Tuesday was a great night on the ice as we swept the board with all three of our player props.We'll try to replicate that performance with a few more plays for an abnormally juicy Wednesday card.Auston Matthews: Over 4.5 shotsDeath, taxes, and Matthews overs at home. His hit rate for shots is 17% higher when playing in Toronto as opposed to on the road.While the Jets have not been a good team to target for shots this season, the screws appear to be loosening defensively. They have conceded an average of 32.25 shots on goal over the last four games, giving up 35 or more in three of them. The one exception came last time out against the Bruins.The Jets fell behind early in that game, and the Bruins were happy to sit on their lead, squeezing a team that was missing a couple of its best weapons in Mark Scheifele and Gabe Vilardi.The Leafs tend to fight fire with fire, matching the Matthews line against the opposing team's top unit. That means he'll see plenty of the line currently centered by Adam Lowry, a useful player but one who is in far over his head on a first line.The numbers for that unit are down significantly without Scheifele, and I expect that to continue with plenty of ice time against the league's best scorer.Look for the Matthews line to spend a lot of time on the attack in this game, which should naturally lead to plenty of shot volume.Odds: +110 (playable to -125)Ross Colton: Under 2.5 shotsColton is registering three shots or more in only 31% of his games this season and has gone over his total in 14 of 45 appearances. He's averaging 1.9 shots on four attempts per game, which means there isn't much wiggle room for blocked shots or missing the target if he's going to go over.His volume is up slightly over the last 10 games (4.4 attempts per), but that includes an 11-attempt outburst against the Canadiens. Not only are the Habs susceptible to giving up shots, but they take a ton of penalties, and Colton found himself on the top power play due to the absences of Artturi Lehkonen and Valeri Nichushkin.The expectation is that Lehkonen will return to the lineup tonight and bump Colton off the top unit. That lowers his ceiling. So does playing on a line with an extreme shoot-first player like Miles Wood, who often puts the puck on net the moment it comes his way.Given Colton no longer has top power-play responsibilities and plays with a shot hog at even strength, I have a hard time seeing him generate much shot volume against a very low-event Capitals team.Odds: -145 (playable to -160)Jared McCann: Over 2.5 shotsThis is a really nice spot for McCann. The Blackhawks are one of the worst five-on-five teams in the league and spend a ton of time on their heels absorbing pressure, which is probably why McCann has managed to go over his shot total in six of the past eight against Chicago.What I also like about McCann here is the surrounding circumstances. Matty Beniers is sidelined with an injury while Yanni Gourde has a game remaining on his suspension. A healthy bite has been taken out of the Kraken lineup so more will fall on the plate of McCann offensively.McCann hasn't had his best season but still leads the Kraken in goals by six. Due to absences around him, McCann finds himself as the top-line center at even strength and a focal point on the No. 1 power play.Look for McCann to take advantage of an uptick in usage against one of the NHL's bottom-feeders.Odds: -134 (playable to -150)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

This article was written as part of the Professional Hockey Writers Association and To Hockey, With Love Mentorship Program. See the bottom of the article for more on the program.A week before puck drop on the NHL's highly anticipated 2023-24 season - featuring the debut of Connor Bedard against Sidney Crosby - the NHL shared a memo with teams: Players were barred from using Pride Tape on their sticks, on top of the ban already in place on specialty jerseys."That was the No. 1 story," said Kris Wells, the co-founder of Pride Tape, which promotes equality and inclusion in sports.Pride Tape has been involved with the NHL ever since former Oilers defenseman Andrew Ference brought it to the fore after participating in Edmonton's Pride parade years ago. However, after 11 years of solid support between the NHL, Pride Tape, and Ference, things went awry in 2022-23 when multiple players chose not to partake in warmups wearing special jerseys on designated Pride nights.With the ban in place, fans were left wondering: How would players respond?To a man, they mostly didn't, accepting the ban. Except Travis Dermott.Eleven days into the new season, the Arizona Coyotes D-man used a few pieces of Pride Tape near the knob of his stick, sending the league into crisis mode. Three days later, the NHL reversed its Pride Tape ban.For Wells, what was most important about the entire fiasco was the conversation it sparked."We often say that wrapping your stick in Pride Tape is only the first step, right?" Wells explained. "The more important step is hopefully the conversation that it engenders."Impact on community organizationsThe events indeed sparked positive conversations at community organizations like the Steel City Inclusive Softball Association (SCISA) and Queer Hockey Hamilton in Hamilton, Ontario.SCISA is an organization that creates fun and active environments through slow-pitch softball. For adults 18 and older, the organization prides itself on welcoming all gender identities, sexual orientations, and body types.SCISA commissioner Jeff Lindstrom decided to focus on softball because it's a sport that can accommodate any skill set."One thing I found to be unique about the game of softball is that it's uniquely accommodating for people of all skill sets and experience," Lindstrom said.And even though SCISA isn't directly involved with Pride Tape, Lindstrom emphasizes the importance of Pride Tape to him and his organization."Any of the visual supports of solidarity that make it onto TV screens - onto the big field in front of spectators - really have a lot of power," Lindstrom said. "That's where most eyes are when it comes to mainstream media, when it comes to mainstream sporting events, when it comes to ticketed events."SCISA started in the summer of 2021 and has seen growth ever since its inaugural season.Jenelle Lewis, co-founder of Queer Hockey Hamilton, echoes Lindstrom's point about visibility."It's very important to show the support for that community when they haven't been so welcomed within the hockey community," Lewis said.Queer Hockey Hamilton is an organization that's creating an open and welcoming space, as Lewis puts it, "for people to come without fear of the changeroom, without fear of slurs being used on the ice."Queer Hockey Hamilton is in its first season of play and hosted its first exhibition game in the fall of 2023.Many members of Queer Hockey Hamilton use Pride Tape. In fact, so do a lot of SCISA members."There's lots of other rainbow accessories that people will use," Lindstrom said. "Just being comfortable having that on your equipment and being visible matters."The future of Pride TapeAfter a whirlwind 2023, many have wondered what Pride Tape's future is.Will it continue with the status quo and provide NHL teams with Pride Tape? Will it expand to other sports?"If there are athletes out there or teams or leagues that want to get involved, we're more than happy to partner with them," Wells said.For an organization that's made so many strides since its debut eight years ago, it's in no rush to expand to other sports. In fact, Wells points out a common misconception: Pride Tape isn't about profit."Pride Tape is actually not a business at all," Wells pointed out. "Some people believe we were this massive company, but we're just a small grassroots collective, right? Nobody gets paid."Queer Hockey Hamilton's Lewis can't wait for what comes next. "I would like to see it used during a game," she said.Like Toronto Metropolitan University's women's hockey team did during its Pride game."That's great!" Lewis said cheerfully upon learning the TMU news. "That visibility there is even more important, in my opinion."For Pride Tape, the impact has been enormous - globally with the NHL and in communities like Hamilton, thanks to Queer Hockey Hamilton and SCISA. The effect has been felt in and outside of sport."Pride Tape is now on people's garden tools. It's on their walkers and their canes," Wells marveled. "It's on their water bottles. It's used in physiotherapy clinics. It's on golf clubs and racquetball and dodgeball, and you name it. It's really expanded because, again, it is such a simple yet powerful way to signal you're an ally, right? That you believe in LGBTQ inclusion and human rights."This article was written by Michael Pagani, who's part of the Professional Hockey Writers Association and To Hockey, With Love Mentorship Program. The program pairs aspiring writers with established members of the association across North America to create opportunities for marginalized people who aren't traditionally published on larger platforms covering hockey. To Hockey, With Love is a weekly newsletter covering a range of topics in hockey, from the scandals of the week to critical analysis of the sport.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ottawa Senators defenseman Jakob Chychrun was blunt when addressing his name coming up in recent trade rumors."I think it's ridiculous, if I'm being honest," Chychrun told The Athletic's Ian Mendes on Tuesday. "I went through it in Arizona and that was a different situation. But to see it now is a bit ridiculous. And I don't think it's based off anything."Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch reported last Thursday that Senators general manager Steve Staios has listened to teams interested in the 25-year-old blue-liner."It's people shooting blind darts at a board and hoping they hit," Chychrun added. "People have a right to say what they want, but to act like they have their sources is a joke. And people like to get their clicks on social media. If they have to use my name to do it, go ahead. But I'm not going to let it affect me."Chychrun was traded to the Senators last March after being the subject of trade rumors for a prolonged period with the Arizona Coyotes. Ottawa sent a first-round pick and two second-round picks to the Coyotes in the deal.Despite his feelings about the recent speculation, Chychrun admitted the NHL is "a crazy business and anything can happen."In 54 total games with the Senators, Chychrun has accumulated nine goals and 32 points. He's signed through the 2024-25 season at a $4.6-million cap hit and is set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2025, but he said he isn't looking for a change of scenery."I feel at home here," Chychrun said. "I bought a house and it's five minutes from my sister and 10 minutes from my grandpa. ... I've just been cherishing my time here because not everybody gets that opportunity to play in front of family and loved ones."Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Philadelphia Flyers granted goaltender Carter Hart an indefinite leave of absence for personal reasons, the team announced Tuesday.The club won't comment further on the matter at this time.Hart owns a 12-9-3 record this season to go along with a .906 save percentage and 2.80 goals against average.The Flyers sit second in the Metropolitan Division after going 25-16-6 through the first half of the campaign.Philadelphia selected Hart in the second round of the 2016 NHL Draft. He owns a career .906 save percentage and 2.94 goals against average across 227 contests.Hart's 96 wins since his debut in the 2018-19 campaign are the 18th most among all goalies over that span.He last played Saturday against the Colorado Avalanche. He was pulled after surrendering five goals on 15 shots en route to a 7-4 defeat.The 25-year-old can become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights at the end of this season. Hart is currently playing out the final campaign of a three-year pact with a $3.979-million cap hit.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

When betting on hockey and its randomness, rationalizing can result in placing a well-thought-out bet that loses since most games are decided by one goal in a league where 21.4% of the games go to overtime. But putting rationale on paper can also result in talking yourself out of an underdog that wins because it's tough to make a case for the worse team.For example, we backed the Sharks to beat the Kings on Monday. But think about what went into pulling the trigger on San Jose. Los Angeles had to come into that game with a 2-10 record in its last 12 contests. We then needed an underdog payout of +300 to take the risk, even though the team had just won a game on Saturday. We'd never predict that result outright, but a "Yes/No" prediction is a binary result, worth "1" or "0," whereas a Sharks' win won "3" after risking "1".There are other times where making a case on a big underdog isn't easy. Recent winning pups like the Blackhawks (+205) over the Islanders, the Canadiens (+185) over the Avalanche, and the Ducks (+312) over the Panthers, came out of nowhere. The only reason to have played on the underdog would be because the price was a little too high on the favorite. But those matchups didn't provide a favorite that was struggling mightily, and even if the moneyline was listed as valuable, it was hard to make a case.The cheat sheetThe dirty little secret in the betting world is that, while there are no bad bets at the right price, the discovery process of what a good price looks like is hidden.Each week, we balance market information from regular-season point totals and in-season advanced metrics - with an even-strength focus - to determine the win probability for each team and the moneyline needed to bet on either side. The idea is to remove the cognitive bias of win-loss records, which can be skewed by outliers like special-team results, poor goaltending performances, and other unreliable events.You can use whatever parameters you like to decide how much of an edge you need to trigger a bet, but here are mine:

Todd McLellan thinks it's high time that center Pierre-Luc Dubois makes a substantial impact on the Los Angeles Kings."At the end of the day, whether PL gets four minutes or gets 24 minutes, he has to be a difference-maker," the bench boss said after Monday's 4-3 shootout loss to the San Jose Sharks, per Hockey Royalty's Russell Morgan. "And with or without the puck, we've gone through this long enough. It's time."Dubois is in his first season in Los Angeles after forcing a trade out of Winnipeg this past offseason. The Kings acquired his services from the Jets in a sign-and-trade that sent forwards Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari, and a 2024 second-round pick north of the border.Prior to the swap, the Jets inked Dubois to an eight-year extension with an average annual value of $8.5 million. That cap hit will make the 25-year-old the highest-paid forward on the Kings next season, when captain Anze Kopitar's two-year, $14-million pact kicks in.However, Dubois and the Kings have hardly been a match made in heaven.L.A.'s flashy addition has mustered just nine goals and 19 points in 44 games while averaging under 16 minutes of ice time. He is also a minus-13 on a Kings squad that boasts a plus-25 goal differential, and he ranks last on the team in both goals above replacement (minus-5.4) and wins above replacement (minus-0.9), per Evolving Hockey.Dubois is on pace for just 35 points, which would be a new career low, excluding the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 campaign. He's frequently fallen out of favor in the top six, and McLellan has at times demoted him to the fourth line.The Kings enjoyed a hot start to the campaign, going 20-7-4 through late December. However, Los Angeles picked up just two wins in its last 13 games in an uninspiring skid that featured an eight-game losing streak. As a result, the red-hot Edmonton Oilers have usurped the Kings for third place in the Pacific Division.Despite L.A.'s suddenly precarious playoff positioning, general manager Rob Blake said Thursday he isn't considering a coaching change."Our philosophy here for the past three, four years is on the structure and the system and the design and the buy-in of the players, and (McLellan has) gotten that from the players," he said, per The Athletic's Eric Stephens. "I'm going to rely on the players and the leadership to get us out of that."Dubois and the Kings' next chance to get things back on track will come Wednesday against the Buffalo Sabres.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Pittsburgh Penguins ended up on the highlight reel for all the wrong reasons after allowing a disastrous own goal to the Arizona Coyotes during Monday's 5-2 defeat.Lars Eller, who could only watch helplessly from the bench as his teammates scored on the wrong net, offered a blunt assessment of the gaffe."Shit happens," he said, per Pittsburgh Hockey Now's Dan Kingerski.The blunder occurred with the Coyotes on a delayed penalty early in the third period and Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry on the bench to give his team an extra attacker. Workhorse defenseman Kris Letang controlled the puck in Pittsburgh's zone when he chucked a pass behind him to Evgeni Malkin. The veteran forward couldn't corral the puck and inadvertently directed it into the net.The result was a two-goal lead for the Coyotes and, ultimately, a second-straight loss for the Penguins.

There are nine games scheduled for a busy Tuesday night in the NHL. Although the slate is lacking when it comes to marquee matchups, there is plenty of value on the betting board.Let's take a closer look at a couple of sides that stand out.Stars (-145) @ Red Wings (+125)The Red Wings have won a lot of games of late, but they aren't necessarily playing well, particularly at five-on-five. They have controlled just 42.67% of the expected goal share in January, faring worse than all but the Blues and Canadiens.The team has also struggled to create chances, generating only 1.89 expected goals per 60 minutes. That's the worst mark in the NHL.Detroit has nonetheless managed to score goals at a fairly healthy clip because of an 11.37% conversion rate. The Wings do have a couple of high-end offensive players, but that kind of clip is not sustainable.If they don't drastically improve their underlying process, things are going to get ugly in a hurry when the shooting luck dries up.A date with the Stars is an obvious spot for that to happen.Jake Oettinger is likely to return to the crease following a short absence with the flu. He isn't enjoying his best season, but his game is heading in the right direction and he's allowed only one goal in two of his past three contests.The Stars are also a stable defensive team, even without Miro Heiskanen. Youngster Thomas Harley has handled himself nicely while taking on a bigger workload and helped ensure the Stars don't miss a beat.Dallas has more high-end talent and a better underlying profile. So long as Oettinger shows no signs of rust after a weekend illness and gives the Stars a respectable performance, they should be able to cool off a Wings team whose recent success appears to be smoke and mirrors.Bet: Stars (-145)Rangers (-340) @ Sharks (+270)The Sharks love losing by multiple goals. Of their last 14 losses, 11 were by at least two goals. When they lose, they often lose big.This is a prime spot for that to happen again. The Sharks played a taxing game against the Kings on Monday night. They played a full 65 minutes, conceded 47 shots, and spent a lot of time on their heels chasing the puck around in the defensive zone.Now they have to take on the Metro Division-leading Rangers with a quick turnaround. And they have to do it without their best goaltender.Kaapo Kahkonen (+5.3 goals saved above expectation) played on Monday night, meaning the Sharks will turn to Mackenzie Blackwood (-1.6 GSAE) in this one. Blackwood owns a .894 save percentage and has won just six of 27 starts. For reference, Kahkonen has won six of 19.Kahkonen has very clearly outplayed Blackwood under the same set of circumstances. Not having him available against the Rangers is a problem.The Rangers have one of the league's best five-on-five lines in Artemi Panarin's unit and the league's second-best power play by conversion rate. They are tough for opposing defenses and goaltenders to deal with.Coming off one of their worst stretches of the season, in which they won only four of 10 games, the Rangers will no doubt be looking to get back on track and flex their muscles in the most advantageous matchup they will come across.Bet: Rangers -1.5 (-130)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @ToddCordell.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New Jersey Devils and general manager Tom Fitzgerald agreed to a multi-year extension, the team announced Tuesday.Fitzgerald was also promoted to president of hockey operations while retaining his role as GM."This organization has come a long way, and I realize that there is even more work to do as we establish ourselves as consistent contenders and take another big step," Fitzgerald said. "I'm excited by those challenges and look to bring the Stanley Cup back for the fans of New Jersey. I also want to thank our incredible hockey operations management team and my supportive family who have put me in this position today."The Devils brought Fitzgerald into the organization in 2015. He took over for Ray Shero as interim GM in 2020, then earned the full-time position later that year.Fitzgerald has made several notable moves since taking control in New Jersey, signing Dougie Hamilton, trading for Timo Meier, and working out team-friendly extensions for Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt.The Devils set a franchise record with 112 points last season and qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2018. Injuries and trouble between the pipes are holding New Jersey back in 2023-24, but the Metropolitan Division club is only two points back of a wild-card spot with games in hand.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We have a busy nine-game slate ahead of us on Tuesday night, which means there is no shortage of value to comb through.Let's take a closer look at a few of my favorite player props.Alex DeBrincat: Over 2.5 shotsDeBrincat has some of the most extreme home splits you will see. He has registered at least three shots on goal in 17 of 23 games on home ice, good for a whopping 74% success rate. That number drops to 43% when playing on the road.He was recently taken off the top line and power play, but it may prove to be beneficial, as Dylan Larkin is a high-volume shooter who matches up against the stiffest competition on a nightly basis.Getting DeBrincat away from Larkin means there's more puck to go around. It will also help him avoid Dallas' new-look top line of Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz, and Wyatt Johnston, which has completely dominated teams thus far.He should instead see plenty of the second line featuring Matt Duchene and Tyler Seguin. They are talented but much more susceptible to conceding shots and scoring chances.Look for DeBrincat to make the most of his cushy usage at home.Odds: -134 (playable to -150)Cole Caufield: Over 3.5 shotsCaufield enters this game firing on all cylinders. He has scored a goal in five consecutive games and, despite being a player who is normally matchup-dependent, registered at least four shots against top-tier teams like the Oilers and Bruins.Now Caufield finds himself in a great spot at home against a bottom-feeding Senators team. Caufield has fared much better in Montreal this season, posting a hit rate 13% higher than on the road.He has also routinely feasted against teams on the outside of a playoff spot. The Senators certainly qualify, as they sit 29th in the NHL and have struggled mightily on the defensive side of the puck.Caufield faced the Senators a couple of games ago and registered four shots on nine attempts. That is very strong volume, especially considering the game was on the road and Montreal couldn't control matchups.With Caufield red hot, and at home against a weak defensive team, the stars are aligning for another strong offensive performance.Odds: -110 (playable to -135)Artemi Panarin: Over 3.5 shotsThis one is pretty cut and dry. Panarin has averaged four shots per game this season on a hair under eight attempts. He consistently generates strong volume and often gets the job done, no matter the opponent.It just so happens that Panarin has the juiciest matchup he could ask for against the basement-dwelling Sharks, who have bled shots all season long and rank dead last in shot suppression on the year. They will have a miserable time slowing Panarin down, be it at even strength or on the power play.Fatigue could be a factor as well. The Sharks played a high-event overtime game against the Kings on Monday night and now have a quick turnaround against one of the league's better teams.This is also an important game for New York, who stumbled a bit of late, winning just four of its last 10 games. Its lead atop the Metro Division is shrinking, so the team can't afford to take the Sharks lightly and squander this opportunity.I expect the Rangers to pile up the shots from start to finish with Panarin at the forefront of the action.Odds: -118 (playable to -130)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy wasn't impressed with his club's performance against the New Jersey Devils on Monday."We basically played a beer league game out there," Cassidy said postgame. "We thought it was preseason, I guess."The Golden Knights overcame an early 3-1 deficit but then coughed up a 5-3 lead to ultimately lose the rollercoaster affair 6-5 in overtime."We didn't defend to our structure or principals at all," Cassidy continued. "The plays we made, right up to the last goal, were careless, disrespectful to the game. At the end of the day, we lose. And it's what we deserve if we're going to play like that."The normally stingy Golden Knights allow 2.85 expected goals against per 60 minutes on the season, the sixth-best mark in the NHL, per Natural Stat Trick. However, the Devils were credited with 3.66 expected goals in the contest.The defending Stanley Cup champions also rank seventh in the league in goals allowed per game (2.72) and held their opponents to three goals or less in seven straight games entering Monday's outing.Cassidy specifically called out the blue-liners."At the end of the day, we have a veteran D core, and they were not good tonight as a group," he said. "Jersey will make you pay if you're not good there."The Devils boast a dangerous offense that ranks eighth in the NHL with 3.47 goals per game, but Cassidy reiterated that this type of performance is inexcusable by his standards."Tonight was not something that should be acceptable," he said.Vegas has a chance to rebound on Tuesday against the Patrick Roy-led New York Islanders.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Edmonton Oilers forward Corey Perry believes he's in the proper frame of mind to return to the ice after receiving help in the wake of the Chicago Blackhawks terminating his contract."Over the last two months, I've really had a chance to reflect, get the help, and take full responsibility for what happened in Chicago, and try to better myself," Perry told media at a press conference Monday, including TSN. "Those are the things I've been working on; I've been working on with people in the mental health field and in different fields."It's been a long time to get back to this spot, to be back on that ice with players in the NHL. I have to thank my family, my friends, all the support I've gotten, (and) the support from my counselors. I'm just trying to better myself each and every day. From where I was two months ago to where I am today, it's been a world of difference with the help I've gotten."Perry hasn't played a game since Nov. 19. The Blackhawks terminated his contract on Nov. 30 following an internal investigation, citing inappropriate conduct.Details of Chicago's probe remain unclear. Perry declined to answer Monday whether he'll appeal his contract termination.The Oilers made Perry's contract official Monday, inking the 38-year-old to a prorated agreement for the remainder of the 2023-24 season. Perry reportedly met with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman earlier in January and was eligible to sign anywhere, as the league didn't bar him from playing.Oilers general manager Ken Holland admitted he's been pursuing Perry since the Anaheim Ducks bought out the veteran's contract in 2019. Perry went on to play for the Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Blackhawks before landing in Edmonton."I think he's the type of player that everyone wants on their team," Holland said Monday, according to The Athletic's Daniel Nugent-Bowman.Perry recorded nine points in 16 games with the Blackhawks this season. He has 421 career goals and a wealth of playoff experience across a 19-year career, including 124 points in 196 postseason games.The Oilers are aiming to get Perry in the lineup for Saturday's clash against the Nashville Predators. Edmonton is riding a 13-game winning streak.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New York Rangers forward Vincent Trocheck and Winnipeg Jets sniper Kyle Connor will replace the injured Jack Eichel and Connor Bedard at next month's All-Star Weekend, the league announced Monday.Trocheck last appeared at the All-Star Game in 2017. He'll now be joining goaltender Igor Shesterkin as the Big Apple's representatives at the festivities. Trocheck is currently tied with Mika Zibanejad for the second-most points (44) and third-most goals (15) on the Rangers across 46 contests. He's on pace for around 78 points, which would be a new career high.Connor, meanwhile, is also in line for his second All-Star appearance after representing the Jets in 2022. The 27-year-old leads Winnipeg with 18 goals in 28 outings this campaign. Connor missed 16 contests with a knee injury, but he appeared no worse for wear after scoring a goal in his return. Winnipeg now has three representatives with Connor in the mix, alongside netminder Connor Hellebuyck and head coach Rick Bowness.Eichel has been out of action since suffering a lower-body injury Jan. 11. The Vegas Golden Knights center is considered week-to-week after he underwent surgery to address the ailment a few days later.Bedard hasn't played since fracturing his jaw Jan. 5. The Chicago Blackhawks rookie was given a six-to-eight-week recovery timeline after getting surgery.As it stands now, neither Vegas nor Chicago will have a player participating in the All-Star Game.All-Star Weekend kicks off Feb. 1 in Toronto.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Senators had one of the best games they played all season during Hockey Day in Canada only to suffer an overtime loss to the Jets. The Maple Leafs outshot the league-leading Canucks 46-21 but fell short in the third in Vancouver. South of the border, the Penguins coughed up a 2-0 lead in the third period in Vegas despite having a 62% expected goal share at even strength.As it sometimes goes in betting, the results didn't fall in our favor despite sticking to the correct process. Luckily, we have a six-game slate Monday night to get back on track.The cheat sheetIf you're thinking about betting any game on the slate, here's a look at the price you should be hoping to get on the moneyline for a valuable bet.GAMEWIN PROB. (%)PRICE TO BETWPG@BOS44.8/55.2WPG +145/BOS -118VGK@NJD44.7/55.3VGK +146/NJD -119FLA@NSH52.3/47.7FLA +101/NSH +121PIT@ARI53.9/46.1PIT -112/ARI +138CHI@VAN25.1/74.9CHI +373/VAN -283SJS@LAK30.2/69.8SJS +282/LAK -221Best bets for Jan. 22Golden Knights (+105) @ Devils (-125)By the letter of the law in our cheat sheet, there's no value in betting on either side in this matchup. However, to take you into the kitchen, my projected win probabilities for this game are to be taken with a pinch of salt.When you remove one key player, you can make an educated guess about what that star means to a team's chances of winning. When you take more than one out, it gets dicier. When both teams are missing important parts, it's like making jambalaya without the meat and spices.For Vegas, Shea Theodore, Jack Eichel, William Karlsson, and William Carrier are still out, and Logan Thompson is still holding it down without a viable backup. Meanwhile, the Devils have been trying to stay afloat without Dougie Hamilton, Jack Hughes, and Ondrej Palat. So, no one knows if one team has an unaccounted-for advantage.The Golden Knights, though, are going on the road for the second time in 11 games. As a general rule, support players perform better at home than on the road. Therefore, Vegas is potentially overvalued in New Jersey as the Golden Knights come into the contest with a rating steadied by success at home.Pick: Devils (-125)Sharks (+300) @ Kings (-380)We'll take a shot on a huge underdog over concern about the Kings. We didn't mention winning with Los Angeles on Saturday night because it's not nearly as cathartic as commiserating over losses, and the Kings' win over the Rangers wasn't all that inspiring.L.A. avoided its 11th loss in 12 games, mercifully converting two of only five high-danger chances (HDC) at even strength while earning just one power play. Five HDCs and one power play isn't the recipe for winning in the NHL. So, we won't assume the Kings are back in good form, making -380 too expensive of a price to pay for a side that's just 8-13 on the moneyline at home this season.This leaves the Sharks, valuable at +282 or longer. The best we can say about them is they won against the Ducks on Saturday. Six of San Jose's 10 previous victories have come from separate two-game winning streaks. So, given the Kings' struggles, we can take a chance with another long shot.Pick: Sharks (+300)Matt Russell is the lead betting analyst for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on social media @mrussauthentic.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Carson Soucy finds himself on the sidelines yet again.The Vancouver Canucks defenseman is expected to miss five-to-six weeks with a hand injury, head coach Rick Tocchet announced Monday, according to Postmedia's Ben Kuzma.Vancouver recalled defenseman Mark Friedman and forward Linus Karlsson from the AHL.Soucy missed the third period of Saturday's 6-4 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs after blocking a shot.The injury marks his second lengthy absence of the campaign. Soucy previously missed 23 games due to a lower-body ailment, returning to the lineup on Jan. 6 against the New Jersey Devils. He suited up for just eight contests before suffering his latest injury.The 29-year-old is in his first season as a Canuck. He signed a three-year, $9.75-million deal with Vancouver as an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and has been key to the team's much-improved penalty kill.Soucy has chipped in with two goals and six points in 21 games so far this campaign while averaging 17:25 minutes of ice time per contest. When healthy, he's spent the bulk of his time on a pair with Tyler Myers.The Canucks have just three games remaining before the All-Star break, starting with a clash against the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday.Vancouver currently leads the league with a 31-11-4 record.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Patrice Bergeron says there's no truth to recent rumors about him coming out of retirement for a late-season reunion with the Boston Bruins."No, it is not happening," Bergeron said, per The Canadian Press. "I'm not making a comeback, not trying to make a comeback."Bergeron was recently spotted skating in the Boston area, but the 38-year-old insists the on-ice sessions are for leisure with friends and fellow NHL alumni."Come to our skates ... the rumors would go away pretty quickly." Bergeron joked. "It's a slow pace."Bergeron retired in July after 19 seasons with the Bruins. He built a Hall of Fame career in Boston, notching 1,040 points in 1,294 games to go with a Stanley Cup in 2011 and an NHL-record six Selke Trophies as the league's top defensive forward.The Bruins were expected to take a step back after Bergeron retired, but the reigning Presidents' Trophy winners currently lead the Eastern Conference with 65 points."Very proud," Bergeron said. "I'm not surprised, if I'm being completely honest. I knew they would be more than fine. So much talent and experience and leadership and character in that locker room."Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The red-hot Edmonton Oilers added some grit and playoff pedigree to their roster, officially signing free-agent winger Corey Perry to a one-year contract on Monday.The deal carries a cap hit of $775,000 and he can earn up to $325,000 in performance bonuses.

The Patrick Roy era on Long Island got off to a great start: His club skated to a 3-2 overtime victory over the Dallas Stars in the Hall of Fame goalie's debut as head coach on Sunday.New York appointed Roy to succeed Lane Lambert in a stunning move on Saturday. Roy hadn't been on an NHL bench since 2016 and spoke about how happy he is to be involved in the league again."I love it," Roy said after the victory, per Sportsnet's Eric Engels. "I might be repeating myself, but I have so much respect for this game. This game has been so good to me, and I'm very thankful and really appreciate this opportunity."I mean, the support that (general manager) Lou (Lamoriello) gives me and the involvement that he has, and the coaching staff - I could not ask for any better situation at this period of my life. Yeah, it would be easy to stay home and play golf and enjoy life, but this is what makes me feel I'm alive, and I really enjoy it."Islanders forward Bo Horvat, who sealed the win with a breakaway goal in overtime, said he and his teammates wanted to start on the right foot for Roy."Everybody wanted to get that win not only for ourselves but for our coach," he said, per SNY TV.Horvat also joked about the difference in energy with Roy in charge."Somebody has got to throw a Fitbit on him or something, track his steps. He was great back there and I was just happy we got that win for him."Sunday's win brought New York to 51 points on the year, four back of the Carolina Hurricanes for third spot in the Metropolitan Division with an extra game played.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ryan Reaves hasn't been in the team's lineup since suffering a knee injury on Dec. 14, but the veteran enforcer insists he's been healthy enough to play for a while."Yeah, I've been ready for a couple weeks now," Reaves told Sportsnet's Luke Fox.Reaves remains on the Leafs' injured reserve list, per CapFriendly, and the string of scratches has been difficult for him."I mean, it's not fun," the 37-year-old said. "Nobody likes watching hockey when your team's going out to battle. I definitely hate it. But there's nothing really more I can do. I don't know exactly what the situation is or what's going to happen. I guess just stay patient and find out."This summer, the Leafs signed Reaves, who was a free agent, to a three-year contract worth $ 1.35 million annually. But he's proven to be a liability: At five-on-five with Reaves on the ice, the Leafs have been outscored 13-2 and own 37.1% of the expected goals, per Natural Stat Trick. He's recorded just one point and two fights in 21 games while averaging 7:20 per contest."I talked to my agents. I mean, I've been through this before. I've had highs and lows in my career before. I'd say probably this is one of the tougher ones. I guess just... it is what it is," Reaves said. "You can only control what you can control. I don't make the lineup, and I don't have any control over the roster."So, I can't really sit here and speculate and bitch and moan over anything. Either stay patient to get in the lineup - or stay patient for whatever else is going to come."Reaves was traded from the Rangers to the Minnesota Wild last season after being a frequent scratch in New York.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Calgary Flames forward Dillon Dube has been granted an indefinite leave of absence to focus on his mental health, the team announced Sunday.

The Edmonton Oilers defeated the Calgary Flames 3-1 in Saturday's Battle of Alberta for their 13th consecutive victory, setting a new NHL record for the longest win streak by a Canadian team.The benchmark was previously held by the 1967-68 Montreal Canadiens. The Oilers' current run matches the seventh-longest in league history and is the longest by any Western Conference team.The all-time record belongs to the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins, who won 17 straight.Edmonton set a franchise record with its 10th consecutive victory last week. The Oilers are now 23-6-0 since Kris Knoblauch took over for Jay Woodcroft as head coach on Nov. 12.Ryan McLeod and Sam Gagner scored Saturday before Zach Hyman iced the win with an empty-netter. Goaltender Stuart Skinner, who entered the contest 18-4-0 with a .920 save percentage since Edmonton's coaching change, stifled the Flames with a 26-save performance.The Oilers are now six points back of the Vegas Golden Knights for second spot in the Pacific Division with four games in hand.Edmonton's next chance to extend its streak comes Tuesday against the 28th-place Columbus Blue Jackets.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Florida Panthers forward William Lockwood has been suspended three games for goalie interference on Minnesota Wild veteran Marc-Andre Fleury, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced Saturday.The incident occurred in the first period of Friday's clash. Fleury later left the game and was unable to return due to an upper-body injury.

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes and forward J.T. Miller were the final two participants voted into the NHL All-Star Skills Competition, the league announced Saturday.Hughes and Miller join 10 previously selected participants that will compete for the $1-million prize on Feb. 2. Here are all 12 players involved in the skills portion of All-Star Weekend:PlayerPositionTeamDavid PastrnakForwardBoston BruinsNathan MacKinnonFColorado AvalancheCale MakarDefensemanAvalancheLeon DraisaitlFEdmonton OilersConnor McDavidFOilersJack HughesFNew Jersey DevilsNikita KucherovFTampa Bay LightningAuston MatthewsFToronto Maple LeafsWilliam NylanderFMaple LeafsElias PetterssonFVancouver CanucksJ.T. MillerFCanucksQuinn HughesDCanucksNow that Hughes and Miller were voted in, the Vancouver Canucks lead the way with three participants.Each player will compete in four of the first six events: Fastest skater, hardest shot, stick handling, one-timers, passing challenge, and accuracy shooting.From there, the top eight point-earners advance to the seventh round, where players will choose which goaltender to shoot against in a shootout.The final round features the top six point-earners in an obstacle course, where points will be doubled. The player with the most points after all eight rounds wins the $1-million prize.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Islanders dismissed bench boss Lane Lambert and tabbed Patrick Roy as his replacement, the club announced Saturday."Patrick Roy was the only person I was interested in," Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello said, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. "That's why he's here today."The Isles' performance was a reason for the change, Lamoriello explained. "That fine line was crossed," he said, according to Newsday's Andrew Gross. "This was the time to do this.""I felt that the inconsistency that has been going on for some period of time was not going to end," the executive added, according to The Hockey News' Stefen Rosner.Lamoriello noted that the rest of New York's coaching staff will remain.Roy was the Colorado Avalanche's head coach from 2014-16 in his only NHL stint as a bench boss. He won the Jack Adams Award as Coach of the Year in his first campaign with the Avalanche, guiding them to a 52-22-8 regular-season record.Colorado was bounced in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs that year, losing to the wild card Minnesota Wild in a seven-game series.The Avalanche failed to make the postseason the following two seasons, leading to Roy's resignation in August 2016.Roy was most recently the head coach and general manager of the QMJHL's Quebec Remparts from 2018-23. The 58-year-old resigned from the position after winning the Memorial Cup last spring."One of my objectives will be to bring some consistency to their game," Roy said, per Gross. The next head coach added: "Zero interest in management. And that's the first thing I told Lou."As a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame as a player, Roy is regarded as one the best goaltenders of all time. He lifted four Stanley Cups as a netminder, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP on three occasions. Roy also won the Vezina Trophy three times and was named a year-end All-Star in six seasons.Roy reflected on his previous NHL tenure in June, admitting that he made "some bad choices" with the Avalanche and that the way he left the team made it harder to get a subsequent NHL gig.Lambert was named the Islanders' head coach in May 2022 after spending time as the team's associate coach under Barry Trotz. The former had a 61-46-20 record as the Isles' bench boss but lost in the first round of the playoffs in his only full season.The New York job was his first as an NHL head coach. Previously, the 59-year-old was an assistant coach with the Nashville Predators and Washington Capitals, both under Trotz. He won the Stanley Cup with the Capitals in 2018 before following Trotz to Long Island, where he remained until his dismissal.The Islanders have lost four straight and six of their last seven.Lambert is the fifth head coach to be fired this season, joining Jay Woodcroft (Edmonton), Dean Evason (Minnesota), Craig Berube (St. Louis), and D.J. Smith (Ottawa).The Islanders rank sixth in the Metropolitan Division with a 19-15-11 record. New York is coming off a 4-3 overtime loss against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday and takes on the Dallas Stars on Sunday.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury sustained an upper-body injury in the team's 6-4 win against the Florida Panthers on Friday.Fleury exited in the second period after the Wild scored their fourth power-play goal. The Panthers pulled Sergei Bobrovsky at the same time.

Goalie Linus Ullmark will start for the Boston Bruins against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night after missing the last four games due to injury, head coach Jim Montgomery confirmed.Ullmark is 13-5-2 with a .915 save percentage in 21 contests this season. He suffered the injury in an overtime loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Jan. 9. Jeremy Swayman entered the game in relief and allowed a goal on the first shot he faced in the extra frame.Ullmark posted a .938 save percentage en route to winning the Vezina Trophy in 2022-23.The Bruins are also getting defensemen Brandon Carlo and Derek Forbort and forward Matt Poitras back in the lineup Saturday.Swayman was excellent in the four games Ullmark missed. The Alaskan netminder went 3-0-1 with a .937 save percentage, allowing only seven goals on 111 shots.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

All seven Canadian teams are in action as those north of the border celebrate the game of hockey approximately 7% more than they do on a daily basis. "Hockey Day in Canada" honors those who wake up early or stay up late for ice time and parents who strap skates to kids' feet who haven't yet mastered walking.For others, specifically bettors, not much changes. Saturdays in the winter are always busy picking out percentage points of value among an extensive card.The cheat sheetIf you're thinking about betting any game on the slate, here's a look at the price you should be hoping to get on the moneyline for a valuable bet.GAMEWIN PROB. (%)PRICE TO BETTBL@BUF45.2/54.8TBL +143/BUF -116COL@PHI54.4/45.6COL -115/PHI +141NSH@ARI50.3/49.7NSH +109/ARI +112WPG@OTT47.5/52.5WPG +122/OTT +100MTL@BOS36.8/63.2MTL +205/BOS -164TOR@VAN50.9/49.1TOR +106/VAN +115DAL@NJD56.6/43.4DAL -125/NJD +154WSH@STL46.9/53.1WSH +133/STL -109PIT@VGK58.4/41.6PIT -135/VGK +166ANA@SJS48.7/51.3ANA +116/SJS +105EDM@CGY53.6/46.4EDM -111/CGY +136NYR@LAK43.2/56.8NYR +155/LAK -126Best bets for Jan. 20Jets (-145) @ Senators (+125)We'll start with an upset to begin the day. The Jets are the better team, and the metrics since changing coaches don't look good for the Senators. But that's reflected in the odds.The Jets haven't played since Tuesday and open a road trip in Ottawa, with the club heading to Toronto and Boston next. A Saturday afternoon puck drop might be a sleepy spot for Winnipeg. But just because it's HDIC, it doesn't mean the start time is unfamiliar for the Sens. They regularly host Saturday matinees and have a disproportionate number of their wins coming from the time slot. With a 52.7% xG share at home, the best chance for a surprise comes early Saturday, a stone's throw from Canada's capital.Pick: Senators (+125)Maple Leafs (+110) @ Canucks (-130)Betting the Canucks as massive underdogs over the Maple Leafs had been a good bet for years. However, the tables have turned. Toronto is a rare underdog in Vancouver as TV interests bump up the start time by three hours, and eastern transplants get to see their dad's favorite team live.The sky has been falling back east, but the Leafs are dangerous. Toronto has a better high-danger chance percentage at even strength than the league-leading Canucks, and it ranks fifth in that category since the Christmas break. Despite ultimately losing, third-period leads over the Avalanche and Oilers in recent games are still objectively positive signs. At an underdog price, it's worth betting that Auston Matthews, and the Leafs' other stars, take advantage of whatever chances Vancouver gives up, having calmed the naysayers ever so slightly after his hat trick in a comeback win in Calgary.Pick: Maple Leafs (+110)Penguins (-120) @ Golden Knights (+100)The Golden Knights have won back-to-back games. Mark Stone's hat-trick heroics pushed his club over the Predators in that first contest. And despite generating only a handful of even-strength high-danger chances in the second game, Vegas scored three goals to topple the Rangers. However, the Golden Knights are still missing key pieces, and the market seems to think that's no longer a big deal.With Sidney Crosby making a run at the most goals he's scored since 2009-10 - his lone 50-goal season - the veteran-laden Penguins appear ready to make a playoff push. Pittsburgh ranks fourth in the league in even-strength xG% and high-danger chances since Christmas. Two overtime losses against good teams - Vancouver and Carolina - have kept the Penguins under the radar, but, at the moment, they're the better team in this matchup.Pick: Penguins (-120)Rangers (+105) @ Kings (-125)Timing is everything. We thought the Rangers might not be playing well enough to warrant big favorite odds earlier in the week against Seattle, but New York took advantage of the wounded Kraken. The Rangers couldn't do the same Thursday in Vegas, a sign they've got more issues than meet the eye.Speaking of which, the Kings are amid a cratering of their own, going 1-10 in their last 11 games. That record wouldn't look as bad had L.A. done better in two categories: overtime/shootouts (0-4) and converting even-strength high-danger chances.The Kings converted just eight of 118 high-danger chances at even strength since the Christmas break. Only the Blackhawks, Sharks, Blues, and Sabres have scored fewer than that, but none generated as many as 100 high-danger chances. Los Angeles' season will turn around if it keeps getting opportunities (sixth-most since Dec. 25). Ideally, that starts Saturday night.Pick: Kings (-125)Sunday cheat sheetWith six games on the board, here are the moneylines to target if you're looking to bet them on Sunday.GAMEWIN PROB. (%)PRICE TO BETOTT@PHI46.8/53.2OTT +134/PHI -109MIN@CAR40.6/59.4MIN +173/CAR -140TBL@DET44.7/55.3TBL +146/DET -119DAL@NYI43.2/56.8DAL +155/NYI -126NYR@ANA56.6/43.4NYR -125/ANA +154TOR@SEA44.4/55.6TOR +148/SEA -120Matt Russell is the lead betting analyst for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on social media @mrussauthentic.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

When Laura Stacey was growing up, rarely a family dinner went by when there wasn't a story shared about her great-grandfather and Maple Leafs legend King Clancy."One of the bigger stories that everybody talks about is how he was traded from Ottawa to Toronto thanks to a horse," she says. "That was how they won enough money in order to get him to come to Toronto. That's something we always joke about. Thank goodness the horse won because that's what allowed us to be Leafs."King Clancy during his playing career with the Toronto Maple Leafs Bob Olsen / Toronto Star / Getty ImagesClancy won three Stanley Cups over his 16-season NHL playing career - two with Ottawa and one with Toronto. He won another three as part of the Maple Leafs coaching staff. Clancy is considered one of the best puck-moving defensemen of all time, retiring with 283 career points - a record among blue-liners at that time. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1958 and his No. 7 hangs in the rafters at Scotiabank Arena as one of the Leafs' honored numbers.Following his retirement, Clancy became an NHL referee for 11 years before spending three seasons behind the Leafs bench. He served in various capacities in the Leafs' front office, earning another four Stanley Cups as the assistant general manager and eventually becoming the team's goodwill ambassador until his death in 1986. In his honor, the King Clancy Memorial Trophy is awarded annually by the NHL to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities and has made significant contributions to their community.King Clancy, then vice-president of the Toronto Maple Leafs, temporarily took over coaching duties in 1972 when Leafs coach Johnny McLellan went to hospital for a series of tests Bob Olsen / Toronto Star / Getty ImagesThe love of the game ran in the family. From the time Stacey was 7 years old and saw the Canadian women take home gold at the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, hockey had the same hold on her that it did on her great-grandfather."It just took up a lot of my heart and a lot of my passion," she says.Even though there were limited professional options for women to play hockey, Stacey set her sights on achieving what she considered the height of the sport's success: Olympic gold. She made her Olympic debut at the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, where she took home silver before following that up four years later in Beijing with four goals and two assists on her way to a gold medal.Laura Stacey with her gold medal after the women's gold-medal game against the U.S. at the 2022 Winter Olympics Bruce Bennett / Getty ImagesIn 2023 she signed with the PWHL's Montreal team as one of the inaugural players. theScore recently caught up with Stacey to reflect on her hockey journey and family legacy in the sport.This interview has been edited for length and clarity.theScore: You recently found your great-grandfather's hockey card. How did that happen?Stacey: eBay reached out to me because they had gotten into certified hockey cards and they messaged me saying that they had some of my great-grandfather. I was pretty excited about it. I thought it was awesome to see. I wear his number and he's a big part of our family. I had never actually seen his hockey card before. So to get that sent in the mail, and I have it at my house now, it's pretty cool to see. It's pretty rare. I never really expected that to happen. Just being able to have that little piece of history and his legacy is pretty amazing to me.There must have been a lot of his memorabilia around when you were growing up.All of the females in the family have a little gold puck necklace that he gave his daughters and his wife when they won the Stanley Cup. It's a little piece of jewelry to remember that moment and it's been passed down in our family. I actually now have a gold puck necklace as well.Growing up, what was the family mythology around your great-grandfather?Oh, everybody talks about him. I think our whole family's really big Leafs fans, in big part due to him. Every time we go to the arena and see his banner hanging it just brings back all those stories. I never got to meet him. But a lot of stories were shared about him and his legacy, his career as a hockey player, and also as a person. He had an amazing hockey career, but the way he did it, his giving back to charity, and his leadership throughout the Leafs organization, I think really hit home with me.He obviously didn't make a crazy amount of money at that time in the NHL, but every Christmas he would go around and give a little bit of his salary to all the janitors and every person who was a piece of Maple Leaf Gardens. What stuck out to me is that he did want to give back so much.Did you think you were going to be playing professional hockey like him one day?I think for sure, there was that thought of like, 'How come I can't do what he got to do?' Or, 'How come I couldn't have that as my career?' But to be honest, I was so excited to chase my dream of playing for the national team that I was going to do whatever I could to get there.So I think that I was never disappointed because I was always so excited about the opportunity to potentially play for my country.When I was a kid, I only saw women's hockey at the Olympics on TV, in 2002. That was the first spark where I went, "Whoa, I want to be on that team, I want to play for Canada, I want to represent my country. I want to be an Olympian." But I never saw anything else (as it relates to women's hockey). I think that was really my only dream, to be one of 23 who made the Canadian Olympic team.Laura Stacey races to the puck against Sidney Moran of the U.S. in the first period of the women's gold-medal game at the 2018 Winter Olympics Harry How / Getty ImagesI don't think I really ever had my eyes set on playing professionally. I love the Toronto Maple Leafs. I always said, 'Oh, I wish I could play for them.' But I kind of knew it wasn't really a reality. I think a lot of girls will still dream of playing at the Olympics. I think that's still obviously the pinnacle of our sport. But I think (the PWHL) just allows so many more kids and young girls to dream because now it's not just 23 Canadians, it could be up to 150 or 200, or whatever the case may be when those kids grow up. So I think (the PWHL) just allows so many more kids and young girls to dream because there's way more spots available.Now, it's not just, 'Hey, we go to college, and we either make the Olympic team or we don't.' It's now, 'I have a chance to play pro, and maybe still chase that other dream of representing my country.'Throughout college when I hadn't quite made that senior team yet, it was, 'OK, what's next? Do I just get a real job? Give up the dream if I haven't made it yet? Or do I keep pushing and going after it?' Luckily, there was that CWHL to fall back on still to at least push me a couple more years. But now I can only imagine how much it's going to help people when they graduate from college. Now it's like, 'Hey, I still want to make that senior team. Now I have the chance to get even better playing professionally in this league as well.'Montreal's Laura Stacey scuffles with New York forward Emma Woods during their PWHL game on Jan. 16 Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesYour great-grandfather was in the early days of men's professional hockey. You're in the early days of women's professional hockey. Do you ever draw that parallel?He was a part of the Original Six and played hockey when it wasn't really a thing. The salaries weren't huge, and it was just for the love of the game. That's exactly what we're doing with the PWHL. Obviously, it's getting bigger and better and it's growing. And I can't wait to see what it is when I'm no longer competing.Jolene Latimer is a features writer at theScore.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A blistering first half to the campaign hasn't changed Elias Pettersson's desire to wait until the offseason to sign a new contract.Pettersson first made his intentions clear to table contract talks in August and was asked about it again Friday after president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford signed a three-year extension."Wait until end of the year," Pettersson said, per NHL.com's Kevin Woodley.Pettersson is due for restricted free agency this summer upon the expiration of the three-year, $22.05-million bridge deal he signed in 2021. He's expected to get a significant raise, as he currently sits sixth in league scoring with 59 points through 45 games.Rutherford remains confident a deal will get done when the time is right."We can wait. I'll say the obvious, we keep saying it over and over: We really want him to stay," he said, according to Sportsnet. "He's a very special player. He's very important to the Canucks. He's very important to the city."He can't walk at the end of the season, and that (is) the position we've taken. We've taken that position very comfortably, so there's not anybody getting anxious here."The Canucks are projected to have over $30 million in cap space over the offseason, according to CapFriendly, but only have 12 players signed for the 2024-25 campaign. Pettersson's linemate, J.T. Miller, is currently Vancouver's highest-paid player at $8 million annually.Pettersson has racked up 382 points in 370 games with the Canucks since being drafted fifth overall in 2017.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL Department of Player Safety suspended Seattle Kraken forward Yanni Gourde two games on Friday for charging Edmonton Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm.Gourde, who delivered the hit on Ekholm with 3:34 remaining in the third period of Thursday's game, was assessed a five-minute major on the play.

The Washington Capitals signed forward Aliaksei Protas to a five-year extension carrying an average annual value of $3.375 million, the team announced Friday."Aliaksei is a young and talented player, and we are excited to sign him to a long-term contract," general manager Brian MacLellan said in a statement. "He has taken great strides in his professional career, and we expect him to continue to improve and play a pivotal and impactful role on this team for many years to come."Protas is in his third season with the club since being drafted 91st overall in 2019 and was scheduled to become a restricted free agent this summer.The 23-year-old has appeared in 42 games this season and has set career highs in points (18) and average ice time (13:02).Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The San Jose Sharks will have captain Logan Couture back in their lineup for the first time this season when they take on the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday, head coach David Quinn announced, according to NBC Sports' Sheng Peng.Couture has been sidelined by a lower-body injury, but the specifics of the ailment have been kept under wraps. He was initially ruled week-to-week in September with the hopes that he'd be ready for San Jose's season opener, but he ended up missing the Sharks' first 45 games of the campaign.The 34-year-old told reporters in December that he feared his career was over as a result of his injury."That was the toughest part, the unknown," Couture explained. "The waking up one day and feeling good, then waking up the next day and feeling really crappy. Just not knowing there was no light at the end of the tunnel. There was no timeline set, just kind of a week-by-week, day-by-day thing."Here's how the Sharks looked at practice on Friday:

The Vancouver Canucks inked president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford to a three-year contract extension, club owner Francesco Aquilini confirmed Friday.Rutherford oversaw the reshaping of a roster that has greatly exceeded expectations this season. The Canucks weren't a lock to make the playoffs coming into the campaign, but they now sit atop the Pacific Division at 30-11-4.Though Rutherford and the organization took heat for how they handled ex-head coach Bruce Boudreau last season, Rutherford and general manager Patrik Allvin tabbed Rick Tocchet to replace him. Rutherford, Tocchet, and Allvin all worked together with the Pittsburgh Penguins.Alongside Allvin, Rutherford made several moves that eventually helped Vancouver turn things around in 2023-24.The longtime executive and former NHL goaltender joined the Canucks in December 2021 after resigning from his previous post as the Penguins' general manager.Rutherford was at the helm in March when Vancouver acquired defenseman Filip Hronek and a fourth-round pick from the Detroit Red Wings for a conditional first-rounder and a second-round selection. Hronek is now a fixture on the club's top pairing alongside Quinn Hughes, and the Czech blue-liner ranks second on the team behind Hughes in average ice time at 23:36.In December, the Canucks further bolstered their back end by landing Nikita Zadorov from the Calgary Flames for a 2026 third-round pick and a fifth-rounder this year.Rutherford signed off on Vancouver re-upping skilled forward J.T. Miller on a seven-year extension in September 2022. He did so after drawing some criticism for choosing not to trade Miller at the previous deadline. Miller ranks among the NHL's scoring leaders this season with 20 goals and 41 assists in 45 games.He also helped Vancouver correct the mistake of the Oliver Ekman-Larsson trade that the previous regime led by Jim Benning consummated with the Arizona Coyotes in July 2021. Rutherford and the Canucks bought out Ekman-Larsson's contract this past June, giving the club added financial flexibility.Rutherford also significantly expanded the number of staff on the club's management team and brought in the first two female executives in franchise history, assistant GMs Emilie Castonguay and Cammi Granato.Rutherford, who'll turn 75 on Feb. 17, constructed the Penguins clubs that won the Stanley Cup in 2016 and 2017. He also did so with the Carolina Hurricanes squad that won it all in 2006.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Ottawa Senators signed restricted free-agent forward Shane Pinto to a one-year deal with an average annual value of $775,000, the team announced Friday.Pinto has been unable to play this season while serving a 41-game suspension for violating the NHL's gambling policies. He is eligible to return Sunday against the Philadelphia Flyers.Ottawa appears to be working on signing Pinto to a long-term pact, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.If Pinto's new pact goes into effect on Sunday, he will earn a prorated salary of just under $360,000 for the remainder of the campaign, according to CapFriendly.Pinto is the first player in the league's modern era to be suspended for gambling. Details surrounding the reasoning for his ban are scarce, but no evidence was found to suggest that Pinto bet on NHL games.The 23-year-old began skating with the Senators last week and told the media he was "caught off guard" by his half-season suspension, though he hopes his experience can serve as a cautionary tale for other players.Pinto put up 20 goals and 35 points in 82 games last campaign. He was limited to five contests in 2021-22 due to a shoulder injury. Ottawa selected him in the second round of the 2019 NHL Draft.The Senators were expected to take a step this season, but they've wildly fallen short of expectations. They sit in last place of the Atlantic Division with a 16-24-0 record and are 19 points out of a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

To best understand the Winnipeg Jets' unexpected rise to the top of the NHL standings, it's helpful to look back - all the way back to Dec. 22, 2022.That night in Boston, Winnipeg scored twice in the first eight minutes. The Bruins picked away at the deficit in the second period before taking the lead midway through the third. The 3-2 win was a masterclass in not panicking."Boston just stayed with their game. They didn't get out of sorts. They stayed composed. Then they ended up beating us," Jets defenseman Dylan DeMelo recalled in an interview this week. "That was an eye-opener for me." Jonathan Kozub / Getty ImagesThat seemingly random year-old loss to the Bruins is relevant to DeMelo and the 2023-24 Jets because Winnipeg now feels like it can relate to Boston."If we're down two goals, three goals halfway through the game, we're comfortable. We can continue to play our game. We believe it'll work, it'll pay off. We believe that we're a tough team to beat when we're playing to our strengths," said 30-year-old DeMelo, who's in his fourth season with the club.The Jets woke up Friday with the best points percentage in the NHL - .721. They sit second in goal differential - plus-44. They have a 21-1-1 record when leading after two periods because they've outscored the opposition 58-33 in the third. They've allowed three goals or fewer in an incredible 33 consecutive games. (The modern-era record, set by the 2014-15 Wild, is 35).Winnipeg really limits the total number of shots against (fifth in the NHL), as well as the number of shots from the slot (third) and inner slot (sixth). In short, the Jets are elite defensively, and they also happen to be a top-10 offensive squad. Minas Panagiotakis / Getty ImagesThose are some wild results this deep into the season, considering the consensus preseason expectation was basically "will battle for a playoff spot." There was no guarantee the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade would be a net positive.A few of the high-level driving forces behind Winnipeg's success, according to DeMelo: fantastic goaltending, strong showings from new guys Gabe Vilardi and Alex Iafallo, and the prevalence of two-way players throughout the lineup.Most importantly in DeMelo's eyes, the players have fully adjusted to second-year coach Rick Bowness' defensive style after such a long stretch with Paul Maurice behind the bench."First line, second line, third line, fourth line - everybody's looking the same when we don't have the puck," DeMelo said. "Everybody's buying into the structure of how we want to play in the offensive zone, how we want to be aggressive on the forecheck. Our neutral-zone and defensive-zone work has been really, really good, too. Everything's been really tight.""Sometimes," he added, "it takes time. Sometimes you're used to playing a certain way for X amount of years. It takes time to get out of those old habits."No safety net, no problem for Dobson Mike Stobe / Getty ImagesBarring injury to one of his peers, Noah Dobson won't be flying to Toronto in a couple of weeks to partake in All-Star Weekend. On one hand, that's a shame; if votes were due today, Dobson would likely earn his first Norris Trophy finalist nod. On the other hand, that's fine; the dude needs some damn rest.Only Montreal's Mike Matheson has logged more total ice time this season than Dobson, who's up to 1,134 minutes through 44 games. What Dobson has accomplished in those minutes is the truly impressive part. Just past the halfway mark, the Islanders blue-liner might be the most improved skater in the entire league."He looks like a completely different player to me this year," said Thomas Hickey, who covers the Islanders as a studio analyst for MSG Networks.Dobson, who's bagged six goals and added 37 assists, has consistently found ways to turn defense into offense. For instance, the 6-foot-4, 200-pounder will use his long wingspan to break up the opposing attack with a stick check, before pushing play the other way. He's leveled up his confidence and poise with the puck while displaying greater escapability in transition.Hickey, a member of the Isles' defense corps from 2012-22, got to know Dobson during the 2020 bubble playoffs. Dobson, the 12th pick in the 2018 draft, is by no means an overnight success. However, the player Hickey sees this season has returned to "the instinctual hockey he played in junior." Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesImpressively, Dobson's driving results "without much of a safety net."While Dobson and partner Alexander Romanov have appeared in every Isles game, regulars Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock, Scott Mayfield, and Sebastian Aho have been in and out of the lineup, missing a combined 66 games.The Isles have scored 3.18 goals and allowed 1.90 goals per 60 minutes when Dobson's been on the ice at five-on-five. Dobson, who turned 24 earlier this month, ranks second among New York skaters in both statistical categories."Noah understands the way top forwards think because he has really good offensive instincts," Hickey said. "He knows when they're going to cheat. He can make the forward think he's going to reverse the puck on a breakout, and when the guy bites, he's got open ice and can skate the puck out himself."Colorado's Cale Makar is a singular talent in many ways, but this version of Dobson looks an awful lot like a poor man's Makar: shoots right, skates smoothly, handles heavy minutes, defends well, walks the blue line with ease, turns defense into offense, outsmarts attackers, and puts up points."I like that," Hickey said. "To say that he's a 'poor man's Makar' is fair."Colorado's ice-time conundrum Kevin Sousa / Getty ImagesLast week, Toronto's Sheldon Keefe gushed over the five-man unit of Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Jonathan Drouin, Devon Toews, and Makar."The caliber of play, that's not the NHL. That's another league, right?" Keefe, the Maple Leafs coach, told reporters following a 5-3 loss to the Avalanche.Keefe wasn't blowing smoke with those flattering remarks. The Avs' top four players - Drouin's more of a complementary piece - are terrifyingly good, individually and as a unit. They're all in their primes. They're made for the modern game. They're Stanley Cup champions. Surely, given how much he relies on his top guys, Avs coach Jared Bednar wouldn't disagree with Keefe.Rantanen's currently skating for 23:16 a night, which is first among NHL forwards. MacKinnon's 23:07 is second. Valeri Nichushkin's 21:49 is fourth. (Nichushkin is on indefinite leave after entering the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program on Monday.) Makar's 24:57 is eighth among defensemen. Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesTo put those numbers into context, only nine forwards in the salary-cap era have finished a season averaging 23 or more minutes a night. And not once since 2005-06 have two forwards on the same team averaged 23 or more.I'm all for riding your best players, especially superstars. But Colorado needs to address its lack of forward depth. Nichushkin's absence complicates an already messy situation. Captain and first-line winger Gabriel Landeskog is out the entire regular season. Middle-six menace Artturi Lehkonen has played just 12 games. One offseason acquisition (Ryan Johansen) has struggled, while a second (Tomas Tatar) was traded in December after a 27-game stint.Ross Colton is the club's second-line center right now - and that reality sums up the ordeal quite well. Colton shouldn't be the 2C on a contending team.Parting shotsRemember the name: Anthony Romani, one of the youngest players eligible for the 2023 draft, was passed over by all 32 teams. Months later, the odds of him being selected in 2024 are extremely high. Romani's caught fire in the OHL this season. Through 41 games, the North Bay Battalion winger is tied for first in the league in points (68) and second in goals (35). No longer stuck behind veteran teammates, he's taken advantage of an increased role, using high-end offensive instincts to deceive defenders and goalies.NHL Central Scouting listed Romani 81st among North American skaters on its mid-term rankings. If Romani continues to impress, he could sneak into the second round. He's on a Tanner Pearson-esque path. Pearson, the longtime NHL winger now with the Canadiens, recorded 42 points as a draft-eligible OHLer, exploded for 91 points the next year, then went 30th overall to the Kings. Romani's jumped from 23 goals and 43 points in 66 games last season to a 58-goal, 113-point pace now.

The Nashville Predators aren't completely slamming the door on trading star goaltender Juuse Saros.While the No. 1 plan remains signing Saros to an offseason extension, the club is willing to listen if it gets a serious trade offer, reports TSN's Pierre LeBrun.The demand for reliable goaltending among contending teams is the primary reason for the Predators' new-found openness to entertain offers, LeBrun added.Saros has established himself as one of the NHL's premier netminders over the last few seasons, never finishing worse than sixth in Vezina Trophy voting since 2021.However, Saros is in the midst of his worst NHL campaign. He entered the year without ever recording a save percentage below .915 in a season, but he sits at .900 so far in 2023-24. The underlying numbers aren't any better, as his minus-0.23 goals save above expected also stands to be the worst of his career, per Evolving-Hockey. For comparison, he saved 45.5 goals above expected last year, the second most in the league.Nashville drafted Saros in the fourth round in 2013. He shared the crease with the legendary Pekka Rinne until his fellow Finn retired in 2021. Since then, Saros has started a league-leading 164 games.Saros' $5-million cap hit, tied for the 14th-highest among NHL goalies this season, would be appealing for teams. The 28-year-old is under contract through 2024-25 and is eligible to sign an extension July 1.The Predators entered Thursday occupying the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference with a handful of teams on their tails. MoneyPuck gives them a 43.8% chance of making the postseason.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Minnesota Wild captain Jared Spurgeon will miss the remainder of the 2023-24 season, the team announced.He's set to undergo left hip surgery on Feb. 6, then back surgery approximately four weeks later. Spurgeon is expected to be ready before the start of training camp in September.The 34-year-old has been limited to 16 games this season due to injuries. He missed the first 13 contests, another seven in December, and now has missed the club's previous seven games.Spurgeon has recorded five assists this season while averaging 23:20 per contest - the third most on the Wild. He's received down-ballot Norris Trophy votes in five of the past seven seasons for his strong two-way play, finishing as high as 11th in 2018-19.Spurgeon's absence will continue to force veteran Zach Bogosian into the top-four role he's occupied for much of the season.The Wild entered Thursday eight points out of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference and with a 7% chance of making the postseason, per MoneyPuck.com. However, general manager Bill Guerin said on Tuesday that he isn't ready to wave the white flag on the team's season.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jakob Chychrun had been a fixture in the rumor mill for over a year when the Arizona Coyotes finally traded him to the Ottawa Senators in March.Now, less than a year later, he's back in it.Sens general manager Steve Staios has been listening to other clubs' overtures for the defenseman, reports Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch.Staios is expected to meet with Chychrun's agent, Andy Scott, to see if they can agree on a contract extension. If they can't, talks with the other clubs may escalate, Garrioch adds.Ottawa gave up a top-five-protected first-round pick in last year's draft, a conditional second-rounder in this year's proceedings, and a 2026 second-round selection to snag Chychrun from the Coyotes. He'd been on the block since at least January 2022, when it was reported they sought an "Eichel-like haul" for the blue-liner.Chychrun has been productive since joining Ottawa, notching 31 points in 51 games over the last two seasons, including 26 across 39 contests in 2023-24. The rearguard, who turns 26 on March 31, ranks third on the team in average ice time with 22:34. He played parts of seven campaigns with Arizona, who drafted him 16th overall in 2016.He's under contract through 2024-25 with a $4.6-million cap hit, according to CapFriendly. Ottawa already has around $72 million committed to players for that campaign, including Jake Sanderson's $8.05-million cap hit.Chychrun has a 10-team no-trade list, a right he gained this season that will carry over until his contract is up.The Senators seemed to be on the verge of contention, landing Chychrun after acquiring sniper Alex DeBrincat to complement a promising young core in July 2022. But Ottawa finished sixth in the Atlantic Division and missed the playoffs for the sixth straight season last spring.The Sens have taken an even bigger step backward in 2023-24. They enter Thursday with the fourth-worst points percentage in the NHL and fired head coach D.J. Smith on Dec. 18. Coaching changes often inspire turnarounds, but Ottawa is 4-9-0 with Jacques Martin at the helm this season.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

If there was ever a season for the Toronto Maple Leafs to take a back seat at the trade deadline, it's this one.This team has far too many issues to be considered anything close to a Stanley Cup contender. It's not a couple of deadline moves away.The Maple Leafs enter Thursday with four straight losses, blowing leads in all of them. They're 25th in the league in regulation wins, and their .595 points percentage would be the worst in a full season under head coach Sheldon Keefe (if he makes it through the season). Toronto posted points percentages of .677, .701, and .688 in each of the last three campaigns.It hasn't been simply bad luck, either: The Leafs' underlying numbers have regressed. They rank 15th in the NHL in five-on-five expected goals share after finishing seventh, third, and second in the previous three seasons, per Natural Stat Trick.This isn't to say the Leafs' season has been completely disastrous. By points percentage, they sit third in the Atlantic Division - by a thread - and have a 70.2% chance to make the playoffs, per MoneyPuck. And it's true that anything can happen once you punch your ticket to the postseason - the 2023 Florida Panthers and 2021 Montreal Canadiens are recent examples. But Toronto dealing away another first-round pick or any promising prospects for someone who could wind up playing elsewhere next season would be unwise.The Leafs have picked in the first round only twice in the past five years: Easton Cowan in 2023 and Rodion Amirov - who unfortunately passed away from a brain tumor - in 2020. The prospect pipeline is thin. They don't own their 2025 first-rounder as part of last year's Jake McCabe trade, and they're without a second-round pick in each of the next three years.Constantly surrendering first-round picks for players who depart in the offseason - Ryan O'Reilly in 2023 and Nick Foligno in 2021 - isn't a recipe for building a sustained winner, no matter how close Toronto thinks it is to playoff success.Blue-line woes Claus Andersen / Getty Images Sport / GettyThe Leafs have issues in their bottom-six forward group, and there are question marks between the pipes: How long can Martin Jones maintain his strong play? Will Ilya Samsonov find his game? But Toronto's biggest weakness is undoubtedly its blue line. Not only is it far from Stanley Cup caliber, but it's old.Morgan Rielly (29) is having a strong year, but a career-high 24:26 in ice time against top competition isn't ideal for a player who shines offensively but has never been great defensively. TJ Brodie (33) and Mark Giordano (40) are showing signs of decline. McCabe (30) is miscast carrying a second pair with Simon Benoit (25), who shouldn't be on a second pair at all. Timothy Liljegren (24) has yet to establish himself as more than a third-pairing defenseman.It's no wonder that Keefe, when asked about Brodie's play, said Wednesday that he still doesn't know which players he can count on in tough situations while defending a lead.Adding someone like Chris Tanev would definitely help, but he's not a long-term fix as a 34-year-old rental. He's certainly not worth surrendering a first-round pick considering how the Leafs have played the first half of their season; a deep playoff run seems unlikely.If general manager Brad Treliving can strike a deal for Noah Hanifin that includes an extension, packaging a first-rounder makes sense. But there will be plenty of suitors for Hanifin, and it's unknown if the Boston native would want to commit to Toronto long term without testing the market.The Leafs could scour the market for defensemen who only cost mid-to-late-round picks, but that type of player won't move the needle much.Treliving's best bet is to overhaul the blue line in the offseason. With the salary cap rising and Brodie's $5-million hit coming off the books, there will be money to work with. While no Norris contenders are hitting free agency, plenty of fitting, in-their-prime, top-four defensemen could test the market, like Hanifin, Matt Roy, Gustav Forsling, and others.Treliving has time Bruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / GettyLeafs fans are understandably impatient as they wait for their team to make a deep playoff run, but from Treliving's perspective, he's got time.After being hired this past offseason, Treliving will likely be given a leash of at least a few years. That means there isn't ample pressure on him to win it all in his first year on the job. Realistically, it'll be hard for the Leafs to win a Cup while a declining John Tavares is still making $11 million per season.The team's best chance to make a run will be in 2025-26, after Tavares' cap hit comes off the books. Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Mitch Marner (assuming he re-signs) will still be in their primes. There's a chance Tavares is still productive by then and is willing to take a major hometown discount to stay.By 2025-26, if Treliving can effectively overhaul the blue line, find a new second-line center so Tavares can move to the wing, and build up the prospect pipeline, Toronto could have its best chance at a deep playoff run.The Leafs have been buyers every season since 2016-17. There's no harm in accepting this isn't the year, sticking with the roster for the remainder of the season and hoping for the best, and then regrouping in the offseason.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's an adage we occasionally encounter in the NFL when searching for valuable underdogs in a given week, only to see the chalk hold across the board: You can't win plus-money plays when there aren't any to be had.That was the case Tuesday when all eight favorites won in the NHL. There hadn't been a night like that all season with that many games to have the chalk sweep. The Coyotes and Maple Leafs each took leads into the third period, but like any mediocre outfit (both 21-21 on the moneyline this season), you can imagine how well that went.As a matter of policy, a bettor uninterested in laying big moneyline odds on a high-variance sport should remain undaunted, especially when the league is in the middle of the campaign's dog days.Naturally, both Wednesday games went the way of the underdog. Go figure.The cheat sheetIf you're thinking about betting any game on the slate, here's a look at the price you should be hoping to get on the moneyline for a valuable bet.GAMEWIN PROB. (%)PRICE TO BETDAL@PHI51.6/48.4DAL -102/PHI +125CHI@BUF25.4/74.6CHI +368/BUF -279COL@BOS49.0/51.0COL +115/BOS +106STL@WSH46.3/53.7STL +136/WSH -111MTL@OTT34.7/65.3MTL +225/OTT -180MIN@TBL47.2/52.8MIN +131/TBL -107SEA@EDM31.9/68.1SEA +258/EDM -204TOR@CGY48.7/51.3TOR +116/CGY +105NSH@LAK40.4/59.6NSH +175/LAK -141ARI@VAN42.6/57.4ARI +159/VAN -129NYR@VGK54.3/45.7NYR -114/VGK +140Best bets for Jan. 18Blues (-105) @ Capitals (-115)Here are two more 21-21 teams on the moneyline going head-to-head in Washington. However, after making the case for the Blues as undervalued at home due to their location splits, only to have them lose winnable games during their recent homestand, we'll turn on them when they hit the road.Charlie Lindgren is expected to start Thursday after shutting out the Ducks earlier in the week. He's quietly been one of the league's best goaltenders this season, boasting a 14.89 GSAx (sixth in the NHL).The Capitals are also getting healthier, with Alex Ovechkin the remaining piece to get them back to a full roster. His status is up in the air for Thursday. Should Ovechkin suit up, we'll consider that a bonus in a game in which the team playing better isn't being rated that way after accounting for home-ice advantage.Pick: Capitals (-115)Stars (-135) @ Flyers (+115) The Stars haven't traveled much lately, with just three single-game trips to Midwestern opponents since the Christmas break. They caught two of those teams at the right time - the Wild (without Kirill Kaprizov) and the Blackhawks (any time) - and lost the other (2-1 in St. Louis). That changes Thursday when Dallas starts an eastern road trip against the Flyers, winners of four straight, including a three-game road sweep.The Stars have stayed afloat without No. 1 defenseman Miro Heiskanen, but his absence should be tested more against Philly's forward depth, which the market hasn't accounted for enough. Also, with Scott Wedgewood still out, Jake Oettinger is starting his fourth game in eight days - a tough task for a goaltender who just came off the injured list himself.Pick: Flyers (+115)Avalanche (+125) @ Bruins (-145)Fading Boston at home is no fun, but getting the Avalanche as a decent-sized underdog is too much to pass up. A loss in Montreal got the attention of Colorado's leadership, and the club hung seven goals on Ottawa the next night.The Bruins lead the otherwise underwhelming Atlantic, and lingering respect from their historic 2022-23 regular season has them rated at the top of the league with Edmonton at, by my estimation, 20% better than an average team. That's too high for a club at around 50% in both expected goals share (xG%) and high-danger chance (HDC) share at even strength.This is a rematch from when Boston played in Denver. The Avalanche were the much better team (14-8 HDC) but needed a shootout to win thanks to excellent goaltending from Jeremy Swayman. He could be as good again, but we'll risk it with the Avs at plus-money.Pick: Avalanche (+125)Wild (+120) @ Lightning (-140)It'll be interesting to see how long a kick in the pants can last. The Wild got booted 6-0 by the Coyotes and vowed a response. They then beat the Islanders 5-0. Maybe that's a one-off, but Minnesota's January cold streak came with Kaprizov sidelined. He's back with two games under his belt. We're hoping the Wild can return to their previous level between when they fired John Hynes and before they lost Kaprizov, a stretch in which they ranked sixth in the NHL in xG% and HDC% at even strength.Maybe Minnesota's urgency to get back in the playoff hunt will push it over the Lightning, who haven't played since Saturday. Having won all three games on their current homestand and underestimating the Wild's pride, Tampa Bay might be packed up early for its weekend road trip.Pick: Wild (+120)Matt Russell is the lead betting analyst for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on social media @mrussauthentic.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Kyle Dubas insists there's nothing legitimate about the notion that he might trade Jake Guentzel.The Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager denied exploring that possibility and clarified recent remarks made by Guentzel's agent that may have inadvertently raised some eyebrows."I don't think that Ben Hankinson with his comments a few weeks ago meant for it to kind of develop into the level of noise it's gotten to," Dubas said Wednesday on "The GM Show," a team-produced podcast. "Just in knowing Ben and how much he cares about his clients, and about Jake and my relationship with him, I don't think that was his intention whatsoever."I think a lot of people have tried to say that when he said 'it could get ugly,' that was about the contract. I don't think so. I think he was more talking about ... the team and where it's going to go in the next several seasons. So I didn't take it as offensive or as anything other than Ben trying to do right by his client."Dubas then stated he hasn't talked to other clubs about Guentzel's potential availability."We haven't had any conversations with any other teams about Jake, so anything that's out there is pure speculation," the executive said. "That's really as simple as that. We'll continue to go through the season here and I'll continue to evaluate where we're at, and then either at the All-Star break or after the season, we'll do what's best for everybody - best for the Penguins, best for Jake - and we'll determine that together."Guentzel is a pending unrestricted free agent who will be one of the most coveted players if he does hit the market. His current deal carries a cap hit of $6 million, and the Penguins have about $65 million committed to other players next season, with only Jeff Carter, Alex Nedeljkovic, and other role players left to sign aside from Guentzel, according to CapFriendly.The 29-year-old forward has 19 goals and 27 assists over 42 games in 2023-24. He's in his eighth campaign with the Pens, who drafted him 77th overall in 2013. The Nebraska-born winger has shown continued chemistry with Sidney Crosby over the years, burying at least 36 goals in three of those seasons, including 40 on two occasions.The Penguins have an aging core, but a playoff spot is still a realistic goal for a squad that entered Thursday sitting fourth in the Metropolitan Division at 21-15-6.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin believes it's premature to begin gauging the trade market for veteran goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.Guerin said Tuesday that the Wild aren't ready to "wave the white flag" on their disappointing season, but he understands Fleury will be a player of interest around the league if Minnesota doesn't surge up the standings soon."I think 'Flower' just wants to focus on his team right now and his play," Guerin told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. "We'll see how it goes and then we'll have the appropriate conversations."It's just too early for that, and I'm not ready, and I'm sure 'Flower' isn't ready, to have that conversation, either."Fleury is on an expiring contract and has a full no-trade clause. He'll likely require a prominent role on a contending team to accept a move, LeBrun notes.The Wild acquired Fleury from the Chicago Blackhawks prior to the 2022 trade deadline. The three-time Stanley Cup champion posted a .905 save percentage in 79 appearances with the club, but he's struggled with a .897 clip and minus-4.2 goals saved above average in 2023-24.However, Fleury does own a lifetime .911 playoff save percentage throughout his 20-year career.The Wild are currently eight points back of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference through 43 games.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The majority of NHL teams have played their 41st game to mark the crossing of the season's halfway point.As the All-Star break quickly approaches, let's take a look at who the betting market views as Stanley Cup contenders and pretenders.Stanley Cup oddsTeamOddsImplied Prob (%)Avalanche+75011.8Bruins+80011.1Rangers+80011.1Oilers+10009.1Panthers+10009.1Hurricanes+12007.7Stars+12007.7Maple Leafs+12007.7Kings+14006.7Golden Knights+14006.7Canucks+16005.9Jets+16005.9Devils+20004.8Lightning+30003.2Flyers+40002.4Penguins+40002.4Islanders+60001.6Flames+75001.3Wild+75001.3Predators+75001.3Kraken+75001.3Red Wings+100001Odds via theScore Bet and ESPN Bet. Teams above +10000 are not listed.Three teams have odds shorter than +1000 - the Avalanche, Bruins, and Rangers - meaning they have an implied winning probability of over 10%.Of the three, only the Avs, who were +900 at the beginning of the season, opened the year in this range. The Rangers were +1400 and the Bruins were +1600 before the season started, which were eight and nine on the oddsboard, respectively. But with the two teams holding the top two spots in the Eastern Conference standings, the betting market has reacted accordingly.The Hurricanes opened the year as slight Stanley Cup favorites at +800 but have drifted to +1200 as they sit fifth in the Eastern Conference at 24-14-5. The Maple Leafs, who were +900 to start the season, have also drifted to +1200. However, not one of the preseason favorites has fallen down the oddsboard more than than Devils.New Jersey has battled injuries all season long and, after beginning the year at +900, is now +2000 with a 22-16-3 record, which puts them in 12th in the Eastern Conference and two points out of the second wild-card spot.As for teams in the West other than Colorado, the Oilers began the year at +900 and fell all the way down to +2000 when they sat at 5-12-1 near the end of November. But thanks to their current 11-game winning streak, they are back among the favorites to hoist the Stanley Cup.The biggest movers in the West are by far the Canucks and Jets. They both opened the year at +6000 and have shortened drastically to +1600. They sit first and second in the league with 62 points each, but the Jets' game in hand currently gives them a slight edge in the standings.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The San Jose Sharks will retire franchise legend Joe Thornton's No. 19 jersey on an unspecified date next season, the team announced Wednesday."It has been an honor and a privilege to play in the National Hockey League for 24 seasons," Thornton said in the release. "But when I came to San Jose, it felt like I was truly home. I fell in love with the area and the people, and I had the best years of my career wearing the Sharks crest. ... I am humbled by this recognition, which is a reflection of all of those great teams we had in San Jose during my time there."Thornton spent 15 seasons with the Sharks from 2005 to 2020 and donned the "C" for four campaigns. He is the team's all-time leader in assists (804) while ranking second in points (1,055) and third in games played (1,104).San Jose made the postseason in all but two campaigns during Thornton's tenure in teal, and his 115 points in 144 playoff games are the second-most in franchise history. The Sharks made the conference finals four times with Thornton in the mix, including one trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2016 where they lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins.The 44-year-old spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Bruins, but the Sharks acquired him from Boston in November 2005 in exchange for Marco Sturm, Wayne Primeau, and Brad Stuart. Thornton won the Hart Trophy and Art Ross Trophy that spring after putting up 92 points in 58 games with the Sharks (on top of 33 points in 23 outings with the Bruins).Thornton is just the second Sharks player to have his jersey sent to the rafters of the SAP Center, joining Patrick Marleau, whose No. 12 was retired in February 2023."Jumbo was the best playmaker of his generation, and I feel lucky to have gotten to play with and against him," current Sharks general manager and former player Mike Grier said. "On the ice, his size, strength, and IQ made him impossible to defend, but off the ice, he was the most caring and generous teammate I have ever had. He's a special player and person and is very deserving of this honor."Thornton last played in the NHL in 2022 and he announced his retirement in October. He totaled 1,539 points in 1,714 career NHL games spent with the Bruins, Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Florida Panthers.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Colorado Avalanche goalie Alexandar Georgiev is playing a lot of hockey.At the midway point of the campaign, he's made 37 appearances, three more than Nashville Predators workhorse Juuse Saros, the league's second-busiest netminder. Georgiev is on pace for around 66 starts, which is far beyond Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland's ideal range of 50-to-55 contests."I'll be honest, I do think we got to be careful with (Georgiev's) games played here, and it's something that we talk about daily," MacFarland said during a recent appearance on Daily Faceoff's "Frankly Speaking" podcast."You want your guy fresh for April if you're able to grab one of those eight tickets (to the playoffs)," he continued. "I know every team is kind of different and maybe there's some guys that can go 60 or 62. For me, my comfort level would be certainly less pace than what he's on target for right now."Georgiev leads all goaltenders with 24 wins, but he owns a sub-.900 save percentage (.897) and ranks 76th out of 84 goaltenders in goals saved above average at all strengths (minus-7.78), according to Evolving Hockey.Colorado's other options in net are inexperienced.The Avalanche picked up Ivan Prosvetov off waivers in October, and he owns a 4-3-1 record across 11 showings this season. Prior to this campaign, the 24-year-old had made just 13 appearances across three seasons with the Arizona Coyotes.Prospect Justus Annunen made his first appearance of the campaign during Tuesday's 7-4 comeback win over the Ottawa Senators, but the 23-year-old only played in two games in each of the last two seasons with the Avalanche.Colorado's thinness at the position has MacFarland yearning for Pavel Francouz, who won't play this year because of a lower-body injury."The Pavel Francouz late-summer injury was a very, very big injury for us," he said. "We've been very spoiled by having a rock-steady backup, 1B, whatever you want to have it. Whenever Francouz was called upon the last number of years, including the playoffs, he delivered. ... He had that unreal, professional approach, prepared in a very important role, and we really, really miss that."So, will the Avalanche be among the teams that monitor the goalie market come the trade deadline in March?"Like anything else, if there's an opportunity for us to improve the hockey team, we look at it," MacFarland said.Colorado currently sits in second place in the Central Division with a 29-13-3 record, one point behind Winnipeg for the top spot. The Jets have played two fewer games.Georgiev will represent the Avalanche at next month's All-Star Weekend after being voted into the festivities.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

When does it become trade season in the NHL?Early January, apparently.We got a bombshell last week, with the Flyers trading top prospect Cutter Gauthier to the Ducks for NHL defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a second-round pick. This Thursday marks 50 days until the March 8 trade deadline.Let's take a look at six intriguing players who may be changing teams. Each section below includes a summary of the latest media reports; the player's on-ice value; and three potential landing spots.Jake Guentzel, winger Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesKey report: Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported over the weekend that "no determination has been made" on Guentzel's future in Pittsburgh. Guentzel, who'll turn 30 before next season, is a pending unrestricted free agent. The Penguins are trying to win a fourth Stanley Cup with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. However, they already have four 30-somethings (Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang, Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell) locked up through at least 2026-27.On-ice value: If there was some form of standardized testing for hockey smarts, Guentzel would ace it, probably finishing in the top 10 in the entire NHL. The unassuming 5-foot-11, 180-pound winger's hockey IQ is that high.Guentzel always finds his way to the most dangerous areas of the ice. As of Monday, he was first in the league in expected goals per game (0.70), third in inner-slot shots per game (1.54), seventh in scoring chances generated off the cycle per game (1.83), and tied for 10th in rebound chances per game (0.34), according to Sportlogiq. It's all led to 19 goals and 27 assists in 42 games.Guentzel, a two-time 40-goal scorer, is on pace for 37 tallies, and his 36 even-strength points rank fifth in the NHL. Bonus: he's responsible defensively.What's tricky about Guentzel is that he's played the vast majority of his 9,500 career minutes alongside Crosby, an all-time great. Teasing out what Guentzel can bring to the table on another line for a different team is the chief challenge for front offices thinking about trading for him. Two other challenges: He has a 12-team no-trade list, according to CapFriendly, and he won't be cheap in terms of salary cap hit ($6 million) and acquisition cost (hefty trade package).Three good fits: Guentzel should reel in something to the effect of one NHL player, one first-round pick, and one decent prospect. The package would grow, of course, if the trade included an extension. The Hurricanes and Oilers both need another finisher on the wing. The Canucks have been linked to Guentzel in part because president Jim Rutherford, general manager Patrik Allvin, and coach Rick Tocchet all know him well from their Pittsburgh tenures.Elias Lindholm, center Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesKey report: The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun wrote in late December that it was his understanding there have been no recent conversations between Lindholm and the Flames. The insider also noted Lindholm hasn't been told he's definitely on the move. Still, Calgary appears headed for a retool/rebuild, and acquiring assets for the 29-year-old pending UFA would accelerate things.On-ice value: Lindholm, in his sixth season in Calgary and 11th overall, is a top-of-the-lineup center whose stock has fluctuated over the past few years.He peaked in 2021-22. Flanked by Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk, Lindholm recorded his first and only point-per-game season. He scored 42 times (his previous high was 29) and finished second in Selke Trophy voting. That trio, dismantled during the 2022 offseason, was dominant wire to wire.Lindholm has come back down to earth of late. His underlying numbers have declined, and this season, he's pitched in eight goals and 21 assists in 44 games while playing mostly with Yegor Sharangovich, Andrew Mangiapane, and Jonathan Huberdeau. He remains a trusty impact player. The 2013 fifth overall pick leads all Flames forwards in average ice time (20:45) and blocked shots (37) and is enjoying a career year in the faceoff circle (56% win rate).Lindholm isn't an elite first-line center. On a legitimate Cup contender, he's a strong second-line guy attached to a manageable cap hit ($4.85 million).Three good fits: If the Flames decide to move Lindholm, they should be able to fetch a first-rounder and either a prospect or a young NHLer. The Bruins have looked better than expected down the middle after losing Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, yet Lindholm would be a welcomed upgrade, and Boston has its 2025 first-rounder to trade. Meanwhile, the Avalanche and Jets - two other presumed buyers in need of a top-six center - have first-round picks in both 2024 and 2025. Colorado, with underqualified Ross Colton currently occupying the 2C spot on the depth chart, is the tidiest fit on paper.Noah Hanifin, defenseman Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesKey report: Hanifin told Sportsnet last week that, as paraphrased by writer Eric Francis, "it's still quiet on the contract front." For context: The blue-liner was close to signing a long-term extension months ago, then talks broke off. Calgary exited the offseason with five notable pending UFAs on its roster - Lindholm, Mikael Backlund, Hanifin, Chris Tanev, and Nikita Zadorov. Backlund re-signed in late September. Zadorov was traded in early December.On-ice value: With Hanifin on the ice for five-on-five action, the 2023-24 Flames have accounted for 57% of the goals scored (41 for, 31 against). With him off the ice at five-on-five, they've accounted for 44% of the goals (50-64).Hanifin's regular partner - Tanev, the shot-blocking machine - has certainly influenced those lopsided on/off percentages. However, there's no denying that 21-18-5 Calgary has been a far better team when Hanifin's out there skating, moving the puck, killing plays, and operating with poise and veteran savvy.Listed at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds and set to celebrate his 27th birthday next week, Hanifin already has 642 games of experience to his name. He's slowly but surely polished his skills to a point where he can now be used in virtually any game situation. He would be a good second-pair guy for the right team.Hanifin's making $4.95 million and owns an eight-team no-trade list, per CapFriendly. His extension, in Calgary or elsewhere, seems to be trending toward a lengthy term and a cap hit between $7 million and $8 million.Three good fits: A straightforward Hanifin trade - no salary retention or extension - should net the Flames something along the lines of a first-rounder, a second-rounder, and a low-end NHLer. The Stars and Maple Leafs come to mind. Dallas' blue line thins out after Miro Heiskanen and Thomas Harley, though money would be tight. Toronto could slot Hanifin behind Morgan Rielly, although, again, there are money issues. The Coyotes, meanwhile, were linked to Hanifin in November. Arizona has oodles of cap space and, amazingly, no NHL defensemen signed for next season. Would Hanifin agree to a sign-and-trade?Trevor Zegras, center Richard T Gagnon / Getty ImagesKey report: Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli reported last week that Ducks GM Pat Verbeek "has mentioned Zegras' name in conversation with teams this season, though it remains unclear how far (if at all) those talks advanced." That nugget came on the heels of drawn-out contract negotiations in the fall. It's safe to say Verbeek, who didn't draft Zegras or (now-former teammate) Drysdale, may not see Zegras as one of Anaheim's long-term core pieces.On-ice value: For the next six weeks or so, Zegras' value is, well, nothing. Hurt for more than half of the season thanks to multiple injuries, he's currently nursing a broken ankle. He's accumulated four goals and seven points in 20 games.That said, the recovery timeline provided by the Ducks gives Zegras a decent chance at returning before the deadline, which means there's a short window for him to be dealt midseason. The creative center is different from the other five players discussed in this story because he'll still be a restricted free agent after the expiry of his current deal ($5.75 million per year through 2025-26).What's interesting about Zegras is that the hype surrounding him and his game hasn't matched his on-ice contributions. He's supremely skilled, has graced the cover of a video game, and is undoubtedly one of the sport's top personalities. But, through 200 games, he's shown himself to be an offense-only perimeter player who puts up around 65 points every 82 games.So, it may seem like he's on a superstar trajectory, but he's not. He's yet to give us a reason to buy that narrative yet. He's only 22, though, so there's time to grow. And, if he doesn't level up significantly over the next handful of years, 65 points is still valuable second-line production.Three good fits: It feels like if Zegras moves, the trade details will look similar to the recent Philadelphia-Anaheim swap: a young NHLer and a second-rounder traded for a blue-chip prospect. The Canadiens have made a habit of acquiring high-pedigree forwards in their 20s who could use a change of scenery (Sean Monahan, Kirby Dach, Alex Newhook). The Predators have the right playing style and a long-term role for Zegras. The Blackhawks have about a dozen roster holes to fill and about a dozen desirable picks and prospects to flip.Elvis Merzlikins and John Gibson, goalies Jason Mowry / Getty ImagesKey reports: Merzlikins, 29, confirmed this week that he's requested a trade out of Columbus. Gibson, 30, was the subject of trade-request reports in back-to-back offseasons (he/his agent denied both reports), and the idea of him leaving Anaheim has been rumored for years. Both play for non-playoff teams and would be near the top of the list for clubs looking for goalie help.On-ice values: There are many similarities between Merzlikins and Gibson.Both goalies fell on hard times over the past few years after posting stellar numbers to start their careers. Both have played in terrible defensive environments and failed to hold up their end of the bargain since signing huge deals; for Merzlikins, $5.4 million a season for five years, expiring in 2026-27, and for Gibson, $6.4 million a season for eight years, expiring in 2026-27. Both have younger goalies nipping at their heels. Both have rebounded this season (Merzlikins more so). Both own 10-team no-trade lists.Starting goalies rarely change hands. But there may be GMs out there who convince themselves that one of these netminders simply needs a fresh start.Three good fits: A trade involving Merzlikins or Gibson would almost certainly involve salary retention. A goalie might go the other way. It would be complicated. So, let's forget about what a package might look like and focus on the teams. The Devils, Hurricanes, and Oilers are all in win-now mode and need better starting goalies. The most intriguing aspect of a trade of this kind isn't the upside; it's the downside. Goaltending is such an unpredictable position, and what New Jersey, Carolina, and Edmonton have now might ultimately be a better bet than spending assets to take a chance on one of these veteran netminders - despite how tempting it might be to mix things up.John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Mitch Marner is upset that his Toronto Maple Leafs keep coughing up leads in crushing losses, but he doesn't want external pressures to frustrate the team."Obviously, pissed off about it, but ... all these games we've been playing, we've played some really good hockey," Marner said after the Maple Leafs blew a two-goal lead and lost 4-2 to the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday. "We've just given (leads) back. We've had a lot of chances to extend leads in games and haven't done a good job of that."Toronto's defeat was its fourth straight and fourth in which the club squandered a late lead. Three of the collapses have come in the third period.Marner believes the team should tune out any criticism about its inability to close out games lately."We've got to ignore what everyone else says. We know we're a great hockey team," he said. "We show it every night. I mean, these last four games that we've had leads, we've played some awesome hockey. ... Stuff goes your way sometimes, (and sometimes) stuff doesn't. So for us, we just can't get frustrated at each other. We know we're doing the right things."Marner added that the Leafs can't "let anything outside of us frustrate us or get us angry" before again referring to what he believes is external pressure to be upset about their recent play.He said he doesn't feel frustration seeping in but thinks "a lot of people on the outside are trying to do that."The Maple Leafs have been streaky of late. They lost three straight to conclude 2023, then won all three games on a California road trip and another against the lowly San Jose Sharks at home before the latest four-game skid.Toronto held a 2-0 lead on Tuesday, but Leon Draisaitl made it 2-1 late in the second period. Derek Ryan tied it early in the third, and Ryan McLeod buried the winner with 3:05 to go before Evan Bouchard's empty-netter sealed Edmonton's franchise-record 11th consecutive victory.The Leafs fell to 21-13-8 and occupy third place in the Atlantic Division. They're seven points back of the second-place Florida Panthers and one point ahead of the fourth-place Detroit Red Wings with a game in hand on both clubs.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Winnipeg Jets had sniper Kyle Connor back in their lineup to take on the New York Islanders on Tuesday.Connor missed Winnipeg's last 16 games after taking a knee-on-knee hit from Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan Strome on Dec. 10. The star was initially expected to miss six-to-eight weeks, so his return comes slightly ahead of schedule.The Jets went 12-2-2 without Connor, a remarkable run that featured an eight-game win streak and 14-game point streak, both of which set new franchise records. Nikolaj Ehlers paced Winnipeg with 17 points over those 16 Connor-less contests, while Gabe Vilardi led the way with nine goals.Connor, 27, was also a full participant in Monday's practice.In a corresponding move, the Jets placed forward Mark Scheifele on injured reserve retroactive to Jan. 12. He's been out since sustaining a lower-body injury against the Chicago Blackhawks on Jan. 11 but is eligible to return Saturday against the Ottawa Senators.Despite Connor's absence, he still leads the Jets with 17 goals - including five game-winners - in 26 contests and ranks fifth with 28 points. He's paced the team in goals in three of the last four seasons.Winnipeg currently sits on top of the Central Division with a 28-10-4 record and tops the NHL in points percentage (.714).Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois wants to put an end to any chatter about the notion that he'd deal away his longtime franchise cornerstone."The one thing I would say just to get it out there because I know as we get closer to the deadline, it's a popular and interesting and frequent topic: 'Who's going to get traded? Who won't get traded?'" BriseBois said Tuesday, according to team reporter Chris Krenn."Steven Stamkos isn't getting traded. You can all write that ... so we can put that one to bed if anyone was speculating on that," the GM continued. "That's not going to change between now and the deadline under any circumstances."BriseBois said they'll sit down after the season to evaluate where both the team and Stamkos are and try to "make all the parts work together." The GM noted that the fact that Stamkos has been the face of the Lightning franchise for so long "obviously factors" into the decision.Stamkos is a pending unrestricted free agent who was eligible to sign an extension as of July 1, 2023. Tampa Bay isn't as much of a lock to make the 2023-24 postseason as it has been in recent years; the Bolts occupy fifth place in the Atlantic Division in points percentage through 44 games.Stamkos has captained the perennially competitive squad since 2013-14 and has been the sole holder of the "C" since 2014-15. The veteran forward, who'll turn 34 on Feb. 7, has played all 16 of his NHL seasons with Tampa Bay and is the club's all-time leader in games played, goals, and points while ranking second in assists.The two-time "Rocket" Richard Trophy winner and one-time Hart runner-up helped the Bolts win back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021 (though he was injured for all but one postseason game during the first one) and was a part of four Cup Final appearances (2015 and 2022 being the others). Tampa drafted him first overall in 2008.He's still producing at an impressive clip, having notched a point per game over 41 contests - including 18 goals - while averaging nearly 19 minutes of ice time.The Lightning have about $65 million committed to players' cap hits next season with only depth players left to sign after Stamkos. His current deal carries an average annual value of $8.5 million, per CapFriendly.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Another one of the Chicago Blackhawks' pending unrestricted free agents could be coming off some trade boards.The club and goaltender Petr Mrazek share mutual interest in a contract extension, reports ESPN's Kevin Weekes.Chicago inked veteran forward Jason Dickinson to a two-year extension earlier Tuesday.Mrazek has been solid for the rebuilding Blackhawks this season, posting a .904 save percentage and a 3.13 goals-against average in 29 appearances entering Tuesday's game against the San Jose Sharks. He's also stopped 2.31 goals above expectation, per Evolving-Hockey.The 31-year-old journeyman is in the last year of his deal, which carries a $3.8-million cap hit. Chicago acquired him in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2022 offseason.Mrazek owns a lifetime .907 save percentage over the course of his 12-year NHL career between the Detroit Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers, Carolina Hurricanes, Maple Leafs, and Blackhawks.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.