Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy has been sent back to Tampa Bay amid the club's current four-game road trip and is out indefinitely, head coach Jon Cooper told reporters Thursday, per the team. He'll be re-evaluated for a potential foot or ankle injury, according to The Athletic's Joe Smith.Lightning backup goalie Louis Domingue said following Thursday's morning skate that Vasilevskiy broke his foot in practice Wednesday, according to Smith.While Vasilevskiy looks like he'll be out long term, Cooper wouldn't give a timeline on his No. 1 goalie, noting that he'll wait until he receives the test results, Smith adds.The Lightning currently pace the Atlantic Division with 25 points heading into Thursday's slate of games. Vasilevskiy has gone 9-3-1 with a 2.30 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage. Meanwhile, Domingue has been a bit shaky depiste a winning record thus far, holding a 3.43 goals-against average and a .887 save percentage.In a corresponding move, the team recalled goalie Eddie Pasquale from the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League.The Lightning are in action against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night, for which Domingue will likely get the start between the pipes.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Sidney Crosby will miss Thursday night's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning with an upper-body injury.Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed the news Thursday morning."Sid will not play tonight ... Right now his status is day to day, but my sense is it's going to be a week," Sullivan said.Sullivan added the injury is not a concussion. Crosby missed practice Wednesday as the ailment was evaluated.The superstar forward will miss his first regular-season game since the 2016-17 season.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Philadelphia Flyers forward James van Riemsdyk will return to the lineup Thursday against the New Jersey Devils after missing 16 games with a knee injury, head coach Dave Hakstol confirmed to reporters.Van Riemsdyk's been out since leaving the Flyers' second game of the season on Oct. 6 after blocking a shot from Colorado Avalanche defenseman Mark Barberio.The 29-year-old Van Riemsdyk signed a five-year, $35-million contract with Philadelphia - the team that originally drafted him No. 2 overall in 2007 - in the offseason after a six-year stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs.He's expected to play on the Flyers' third line alongside Jordan Weal and Wayne Simmonds. He'll also join the team's top power-play unit.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler will have surgery Friday after suffering injuries to his orbital bone, cheekbone, and upper jaw bone, the team announced Wednesday.A timetable for his return will be announced following the procedure.Fowler suffered the injury Monday against the Nashville Predators when he was hit in the face with a puck.He's picked up three goals and seven assists in 19 games this season.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara left Wednesday's game against the Colorado Avalanche with a lower-body injury and will not return, the team announced.Chara's left knee took a noticeably awkward jolt as he attempted to check Carl Soderberg.

Washington Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov did not return to Wednesday's contest against the Winnipeg Jets after suffering what the team announced was an upper-body injury.Kuznetsov appeared to suffer the injury when he was elbowed in the head by Jets forward Brandon Tanev.

Washington Capitals goalie Braden Holtby is out Wednesday with an upper-body ailment, the team announced. The injury is not expected to be serious and he's listed as day to day, according to Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post.Pheonix Copley, who was in goal for the Capitals' 5-2 win over the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday, will get the call once again Wednesday against the Winnipeg Jets.Gavin McHale, a 31-year-old goalie coach for the University of Manitoba's women's team, will serve as Washington's emergency backup behind Copley on Wednesday, Khurshudyan adds.Holtby has struggled for a second consecutive regular season, despite a rock-solid playoff run last year. He owns a .900 save percentage and a 3.24 goals-against average in 13 games over the campaign.Copley has fared marginally better, posting a .904 save percentage and a 2.91 goals-against average in five contests.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Paul Martin is calling it a career.The longtime defenseman retired from professional hockey, the University of Minnesota confirmed Wednesday morning.Martin explained his decision in an interview with The Athletic's Michael Russo, in which the veteran blue-liner said he wants to finish his college degree and start a family.His agent, Ben Hankinson, tried to land the unrestricted free agent a job for this season, but Martin didn't want a tryout and wasn't interested in continuing his career in Europe, according to Russo.Martin played parts of 14 seasons in the NHL with the New Jersey Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins, and San Jose Sharks.He represented the United States multiple times on the international stage, earning a spot on the Olympic team on three occasions (in 2006, 2010, and 2014), but he saw no action in the 2006 Games and missed the 2010 event with a broken arm.The Sharks bought out Martin's contract in June.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Rob Blake and Jim Rutherford had both seen enough.The general managers completed the first meaningful trade of the 2018-19 NHL regular season Wednesday, swapping underachieving left wingers to jolt their respective clubs back to life.Carl Hagelin, a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Pittsburgh Penguins, is off to Los Angeles in exchange for Tanner Pearson, who earned a ring with the Kings.“Our team is obviously not in a position that we are comfortable with in terms of how we are playing,” Blake said in a press release announcing the one-for-one swap."This could be the start of more changes,” Rutherford warned in a post-trade briefing with reporters. “We'll see how it goes.”What this means for the PenguinsPearson, 26, is the younger player in the deal. He’s probably a better finisher than Hagelin, and he's under contract for two more years at a digestible $3.75-million cap hit.That's the good news.The bad?Pearson has struggled mightily through the opening stretch of the season, recording just a single assist - in the Oct. 5 home opener - in 17 games. For the first time in his six-year career, Pearson’s 5-on-5 shot metrics sit below 50 percent, and the Kings were outscored 10-1 with him on the ice over 198 even-strength minutes.Noah Graham / Getty ImagesYet Rutherford seems to believe Pearson can reinvigorate the Penguins, who have lost six of their past seven games and face the conference-leading Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday."He was able to play with their top guys (in L.A.),” Rutherford said, referring to Pearson’s past experience skating alongside Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter. “I believe that a change will be good for him. He will be a good fit for us.”Pearson bagged 24 goals in 80 games at his peak in 2016-17. The 6-foot-1, 201-pounder contributed solid top-nine value in his other two seasons with the Kings, registering 36 and 40 points.The talent is there and if he slides into Hagelin’s old spot on a line with Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist there will be no excuses. Over to you, Tanner.What this means for the KingsBy acquiring Hagelin, the Kings - arguably the slowest team in the NHL - have gained one of the sport's premier speedsters. Hagelin is a dynamite penalty killer, too, which should help L.A.’s 21st-ranked unit.Hagelin’s best NHL season was way back in 2011-12 when he posted 14 goals and 24 assists in 64 games as a rookie for the New York Rangers. Through 16 games this season, the 30-year-old has just one goal and two assists.SEASONTEAM(S)GPGAPTS2011-12NYR641424382012-13NYR481014242013-14NYR721716332014-15NYR821718352015-16ANA/PIT801425392016-17PIT61616222017-18PIT811021312018-19PIT16123Given the direction the Kings' season is trending (see: down, way down) and Hagelin's contract situation (pending unrestricted free agent), is this a rent-to-sell situation? It's not a crazy thought.The last-place Kings are spiraling right now; they've lost three straight, including a 5-1 defeat on home ice Tuesday against the Maple Leafs. The league’s second-oldest roster just got older and, although they could use a boost of some kind and Hagelin’s tantalizing wheels fit the short-term bill, a second deal around the Feb. 25 trade deadline may be the right long-term play.Suitors surely haven’t forgotten about Hagelin’s performance in the 2016 playoffs, when he starred on the vaunted HBK Line with six goals and 10 assists in 24 postseason games.(Side note: The Penguins retained $250,000 of Hagelin’s $4-million salary in the trade, eliminating any financial discrepancy between the two contracts.)The main takeawayIn the grand scheme of things, the Hagelin-for-Pearson deal will not lose or win another Cup for either of these franchises. The players involved, even at their absolute best, are secondary contributors.But this trade does serve a purpose. L.A. and Pittsburgh both need a kick in the rear end and found their targets in a pair of underperforming vets.The Kings are in a state of flux under a new, interim head coach. Blake and Co. are navigating the waters between relevant and irrelevant, seemingly unsure of which side of the tide they will ultimately end up on.Is this the beginning of the end for a core that won two Cups in three years at the start of the decade? Maybe. The departure of John Stevens last week certainly got the ball rolling. Is a full tear-down coming? Perhaps.The Penguins, while on stronger footing overall, are also feeling the heat, albeit in a subtler fashion. Rutherford, who signed a three-year contract extension hours before announcing the trade, has voiced his displeasure with the current supporting cast around Malkin, Sidney Crosby, and other untouchables, according to The Athletic's Josh Yohe.Is this a one-off move or a start of a furious shopping spree from Rutherford? It sounds like the former."I just think we're in a funk now," Rutherford said. "We're a fragile team. We're struggling. But for the most part, I still believe in this team."The common thread: Winning is fleeting in professional sports and both GMs seem willing to do everything in their power to keep another championship within reach.John Matisz is theScore's National Hockey Writer. You can find him on Twitter @matiszjohn.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Los Angeles Kings and the Pittsburgh Penguins are swapping forwards.Los Angeles sent Tanner Pearson to the Penguins in exchange for Carl Hagelin, the Kings confirmed Wednesday.Pittsburgh reportedly retained $250,000 of Hagelin's $3,666,000 salary in the deal, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.Pearson managed only one point in 17 contests with the Kings in 2018-19, while Hagelin mustered a goal and two assists in 16 games.Hagelin was a member of the Penguins' Stanley Cup championship squads in 2015-16 and 2016-17. Pearson helped the Kings win the title in 2013-14.After sweeping a four-game Canadian road trip in October, the Penguins have won only one of their last seven games. The Kings have lost three of their last four since firing head coach John Stevens and replacing him with interim bench boss Willie Desjardins.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vegas Golden Knights have lost another forward to a long-term injury.Erik Haula is now on a month-to-month timetable, head coach Gerard Gallant told reporters on Wednesday.Haula had to be stretchered off the ice during a loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Nov. 6 after falling awkwardly on his leg following a hit by Patrick Marleau.He's missed the Knights' last three games and was placed on injured reserve Tuesday.Vegas is already without center Paul Stastny, who was hurt during the third game of the season and ruled out for up to two months in mid-October.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby wasn't at practice Wednesday as he's being evaluated for an upper-body injury, head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters.The circumstances surrounding the injury weren't disclosed, and Crosby's status for Thursday's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning is unknown.

Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson's initial 20-game suspension for an illegal check to the head of St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist has been reduced to 14 games by a third-party arbitrator, the NHL announced.Wilson's already served 16 games and is therefore eligible to play immediately. He'll also save $378,048.78 in lost salary, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston. Had Wilson missed the entire 20 games, he would have forfeited just over $1.26 million in total.Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan confirmed that Wilson will play Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Wilson posted a career-high 14 goals and 35 points in 78 games last season.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Pittsburgh Penguins inked general manager Jim Rutherford to a three-year contract extension Wednesday that will keep him with the team through the 2021-22 season.The 69-year-old is in his 25th year as an NHL general manager and his fifth with the Penguins.During his tenure with Pittsburgh, he's helped build the team into a perennial contender, with four 100-plus-point seasons and back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017."We think Jim Rutherford is one of the best general managers in all of sports and, during his tenure in Pittsburgh, arguably the best GM in the NHL," Penguins co-owners Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle said in a statement. "His goal every year is to win the Stanley Cup and that kind of commitment to excellence is what drives us all."Rutherford won his first Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006. Stan Bowman of the Chicago Blackhawks is the only other GM to win three championships in the salary-cap era. Rutherford ranks eighth all time among general managers in both wins (850) and games managed (1,834).Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

TORONTO - For once, a win for the status quo.As general managers filed out of the NHL's Canadian headquarters on Tuesday, wrapping up a five-hour meeting, it became abundantly clear that homework - not new rule recommendations - had been doled out by the league's bigwigs."What you do is take it home and digest a lot of it," Los Angeles Kings GM Rob Blake said, before adding that "other things will be added to the agenda for March" when the meetings commence again in Florida.While no major rule changes were discussed (a rarity for a league known for its nitpicking), a number of less pressing matters were broached before and after Tuesday's meeting.On goalie equipment:Colin Campbell, the league's senior executive vice-president of hockey operations, opened his media availability by joking about making the goalie equipment larger and the nets smaller in an effort to counteract the uptick in goal scoring through the first month of the 2018-19 season.In reality, despite several goaltenders raising a stink about an increase in bruising due to a decrease in the size of their equipment, the NHL remains satisfied with its offseason adjustments."We did discuss the fact that some goalies were complaining. In some instances, the complaints went with their performances too," Campbell said, not naming names. "There are forwards and there are defensemen that get bruises when they get hit with 100-mile-an-hour shots. We brought that to the GMs' attention. They had no concern with it."Year after year, the increase in goals has been minor, with this year's NHL featuring one extra goal every five games. Still, the perpetual tweaking of rules and regulations, coupled with a seismic shift toward skill and speed, has affected the game on a grander scale.Heading into Tuesday's schedule, the average game has featured 6.14 goals, up from 5.44 in 2012-13."The players' association is totally on board with it," Campbell said, referring to the remodeled goalie equipment, namely the much-maligned chest protector. "I think that (alteration) and a lot of the rule changes have opened the game up quite a bit."On European expansion:Deputy commissioner Bill Daly energized the NHL news cycle last week when he told TSN that the NHL may one day house franchises - ideally, a whole division - in Europe."The number of our players who are born and trained in Europe and add to the talent level of the National Hockey League, the interest in the sport - in a number of countries in Europe - make it almost inevitable that at some point the National Hockey League will have teams in Europe," Daly said, with NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr basically echoing Daly's optimism in a press briefing on Monday.Patrick McDermott / National Hockey League / GettyThere's a lot to unpack here. The idea of expanding to another continent would be no small task. (By the way, this is just an idea at this point, so don't expect the unveiling of the Helsinki Huskies any time soon.)Some surface-level questions to consider: Would the NHL's quality of play diminish with the integration of additional teams and players? Would the impact and cost of travel outweigh the benefits of expansion? And would the logical landing spots - Helsinki, Prague, and Stockholm, to name a few - be able to support NHL arenas and clubs?"I don't foresee any huge issues," Capitals GM Brian MacLellan told theScore, referring to the travel aspect. "I mean, teams will go over and play a few games, come back, and play on the East Coast. It could probably work … There's a good balance between all of the European players (and non-Europeans). And there are cities that are following their guys passionately. I think it makes sense, big picture-wise."It's not a completely foreign concept, of course. For years, the NHL's held exhibition and regular-season games overseas, including matches this fall in China, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, and Finland.Actually stationing a division in Europe someday would be an entirely different animal. If the NHL can act quick enough, though, it could capture something incredibly unique."We're the first team in pro sports in Vegas," Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin said. "I wouldn't be shocked if the NHL's the first (league) that goes to Europe."On another draft:Speaking of expansion, the NHL's almost certainly off to Seattle. It's expected that a vote at an early-December board of governors meeting in Georgia will seal the deal.Campbell noted that the 30 teams eligible to participate in another expansion draft - Vegas would be exempt from the process - will be given a year's notice of the date. It may be the summer of 2020, or the summer of 2021, depending on the progress of arena construction in Seattle.Whether it's ultimately 17 or 29 months away, teams are already mapping out possible scenarios that may unfold. The rule book for the Seattle draft, after all, projects to be just as advantageous as the one that gifted Vegas a roster full of contributors."You always look at it, but we're here to win hockey games also," Bergevin said of keeping tabs on which players might quality for exposure down the road. "We have to manage winning hockey games and exposing young players. At the end of the day, I'm not going to hold (rookie Jesperi) Kotkaniemi back because of an expansion draft.”Blake admitted that the Kings are viewing the next expansion draft through a different lens simply because it's Round 2. It's familiar. MacLellan shares a similar mindset."I think it's important to look at what happened last time. We'll go over the decisions that were made by everybody and how Vegas used their leverage," said the Stanley Cup-winning GM who lost Nate Schmidt to the Golden Knights. "I think you learn from some of the decisions that were made and maybe some new stuff comes up on this one, you don't know."John Matisz is theScore's National Hockey Writer. You can find him on Twitter @matiszjohn.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers entered Tuesday on a four-game losing streak, scoring just six goals during that stretch. In an attempt to spark the slumping offense, head coach Todd McLellan reunited Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on the top line, and it paid off.Edmonton's dynamic duo combined for six points in the Oilers' 6-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night. McDavid had three helpers, while Draisaitl notched a goal and two assists - all of which came at even strength.Drake Caggiula, the third member of Edmonton's revamped top line, shouldn't go without mention. He picked up a goal on three shots, added three hits, and was plus-3 in the contest.McDavid and Draisaitl have had plenty of success playing together in the past - most notably during the 2016-17 season - but the Oilers split them up this season with the intention of rolling out a more balanced offense.It's safe to assume the Oilers will line up the same way Saturday against the provincial rival Calgary Flames. From there, the recipe to keeping McDavid and Draisaitl on the same line is probably quite simple: win.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

TORONTO - There aren't too many dates on the hockey calendar that warrant Hollywood treatment. The Hall of Fame induction night is one of them.The red carpet was rolled out Monday to welcome dozens of the sport's greats, all on hand to honor the Hall's newest members - Martin Brodeur, Martin St. Louis, Jayna Hefford, Alexander Yakushev, Willie O'Ree, and Gary Bettman.Here are some things we learned on the carpet:Gretzky may have a favoriteIf anybody can talk a teammate into the Hall of Fame, it's Wayne Gretzky.Asked to provide the name of someone who deserves to be enshrined but hasn't gotten the call, "The Great One" enthusiastically put forth Kevin Lowe.Gretzky and Lowe, a rugged NHL defenseman for 19 seasons from 1979 to 1997, played together in Edmonton for nearly a decade. The latter is tied for 10th on the all-time list in NHL titles won."I'm biased, I'm a teammate. You win six Stanley Cups and you're an unselfish player and you’re part of a dynasty and part of what makes a team great," Gretzky said of Lowe, now 59."When you're kids, it’s all about having fun, scoring goals, and just enjoying it. When you're a professional athlete, it’s about winning. Championships to me are everything."Lamoriello is in Gary's cornerAbout an hour before Gary Bettman wisecracked about getting into the Hall despite facing a barrage of boos every time he appears in public, Lou Lamoriello came to the defense of the longtime NHL commissioner.Lamoriello, a 2009 Hall of Fame inductee, urged prickly fans to consider Bettman's 25-year body of work."I think if you take a step back and look at what the commissioner has done for this game, how he's expanded the game, how he’s been aggressive in changing the game as the players changed - the speed and strength of the game - it needed changes to allow the game to be the greatest game it is today," Lamoriello said."You have to be special to do that, and you have to satisfy a lot of ownership to get a lot of these decisions made, and he has a way of getting everybody to come together. We hear boos in different buildings, but sometimes I think that's a lot of respect too."Healy's motivated to helpIt was a little odd that the NHL and a group of retired players reached a tentative settlement in a concussion lawsuit on Monday, of all days.Maybe a coincidence, or perhaps a strategic public relations move by the league and its lawyers to pair the so-called win with Bettman's induction?Either way, NHL Alumni Association president Glenn Healy is motivated by the $18.9-million payout, even though it falls way short of the settlement that NFL players received from their league."I think the biggest thing for us is that it's a step. It's a real step in the right direction to get hope back to families," Healy said. "The calls that I get are never from the player. They're always from the wives, always from the kids that say to me, 'I want Dad back.' And so, it's a step in the right direction today to try to get some help and some hope for players."This is not the end game. We're not done here. The Alumni is going to dig in with this as well. There will never be an out of bounds. There will always be an issue with this. This is a fast, dangerous game, and we're not going to stop until we can help every player."Brodeur can (or at least could) ballMartin Brodeur did just about everything over the course of a 22-year career.He won three Stanley Cups, two Olympic gold medals, four Vezina Trophies, claimed the all-time wins record, and scored multiple goals.According to old teammate and ex-Devils captain Scott Niedermayer, Brodeur's athletic accomplishments extended beyond hockey."I remember we were playing some basketball one day down in Florida. We had a day off," Niedermayer said. "Most of us are terrible, couldn't make a shot, and there’s Marty. It looks like he's played basketball for 30 years. He was just a natural. He was a heck of an athlete."St. Louis may never changeUnderstandably, given the hockey world's resentment towards players his size at the time, Martin St. Louis had a chip on his shoulder when he broke into the NHL.Dave Andreychuk, one of St. Louis' mentors and a 2017 inductee, insists the Marty-vs-the-world mentality persisted within the 5-foot-8 winger, remaining a part of his attitude through an illustrious career."I don't think it ever left. Right until the end, right?" Andreychuk said. "He was trying to prove to the world that he belongs and that’s his demeanor. That's who he is. When you think about the career path for Marty, and what he did, I’m in amazement just like everybody else."Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Put Matt Cullen's name atop the list of players who weren't happy seeing noted repeat offender Tom Wilson get his 20-game suspension reduced to 14 on Tuesday."When the next CBA comes up, that’s something we (should) address," Cullen told Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, speaking of the lengthy appeal process. "I don’t think anybody is real happy with it."Wilson had already served 16 games of his suspension, so he's eligible to play immediately. He also saved $378,048.78 in lost salary.There may be a high level of animosity against Wilson in the Penguins' locker room - at least more so than others around the league - given that the two sides have met in the playoffs three years in a row. Wilson delivered a pair of questionable hits on Zach Aston-Reese and Brian Dumoulin during last year's second-round matchup."I don’t think it’s a good look for our league, for our game to need to go to appeals," Cullen said. "You’d like the headlines to be about the play on the ice and the players, not the other (stuff) going on outside of the game."I think most guys probably don’t love that - that it got reduced in that manner as far as going to appeal after appeal."The NHL was certainly hoping the lengthy suspension would make Wilson think twice before delivering another questionable hit, but Cullen doesn't believe it'll affect his reckless on-ice demeanor."Honestly I don’t know how much any of that really changes a player," Cullen said. "I think it has to come from within your organization, people working with somebody to change."Obviously it’s the only way the league can deal with it, but something like that, I think that has to be within the organization as far as putting the pressure on a guy to change the way he plays."The Penguins and Capitals will square off Dec. 19 in Washington.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Arizona Coyotes have agreed to a six-year contract extension with defenseman Jakob Chychrun, the team announced Tuesday.The deal reportedly carries an average annual value of $4.6 million, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman."Jakob is a young, highly skilled defenseman with an incredibly bright future," Coyotes general manager John Chayka said in a statement. "He has battled through some adversity with injuries the last two years, but we remain confident that he has the necessary size, talent and work ethic to be one of our core players for many years to come."Chychrun is set to make his season debut Tuesday after missing the first 16 games of the year while recovering from offseason knee surgery.The 20-year-old is in the final year of his entry-level contract. In 50 games with Arizona last season, the blue-liner picked up four goals and 10 assists.Arizona selected Chychrun with the 16th pick in the 2016 draft.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Warning: Story contains coarse languageFormer NHL enforcer Daniel Carcillo won't opt into Monday's proposed concussion lawsuit settlement between the NHL and NHLPA. Instead, he wants to take the league to court.The two sides reached a tentative settlement agreement for a suit filed in 2016 that alleges the NHL promoted a violent style of play without adequately warning players about the risks of head trauma. The $18.9-million settlement sum will be divided among the more than 300 former players that were included in the suit. However, each player has 75 days to choose if they want to opt in or out of the agreement. Carcillo, for his part, has decided to opt out, saying he wants the NHL to admit liability for failing to sufficiently protect the health of the league's players."This fight is about holding those people accountable so they do admit they had liability and they do admit fault and they say they're sorry," Carcillo told Katie Strang of The Athletic. "What I want most is just an apology, acceptance (from the NHL) that 'we fucked up' and 'we make a promise to do better.' And that's it. That's all I’m looking for. And until we get that, I will bring them to court, I'll have the ability to subpoena them, to do my deposition, which will eventually become public, which will be very eye-opening for people. … It's going to be a very truthful account of what happened before parents put their kids into these collision sports."Carcillo racked up 1,233 penalty minutes and sustained numerous concussions during his nine-year NHL career. He's been an outspoken player health advocate since his retirement in 2015."I just want the truth to come out. That's all. I want people to see how evil they are. I want people to understand they created a role for me to play. They created these roles for fighters to play. They encouraged it," Carcillo said. "I was never educated about the risk.""I know this is my life's calling," he added. "This is what I'm here for now. This is what I plan on doing."Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask rejoined the team Tuesday following a leave of absence, general manager Don Sweeney announced.Rask was back on the ice with his teammates at morning practice, and it appears he'll play either Friday or Saturday, according to Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com.The team granted Rask's leave of absence for a personal matter, which Sweeney noted wasn't health-related, on Friday. Without the veteran netminder, the Bruins went 2-0, recording wins against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vegas Golden Knights on home ice.

The New Jersey Devils have placed center Brian Boyle on injured reserve with an upper-body injury, the team announced Tuesday.In the club's most recent game Sunday versus the Winnipeg Jets, Boyle was on the receiving end of a devastating hit from Dustin Byfuglien.

The Dallas Stars can't seem to catch a break.Forward Devin Shore will be out for seven-to-10 days after suffering a lower-body injury during Monday's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, head coach Jim Montgomery announced postgame.Shore's injury occurred in the same game in which Alexander Radulov made his return to the lineup after a six-game absence. The Stars recently lost defenseman John Klingberg for a month due to a hand injury.Fellow blue-liners Marc Methot and Connor Carrick will also require more time to recover from their ailments, according to DallasStars.com's Mike Heika.Shore isn't a household name league-wide, but he entered Monday in a tie for fourth on the team in points with 11 and had enjoyed success skating on the team's top line alongside Tyler Seguin.The 24-year-old was Dallas' second-round pick in 2012.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun will be activated off injured reserve and make his season debut Tuesday against the Detroit Red Wings, according to 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station’s John Gambadoro.Chychrun suffered a season-ending knee injury on April 3, 2018 after he was slew-footed by Calgary Flames forward Michael Frolik.Arizona selected Chychrun 16th overall in the 2016 NHL Draft. The 20-year-old has already logged 118 career NHL games across two seasons, scoring 11 goals and adding 23 assists.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

BUFFALO - Nobody was supposed to be talking about the Vancouver Canucks this season. Thanks to "The Alien," "The Flow," "Bo," and sidekicks "Goldy" and "Shotgun Jake," the opposite's the case.But introducing that cast of characters to NHL fans required saying goodbye to the franchise's stars. While April's simultaneous farewells to Henrik and Daniel Sedin put a bow on the most successful two decades in club history, the twins' exit also signaled the end of an agonizing transition from Generation X to Generation Z."They were great players for the organization for a long time but, with their retirement, it's given some other players an opportunity to step up and fill that void," Canucks general manager Jim Benning told theScore on the weekend.Heading into Monday night's game with the Rangers in New York, the 10-6-2 Canucks have scored more goals than 27 teams and sit alone atop the Pacific Division. It's a strange sight considering that the roster's wildly incomplete and the team's underlying numbers aren't pretty.But one undeniable truth has emerged in Vancouver: In the Sedins' absence, the kids are running the show - and they're damn good."We knew it was going to be a challenge here, with Hank and Danny being gone," said Bo Horvat, the blossoming two-way center and potential future captain. "To lose them was definitely tough, but we have guys that are stepping up and taking their spot."To properly understand the monumental task Benning and head coach Travis Green are undertaking in the post-Sedin era, recall Vancouver's pitiful recent performance.From 2015-16 through 2017-18, the Canucks were legitimately the worst team in the league, ranking last or near the bottom in several key statistical categories:CATEGORYCANUCKSNHL RANKPoints %44.131stCorsi for %47.626thShooting %8.329thSave %90.723rdPower play %17.228thPenalty kill %78.729thSo, how are these Canucks doing it, and what might their early-season success say about Vancouver's long-term prospects?The 1-2-3 punchOK, about those first few nicknames: Transcendent rookie center Elias Pettersson is "The Alien," or "Petey"; "The Flow" is sophomore sharpshooter Brock Boeser; and "Bo" is Horvat, the trusty leader.In the wake of Pettersson's blistering start - including 10 goals and seven assists in 12 games, and a spot in the imaginary GIF Hall of Fame - he's already being mentioned in the same breath as Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Peter Forsberg, Patrice Bergeron, and (wait for it) Wayne Gretzky. That's some out-of-this-world company."He's going to turn out to be his own player. I'm not going to compare him to anybody," Benning said. "But I can tell you this about him: He has that awareness out there where he seems to know where all the players are on the other team and where all of his teammates are when he has the puck on his stick."

The Nashville Predators placed forward Viktor Arvidsson on injured reserve with an upper-body injury Monday, per the team.The designation comes just one game after Arvidsson returned from injured reserve following a three-game absence due to a lower-body injury.The 25-year-old apparently sustained the upper-body injury late in the third period of Saturday night's game against the Dallas Stars when he crashed into the boards after being slashed by defenseman Esa Lindell, according to The Athletic's Adam Vingan.

Los Angeles Kings goalies can't catch a break.Jack Campbell will undergo surgery to repair a torn meniscus and miss the next four-to-six weeks, the team announced Monday. The injury occurred during the club's 1-0 loss to the Calgary Flames on Saturday night.The news comes with Jonathan Quick already sidelined indefinitely after undergoing surgery for a torn meniscus of his own two weeks ago.In a corresponding move, the Kings recalled Cal Petersen from the Ontario Reign of the American Hockey League. The 24-year-old has had a rough go this season, going 2-3-1 with a 4.29 goals-against average and a .881 save percentage in the AHL.Campbell had fared admirably in Quick's absence, posting a 5-7-0 record with a 2.33 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

This is the fourth edition of theScore's 2018-19 NHL Power Rankings, which will be published every two weeks during the regular season. It was compiled by editors Josh Gold-Smith, Craig Hagerman, and Josh Wegman.1. Nashville Predators (13-3-0)The Predators are still at the top of the NHL food chain, riding a five-game win streak and recording eight victories in their last 10. Nashville boasts the league's best record along with the best goal differential (plus-21), and, remarkably, they're undefeated in eight road contests so far this season. -- Gold-SmithPreviously: 1st2. Tampa Bay Lightning (12-4-1)The Lightning are 5-2-0 since our last edition of these rankings, and reigning Norris Trophy winner Victor Hedman picked up where he left off in his return from injury Saturday, scoring a beautiful end-to-end goal. Tampa Bay lost that game to the Ottawa Senators, but it's clear the Lightning are still one of the NHL's most dominant clubs. -- Gold-SmithPreviously: 2nd3. Minnesota Wild (11-4-2) ▲Minnesota's recent rise hasn't gotten enough attention, as a resurgent Devan Dubnyk and a stellar penalty kill have helped the team ascend in the standings. The Wild have won 10 of their last 12 games and went 5-2-0 on a seven-game road trip, proving they're a deep and dangerous outfit from top to bottom. -- Gold-SmithPreviously: 8th4. Toronto Maple Leafs (11-6-0) ▼The Maple Leafs are tied for the third-best goal differential in the NHL and boast the fourth-best record, impressive accomplishments considering they're without the injured Auston Matthews and holdout William Nylander. Toronto didn't look good in Saturday's 5-1 loss to the Boston Bruins, but on the whole, the Leafs have shown they can be more than competitive without two significant pieces, and that bodes well for them. -- Gold-SmithPreviously: 3rd5. Calgary Flames (10-7-1) ▲The Flames have won five of their previous seven games, beating the Leafs, Buffalo Sabres, and the Colorado Avalanche in addition to the lowly Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings.David Rittich has been perhaps the biggest reason for Calgary's success of late. If he continues to provide the Flames with elite goaltending, they should have no trouble contending for a playoff spot. -- Gold-SmithPreviously: 19th6. Winnipeg Jets (10-5-1)Darcy Finley / National Hockey League / GettyWinnipeg has given no reason to doubt that they remain one of the NHL's elite clubs despite having played fewer games than some of their counterparts. The Jets' power play is the most efficient in the league at this point, and they have one of the NHL's deepest rosters. -- Gold-SmithPreviously: 6th7. Boston Bruins (10-5-2) ▲Jaroslav Halak's strong play in the crease has helped the Bruins immensely, and they've proven to be resilient in a variety of ways early on. Despite a slew of injuries, Boston remains in the hunt in the Atlantic Division. -- Gold-SmithPreviously: 10th8. Vancouver Canucks (10-6-2) ▲There's no denying the Canucks have obliterated expectations early on. Elias Pettersson has been unreal, and although the club is now without Brock Boeser again, Vancouver is a team that opponents need to take seriously. -- Gold-SmithPreviously: 22nd9. Montreal Canadiens (9-5-3)Another team that's far exceeded expectations is the Canadiens. There's a long way to go, but no one would've predicted Montreal would lead the entire league in 5-on-5 goals at this point. Trade acquisitions Max Domi and Tomas Tatar are making major contributions, and even though Carey Price has been bad lately, the Canadiens are one of the NHL's biggest early-season surprises. -- Gold-SmithPreviously: 9th10. Buffalo Sabres (9-6-2) ▲Sara Schmidle / National Hockey League / GettyThe Sabres have been one of the most fun teams in the league to watch so far, pulling off a late-game comeback to stun the Canucks on Saturday. Jeff Skinner has excelled in his new surroundings, and Rasmus Dahlin is looking more comfortable at the NHL level with each passing game. -- Gold-SmithPreviously: 15th11. Philadelphia Flyers (9-7-1) ▲The Flyers have been nearly perfect over the last two weeks, going 5-0-1 in six games. Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier have been driving the bus, with Giroux posting 11 points and Couturier chipping in eight in that span.Brian Elliott, meanwhile, is having a bit of a resurrection, having gone perfect in four games while posting a .960 save percentage and a 1.12 goals-against average. -- HagermanPreviously: 27th12. Dallas Stars (9-6-2) ▲Dallas has been solid in its last six games, going 4-1-2 with wins over the Canadiens, Maple Leafs, Capitals, and Sharks. The Stars haven't quite blown the doors off, rocking a plus-one goal differential in those games, but they've been without top forward Alexander Radulov.Now, with Radulov appearing ready to return, the club is about to endure a stretch of at least a month without John Klingberg. It'll be interesting to see how Dallas responds without its top defender. -- HagermanPreviously: 18th13. New York Rangers (8-7-2) ▲They may not be in the playoff conversation, but there's no getting around the fact that the Rangers have been red hot of late. The team has rattled off five wins in its last six contests.New York is getting contributions throughout its lineup, including from budding defenseman Neal Pionk, who scored his first three goals of the season in consecutive games from Nov. 4 to Nov. 9. Of course, it's also worth noting that Kevin Hayes, Jimmy Vesey, and Mika Zibanejad have all combined for 20 points in six games. -- HagermanPreviously: 29th14. Columbus Blue Jackets (9-6-2) ▼The Blue Jackets' last two weeks have been a mixed bag, with big wins over the Sharks and Stars combined with deflating losses to the Red Wings and Kings. Sergei Bobrovsky looks to be returning to his Vezina-caliber form, having allowed just one goal against in four of his past five games. Then there's Seth Jones, who hasn't missed a beat since returning from injury, posting eight points in 10 games. -- HagermanPreviously: 11th15. San Jose Sharks (9-6-3) ▼Brandon Magnus / National Hockey League / GettyIt seems the Sharks haven't quite hit their stride yet. The team sits in the middle of the pack in the NHL in goals for, in the bottom third in goals against, and Erik Karlsson has yet to score a goal with his new club.The Sharks have too much talent for things not to straighten out, but for now, they're playing like an average hockey club. -- HagermanPreviously: 12th16. Washington Capitals (7-6-3) ▼There's a lot to like about the Capitals early on, as they have the second-best power play and Alex Ovechkin is still scoring in bunches. However, they're struggling to keep the puck out of the net.Washington now has a minus-two goal differential thanks to a 4-1 loss to the Coyotes on Sunday, its penalty kill is among the worst in the league, and Braden Holtby possesses a measly .900 save percentage. That's not good. -- HagermanPreviously: 14th17. Pittsburgh Penguins (7-5-3) ▼The Penguins' offense had dried up prior to a 4-0 win over the Coyotes on Saturday, managing to find the back of the net just seven times in five games. One golden nugget for Pittsburgh is that Sidney Crosby is back doing his thing, having put up three goals and five points in six games. -- HagermanPreviously: 4th18. St. Louis Blues (6-6-3) ▲The Blues are playing marginally better after goaltender Jake Allen suggested the team had hit rock bottom last week. The team has won three of its last five contests, spearheaded by Ryan O'Reilly, who's recorded points in 10 straight games. -- HagermanPreviously: 21st19. Carolina Hurricanes (7-7-3) ▼The Hurricanes have hit a bump in the road after a blistering start, having lost five of their past six games while averaging just over two goals for per game.Sebastian Aho has gone goalless in his last 12 games, and no Hurricanes player has managed more than two goals over the past two weeks. On the bright side, the club is still firing the puck at a ridiculous rate, averaging over 42 shots per game over its last six contests. -- HagermanPreviously: 7th20. Edmonton Oilers (8-8-1) ▼Stop me if you've heard this one before: The Oilers are struggling to produce offense outside Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.In Edmonton's last four games, all losses, the two have combined to score four of the team's six goals, with Draisaitl alone scoring three times. The club is 2-5-0 in its past seven, but it's not time to panic yet. -- HagermanPreviously 13th21. Colorado Avalanche (8-6-3) ▼Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / GettyThe top-line reliant Avalanche will ride the highs and lows of their dynamic trio. Colorado is 1-4-1 in its last six games, and Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Gabriel Landeskog have combined for five goals in that span. Considering the Avs count on their top line for over 50 percent of their offense, that's clearly not enough. -- WegmanPreviously 5th22. Detroit Red Wings (7-8-2) ▲The Red Wings have bounced back from a 1-7-2 start, winning six of their last seven games. Jimmy Howard has been stellar between the pipes, Dylan Larkin has carried the offense, and Dennis Cholowski has played himself into the Calder conversation, non-Pettersson division. -- WegmanPreviously 31st23. Florida Panthers (6-5-3) ▲It's amazing how a competent goaltender can ignite a club. The Panthers have won four straight games since Roberto Luongo returned from injury, and the 39-year-old netminder is off to one of the best starts of his career, sporting a .952 save percentage and a 1.42 goals-against average in limited action. -- WegmanPreviously 28th24. Ottawa Senators (7-8-3) ▲The Sens pulled off an impressive win against the Lightning on Saturday, but responded with an ugly defeat at the hands of the Panthers on Sunday. It'll be a season of peaks and valleys in Ottawa, but probably more of the latter. -- WegmanPreviously 25th25. New York Islanders (8-6-2) ▼Andy Marlin / National Hockey League / GettyBarry Trotz has done a nice job implementing some much-needed structure into the Islanders, but the lack of overall talent is starting to show, as they've dropped three straight games. -- WegmanPreviously 23rd26. Arizona Coyotes (8-7-1) ▼Arizona is 6-2-1 since Alex Galchenyuk made his Coyotes debut, but is just 1-2-1 since Antti Raanta went down with an injury. Aside from Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Galchenyuk and Raanta are easily the club's two most important pieces. The Coyotes could compete for a playoff spot in the wide-open Pacific Divison, but - perhaps more so than other teams - they'll need good health in order to do so. -- WegmanPreviously 20th27. Vegas Golden Knights (7-10-1) ▼During Vegas' miraculous inaugural season, pundits predicted it'd only be a matter of time before the Golden Knights began to look like a true expansion team. They may have been a year off. -- WegmanPreviously 24th28. Anaheim Ducks (7-8-3) ▼The Ducks get out shot by an average of 37-25 per game. It doesn't take an expert to point out that's not a winning recipe. If Anaheim makes the playoffs, it'll be because John Gibson is in the Hart Trophy conversation. -- WegmanPreviously 26th29. New Jersey Devils (6-8-1) ▼Despite a surprising playoff appearance a year ago, the Devils are beginning to look like a squad that lacks any game-breaking talent outside of Taylor Hall, which is exactly what they are. -- WegmanPreviously 16th30. Chicago Blackhawks (6-8-3) ▼Joel Quenneville's firing hasn't yielded the results Stan Bowman had hoped for, as the Blackhawks are 0-2-0 with Jeremy Colliton behind the bench. Regardless, a coaching change was never going to make up for the team's total lack of depth. -- WegmanPreviously 17th31. Los Angeles Kings (5-10-1) ▼A coaching change hasn't made the Kings any younger or faster. Shocking! -- WegmanPreviously 30thCopyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Consider Wayne Gretzky on board the Elias Pettersson hype train.The Great One dished out some high praise when asked about the Vancouver Canucks phenom, saying he sees a lot of similarities between his game and Pettersson's.

The NHL has reached a tentative non-class settlement in the concussion lawsuit filed by former players, the league announced Monday.The lawsuit, filed in 2016, alleges that the NHL promoted a style of play that led to head trauma while failing to adequately warn players about the risks of such injuries or improve measures for preventing them.The NHL agreed to a maximum settlement of $18,922,000, to be distributed as follows:

A deadline has apparently been set for the NHL and NHLPA to agree on the next potential World Cup of Hockey.NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said Monday that the two sides have until the end of January to schedule the tournament or else there won't be enough time to put it together by September 2020, according to Nick Cotsonika of NHL.com.Daly recently stated that September 2020 is the ideal date for the next edition of the tournament, which was successfully rebirthed in 2016. However, there is potential for a significant roadblock along the way:

Every Monday, theScore will offer a weekly fantasy hockey column detailing five moves you should make. Ownership percentages (as of Nov. 11) and position eligibility are courtesy of Yahoo.Scoop up David RittichTeam: Flames

New York Rangers forward Pavel Buchnevich will be sidelined for the next four-to-six weeks after suffering a broken thumb against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday, the team announced Monday.The injury comes with Buchnevich in the midst of his best hockey of the season. The 23-year-old was instrumental as the Rangers went 5-0-1 in their last six games, registering three goals and six points, including a goal and a helper in Saturday's 5-4 shootout victory.Buchnevich sits tied for fourth on the team with nine points, and his 26.3 shooting percentage leads the Rangers.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers surprised some Saturday when they sent former first-round picks Jesse Puljujarvi and Kailer Yamamoto to the AHL after the pair combined for just two goals and one assist to open the season.Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli discussed the decision on Sunday."I think, broadly speaking, I'd like them to get more touches," Chiarelli told Derek Van Diest of the Edmonton Sun. "With Jesse, it's about getting his confidence back. I thought he had a strong camp and it didn't translate to the start of the season. You could see some of the frustration in his game, but having said that, there was some maturity in his game too, so we just have to build it back up a little bit. It's easier to do that down there with more minutes and a little more latitude and margin for error."With Yamo, I thought he played pretty well as a complementary player. He was responsible, he supported things without the puck, he was good on the PK. We took him out of the game, he sat a little bit and it was confidence. For him, it's about finishing, going down there and finishing his opportunities. He did have a lot of opportunities when he was up here and I didn't want his confidence to struggle either."Puljujarvi, the 2016 fourth overall pick, has totaled 32 points in 49 career AHL games, compared to just 29 points in 104 NHL contests."He was disappointed," Chiarelli said about Puljujarvi's multiple trips between the big club and the Bakersfield Condors. "We've done it each year with him, he was disappointed."Yamamoto, the No. 22 pick in 2017, returned to the WHL's Spokane Chiefs last year after a nine-game stint with the Oilers, so this will be his first taste of the AHL.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have asked teams to indicate what they would offer in exchange for William Nylander, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman."Word is they have asked teams to inform them who teams or interested parties would not be willing to move, and also to begin preparing formal offers for the unsigned Toronto winger," Friedman said during Hockey Night in Canada's Headlines segment on Saturday night.Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas declined to comment, Friedman added.Nylander is a restricted free agent who's entrenched in a contract stalemate with the Maple Leafs. If the two sides can't agree on a deal by Dec. 1, Nylander will be forced to sit out the remainder of the season.Toronto's Stanley Cup window is wide open, so going a full year without Nylander - or failing to receive assets in return for a dynamic winger - is certainly not ideal.Both Nylander's camp and Dubas have said they'd prefer a long-term contract instead of a short-term bridge deal.Dubas has previously stated he doesn't want to trade Nylander, but it appears that thought process might be changing because of the fast-approaching deadline.Nylander, Toronto's eighth overall pick in 2014, is coming off back-to-back 61-point seasons with the Maple Leafs.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Who's telling the truth?Montreal Canadiens owner Geoff Molson and general manager Marc Bergevin both stated two months ago that Max Pacioretty requested a trade out of La Belle Province.However, in an interview with Sportsnet's Christine Simpson that aired prior to Pacioretty's return to Montreal on Saturday, the Canadiens' former captain refuted Molson's statement."I don’t agree with that," Pacioretty said. "Heated conversations like that could get taken in different ways. I don’t believe that that’s what I said and I’ll just leave it at that."The Pacioretty trade had long been rumored before he was dealt to the Vegas Golden Knights on Sept. 9 in exchange for forward Tomas Tatar, prospect Nick Suzuki, and a second-round pick. Pacioretty said he was well aware the trade was being discussed."I knew there was a very likely chance I was going to get traded," Pacioretty said of his awkward interactions with Bergevin and Molson at his charity golf tournament just before the trade. "You try to not let it affect you. I’m a guy though, that’s very incapable of hiding things. (I’m a) pretty honest person where if something is bothering me, most people around me know, and maybe that led to that awkwardness."Pacioretty's tenure in Sin City is off to a slow start, as he had recorded just two goals and zero assists in 12 games entering Saturday night.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers have assigned forwards Jesse Puljujarvi and Kailer Yamamoto to the AHL, the team announced on Saturday.Puljujarvi, selected fourth overall in 2016, and Yamamoto, chosen with the 22nd pick the following year, have both struggled mightily this season. They've combined for just two goals and one assist through Edmonton's first 16 games.Yamamoto was even used briefly on the club's top line alongside Connor McDavid, but he still failed to produce. Meanwhile, Puljujarvi has been in and out of the lineup and often a healthy scratch.It's still far too early to write off either of these 20 year olds, but it's safe to say their NHL careers haven't started the way the Oilers had hoped.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman will make his return to the lineup against the Ottawa Senators, head coach Jon Cooper confirmed Saturday.Hedman missed seven games with what the club referred to as an upper-body injury that the blue-liner sustained in a collision with Ryan Reaves of the Vegas Golden Knights on Oct. 26.The Lighting went 5-2-0 without the reigning Norris Trophy winner, who averaged nearly 21 minutes of ice time through his first nine games of the season.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser is week to week after being sent home to see a specialist for his recurring groin injury, head coach Travis Green announced Saturday.Boeser was sent back to the West coast in the midst of the Canucks' six-game road trip after missing Tuesday's contest against the Detroit Red Wings. He'd already missed two games with a groin injury earlier in the season before being ruled out again.In 13 appearances this year, Boeser has notched four goals and seven assists.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Blake Wheeler had quite the game on Friday night.The Winnipeg Jets captain had a hand in every one of his team's goals during a 5-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche. He tallied three primary assists, two points on the power play, and an empty-net goal to put the icing on the cake.Wheeler's first assist was not his prettiest of the night, but it counted.

The class-action concussion lawsuit former NHL players filed in 2016 is close to being settled for $18.9 million, according to Forbes' Mike Ozanian. The players would get $6.9 million as a group, which is $22,000 per player.The case is about NHL players who say they suffered concussions during their playing careers, whether the league and its teams did enough to ensure player safety at the time, and what responsibility the league has today.In an email obtained by Forbes, the law firm representing the former players recommends that its clients accept the league's settlement offer.Dan Carcillo, who played in 429 NHL games, is one of more than 100 former players involved in the lawsuit. Carcillo led the league in penalty minutes twice and suffered numerous concussions during his career.In March, he talked about his reasons for joining the lawsuit."I'm not a bitter guy looking to hurt the NHL," Carcillo said. "I'm not out for money. I'll donate anything I get to research. I just want to put pressure on the NHL and educate and advocate for guys."Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

ST. LOUIS (AP) Chad Johnson made 32 saves for his first shutout with St. Louis, helping the Blues beat the San Jose Sharks 4-0 on Friday night.Alex Pietrangelo, Ryan O'Reilly, Jaden Schwartz, and Alexander Steen scored. The Blues have won four of five games after winning just two of their first eight to start the season.Johnson started just his third game of the season, but his second straight. He improved to 2-2-0 with his first shutout since November 2016 with the Calgary Flames.Pietrangelo roofed a shot past goalie Aaron Dell with both teams down a man to open the scoring in the first period. Dell allowed four goals on 30 shots to fall to 1-2-2.San Jose lost its second consecutive game and was shutout for the second time this season.In the second period, O'Reilly buried a feed from Jaden Schwartz for his team-leading eighth goal of the season to give him points in a career-best nine consecutive games. He is the first St. Louis player to register a nine-game point streak in his first season with the team since Doug Weight accomplished the feat Oct. 4-25, 2001.Later in the second, Schwartz snapped a four-game scoring drought when he beat Dell on a pass from Tyler Bozak for his second goal of the season.Steen scored his fourth of the season 12:21 into the third period to push the St. Louis lead to 4-0.NOTES:Blues RW Vladimir Tarasenko extended his points streak to a season-best six games (four goals, four assists). ... LW Nikita Soshnikov made his season debut after being sidelined with post-concussion syndrome to start the season. ... San Jose has allowed at least three goals in nine consecutive games. ... Sharks D Brent Burns played in 406th consecutive game, the longest streak among active players.UP NEXT:Sharks: Host Calgary on Sunday to open a six-game homestandBlues: Host Minnesota on Sunday.---More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP-SportsCopyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

James Sparklin, the Uber driver who posted a video of seven Ottawa Senators players criticizing their special teams coach, has spoken for the first time since the incident went viral."I was not in the right state of mind," Sparklin said, mentioning he wrestled with the decision and ultimately posted part of the video on YouTube while intoxicated, according to Kelly Egan of the Ottawa Citizen.Sparklin said he was aggravated about an unspecified incident that happened early in the trip regarding the number of passengers he had to transport, saying he was concerned he wouldn't be covered by his insurance in the event of an accident."What really upset me the most was, if I were to get in an accident, I don't believe the insurance would cover it. The million-dollar policy would go very fast," he said.Uber fired Sparklin for violating its terms of service, and he showed remorse for the incident."I didn't think about my actions at all," Sparklin said. "I wasn't trying to get money or anything like that. I got contacted and took it down right away."I'm worried about my name getting out, my life being ruined, and my children."The Senators players involved in the video have since apologized, and the team has gone 1-1 since it was thrust into the spotlight.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The aftermath of the Ottawa Senators' Uber scandal has taken another turn.The Ottawa Citizen - the newspaper that posted the video of seven Sens players trash talking assistant coach Marty Raymond while they were unknowingly being recorded during an Uber ride in Arizona - said on Friday that the club banned longtime reporter Ken Warren from the team's charter, according to the Canadian Press.This comes after the Citizen rejected the team's request to remove the video from its website on Wednesday.Warren had been given his usual travel itinerary, but upon arriving at the airport was told he couldn't board the team's flight to Tampa Bay."I can confirm it happened this morning," said the paper's editor-in-chief Michelle Richardson. "For us, it doesn’t really change our fundamentals. We’re still committed to covering the Senators, both the good and the bad. Our coverage is important to our readers and to their fans and that’s not going to change."This isn't the first time the Senators have banned a reporter from the team's charter, according to Postmedia's Michael Traikos.TSN's Brent Wallace also lost his seat on the plane last year after asking owner Eugene Melnyk about a report that suggested he had been withholding bonus money from his employees. Melnyk denied the allegation, but once the cameras were turned off, bystanders saw him turn to Wallace and say, "I’m going to bury you," according to Traikos.Traikos adds that the Senators are the lone remaining NHL club to allow reporters to travel with the team, but Sylvain St-Laurent of Le Droit is one of the few who still has a seat.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Dallas Stars defenseman John Klingberg will be out a little longer than initially expected.The 26-year-old underwent hand surgery Friday and will be out a minimum of four weeks, head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters. He was originally expected to miss three weeks.Klingberg suffered the injury during his club's 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, though it's not clear when it occurred.The blue-liner sits second on the team in scoring with 13 points and paces the club with six power-play points in 16 games.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A concussion is at the root of Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy's absence, general manager Don Sweeney announced Friday.The 20-year-old has missed the Bruins' last eight games, having not suited up since Oct. 18 against the Edmonton Oilers when he suffered the head injury."He’s been in protocol since (the Edmonton game) and is progressing - no timeline (on a return) but making progress," Sweeney said.Sweeney noted that the Bruins aren't sure when exactly the hit that gave McAvoy the concussion occurred, but the blue-liner did skate in the last few days, according to Joe Haggerty of NBC Sports Boston.Injuries have limited the sophomore to just seven games this season, but he's been productive when healthy, contributing one goal and six points.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Boston Bruins have granted goaltender Tuukka Rask a leave of absence relating to a personal matter, the team announced Friday.The reason for his absence or its potential length is unknown, but general manager Don Sweeney said the matter isn't health related.Rask has yet to find his groove in the 2018-19 season, owning a 4-4 record with a .901 save percentage.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Could Gritty have a future in politics? Some people in New Jersey apparently think so.The Philadelphia Flyers' mascot earned 14 write-in votes from residents in Camden, N.J. in the midterm elections, according to Michael Blinn of the New York Post. There was a pair of votes for Gritty to be county sheriff and another two for the U.S. House in N.J. District 1.A graphic shown on the video board at Wells Fargo Center on Thursday night claimed that Gritty received write-in votes in 46 states, though there has been no confirmation of that yet.

Tomas Plekanec announced his retirement from the NHL on Friday after the Montreal Canadiens placed him on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract.

Thanks to the generosity of one Washington Capitals fan, the entirety of Thursday night's 50/50 jackpot at Capital One Arena will be donated to the victims of the recent Pittsburgh synagogue shooting.The Capitals announced ahead of their game against the Penguins that they would donate half the jackpot to the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh to benefit the victims and families of the Tree of Life Synagogue, where an Oct. 27 shooting left 11 people dead and six injured.A Capitals season-ticket holder won the raffle but chose to donate their portion of the winnings to the victims too. The jackpot donation from the Capitals and the winning fan totaled $38,570.