHL fined the Capitals $100,000 for "player violations" of the league's COVID-19 mandates Wednesday, citing social interactions between members of the team in close contact and not wearing masks. The league then added Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Ilya Samsonov, and Dmitry Orlov to its COVID protocol-related absences list.Shortly thereafter, the Capitals revealed the players had gathered in a hotel room, and Ovechkin said he regretted doing so. Samsonov tested positive for COVID-19 and immediately went into isolation.All four players entered quarantine and will miss at least the next four games, beginning with Friday night's matchup against the Buffalo Sabres. Coincidentally, Washington's first game after that stretch is a home date with the Bruins on Jan. 30.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Edmonton Oilers forward James Neal has been activated off the injured reserve and is expected to be in the lineup for the club's rematch with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday, the team announced.The 33-year-old was removed from the NHL's COVID-19 protocol list last Friday, and he returned to practice this week.The veteran winger tallied 19 goals and 31 points over 55 games during his first campaign with the Oilers in 2019-20. The Calgary Flames traded him to Edmonton for winger Milan Lucic in July 2019.A consistent goalscorer, Neal was on pace last season to crack the 20-goal mark over an 82-game slate for the 11th time in 12 NHL campaigns.There are two years remaining on his current deal beyond this season at an annual cap hit of $5.75 million.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Joe Thornton will miss at least one month with a rib fracture, while star pivot Auston Matthews is day-to-day with upper-body soreness and won't play Friday against the Edmonton Oilers, head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed, according to NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger.Matthews' absence is said to be precautionary and likely short term.Thornton, 41, exited Wednesday's contest after taking an awkward hit from Oilers forward Josh Archibald in the third period. The Maple Leafs placed him on long-term injured reserve Friday.

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois is taking full responsibility for his recent subpar play that earned him a benching for the final two periods of Thursday's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning."Whenever the next game is, I've got to step up my game," Dubois said Friday, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen. "I acknowledge that. I know it, and I'm ready."The 22-year-old pivot, who requested a trade before the season began, logged just 3:55 of ice time over five shifts in the Blue Jackets' overtime loss.Following the game, head coach John Tortorella didn't mince words when explaining his decision to sit Dubois. On Friday, the 62-year-old bench boss wouldn't commit to putting the young forward into Columbus' lineup for Saturday's rematch with the Lightning, Rosen reports.Dubois is looking to make the most of his next opportunity and admits his game is nowhere near where it needs to be."I hold myself to a high standard," Dubois said, per Rosen. "I know what level I can play at. There's not a lot right now that I am satisfied with. I know I can take a step up in every aspect."The Quebec native tallied 18 goals and a team-leading 49 points through 70 games in 2019-20 but has just one goal in five outings this season.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Nashville Predators will receive an offensive boost against the Dallas Stars on Friday with forward Mikael Granlund set to make his season debut, head coach John Hynes confirmed, according to The Athletic's Adam Vingan.Granlund, 28, joined the Predators at practice for the first time Thursday after arriving from Finland and completing his quarantine requirements this past week.The Predators acquired him from the Minnesota Wild just prior to the 2019 trade deadline. He inked a one-year, $3.75-million deal with Nashville in December.The 5-foot-10 Finn amassed 17 goals and 30 points over 63 games during his first full season with the Predators in 2019-20, adding one assist over four playoff contests.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 had a really nice start to the week, and then things got even better as we swept our Wednesday and Thursday card. This is officially a heater.Let's keep the momentum going this weekend.Rangers (+120) @ Penguins (-140); Jan. 22, 7 p.m. ETThis price is something of a gift with Pittsburgh depleted on the back end and Tristan Jarry confirmed as tonight's starter. The Penguins are without three left-handed defensemen with Mike Matheson, Marcus Pettersson, and Juuso Riikola injured, leaving them in quite a bind early in the season. That's especially concerning given the level of goaltending they've received thus far. Jarry has posted a miserable minus-1.26 GSAA through two starts.Meanwhile, the Rangers have been a force since their disastrous opening night against the Islanders. In the two games since, the Rangers have owned a 59.7% share of the expected goals at five-on-five and an absurd 66.5% share at all strengths. They only have one win to show from those two games, largely due to MacKenzie Blackwood's heroics.Don't expect Jarry to steal the show here, as his confidence will be tested early and often behind a patchwork defense, against a Rangers team that's really hitting its stride early on.Pick: Rangers (+120)Predators (-120) @ Stars (+100); Jan. 22, 8:30 p.m.The only sense I can make of this line is oddsmakers are adjusting for it being the Stars' first game of the season. If so, it's an overcorrection. Dallas shouldn't be 'dogs against the Predators on home ice ever, even accounting for the minimal advantage it brings this season. The Stars haven't played yet, but the extra rest will have been welcomed following a deep playoff run while also affording them the luxury of an extra week of training camp.Maybe I'm a sucker for biting, but the price is too good to pass up. The Predators have been below average at five-on-five through three games, owning just a 46.1% share of expected goals, a bottom-10 mark in the league. The Stars are one of the league's better five-on-five units and a bargain at the current number.Pick: Stars (+100)Senators (+140) @ Jets (-160), Jan. 23, 7 p.m.We're getting a welcome discount on the Senators on Saturday following their 4-1 loss to the Jets in Ottawa on Thursday night. Truthfully, it was just one bad period that killed the Senators in that game, but they were the better team in the first and third, despite trailing 1-0 after 20 minutes. That's five of six periods the Senators have completely outplayed the Jets at five-on-five, yet have just one point to show for it after blowing a late lead in Wednesday's overtime loss.Still, if we learned anything over the back-to-back, Ottawa has no issue playing with the Jets. Winnipeg has struggled as a whole this season since a strong opening game against the Flames, suggesting this team is due for regression if its performance doesn't improve.Add in the fact this is the first game of a back-to-back for the Jets, who are expected to start Laurent Brossoit on Saturday, saving Connor Hellebuyck for Sunday's game against the Oilers, and we're getting a gift of a price here. This is a Senators team due for one against a Jets team they've largely dominated over the last 120 minutes.Pick: Senators (+140)Golden Knights (TBD) @ Coyotes (TBD), Jan. 24, 7 p.m.It's possible I'll be on the Coyotes on Friday and Sunday, but as of now, there's not enough value with Friday's price for me to bite, and I'd rather go against the Knights with Marc-Andre Fleury in net. Vegas has been good about alternating goalies, so the expectation is we see Fleury start Sunday.The Coyotes have won just once through their first four games, ahead of their weekend doubleheader against the Knights, but the numbers show they've been a bit unlucky. They lost on opening night to the Sharks despite controlling 56.5% of the expected goal share and then managed an almost unheard of 69.1% split in their 5-2 loss to Vegas on Wednesday.They're playing good hockey, and it's only a matter of time before results start to follow. Arizona is a bet for me on Sunday night, assuming Fleury and Darcy Kuemper get the respective starts in goal and the line sits at +160 or longer.Pick: Coyotes (+160 or better)(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.

Forward Pierre-Luc Dubois was glued to the bench for the majority of the Columbus Blue Jackets' game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.Dubois didn't see the ice for the final 44:36 minutes of the contest and finished with just 3:55 minutes of ice time on a handful of shifts in the first period. The Blue Jackets lost 3-2 in overtime.Columbus head coach John Tortorella defended his decision to keep one of his top players on the bench for practically the entire game."I really don't make decisions as far as minutes. It's up to the player to show me," Tortorella said postgame, per Fox Sports Columbus. "If there's one thing I'm pretty easy to read on is the minutes. You're going to get out there if you play the proper way. ... The onus is on the player. And it's on all players - not just the player we're talking about here that sat. It's all the players. I'm not a hard guy to read as far as that's concerned."Dubois made it known in late December that he wants to be traded. The former No. 3 pick explained he doesn't want his situation to distract the team, though Tortorella recently said Dubois hasn't given a reason for his request."I've coached Luc like this for a couple years, as far as trying to get him to get some growth in his game and growth as a pro," Tortorella added Thursday. "Nothing changes here. ... I think you're asking the wrong guy. I'm just a coach trying to make it work with a hockey club, trying to find a way to win games. The person that you keep talking to me about, you should ask him."Dubois declined to speak to the media after the contest, according to The Athletic's Aaron Portzline. The 22-year-old has one goal in five games this season.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Colorado Avalanche added another promising youngster to their lineup Thursday when Bowen Byram made his NHL debut against the Los Angeles Kings.Byram, 19, was the first defenseman off the board during the 2019 NHL Draft, going fourth overall to Colorado.The 6-foot-1 blue-liner recently co-captained Team Canada to a silver medal at the world juniors in Edmonton. He contributed one goal and four assists over seven outings in his second year at the event.Byram tallied 14 goals and 52 points in 50 games with the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League in 2019-20. One year prior, he was the WHL's playoff scoring leader with 26 points in 22 games.The British Columbia native joins rearguards Cale Makar, Conor Timmins, and Samuel Girard as promising under-23 talents on Colorado's blue line.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Edmonton Oilers head coach Dave Tippett isn't pleased his team's offensive abilities were questioned after a 3-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night."All I heard all summer was all you guys talking about how we couldn't defend, and now all I hear is, 'You can't score,'" he told reporters Thursday when asked about the club's production at five-on-five."That game (Wednesday) night, it was a tightly checked game," he added. "You had (Connor) McDavid against (Auston) Matthews all night ... there wasn't space for either team."Would we like to score more? Yeah, but the other team has a say in that, just like we had a say in Toronto not scoring. You're always looking for things to improve, but it's almost funny to me how everybody talked all summer about 'Toronto and Edmonton have to defend better,' and then Toronto and Edmonton actually defend well, and now they think it's a bad hockey game. So it just baffles me sometimes hearing what's (being said.)"The Oilers entered Thursday night ranked ninth in the NHL with eight goals in five games at five-on-five. However, they did sit 23rd in the league with 2.6 markers per contest.Edmonton placed 15th in both goals for and goals against per game last season.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Ilya Samsonov, and Dmitry Orlov are in quarantine and will miss at least the next four games, Washington Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette announced Thursday.All four players were on the league's COVID-19 list Wednesday after violating protocols, leading to a $100,000 team fine. The Capitals announced shortly after that the players were interacting in the team hotel outside of club-approved areas.Samsonov, the club's starting goaltender, tested positive and immediately went into isolation, according to Samantha Pell of The Washington Post. Laviolette said Thursday the league conducted contact tracing after discovering the result."We understand why the rules are in place and there's no arguing with that. We want to be compliant. We made a mistake and we need to do a better job," Laviolette said.The Capitals play four games over the next seven days - two versus the Buffalo Sabres and two against the New York Islanders. Washington is in second place in the East Division with a 2-0-2 record, but collecting points with four key players sidelined will be tough.

Buffalo Sabres netminder Linus Ullmark has been absent for the club's last two games, and on Thursday he revealed why.After Monday morning's skate, Ullmark's mother gave him the news that his father passed away in Sweden at the age of 63. The 27-year-old was supposed to start that night but understandably told the Sabres he needed to take some time away."There was no question about it for me, personally," Ullmark said, according to team reporters Brian Duff and Chris Ryndak."I just told them that hockey's not a priority at the time. From there, it was basically just trying to deal with all the emotions that came. I've been kind of holding back."Ullmark, who's spent his entire six-year career in Buffalo, credited his teammates and the entire organization for supporting him through such a difficult time."You never know about these things, how you're going to feel and how you're going to handle it," Ullmark said. "But I feel a lot of gratitude towards the boys, towards the organization, and everyone around it. It's been very supportive ever since they found out so a lot of love to them."We're always speaking that we have two families," he said. "We have a family at home and we have our family in the team. That certainly was one of the confirmers about how I feel and hopefully how they feel about the team."Ullmark plans on practicing with the Sabres Thursday before the club heads to Washington for a pair of matchups with the Capitals on Friday and Sunday.The Swedish puck-stopper made 19 saves in a 2-1 loss to Washington in his only start so far this season.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

St. Louis Blues head coach Craig Berube wasn't impressed with his team's work ethic following a 2-1 shootout loss to the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night."We have a lot of guys that aren't skating and aren't competing hard enough," Berube said in his postgame press conference.The Blues' seven penalties in the contest didn't sit well with the bench boss."Yeah, PK killed off seven penalties, I mean two 5-on-3s. It's ridiculous, the penalties. We can't go to the box that much," he said.St. Louis was arguably the better team at 5-on-5, owning 58% of the shot attempts and 57% of the scoring chances, according to Natural Stat Trick. However, the Sharks produced 66% of the expected goals and outshot the Blues 38-23 at all strengths.The loss dropped St. Louis to 2-1-1 on the season.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal Canadiens forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi is taking full accountability for his costly penalty during Thursday's 6-5 shootout loss to the Vancouver Canucks.Kotkaniemi, 20, was called for unsportsmanlike conduct midway through the second period for expressing his frustration toward the officials after Canucks netminder Braden Holtby tripped him with no penalty called. Vancouver scored on the ensuing man advantage to take a 3-2 lead."It was just a really dumb thing to do for a young guy," Kotkaniemi said, according to The Athletic's Arpon Basu. "That probably cost us a win, possibly cost us a win tonight. For sure we'll learn from that."Head coach Claude Julien is hoping his young center can use Thursday's incident as a stepping stone in his development."There's no doubt that sometimes players get frustrated," Julien said. "He's a young player, and when you're a young player and you take on a ref - he hasn't earned his stripes yet in the NHL, if you will. He has to be more disciplined than that. That's certainly something he can learn, take a lesson from what happened today."Kotkaniemi made up for his blunder by burying his first goal of the season to tie the back-and-forth affair with under 10 minutes to play in regulation. He also added an assist earlier in the game and posted a season-high Corsi For of 69.57%, according to Natural Stat Trick.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs will be without Joe Thornton for the foreseeable future after the veteran forward was hurt in the club's defeat to the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night."It looks like he's definitely going to miss some time," Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said following his team's 3-1 loss, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.Keefe added that more tests are required to determine the extent of the injury, according to TSN's Kristen Shilton.Thornton appeared to jam his wrist while absorbing a hit from Oilers forward Josh Archibald along the boards early in the third period.

The NHL fined the Washington Capitals $100,000 for not adhering to the league's COVID-19 rules.The Capitals committed "player violations of the league’s COVID‑19 protocols which involved social interactions among team members who were in close contact and who were not wearing face coverings."Shortly after fining the team, the NHL added Washington forwards Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov, goaltender Ilya Samsonov, and defenseman Dmitry Orlov to its COVID Protocol-Related Absences list, according to The Washington Post's Samantha Pell.Not long after that, the Capitals provided details."We are disappointed by our players' choice to interact in their hotel room and outside of team-approved areas," the club said in a statement. "We accept the NHL's decision and once again will reiterate the COVID-19 protocols in place to make sure the players are in full compliance moving forward."Ovechkin said in his own statement that he regrets interacting with his teammates in such a manner, pledging to "learn from this experience."Being listed doesn't necessarily mean the players tested positive. A number of scenarios are possible, including mandatory quarantine for symptomatic individuals, being a high-risk close contact, or travel reasons.No other clubs are being probed for flouting the same rules, reports TSN's Darren Dreger.The Capitals are the first team to violate the NHL's COVID-19 protocols this season.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Ottawa Senators and franchise winger Brady Tkachuk aren't prioritizing contract talks in the early stages of the 2021 NHL season."I love it here. I love the people here, love the community," Tkachuk said during his media availability Wednesday, according to TSN. "But ... we haven't really been talking about that and we don't know how the salary cap is going to look for the next couple years. Honestly, I don't think that's the focus right now on both sides."Our only goal right now is to do what we can every single day and make (the) playoffs."Tkachuk's entry-level contract is set to expire after this season. Ottawa drafted him fourth overall in 2018.The 21-year-old, who's quickly evolved into a leader on the up-and-coming Senators, is playing top-line minutes early this season. Tkachuk has registered 92 points and 491 hits in 145 games during his career.Ottawa is projected to have over $34 million in cap space next season, according to CapFriendly. However, the club currently has just 12 players signed.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 started the week hot and would like to keep that momentum rolling into the weekend.The next two days are relatively quiet for the NHL with just 11 games scheduled, but there are still a couple of spots that offer us good value.Here's what we'll be betting:Oilers (+135) @ Maple Leafs (-155); Jan. 20, 7 p.m. ETThe Oilers have had a miserable start to the season, and that's opened up a rare value opportunity to back a team that's typically overpriced in the market. I'm not particularly high on Edmonton this season, but this matchup features two similar squads that are being priced very differently based on small sample sizes.The Oilers never could get things going in a two-game set against a very sound Canadiens team; we saw that coming from a mile away, backing the Habs in both games. Montreal matches up well with Edmonton, consistently ranking among the league's best teams at five-on-five under head coach Claude Julien. The Canadiens have especially excelled at suppressing offense, ranking top 10 in expected goals against in three seasons under Julien. The Maple Leafs have ranked 21st, 27th, and 28th in that category in those three years.Edmonton also struggled mightily on the power play in two games against Montreal, going a combined 0-for-10. This was the league's best unit a year ago, so we have to give it the benefit of the doubt with a sample size too small to make any definitive judgements. The Maple Leafs play a style far more conducive to success for the Oilers, giving up numerous high-danger chances while getting below-average goaltending.This line is a bit too high for my liking, and I don't love the idea of backing a struggling Oilers team I've been down on since before the season started. But at this price, I'll place the bet, close my eyes, and hope for the best.Pick: Oilers (+135)Wild (-130) @ Ducks (+110); Jan. 20, 9:30 p.m.John Gibson stole a 1-0 win on Monday when these teams met for the first time this season, giving the Ducks their first victory of the campaign. The Wild owned 67.56% of the expected goal share in that game, posting a 3.69 xGF to Anaheim's 1.77. Gibson pitched a shutout despite that disparity, saving all 11 high-danger shots he faced.Being thoroughly outplayed has been a common theme for the Ducks early in the season. They've owned just 34.78% of the expected goals share through three games, by far the worst mark in the league; the Jets are second-worst with 40.16%. The Wild, meanwhile, are second-best in that regard with a 58.69% mark, and they top the NHL with a 61.36% rate at five-on-five.This will be another lopsided game. With the balance of play so distorted, I'd make this bet 10 times out of 10 at this price and hope Gibson doesn't steal the show once again. While that's always a possibility, no bet is without risk,Pick: Wild (-130)Flyers (+105) @ Bruins (-125), Jan. 21, 7 p.m.By now, you've heard all about how the Bruins have yet to score a goal at five-on-five this season. You've probably heard people question whether this team has fallen off a cliff or if it can get back on track without David Pastrnak. All of it works in our favor here, as we get Boston at a small discount - smaller than I would have liked, but still sufficient to lock the Bruins in as a bet.You can be certain that positive regression is coming for Boston. The Bruins have run into some excellent goaltending early in the campaign, facing MacKenzie Blackwood twice and Semyon Varlamov once. Those two lead the NHL in goals saved above average through the first week of the season, and it isn't particularly close.Rank Goalie GSAA1MacKenzie Blackwood4.802Semyon Varlamov4.793Juuse Saros3.954Brian Elliott3.165John Gibson2.92Simply put, the Bruins have been stonewalled by a pair of hot goalies. They owned 57.71% of the expected goal share at five-on-five in their season opener against the Devils and a 60.61% mark in Monday's 1-0 loss to the Islanders. Boston's fortunes are going to level out real soon.For the Flyers, however, regression looms large. Philadelphia has enjoyed a 3-1-0 start to the season despite being one of the league's worst teams at five-on-five thus far. The team has been considerably outplayed, owning just 44.42% of the expected goals share. This is a great sell-high moment for Philadelphia and an equally good time to buy low on the Bruins.Pick: Bruins (-125)(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 NHL has halted the Carolina Hurricanes' schedule through at least Jan. 23 with five Hurricanes players on the COVID-19 protocol list, the league announced Wednesday.Carolina's club facilities will be closed until further notice.The Hurricanes had two games against the Florida Panthers scheduled for Thursday and Saturday.The league already postponed Tuesday's game between Carolina and the Nashville Predators due to COVID-19 concerns. Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell confirmed three Carolina players tested positive for COVID-19 but added that one test produced a false positive.This is the second time the Panthers have had their schedule interrupted due to the pandemic. The club was set to open its season with a pair of games against the Dallas Stars, but those contests were postponed after 17 players within the Stars organization tested positive for COVID-19 throughout training camp.Makeup dates for the postponed games are yet to be announced.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Buffalo Sabres head coach Ralph Krueger believes Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov should be disciplined for his collision with goaltender Carter Hutton on Tuesday."If you look at the way the elbow comes extended, you know what you're doing," Krueger said postgame, according to The Athletic's Charlie O'Connor. "It's the fourth game where a player of ours has had a violent hit to the head and hopefully there will be action for this one."It appeared Sabres defenseman Brandon Montour pushed Provorov into Hutton.

It's been 14 months since the Toronto Maple Leafs fired Mike Babcock, and the former head coach has finally opened up regarding an incident that generated headlines following his dismissal.Rumors surfaced days after the firing that Babcock made Mitch Marner rank his teammates by work ethic during Marner's rookie season in 2016-17 and later revealed the list to the team. But Babcock said only parts of that story are true."Yeah, that's not how that happened, actually," Babcock said, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.He continued: "So Mitch was in my office. We were talking about work ethic. I asked him where he ranked on the scale. And that was no problem, that was just a private thing. It was a good meeting, Mitch left. But then I was meeting, I'm pretty sure it was with (Tyler) Bozak, afterward. Bozy was an important part of our team."What I ended up doing - and I made a big-time mistake, I knew as soon as I did it - when we were talking about competing and I said, 'Well, look where Mitch ranks it."'Babcock said he immediately went to find Marner to address the situation."Well, as soon as I did that, and he saw the list, I knew that I had made a major mistake," Babcock said, according to LeBrun. "After the meeting with Bozak, I went right into the dressing room. I grabbed Mitch and said, 'Mitch, this is what I did. I screwed you here.'"He added: "Now, in saying that, though, what I should have done in hindsight, I should have stopped everybody and said, 'This is what I did to Mitch. I screwed him.' Now, he didn't want to make a big deal out of it. But I could have made a lesser deal of it."Marner said in November 2019 that the incident had been surprising, adding he felt lucky his teammates had supported him and hadn't taken the list to heart.Babcock coached the Maple Leafs to a 173-133-45 record over parts of five seasons. The club made the playoffs in three straight campaigns under Babcock but failed to win a postseason series.NBC hired the 57-year-old in a studio role last week.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.