The Chicago Blackhawks inked forward Jason Dickinson to a two-year contract extension with a $4.25-million cap hit, the club announced Tuesday.Dickinson was a pending unrestricted free agent. The 28-year-old ranks third on the team with 21 points in 43 games this season. His career-high 14 goals trail only Connor Bedard by one.The Ontario-born center plays on both sides of special teams for Chicago, suiting up on the second power-play unit and first penalty-killing group.Dickinson is in his second campaign with the Blackhawks, who acquired him in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks in October 2022. He's in the final season of a three-year pact he signed with his former club in the summer of 2021. It carries a cap hit of $2.65 million, according to CapFriendly.He spent his first six campaigns with the Dallas Stars, who drafted him 29th overall in 2013.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vegas Golden Knights star Jack Eichel is considered week-to-week after undergoing successful surgery to address his lower-body injury, the team announced Tuesday.What caused Eichel's issue still isn't clear, but he exited Thursday's game against the Boston Bruins. He was able to return to the contest and collected a goal and an assist in the 2-1 overtime victory, but he missed Vegas' next two games.The forward said he felt good after the clash against Boston, but head coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters on Saturday that Eichel was still experiencing some soreness.Eichel's status for the All-Star Weekend, which takes place Feb. 1-3, is currently unknown.The 27-year-old paces the Golden Knights in goals (19) and is tied for the team lead in points (44) across 42 games.Vegas has struggled of late, going 4-8-0 in its last 12 games, but the team still holds the second spot in the Pacific Division with a 25-14-5 record.The Golden Knights have a matchup with the New York Rangers on Thursday.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Minnesota Wild are struggling this season, but general manager Bill Guerin wasn't about to declare his team dead in the water during his midseason availability on Monday."There's a lot of hockey left. Just keep playing," he said before Minnesota's 5-0 win over the New York Islanders. "This has been a bit of a crazy year. Bad start, coaching change, play great under (coach John Hynes) for the first 15 games, injuries to key players at the same time like I've never seen before. It seems that we've lost our way a bit, but hey look, there are some positives.""We're definitely not ready to wave the white flag or anything like that," Guerin continued. "We just want to get healthy and move forward and see what we can do."Monday's victory over New York ended Minnesota's four-game losing streak. The Wild had lost eight of their last nine contests, punctuated by a 6-0 thrashing at the hands of the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday.Minnesota now sits in seventh place in the Central Division, ahead of only the Chicago Blackhawks. Climbing back into the postseason picture is a relatively big ask: The Wild are six points out of a wild-card spot with four other teams ahead of them."If we're going to make the playoffs, we need to be a lot better than we've been," Guerin said. "Our core guys, our big players have to be better and produce at more key times. ... I still believe in this group, and I know people are going to say I'm crazy, but I do."He added, "We don't have games to waste. We don't have time to waste. That's the reality of it."The executive isn't blaming the Wild's current situation solely on injuries, but Minnesota is starting to get healthier, with Kirill Kaprizov, Filip Gustavsson, and Jonas Brodin all returning to the lineup recently.As a result, Guerin is keeping an open mind when it comes to his plans for the trade deadline, which is over seven weeks away on March 8."The only way I'd do something now is if it was going to help us improve our team right now," he said. "Other than that, I like our team, I like our players. I think they have to be given a chance to perform again as a healthy group."And then we'll address the deadline when we get there. I don't think I can give you an answer today and just say, 'We're doing this' because a lot can change."With around $14.7 million in dead cap space, per CapFriendly, the Wild don't have a ton of flexibility to shake up their roster.Next up for Minnesota is a clash against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The irony isn't lost on this bettor that, after mentioning the Golden Knights were down to "just" Mark Stone and Jonathan Marchessault as healthy impact scorers on Monday, those two virtually beat the Predators by themselves. Stone scored a hat trick and Marchessault added the other goal in a 4-1 win as if they were spite-filled, avid readers of our semi-daily best bets.As expected, the Wild were at full attention, steamrolling the Islanders 5-0. So it came down to what was indeed an even matchup between the Flyers and Blues, only for St. Louis to allow this goal:

Move over, Patrick Roy.Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury picked up career victory No. 552 on Monday against the New York Islanders, passing his childhood idol for sole possession of second place on the NHL's all-time wins list.RankPlayerWinsGP1Martin Brodeur69112662Marc-Andre Fleury55210073Patrick Roy5511029Fleury accomplished the feat in epic fashion, stopping all 21 shots he faced in the 5-0 victory to record his 74th career shutout - two back of Ed Belfour and Tony Esposito for a share of 10th on the all-time list.

Though the Montreal Canadiens have a bit of a logjam in the crease, general manager Kent Hughes isn't guaranteeing he'll make a move to thin things out."We decided to keep three goalies and evaluate the potential trades from there," he told reporters during his midseason availability, as translated by Montreal Hockey Now's Marc Dumont. "The plan was not to have three goalies all year. It's still not the plan. But I can't tell you 100% that we'll make a goaltender trade."Goaltending has been a position of need for multiple teams this campaign. The Oilers were reportedly interested in the Habs' trio of Jake Allen, Sam Montembeault, and Cayden Primeau during Edmonton's early-season slump.The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun also pointed out the Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils as teams to monitor in early December. For the Hurricanes, Frederik Andersen is out indefinitely due to a blood clotting issue, while Antti Raanta has struggled immensely. In New Jersey, both Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid have performed below expectations.Here's how the Canadiens' three netminders have fared this season:GoalieGPSV%GAAGSAAGSAXJake Allen14 (4-8-2).9003.52-0.963.04Sam Montembeault20 (9-6-4).9092.894.269.89Cayden Primeau9 (4-4-1).9053.13-0.091.46(Advanced stats source: Evolving-Hockey)Montembeault, who signed a three-year extension with a $3.15-million cap hit in December, has started the lion's share of the Canadiens' games this campaign. Allen, a 33-year-old veteran, is signed through 2025 with an average annual value of $3.85 million. His pact includes a modified no-trade clause. Primeau, the youngest of the group at 24 years old, is signed for one more campaign at an $890,000 cap hit.Hughes noted that he didn't want to place Primeau on waivers to ease the Canadiens' surplus out of fear of losing the netminder.In addition, Hughes said he doesn't feel any "urgency" to clear out Montreal's wealth of defensemen, per Sportsnet. He added that there's "no question" he wants to add some offense and isn't opposed to using the Canadiens' depth in other positions, or picks, to get something done, according to Dumont.The executive also addressed Cole Caufield's struggles to find the back of the net this season. Caufield has just 12 goals in 42 games this campaign while being hampered by a 7.8% shooting percentage after tallying 26 goals in 46 outings last season."I won't use the words worrisome or disappointing, but you want to see your scorers score," Hughes said, as translated by Eyes on the Prize's Jared Book. "What I don't want is (for Cole to play) differently because he feels pressure. We want Cole to be Cole."The Canadiens currently sit in sixth place in the Atlantic Division with a 17-18-7 record.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program, the league announced Monday.Nichushkin will be away indefinitely while receiving care. He can return to the team when cleared for competition by the program administrators."I have made the decision to seek help and enter the player assistance program," Nichushkin said in a statement released by the Avalanche. "My goal is to address my issues and prevent any negative outcomes once and for all."I want to thank my wife and family, my friends, the Avalanche organization, and all of our fans for their understanding and support. I will do everything I can to get back on the ice and join my teammates as soon as possible."The 28-year-old has tallied 22 goals and 42 points through 40 games this season. Nichushkin's 21:49 time on ice per contest ranks fourth among all forwards league-wide.Nichushkin's $6.125-million cap hit continues to count against Colorado's cap while he's away from the team.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A busy weekend proved that the Canucks are still a wagon that's not to be trifled with, no matter the perceived value in fading Vancouver.Meanwhile, the Rangers and Capitals split a home-and-home, and almost all of the underdogs fell short. The exceptions were the Flyers toppling the NHL's top team at the time and the Red Wings guiding Maple Leafs fans down their 12th downward spiral of the season.These results, among others from the weekend, may inform an unusually busy Monday.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 BETNJD@BOS40.6/59.4NJD +173/BOS -141SJS@BUF34.3/65.7SJS +230/BUF -183ANA@FLA28.8/71.2ANA +304/FLA -236VAN@CBJ52.8/47.2VAN -108/CBJ +132LAK@CAR45.0/55.0LAK +144/CAR -117SEA@PIT43.0/57.0SEA +156/PIT -127NYI@MIN43.4/56.6NYI +154/MIN -125NSH@VGK51.4/48.6NSH +105/VGK +117COL@MTL58.6/41.4COL -136/MTL +168PHI@STL45.5/54.5PHI +141/STL -115Best bets for Jan. 15Islanders (-105) @ Wild (-115)The Wild went 1-6 without Kirill Kaprizov. The return of Minnesota's top scorer Saturday still didn't help the team as the Wild lost 6-0 at home to the Coyotes.Why is that a good thing for Minnesota's chances Monday night?For starters, the Wild's market rating has dipped to a similar level as when Kaprizov was out, thus increasing their value for a wager. More interestingly, nothing motivates professional athletes more than humiliation. The quotes that came from the Wild's locker room after Saturday's fiasco suggest we can expect their best effort here. Minnesota also gets a chance to send a message to the home crowd against the Islanders, who themselves are 3-6 since the Christmas break.Pick: Wild (-115)Predators (+105) @ Golden Knights (-125)How low can we go with the Golden Knights' rating?Jack Eichel joined William Karlsson, William Carrier, Shea Theodore, and a trio of goaltenders on the team's injury list, and Vegas lost 3-1 to the Flames on Saturday. That matchup was almost a pick'em at T-Mobile Arena, signaling that the Golden Knights' market rating has tumbled. Add Chandler Stephenson to the walking wounded, and you're left with Mark Stone and Jonathan Marchessault as the only players with more than a half-point per game.Since edging the Sharks and Flames at home in mid-December, Vegas is 4-9. Additionally, the Predators are better on the road than at home. They have the fourth-best five-on-five expected goals share in the league away from Nashville and an 11-8 record to go with it.Pick: Predators (+105)Flyers (-105) @ Blues (-115)The Blues haven't exactly dominated since firing Craig Berube, but their results since Dec. 12 have been very similar to Philadelphia's.TEAM RECORD xG%Flyers8-846.0%Blues8-646.1%It looks even better for the Blues when you break it down to home/road splits. They have a 50% expected goals share on home ice, while the Flyers are 44.8% at even strength on the road.If you look at these two clubs as equals at this point in the season, there's even more value on the home team at nearly a pick'em.Pick: Blues (-115)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.

This is the seventh in-season edition of theScore's NHL Power Rankings for the 2023-24 campaign. Check back for updated rankings every other Monday.In this edition, we pick each team's MVP at the halfway point of the season.1. Winnipeg Jets (28-10-4)Previous rank: 4Connor Hellebuyck. There's no need to overthink this one. The Jets' No. 1 netminder is amid a brilliant season, owning a .924 save percentage and 18.8 goals saved above average through 31 starts.2. Vancouver Canucks (29-11-3)Previous rank: 5Elias Pettersson. Look, this mantle could have gone to five different Canucks, but we're choosing Pettersson. He paces Vancouver in wins above replacement (2.8) and goals above replacement (17.6) while ranking second on the team with 57 points in 43 games.3. Florida Panthers (27-13-2)Previous rank: 8Sam Reinhart. The Panthers' scoring leader has 31 goals and 54 points in 42 contests this campaign, and no, we're not talking about Matthew Tkachuk here. Those gaudy numbers belong to Reinhart, who has chosen a great time to have a monster season given his pending UFA status.4. Boston Bruins (25-8-9)Previous rank: 2David Pastrnak. The Czech superstar continues to be the Bruins' far and away best offensive piece. Pastrnak's on pace for his fourth 40-goal campaign and looks set to fly past 100 points for the second consecutive season.5. Edmonton Oilers (23-15-1) Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyPrevious rank: 11Connor McDavid. The three-time league MVP has erased a slow start and is suddenly pushing for another Art Ross. Since Edmonton's coaching change, McDavid's operating at a 1.8 points-per-game clip.6. Colorado Avalanche (28-12-3)Previous rank: 7Nathan MacKinnon. It's hard to believe MacKinnon has never won a Hart Trophy, but he's doing his best to add one to his resume this season. He's second in the league with 69 points - 14 clear of the next most productive Avalanche skater - and is averaging more than 23 minutes per night.7. New York Rangers (27-13-2)Previous rank: 1Artemi Panarin. He won't be at the All-Star Game in anticipation of the arrival of his second child, but Panarin's amid a career year. The superb playmaker has transformed his game to become a shooting threat, putting him on pace to sail past his previous career high of 32 goals.8. Dallas Stars (25-12-5)Previous rank: 3Roope Hintz. He's not Dallas' leading scorer, but Hintz is doing it all for the Stars this campaign and ranks eighth league-wide in GAR among forwards. His 38 points in 40 games are nothing to sneeze at, either.9. Carolina Hurricanes (24-13-5)Previous rank: 9Sebastian Aho. The Finnish star leads the Hurricanes in scoring by 16, with 48 points through 39 contests. Considering Martin Necas' step back in production and Andrei Svechnikov's early-season absence, Carolina would be in a tough spot in the standings if not for Aho's consistent play.10. Seattle Kraken (19-14-9) Jeff Vinnick / National Hockey League / GettyPrevious rank: 19Joey Daccord. The Kraken were a MESS for the campaign's first couple of months, at least until Daccord decided to go full sicko mode in late December. The goalie has won each of his last eight appearances and owns a .956 save percentage over that stretch. Seattle keeps winning, and Daccord has been key to its success.11. Philadelphia Flyers (23-14-6)Previous rank: 13Sean Couturier. It really can't be overstated how impressive Couturier's return this season has been. Coming off a 663-day absence, Couturier has stepped right back into a top-line center role with Selke-caliber results like it's no problem.12. Vegas Golden Knights (24-14-5)Previous rank: 10Alex Pietrangelo. Shea Theodore, Alec Martinez, and Zach Whitecloud have all missed over 15 games this season. Meanwhile, Pietrangelo has been a constant throughout, leading healthy Golden Knights defenders in ice time by nearly four-and-a-half minutes per game.13. Toronto Maple Leafs (21-12-8)Previous rank: 15Martin Jones. The Maple Leafs have no shortage of offensive weapons - and yes, Auston Matthews leads the league in goals - but someone has to keep the puck out of the net. His recent back-to-back losses aside, Jones has done just that with a .924 save percentage. Toronto would be in trouble without him.14. New Jersey Devils (22-15-3)Previous rank: 14Jack Hughes. He's only one point off the team lead despite missing eight contests due to a couple of injury spells. Jesper Bratt has also been impressive, but Hughes is undoubtedly the heartbeat of New Jersey's offense.15. Los Angeles Kings (20-11-8) Toronto Star / Toronto Star / GettyPrevious rank: 6Cam Talbot. Coming into the season, many viewed the Kings as the league's deepest team at forward and defense and one of the weakest in the crease. However, Talbot's turned back the clock to be a workhorse in the net for L.A. and mitigated at least some concerns over the Kings' goaltending.16. New York Islanders (19-13-10)Previous rank: 12Noah Dobson. The 24-year-old has broken out in a huge way this campaign and is one of the league's most glaring All-Star Game snubs. Dobson is third among defensemen in points (43) and GAR (13.1). He might be the NHL's most underappreciated player.17. Pittsburgh Penguins (20-15-6)Previous rank: 16Sidney Crosby. Any other answer at this point would just be a hot take. It's Sid. He has 24 goals in 41 games this season and is on pace for 48 tallies, just three off his career high set in 2009-10. Does Crosby know he's in his 19th NHL campaign?18. Nashville Predators (24-18-1)Previous rank: 20Filip Forsberg. Injuries have held Forsberg back in recent seasons, but he's healthy and thriving again. The 29-year-old sniper is up to 22 goals and 48 points through 43 contests, galvanizing a mediocre Predators offense.19. Tampa Bay Lightning (22-17-5)Previous rank: 21Nikita Kucherov. We had to go with the league's leader in points for this one. The Lightning superstar has posted an outlandish 72 points in 43 games this campaign, and he's rattled off 22 multi-point outings. Gross, dude.20. Detroit Red Wings (22-16-5) Vitor Munhoz / National Hockey League / GettyPrevious rank: 23Dylan Larkin. Detroit's captain is producing a point per game, averaging 20 minutes a night, and winning 55% of his draws. The Red Wings face an uphill battle to make the playoffs, but Larkin's doing his part.21. Arizona Coyotes (21-18-2)Previous rank: 17Connor Ingram. It wasn't that long ago when Ingram was a waiver-claim backup to a coveted starter in Karel Vejmelka. With a league-leading five shutouts, an impressive 15-8-0 record, and a .919 save percentage, Ingram's play over the past calendar year has made him a legitimate NHL starter.22. Calgary Flames (20-18-5)Previous rank: 28Blake Coleman. He may not be representing Calgary at the 2024 All-Star Game, but Coleman should be an All-Star in every Flames fan's heart. The 32-year-old veteran leads his team with 19 goals - including four game-winners - and 37 points in 43 games this campaign.23. Washington Capitals (20-15-6)Previous rank: 22Charlie Lindgren. Only the Sharks and Blackhawks have scored fewer goals than the Capitals this season. Lindgren's breakout play has helped Washington stay in the wild-card mix despite its lack of offense, as he sports an 8-3-3 record with a .928 save percentage.24. St. Louis Blues (21-18-2)Previous rank: 24Robert Thomas. The talented playmaker has become more of a shooter this campaign. Thomas is on pace for over 30 goals and 170-plus shots on net, compared to career-high marks of 20 tallies and 115 shots in 2021-22.25. Buffalo Sabres (18-21-4) Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images Sport / GettyPrevious rank: 25Jeff Skinner. There have been plenty of disappointments in Buffalo this season, but Skinner leads the club with 17 goals. It's slim pickings from a Sabres squad that was supposed to compete for a playoff spot.26. Montreal Canadiens (17-18-7) Previous rank: 27Nick Suzuki. The Canadiens captain leads the team with 35 points, but his two-way play earns him the midseason MVP label. Suzuki's playing over 21 minutes a night against top competition and is back to putting up elite defensive metrics.27. Minnesota Wild (17-20-5)Previous rank: 18Brock Faber. The Wild are in the throes of an up-and-down season, but Faber has undoubtedly been a bright spot. The rookie defenseman leads all first-year players in average ice time (24:45), and he's shown his potential to be a top NHL rearguard for years to come.28. Columbus Blue Jackets (13-21-9)Previous rank: 26Adam Fantilli. Columbus' star rookie is second on the Blue Jackets with 25 points despite averaging only 15:51 per game. His development into a full-time player is one of the few bright spots in Ohio this season.29. Anaheim Ducks (14-27-1)Previous rank: 30Pat Verbeek. The Ducks general manager went against the grain by drafting Leo Carlsson second overall, a move that looks promising early, and recently landed Cutter Gauthier in a stunning trade. Verbeek has a clear vision for Anaheim's future and hasn't been afraid to shake things up to make it a reality.30. Ottawa Senators (15-23-0) Chris Tanouye/Freestyle Photo / Getty Images Sport / GettyPrevious rank: 29Michael Andlauer. In another wasted season for the Senators, the fan base has reason for long-term optimism in the team's new owner. His press conference after Pierre Dorion's dismissal was a must-watch and gave fans someone to rally behind during a rough stretch when the team lost a first-round pick and the NHL suspended Shane Pinto.31. Chicago Blackhawks (12-29-2)Previous rank: 31Jason Dickinson. The answer here would obviously be Connor Bedard if he weren't hurt, so we'll use this opportunity to shout out Dickinson. The 28-year-old ranks second on the Blackhawks with 14 goals. His previous career high was nine.32. San Jose Sharks (10-30-3)Previous rank: 32The fans. The fact that people are still showing up to the SAP Center to support this lowly San Jose team is a marvel. Don't worry, Sharks faithful, this season is halfway over.(Analytics sources: Evolving-Hockey, Natural Stat Trick)Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs may have squandered Ilya Samsonov's return to the crease in a 4-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday night, but the team saw plenty of positives in the embattled goaltender's performance."He battled his ass off," head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters postgame. "It's the best I thought he's looked all season just in terms of how he was tracking the puck and some of the saves looked like the Sammy that we came to know last season. So I think this is a positive step for him."The fans at Scotiabank Arena seemed to agree, as they showered the netminder with "Sammy" chants after he made an incredible glove save on J.T. Compher in the late stages of the final frame to keep the game tied at two.It was a refreshing moment for Samsonov, who has mostly been regaled with the Bronx cheer throughout the season. However, Red Wings forward Andrew Copp ended up raining on the Maple Leafs' parade with the game-winner soon after Compher's shot attempt."Obviously (Samsonov) made a couple massive saves for us throughout the game," star forward Mitch Marner said. "It was great to hear the fans chant his name, give him the love he deserves."Samsonov was deeply appreciative of the fans' show of support."I love those guys," he said. "It's no secret for everybody. I love the fans, I love the city, I enjoy (being) here every day, thank you so much. It's amazing."All in, Samsonov made 20 saves on 23 shots. It was his first appearance since Dec. 21, when he surrendered six goals on 21 shots against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Leafs placed him on waivers shortly after that performance and reassigned him to the AHL's Toronto Marlies, where he worked with goalie coach Hannu Toivonen before being recalled last week.Samsonov believed he saw the puck well in his return to NHL action, but admitted it was "tough to talk about the result."The Maple Leafs held a 2-1 lead heading into the third period, but the Red Wings scored three unanswered goals - including one empty-netter - to secure the comeback. Toronto is now on a three-game losing streak, and the team has blown a lead in all three defeats.Next up for the Leafs is a clash against the red-hot Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday. Connor McDavid and Co. secured their 10th straight victory on Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane sustained a lower-body injury during the first period of Sunday's contest versus the Toronto Maple Leafs and was unable to return.Kane's final shift included a pair of awkward collisions.

Don't look now, but the Calgary Flames just might be hitting their stride."We've got a resilient team," forward Blake Coleman said after the Flames' 3-1 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday. "A lot of guys stepping up, playing really good hockey. Really, we got everybody going right now, which is good. ... The confidence is growing higher and higher every day."The Flames' gutsy win in Sin City marked their third straight victory, and they're a respectable 5-2-0 since the calendar flipped to 2024.This recent run is a breath of fresh air for a team that has struggled to find consistent results since the beginning of the 2022-23 campaign."We're feeling it," veteran Nazem Kadri said, according to Sportsnet's Eric Francis. "We've been really focusing in the second half of the year, stepping it up, and we feel like we can beat just about anybody if we are on our game. We're showing that of late, and we've beat a lot of good teams."The Flames are currently two points behind the streaking Oilers for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference, though Edmonton has four games in hand. The Nashville Predators are four points ahead in the first spot and have played the same number of games as Calgary.Calgary netminder Jacob Markstrom is aware there's plenty of work to do as his team hopes to make the playoffs after missing out last year."We can't go .500 anymore," he said. "We got to try to make up ground and catch teams, we've got to string a few together. This was a good trip, we got to go home and charge the batteries tomorrow and get back to work."Markstrom has started each game of the Flames' winning streak, posting a .939 save percentage and 2.00 goals-against average over that stretch. He also leads the league with 25.05 goals saved above expected at all strengths on the campaign, per Evolving Hockey.Coleman suggested Calgary will go as its goaltender goes."(Markstrom's) got that courage and that character that has been radiating through our team in front of him, and that's where it all starts," he said.Coleman has been no slouch himself, leading the Flames with 19 goals and 37 points in 43 games, including 13 tallies and 24 points in his last 18 contests. Kadri, meanwhile, is riding a six-game point streak.Calgary is about to embark on a six-game homestand, starting with a clash against the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL unveiled the head coaches for the 2024 All-Star Weekend in Toronto on Sunday.The coach of the team in each division with the highest points percentage through Jan. 13 received the honor: Jim Montgomery of the Boston Bruins, the New York Rangers' Peter Laviolette, Vancouver Canucks bench boss Rick Tocchet, and Winnipeg Jets veteran Rick Bowness.Montgomery is headed to the All-Star Game for the second straight year in his sophomore season behind the Bruins' bench. Boston's following up its Presidents' Trophy-winning season with another strong campaign, sitting atop the Atlantic Division with a 25-8-9 record and .702 points percentage.This will mark Laviolette's fourth career All-Star appearance as a head coach. In his first season in the Big Apple, the Rangers have remained a dominant force in the Eastern Conference, leading the competitive Metropolitan Division thanks to a 26-13-2 record and .659 points percentage.Tocchet is gearing up for his second All-Star foray during his first full season as the Canucks' head coach. Vancouver has been one of the NHL's most entertaining and surprising teams to watch all season long, so it's no wonder Tocchet will join five of his players (Brock Boeser, Thatcher Demko, Quinn Hughes, J.T. Miller, and Elias Pettersson) at next month's festivities. At the midway mark of the campaign, Vancouver reigns supreme in the Pacific Division with a .709 points percentage and league-leading 29-11-3 record.Finally, Bowness will make his All-Star debut as a head coach. After an up-and-down 2022-23 campaign, he's righted the ship halfway through his second season as the Jets' bench boss. Winnipeg set a new franchise record after winning eight straight games this winter, and the run propelled Bowness' squad to the top of the Central Division with a 28-10-4 record and a league-leading .714 points percentage.All-Star Weekend will run from Feb. 1-3.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Minnesota Wild left the ice to a chorus of boos following their 6-0 blowout loss at the hands of the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday, and forward Mats Zuccarello couldn't help but empathize with the fans' frustration."It's embarrassing to lose like that at home," he told reporters postgame. "I think every single guy in here feels the same way. It's just not good enough.""Our home fans, they're here every time supporting us," the veteran continued. "They deserve more than that and we all know it. I think we're all disappointed right now. Monday (against the New York Islanders), we gotta show up."The Wild trailed just five minutes into the contest when Coyotes forward Alex Kerfoot scored on the power play. Arizona carried a 3-0 lead heading into the first intermission. Minnesota has opened the scoring just 19 times in 42 games this season and has been outscored 47-34 in the first period."You don't want to chase games," bench boss John Hynes said, per Bally Sports North. "That's not the right recipe to win. Lately, we've been doing that quite a bit. ... Tonight in particular, you're down by three pretty early in the game, so that's a hill you've got to climb out of. But if you're doing that regularly, that's tough."Hynes took over for the fired Dean Evason in late November, and Minnesota responded by going 11-3-0 in the new head coach's first month.The Wild have since fallen off a cliff. Saturday's loss marked their eighth in their last nine games, with their only win coming against the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets in overtime. Minnesota is now eight points out of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.Hynes said the team held a players-only meeting following Saturday's shellacking. Zuccarello explained that the players aired out their feelings."I think every guy in there feels that they can be better and help the team more," he said. "That's just how it is. Sometimes you go through stretches like this where you feel like nothing is working. That's when you have to believe in each other, give each other confidence. That's the only way to get out of it."Hynes offered a similar solution."You can't just go to a drug store and get confidence," he said. "Confidence is built through your preparation, it's built through your performance. ... You have to be willing to figure it out."The Wild take on the Islanders on Monday at 5 p.m. ET.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe offered a blunt assessment of his team's second line after Saturday's 5-3 loss to the Colorado Avalanche."That line was not good for us at all tonight," Keefe said postgame. "They didn't have one good shift that I can remember."The trio of captain John Tavares, William Nylander, and Tyler Bertuzzi produced a paltry expected goals share of just 14.7% when on the ice together at five-on-five Saturday, according to Natural Stat Trick.Keefe moved Nylander to the top line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner for the third period in place of rookie Matthew Knies, who took Nylander's place on the second unit."I just thought putting our best people together, going best on best to give us a chance to keep the puck away from (Nathan MacKinnon line and Cale Makar) a little bit more could help us," Keefe said.Bertuzzi played just one shift in the third period, while Tavares and Knies logged three apiece.However, the Leafs' third line of Max Domi, Calle Jarnkrok, and Pontus Holmberg was the team's best, producing a 95.3% expected goal share while outscoring the opposition 2-0.The Leafs jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period, but the Avalanche notched five unanswered goals to complete the comeback. It's the second straight game in which Toronto blew a multi-goal lead and lost.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers defeated the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 on Saturday night to set a franchise record with their 10th consecutive victory.Evan Bouchard scored the overtime winner to bring Edmonton's run to double digits.

Cody Hodgson is attempting to make a comeback eight years after his last NHL appearance, he told Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.The 2008 No. 10 pick by the Vancouver Canucks was forced to retire at age 26 after being diagnosed with malignant hyperthermia. He was medically cleared in the summer and has been skating five-to-six times per week, he told Friedman.Hodgson, who turns 34 in February, skated in 328 NHL games between the Canucks, Buffalo Sabres, and Nashville Predators, registering 142 points. His best season came during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign when he tallied 15 goals and 19 assists in 48 games with the Sabres.The Markham, Ontario, product enjoyed a spectacular junior career highlighted by his performance at the 2009 World Junior Championship, when he led the tournament with 16 points in six games en route to a gold medal for Canada.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL finalized the group of All-Stars headed to Toronto for this year's festivities.Four members of the Vancouver Canucks and three members of the Toronto Maple Leafs were added via the fan vote Saturday night after the first five were revealed in the afternoon.Here's a look at the full list of players:PlayerPositionTeamWilliam NylanderFToronto Maple LeafsMitch MarnerFToronto Maple LeafsJ.T. MillerFVancouver CanucksElias PetterssonFVancouver CanucksBrock BoeserFVancouver CanucksLeon DraisaitlFEdmonton OilersMorgan RiellyDToronto Maple LeafsCale MakarDColorado AvalancheThatcher DemkoGVancouver CanucksSergei BobrovskyGFlorida PanthersAlexandar GeorgievGColorado AvalancheJeremy SwaymanGBoston BruinsRangers star Artemi Panarin is unable to attend the festivities next month as he and his wife are awaiting the birth of their second child.The league also named 10 All-Stars set to participate in the revamped Skills Competition.PlayerPositionTeamLeon DraisaitlFEdmonton OilersJack HughesFNew Jersey DevilsNikita KucherovFTampa Bay LightningConnor McDavidFEdmonton OilersDavid PastrnakFBoston BruinsNathan MacKinnonFColorado AvalancheCale MakarDColorado AvalancheAuston MatthewsFToronto Maple LeafsWilliam NylanderFToronto Maple LeafsElias PetterssonFVancouver CanucksTwo more skills competition participants will be added by fan vote. Voting ends Jan. 18.The All-Star Weekend will run from Feb. 1-3 in Toronto, beginning with a player draft to build the rosters. Instead of a division-based setup, four All-Star captains will select four teams consisting of nine skaters and two goalies.The NHL revealed the initial 32 players named to the All-Star Game earlier in January, as determined by the department of hockey operations. Rookie Connor Bedard was tabbed as the Chicago Blackhawks' representative, but he is expected to miss out on the action after undergoing surgery to repair his fractured jaw. His replacement has not yet been named.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vegas Golden Knights star Jack Eichel won't play Saturday against the Calgary Flames and is currently being evaluated for an undisclosed injury, the team announced.Head coach Bruce Cassidy added that Eichel is feeling sore and that the early update he got from medical staff indicated the No. 1 center would miss a little bit of time, according to The Athletic's Jesse Granger.Eichel departed Thursday's 2-1 overtime victory over the Boston Bruins but was able to finish the contest. He ended the night with one goal and one assist in just under 17 minutes of ice time.After the game, Eichel said he "felt something" when he lost his skate blade in the second period, so he opted to go to the dressing room to get it checked out. The 27-year-old said he felt good at the time.Heading into Saturday's action, Eichel led the Golden Knights with 19 goals (including four game-winners) and 44 points in 42 contests. He was selected as Vegas' representative for the 2024 All-Star Game earlier in January.The reigning Stanley Cup champions currently sit in second place of the Pacific Division with a 24-13-5 record.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ottawa Senators goaltender Anton Forsberg was placed on long-term injured reserve after sustaining a groin injury that forced him out of Thursday's loss to the Buffalo Sabres, according to Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch.The designation means Forsberg will be out at least 10 games and 24 days. Ottawa recalled Mads Sogaard from the AHL to fill in behind Joonas Korpisalo.Sogaard hasn't played in the NHL in 2023-24 but has posted a .920 save percentage across 16 games in the minors.The Senators have been plagued by poor goaltending all season and rank 30th with an .883 all-situations save percentage.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vancouver Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford identified the top of the club's forward group as a potential area of need leading up to the March 8 trade deadline."I think as we speak, if we were able to add another top-six forward, that would give us a better chance," Rutherford told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun earlier this week. "And you know, we'll watch the defense as we go along here. But you know, for the most part, our defense has done a pretty good job."The Canucks lead the Pacific Division and are second in the league standings at 28-11-3 midway through the campaign. Vancouver's surge under head coach Rick Tocchet has put it in a position to buy ahead of the trade deadline, as a trip to the playoffs for the first time in a full season since 2015 appears inevitable.Although the Canucks lead the NHL in goals (164), their success has come from a top-heavy attack. Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller, and Brock Boeser dominate the top line and operate at better than a point-per-game pace for the season. However, Vancouver's next most productive forward is Ilya Mikheyev at 22 points. Blue-liners Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek rank third and fifth, respectively, in team scoring.The Canucks have already made a handful of trades since training camp opened in September. In four different deals, the club shipped out Tanner Pearson and Anthony Beauvillier and acquired Sam Lafferty and Nikita Zadorov.The wheeling and dealing from general manager Patrik Allvin has left the Canucks with approximately $332,000 in cap space, according to Cap Friendly.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Carolina Hurricanes netminder Pyotr Kochetkov is in concussion protocol, head coach Rod Brind'Amour confirmed Friday, according to team reporter Walt Ruff.Kochetkov was injured in a collision with Anaheim Ducks forward Isac Lundestrom during the Hurricanes' 6-3 win on Thursday.

The Chicago Blackhawks inked Nick Foligno to a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $4.5 million, the club announced Friday.Foligno has eight goals and nine assists across 39 games with the Blackhawks this season. The veteran forward is in his first campaign with Chicago after spending the previous two with the Boston Bruins.The 36-year-old has also suited up for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Ottawa Senators in his 17-year career. He captained Columbus from 2015-16 through the abbreviated 2021 season and played seven campaigns with the club.Foligno is among numerous Blackhawks players currently dealing with injuries. Chicago placed him on IR last Saturday after he left Friday's game against the New Jersey Devils.He's the oldest player on the Blackhawks roster.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Elvis may be about to leave the building.The Columbus Blue Jackets and Elvis Merzlikins agreed to find "a new scenario" for the goaltender, he told The Athletic's Aaron Portzline on Friday. However, Merzlikins clarified he hasn't formally asked for a trade."I love Columbus. I love these guys. I grew up here," he said, adding, "(but) I'm not a backup goaltender.""I just want to be treated as No. 1, I believe that I am No. 1," Merzlikins added. "It didn't (get) to that point where I'm requesting (a trade). It went to the point that both sides agreed."Merzlikins said he'll give his best if he's called upon because he's "dead serious" that the Blue Jackets are his "family." But the veteran netminder isn't content to be relegated to the bench."I want to play," he said. "I'm not going to be No. 3, I can assure you that. Especially (given) the hard work I did this summer, mentally and physically. I just want to play my game and keep having fun like I had."

Macklin Celebrini unsurprisingly sits No. 1 among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting's midseason rankings.Celebrini, the projected first overall pick in June's NHL Draft, is fresh off representing Canada at the world juniors. The Boston University standout collected four goals and four assists over five games despite his country's fifth-place finish.In his freshman season with the Terriers, Celebrini has been dominant from a point production standpoint. The 17-year-old - who'll turn 18 about two weeks before the June draft - has 11 goals and 16 assists across 16 NCAA contests.Here are the top 10 North American skaters:RankPlayerPositionNationalityTeam1Macklin CelebriniCBoston University (NCAA)2Artyom LevshunovDMichigan State (NCAA)3Cayden LindstromCMedicine Hat (WHL)4Zeev BuiumDDenver (NCAA)5Trevor ConnellyLWTri-City (USHL)6Carter YakemchukDCalgary (WHL)7Sam DickinsonDLondon (OHL)8Cole EisermanLWUSA U18 (NTDP)9Berkly CattonCSpokane (WHL)10Zayne ParekhDSaginaw (OHL)Konsta Helenius leads the way among European skaters. The 17-year-old - who turns 18 in May - has notched eight goals and 12 assists in 29 games with Jukurit in Finland's Liiga this season. He has the most points by an under-19 player in the league in 2023-24 and the second-most by a teenager.Here are the top 10 European skaters:RankPlayerPositionNationalityTeam1Konsta HeleniusCJukurit (Liiga)2Anton SilayevDNizhny Novgorod (KHL)3Ivan DemidovRWSKA Saint Petersburg (KHL/Jr.)4Adam JiricekDPlzen (Extraliga)5Emil HemmingRWTPS (Liiga)6Michael Brandsegg-NygardRWMora (Allsvenskan)7Aron KiviharjuDHIFK (Liiga)8Matvei ShuravinDCSKA (KHL/Jr.)9Igor ChernyshovLWDynamo Moscow (KHL)10Lucas PetterssonCModo (SHL/Jr.)Carter George of the OHL's Owen Sound Attack is the top-ranked North American goaltender, and Kim Saarinen of HPK's junior squad in Finland tops the list of international netminders.The NHL Draft is scheduled for June 28 and 29 at The Sphere in Las Vegas.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe didn't hold back when assessing his team's performance in situations other than even strength during an overtime loss to the New York Islanders on Thursday."(We) had a pretty significant advantage in the scoring chances at five-on-five, but (our) special teams were rotten tonight," Keefe said postgame."(The) power play had one chance and did nothing with it. It's as bad as we've looked in any power play," the bench boss added. "And then (on the) penalty kill, it's in our net before we can even blink to start the game. Second period, first we take a penalty, the careless high stick with control of the game. Those are the kinds of mistakes that cost you games, that cost you points."The Islanders converted two of their three opportunities with the man advantage. Kyle Palmieri opened the scoring 40 seconds into the contest and Bo Horvat tied it with 6:09 to go in the third period. Mathew Barzal won it 21 seconds into the overtime session after assisting on each of New York's first three goals.Toronto boasts the NHL's sixth-best power play, with a 26.7% success rate. However, the club's penalty kill ranks 24th at 76.8%. The Maple Leafs are 4-0-1 since the calendar flipped to 2024, but their penalty kill ranks 28th in that span at 66.7% as they've allowed three goals in nine of those situations.The Leafs occupy third place in the Atlantic Division at 21-10-8. They're seven and six points behind the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers, respectively, but they've played two fewer games.The Islanders improved to 19-12-10 with their victory. They're tied with the Philadelphia Flyers for third in the Metropolitan Division both in terms of points (48) and points percentage (.585).Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ottawa Senators goaltender Anton Forsberg had to be helped off the ice after making a save during the first period of Thursday's 5-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres.He was ruled out for the night due to a groin injury, and head coach Jacques Martin told TSN 1200 the goaltender will undergo an MRI on Friday to determine the severity.

The Winnipeg Jets scored two goals in the dying minutes of regulation to defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 2-1 and set a new franchise record with eight consecutive victories.Gabriel Vilardi tied it up with 3:29 to play before Nikolaj Ehlers delivered the winner with a lethal wrister off the rush.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov exited Thursday's 6-3 win against the Anaheim Ducks with an upper-body injury, head coach Rod Brind'Amour said after the game.Kochetkov was ruled out after a hard collision with Ducks forward Isac Lundestrom.

Winnipeg Jets star Mark Scheifele sustained a lower-body injury Thursday against the Chicago Blackhawks and won't return, the team announced.Scheifele logged 7:41 in the contest and played one shift in the second period before exiting.The 30-year-old entered the game leading the first-place Jets with 41 points in 40 games this season.Winnipeg is currently riding a seven-game win streak and has won nine of its past 10 games.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The two grimiest plays on Tuesday's card cashed, as the Ducks won convincingly as big underdogs and the Coyotes pulled off an overtime victory over the Bruins. The normally defensively stout Kings coughed up a late 2-0 lead and cost us profitability among a half-dozen plays, but it goes to show that catching a couple of upsets can limit the damage on nights where you don't get the other results you hoped for.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 BETNJD@TBL42.5/57.5NJD +160/TBL -130ANA@CAR28.2/71.8ANA +313/CAR -242VAN@PIT41.1/58.9VAN +170/PIT -138SEA@WSH55.0/45.0SEA -117/WSH +144SJS@MTL42.1/57.9SJS +162/MTL -132EDM@DET57.4/42.6EDM -129/DET +159OTT@BUF44.8/55.2OTT +145/BUF -118LAK@FLA46.5/53.5LAK +135/FLA -111TOR@NYI51.8/48.2TOR +103/NYI +119NYR@STL52.1/47.9NYR +102/STL +120CHI@WPG23.5/76.5CHI +413/WPG -308CGY@ARI52.8/47.2CGY -107/ARI +131BOS@VGK53.8/46.2BOS -112/VGK +137Best bets for Jan. 11Kings (+120) @ Panthers (-140)We can lament the Kings blowing what seemed like a sure win in Tampa, but even though a 2-0 lead seemed in line with how Los Angeles would execute a road win, the game wasn't as low-event as you might think. The Kings were outplayed at even strength with an expected goal share of 35%, allowing 16 high-danger chances to their eight. That's unbecoming of Todd McLellan's team, and I expect him to have his squad back on brand in Florida.The Panthers beat us Tuesday in St. Louis, but looking at the advanced metrics from that matchup, I think I'd back the underdog again. Florida mustered only five even-strength high-danger chances (while allowing 10) but scored on two of them. With a 5-1 win, the Panthers didn't receive appropriate negative reinforcement for a lackluster contest, and in their first game back after a long trip, they might not have the same focus as the Kings, who likely beat them to South Florida on Tuesday night.Pick: Kings (+120)Maple Leafs (-130) @ Islanders (+110)The Maple Leafs had their fun against the NHL's junior varsity team, beating the Sharks 11-2 over two games. Throw in their California sweep, and the Leafs are feeling good about themselves. That can be a tough mental space to go to Long Island with, especially with the Islanders' focus level after getting beat soundly by the Canucks.New York circles this game on the calendar, and it should be another raucous night in the home barn. In their last meeting in Nassau, the Leafs salvaged a point in a game they were outplayed in, but the Isles won in overtime. I expect a similar imbalance in even-strength play and New York to take care of Toronto again.Pick: Islanders (+110)Kraken (-120) @ Capitals (+100)It's been a disappointing season for Alex Ovechkin, and now the Capitals legend is likely to miss Thursday's game against the Kraken. So he joins an injury report that looks like the 2019 section on the Stanley Cup with Tom Wilson, T.J. Oshie, and, of course, Nicklas Backstrom. With all due respect to second-leading scorer Dylan Strome, Washington's already thin roster gets a visit from one of the hottest teams in hockey. Seattle was unfazed by its mini-break, as it cleaned out the Sabres, and is a good bet to do the same to the shallow Capitals.Pick: Kraken (-120)Bruins (-135) @ Golden Knights (+115)The market hadn't been accurately pricing the Golden Knights during the absence of Shea Theodore, William Karlsson, and the top two goaltenders on their depth chart. Vegas hasn't had a game of better than 51% xG share at even strength, nor has it out-high-danger-chanced a team since mid-December.At 3-8 in its last 11 contests, that's shown up in toss-up games with other good teams. After playing at elevation Wednesday night, Boston's waiting in Vegas coming off a loss to Arizona that likely didn't sit well. We expect Boston's best effort, and even if the Golden Knights do bring their best, with a thinner roster than usual, it might not be enough.Pick: Bruins (-135)Weekend cheat sheetHere are the moneylines to target if you're looking to bet games over the weekend.DATEGAMEWIN PROB. (%)PRICE TO BETJan. 12NSH@DAL41.9/58.1NSH +164/DAL -133PHI@MIN45.9/54.1PHI +138/MIN -113Jan. 13NYR@WSH57.0/43.0NYR -127/WSH +157VAN@BUF44.6/55.4VAN +146/BUF -119SJS@OTT35.7/64.3SJS +215/OTT -172NJD@FLA37.2/62.8NJD +201/FLA -161ANA@TBL38.0/62.0ANA +194/TBL -157EDM@MTL61.5/38.5EDM -153/MTL +190COL@TOR46.9/53.1COL +133/TOR -109SEA@CBJ54.9/45.1SEA -117/CBJ +143PHI@WPG37.5/62.5PHI +198/WPG -160LAK@DET55.0/45.0LAK -118/DET +144PIT@CAR43.0/57.0PIT +156/CAR -127NYI@NSH45.1/54.9NYI +143/NSH -117DAL@CHI74.7/25.3DAL -280/CHI +370BOS@STL50.7/49.3BOS +107/STL +114ARI@MIN42.9/57.1ARI +157/MIN -128CGY@VGK49.0/51.0CGY +115/VGK +106Jan. 14WSH@NYR35.0/65.0WSH +223/NYR -178DET@TOR38.2/61.8DET +192/TOR -155Matt 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.

Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras and defenseman Pavel Mintyukov will both miss at least six weeks due to injuries sustained in Tuesday's victory over the Nashville Predators, the team announced.Zegras broke his left ankle and could miss up to eight weeks, while Mintyukov is sidelined with a separated shoulder.This marks Zegras' second lengthy injury stint of the season. He returned to Anaheim's lineup Dec. 23 after a 20-game absence due to a lower-body ailment. The 22-year-old has struggled to produce when healthy, collecting only four goals and three assists in 20 appearances. Teams have reportedly inquired about his availability during his down year, but the Ducks aren't actively shopping him.Zegras notched a career-high 65 points last season and was rewarded with a three-year, $17.5-million contract in October.Mintyukov, the 10th overall pick in 2022, has made a strong impression in his rookie season. He ranks third among all rookie blue-liners in points (19) and eighth in average ice time (18:06) while appearing in all 40 games.The Ducks currently sit 29th in the standings at 14-25-1.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov believes he had the same reaction as everybody when he was placed on waivers Dec. 31."You're sad, yeah? But it's (a) nice signal for your brain and your body," Samsonov told reporters Thursday. "'Man, wake up and get back on track, and work hard as you can.'"Samsonov was recalled by the Maple Leafs on Wednesday. The 26-year-old didn't suit up for the AHL's Toronto Marlies, though. He worked with the team's performance staff off the ice and had on-ice sessions with Marlies goalie coach Hannu Toivonen.Samsonov now believes he'll be ready to get back in the crease in short order."Brain is ready," he said. "I'm seeing the puck well."Samsonov could potentially be called upon as early as this weekend, as the Maple Leafs have a back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday against the Colorado Avalanche and Detroit Red Wings.Martin Jones played both games in Toronto's most recent back-to-back in favor of youngster Dennis Hildeby while Samsonov was in the minors, so it's possible he could do so again. Jones has been a revelation for the Leafs, sporting a .934 save percentage in 12 games.Samsonov, meanwhile, has arguably been the worst goalie in the NHL this season, ranking last with minus-12.5 goals saved above expected, per Evolving-Hockey. He stopped just 29 of 40 shots (.725 save percentage) in his final two appearances before being sent down.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark is out day-to-day with an injury, according to The Athletic's Fluto Shinzawa. Ullmark is with the club on its road trip, but Jeremy Swayman is expected to start against the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday.After making a glove save on Logan Cooley, Ullmark went down and had to be helped off the ice. Swayman replaced the Swede, and Nick Schmaltz scored the winner on the first shot Swayman faced.Ullmark has played well while splitting duties with Swayman this season. The reigning Vezina Trophy winner is 13-5-2 with a .915 save percentage.That pales in comparison to his .938 mark from a season ago, but Ullmark ranks among the league leaders in goals saved above expected and goals saved above average both at five-on-five and in all situations in 2023-24, according to Evolving-Hockey.Bruins rookie forward Matt Poitras is also day-to-day. He left in the third period of the loss on Tuesday following a collision with Coyotes defenseman Sean Durzi.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Cutter Gauthier didn't divulge the exact reason for his trade request from the Philadelphia Flyers, but he did shed some light on his decision."It wasn't one specific reason why I asked for a trade," Gauthier told reporters on a Zoom call Wednesday, including The Sporting Tribune's Derek Lee. "It was multiple, re-occurring issues that I'd seen over the past year and a half, two years of being under the Flyers organization. It kind of hit me all at once, thinking 'I can't move forward with this' and 'I really need to step up for myself and see what's best for my future' and that's what I did."He added: "I haven't seen one thing that's been remotely close to the reasons that I decided."Gauthier was selected fifth overall by the Flyers in 2022. He was shipped to the Anaheim Ducks in a shocking blockbuster trade on Monday that sent 2020 No. 6 pick Jamie Drysdale and a second-rounder back to Philadelphia. Gauthier didn't intend to sign with the Flyers and could've become an unrestricted free agent in 2026 after playing out his NCAA eligibility.Gauthier, who currently plays at Boston College, also squashed the rumor that former Flyers forward and BC alumnus Kevin Hayes convinced him to spurn Philly."I haven't spoken to (Hayes) in a long time," Gauthier said. "I wanted to clarify it so it's not just his words against everyone else's. I wanted to make sure (it's known) that he definitely was not involved in this whatsoever. It's kind of disrespectful to his name that he was being brought up."Hayes said Tuesday that the report is "complete bullshit." The current St. Louis Blues forward added that he's received death threats and messages from people saying they were happy his brother is dead. Flyers coach John Tortorella called out the reporter Wednesday for creating the rumor.Speaking of Tortorella, Gauthier said the hard-nosed coach wasn't the reason for his request, either."All those rumors saying I was scared of Torts, that's not the case at all," Gauthier said. "I've had many hardo coaches throughout my whole life and I think that any coach I play for would love to have me on their team. I want to do whatever it takes to win and if they're a hard, yelling, screaming kind of coach, I'll roll with the punches."He added: "I actually met Torts during dev camp two years back. I was super excited and thrilled to meet him and obviously being a big name in hockey and the coaching staff industry, definitely was not against playing for him whatsoever."Gauthier said he's also received death threats due to the trade request."My DMs on Instagram right now are kind of pretty crazy of what people are saying right now," he said. "There's been thousands and thousands of messages. I've been getting some five, 10 minutes ago. 19-year-old kid getting a lot of death threats and a bunch of thousands and thousands of people reaching out and just saying some pretty poor things that I wouldn't wish among my worst enemy. It was pretty tough to see."Gauthier recently helped the United States win gold at the 2024 world juniors, leading the team with 12 points in seven games.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Corey Perry is eligible to return to the NHL after meeting with commissioner Gary Bettman on Tuesday, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports.Perry had his one-year, $4-million contract terminated by the Chicago Blackhawks on Nov. 30 after an internal investigation found he "engaged in conduct that is unacceptable and in violation of both the terms of his standard player's contract and the Blackhawks' internal policies intended to promote professional and safe work environments."The 38-year-old is an unrestricted free agent and is now free to sign with other teams. To be eligible for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Perry must sign by the March 8 trade deadline.Perry requested the meeting with Bettman, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun. The veteran winger hadn't been officially barred from playing by the commissioner.Chicago general manager Kyle Davidson didn't divulge what occurred to the team or the media in the aftermath of Perry's dismissal but refuted rumors that were being spread online.Perry released a statement after his termination in which he noted that he had begun working with mental health and substance abuse experts.In 16 games with the Blackhawks, Perry accumulated four goals and nine points.A veteran of 1,273 games, Perry has racked up 421 goals and 892 points in his NHL career, most notably with the Anaheim Ducks. He won the Hart and Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophies in 2010-11 with 50 goals and 98 points.Perry won the Stanley Cup in 2007 as a sophomore. More recently, he played in three consecutive finals with three different teams from 2020-22, losing each. Perry's 196 career postseason games are the most among active players.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Connor Bedard's first All-Star Game appearance will have to wait.The Chicago Blackhawks phenom underwent surgery to repair his fractured jaw and is expected to miss six-to-eight weeks, the team announced.Bedard was initially given a timeline of four-to-six weeks after suffering the injury Friday against the New Jersey Devils. He was the recipient of a hard open-ice hit by Brendan Smith.

The Toronto Maple Leafs summoned goaltender Ilya Samsonov from the AHL's Toronto Marlies, the NHL club announced Wednesday.The Leafs sent Samsonov down on New Year's Day after waiving him one day prior. However, he didn't play a game with the Marlies, as the parent club's plan for him was to simply work with the goalie coaches and support staff while the Leafs were on a three-game road trip in California. They've since returned, defeating the San Jose Sharks 7-1 on home ice Tuesday night.Samsonov has struggled mightily this season after impressing in 2021-22. He has the fourth-fewest goals saved above average at five-on-five in the NHL (minus-7.39) and the 11th-fewest goals saved above expected (minus-4.72) in those situations in 2023-24, according to Evolving Hockey.The Russian netminder has the NHL's worst GSAx and GSAA in all situations this season. He's 5-2-6 with a .862 save percentage in 15 games.Samsonov, who'll turn 27 on Feb. 22, is coming off a 2022-23 campaign in which he went 27-10-5 with a .919 save percentage. The Leafs rewarded him with a one-year, $3.55-million contract over the summer.Martin Jones has taken over as Toronto's No. 1 goalie of late, starting the club's last five games. He's won the last four, posting a .972 save percentage in that span while allowing only three goals on 106 shots. Joseph Woll had previously taken the reins, but he hasn't played since he got injured Dec. 7.The Leafs sent Dennis Hildeby back down to the Marlies in a corresponding move Wednesday. They called him up when they sent Samsonov down, but Hildeby didn't get into any games during his call-up. Jones started back-to-back wins over the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks on Jan. 2 and 3.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Connor McDavid expressed his disdain for long, drawn-out offside reviews on very close plays after his Edmonton Oilers had a goal called back Tuesday night."If it takes you 15 minutes to determine if it's offside or not, it probably doesn't really matter," he said with a laugh following the Oilers' 2-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.Though it didn't ultimately affect the outcome, Zach Hyman's goal early in the third period was overturned after a lengthy review because Leon Draisaitl was deemed to be offside.

Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark was helped off the ice after sustaining an injury in overtime against the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday.Ullmark went down after reaching to make a glove save on a Logan Cooley shot.

Anaheim Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek has brought up Trevor Zegras to other organizations this season, and teams believe the talented forward is available, sources told Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli.A trade doesn't seem imminent, and it's unclear how far conversations have progressed, Seravalli added. TSN's Darren Dreger reported Tuesday night that the Ducks aren't actively shopping Zegras.The 2019 ninth overall pick departed Tuesday's contest against the Nashville Predators with a lower-body injury after taking an awkward fall into the boards.

The Toronto Maple Leafs signed winger William Nylander to a franchise-record eight-year, $92-million extension Monday. Several ramifications from the deal affect the Leafs and the rest of the league. Let's dive in.Leafs pay top-end value for another star player Mark Blinch / National Hockey League / GettyNylander is amid his best season, tallying 21 goals and 33 assists through 37 games, tying him with Connor McDavid for the fifth-most points in the league. Leafs fans should be ecstatic that a homegrown star wants to spend his entire career in Toronto.But the Leafs aren't exactly getting any hometown discount here.Nylander entered this season having never finished higher than 20th in league scoring. Since his emergence in 2021-22, he ranks 14th in points. Still, Nylander's $11.5-million cap hit will tie him for the fifth-highest-paid player in the league.The most recent comparable is David Pastrnak - he and Nylander are the same age and play the same position. Signed 10 months ago, Pastrnak's deal with the Boston Bruins was also for eight years but with an $11.25-million cap hit. However, Pastrnak already had a 48-goal, 95-point campaign under his belt and was amid a season in which he finished as the Hart Trophy runner-up.Pastrnak's pact was worth 13.64% of the cap ceiling when he signed the contract (13.5% of 2023-24's cap). Nylander's deal is worth 13.77% of this season's cap ceiling and 13.1% of 2024-25's projected cap. In a nutshell, the contracts are mighty close despite Pastrnak's longer track record of elite production.Perhaps the Leafs could've saved about a million dollars per year had they reached an agreement with Nylander in the offseason. But this has been a consistent theme for an organization that hasn't been able to win negotiations with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, either, relative to other superstars around the league.Getting Nylander signed is still far better than the alternative of trading him or letting him walk, and it shouldn't be a poor contract by any stretch. However, Nylander's camp clearly didn't do the Leafs any favors given that the deal also contains a full no-movement clause and bonus-heavy structure. No one should blame Nylander considering Marner and Matthews did the same thing, though. Why should he be the one to cave? Toronto just doesn't have the cap culture other teams do in which stars are open to taking slightly less for the group's betterment.What does this mean for Marner? Claus Andersen / Getty Images Sport / GettySpeaking of Marner, he's up next for the Leafs. Marner and John Tavares will be eligible to sign extensions on July 1 before becoming unrestricted free agents in 2025. Tavares will be in his mid-30s and likely sign for far cheaper than his current $11-millon cap hit if he stays in Toronto. The same can't be said for Marner.Marner took the Leafs for every dollar on his current contract, receiving a $10.9-million cap hit over six years. His next deal may not be much higher considering the cap has barely increased since then.If Nylander continues at his current pace for the rest of the season and finishes with around 120 points, it'll be tough for Marner to justify exceeding Nylander's cap-hit percentage. Marner has never recorded 100 points in a campaign.Marner is a better defensive player than Nylander, but contracts are often based on production. Marner could go off in the second half or have a torrid start to 2024-25, but if he doesn't, his next contract should come with a cap hit far closer to Nylander's than to Matthews' $13.25M AAV. Reports indicated that Marner wanted his current deal to be paid closer to Matthews' previous contract. That's difficult to imagine this time around, with Nylander pulling himself ahead of Marner this season.Pettersson seeing dollar signs Derek Cain / Getty Images Sport / GettyVancouver Canucks superstar Elias Pettersson is likely next in line to cash in. Pettersson won't be a UFA until 2025, but he's a pending restricted free agent eligible to sign an extension at any time. Nylander's deal should be music to the ears of Pettersson's camp.Pettersson is coming off a 102-point season and is on pace for triple-digit points again. Not only is Pettersson two years younger than Nylander, but he also plays the much more valuable position of center. And Pettersson has a strong two-way game that resulted in a seventh-place finish in Selke Trophy voting last year.If Pettersson signs for the maximum eight-year term on his next deal, the cap hit should start with a 12. He deserves it.2024 UFA class gets weaker Megan Briggs / Getty Images Sport / GettyNylander was the cream of the crop among the 2024 UFA class. There are some intriguing names after him, but Nylander was the one star player who could've single-handedly transformed a franchise.While nobody else in the class deserves to reach Nylander's $11.5-million cap hit, his contract should help other pending UFAs maximize their full earning potential.Players like Sam Reinhart and Jake Guentzel, both in their primes, should see handsome paydays. The same goes for productive veterans Steven Stamkos, Matt Duchene, and Jonathan Marchessault on shorter-term deals if they test the market.Hard salary cap remains bad for hockey Jeff Bottari / National Hockey League / GettyFans and media members are guilty of analyzing and debating the salary when a contract like Nylander's is signed. But it's a fair thing to want to do in a league with a hard cap where every $100,000 is mightily important.It shouldn't be that way, though. Fans, in particular, should be able to enjoy a player committing to their favorite team instead of nitpicking over the details.The NHL is the only major sports league with a hard salary cap, and it lags significantly behind the NFL, NBA, and MLB when it comes to player salaries. Poor marketing is partly to blame, but there are other reasons. For example, the aforementioned notion that star players should take slightly less for the group's betterment wouldn't be a thing if it weren't for the hard cap.Although highly unlikely under current commissioner Gary Bettman, adding a luxury tax system would be a great starting point to allow stars to get their full worth, reward successful franchises, and allow teams greater cap flexibility. Greater cap flexibility could lead to more player movement and, thus, more fan engagement.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

St. Louis Blues forward Kevin Hayes vigorously denied having anything to do with Cutter Gauthier refusing to sign with the Philadelphia Flyers before the club traded the talented prospect's rights to the Anaheim Ducks on Monday night.Anthony SanFilippo, a writer and podcast host for Crossing Broad - a Philadelphia-based sports blog - speculated to his co-host that Hayes' "fingerprints are all over this" and later wrote that sources told him Hayes was "very influential" with Gauthier."Yeah, I think it's complete bullshit, honestly," Hayes said Tuesday, according to Matthew DeFranks of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "I think those two guys acted like complete pieces of shit, to be honest, making shit up. Now, I'm going to bed and waking up with death threats and people want my family dead. ..."And people that are happy that my brother's dead," he continued. "I think it's completely insane that this guy can say something like that. I honestly heard it and started laughing. Who the f--k am I to have influence on if a kid plays for an NHL team or not? I don't have that influence."Hayes spent four seasons with the Flyers before they traded him to the Blues in June. The 31-year-old played four years at Boston College, where Gauthier is currently starring as a sophomore.The 19-year-old winger is fresh off leading the United States to a gold medal at the world juniors while pacing the squad with 12 points in seven games. The Flyers traded his rights to the Ducks for defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick Monday night.Philadelphia general manager Daniel Briere later revealed Gauthier told the organization he didn't want to be a Flyer. The GM added that the team never got an answer as to why.The Flyers drafted Gauthier fifth overall in 2022.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We stumbled into a pair of winners Monday as the under survived not one but two Stars short-handed goals - hockey's version of a defensive/special teams touchdown. Meanwhile, Jeremy Swayman stood on his head for Boston, but Colorado won the shootout to save us a headache.As usual, Tuesday has a more robust board, and we've got a half-dozen games worth a play.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 BETSJS@TOR30.4/69.6SJS +279/TOR -219LAK@TB57.2/42.8LAK -128/TB +158SEA@BUF46.9/53.1SEA +133/BUF -109VAN@NYI43.0/57.0VAN +157/NYI -127ANA@NSH38.6/61.4ANA +189/NSH -153CBJ@WPG38.2/61.8CBJ +192/WPG -155FLA@STL52.8/47.2FLA -107/STL +131EDM@CHI75.4/24.6EDM -291/CHI +385OTT@CGY43.1/56.9OTT +156/CGY -127BOS@ARI48.1/51.9BOS +119/ARI +103Best bets for Jan. 9Kraken (-105) @ Sabres (-115)The Kraken have won six straight, making them the favorites in the betting market for Tuesday night's game in Buffalo. Those wins have been spread out due to scheduling, though, so it's not like Seattle comes in on fire. The Kraken haven't played since last Thursday. If that cools down Joey Daccord, the Sabres and their track-meet style can shake the Kraken back to reality.We found an underdog winner with Buffalo on Saturday, recognizing that the team's recent level of play was better than the market thinks. With Seattle getting credit for its results and the Sabres still trying to get noticed, we'll back Buffalo to jump on a Kraken team coming across the country after a poorly timed layoff.Pick: Sabres (-115)Kings (-120) @ Lightning (+100)Winning with the Avalanche validated the idea that you should bet on Colorado if you can get the team at home for a short price. The same concept holds for the Kings, even outside of Crypto.com Arena. Los Angeles' low-event style is perfect for the road, so it's no surprise the team is 13-4 away from home.The Lightning still haven't hit their stride, so they don't qualify as an upper-echelon team that might dissuade a play on the Kings. L.A. has the league's best penalty kill and has allowed one fewer high-danger chance per game at even strength than the next-best team, so the Kings should test Tampa Bay's reliance on the power play.Pick: Kings (-120)Canucks (+100) @ Islanders (-120)With wins over the Devils and Rangers already in the bag during their foray into the New York metropolitan area, the Canucks are feeling pretty good about themselves. That's not an ideal mindset for dealing with the Islanders' low-event style and a goaltending matchup of Casey DeSmith versus Ilya Sorokin.From an even-strength standpoint, the Isles are a better team at home than the Canucks are on the road. With three more games left on its trip, Vancouver can scoop a few more wins against lesser opponents and consider its longest road stretch of the season a success.Pick: Islanders (-120)Panthers (-185) @ Blues (+155)After a trio of pick 'em-adjacent games, it's time to get grimy on a Tuesday.The Panthers are on a roll, and the market's respect for them is evident. However, the Blues have racked up respectable wins against the Stars, Canucks, and, most recently, against the Hurricanes on the road.Jordan Binnington's GSAx of 1.54 per 60 minutes in three contests since the holiday break suggests that one of the league's streakiest goalies is up for stealing a game or two as St. Louis has quietly crept up into a tie for the last wild card in the Western Conference.Pick: Blues (+155)Ducks (+190) @ Predators (-225)Our longest shot of the night is more about the Predators not being a team that should be a big favorite than dying to back the Ducks.Anaheim has lost five straight, but the team has played three straight low-event games that have gone under the total, showing the Ducks are at least trying to play tighter to the vest. The Preds are up for that kind of game, but it can leave you susceptible to some bad luck, and a goal in an outlier situation means much more to their chances of victory.Maybe it ends up being warranted, but the Ducks' rating is starting to drift into the "San Jose Zone." With Carolina, Tampa Bay, and Florida next up, we should get Anaheim's best effort in Nashville.Pick: Ducks (+190)Bruins (-150) @ Coyotes (+130)As alluded to above, the Bruins were fortunate to get out of Denver with a point. They spent most of the 65 minutes of Monday's play chasing the Avalanche at high elevation, giving up seven power plays and being outchanced in the high-danger areas 14-8 at even strength. Colorado only scored once out of seven man-advantages and on just one of those 14 HDCs.The Coyotes have admittedly been terrible in 2024, with home losses of 4-1, 5-1, and 6-2 to three good teams. But while the Bruins qualify as a good team, the desert 'dogs are in real trouble going forward if we don't get Arizona's best effort against a tired opponent.Pick: Coyotes (+130)Wednesday cheat sheetWith just three games on the board, here are the moneylines to target if you're looking to bet them on Wednesday.GAMEWIN PROB. (%)PRICE TO BETMTL@PHI42.9/57.1MTL +157/PHI -128MIN@DAL40.5/59.5MIN +174/DAL -141VGK@COL38.3/61.7VGK +191/COL -154Matt 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.

It's been quite a week so far for William Nylander.Fresh off signing an eight-year, $92-million extension Monday, the Toronto Maple Leafs star is on his way to punching a ticket to his first All-Star Game.Nylander paces all skaters in fan voting for the event with 744,990 votes as of Tuesday. Eight more skaters and four more goalies will be added to the initial rosters via fan voting, which ends Jan. 11.Cale Makar, Leon Draisaitl, Elias Pettersson, Mitch Marner, J.T. Miller, Brock Boeser, and Artemi Panarin currently occupy the remaining seven skater spots.

New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes won't be out long term as a result of the injury he suffered last week.Head coach Lindy Ruff said Tuesday that Hughes is expected to miss weeks, not months, and that he'll be evaluated on a week-to-week basis, according to team reporter Amanda Stein.Hughes departed the Devils' win over the Chicago Blackhawks late in the third period Friday and didn't return.

The St. Louis Blues inked forward Nathan Walker to a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $775,000, the club announced Tuesday.Walker has played all but two of his 32 games this season with the Blues' AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. He posted 13 goals and 16 assists in those 30 contests.St. Louis called up the 29-year-old on Jan. 1. He scored a goal in the Blues' 2-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday for his lone point after being held off the scoresheet in a 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday.Walker originally signed with the Blues in July 2019. He's split time between the NHL and AHL squads since then.The Welsh-born Australian has also suited up for the Washington Capitals and Edmonton Oilers. The Capitals drafted him 89th overall in 2014, making him the first Aussie ever selected by an NHL team.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Anaheim Ducks traded defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick to the Philadelphia Flyers for the signing rights to prospect Cutter Gauthier on Monday.Drysdale, 21, was drafted sixth overall by the Ducks in 2020. He's played just 18 games over the past two seasons due to injury. Drysdale is in the first season of a three-year contract with a $2.3-million cap hit, which was signed in October after a difficult negotiation as a restricted free agent.Gauthier, 19, starred with the United States at the recently completed World Junior Championship. He co-led the tournament with 12 points and was named to the media All-Star team. The 2022 fifth overall pick is currently playing at Boston College, where he has 13 goals and 23 points in 17 games."This is a trade we felt we needed to make, as a player with Cutter's dynamic skill set are not available often," Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said in a statement. "We see Cutter as a long-term, high-end player who produces in big moments."He added: "We also want to thank Jamie for his four years in Anaheim. It is a difficult trade to make, as he has a great future in front of him both on and off the ice."Flyers GM Daniel Briere confirmed Gauthier didn't want to sign with the team. He has two years of collegiate eligibility remaining after the 2023-24 campaign, at which point Gauthier can elect for free agency rather than sign with the team that has his rights."If he didn't want to be here, we're happy to move on," defenseman Travis Sanheim said after the Flyers' 4-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia's Jordan Hall.The Flyers engaged in trade talks with 18-20 teams that Gauthier would sign with in recent weeks, Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli reports."I feel bad for Cutter - well, I don't really feel bad for Cutter when he comes to Philadelphia," Flyers CEO Dan Hilferty said postgame on the "Snow The Goalie" podcast. "It's gonna be a rough ride here, and he earned it. 'Cause you know what? We're Philadelphians, and we want people who wanna be here with us."After a stellar World Championships last spring, Gauthier declined an invitation to Philadelphia's development camp. At the time, Flyers GM Daniel Briere said, "We're not too worried about that."Gauthier had reportedly been deemed the Flyers' only untouchable player as recently as June.Verbeek had coveted Gauthier dating back to the 2022 draft. Anaheim had the 10th overall pick, which was out of Gauthier's range and used to select defenseman Pavel Mintyukov. Verbeek tried to add a high-enough pick to snag Gauthier, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun, but was unsuccessful.Should Gauthier sign with the Ducks, he'll add to an array of exciting young forwards on the roster. Anaheim boasts top-five picks Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish, as well as the highly skilled Trevor Zegras and underrated Troy Terry.Drysdale brings needed youth to a Flyers back end with only two other defensemen under the age of 26 in Cam York and Egor Zamula.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Philadelphia Flyers general manager Danny Briere said Monday's shocking trade that sent Cutter Gauthier to the Anaheim Ducks "was a long time coming," adding that he's known since May that the 2022 fifth overall pick didn't want to play in the City of Brotherly Love."The reason why we didn't want to say anything was not to hide anything from our great fans," Briere explained during the first intermission of Monday's clash against the Pittsburgh Penguins. "It was to try to protect the kid. We were hoping that at some point he would change his mind. He had already changed his mind. He looked at us at the draft and told us he was built to be a Flyer, wanted to be a Flyer, and maybe a few months later told us that he didn't want to be a Flyer, he didn't want to play for the Flyers."In our mind at first, we said, 'We have to protect him,' because if he changes his mind again and it's out there that he doesn't want to play, it's going to be tough for him to put the uniform on. When we realized that he refused to talk to us now - it's been months - and he didn't want to be a Flyer, he didn't want to be in Philadelphia, it was time to make it happen."When asked why Gauthier didn't want to be a Flyer, Briere said the organization "never got an answer." The executive went to Sweden for the world juniors in December in an attempt to reach Gauthier and his camp, but to no avail."We tried, they would not engage. ... We just wanted to be able to present our case and tell them what we were doing here and where this organization is going," he said. "Unfortunately, we never got the chance."Gauthier led Team USA with 12 points in seven games at the world juniors en route to winning a gold medal. Due to his dominant performance, Briere felt as though now would be the "best time" to orchestrate a trade.The Flyers acquired defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick for Gauthier's signing rights. Drysdale's young career has been hampered by injuries, but he was the sixth overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft and boasts plenty of potential."We were (blown away) when it happened, now at this point it is what it is," Briere said. "We started looking at how we can turn this and make the most of it. ... When Jamie's name came up, this was a pretty special player we felt. A chance to add him, they don't come very often."Gauthier is currently playing at Boston College, where he has amassed 13 goals and 23 points in 17 games.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Yet another thrilling edition of the World Junior Championship is in the rearview mirror.A U.S. squad full of NHL-drafted talent went undefeated en route to gold, while a Canadian squad with a similar amount of NHL draftees flamed out in the quarters.It's time to break down how each team's prospects fared at the 2024 edition of the tournament.Note: The Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, and Edmonton Oilers had no prospects play at the world juniors.Anaheim DucksRepresentatives (2): Rodwin Dionicio (SUI), Noah Warren (CAN)Dionicio was superb for Switzerland, ranking top 10 in cumulative game score, per Elite Prospects' tracking. He was the only Swiss player to average over 20 minutes per game and won his minutes 5-2 at five-on-five.Warren was a fine defensive second-pairing blue-liner for Canada.Grade: BArizona CoyotesRepresentatives (7): Samu Bau (FIN), Conor Geekie (CAN), Michael Hrabal (CZE), Maveric Lamoureux (CAN), Julian Lutz (GER), Melker Thelin (SWE), Adam Zlnka (SVK)Lamoureux anchored Canada's top pairing with Denton Mateychuk, playing over 24 minutes per game, and won his five-on-five minutes 5-1. He was leaned on to take a bigger role than anticipated with Tristan Luneau's absence, and he excelled.Geekie had positive moments for Canada but ultimately wasn't the game-breaker the team needed in big games. Hrabal was good against Canada and the U.S. but faltered in marquee spots in the semis and the bronze-medal game.Grade: C+Boston BruinsRepresentatives (2): Dans Locmelis (LAT), Matt Poitras (CAN)Expectations for Poitras were high as Canada's only addition from the NHL. He was consistent but never truly became the game-changer Canada was hoping he could be as the tournament progressed.In a much different situation, Locmelis was the player Latvia needed him to be to avoid relegation. He played over 20 minutes per game and was particularly good in Latvia's significant 6-2 victory against Germany.Grade: B-Buffalo Sabres ADAM IHSE/TT / AFP / GettyRepresentatives (6): Jiri Kulich (CZE), Noah Ostlund (SWE), Norwin Panocha (GER), Matt Savoie (CAN), Maxim Strbak (SVK), Anton Wahlberg (SWE)Kulich led Czechia to a bronze medal with a tournament-best 12 points. Though he didn't get recognition on the All-Star team, there's a strong case that Ostlund was Sweden's best forward. And Strbak made playing over 23 minutes a game as an 18-year-old blue-liner look remarkably easy.At the same time, Savoie's lack of production was one of the biggest disappointments of the tournament. He created looks, but the lack of finish was a factor in Canada's early dismissal.Grade: A-Calgary FlamesRepresentatives (1): Samuel Honzek (SVK)Honzek scored in the opening three games for Slovakia, and they won them all. He failed to score against the U.S. and Finland, and Slovakia lost both. The 2023 first-rounder was good in a secondary role but needed to break through in big games if Slovakia was to go deeper.Grade: C+Carolina HurricanesRepresentatives (2): Felix Unger Sorum (SWE), Jakub Vondras (CZE)Unger Sorum was among the best bottom-six forwards at the tournament. He only played 14:35 per game but notched six points, won his five-on-five minutes 8-2, and was excellent in transition.Vondras' lone appearance came in relief in the bronze-medal game.Grade: BChicago BlackhawksRepresentatives (6): Adam Gajan (SVK), Gavin Hayes (USA), Martin Misiak (SVK), Oliver Moore (USA), Frank Nazar (USA), Sam Rinzel (USA)After an injury-shortened season last year, how great is it to see Nazar back and excelling? As the United States' second-line center, Nazar racked up a tournament-best five primary assists at five-on-five.Gajan had an exceptional start to the tournament but faltered against Norway and, most importantly, Finland in the quarterfinals.Grade: B-Columbus Blue JacketsRepresentatives (4): Gavin Brindley (USA), Jordan Dumais (CAN), Oiva Keskinen (FIN), Denton Mateychuk (CAN)Mateychuk was easily Canada's best defenseman. He played huge minutes - 24:33 a game, to be exact - and was among the tournament's best in transition, per Elite Prospects' tracking.Brindley was effective all tournament long. On the other hand, Dumais' lack of production was very underwhelming, while Keskinen was good but not great in Finland's middle six.Grade: BDetroit Red Wings ADAM IHSE/TT / AFP / GettyRepresentatives (5): Trey Augustine (USA), Kevin Bicker (GER), Nate Danielson (CAN), Anton Johansson (SWE), Axel Sandin Pellikka (SWE)Augustine should've won the top goaltender award. He was outstanding all tournament, and the only reason he didn't was because he missed a pair of games with illness. Oh, and he can return next year for the United States.Sandin Pellikka was named the top defenseman by the IIHF directorate, led Sweden in minutes, and contributed to some significant goals. But he wasn't a huge factor at five-on-five, which prevented him from landing on the All-Star team as voted on by the media.Grade: B+Florida PanthersRepresentatives (2): Marek Alscher (CZE), Sandis Vilmanis (LAT)Vilmanis saved his best game for when it mattered most against Germany. Alscher was decent at best in defensive usage for Czechia.Grade: CLos Angeles KingsRepresentatives (1): Otto Salin (FIN)Salin's role diminished as the tournament progressed. He was outscored 4-2 at five-on-five and didn't contribute much on the scoresheet.Grade: DMinnesota WildRepresentatives (3): Rasmus Kumpulainen (FIN), Liam Ohgren (SWE), Servac Petrovsky (SVK)Few were as good in group play as Petrovsky. He was great in his own zone and was the finisher that Filip Mesar needed on his line.Ohgren, meanwhile, left a lot to be desired. As Sweden's captain and in his third world juniors, he failed to score a goal on 26 shots, didn't record a point at even strength, and was outscored 3-1 at five-on-five.Grade: B-Montreal CanadiensRepresentatives (4): Owen Beck (CAN), Jacob Fowler (USA), Lane Hutson (USA), Filip Mesar (SVK)Hutson didn't dominate the tournament in the way some expected him to, but he still led the gold-medal-winning team in minutes, racked up seven points, and outscored the opposition 10-4 at five-on-five.Mesar was similarly great. Dominant in transition, he would've made the tournament All-Star team had Slovakia won in overtime against Finland in the quarters.As Canada's only returnee, Beck underwhelmed with one goal. He was good in a checking role, but Canada ultimately needed him to be more.Grade: A-Nashville PredatorsRepresentatives (2): Kasper Kulonummi (FIN), Matthew Wood (CAN)Kulonummi anchored Finland's top pairing, playing over 22 minutes a game. Wood didn't play much for Canada but scored a marquee goal in the quarters against Czechia.Grade: C+New Jersey Devils BJORN LARSSON ROSVALL / AFP / GettyRepresentatives (2): Seamus Casey (USA), Lenni Hameenaho (FIN)Casey didn't play a huge role for the Americans - that went to Lane Hutson - but was exceptional in a secondary position. He won his five-on-five minutes 10-2 and ranked top five among defenders in scoring despite missing a game. Hameenaho was consistently dangerous around the net front.Grade: A-New York IslandersRepresentatives (2): Quinn Finley (USA), Danny Nelson (USA)Neither Nelson nor Finley played big roles for the Americans en route to gold but were fine in largely fourth-line minutes.Grade: C+New York RangersRepresentatives (3): Drew Fortescue (USA), Gabe Perreault (USA), Adam Sykora (SVK)Perreault continues to excel wherever he plays. From the U.S. NTDP to under-18s, NCAA, and now the world juniors, all he does is put up points.Sykora, an AHL regular this season, tallied only two points in big minutes with Slovakia. He was good defensively, but Slovakia needed its captain to provide more offensively.Grade: BOttawa SenatorsRepresentatives (3): Jorian Donovan (CAN), Tomas Hamara (CZE), Oskar Pettersson (SWE)Hamara was Czechia's top blue-liner, playing over 23 minutes per game and quarterbacking the power play. He wasn't the tournament's best by any means, but he adequately filled a significant role on a Czech back end that lost the likes of David Jiricek, Stanislav Svozil, and David Spacek from a year ago.Donovan played a minimal role as an injury replacement, while Pettersson was a fourth-liner for Sweden.Grade: B-Philadelphia FlyersRepresentatives (3): Oliver Bonk (CAN), Alex Ciernik (SVK), Cutter Gauthier (USA)It was slightly surprising that Gauthier led the tournament in assists rather than goals. Still, the top-five pick was vital to the United States' gold-medal efforts as he co-led the event in scoring and landed on the media All-Star team.The deflection off him that ended Canada's tournament overshadowed Bonk's performance, which was impressive for an 18-year-old blue-liner. Canada outscored opponents 7-3 with Bonk on the ice at five-on-five, and he got minutes on the second power-play unit.Note: Gauthier was traded to the Anaheim Ducks after publishing.Grade: APittsburgh Penguins BJORN LARSSON ROSVALL / AFP / GettyRepresentatives (3): Kalle Kangas (FIN), Emil Pieniniemi (FIN), Brayden Yager (CAN)If Alan Letang had a do-over, Yager likely would've played a much bigger role for Canada. Despite playing the 10th-most minutes among Canadian forwards, he was second on the team in scoring and won his five-on-five minutes 7-1 - the best differential for any Canadian.The duo of Kangas and Pieniniemi weren't notable on the Finnish blue line.Grade: BSan Jose SharksRepresentatives (6): Filip Bystedt (SWE), Jake Furlong (CAN), Kasper Halttunen (FIN), Mattias Havelid (SWE), Eric Pohlkamp (USA), Will Smith (USA)It came as no surprise that Smith found success alongside his Boston College teammates, racking up seven primary points at five-on-five.Bystedt wasn't as much of a factor as anticipated, while Havelid was usurped on the depth chart by the likes of Theo Lindstein and Tom Willander.Furlong was a pleasant surprise on Canada's back end, providing strong defensive minutes in a top-four role. And Halttunen's wicked shot was on full display with 30 shots on goal while averaging only 14:26 per contest.Grade: B+Seattle KrakenRepresentatives (6): Zeb Forsfjall (SWE), Niklas Kokko (FIN), Ty Nelson (CAN), Jani Nyman (FIN), Carson Rehkopf (CAN), Eduard Sale (CZE)Nyman led the tournament in shots with 40 but only managed to score twice. A bit more puck luck for him, and we're talking about Nyman as one of the stars of the event.Sale was productive for Czechia, while Nelson and Rehkopf impressed in small usage for Canada. Kokko didn't have a great showing as Finland's starter.Grade: BSt. Louis BluesRepresentatives (7): Dalibor Dvorsky (SVK), Aleksanteri Kaskimaki (FIN), Theo Lindstein (SWE), Juraj Pekarcik (SVK), Jimmy Snuggerud (USA), Jakub Stancl (SVK), Otto Stenberg (SWE)Snuggerud missed a game but still registered five goals and eight points while battling illness. Stenberg potted five as well and can return next year. And how about Lindstein? He wasn't even on Sweden's initial roster and ended up on the media All-Star team with eight points and a plus-9 goal differential at five-on-five.That's not all. Dvorsky was dominant in transition en route to six points. Stancl, Kaskimaki, and Pekarcik were all effective in their own right for their teams, too.Grade: A+Tampa Bay LightningRepresentatives (1): Isaac Howard (USA)If it wasn't evident with his play at Michigan State, Howard has his swagger back. The co-leader in goals with seven, the U.S. outscored the opposition 11-1 with him on the ice at five-on-five. Oh, and he scored twice in the gold-medal game.Grade: A+Toronto Maple Leafs ADAM IHSE / AFP / GettyRepresentatives (2): Easton Cowan (CAN), Fraser Minten (CAN)In retrospect, Minten should've been used in a defensive role rather than playing in the top six. He was good in his own zone but failed to provide the dynamic, breakthrough offense required of a Canadian top-six forward who also features on the No. 1 power-play unit.Cowan was good in a bottom-six role and wasn't on the ice for a five-on-five goal against. He's set for a bigger spot in Canada's lineup next year.Grade: CVancouver CanucksRepresentatives: Jonathan Lekkerimaki (SWE), Elias Pettersson (SWE), Tom Willander (SWE)Lekkerimaki surged late in the tournament to snag MVP honors in a silver-medal effort. His one-timer was near automatic down the stretch, firing nine shots on goal against both Switzerland and Czechia in elimination games.But don't overlook Willander. The right-shot blue-liner was superb in his own zone, outscoring opponents 11-2 at five-on-five. And Pettersson was Axel Sandin Pellikka's counterpart on the top pairing, playing over 20 minutes a night.Grade: A+Vegas Golden KnightsRepresentatives: David Edstrom (SWE), Arttu Karki (FIN), Matyas Sapovaliv (CZE)Sapovaliv was good in the defensive zone, but Czechia was likely hoping for more offense from the three-time world junior veteran. Karki had an up-and-down tournament, and Edstrom was effective in Sweden's middle six.Grade: CWashington CapitalsRepresentatives: Ryan Chesley (USA), Ryan Leonard (USA)Leonard loves to break Swedish hearts. He did it at the under-18s, where he scored the golden goal in overtime, and did it again on Friday with a late dagger and a kiss to the crowd.Chesley was the perfect counterpart to Hutson's electric offense. The U.S. won his minutes 9-2, and he allowed Hutson to do his thing.Grade: AWinnipeg JetsRepresentatives: Rutger McGroarty (USA), Elias Salomonsson (SWE), Fabian Wagner (SWE)McGroarty returned from injury just in time for the tournament opener, and he never looked back. The American captain was a two-way beast throughout the event.Salomonsson and Wagner played smaller roles for Sweden.Grade: B+Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.