Florida Panthers defenseman Mike Matheson will have a hearing with the NHL's Department of Player Safety on Monday for interference/ unsportsmanlike conduct on Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson, the department announced Sunday.Pettersson was forced from Saturday's game after taking a big hit from Matheson behind the Panthers' goal in the third period. The 19-year-old subsequently missed the final 16 minutes of the game.Related: Green calls Matheson's hit, throw down of Pettersson 'dirty play'Luckily for the club, the rookie phenom was feeling "a little better" after a night of rest.

Travis Green wasn't pleased with what Mike Matheson did to Elias Pettersson on Saturday night."It's a dirty play," the Vancouver Canucks head coach told reporters postgame. "The league's trying to protect the good, young players, and that's just a dirty play."The Florida Panthers defenseman hit Pettersson into the boards and slammed him to the ice early in the third period of a game the Canucks won 3-2.Green didn't update Pettersson's condition, and he didn't want to address the possibility of payback."We won the game. I'm not going to comment on retribution or anything like that," he said.

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Justin Schultz left Saturday's game against the Montreal Canadiens following an awkward collision with forward Tomas Plekanec.Early in the first period, Plekanec bumped Schultz in the corner. The blue-liner then tumbled backward, falling on his ankle. Schultz left the ice with assistance from Pittsburgh's training staff.

Vancouver Canucks phenom Elias Pettersson left Saturday's game after Florida Panthers defenseman Mike Matheson hit him against the boards and slammed him to the ice.

Jenn Guardino, the girlfriend of Nashville Predators forward Austin Watson and mother of their daughter, took responsibility on Saturday for a summer incident that led to a suspension for Watson.Guardino prefaced her statement by extending compassion to victims of domestic violence and thanking her friends and family for their support, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman."The incident that took place on June 16th, however, was not an act of domestic violence," Guardino added. "Austin Watson has never, and would never hit or abuse me. My behavior and state of intoxication led to the police being involved that day. I have struggled with alcoholism for many years and I am actively involved in (Alcoholics Anonymous)."I am fortunate to have Austin's continued support with my treatment. We handled matters poorly on June 16th and know that we need to make better decisions going forward. I take full responsibility for my actions on that day. I would like to sincerely apologize to everyone involved for the negative attention that followed this incident, including the Nashville Predators community and the city of Nashville."Watson was initially suspended 27 games in September, and an independent arbitrator later reduced the ban to 18 contests. He was arrested on a domestic violence charge in June, later pleading no contest.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Antoine Roussel has been activated off injured reserve and cleared to make his Vancouver Canucks debut Saturday night, the club announced.Roussel missed the Canucks' first four games of the regular season due to a concussion, but is expected to be in the lineup Saturday when the team takes on the Florida Panthers.He was signed as a free agent this offseason to a four-year, $12-million contract.The 28-year-old is entering his seventh season in the NHL after spending his previous six with the Dallas Stars. Last season he put up five goals, 17 points, and 126 penalty minutes in 73 games.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price is out with the flu and won't play against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday, the team announced. Charlie Lindgren has been recalled from the AHL on an emergency basis.Price had been showing glimpses of his former self thus far this season, posting a 1-1-1 record with a .909 save percentage and a 2.32 goals-against average in three tough matchups.The Canadiens will face the Detroit Red Wings Monday, but it's unclear if Price will be back in time. However, head coach Claude Julien did say there is "no reason for concern whatsoever," according to Sportsnet's Eric Engels.Veteran backup Antti Niemi will likely handle the workload until Price regains full health.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We're over a week into the 2018-19 NHL season and Toronto Maple Leafs restricted free-agent forward William Nylander remains back home in Sweden, without a contract.Both sides want a long-term deal to get done, but they can't seem to agree on terms. Nylander's camp is looking to get its worth - a figure that likely accounts for the continued growth of the former eighth overall pick. The Leafs, meanwhile, are apparently insisting all their top players take less money to keep the core together under the salary cap.It appears the two sides remain far apart on a deal they had all summer to negotiate, leaving the door open for a rival team to sign Nylander to an offer sheet.Now, offer sheets in the NHL are rarely tabled. The last one was in 2013 when the Colorado Avalanche matched a two-year, $10-million sheet Ryan O'Reilly signed with the Calgary Flames. In total, there have been eight signed since 1998 - the Anaheim Ducks letting Dustin Penner ink a deal with the Edmonton Oilers is the only one that wasn't matched.It's pretty clear there's an unwritten code among the league's general managers that offer sheets are off the table - even though they're completely legal - and that poaching another team's RFA results in a tarnished reputation. However, players are rarely unsigned in mid-October, and Toronto appears extra vulnerable to an offer sheet given the massive paydays Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner will get next summer.If an offer were to be tabled, it would need to be by teams in the absolute perfect position to do so: the Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes.For offer sheet compensation, refer to CapFriendly. But, as per the NHL's collective bargaining agreement, the average annual value is calculated by dividing the total amount by the lesser of the number of years or five.The case for ColoradoMatthew Stockman / Getty Images Sport / GettyOffer: 6 years, $8-million average annual value ($48M total)

Florida Panthers forward Micheal Haley will be away from the team while taking part in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program, the league and the union announced in a joint statement Friday."Micheal is a valued part of our team and Panthers family," Panthers general manager Dale Tallon said. "He has our full support as he takes the time he needs to tend to this matter."Haley hasn't played in a game for the Panthers this season. The 32-year-old, who's in his second campaign with Florida, appeared in 75 contests in 2017-18, chipping in nine points while racking up 212 penalty minutes.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vancouver Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini is not exactly pleased with some of the recent decisions the team's front office has made.Canucks general manager Jim Benning signed forward Sam Gagner to a three-year, $9.45-million contract on July 1, 2017, on the heels of a career-high 50-point season. However, Gagner was cut by the Canucks at the end of training camp this year and is currently on loan with the AHL's Toronto Marlies.Gagner is owed $3.5 million in base salary this year, and $3.2 million next season, regardless of whether he's playing in the NHL or the AHL. Deciding to leave him off the team's 23-man roster led to an uncomfortable phone call between Benning and his boss."It was a hard conversation," Benning told Sportsnet's Iain MacIntyre. "I tried to explain to him that we had signed Sam but we felt younger players had outperformed him at camp. I was talking about (Nikolay) Goldobin, mostly. We had to make a hard decision on that, and it was hard to have to call him up and explain it. But at the end of the conversation he understood. That was the hardest call I've had to make to him."Aquilini was rather candid with his reaction to the surprising news."When they made that decision to put Sam in the minors, when they told me, I wasn't happy about it," Aquilini said. "I mean, it's $3 million (per season). It's crazy, but that's what was necessary."Gagner, 29, tallied 31 points in 74 games with the Canucks last season.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Ottawa Senators have been hit by a tidal wave of injuries.Defenseman Cody Ceci (upper body), and forwards Ryan Dzingel (lower body) and Alex Formenton (concussion) have been placed on injured reserve, the club announced Friday.In a corresponding move, defenseman Christian Jaros and forward Nick Paul have been recalled from the AHL.Ceci had been held without a point through four games but has logged the second-most minutes on the team's inexperienced blue line.Dzingel was thrown into a top-line role after a busy offseason and has been up for the challenge, scoring twice and adding two assists.The 19-year-old speedy Formenton had been held without a point thus far.The Senators are off to a 1-2-1 start to the season.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Morgan Rielly's red-hot start to the 2018-19 season has earned him a spot in the NHL's history books.With a goal and an assist on Thursday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs top-pairing blue-liner bumped up his point total to 12, making him the highest-scoring defenseman in the NHL's modern era (since 1943) through five contests, per Sportsnet Stats.Here's a look at the names he passed:

An arbitrator has reduced Austin Watson's suspension to 18 games, the NHL and NHLPA announced Thursday.The Nashville Predators forward was originally suspended for 27 games following a no-contest plea to domestic violence."Our organization was not involved in the appeal of Austin Watson’s 27-game suspension, but we are aware of its reduction to 18 games," the Predators said in a statement. "As previously stated, our focus has and will continue to be the health and well-being of Austin and his family."Watson is now eligible to return on Nov. 15 against the Arizona Coyotes.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Mike Gillis spent six years at the helm of the Vancouver Canucks. Now, the former general manager hopes his next assignment is guiding another Pacific Northwest franchise.Speaking with TSN 1040 on Wednesday, Gillis expressed interest in becoming the first GM in Seattle - should the city's NHL expansion bid be granted."If they flattered me enough by asking if I was interested, I'd be most definitely interested," Gillis told TSN 1040, per Harrison Mooney of the Province. "I'm hopeful to have a discussion with them."Gillis, who was dismissed by the Canucks in 2014, has since spent two seasons as a director with Geneve-Servette of the Swiss National League.During his stint in Vancouver, Gillis' squads captured five division titles while also setting franchise highs in wins and points. It culminated with a trip to Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final.As for Seattle, the city could officially be awarded a franchise at December's board of governors meeting.Former Dallas Stars and Arizona Coyotes head coach Dave Tippett, who is an advisor to Seattle's hopeful ownership group, has indicated the GM search will begin in the spring."(The) general manager I think is somebody who has done that job at the NHL level before," Tippett said in September. "I really think that's important in an expansion team."Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Philadelphia Flyers sophomore Nolan Patrick will be out of action for seven-to-10 days due to an upper-body injury, general manager Ron Hextall announced Thursday.Patrick was injured in Wednesday's win over the Ottawa Senators. He left the contest after playing just 3:30 and was unable to return. He joins winger James van Riemsdyk, who was recently ruled out for five-to-six weeks, on the shelf as the Flyers' forward corps has been bitten early by injuries.The 2017 second-overall pick recorded 30 points in his rookie season but hasn't found the scoresheet in four games to open the new campaign.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It doesn't appear Matt Murray will miss significant time after being diagnosed with a concussion Tuesday.The Pittsburgh Penguins netminder was back on the ice Thursday, and while he won't be between the pipes for Thursday night's game against the Vegas Golden Knights, he's listed as day to day, head coach Mike Sullivan said after the morning skate.Meanwhile, Murray appears to be in good spirits and says he still needs to get assurance from doctors before returning to game action."I still need to talk to the doctors, but I felt good out there," Murray said. "I wear the best helmet you can get. It's a fast game and sometimes things happen."Following Thursday's contest, the Penguins will be in action Saturday when they clash with the Montreal Canadiens.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

What was always inevitable is now official: Henrik and Daniel Sedin will have their jerseys retired by the Vancouver Canucks next season, owner Francesco Aquilini said, according to Sportsnet's Irfaan Gaffar.The decision to wait until next year coincides with the team's 50th anniversary season.Henrik, who wore No. 33, and Daniel, who donned No. 22, retired at the end of last season. Their names are littered all over the franchise's record books; Henrik and Daniel rank first and second, respectively, in games played and points.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Warning: Story contains course languageFresh off a four-point performance in a Stanley Cup Final rematch against the Vegas Golden Knights, Evgeny Kuznetsov wasn't going to waste his time with player rankings.After his dominant effort, which featured one goal and three primary helpers, Kuznetsov was asked if he's ever considered himself a top-five player in today's NHL."No, no. I don't give a shit about that," he said, per Stephen Whyno of The Associated Press.While he can't be bothered with his place among the league's best, Kuzentsov's recently built a compelling case to put his name in the conversation he doesn't want to have. After recording a career-high 83 points in the 2017-18 regular season, the Capitals top center went on to lead all players in postseason scoring with 32 points in 24 games as Washington captured its first championship in franchise history.The 26-year-old's follow-up act is off to a grand start, too, notching seven points in the first three games.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Anaheim Ducks got a big boost on Wednesday night when Ryan Kesler was cleared to play against the Arizona Coyotes.Kesler missed the Ducks' first three regular-season games while dealing with his bothersome hip, which required surgery in June 2017.He was cleared for contact in September but didn't receive medical clearance to play in a game until Wednesday.The 34-year-old missed essentially the first half of the 2017-18 season with the injury, returning in late December and producing 14 points in 44 contests before suiting up in all four of Anaheim's playoff games.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Rangers' highest-paid defenseman is expected to take in Thursday's game against the San Jose Sharks from the press box.After watching his team start the season with three straight losses, rookie head coach David Quinn will shake up his lineup, and it's expected defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk will be a healthy scratch, according to Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post.The 29-year-old, who's making $8 million this season, said he understands the decision even if he isn't happy about it."You have to learn from it, obviously. I'm not a guy that would take that the wrong way and mope about it," Shattenkirk said. "It's the NHL; if you're not playing well, there are guys that are playing well. Tony DeAngelo played a phenomenal game the (Sunday) night (in Carolina). He's earned a spot on the roster. I think all the 'D' have earned a spot on the roster, and I'm probably the guy that needs to fight a little bit harder to get my spot back. It's on me, for sure."I know that it's a process, but this is probably a good little kick to get me going and get me out of this - I don't want to say slump - but just get my confidence back and start playing the game I know I have."After playing 20:41 in the club's season opener against the Nashville Predators and then 22:23 against the Buffalo Sabres, Shattenkirk had his minutes slashed in Game 3 against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday, playing just 7:29. Through the first three games, Shattenkirk has gone pointless and is a minus-4.Last season, Shattenkirk suffered a torn meniscus in training camp and was subsequently limited to just 46 games in his first year with the Rangers. It's an injury Quinn feels Shattenkirk is still dealing with."He and I have talked about playing with more urgency, and I think he's still a little bit hesitant because of what happened last year. He's got to get his confidence back. He's going to have every chance to get his confidence back. This is a process. This isn't a punishment."The Rangers are one of three teams yet to record a single point on the season.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vegas Golden Knights forward Paul Stastny will miss at least the next three games due to a lower-body injury, head coach Gerard Gallant said Wednesday, according to Stephen Whyno of The Associated Press.Stastny will be re-evaluated when the team returns to Vegas at the conclusion of its five-game road trip that wraps up Saturday in Philadelphia.While the team didn't disclose how the injury occurred, it's expected it came during a collision in the final minutes of the club's 4-2 loss against the Buffalo Sabres on Monday.

Welcome to Puck Pursuit, a weekly NHL podcast hosted by national hockey writer John Matisz.Subscribe to the show on iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and Google Play.John is joined by Gus Katsaros of McKeen's Hockey to craft an early-season viewing guide centered around unique traits. Topics of discussion include:

Warning: Story contains coarse languageClaude Giroux did not mince words when asked about the Philadelphia Flyers' effort in Tuesday night's 8-2 drubbing at the hands of the San Jose Sharks in his club's home opener."I just think we played like shit tonight," the Flyers forward told reporters postgame, according to NHL.com's Adam Kimelman. "The score shows it. We just left our goalie to dry and (Brian Elliott) played a good game, he didn’t deserve that and it’s on us."Elliott allowed all eight Sharks goals on 48 shots.The Flyers were outshot by 15 and committed twice as many giveaways (14-7). San Jose also held a 59.57 to 40.43 edge in five-on-five Corsi For percentage, according to Natural Stat Trick.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The San Jose Sharks blew out Philadelphia 8-2 on Tuesday night, and Flyers goaltender Brian Elliott was left in for all eight of the markers.The last time San Jose scored eight goals in a game was Oct. 8, 2013, in a 9-2 victory over the New York Rangers.Elliott faced 48 shots in the loss.He has started all three of the Flyers' games so far in 2018-19, allowing two goals in a 5-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night, and four more in a 5-2 defeat to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Pittsburgh Penguins reportedly won't seek goaltending assistance from outside the organization in the wake of Matt Murray's latest concussion diagnosis."(The) Pens are optimistic that it may not be too long (for Murray to return), but in the meantime, the Pens will not be looking externally for any help," TSN's Bob McKenzie said on Tuesday's edition of "Insider Trading.""Casey DeSmith is scheduled to be the starter against the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night. Tristan Jarry is coming back off (an) injury, DeSmith is ready to play, but for the foreseeable future, as long as Murray is out of the lineup, it's expected to be DeSmith and Jarry."The Penguins revealed Tuesday that Murray sustained a concussion in Monday's practice.It's his second in about eight months. He also suffered one in practice back in February.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Oh, to get inside the head of an Arizona Coyotes player right now.After losing 105 of 164 games over the last two seasons, the club has failed to score a goal through two contests this year despite peppering the opposition with 133 shot attempts."We've got to chill out here," head coach Rick Tocchet told reporters over the weekend following a 1-0 loss to the Anaheim Ducks. "We played two pretty good games and we can't score right now. It is what it is."Ronald Martinez / Getty Images Sport / GettyTocchet, who is days into his second year behind Arizona's bench, has a point. There are 80 games remaining in the 2018-19 season. Truthfully, as he notes, it is what it is. Early October is a no-panic zone (especially when you're rocking the NHL's finest alternates).That being said, we're all human, and there's little chance this Coyotes squad isn't at least a bit scarred from what transpired last season. They lost their first 11 games and didn't earn a regulation win until Nov. 16. Ravaged by injury, inexperienced, and skating for an unfamiliar coach, their playoff hopes dissipated within the opening two months.And now, with the team not only failing to execute but also dealing with injuries to key players and potentially feeling the crush of deja vu, a deep breath is needed. What is really going on in the desert? Are the Coyotes capable of ending their six-year postseason drought? Is this team perpetually doomed or is it actually set up for long-term success?"I think we're on the right path," president of hockey operations and general manager John Chayka said in a recent interview with theScore. "I like our current team, I like our future team. I like our staff in terms of our scouts, our development team, our medical team, our coaching staff at the AHL and NHL level. Our management group's done a nice job. We have a really robust organization in place and I think we've got a lot of people who bring a lot of innovative, new ideas to the team."That's the thing about the "growing pains" (Chayka's phrase) the Coyotes have endured of late - the team is taking its lumps amid a substantial rebuild, a time when expectations are tempered and its business-minded boss' top-to-bottom construction job is ongoing."We must continue to evolve, continue to go through this process, and day to day get better," said Chayka, who turned 29 in June. "The playoffs is the end result that everyone's after, and that's certainly the goal, but we've got to continue to focus on being better every day. If we can, we're excited about where this group is headed."The franchise has been gutted and reassembled since Chayka was hired as assistant GM prior to the 2015-16 season. On top of bringing in fresh front-office faces, such as assistant GM and director of scouting Lindsay Hofford and director of hockey ops Jake Goldberg, Chayka has gained a reputation as the NHL's most active GM.This past offseason alone, he acquired 14 players - including Alex Galchenyuk, Michael Grabner, and Vinnie Hinostroza - while saying goodbye to 12 members of the 2017-18 roster. Chayka, who is peerless in terms of making minor transactions and is also unafraid of the big move, says he's satisfied with the Coyotes' organizational depth.If you count Chayka's season under ex-GM Don Maloney, the NHL roster looks completely different. As pointed out by Richard Morin of the Arizona Republic, captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson is the lone leftover from the previous regime."We're just trying to maximize asset value," Chayka said of his trading habits. "And look, there's a lot of instances where, for whatever reason, it's not working out (for a player) in a certain situation and maybe we have an asset that's not working out in our situation. That's the crux of making a trade."Norm Hall / National Hockey League / GettyChayka, who has an honors degree in business administration from Western University and is the co-founder of Stathletes, a hockey analytics firm, can often sound more like a CEO than a hockey manager. He is a card-carrying member of a new wave of NHL execs driven by curiosity, collaboration, data, and a detail-rich decision-making process.A prime example of his growth mindset: To widen his knowledge base, Chayka will regularly interact with other heavy hitters from the Phoenix pro sports scene, periodically sitting down with executives from the NBA's Suns, the NFL's Cardinals, and MLB's Diamondbacks."A lot of the things we talk about are (based around) logic. If you can understand how it applies to a certain sport, then you can apply that logic to other sports," Chayka explained. "It's nice because we're in different leagues, we're not too worried about (overlapping) competitive advantages.""You've got to be able to work with those guys and talk with them and bounce ideas off them," he added. "There's different situations - whether it's free agency or dealing with trades or building relationships with players - and we talk a lot about a lot of different things. You try to take those best practices and apply them to your organization."Sports science is an area in which Chayka, a health nut himself, seems particularly invested. Just last week, the Coyotes announced Mayo Clinic, the powerhouse health care company, has become the team's "official orthopedic provider."Rest, aging, injury prevention - these are the types of things Mayo has been hired to monitor on a daily basis. Much like his incremental gains approach to swapping player after player, Chayka is searching for any way to maximize player output."No matter what we do, every decision is in the mind frame of, 'How do we find a competitive advantage and how do we best utilize our resources to get there?'" Chayka said. "Mayo is a world-class name, best in class in terms of what they do. To be able to partner with them and leverage their resources and the type of people that they have - again, we're trying to find those advantages as best we can. We think they add up to wins."The timing of the announcement is ironic, with Galchenyuk, the former 30-goal scorer penciled into a top-six center spot; promising blueliner Jakob Chychrun; and Christian Dvorak, who signed a six-year deal in August, all starting the season on injured reserve.Galchenyuk, Chychrun, and Dvorak - 24, 20, and 22 years old, respectively - join 2018 fifth overall pick Barrett Hayton; low-floor, high-ceiling center Dylan Strome; and super sophomore Clayton Keller to help form the team's impressive young core that is supported by a burgeoning farm system. The 25-and-older group includes defensemen Ekman-Larsson, Nik Hjalmarsson, and Jason Demers, as well as No. 1 goalie Antti Raanta.Norm Hall / National Hockey League / GettyOn paper, Arizona's mix-and-match roster is hitting the right notes and, if all goes according to plan over the next 80 games, this collection of talent has an outside chance at contending for a playoff spot. Then again, for all the promise, one can't forget last year's Coyotes finished 30th in goals, 21st in goals against, and had the 26th-ranked power play and 19th-ranked penalty kill despite a strong late-season push. And anything can happen in the wildly unpredictable Pacific Division.In the short term, the next six games will be a test. Opponents range from decent (Blackhawks, Sabres), to good (Ducks, Wild), to very good (Blue Jackets), to great (Jets). And five of those games are on the road.That stretch of the schedule won't put anybody's mind at ease, especially given the scoreless start. However, Chayka's optimism and emphasis on the process - on the long-term health of the organization - just might."We've got to keep moving down this path," Chayka said. "We've got the ship straightened out and we've got to hit the gas. Hopefully this year we can do it."John Matisz is theScore's national hockey writer. You can find him on Twitter @matiszjohn.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Rick Nash remains undecided about whether he will play in the NHL again.

Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Matt Murray has been diagnosed with a concussion, the team announced Tuesday.Murray suffered the injury during practice on Monday and there is no timeline for his return, head coach Mike Sullivan said.The goaltender suffered a concussion in practice last February, which forced him to miss nine games.He has played the entirety of the Penguins' first two games this season, going 1-1-0 while conceding 11 goals on 65 shots.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Could the NHL have its sights set on a second team in Texas?While recent expansion talk has centered on the success of the Vegas Golden Knights and the pending entry of a Seattle-based team, at least one member of the NHL's executive committee sees unearthed value in bringing a team to Houston."I look at where we can make the greatest impressions and have the most effectiveness," Boston Bruins owner and NHL executive committee chairman Jeremy Jacobs told 98.5 The Sports Hub. "Clearly the one area that is missing is Houston because that's such a great city."Jacobs did not indicate whether he thinks the NHL should enter Houston through expansion or relocation, but added, "We don't have any really poor cities anymore. They're continuing to flourish."It's not the first time Jacobs has shared his admiration for Houston, particularly when compared to another oft-discussed expansion market in Quebec City."You look at Houston and you look at (Quebec), it's the fifth largest city in North America versus the 105th, let's say, so they have a different situation there," Jacobs said in May.Meanwhile, Tilman Feritta, a Texas billionaire who bought the NBA's Houston Rockets for $2.2 billion in September 2017, hasn't been shy in expressing his interest in bringing the NHL to Houston. He's even met with the NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to discuss Houston's suitability as an NHL market."I'm very interested in the possibility of bringing the NHL to Houston, but it will have to be a deal that works for my organization, the city, fans of the NHL throughout the region, and the NHL Board of Governors," Fertitta said in November 2017.Houston has previously played home to two pro hockey teams: the AHL's Aeros from 1994 to 2013 and a World Hockey Association franchise by the same moniker from 1972 to 1978.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

An afternoon contest Monday between the New York Islanders and the visiting San Jose Sharks drew a sparse crowd of just 8,790 to the Barclays Center, according to Arthur Staple of The Athletic.It marked the lowest-ever turnout to an Isles home game since the team moved to Brooklyn in 2015. Poor ice conditions, challenging commutes, and obstructed views have continued to plague the fan base.The Islanders finished with the NHL's lowest average attendance last season, coming in at just 12,002. The Barclays Center holds 15,795.The franchise hopes to combat its attendance woes this year by splitting its home games between Barclays Center (21 games) and Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum (20 games). Plans are also in place to build a new arena in Belmont Park, which is just east of New York City. Arena construction will begin in 2019.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With the news that Florida Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo will miss two-to-four weeks with an MCL injury, and Los Angeles Kings netminder Jonathan Quick has been placed on injured reserve, here are five goalies fantasy owners can turn to:Ownership percentages courtesy Yahoo.James Reimer, PanthersOwnership: 39 percentReimer will handle starting duties in Florida until Luongo returns from injury. As far as waiver-wire additions go, Reimer is a quality goaltender with plenty of experience. He's posted a .920 save percentage or better in four of his eight NHL seasons. With matchups at home against the Blue Jackets and Canucks this week, a couple of wins could be in the cards.Jack Campbell, KingsEthan Miller / Getty Images Sport / GettyOwnership: 31 percentLike Reimer, Campbell will fill in as his team's starer while Quick is out. However, Quick could be back as early as Friday, so Campbell's reign as the team's No. 1 may be short-lived.Despite his limited NHL experience, the former 11th overall pick has plenty of talent and has had success in the minors. The Kings have three games this week (at Jets, at Canadiens, at Senators), so there's a good chance he gets the call in at least two of them.Craig Anderson, SenatorsOwnership: 26 percentAnderson and the Senators were awful last year, and the team's offseason was even worse, leaving their veteran netminder undrafted in most leagues. Despite facing a ton of action in his first two starts, Anderson has performed admirably, owning a .913 save percentage. He's been known to alternate good and bad seasons throughout his career, so it's possible the 37-year-old has one more solid campaign in him.The Sens have two games remaining this week: Wednesday vs. the Flyers, and Saturday vs. the Kings. Mike Condon got shelled on Monday, so it's possible the Sens go with Anderson in both contests.Robin Lehner, IslandersBruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / GettyOwnership: 38 percentThe Islanders were a historically bad defensive team last season, but Barry Trotz has been brought in to clean that up and play a more structured game. Lehner is a very talented goalie and has put up decent numbers despite some poor Sabres teams in front of him. He appears to be in a better place mentally now and already had a shutout in his Islanders debut.Unfortunately, the Isles only have one more game this week, and it comes on the road against the Nashville Predators, so Lehner probably makes for a better long-term solution.Curtis McElhinney, HurricanesOwnership: Eight percentMcElhinney, who's coming off a career year with the Maple Leafs, was scooped up off waivers by the Hurricanes after Scott Darling went down with an injury. Petr Mrazek has played poorly in his first two games this season, while McElhinney stopped 31 of 32 shots in his only game this year.The 'Canes have three games left this week (vs. Canucks, at Wild, at Jets), so the 35-year-old seems poised to start at least two of them.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The San Jose Sharks received some good news on the status of Joe Thornton's aching knee, as the swelling that sent him to injured reserve on Sunday was apparently caused by an infection rather than structural damage, head coach Peter DeBoer told Paul Gackle of The Mercury News."Nothing structurally. It looks like an infection, put him on antibiotics," DeBoer said. "He should be fine."Thornton experienced swelling after Friday's win over the Los Angeles Kings. He was then placed on IR and sent home from the club's four-game East Coast road trip for precautionary reasons.At the earliest, Jumbo Joe could rejoin the Sharks on Oct. 14, but a firm timetable is still unclear. The update has to be considered a positive for the Sharks, though, as the 39-year-old has undergone two knee surgeries in the past 17 months.Over the first two contests of the new season, Thornton recorded one assist and sits on the precipice of two personal milestones. With five more games played and three more goals, the No. 1 overall pick from the 1997 draft will reach 1,500 and 400, respectively, for his career.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews, Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, and Dallas Stars netminder Ben Bishop have been named the NHL's three stars of the season's opening week.Matthews has been lights out to start the new campaign, recording five goals and three assists in the Maple Leafs' first three games. He netted the overtime winner in the club's season opener and currently leads the NHL in both goals and points.Toews appears poised for a major bounce-back season, as he's matched Matthews' five goals and has tacked on an assist for the Blackhawks during their 2-0-1 start.Bishop has been a brick wall for the Stars early on, stopping 62 of 63 shots in his first two starts of the season.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Florida Panthers netminder Roberto Luongo will be out longer than initially thought, as he's scheduled to miss two-to-four weeks with a Grade 1 MCL injury, head coach Bob Boughner said Monday.On Sunday, it was reported that Luongo would miss at least a week after teammate Frank Vatrano fell on his leg in the Panthers' season opener.With Luongo out, James Reimer will take over the starter role. Michael Hutchinson has been recalled from the AHL to serve as the backup.The 39-year-old Luongo missed 27 games with a lower-body injury last season while posting a .929 save percentage across 33 starts. His health going forward will be a key factor for the Panthers and their playoff hopes.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Columbus Blue Jackets will be without Brandon Dubinsky for the next four-to-six weeks after the forward strained an oblique muscle during practice, general manager Jarmo Kekalainen announced Sunday.It marks the second consecutive season Dubinsky has been forced to miss a significant chunk of time. In 2017-18, he missed 20 games as he dealt with a broken orbital bone and other personal issues. He finished the season with a career-low 16 points.Dubinsky, 32, was off to a strong start to begin the new campaign, registering a goal and an assist in the Blue Jackets' first two games.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Philadelphia Flyers will be without marquee free-agent signing James van Riemsdyk for five-to-six weeks after suffering a lower-body injury in Saturday's loss to the Colorado Avalanche, general manager Ron Hextall announced.Van Riemsdyk took a puck off the leg in the first period and was unable to return.After posting a career-high 36 goals with the Toronto Maple Leafs last season, the Flyers inked van Riemsdyk to a five-year, $35-million contract on July 1.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Every Monday, theScore will be rolling out a weekly fantasy hockey column: 5 moves you need to make. Ownership percentages (as of Oct. 6) and position eligibility courtesy Yahoo.Add Timo MeierTeam: Sharks

Roberto Luongo won't be available for seven days or more.The Florida Panthers placed Luongo on injured reserve Sunday, reports The Athletic's George Richards.The veteran netminder was hurt Saturday night when teammate Frank Vatrano fell on his right leg. Luongo left the game and didn't return, and James Reimer came on in relief.Florida initially deemed it a lower-body injury, but head coach Bob Boughner said postgame that Luongo will undergo further tests on his right knee.A source told Richards that it may not be much more than a sprain. The IR designation requires Luongo to miss at least seven days, but it could be retroactive to Saturday's contest.The Panthers are off Sunday and will practice Monday. Michael Hutchinson was reportedly recalled Sunday in a corresponding move.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Los Angeles Kings have placed goaltender Jonathan Quick on injured reserve, the club announced Sunday.Quick was initially deemed day to day earlier in the afternoon after sustaining what the team called a lower-body injury in Saturday's practice.As a result of the IR designation, the netminder will miss at least a week. However, the designation could be retroactive to Friday, when he last played in an overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks.The Kings recalled Peter Budaj from the AHL on Sunday in a corresponding move.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick is day-to-day after suffering a lower-body injury during practice, a team spokesperson told Kings insider Jon Rosen.Jack Campbell will likely replace Quick when the Kings take on the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday, according to Rosen.In his only appearance this season, Quick allowed three goals in a loss to the San Jose Sharks on Friday.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The injury bug has taken a significant bite out of the San Jose Sharks early in the season, as forward Joe Thornton has been placed on the injured reserve after experiencing swelling in his surgically-repaired right knee, according to Paul Gackle of the Mercury News.Thornton flew back to the Bay Area amid the club's four-game road trip to visit doctors, but head coach Peter DeBoer says it's only precautionary."He had a little bit of swelling after the last game, and rather than continue on the road and risk anything with it, we're going to take the safe route and get him home and get it looked at," he said.The earliest Thornton could rejoin the Sharks would be in one week, but at this point, there's no clear timetable on a return.Thornton has been battling frequent knee problems as of late. The 39-year-old was sidelined for the final 35 games and the playoffs last season after tearing his ACL and MCL in his right knee, nine months after doing the same to his left.He signed a one-year contract to remain with the Sharks over the offseason, and sits on the cusp of two major milestones, needing just five more games for 1,500 and three goals for 400 in his Hall of Fame career.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Florida Panthers netminder Roberto Luongo left Saturday's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning due to a lower-body injury.Luongo suffered the injury midway through the second period after teammate Frank Vatrano fell onto his leg.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said "the hope" is to have the next World Cup of Hockey in Fall 2020, according to The Athletic's Corey Masisak.However, Daly adds that holding the next tournament is contingent on neither the NHL or NHLPA exercising its right to terminate the collective bargaining agreement next year, Masisak notes. If the agreement gets terminated or reopened, a World Cup in Fall 2020 isn't likely.The 2016 World Cup of Hockey was the most recent best-on-best international hockey tournament because the NHL didn't go to the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics.Eight teams took part in 2016: Canada (players age 24 and over), Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Sweden, United States (players age 24 and over), Team Europe (players from European nations not represented in the tournament), and Team North America (players age 23 and younger from Canada and the United States).Canada won, defeating Team Europe two games to none in a best-of-three final.The 2020 World Cup of Hockey would mark the fourth edition of the tournament, with the first two coming in 1996 and 2004.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

One season among the game's elite isn't going to cut it for reigning Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall.The New Jersey Devils winger broke out in a big way in 2017-18, establishing new career-highs across the board with 93 points in 76 games. His efforts were enough to clinch the club's first playoff appearance since 2012 before he was named the NHL's most valuable player in June.As he enters a new campaign, however, Hall isn't resting on the laurels of his banner season."I’ve kind of included myself in a tier of players now and I want to stay there," Hall told The Athletic's Scott Burnside. "You see the guys who do it season after season, every season, you know the Crosbys, the Malkins, the Benns, they’re just there every year. So now that I’ve kind of included myself there I want to stay there so I just tried to prepare myself as best as possible."Hall was every bit as valuable as each of the players he listed last season. He won the team's scoring race by a whopping 41 points, and went on a historic 26-game point streak from January to March.Now, it's about finding a way to be that same player year after year."We had a lot of a success as a team. For me, I found that I took my game to another level," Hall told Under Armour at a recent photo shoot. "As an athlete, when you accomplish that much in one season you want to make sure you come back the next and play the same way. So it was definitely an exciting feeling, but also huge motivation for the upcoming season."As for how Hall plans on maintaining his excellence into 2018-19, the 26-year-old will rely on a skill-based offseason training regimen that helped spark his breakout showing a season ago."In previous years, I would take 2 to 3 months off the ice and let my body relax," Hall said. "This past summer, I made a commitment to skate, play hockey and work on my skills all summer long, and I think that’s what really made the difference for me this season."Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Calgary Flames will be without Travis Hamonic for a while.The defenseman suffered a facial fracture during a fight with Erik Gudbranson in Calgary's season opener on Wednesday and now has a week-to-week status, the club announced Friday.Defenseman Rasmus Andersson has been called up from the AHL in a corresponding move.The fight against Gudbranson occurred only 4:22 into the first period. Hamonic later returned to action, receiving 14:35 of ice time.The 28-year-old is a big part of the Flames' defense. He played 74 games last year in his first season with Calgary, averaging 20-plus minutes of ice time per game.Andersson was the Flames' second-round pick in 2015. He played 10 games for Calgary in 2017-18.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Derek MacKenzie will play one final NHL campaign.The Florida Panthers forward and former captain told The Athletic's George Richards on Thursday that the 2018-19 season will be his last as a player.MacKenzie said he would like to stay involved with the organization when he hangs up his skates.The 37-year-old is entering his 18th campaign and fifth with the Panthers. He wore the 'C' for Florida in 2016-17 and 2017-18. Aleksander Barkov succeeded him as captain earlier this fall.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Washington Capitals winger Tom Wilson will appeal the 20-game suspension he received Wednesday for a preseason hit on St. Louis Blues center Oskar Sundqvist, head coach Todd Reirden told The Washington Post's Isabelle Khurshudyan on Thursday.Wilson received a match penalty for the hit to the head of Sunqvist in the final preseason game for both teams on Sunday.The Washington forward has 48 hours from the time of the suspension to give written notice of an appeal to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, according to Khurshudyan.If Bettman opts not to overturn or reduce the punishment, Wilson could then appeal to a neutral arbitrator. Either way, the Capitals pest would remain suspended throughout the process.Wednesday's ruling was Wilson's fourth suspension in his past 105 games. The NHL's Department of Player Safety cited that fact in its explanation of the decision.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs played their season opener Wednesday night with one key piece missing from the lineup: William Nylander.The forward remains in Sweden, without a contract, as he and the Maple Leafs continue to try to work out a deal that pleases both sides."In the end I have to take care of myself and do what I and my agent thinks is right," he told Swedish outlet Aftonbladet, as translated by Sportsnet. "Especially if it's about several years to come. I need to think long term. It's my own future it's about."By dragging the holdout into the regular season, Nylander is now forfeiting more than $30,000 in pay each day he remains unsigned, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.Nylander has said he's seeking a long-term contract rather than a bridge deal.While Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas has gone on record to say he also prefers Nylander sign a long-term deal, the team insists all of its top players take less money to keep the squad together under the salary cap, just as John Tavares did this summer, taking $11 million per year when he likely could've received more elsewhere.Related: Dubas confirms Maple Leafs don't want to trade Nylander"It wasn't (Tavares') responsibility to set a new bar or to please other people with other interests," team president Brendan Shanahan said Wednesday. "He's a hockey player. He wanted to come here and win hockey games. He wanted to be treated fairly and he is. And yes, that is what is we would hope and expect from our players as we go forward."Nylander said he's been left in the dark during most of the negotiations."Right now, I do not know more than all the rest of you," Nylander told Aftonbladet. "I have not received any messages and have no contact with Toronto. It’s my agent who takes care of everything."Johnston notes that Nylander's eventual long-term contract is expected to compare similarly to Nikolaj Ehlers' seven-year, $6-million AAV with the Jets, and David Pastrnak's six-year, $6.67-million AAV with the Bruins.Related - Dubas: 'We can, and we will' retain Matthews, Marner, NylanderNylander has been working out and skating regularly in Sweden, but a return date to Toronto - where a spot on the team's top line with Matthews and Patrick Marleau is being kept warm by Tyler Ennis - still remains unclear.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Islanders have found their successor to John Tavares, naming Anders Lee the team's captain on Thursday.Lee is coming off a career year, scoring 40 goals during the 2017-18 season.The 28-year-old is no stranger to wearing the "C," as he was the captain during his junior year at Notre Dame.Josh Bailey, Cal Clutterbuck, and Andrew Ladd will serve as the team's alternate captains.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Carolina Hurricanes own the NHL's longest active playoff drought at nine years, and for many of those seasons, goaltending was at the root of their issues.For his part, general manager Don Waddell believes some improvement between the pipes would be enough to finally crack the postseason."I think the biggest thing, and I hate to put on too much pressure, but if our goaltending can be average or above I think that’ll give us a really good chance of making the playoffs," Waddell said in a Q&A with The Athletic's Sara Civian.The Hurricanes ranked last overall with an .893 save percentage last season despite allowing the fewest shots in the entire league. They haven't ranked better than 26th in save percentage since 2013-14.Scott Darling was acquired prior to last season after three strong campaigns as Corey Crawford's backup in Chicago, but struggled to the tune of an .888 save percentage and a 3.18 goals-against average.Coincidentally, longtime Hurricanes netminder Cam Ward left Carolina as a free agent this summer, inking a one-year deal with the Blackhawks to serve as Crawford's No. 2.That prompted Waddell to survey the goaltending market, where he had an interesting discussion with free-agent netminder Petr Mrazek."The first day we could talk to free agents I called him (Mrazek) and we talked for about half an hour. He said 'Don, I know things didn’t go well for me last year. I want a chance to prove to be a number-one guy. I want just a one-year contract, $1.5 million,'" Waddell recalled. "He could’ve been like the rest of those guys asking for two-to-three million for two or three years, but he was more worried about the opportunity to prove himself than he was the money."Mrazek is coming off a disappointing campaign in which he was non-tendered by the Flyers after posting a .902 save percentage and a 3.03 goals-against average in 39 games split between Philadelphia and Detroit.He isn't a stranger to NHL success, though. In the first 94 games of his career Mrazek looked like one the league's up-and-coming young goaltenders, recording a .920 save percentage, a 2.29 goals-against average, and nine shutouts with the Red Wings. The 26-year-old hasn't been able to regain that form since, but will get an extended chance to grab a hold of the No. 1 job in Carolina with Darling out for two weeks to begin the season.Mrazek's first test will come Thursday night at home against the New York Islanders as the Hurricanes begin their quest to end their postseason drought.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.