We had a very strong night on the ice Wednesday, winning both best bets - as well as two of three props - to give us a fruitful 4-1 evening.We'll look to pick up where we left off with a pair of plays for Friday's juicy card.Oilers (-130) @ Capitals (+110)The Oilers are a disaster this season. There is no way around that. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl haven't scored like they usually do, while defensive issues and horrendous goaltending have proved costly too many times.Regardless, I think they deserve to be bigger favorites against this Capitals team. The Capitals have won five in a row and eight of 10, but there are a lot of reasons to suggest they are frauds.Take their five-game winning streak, for example. The Capitals beat the Devils who were missing Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier, got .973 goaltending from Hunter Shepard against the Islanders, inched by a bad Blue Jackets team while being outshot by double digits, and scored a tying goal against the Sabres with a minute left before winning with eight seconds remaining in overtime.In situations like this, we often hear about a team of destiny that knows how to win. But I think the Capitals are just getting lucky.Their 40.53% expected goals share over the past five games is barely better than the Sharks'. They are giving up a lot of chances, generating very little, and still getting win after win. Hats off to them for getting results when they're not deserved, but sooner or later those issues will catch up to them.The Oilers have more high-end talent, a better five-on-five profile, and they'll be desperate for a result after three straight losses. Look for them to grind out a win in Washington.Bet: Oilers (-130)Jets (+115) @ Panthers (-135)The Jets are on a nice 5-1 run, but they have not played as well as their record indicates. They have controlled 43.75% of the expected goals share at five-on-five, putting them ahead of only the Sharks, Canadiens, and Capitals - not the company you want to keep.While the Jets were winning a lot of games earlier in the year on the back of strong five-on-five play and team defense, that has not been the case of late. Goaltending has done the heavy lifting.There's nothing wrong with asking your goaltender to steal a game once in a while - that's what Connor Hellebuyck is there for - but it's not a recipe for consistent success, especially against high-end opponents.If the Jets aren't drastically better at even strength, they are going to be in for a tough night.The Panthers are lethal offensively and dominate territorially on a nightly basis. The returns of defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour make them that much better at both ends of the ice.I expect the Panthers to control the run of play in this one against a Jets side that could really use Gabriel Vilardi back in the lineup.If Hellebuyck doesn't stand on his head, I have a hard time believing the Jets will win this game.The Panthers are simply giving up so little defensively - and taking very few penalties - while generating nearly 35 shots per game on home ice.Not to mention, the expectation is captain Aleksander Barkov will return to the lineup. He'll make a huge impact at both ends of the ice.Bet: Panthers (-135)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @ToddCordell.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We have a stuffed schedule ahead of us on Black Friday, as 30 of the league's 32 teams are set to hit the ice.Let's waste no time getting to a few of my favorite players to back - or fade - on what should be an eventful day of hockey.Cole Caufield over 3.5 shotsNote: This prop has a 3:30 ET start.Caufield has gone cold of late, recording three shots or fewer in seven of his past 10 games. But I don't think that's any cause for concern.Caufield dealt with a lot of good teams during this rough patch. He faced the Golden Knights, Canucks, and Bruins twice, among others. Those teams are winning games in bulk and giving up very few shots along the way.It's also worth noting Caufield has given opponents a good run for their money, averaging 6.9 shot attempts over the past 10 games. Although that's a little below his usual pace, it's still pretty good volume, considering the level of competition.Caufield broke out last game with a five-shot performance against the Ducks. I expect he'll have something similar in store on Friday.The Sharks rank dead last in shots against per game this season, giving up nearly 40 per game. They can't stop a nosebleed.The Canadiens should be able to put forth a ceiling performance in terms of shot generation, and Caufield will be the focal point of it all.Odds: -140 (playable to -160)Brayden Point under 2.5 shots Point has drastic home/road splits. He's registered at least three shots on goal in eight of 11 games in Tampa Bay this season. His attempt volume - five per game - isn't anything to write home about, but he's a player who's selective with his shooting and generates most of his looks from in-tight, offering a higher chance of hitting the target.Dating back to the beginning of last season, Point's success rate on the road is 17% lower. That's carried over this year, with Point failing to get the job done in five of nine tries away from home.Although that doesn't sound too bad on the surface, there are a couple of things worth noting. Point has gone over against the Blackhawks, Senators, Canadiens, and Sabres. All four of those teams have defensive issues - some more than others - and sit outside of playoff spots.He generated only three shots on goal combined against the playoff teams he faced on the road (Red Wings, Blues, and Maple Leafs).If he struggled against those teams, he's likely in for a rude awakening against the Hurricanes. They're the best shot-suppression team in the NHL and allow fewer shots per game to centers than any other club.Point has failed to record three shots in all five meetings with the Hurricanes since the beginning of the 2022-23 season. I expect that trend to continue in this one.Odds: -114 (playable to -135)Elias Lindholm over 2.5 shotsDeath, taxes, and backing Lindholm against the Stars. The Flames' top center has registered at least three shots in six consecutive meetings with Dallas.The stars are aligning - no pun intended - for another productive showing this time around. Lindholm has been a monster on the road this season, going over his total in 10 of 12 games. That's an 83% success rate.Lindholm has averaged 5.2 attempts per game on the road, a tier above the 4.1 he's managed when playing in Calgary.The Stars are a strong defensive team but are susceptible to giving up volume against centers. Only 13 teams have allowed more shots per game to the position.With Lindholm generating shots at a higher clip on the road and the Stars giving up plenty to centers, Lindholm is a sneaky target on Friday night.Odds: -114 (playable to -130)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @ToddCordell.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL's Global Series, which saw four teams fly to Stockholm last week to compete in two games each over a four-day period, almost immediately transformed into The William Nylander Experience. The dude was everywhere.Nylander was the main attraction on the ice, racking up five points (including an overtime goal) in the Maple Leafs' two victories. Off the ice, the Calgary-born Swede was in full rock-star mode, appearing on local TV talk shows, answering questions about IKEA, and signing countless autographs. Mark Blinch / Getty ImagesThe trip was an exclamation point to a mammoth start to the season for Nylander, who enters Friday's Toronto-Chicago matinee with at least one point in all 17 Leafs games. He's top 10 in goals (12) and points (27).The Leafs say they want to re-sign Nylander, a pending unrestricted free agent, and Nylander says he wants to re-up. The winger's agent and Toronto's front office continue to negotiate, according to reports. So there's a deal to be made between now and July 1, when Nylander becomes a UFA.Let's assume that Nylander, who turns 28 in May, cools off from his 130-point pace and finishes the season with 90-100 points.Considering his age, position, and production history - and external factors like a rising salary cap - what's a fair projection for his next deal?"On a seven- or eight-year term, he's around $11 million a year," said Kyle Stich of AFP Analytics, a consulting firm specializing in NHL player valuation. Mark Blinch / Getty ImagesStich's ballpark projection is significant for two reasons.One, it's a sizeable jump from AFP's preseason projection for Nylander's extension, which came in at $9.3 million per season over seven years, for around $65 million total. Two, $11 million a year slots Nylander just ahead of Jonathan Huberdeau and just behind David Pastrnak - both high-profile wingers who signed eight-year extensions in the past 15 months.Pastrnak's making $11.25 million a season in Boston, and his average annual value accounted for 13.6% of the total cap at the time he signed, according to CapFriendly. Pastrnak was 27 when his current deal kicked in.Huberdeau's making $10.5 million in Calgary. His AAV accounted for 12.7% of the total cap at signing time, and he was 30 when his deal began.Stich's $11 million Nylander AAV projection would account for 13.2% of this year's $83.5-million cap and 12.5% of next year's estimate of $87.7 million.What does all of this mean? Nylander's earned himself a double-digit AAV, and the Leafs may want to wait a minute before committing to any specific contract details. Nylander's value (and leverage) is at an all-time high, which is fantastic for him but not great for managing the cap sheet.Vasilevskiy fear factor Kevin Sousa / Getty ImagesComing out of the offseason, the "Who's the best goalie in the world right now?" debate had juice to it. Ilya Sorokin, Igor Shesterkin, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Connor Hellebuyck, Juuse Saros, and Linus Ullmark all qualified as fair picks.Yet when Associated Press hockey writer Stephen Whyno and I posed that question to a dozen NHL skaters at a preseason media event in Las Vegas in early September, one name was uttered repeatedly."Gotta go with Vasilevskiy," Canucks captain Quinn Hughes said."Probably Vasilevskiy," Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau said."I think it's still Vasilevskiy," Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin said.Vasilevskiy, a two-time Stanley Cup champion and winner of the Vezina and Conn Smythe trophies, wasn't the unanimous pick in our (admittedly small) survey. But he received the majority of full votes and a few partial ones.The level of respect was notable given the various options for top goalie, and the facts: Vasilevskiy's 29, entering his 10th season, and had a down year by his standards (.915 save percentage and an early playoff exit). Mike Carlson / Getty Images"You look at him and you see no net," Canadiens sniper Cole Caufield said about the 6-4 and freakishly athletic goalie. "That's what makes him so special - that he's still able to move and be quick in that way. It's frustrating as a shooter, but you've got to beat him off the pass almost every time."Two weeks after the Vegas media event, the Lightning announced Vasilevskiy had back surgery and would miss "approximately the first two months" of the regular season. The team didn't expect any long-term issues, assuring its fan base Vasilevskiy would return to the crease his old self.Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper told reporters Wednesday "there's a really good chance" Vasilevskiy debuts sometime over the next week.The Lightning are 9-6-5 with the unheralded goaltending duo of Jonas Johansson and Matt Tomkins combining for an .888 save percentage, which ranks tied for seventh worst in the NHL. They survived, but are ready to welcome back the big Russian.Shooters, on the other hand: not so much."You start to second-guess where to shoot because of how big he is and how good he is," Devils superstar Jack Hughes said."Pucks hit him when he can't see it," Larkin added. "You get him looking at the puck, squared up at you, and it's hard to score on him."Kraken 'comfortable' with Wright's path Christopher Mast / Getty ImagesJuraj Slafkovsky. Pavel Mintyukov. David Jiricek. Logan Cooley. Matthew Poitras. Kevin Korchinski.All six of those 2022 draftees have appeared in more NHL games than Shane Wright, the presumptive first pick heading into draft night in Montreal, who dramatically slid to the Kraken at No. 4. The right-handed center turned pro last season but so far has logged only 97 minutes over 11 NHL games."We're comfortable with where he is, and I think he's got a bright future with our organization," Kraken general manager Ron Francis said last week.Wright's 2022-23 was a tornado of healthy scratches, demotions, promotions, and fleeting highs. When it was over, he'd competed in eight regular-season games for Seattle; 32 regular-season and playoff AHL games for Coachella Valley; 24 games for OHL Windsor; and seven world-junior games for Canada en route to a gold medal. Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesA strong skater with a bullet of a shot, Wright collected 64 points in those 71 games - a solid yet unremarkable year-end tally given the varying competition.This season, Wright's split his time between the NHL (three games, no points) and AHL (11 games, nine points). He remains a work in progress, and is still eligible for the world juniors, though he's unlikely to be loaned to Canada.A recent area of emphasis with Wright: his play with the puck. Specifically, puck management in the neutral zone and decision-making in the offensive zone."We're trying to get him to have that (shoot-first) mentality," Francis said. Wright's off to a promising start as an AHL sophomore with six goals. He's averaging 2.9 shots on goal per game, up from 2.2 in 2022-23.Squint hard and you start to see the "bright future" Francis envisions.Parting shotsDual threat: Artemi Panarin's a changed man - and, no, I'm not talking about the 32-year-old's newly shaved head. Panarin's unexpectedly evolved into a dual threat for the 13-3-1 Rangers, resulting in 26 points (10 goals, 16 assists) through 17 games. A hardcore pass-first winger his entire career, Panarin's shot rate has skyrocketed to 24.7 attempts per 60 minutes under new coach Peter Laviolette. (He finished between 13.5-17.3 per 60 in his previous eight seasons.) Maintaining puck possession for long stretches is still Panarin's bread and butter, but he's starting to incorporate more one-touch passes and shots to keep defenders guessing. In turn, Panarin's per-60 giveaway rate has fallen from 3.8 last year to 2.0.

The Philadelphia Flyers are itching to make some moves to position themselves for success down the road."I can tell you that they're interested and eager in becoming a wheeler and a dealer, but that's not because they're trying to sell off assets," TSN's Darren Dreger said on Thursday's edition of "Insider Trading.""It's because they want to build a stronger foundation for the future, and they're willing to listen basically ... on every position - not every player, but every position. They feel like they've got the assets to move," Dreger continued.The Flyers' three pending unrestricted free agents - Nick Seeler, Sean Walker, and Marc Staal - are all blue-liners. They're 30, 29, and 36 years old, respectively. Staal turns 37 in January.Philadelphia has a core of relatively young talent, with nine players at 24 years old or younger, including Joel Farabee, Owen Tippett, and Bobby Brink. The Flyers' No. 1 goaltender, Carter Hart, is 25. Travis Konecny, the team's leading goal-scorer, is 26. Defenseman Travis Sanheim (who leads the team in points) is 27.General manager Daniel Briere landed a couple of high draft picks while trading away rearguard Ivan Provorov in the offseason. The GM also dealt away veteran forward Kevin Hayes, bought out defenseman Tony DeAngelo, and let experienced winger James van Riemsdyk walk in free agency.The Flyers won three of their first five games this season and occupied first place in the Metropolitan Division exactly one month ago on Oct. 23. They now sit fourth at 10-8-1 on the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, a time when NHL clubs typically take the opportunity to evaluate how they've started the campaign.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs placed defenseman John Klingberg on long-term injured reserve, the team announced Thursday.Klingberg hasn't played since Nov. 11 due to an unspecified injury. He'll miss at least 10 games and 24 days retroactive to his last appearance."It's always been there throughout my career, but I've been able to deal with it and work through it," Klingberg said of his injury on Nov. 17 during the team's trip to Sweden. "But it kind of hit a rock bottom here these last few weeks."Klingberg underwent double hip surgery early in his career and has dealt with other various ailments throughout his 10 NHL seasons.The Maple Leafs signed Klingberg to a one-year, $4.15-million contract as a free agent in the summer. The offensive-minded blue-liner has only produced five assists in 14 games and struggled defensively. His minus-2.7 defensive goals above replacement rating is the seventh-worst among NHL defensemen this season, per Evolving-Hockey.The Maple Leafs will gain cap flexibility as long as Klingberg remains out. They're reportedly among teams interested in Calgary Flames defenseman Nikita Zadorov.In the meantime, Conor Timmins could fill Klingberg's void internally. The right-handed defenseman appears set to come off LTIR and make his season debut Friday against the Chicago Blackhawks.Forward Alex Steeves was also recalled from the AHL's Toronto Marlies in a corresponding move to Klingberg's injury.Klingberg, 31, was once one of the game's best offensive defensemen. He finished sixth in Norris Trophy voting in both 2016 and 2018, and was integral to the Dallas Stars' run to the 2020 Stanley Cup Final, producing 21 points in 26 playoff games.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Corey Perry remains absent from the Chicago Blackhawks one day after he was made a healthy scratch against the Columbus Blue Jackets.The veteran winger was not present for Thursday's practice, but the reasons are unknown."We're going to keep that internal in the organization right now," head coach Luke Richardson said, per Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times.Perry's rights were acquired in a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning in June. Chicago then signed him to a one-year, $4-million contract to help provide leadership for a club building around phenom Connor Bedard.Nick Foligno, a 17-year veteran, was brought in for similar reasons."We just know he's not with us," Foligno said. "We haven't really gotten any details. It's unfortunate; he's a big part of this. So we'll miss him. But we haven't really gotten any other information."Perry, 38, has been productive for the Blackhawks and is tied for third on the team with four goals and nine points in 16 games.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We're roughly 20% through the 2023-24 NHL season and - much like with the Hart Trophy market - we haven't seen a lot of separation in the Vezina race.There are a handful of very strong candidates but nobody is truly running away with it.Let's take a closer look at where things stand.PlayerOddsJake Oettinger+400Thatcher Demko+400Jeremy Swayman+600Igor Shesterkin+650Connor Hellebuyck+1100Ilya Sorokin+1100Adin Hill+1400Cam Talbot+1600Juuse Saros+1600Linus Ullmark+1600Alexandar Georgiev+4000Carter Hart+5000Jordan Binnington+5000Sergei Bobrovsky+5000Tristan Jarry+5000Note: Only goaltenders with 50:1 odds or shorter are listed.Jake Oettinger and Thatcher Demko are co-favorites to bring home the hardware, and their numbers are eerily similar through the first six weeks of the season. Oettinger has won eight of 13 starts and owns a .920 save percentage. Demko, for his part, has won nine of 14 starts and managed a .923 save percentage.Oettinger hasn't graded out as well by advanced metrics. He currently sits 11th in Goals Saved Above Expected (GSAx). Demko, meanwhile, leads the league and has done better with a more difficult workload.But Oettinger plays on a better team. The Canucks are enjoying a strong season so far, but the Stars are more established as a high-end franchise and their winning process this season looks more sustainable. Demko has his work cut out for him if he wants to keep up.Jeremy Swayman and Igor Shesterkin round out the top four. Among the 44 netminders to appear in at least eight games this season, Swayman leads the charge in GSAx. He's playing near-perfect hockey and comes up big whenever the Bruins need him.Swayman needs to continue putting up video game-like numbers to stay competitive in this race. He won't see as many starts as his competitors, which means he needs to really separate himself on a per-game basis.Shesterkin's numbers, meanwhile, aren't where you'd expect them to be, but he's still won seven of 10 starts. The Rangers look very good under new head coach Peter Laviolette, so it's fun to think about the kind of numbers Shesterkin could put up when he really hits his stride. I think he's a threat, even if he's lagging a little right now.Of the rest, Adin Hill and Juuse Saros are a couple of names to monitor. Hill has picked up where he left off following last year's terrific playoff run, posting an absurd .932 save percentage to date. Only Demko ranks ahead of Hill in GSAx - and the latter will continue to win while playing behind the defending Stanley Cup Champions.Saros is underperforming thus far, ranking among the bottom half of the league's goalies. But he's notorious for getting hot halfway through the season and never letting up. If the retooling Predators ship Saros to a contender for a bounty, he could put himself into the Vezina conversation in a hurry if he gets hot.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @ToddCordell.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Chicago Blackhawks forward Taylor Hall is expected to miss the rest of the 2023-24 season with a right knee injury, the team announced Thursday.Head coach Luke Richardson later clarified that Hall is dealing with an ACL issue, according to The Athletic's Mark Lazerus. The winger is set to undergo surgery to address the ailment.He ended his first season in the Windy City with two goals and four points in just 10 outings. The Blackhawks acquired him from the Boston Bruins in June to serve as a mentor and complementary piece to 2023 first overall pick Connor Bedard on the top line.Hall appeared to injure his knee on Nov. 9 against the Tampa Bay Lightning in a collision with forward Mikey Eyssimont along the boards.

Alex Ovechkin wants the NHL's new generation of superstars to recognize they have a long way to go in order to match what he and Sidney Crosby have accomplished since entering the league in 2005."We saved the league. Now they come in, and I guess we're old news," Ovechkin said to The Athletic's Rob Rossi. "But we saved it. It's up to those guys to come in and prove me wrong that we're not the best."We saved the NHL."Ovechkin and Crosby were drafted first overall in 2004 and 2005, respectively. Due to a lockout wiping out what was supposed to be Ovechkin's rookie season, the pair began their careers together in 2005-06, just as the NHL implemented a slew of rule changes that catered to increased offense.They made an instant impact in their rookie years, each posting 100-plus points and setting the table for the most entertaining individual rivalry of their generation.Ovechkin and Crosby have met in the playoffs on four occasions, with the winner of the series going on to win the Stanley Cup each time.Both approaching 40, Ovechkin is 67 tallies behind Wayne Gretzky's all-time goal record (894), while Crosby's career average of 1.26 points per game ranks eighth in history.Ovechkin is under contract through 2026, while Crosby's set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2025.The Penguins' captain is optimistic he and Ovechkin have plenty more in the tank."We're a long way from finished, I hope," he said.The Capitals and Penguins have met once this season, with Pittsburgh winning 4-0. Their next meeting is scheduled for Jan. 2.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

This reckoning has been on the horizon for a while: 2024 is setting up to be the year the decades-old models of delivering sports broadcasts to people's homes undergo a stark change.Sinclair Broadcast Group announced in a Texas court in mid-November its intent to shut down its bankrupt subsidiary, Diamond Sports Group - which operates 17 regional Bally Sports networks across the U.S. - at the end of 2024. "Diamond's business is going to go away," Sinclair lawyer David Seligman told the court.Diamond is the largest operator of regional sports networks (RSNs) in America, holding local broadcast rights for 39 teams in the NBA, MLB, and NHL. That's 42% of all live local sports TV inventory, not counting national rights. It filed for bankruptcy protection in March when it could no longer pay interest on its $9 billion in remaining debt from the purchase of 22 Fox Sports RSNs in 2019.While Diamond is trying to stay afloat for another year, the math and consumers' cord-cutting habits are working against its survival.At its peak in 2014, there were 100.5 million cable households in the U.S. At the end of the second quarter of this year, there were an estimated 61 million. This past summer, for the first time in the TV era, fewer than half of U.S. households watched TV via broadcast or paid cable.In the third quarter, Comcast, the largest cable provider in the U.S., reported it shed 2.1 million of its cable subscribers - 12.5% - in the past year.Earlier this November, the NBA struck a deal to have Diamond relinquish its outstanding local rights for 15 teams at the end of this season. In return, the NBA and those teams agreed to lower payments from Diamond for this season. The NHL is pursuing a similar deal. Diamond is attempting to keep 10 of its remaining 12 MLB clubs for 2024, and one industry source said relinquishing those rights after next season is on the table.Diamond's struggles are an inflection point for live sports TV. It seems to be a matter of when and not if the entire RSN model falters. Earlier this year, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), the No. 2 RSN player, announced plans to sell its remaining RSNs by the end of this year. Nick Laham / Getty ImagesIt was an alarming acceleration to many equities analysts like Alex Morris, who owns TSOH Investment Research. Morris researches media companies like Disney and Comcast."I do wonder how much this is going to change, or has already been changing, what it means to be a sports fan," Morris told theScore. "How much are people going to seek out games when they can go watch a new TV show or movie on their own schedule, versus chasing down some local RSN, who wants you to pay $19.99 a month."The world has just kind of changed, particularly for sports with an excessive amount of (games) and where most regular-season games are of limited importance to the postseason."By the end of 2024, there will likely be a wave of live TV sports rights hitting the market not seen since the New York Islanders pioneered the cable model in the early 1980s. Additionally, the NBA's national broadcast rights end after the 2024-25 season, and several networks and streamers are lining up to get a piece of that valuable property.Will tech giants take over? Will direct-to-consumer models be viable? Can something like the cable bundle be recreated so teams in the same market are not competing against each other for subscriptions?Those questions will play out across three leagues, and they have wide-ranging implications for how we watch and for the bottom lines of those franchises."Follow the technology. Technology doesn't go backwards," said Greg Bouris, director of the undergraduate sports management program at Adelphi University, who previously worked for SportsChannel and for pro teams. "We watched the evolution of this industry grow from newspapers, to radio, to TV, to cable TV. And that was the one that changed everything, that placed the industry on a whole other trajectory: regional sports networks."It's going to be a different world."The NBA gets the first crack at determining what that world looks like, with its national rights up for bids and half its teams' local rights being reclaimed from Diamond following the season.It'll be the first time an array of rights for one league come to market since streaming overtook cable as the primary way consumers watch video."It gives the NBA more flexibility," Bouris said. "Having teams have their local rights expire at the same time their national rights (expire) gives them at least more decision-making power in how they want to dole out those rights."On the national side, the NBA is reportedly looking for two to three partners and is interested in streaming platforms. The league's current rights holders, ESPN and TNT, have an exclusive negotiating window that opens in March, but tech giants like Apple and Amazon are also reportedly interested.Amazon CEO Andy Jassy. Thos Robinson / Getty ImagesThe tech giants' robust balance sheets give them an edge over traditional TV networks. The NBA could become the first major North American pro sports league to have a majority of its national rights streamed.Perhaps what's more interesting - and troubling for leagues - is what happens to local rights, which face far more uncertainty over how they'll be distributed and who'll pay for them, Morris said.Bill Koenig, the NBA's top media executive, told Sports Business Journal the league will pursue a "hybrid" approach with teams being freed from Diamond.The plan would entail selling traditional linear cable rights in markets impacted by the RSN implosion and then packaging all the streaming rights to sell to one company.A similar approach was employed by MLB in 2023. The San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks were forced to find new cable homes in their respective markets in the middle of the season when Diamond relinquished the rights. Their games were also streamed direct-to-consumer. Fans had the option to buy in-market Padres and D-Backs games for $20 a month on MLB.TV. Elsa / Getty ImagesMLB guaranteed the clubs 80% of revenues they were set to receive via TV in case there was a shortfall, and commissioner Rob Manfred said recently no such financial support was needed.However, MLB is no longer offering a backstop guarantee of revenues, and Manfred said the league is prepared and able to take over broadcasts of up to 16 clubs in 2024.A hybrid approach can work in the short term because it allows ratings to remain stable with the mix of viewers in linear TV and streaming.The good news for baseball is there were 402 million combined viewers (96,000 per broadcast) tuning into MLB games on cable in 2022, according to viewership data obtained by theScore - more than double the total local viewership of the NBA on cable.The not-so-great news: Fewer people are paying for cable TV packages, which means there are fewer subscribers paying for bundles that may contain channels like an RSN they don't watch. That was the magic of cable bundles for a long time. There was no itemized list in a consumer's bill showing they paid, say, $7 for Bally Sports.Those subsidizing viewers are departing and those who remain are aging and taking on a greater share of the bill, all while programming costs and rights fees have continued to increase.Morris has tracked Comcast programming costs for a decade. In that time, the cost of content increased from $30 per subscriber in 2014 to $75 this year."If we priced paid TV at $75, Comcast is just covering their programming costs, let alone everything that is involved for running the MVPD (multichannel video programming distributor) business," Morris said. "It just speaks to that continuing trend, and it becomes a cycle of: are you willing to pay $60 to watch your favorite sports team? How about $75 or $80? How about $100? The numbers just keep moving the wrong direction, particularly when compared to what you can get with some combination of DTC (direct-to-consumer) services at a much lower all-in price." (Like ESPN+, Max with BR Sports, Peacock, and Paramount+.)The hybrid model can sustain such a cycle for only so long.The implosion of RSN models leads to one very important question regarding local broadcasts."You have a question of how many fans are die-hard versus how many are not," Morris said. "If you force people to actively choose to seek this stuff out, spend a lot of money, you're going to really screen for the die-hards." Logan Riely / NBA / Getty ImagesThe Rockets and Astros in Houston teamed up to buy AT&T SportsNet Southwest from WBD and rebranded it Space City Home Network. The clubs now have to figure out how to replace the combined $120 million in rights fees they received from WBD.Consider the Padres' situation. After MLB took over the club's broadcasts on May 30 when Diamond relinquished rights, 18,000 in-market subscriptions were purchased to stream Padres games via MLB.TV.While that number would be higher if games weren't also being offered on a specially created local cable/satellite channel, Morris and Bouris both said we're learning how difficult it is to convert cable subscribers into buyers of DTC platforms specifically for sports.Diamond testified in bankruptcy court in May that it had only 200,000 total streaming subscribers across all its in-market teams.But if linear cable disappeared tomorrow, it's difficult to believe streaming Padres games would come close to matching the revenue generated from the 20-year, $1.2-billion contract the Padres had with Diamond."I don't see anybody, really, coming out and telling me how to replace it," Bouris said of RSN cable revenues.Manfred conceded to reporters during the postseason that streaming "doesn't have today the same robust economics that the cable bundle provided as an exclusive source of distribution. But my own view of the world is ... the (cable) distribution may be smaller going forward, and we're gonna put with it that digital option that gives people more flexibility, more reach, and is better for fans overall."MLB teams are responding to that uncertainty this offseason with some of their roster decisions. Cleveland Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said part of the reason the club designated Cal Quantrill for assignment (and then traded him to Colorado) is that it's leery of paying him an estimated $6 million in arbitration because of concerns about TV revenues. Tom Szczerbowski / Getty ImagesThe Minnesota Twins, another Diamond team whose local TV future is up in the air, stated they'll operate with a smaller payroll next year despite reaching the playoffs this year.There are some players who believe there's too much doom and gloom in the media about TV revenues, and that MLB clubs are using Diamond's implosion as cover to reduce spending. While it's difficult to know if teams are overstating the issue for 2024, the uncertainty about what the future looks like is real.Baseball is particularly vulnerable in the future of sports TV, because its national rights don't command nearly the same dollars as the NFL or NBA.The NFL's national rights went for 11 years and $110 billion in 2021. Amazon is paying $1 billion annually to stream Thursday Night Football, suggesting there's plenty of streaming money for the league should it need to shift more games there.The NBA is seeking $75 billion from its next multi-year national rights deals, a significant jump from the nine-year, $24-billion deals that expire at the end of next season.MLB's current deals cover seven years and combine for $12.5 billion.One rival league executive told me MLB faces two issues: its product has become more regional, and it lacks star power that bidders for national rights desire.MLB is much more driven by volume of TV inventory, and Morris said that's challenging in this new era. Justin Casterline / Getty"The leagues with a massive volume of games are losing, in my opinion, to other forms of entertainment, time consumption," Morris said. "So how do you price and package that to drive a lot of viewership and interest?"It makes me wonder if you are better off selling a higher-priced - say, around $100 per season - service to super fans, or, if you're better off with a model like what ESPN+ has with the NHL for its out-of-market games. All 26 million ESPN+ customers have access to the out-of-market package without paying an incremental fee, which likely helps with viewership."Overall, it's a difficult question to answer, particularly when trying to balance the dual objectives of viewership fandom and financial considerations. The competition for eyeballs is becoming more intense over time."Ideally there will be more concentration on platforms, too. Morris notes there was a five-day stretch last season where five New York Yankees games were broadcast on four different platforms.Bouris said it would be ideal for a third party to step in and cut MLB guaranteed checks for all those local rights and end regional blackouts.Morris and Bouris both think one plausible long-term home at the moment for much of these live sports rights is Google's YouTubeTV, which, like Hulu, is a streaming version of cable that carries many of the same channels. YouTube also recently ventured into live sports in a big way by purchasing the NFL Sunday Ticket out-of-market package. And unlike Netflix, YouTube generates most of its revenue through advertising instead of subscriptions, perhaps better positioning it for live sports.It helps that Google's parent company Alphabet holds the most cash ($120 billion) and least debt ($13 billion) of any company in the live sports game. SOPA Images / LightRocket / Getty ImagesMorris said delivering better advertising monetization will be key for the new model. It can be a long-term tailwind for all live TV sports. Not only are more viewers transitioning to streaming over time but ad dollars are following them. Ad dollars spent on so-called connected TV have risen from $6 billion in 2019 to $20 billion this year to a projected $41 billion by 2027."That competition to win subscribers has ratcheted up content cost," Trade Desk CEO Jeff Green said in the company's recent third-quarter conference call. His company helps connect ad buyers with ad inventory. "Higher content costs mean raising prices or finding some way to raise revenue per user if media companies were going to continue to feed their content engines with a similar rate as before. Every premium video content company from Disney to Paramount to NBCU and Sky to Netflix have changed pricing and embraced advertising."More and more live sports inventory, perhaps the crown jewel for most streaming providers, is opening up for programmatic (ad) buying on our platform."The ad tailwind could be massive for live sports and streamers in the coming years.While there figures to be short-term economic pain for some markets and leagues, there is long-term opportunity. After all, pro sports leagues hold monopolies on fan interest and the goodwill and nostalgia built up among supporters.What that future looks like will play out in the coming months and years, but there's no doubt we're accelerating into a new world of live TV sports.Travis Sawchik is theScore's senior baseball writer.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New Jersey Devils bench boss Lindy Ruff wasn't pleased following his club's 4-0 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday."They outskated us, they outcompeted us, they wanted it more," Ruff said postgame, per team reporter Amanda Stein. "At the end of the night, we got exactly what we deserved."The Red Wings outshot the Devils 28-16 and controlled 54.55% of the expected goals in the one-sided affair, per Natural Stat Trick.The loss is New Jersey's fifth in its last six games. The club is 8-8-1 on the season, second-last in the Metropolitan Division.The Devils are still without captain Nico Hischier and top winger Timo Meier. However, Ruff said there should be no excuses and took responsibility for not preparing his team."Our puck play wasn't good, it wasn't crisp. It's on me to get them in a better place, it's on me," Ruff said. "I don't care what the situation is, we've got to play a lot better than that."Defenseman John Marino echoed his coach's comments about the club's poor puck management."We are just shooting ourselves in the foot," Marino said.Veteran winger Tyler Toffoli, New Jersey's key offseason acquisition, also shouldered the blame for some sloppy play."I turned the puck over twice, they went down and scored," Toffoli said. "Definitely not good enough, very disappointed in myself and my game tonight. I for sure take the blame on two of those goals."Toffoli has been productive with nine goals and six assists in 17 games thus far but owns a minus-10 rating on the campaign - second-worst on the team.But poor goaltending from Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid has arguably been New Jersey's biggest issue. The team's .875 save percentage entered Wednesday as the third-worst mark in the league.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Wednesday's game between the Chicago Blackhawks and Columbus Blue Jackets involves two clubs at the bottom of the standings, but it also features two electrifying rookies who are eager to go toe-to-toe for the first time at the highest level.The debut clash between Connor Bedard and Adam Fantilli, who were selected first and third overall, respectively, is on the mind of many across the hockey world, including the phenoms themselves."It's super exciting," Fantilli said. "We're both competitors. We're both going to play our best tonight. It's gonna be fun. I know I'm excited to play against him."Bedard and Fantill were the first- and second-ranked North American skaters heading into the 2023 draft. The Blue Jackets finished the 2022-23 season with the highest odds to draft Bedard but fell to third after Chicago won the lottery. The Blackhawks selected Bedard, and Fantilli slid to the Blue Jackets two picks later after the Anaheim Ducks chose Swedish forward Leo Carlsson."It should be fun going against him," Bedard added, according to Bally Sports' Dave Maetzold. "Obviously someone that I follow really closely, with his success in his career so far. We're obviously friends as well. It should be fun, it's always fun going against people you know, but it's not me versus him. It's the teams playing tonight."Both Bedard and Fantilli's NHL careers are off to strong starts. Bedard paces all rookies with 15 points in 16 games, while Fantilli ranks seventh among freshmen with four goals and five assists. However, Chicago and Columbus have struggled to find the win column on the backs of their new talents, ranking 31st and 29th, respectively, in the league standings.Since Bedard played in the WHL and Fantilli suited up in the NCAA, the pair didn't cross paths on their way to the big leagues. They did, however, take the ice together for Team Canada at the 2023 world juniors, where Bedard won tournament MVP after leading his country to a gold medal.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL is back in full swing following a dark, action-free night. While there's plenty of value on the board, I see the highest reward in backing the top two teams in the Eastern Conference.Let's take a closer look.Bruins (-115) @ Panthers (-105)The Bruins' loss was disappointing last time out. They blew a lead in the final five seconds of the game before losing to the Lightning in overtime.I expect them to get things back on track Wednesday night against the Panthers.These Bruins are elite. They're fantastic at five-on-five, their power play ranks in the top 10 in goals per minute, and their penalty kill is the league's best. Oh, and they have two of the league leaders in Goals Saved Above Expected.It takes a near-perfect effort to beat Boston and, even then, it's very difficult. There's a reason the Bruins have only dropped one game in regulation.On the flip side, I've been impressed with the Panthers this season, and getting Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour back from injuries will only raise their ceiling.Having said that, they're expected to be without Aleksander Barkov in the short term. It's hard to overstate how important he is to the Panthers. Barkov averages more than a point per game while driving play and logging a ton of minutes in every situation. He leads the entire NHL with an average Game Score of 1.87.The Bruins, fresh off an ugly loss, aren't a team you want to run into without your captain.Bet: Bruins (-115)Rangers (-115) @ Penguins (-105)The Penguins are a top-heavy team when it comes to generating offense. The top of their lineup is dynamic and productive while the bottom lacks creativity and is essentially in place only to try and prevent goals.That kind of roster construction can work when everyone is healthy. Injuries are inevitable, though, and the Penguins have run into a few of them.Rickard Rakell has shockingly not found the back of the net this season - but it's not for a lack of opportunities. He's piled up 46 scoring chances, which ties him with Evgeni Malkin for fourth on the team. He's now sidelined long-term with an injury.Bryan Rust has produced slightly under a point per game. Sidney Crosby is the only Penguin with more goals than Rust, while Jake Guentzel is the lone man ahead of him in terms of chances. Rust didn't skate this morning, though, and there's a real possibility he'll miss Wednesday's game as well.Playing without Rakell alone would be problematic. If Rust is out as well, it could be a crucial loss against a Rangers club playing lights out defensively.Boston is the only team better than Pittsburgh at limiting goals against. But New York is also in the top portion of the league in terms of shot and chance suppression.I think the Rangers are a tier or two above the Penguins - especially the bruised version. Rust not playing would be preferable, but I see an edge in backing the Rangers on Wednesday regardless.Bet: Rangers (-115)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @ToddCordell.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We have an astronomically large slate Wednesday - 28 of the league's 32 teams will be in action on the eve of a short break for American Thanksgiving.Let's waste no time in getting to a few plays that pop off the page.Adam Fantilli over 2.5 shotsFantilli is red-hot on home ice. He recorded 44 attempts and 26 shots on target over his past six games in Columbus.With an average of 7.3 attempts per contest, it should be no surprise Fantilli has gone over his shot total in five of six games.There's every reason to believe he'll stay hot Wednesday night against the Blackhawks. They're horrendous defensively and concede more shots per game than every team but the Sharks and Islanders.They also allow well over 14 shots per game to opposing centers - the highest mark in the NHL. Fantilli plays in the middle of the second line and sees time with the man advantage, so he's a prime candidate to make noise against Chicago.There could also be a little extra pep in Fantilli's step going up against Connor Bedard, who was selected atop his draft class.Odds: -122 (playable to -140)Jack Hughes over 3.5 shotsHughes picked up right where he left off after returning from injury. He made his comeback against a very good Rangers team and showed absolutely no sign of rust or lingering ailments. In that contest, he recorded 13 shot attempts, eight shots on goal, and a pair of points.I'm expecting another active offensive performance against the Red Wings, who average more than 30 shots against per game. He should generate plenty of shots at five-on-five - especially with Timo Meier, who's a bit of a shot hog, sidelined.Additionally, only three teams have taken penalties at a higher rate than Detroit. The Devils' power play, meanwhile, is clicking at a historically good rate, and Hughes is the guy facilitating everything. He'll benefit from those extra power-play opportunities.Odds: -140 (playable to -150)Filip Forsberg over 3.5 shots Forsberg's played nine home games this season and registered at least four shots on goal in eight of them. The exception came against the Maple Leafs when Forsberg finished with three shots and missed a couple of opportunities to get a fourth.He isn't just grinding out wins by the skin of his teeth. Forsberg routinely goes over his shot total, averaging five on a whopping 9.1 attempts per game.Predators head coach Andrew Brunette has Forsberg regularly flirting with 20 minutes of ice time. That wasn't the case a season ago, as former head coach John Hynes had the Swede closer to the 18-minute mark.For an efficient shot-creator, extra ice time makes a world of difference. We're seeing that in Forsberg's remarkably high shot outputs - especially when he's benefiting from cushier matchups on home ice.Although the Flames are fairly good at even-strength shot suppression, their penalty kill gives up a lot. They also allow a couple more shots per game on the road.Forsberg found success against strong teams like the Avalanche and Canucks. It should continue versus the mediocre Flames.Odds: -134 (playable to -150)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @ToddCordell.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine hit rock bottom Sunday when he was made a healthy scratch for the team's 5-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers."Over my career, it's probably the most embarrassing thing that's happened to me," Laine said Tuesday, per The Athletic's Aaron Portzline. "I'm not happy about that. They know that. It is what it is. It's over and done."Laine added that he was "blindsided" by the decision.

Vancouver Canucks forward Nils Hoglander avoided suspension but was fined $2,864 by the NHL's Department of Player Safety for slew-footing San Jose Sharks forward Kevin Labanc in Monday's contest.Hoglander was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct for intent to injure with 1:29 left in the second period of the outing.

We're approximately 20% through the 2023-24 NHL regular season and there's been absolutely no separation in the Hart Trophy betting market.Eight different players have implied odds of 5.3% or higher to win the award, and the favorite - Connor McDavid - is being priced as if he'd come up short four of five times.Let's take a closer look at how things are shaping up in what looks to be a hotly contested race.Player OddsConnor McDavid+400Jack Hughes+450David Pastrnak+500Auston Matthews+650Elias Pettersson+750Artemi Panarin+1400Nikita Kucherov+1600Leon Draisaitl+1800Nathan MacKinnon+2000Quinn Hughes+2500William Nylander+3500Jason Robertson+4000Kirill Kaprizov+4000Cale Makar+5000Matthew Tkachuk+5000Mikko Rantanen+5000Sidney Crosby+5000McDavid is getting a ton of respect in this market. The Oilers sit 30th in the NHL, they aren't close to a playoff spot, and McDavid has only produced 15 points in 15 games. He's tied with the likes of Vincent Trocheck, Carter Verhaeghe, and Valeri Nichushkin in points - not exactly candidates to claim hardware this season.On merit, McDavid is nowhere close to a Hart Trophy candidate. He's not producing nearly enough, nor is his team enjoying the kind of success necessary to get votes. But I still get it. This is a guy who cleared 150 points a season ago and can overtake the league on a moment's notice. There's a lot of runway left for the NHL's best player to make his mark.Jack Hughes missed a handful of games with injury but remains firmly in the mix. He's piled up 22 points through 11 appearances and is tied with Cale Makar for the top spot in primary assists (13). Hughes is clearly hitting the level of superstardom, and the Devils should be one of the higher seeds in the East. He'll have a strong case if he can stay healthy.David Pastrnak, Auston Matthews, and Elias Pettersson round out the top five.Pastrnak is tied for first among all forwards in points (29) while leading the charge for a powerhouse Bruins team that's lost only one of 17 games in regulation.Matthews' total production lags behind most of the names up top. That being said, nobody has scored more goals to date, and his two-way impact is strong. He'll get noticed.Pettersson has already piled up 28 points, yet he sits third on his own team in scoring. With the way so many Canucks are feasting offensively, Pettersson figures to have real competition for votes on his own team. That may reduce his chances.Speaking of internal competition, Quinn Hughes is opening a lot of eyes with his play this season. He leads all players with 30 points and has helped the Canucks outscore opponents 23-11 at five-on-five despite playing big minutes against high-end players. He's doing it all.If the season ended right now, the star defenseman would have a legitimate case for the Hart. The question is whether Hughes can sustain this absurd level of production to fight off what should be a healthy batch of 110-120-plus-point forwards.A couple of players lurking in the weeds who are worth monitoring: William Nylander and Sidney Crosby.Nylander has been a model of consistency, finding the scoresheet at least once in each and every game he's played. I think he's outperformed superstars like Matthews and Mitch Marner, and there's extra motivation - Nylander needs a new contract - to keep chugging along.Crosby is tied with the likes of Leon Draisaitl and Nathan MacKinnon in scoring. He's led by example and helped the Penguins dig their way out of a slow start to the campaign.If he can sustain his production and produce 100-plus points for a playoff team, Crosby may just enter the conversation in what could be his last season as a Hart Trophy threat.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @ToddCordell.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Damon Severson is expected to miss six weeks with an oblique injury sustained in Sunday's loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, the team announced.The Blue Jackets acquired Severson from the New Jersey Devils in June. He's in the first season of an eight-year, $50-million contract.Severson's registered eight points in 19 games in his debut season with Columbus while averaging over 20 minutes per contest.The Blue Jackets are off to a 4-11-4 start and are winless in their past nine games.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Last week, we looked at the high frequency of NHL coaching changes with the idea that it's not as desperate a move as it seems. The Oilers won their first two games at home following their move but lost their subsequent two road games.One name that popped up was John Cooper, who's served as the Tampa Bay Lightning's bench boss since 2013 and is the NHL's longest-tenured head coach. Murmurs of Cooper being on the hot seat are either erroneous or foolish, but they come during his first campaign without an elite goaltender. Cooper oversaw the transition from Ben Bishop (2.20 GAA, .917 save percentage in three seasons) to future Hall of Famer Andrei Vasilevskiy.Vasilevskiy's missed the start of the season after back surgery but is practicing again with the expectation that he'll be back before December. With his pending return, it's worth looking at the Lightning's goaltending as part of their 9-10 record on the moneyline.PLAYER GP GSAx SV PCT.Jonas Johansson16 GP-0.94.894Matt Tomkins3 GP-1.19.889Tampa's leaned on Jonas Johansson despite the fact that he and backup Matt Tomkins have virtually the same, very average, statistics.Last season, Vasilevskiy - who doesn't turn 30 until next summer - started 60 games, posting 26.41 goals saved above expected (sixth in the NHL) and a 34-26 (56.7%) moneyline record. If he comes back fully healthy, it's worth boosting the Lightning's rating by 6%-10%, especially since a smaller workload for Johansson as the backup might improve his stats on a game-by-game basis.The Lightning's push may have already started. They extended their winning streak to three games with a dramatic overtime win against the Bruins on Monday night, where they had a slight advantage in even-strength expected goals and high-danger chances.The cheat sheetThe dirty little secret in the betting world is that, while there are no bad bets at the right price, the discovery process of what a good price looks like is hidden.Each week, we balance market information from regular-season point totals and in-season advanced metrics - with an even-strength focus - to determine the win probability for each team and the moneyline needed to bet on either side. The idea is to remove the cognitive bias of win-loss records, which can be skewed by outliers like special-team results, poor goaltending performances, and other unreliable events.You can use whatever parameters you like to decide how much of an edge you need to trigger a bet, but here are mine:

Columbus Blue Jackets president of hockey operations John Davidson isn't keen on making any big changes to the club at the moment despite a tumultuous start to the 2023-24 season."No rash moves right now," he told The Athletic's Aaron Portzline."We just keep riding this, keep pushing. No white flags. No sense of 'Woe is me.' 'Woe is me' does not work. It's an emotional game, a hard game. But we need the improvements we're seeing with some of our younger players - Alexandre Texier, Kirill Marchenko, Adam Fantilli, these guys - to continue, and we need our best players to start playing like they're capable of playing. That's what we need, and that's what we're waiting to see."The Blue Jackets sit at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division at 4-11-4 and are stuck in a nine-game losing streak to start a season in which many expected the club to progress from a 31st-place finish in 2022-23.Columbus has drawn plenty of attention of late due to the lack of production from star forwards Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine. Both players have been benched recently, and Laine was a healthy scratch for Sunday's loss to the Philadelphia Flyers."We don't have too many of our best players playing at the top of their games, and that's where the problem lies," Davidson said. "It's pretty simple. Your best players have to be your best players. If they aren't, it's hard."Gaudreau and Laine rank 12th and 16th, respectively, on the Blue Jackets in scoring this season, each managing just two goals.The Blue Jackets' next game comes Wednesday against the Chicago Blackhawks.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL's return to international competition will feature only four countries, sources confirmed to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.The league's next global tourney will include Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States and is scheduled for February 2025, Wyshynski reports.The proposed format would reportedly see Canada and the U.S. play two games in North America, while Finland and Sweden would face off in Europe. Based on either a points or aggregate goal total, the winner of the matchup would then take on the runner-up from the opposite continent, Wyshynski adds.The NHL last hosted an international competition in 2016 with the World Cup of Hockey. The event featured six national teams, an under-23 North American squad, and a European side that featured players whose national teams weren't represented at the event.NHLers haven't participated in a best-on-best tournament since the 2014 Sochi Olympics.The NHL not having an agreement with the IIHF provides a challenge for the league to host a larger-scale tournament. Without IIHF involvement, an NHL-hosted event could only feature the league's players."That will be an all-NHL players playing in the tournament because we don't have an agreement with the IIHF right now," NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh said last week in Sweden, according to Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli. "The timeline that we want to do the World Cup is roughly the same that (the IIHF) do the Worlds. And they have obligations that they have to live up to as well."Canada, Finland, Sweden, the U.S., Czechia, and Russia are the only countries with enough NHL-signed players to form a full national roster.Stars including Germany's Leon Draisaitl, Russia's Nikita Kucherov, Czechia's David Pastrnak, Switzerland's Roman Josi, and numerous others would be left out of the NHL's 2025 tournament."Theoretically, that's important," commissioner Gary Bettman said of a more inclusive event, per Wyshynski. "As a practical matter, that may not be realistic. We might get there over time. We may have to evolve into a more inclusive World Cup. It's a work in progress."Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We have a fun seven-game slate on the docket to begin the week. I see value in backing a pair of elite teams on the road against sides missing key contributors.Let's take a closer look.Bruins (-135) @ Lightning (+115)The Lightning are getting a bit too much respect in this spot. They have only won eight of 18 games this season and have clear flaws in a lot of areas.They don't possess much scoring depth, their team defense is underwhelming, and Jonas Johansson is in over his head as a starting goaltender.He's performed better than anticipated given his track record, but he's still conceded more goals than expected this season.It's no coincidence the Bolts are allowing 3.61 goals per game, one of the highest marks in the NHL.The Lightning generally need to outscore their problems, which is going to be an extremely difficult task against the Bruins.The Bruins are allowing only 2.35 expected goals per 60 at five-on-five this season. That is an elite rate.They play a structured, air-tight style of hockey, don't give up a whole lot, and the goaltending is consistently good when called upon.Projected starter Linus Ullmark ranks eighth among 41 qualified goaltenders (eight or more starts) in Goals Saved Above Expected per start. He shaves approximately half a goal per game off the opposing team's xG output, which is a big deal considering the Bruins don't allow much in the first place.Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, and Co. may find a way to keep this game close, but I think that huge edges on defense, and in goal, will shine through for the Bruins.Bet: Bruins (-135)Kings (-150) @ Coyotes (+130)The Kings own a 7-3 record over their past 10 games, during which time they lost in regulation only once.They own the league's highest goal share (63.81%) in that span and have controlled nearly 57% of the expected goals. Suffice to say, they're a well-oiled machine.I expect their success to continue Monday night against a struggling Coyotes team. The Coyotes have controlled only 44% of the expected goals share in November and have conceded more goals than all but five teams.They're also playing without their first-line center Barrett Hayton. That has pushed Travis Boyd onto the top line, which is a clear downgrade.The Kings have already faced the Coyotes twice this season and enjoyed success. They won both games in regulation, besting the Coyotes by three on one occasion while posting a 61% xG share in the other.Since the two sides last met, the Coyotes sit 26th in shot generation at five-on-five while only two teams have done a better job of limiting shots than the Kings.With this being the only Kings game scheduled until Friday, I expect they will continue to ride Cam Talbot - who has been drastically better than Pheonix Copley - and split starts on the weekend.Bet: Kings in regulation (+100)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @ToddCordell.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With seven games on the schedule for Monday night, we're in for an abnormally busy start to the week.Let's take a closer look at a few of my favorite props on a loaded board.Connor McDavid: Over 3.5 shotsMcDavid's shot volume is slowly getting to the level to which we've all grown accustomed. He started the season slow, attempting more than five shots only once over his first six games and, unsurprisingly, failing to go over his shot total in all but one of those contests.But McDavid has since attempted at least six shots in seven of eight games, averaging 7.1 over that time.While the Panthers are not generally a team I want to target for shots, there are plenty of reasons to like McDavid tonight.At the top of the list is the fact Selke candidate Aleksander Barkov is out of the lineup with an injury. McDavid would've seen a healthy dose of Barkov on the road. His absence is certainly a big plus.McDavid is also seeing an insane workload on a nightly basis. Given how poorly the Oilers started the year, they have no margin for error moving forward, and McDavid will see as much ice as possible if the game is competitive.That's already been the case under new head coach Kris Knoblauch.McDavid played fewer than 20 minutes in the first two games with Knoblauch, both of which were 4-1 wins.In close games against the Kraken and Lightning, McDavid played over 23 minutes.I have a hard time believing the Oilers will walk all over the Panthers, meaning McDavid should see a massive workload in this spot.Odds: -106 (playable to -125)Mika Zibanejad: Over 2.5 shotsZibanejad has been very consistent on the road this season. He is averaging 3.1 shots on goal per game and has gone over his shot total eight times in 10 tries.He has found success against plenty of strong shot-suppression teams, registering three or more against the Devils, Jets, Canucks, and Oilers, to name a few.Although the Stars don't seem like a great matchup on paper, there is plenty to like with Zibanejad in this spot.The Stars rank in the bottom 10 in shots against per game over the past 10 contests.They have given up a lot of volume to opposing centers this season, slotting in the bottom third in that category as well.This should be a close game, allowing Zibanejad to get all the ice he can handle from start to finish. Expect him to take advantage.Odds: -130 (playable to -150)Quinn Hughes: Over 2.5 shotsHughes has been automatic on home ice this season, going over his shot total in seven of eight games.He is not fighting tooth and nail to get the job done. He is consistently going over with room to spare.Hughes is averaging 4.1 shots on goal and eight attempts when playing in Vancouver. As I've often pointed out this season, those are the kind of numbers you'd expect to see from a 40-goal scorer on the wing.What makes Hughes especially attractive is that he's going up against the league's worst team. The Sharks allow more shots - and shots against defensemen - than every team in the league.With the Canucks coming off a somewhat ugly loss to the Kraken, they will no doubt be looking to take their frustrations out on the Sharks. Look for the captain to lead the charge and be heavily involved offensively.Odds: -140 (playable to -170)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @ToddCordell.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Edmonton Oilers superstars Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid find themselves in unfamiliar territory early in the 2023-24 campaign, out of a playoff spot and mired in concurrent scoring slumps.Draisaitl leads the 5-10-1 Oilers with 21 points but sits at only six goals after bagging 50-plus each of the past two seasons, while McDavid is fifth on the team with 13 points in 14 games after setting the league ablaze with a career-best 153 last year."We were saying that the other day," Draisaitl said, per Sportsnet's Mark Spector. "This has never happened, that both of us have felt this way."It's a bad time."Draisaitl and McDavid finished first and second in scoring in three of the past four seasons. The Oilers made significant progress on the backs of their dynamic duo, reaching the Western Conference Final in 2022 before racking up 109 points - their highest total since 1985-86 - in 2023.Edmonton ranks 28th in goals this season, and its usually dominant power play is operating at a mediocre 22.8%."Certainly not to our standard," Draisaitl said. "Things are seemingly a little harder right now than they normally are, and that spirals a little bit. You know, we're human beings, and we care a lot. I'm working on finding my game as soon as possible."Although it's been a difficult start, McDavid is optimistic he and Draisaitl will return to the form to which they're accustomed."Listen, we've done it for a long, long stretch of time. And we'll get back there again," he said. "We don't stop believing, even though everyone else might. We believe, not only in ourselves but in each other, in our group."The Oilers' next game comes Monday against the Florida Panthers. They're 2-1 since replacing Jay Woodcroft with Chris Knoblauch behind the bench.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

This is the third 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, with Thanksgiving fast approaching in the United States, we look at one thing each team should be thankful for.1. Boston Bruins (13-1-2)Previous rank: 2ndJim Montgomery. Although the Bruins were written off in back-to-back offseasons, their head coach owns a sterling 78-13-7 record since taking over.2. Vegas Golden Knights (13-4-2)Previous rank: 1stElectrolytes. The Golden Knights must've consumed many this offseason, because there have been no signs of a Stanley Cup hangover. The defending champs brought back mostly the same team and look plenty capable of repeating.3. New York Rangers (12-2-1)Previous rank: 4thArtemi Panarin. The Rangers star expressed frustration after he registered just two points in seven playoff games last spring, but he's turned that disappointment into fuel. Panarin leads New York with 26 points in 15 games and he's yet to be held off the scoresheet this campaign.4. Vancouver Canucks (12-5-1)Previous rank: 6thQuinn Hughes. Vancouver has no shortage of things to be thankful for early this season - three Canucks lead the league with 28 points, after all - but we'll focus on Hughes. The 24-year-old is putting together a strong case for the Hart and Norris Trophies in his first season as captain.5. Los Angeles Kings (10-3-3) Toronto Star / Toronto Star / GettyPrevious rank: 5thCam Talbot. The Kings have long sought an answer in goal, and their offseason addition is 9-3-1 with a .930 save percentage. Stability in the crease is a key reason Los Angeles has rocketed up the standings.6. Florida Panthers (11-5-1)Previous rank: 15thReinforcements. The Panthers weathered the storm without their top two defensemen for the first 16 games of the campaign. With Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour returning to the lineup earlier than expected on Friday, now they can really get down to business and perhaps give Boston a run for the Atlantic Division crown.7. Colorado Avalanche (11-5-0)Previous rank: 7thThe AJHL. Cale Makar broke yet another all-time mark among defensemen, this time becoming the fastest blue-liner to 200 career assists on Saturday. The Avalanche should be thankful Makar chose to bide his time in the AJHL on the NCAA path rather than play in the more traditional WHL. If he hadn't, there's a good chance he goes off the board before the Avalanche are on the clock to pick fourth overall in 2017.8. Dallas Stars (11-4-1)Previous rank: 3rdThe fountain of youth. The Stars are getting key contributions from their elder statesmen. Joe Pavelski (39) is tied for the team lead in points, while Matt Duchene (32), Tyler Seguin (31), and Jamie Benn (34) are all enjoying productive campaigns so far.9. Toronto Maple Leafs (10-5-2)Previous rank: 14thWilliam Nylander. The slick Swede is on a season-opening 17-game point streak and showing no signs of stopping. Though Maple Leafs fans ought to be thankful for his red-hot start, general manager Brad Treliving might not feel the same way: He's the one who has to negotiate Nylander's next deal.10. Winnipeg Jets (10-5-2) Jonathan Kozub / National Hockey League / GettyPrevious rank: 13thKyle Connor. After a modest 31-goal 2022-23 campaign, Connor exploded out of the gates with 14 tallies in 17 games, including 11 at even strength. Winnipeg's top sniper has at least eight more goals than any of his teammates.11. Carolina Hurricanes (10-7-0)Previous rank: 9thGoalie depth. Frederik Andersen is out indefinitely with a blood-clotting issue, and while neither Pyotr Kochetkov or Antti Raanta has played particularly well to this point, the Hurricanes should have confidence in the duo. Kochetkov impressed as a rookie last year and Raanta has a long track record of reliable play.12. Washington Capitals (9-4-2)Previous rank: 28thSpencer Carbery. Hey, remember when the Capitals started the season 1-3-1? Washington has since won eight of its last 10 games under the direction of its fresh-faced head coach. The Caps needed to turn things around after missing the playoffs last season, and Carbery has helped them do just that.13. Tampa Bay Lightning (8-6-4)Previous rank: 11thAndrei Vasilevskiy's approaching return. The Lightning have treaded water without the 2019 Vezina winner between the pipes, but Tampa must be thankful he can play again soon after Jonas Johansson and Matt Tomkins have combined for an .895 save percentage this season.14. Philadelphia Flyers (10-7-1)Previous rank: 21stTorey Krug's no-trade clause. This may sound strange, but hear us out. The Flyers were reportedly set to deal defenseman Travis Sanheim to the Blues, but the deal got nixed because Krug wouldn't waive his no-trade clause to come the other way. It's a good thing for Philadelphia, because Sanheim, 27, is having a breakout year, leading the Flyers with 16 points in 18 games.15. Detroit Red Wings (8-6-3) Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyPrevious rank: 10thAlex DeBrincat's home state. The arrival of DeBrincat has revamped the Red Wings' future. Even as Detroit's slowed since a torrid start, Steve Yzerman's move to bring a local star back home has paid dividends in no time.16. New Jersey Devils (8-7-1)Previous rank: 8thJack Hughes' contract. Hughes has 22 points in 11 games. He's also signed at an $8-million cap hit through 2030. There's no point in debates about the NHL's best value contract for another six-and-a-half years - it's Hughes until he inks his next deal.17. Pittsburgh Penguins (9-8-0)Previous rank: 18thSidney Crosby. This may be low-hanging fruit, but the Penguins captain is playing some of the best hockey of his career at age 36. He's on pace for a career high in goals and is the primary reason Pittsburgh is still in the mix.18. St. Louis Blues (9-7-1)Previous rank: 20thJordan Binnington's return to form. After two down seasons, the $24 million remaining on Binnington's contract looked like it would be an anchor on the Blues' cap. With his .922 save percentage in 12 games, St. Louis can worry about other areas as the team tries to return to the playoff picture.19. Ottawa Senators (8-7-0)Previous rank: 26thSweden. The Senators went 2-0-0 in the Global Series in Stockholm. If Ottawa begins to go on a run, that successful trip overseas - which was surely filled with plenty of team bonding - could be viewed as a turning point in their season.20. Anaheim Ducks (9-9-0) Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images Sport / GettyPrevious rank: 19thProgress. The Ducks didn't get their ninth win until Christmastime last season. The plan to turn things around in Anaheim appears to have a foundation.21. Arizona Coyotes (8-7-2)Previous rank: 23rdPower-play success. Arizona sneakily boasts the NHL's fifth-ranked man advantage at 29.5%, boosting a squad that struggles to produce goals at five-on-five.22. Seattle Kraken (7-8-4)Previous rank: 27thWinter Classic jerseys. The Kraken's presumed sweaters for the 2024 Winter Classic feature a good mix of the team's colors and a nod to the 1917 Stanley Cup champion Seattle Metropolitans. The Vegas Golden Knights' look, on the other hand? Yikes.23. Buffalo Sabres (8-9-1)Previous rank: 16thThose sweet threads. It's been a deflating month and a half for the Sabres with Devon Levi's struggles and a handful of injuries, capped by Tage Thompson's recent absence, after a summer full of hope. At least the team hits the ice night in and night out with some of the nicest jerseys in the league.24. New York Islanders (6-6-5)Previous rank: 12thSaturday's win. The Islanders snapped a seven-game losing skid with a win against the Calgary Flames last time out. Securing the victory - even if it did come in the shootout - prevents things from snowballing out of control and keeps them in the mix in a crowded Metropolitan Division.25. Calgary Flames (6-8-3) Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyPrevious rank: 29thRookie arrivals. There hasn't been much to cherish in Calgary so far this season, but freshmen Connor Zary and Martin Pospisil have provided a much-needed spark with eight and five points, respectively.26. Montreal Canadiens (7-9-2)Previous rank: 24thCole Caufield's surgeon. With a league-leading three overtime winners through his first 18 games of the campaign, the Canadiens star is clearly back to his sniping self after undergoing shoulder surgery in January. Build his doctor a statue.27. Minnesota Wild (5-8-4)Previous rank: 17thAn 82-game campaign. Although the usually consistent Wild are off to an ugly start, there's some good news: It's a long season. Minnesota's main issue has been goaltending, but Filip Gustavsson and Marc-Andre Fleury are bound to turn it around.28. Nashville Predators (6-10-0)Previous rank: 22ndRyan O'Reilly. It's always a bit scary when a team splurges in free agency, but the Predators appear to have landed O'Reilly at a more than favorable price. Every team in the league would love to have the former Conn Smythe winner at $4.5 million with the way he's started the year.29. Edmonton Oilers (5-10-1)Previous rank: 25thA week of (relative) calm. The Oilers are 2-1 since changing head coaches, which has quelled the drama in Alberta's capital for the time being. We'll see how long that lasts.30. Chicago Blackhawks (5-11-0) Chase Agnello-Dean / National Hockey League / GettyPrevious rank: 30thConnor Bedard. The 2023 first overall pick has come exactly as advertised, and he's giving Blackhawks fans something exciting to watch as the losses pile up. The 18-year-old leads all rookies with nine goals and 15 points.31. Columbus Blue Jackets (4-11-4)Previous rank: 31stThe penalty kill. The Blue Jackets have a litany of problems, but they can stifle power plays. Columbus owns the league's fourth-ranked penalty kill with an 87.3% success rate. Earlier in the season, the Jackets went an outlandish nine games without surrendering a power-play goal.32. San Jose Sharks (3-13-1)Previous rank: 32ndAvoiding another double-digit losing streak. The Sharks were riding high after winning their first two games of the campaign to bust an 11-game slump in early November. Then came three consecutive losses. Uh oh. Luckily, San Jose stopped the bleeding with a 5-1 win over the Blues on Thursday. Phew.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine was made a healthy scratch for Columbus' 5-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday."I know Patrik the person and I know (Laine) the player, if that makes sense. ... I know his potential," Blue Jackets head coach Pascal Vincent explained, per NHL.com's Adam Kimelman. "He's not happy about the decision, don't get me wrong. But right now, I think Patty needs to take a deep breath, go back to the working lab, and get his touches back, get his shot back, get his confidence back, so he can be the No. 29 Patrik Laine we all know he can be."It was a hard conversation, but nobody, not myself, nobody's bigger than the Blue Jackets. ... We need the best Patrik Laine as possible for us."Laine has mustered just two goals and one assist in nine games this campaign. He missed nine contests with an upper-body injury earlier this season.The 2016 second overall pick logged just 12:21 of ice time during Saturday's defeat to the Washington Capitals, and he was benched late in Thursday's loss to the Arizona Coyotes.Laine eclipsed the 30-goal mark in each of the first three seasons of his NHL career, but he's struggled since then. He chipped in with 22 goals and 52 points in 55 outings with the Blue Jackets last season.The 25-year-old is currently in the second season of a four-year pact with an average annual value of $8.7 million.Following Sunday's loss, the Blue Jackets have dropped nine straight. Six of those contests were decided by one goal.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin is calling for more from his roster after a 5-8-4 start to the season.Prior to Sunday's loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs in Stockholm, Guerin shared his feelings about the current state of the club."I'm not happy. I'm not happy with where we are," he said, per The Athletic's Michael Russo and Joe Smith.The defeat to Toronto was Minnesota's fifth in a row and eighth in 10 games. The Wild currently sit sixth in the Central Division and are four points out of a wild-card position in the Western Conference."My biggest thing is our compete level," Guerin said. "And look, guys work hard every night and they care. I know that. But it's a different type of compete and focus. I just don't think we've had it."It's everything from faceoffs and 50-50 puck battles to just pure execution, being in position, being in the right places to tape-to-tape passes. It all needs to be better."Guerin orchestrated a team meeting before it flew to Sweden and voiced his displeasure in the wake of a 8-3 loss on home ice to the Dallas Stars on Nov. 12."It was kind of a kick-in-the-ass, figure-our-shit-out kind of meeting," forward Ryan Hartman said.Guerin avoided placing blame on head coach Dean Evason and mentioned he wants to see more from the Wild's top players."It's that old saying. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink," he said. "I think Dean's doing a good job. And you know what? He can't go out and play for the guys. He can't have them execute. They have to do that. They have to do that."The Wild have reached the postseason four years running and have put together back-to-back 100-plus point campaigns. Their next game comes Friday against the Colorado Avalanche.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

William Nylander was the star of the show during the Toronto Maple Leafs' two-game sojourn to Sweden, and he received nothing but praise from his head coach after scoring the overtime winner Sunday against the Minnesota Wild."He's got such confidence and swagger there now that he's just feeling like he can turn the game at any point in time," Sheldon Keefe said postgame, per David Alter of The Hockey News."I don't think he'd look at these two games, but he stepped up in big moments. It was a huge part of why we got four points here."Nylander also registered an assist in the contest and extended his season-opening point streak to 17 games. In Friday's game against the Detroit Red Wings, the Swedish winger recorded a goal and two helpers to engineer a Toronto comeback win.As one of the biggest names to travel to his home country for the NHL's Global Series, Nylander faced several off-ice obligations on top of regular hockey duties. His ability to handle the added pressure impressed Keefe."I just think he's unflappable, that's really it," he said. "Whether it's the spotlight of playing in Toronto and the media and all the different things that come with being a Maple Leaf, I don't think that phases him. I think he loves it and enjoys it. He lives here in Sweden's biggest city and you can see he's a bit of a rock star here and we learned that."Nylander's performance in Stockholm brought him to 27 points this season, good for a second-place tie with Nikita Kucherov and David Pastrnak in the league's scoring race. The Leafs' forward is in the final year of his contract and is currently on pace to shatter the career highs in goals (40) and points (87) he set in 2022-23.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vancouver Canucks may be flying high during a stellar 12-5-1 start, but head coach Rick Tocchet wasn't about to give them a free pass after a second straight loss Saturday."Our changes were awful. Long shifts. That's .500 hockey," he told reporters following the Canucks' 4-3 defeat to the Seattle Kraken. "You can't win that way. It wasn't good enough. There's no excuses."The Kraken's first goal of the game came off an uncontested bomb by Jamie Oleksiak after Seattle caught the Canucks in the midst of a shoddy line change.

Jack Hughes gave an honest review of the state of his New Jersey Devils after they fell to the New York Rangers 5-3 on Saturday night."I think we're a good hockey team. We're in a rough stretch of hockey right now, including tonight, you know?" Hughes told reporters postgame. "That's a game really good teams win. And we're not there right now, so that's something that we're going to have to get back to."We've done it before. We've just gotta sharpen up, our top guys all the way to the bottom."The Devils' loss to their Metropolitan rivals dropped them to 8-7-1 on the season and fifth place in their division. New Jersey is now three points behind the Carolina Hurricanes for third place in the Metro and eight points behind the Rangers for the top spot.Hughes made his return to the lineup on Saturday after missing the previous five contests with an upper-body injury. He found the back of the net less than 10 minutes into an eventful opening frame that saw the Devils and Rangers score two goals apiece.The matchup remained knotted at 2-2 heading into the third period, but Erik Haula broke the tie in the Devils' favor less than two minutes into the stanza.It was all Rangers the rest of the way, though, with Artemi Panarin, Jimmy Vesey, and Blake Wheeler each scoring in the last nine minutes of the game to lift New York to its fourth victory in a row.Devils forward Jesper Bratt said he agreed with Hughes' assessment of their squad."Last game versus (the Pittsburgh Penguins), we were in the exact same situation and playing against a team that had won a lot of games in a row," Bratt said, referencing Thursday's 5-2 win against Sidney Crosby and Co. "Last time, we found a way to play a really solid road game and come out with a win. Today, we did the opposite."He added, "This is kind of a must-win game for us, come out here at home and play against this team and get some momentum - especially a Metro game. These are the games we've got to come out winning in. It sucks."Saturday's outing was the Devils' first game against the Rangers since the opening round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, where New Jersey prevailed in seven games.Despite wanting more out of his team, Hughes acknowledged that it's still relatively early in a long season."What are we, 16 games in? We've got a lot of runway," he said. "This isn't our final product."Next up for New Jersey is a clash against the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

In their search for a new goalie, the Edmonton Oilers are looking at all three of the Montreal Canadiens' netminders, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.However, no deal is imminent and the Oilers want to avoid making a panic trade they'll regret, Friedman added.Poor goaltending is a prime reason for Edmonton's 5-10-1 start to the campaign. Stuart Skinner and Jack Campbell each own an abysmal .873 save percentage on the season. Campbell was sent to the AHL and Calvin Pickard was recalled in a corresponding move, though the latter has yet to appear in an NHL game this season.The rebuilding Canadiens, meanwhile, have been carrying three goalies on their roster this season with Jake Allen, Sam Montembeault, and Cayden Primeau all requiring waivers to be sent to the AHL. Allen and Montembeault, in particular, are off to strong starts.All stats entering Saturday. GSAx (goals saved above expected) courtesy Evolving-Hockey.GoalieGPGAASV%GSAxAllen73.30.9114.64Montembeault82.78.9084.48Primeau33.97.8850.98Skinner and Campbell, meanwhile, entered Saturday with a combined GSAx of minus-6.21.Even though only $3.85 million of Campbell's $5-million cap hit counts against the Oilers while he's in the minors, Edmonton is still right up against the cap. Getting a goalie on the cheap would likely be preferable.GoalieAgeCap hitYears leftExpiry statusAllen33$3.85M2UFAMontembeault27$1M1UFAPrimeau24$890K2RFAAllen's salary would require Edmonton to move some money out, but the team could afford both Montembeault and Primeau without significant changes to the Oilers' active roster.With 403 NHL games and a Stanley Cup under his belt, Allen is the most experienced of the three. Montembeault has made 111 career appearances, while Primeau has played in just 24 contests.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Weeks after the initial shock and public outpouring following the tragic death of former NHL player Adam Johnson, the debate over how to get athletes to meaningfully protect their necks hasn't subsided.NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has said a neck guard mandate is a complex issue that would have to be negotiated with the players' association, and only a handful of players have adopted the added protection, but the Western Hockey League got in line with Canada's other two major junior leagues by issuing an immediate provision this month. Meanwhile, conversations are happening at every level of the game."My oldest son, Luke, plays professional hockey in Germany, and he played with Adam (Johnson)," said Mary-Kay Messier, Bauer Hockey's vice president of marketing. "He talked to me about how the players got together and discussed how they felt about it. It really impacted them."The players decided they would try wearing neck guards."I was really shocked that my son and a bunch of players on the team came back afterwards and said it wasn't bad at all," said Messier, whose company is a leading supplier of neck guards. "He started texting me saying, 'What can we do about getting neck guards? The team wants to try it.' We have a distributor in Germany, so that came together."It's an example of organic adoption that Messier and industry leaders hope will become the norm following Johnson's death. With an increasing number of hockey leagues mandating neck guards' use, it's logical to believe that as players advance up the ranks, they'll naturally continue to use them - even when they reach a level where they're optional. The same evolution introduced helmets and visors into the NHL. Bauer estimates a roughly 40% increase in neck guard demand in the weeks since Johnson's death."If we start to mandate this at the youth level, then all the kids are used to it. Young kids that graduated from junior went into the NHL wearing a visor, there was no issue - zero issue. So attack it at the youth level," Messier said.Ottawa's Claude Giroux started wearing a neck guard earlier this month. Chris Tanouye / Freestyle Photo / Getty ImagesThe Ontario Hockey League mandated the use of neck guards 15 years ago after a player survived a jugular laceration in 2008."It, in my view, required immediate consideration. We convened a conference call of our owners, and they all supported it," OHL commissioner David Branch said. "You develop a culture of understanding, where you go, 'Hey, we have to do the right thing here.' Right away, we introduced it, and it was interesting because there was pushback from players."The players might have been vocal in the media, but behind the scenes, Branch got calls from families that had a completely different sentiment. "They'd say, 'Mr. Branch, don't back down. Listen, it's so important for the safety of our son.'"In the WHL, which mandated neck guards in early November, one coach believes their adoption will proceed without too much fuss."You see this throughout society. Something will come in that's good for us, but we don't like doing it - maybe it's seatbelts or whatever," said Willie Desjardins, head coach and general manager of the WHL's Medicine Hat Tigers. "But, once it's mandatory, then you have to do it. When referees enforce it, then you don't have any choice but to do it. This is a rule, and this is what we need to do."For leagues and governing bodies hesitant to issue a mandate, part of the reluctance comes down to questions about the efficacy of neck guards."We want to make sure the material of the equipment that's available actually does what it's supposed to do. So players don't have a false sense of security out there," said Marty Walsh, head of the National Hockey League Players' Association.Dr. Michael J. Stuart, professor of orthopedic surgery at the Mayo Clinic and USA Hockey's chief medical officer, told CNN he believes more players will adopt neck guards with better education.Before Johnson's death, Stuart and his team received survey responses from 26,589 registered USA Hockey athletes to assess their neck laceration experiences. It found that 45% of athletes were voluntarily wearing neck guards despite no USA Hockey mandate. More than 60% of players under the age of 12 reported wearing them, but usage starts to drop off quickly after that; only 22% of players 19 and older reported wearing a neck guard.A total of 1.8% of respondents (485 athletes) experienced some form of neck laceration from a skate blade, but most were minor injuries. As many as 27% of those athletes were wearing a neck protector at the time of the laceration.However, survey results didn't indicate if neck guards played a role in reducing or adding to the severity of sustained injuries. Stuart believes the effectiveness of neck guards often comes down to their material and how they're worn."The protective device should literally go from the ear down to the collarbone because it needs to protect the area underneath the angle of the mandible (the lower jaw) and the area right above the collarbone where there's also neurovascular structures," he told CNN.A detail of a neck guard worn by the Blackhawks' Wyatt Kaiser. Michael Reaves / Getty ImagesMessier draws a parallel between this reasoning and the former conversation around helmets."We saw this with helmets in two ways. One argument was: helmets aren't always worn properly. And two: there was a discussion at one point about, 'Can helmets really prevent concussions?' But, the story kind of falls apart. Are you more protected with the helmet? I think we can absolutely say yes. And then you can make the same connection with neck guards. Would it eliminate any type of injury? Cut-resistant neck guards are probably not there. There might be some freak accidents. Will it really cut down on the number and the severity? Could it be life saving? If you have that opportunity, why wouldn't we at least go there?"Branch backs her up here. After learning of Johnson's death, his immediate thought wasn't to question neck guards altogether but rather how to optimize their effectiveness. "My mind went to: We've got to revisit the proper wearing of neck guards by our players," he said. "We've got to make sure we've got the leading supplier, with Kevlar and other such things."Kevlar may be the answer to the other major factor causing reluctance to wear neck guards: they can be uncomfortable and aren't breathable. "I'm satisfied that our current supplier is (using) Kevlar. There's nothing better on the market right now. We've got to keep challenging ourselves in that area," Branch said.Bauer, which supplies the OHL's neck guards, has been consulting with elite athletes about ways it can elevate its product for enhanced wearability."We've been working with Kevlar for years, and we've been manufacturing a product that works: integrated base layers and cut-resistant neck protection," Messier said.There's a chance that product could be put to the ultimate test early next year, with the NHL set to resume discussing neck guard mandates at the All-Star Game in Toronto. "A lot of companies now, I'm assuming, they'd be smart to come up with something," Walsh said. "I don't know if they'll have it ready by February, but the conversation is going to happen in February."The Canadian Press reports the NHL is working on clearing 12 to 14 new neck guards from eight different manufacturers.While the debate around neck guards remains ongoing, the conversation itself is a sign athletes are taking neck protection more seriously than ever before."I think if guys enjoyed wearing them, they would have been wearing them before," Desjardins said. "But they didn't realize the significance of them either. And so you know, if something tragic happens, then you realize maybe I should look at this a little different."With files from John Matisz.Jolene Latimer is a feature writer at theScore.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New Jersey Devils have their brightest star back.Jack Hughes returned to the lineup in Saturday's 5-3 loss against the New York Rangers, tallying a goal, an assist, and eight shots on net in 22:40.His status was a game-time decision after he returned to practice Friday as a full participant.Hughes missed the last five games. He left a 4-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Nov. 3 with what the Devils called an upper-body injury after crashing into the boards on a scoring chance. Hughes was considered week-to-week.The 22-year-old entered Saturday maintaining a lead over all other NHL skaters in points per contest. He piled up 15 assists and 20 points in 10 games before the injury and was leading the NHL in both of those offensive categories when he got hurt.Hughes is coming off a campaign in which he set a Devils single-season record with 99 points.The Devils are still without captain Nico Hischier, who's been out since Oct. 27. He left a victory over the Buffalo Sabres after opposing defenseman Connor Clifton caught him with a headshot. Clifton was suspended two games for the incident.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vancouver Canucks are the breakout team of the NHL season - and it isn't close. Projected by credible observers to either miss the playoffs or barely squeak in, they've blown away expectations.The 12-4-1 Canucks woke up Saturday with the league's best goal differential (plus-31), third-most points (25), and fifth-highest points percentage (.735). They're on pace for 121 points, or four more than the stacked 2010-11 Canucks team that lost a seven-game Stanley Cup Final.Surely, Vancouver can't keep this up. Or can it?Let's put the Canucks through a stress test.First of all, why and how is this team winning so much?Star power.Three players sit atop the NHL scoring leaderboard with 27 points and all three are Canucks: centers Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller, and defenseman Quinn Hughes. One goalie has a save percentage higher than .930 through 500 minutes: Vancouver's Thatcher Demko. Derek Cain / Getty ImagesHughes, the most dominant, is flat-out controlling the pace, flow, and score of games, which is why he's an early front-runner for the Norris and Hart trophies. Pettersson and Miller are driving play at superstar levels, as well, while Demko would probably win the Vezina if the season ended today.Those are stretches half the league would kill to have from one player.Right, and four of them simultaneously have put the Canucks in elite company: first in goals for (4.2 per game) and fourth in goals against (2.4).The roster's second tier, headlined by active blue-liner Filip Hronek (plus-10 at five-on-five) and sniping winger Brock Boeser (tied for the NHL lead with 13 goals), also deserves credit. The same goes for Rick Tocchet and his coaching staff. Vancouver is organized, disciplined, and decisive with the puck. Jeff Vinnick / Getty ImagesBut this wasn't supposed to happen? What gives?The Canucks own the highest team shooting percentage and second-highest team save percentage, suggesting they're benefiting from good puck luck.The eye test bears that out, and so does a deeper dive into the numbers. The gap between Vancouver's shooting percentage (14.4) and No. 2 Ottawa's (12) is roughly the same as the jump from Ottawa to No. 23 St. Louis (9.5).The Canucks also lead the league in goals scored above expected and rank second in goals saved above expected, according to Sportlogiq. Translation: the results (number of goals scored and allowed, wins and losses) aren't aligned with the process (quality and quantity of scoring chances generated and allowed).Yikes. Sounds ... unsustainable. Is that the appropriate word?Confirmed: "Unsustainable" is the word being used to describe the Canucks' play so far. And it's hard to argue with that characterization, given the extreme percentages. Further, only two clubs have enjoyed easier schedules, according to Hockey Reference's strength of schedule metric. Chris Tanouye / Getty ImagesHere are some more granular data points:

Two key Florida Panthers defensemen were back in the lineup for the first time this season Friday night.Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour played in a 2-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Both underwent shoulder surgery in June and missed training camp along with the Cats' first 16 games of this campaign.In September, Panthers general manager Bill Zito estimated the defensive duo would be healed by around mid-December.Following Florida's surprising run to the Stanley Cup Final last season, Ekblad revealed he had a dislocated shoulder, a broken foot, and a torn oblique during the playoffs.Montour led the Panthers in average ice time during the 2022-23 regular season at 24:08. He exploded for 16 goals and 57 assists over 80 games before adding eight tallies and five helpers in 21 postseason contests.The 29-year-old averaged a whopping 26:58 of ice time in those playoffs, ranking second to Miro Heiskanen of the Dallas Stars among rearguards who played more than six games. Montour is in his third full season with the Panthers, who acquired him in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres in April 2021.Ekblad collected 14 goals and 24 assists across 71 regular-season games in 2022-23 before adding two tallies and six helpers in 20 playoff contests. The 27-year-old averaged 23:24 of time during the regular season and 23:57 in the postseason last spring.He's spent his entire career with the Panthers, who drafted him first overall in 2014.Forward Jonah Gadjovich also made his Panthers debut Friday after signing as a free agent in the offseason.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Pascal Vincent had a simple explanation for why Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine didn't see the ice down the stretch in a 3-2 loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday night.In the late stages of the defeat, Vincent favored his second line of Dmitri Voronkov, Adam Fantilli, and Kirill Marchenko over the top unit that normally features the two aforementioned talents."I coach a team," Vincent said postgame, according to The Athletic's Aaron Portzline. "I don't coach individuals. Those guys were going, they're going to play. That's what we've been doing all year."Once the game starts, we have 18 guys and two goalies. Tonight, it was those guys that were going, and that's why they were on the ice."When asked if the opposite held true for Gaudreau and Laine, Vincent implied the affirmative."Asking that question is answering that question," the Columbus bench boss said.Vincent sat Laine for the final 9:53 and held Gaudreau out for the last 6:15.Gaudreau and Laine were both held pointless in the contest, playing 14:42 and 12:36, respectively. Both players were on the ice when Lawson Crouse buried the Coyotes' second goal in a 28-second span to go up 3-1 in the third period. Laine finished the loss with no shots on goal, and Gaudreau registered only two.Jackets defenseman Damon Severson scored to make it 3-2 with 1:57 remaining, but Columbus couldn't complete the comeback.Vincent also benched Gaudreau for the final 16 minutes of the Blue Jackets' 2-1 loss to the Washington Capitals on Nov. 4. He said at the time that "it's not about your name, it's about what's in front of your jersey and who we believe are going to give us a chance to win."Gaudreau is Columbus' highest-paid player with a cap hit of $9.75 million through 2028-29. Laine is the Jackets' third-highest-paid player and second-highest-paid forward at $8.7 million through 2025-26.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We have a very small card ahead of us on Friday. There are only three games scheduled and just two for the night slate.Not much stands out in terms of sides and totals, but there are still a few props that caught my eye. Let's take a closer look.Kyle Connor over 3.5 shotsConnor is off to a red-hot start to the campaign. He's scored 13 goals through 15 games and is shooting the puck at a very high clip, averaging 4.5 shots per game on over seven attempts.Although he is efficient at five-on-five, a healthy chunk of his shots come on the power play. Getting him the puck on the man advantage is clearly Winnipeg's top priority, as he leads the team in points and has nearly twice as many shots as the closest teammate to him.That's important to note when going up against the Sabres. They have struggled with discipline thus far, taking more penalties per game than all but three teams.If they're going to give the Jets a handful of opportunities on the power play, that should greatly benefit Connor on his quest for four shots.Odds: -110 (playable to -130)Cole Perfetti over 0.5 pointsPerfetti looks like one of the better young players in the NHL. He has 13 points through 15 games and has been a model of consistency, finding the scoresheet in seven consecutive games and recording nine points in that span.He has produced with extreme efficiency at five-on-five, averaging 3.26 points per 60 minutes in that game state, a top-tier rate that comfortably ranks him first on the Jets.With Tage Thompson sidelined due to injury, the Sabres' forward crop is not as dangerous. Their thinned-out group should make life a little easier for Perfetti at evens.He also skates on the top power-play unit. The Sabres take penalties in bunches - and their goaltending is mediocre - so that's certainly a big plus.Expect Perfetti to stay hot and find success in an advantageous matchup at home.Odds: -115 (playable to -140)Matthew Tkachuk over 3.5 shotsThe Ducks have been a constant target for shot props, and there is no reason to get away from that. They are allowing well over 32 per game this season and their numbers are actually trending in the wrong direction.That's not good news when squaring off against the Panthers. They are one of the best shot-generating teams in the NHL and have feasted on the Ducks time and time again in recent history.Dating back to 2022, the Panthers have posted shot totals of 42, 55, 48, and 55 against the Ducks. Insane outputs.While this year's version of the Ducks is better than what we've seen in the past, they do have warts defensively and take more penalties per game than anybody.This is a spot where Tkachuk - the Panthers' leader in attempts, shots on goal, and high-danger chances - should put up a big number.Odds: -122 (playable to -145)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @ToddCordell.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jonathan Huberdeau expressed relief Thursday night following a 5-2 victory by his Calgary Flames over the Vancouver Canucks in which he scored a goal after going 11 games without one."Obviously, it felt good; it has been a while," the Flames forward told reporters. "It was good to get, finally, a goal and a big win for us."Huberdeau elevated the puck from in tight to net his third tally of the season early in the third period.The 30-year-old winger added that he appreciated the response from the crowd when he got off the schneid."I (took) it in, (and) I think it's nice to get the support from the crowd. They've been patient," Huberdeau said. "It's nice, obviously, but hopefully that can get me going. It was a good game, our line, we created a lot of chances. We've just got to take that and do it for next game."Flames head coach Ryan Huska also credited the Calgary crowd for acknowledging Huberdeau's effort."I thought it was cool. We have great fans here, and what they do recognize is hard work," the bench boss said. "You could see that from him tonight, so when he gets rewarded, it was nice, and it goes a long way for a player that is really working to find his way. We're all happy for him. It was good to see him score that."Huberdeau later set up Elias Lindholm's empty-netter with under two minutes remaining.The veteran of 11 previous seasons played 10 of those with the Florida Panthers. He amassed a career-high 85 assists and 115 points in 2021-22 while finishing fifth in Hart Trophy voting. But after the Panthers traded him to the Flames in the blockbuster swap involving Matthew Tkachuk (and Calgary signed Huberdeau to an eight-year, $84-million contract shortly thereafter), he's had well-documented struggles with his new club.The 2011 third overall pick collected only 15 goals and 40 assists in 79 games during the 2022-23 campaign, and his average ice time (16:52) was his lowest since 2013-14.Huberdeau got off to a promising start to this season, netting two goals and two assists in the first four contests. But then came the 11-game scoring drought in which he produced only three assists.The Quebec-born forward has six helpers to go along with his three tallies over 16 games in this campaign.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL is in Sweden this week, and fans of the Maple Leafs, Red Wings, Senators, and Wild can't be faulted for fearing they'll arrive home weary. Flying overseas during the season is a fun novelty, but it disrupts a team's rhythm.The four-game jaunt faintly resembles the NHL's most elaborate Eurotrip. In the spring of 1959, the Bruins and Rangers faced off 23 times in 26 days in 10 European cities. The Original Six rivals experimented with an orange puck as Bobby Hull began his ascent to superstardom.Chicago loaned Hull to New York for the grueling exhibition series. To conserve energy for sightseeing, he deliberately put in less effort on the ice. Hull coasted to the slot to focus on burying passes, signaling how he'd snipe 913 goals between the NHL and World Hockey Association."Boy, it was suddenly a whole new ballgame. I was lasting a lot longer on each shift and the goals started to go in like clockwork," Hull told the Toronto Star late in his career. "I pinpoint that European tour as the turning point in my life as a hockey player."

No Patrice Bergeron, no David Krejci, no problem for David Pastrnak.Although the Boston Bruins lost their top two centers to retirement in the offseason - plus key left-wingers Tyler Bertuzzi and Taylor Hall departed via free agency and trade - Pastrnak hasn't skipped a beat. After finishing second in Hart Trophy voting last season thanks to a 61-goal, 113-point campaign, Pastrnak is currently on pace for 60 goals and 131 points in 2023-24.Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery is among those who are surprised Pastrnak's been able to maintain his elite production."I thought that he would have a harder time producing without Bergy and obviously Krejci to work with," Montgomery said Wednesday, per the Boston Globe's Conor Ryan. "But I do know, at my year-end meeting with him I said, 'There's gonna be a lot more put on you next year.'"Because we figured (Bergeron and Krejci) were moving on. And he just looked and he goes 'Yeah, I'm expecting it. Don't worry about it.' That's what he said to me. And now I don't worry about it."It hasn't all been unfamiliar for Pastrnak. He's currently playing on a line with long-time running mate Brad Marchand at left wing, and Pavel Zacha - who played left wing opposite Pastrnak for most of last season - at center.Pastrnak has altered his game a bit, though. While he's still one of the game's most lethal snipers, he's improved his passing, as evidenced by his 13 helpers through 15 games. He's on pace for a career-high 71 assists."Pasta's become more of a puck possession guy," Montgomery said. "I think it's a little bit intentional, understanding that it's going to take a while to create the kind of creativity that naturally happens when you play with a Krejci or a Bergeron because they're such intelligent hockey players."The Bruins as a whole have shown no signs of regression despite their key offseason departures. After setting the NHL record for wins and points last season, their .867 points percentage is the league's best in 2023-24.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Calgary Flames defenseman Chris Tanev has some lofty praise for his former blue line partner Quinn Hughes."Right now, he is probably the best player in the league," Tanev said of the Vancouver Canucks captain prior to Thursday's meeting between the Pacific Division rivals, per the Calgary Sun's Wes Gilbertson."If you watch him play right now, he has the puck the whole game," Tanev continued. "He controls a lot of the game. ... He's so smart out there. There are guys who are one step ahead of everyone, but I feel like he is two steps ahead of everyone. And just how he skates, how he uses his edges, he is able to create so much space for himself."The 33-year-old veteran is familiar with Hughes' game. The duo served as Vancouver's busiest pairing during Hughes' rookie campaign in 2019-20, logging over 700 minutes together at five-on-five, per Evolving-Hockey. That partnership was short-lived, though, as Tanev signed with the Flames as an unrestricted free agent during the 2020 offseason.Still, Tanev recognized Hughes' sky-high potential quickly."I think when I left (Vancouver), I said I thought he was going to be the best defenseman in the league at some point," he said. "He's playing like that right now, for sure."Hughes has dominated on both ends of the ice through the early goings of the 2023-24 campaign and is seen as a realistic candidate for both the Hart and Norris trophies.Entering Thursday's action, Hughes was one of three Canucks leading the league in offensive production with 26 points. He has six goals and 20 assists through 16 games while leading Vancouver in average ice time (24:21).The 24-year-old is also a team-high plus-18, and the Canucks have outscored opponents 20-7 with him on the ice at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick. Hughes was not on the ice for a goal against at even strength until his fifth game of the season.Hughes has spent the bulk of his five-on-five ice time with Filip Hronek this campaign. The duo is dictating 72.9% of the goals and 54.7% of the expected goals in just over 200 minutes together, per Evolving-Hockey.Tanev spent the first 10 seasons of his career with the Canucks and is in the midst of his fourth campaign with the Flames. A pending unrestricted free agent, Calgary is reportedly willing to listen to offers for Tanev's services, as well as other players on expiring deals, such as Nikita Zadorov, Elias Lindholm, and Noah Hanifin.The Canucks are apparently among the teams interested in prying Zadorov - a 6-foot-6 defenseman - away from the Flames.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

USA Hockey named Florida Panthers assistant general manager Brett Peterson the GM of its senior men's national team Thursday.He's the team's first-ever Black general manager, according to NHL.com's William Douglas.Peterson will oversee the assembly of the American squad that will play at the World Championship hosted by Czechia in May 2024.

A game in Stockholm between the Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings would be incomplete without Daniel Alfredsson's involvement, but Swedish fans need not worry.Alfredsson will be on the bench for both of Ottawa's games in his home country this week, namely Thursday's clash between his two former clubs and then Saturday's tilt between the Senators and the Minnesota Wild."(I) talked to the coaching staff (and) they asked me if I would like to join them," he told TSN 1200. "I guess I've done a decent enough job that they trust me. I'm really looking forward to that, being part of the action and (seeing) it up close."However, the former winger isn't going to take the Global Series lightly."These are big games for both teams. Every point matters," he said. "We know it's going to be a tight race through most of the season, so obviously if I'm going to be on the bench for these two games, I want us to be successful. So I'll be nervous, but it's going to be really fun and I'm definitely looking forward to it."Red Wings legend Nicklas Lidstrom, who's also on hand for Thursday's game, helped Alfredsson out by translating his quip about playing.

Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal is calling for a more concentrated effort from him and his teammates following a 3-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday."As a group, it just doesn't look like we've completely bought in to how we want to do things, and it's going to look like that," Staal said, per Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News & Observer. "It's going to be a .500 club that wins some games and loses some games and kind of ho-hum. It's getting a little frustrating. We're going to need to have everyone. I have to be better, our line's got to be better, contributions from everyone. It's got to start soon."The Canes entered 2023-24 as one of the league's top Stanley Cup favorites after a busy offseason that saw them land Dmitry Orlov and Michael Bunting, among others. But the club has got off to an uneven 9-7-0 start to the campaign.Staal says the physical effort is there, but the effort to play the team's high-pressure, north-south game is lacking."The effort's not terrible," Staal said. "The effort of the way we want to play is what's holding us back. The edge that you have in the NHL is you kind of know where the puck's going because that's the way we do things, and it seems right now we're just not really sure what's going to happen. It starts to look like that sloppy stuff you see in the neutral zone when the puck's bouncing around and guys are swirling around and looping around."It's a less direct game than the Hurricanes know and love, and I'm sure the fans love to watch. Tonight, they didn't look like they really love that game, and I don't blame them."Head coach Rod Brind'Amour echoed his captain's thoughts."He knows," Brind'Amour said. "He's the one that's put this in place for a long time. It's not enough. It's not consistent enough. It's hard enough to win anyway, and it kind of makes it harder on ourselves. Just getting off a little, trying to be too cute here and there."Staal is in his 12th season with the Hurricanes and his fifth wearing the "C" on a full-time basis. While he's better known for his abilities on the defensive side of the puck, Staal, who finished fourth in Selke Trophy voting last season, has only mustered one goal and four assists in 16 games.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New York Islanders forward Bo Horvat wasn't a fan of Edmonton Oilers star Leon Draisaitl's actions during the teams' first matchup of the season Monday night.The two players got into it along the boards midway through the second period of the Oilers' 4-1 victory. Horvat knocked Draisaitl down during a puck battle, and the German responded by cross-checking the back of Horvat's legs.

Just a few weeks ago, Jay Woodcroft was considered one of the favorites to win the Jack Adams Award as the coach of the year. Fast forward to now, and the Oilers have already made a change behind the bench following a 3-9-1 start to the season.Clearly, things can change in a hurry in the NHL.With that in mind, let's take a closer look at which head coaches oddsmakers at theScore Bet believe are most likely to be replaced next.Coach (team)OddsD.J. Smith (OTT)+170Dean Evason (MIN)+350Andrew Brunette (NSH)+600David Quinn (SJ)+700Sheldon Keefe (TOR)+1200Ryan Huska (CGY)+1300Pascal Vincent (CBJ)+1500Lane Lambert (NYI)+1800Don Granato (BUF)+1800John Tortorella (PHI)+3000Luke Richardson (CHI)+3000Craig Berube (STL)+3300Dave Hakstol (SEA)+3300Mike Sullivan (PIT)+4000Odds via theScore Bet. Only listed coaches at +4000 or shorter.The Senators' D.J. Smith is the favorite to be the next coach replaced at +170, which equates to a 37% implied probability.That's understandable - Ottawa hasn't lived up to its relatively high expectations coming into the season. The Senators have won six of 13 games, and the numbers beneath the surface paint an even bleaker picture.They've controlled 44% of the expected goals at five-on-five, slotting them ahead of only the Sharks, Blues, and Blackhawks. That isn't the kind of company a team with playoff aspirations should keep.The Senators have a new owner and a new president of hockey operations, neither of whom brought in Smith. When changes are made up top, the new people in power generally want to bring in their own coach. It feels like only a matter of time before the Senators walk down that path.Dean Evason is right behind Smith in the pecking order. With just five wins through 15 games, the Wild are off to a miserable start. They're generally a very stout team, but their defensive metrics are down, and the goaltending has been horrible. If things don't turn around soon, the Wild may opt to bring in a new voice and give everyone a clean slate.Andrew Brunette, Pascal Vincent, and Ryan Huska all have relatively high implied odds of being removed from their posts but are each in their first season on the job. They should all be safe regardless of how many losses they pile up.Sheldon Keefe isn't too far down the list, although his job feels more secure than the odds indicate. New GM Brad Treliving could have moved on from Keefe in the summer but elected to keep him around and dish out a two-year contract extension that keeps him signed through 2025. It'd take a lot more than an 8-5-2 start for Treliving to go to the Maple Leafs' ownership with a costly change of heart.Lane Lambert is one name that stands out at +1800. Only three teams have won fewer games than the Islanders to date, and New York owns some truly miserable defensive metrics. Lou Lamoriello is a defense-first general manager and is never shy about making changes behind the bench. The leash is undoubtedly short.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @ToddCordell.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Buffalo Sabres head coach Don Granato said star forward Tage Thompson will be out of the lineup for the foreseeable future after exiting Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Boston Bruins."Weeks is what it will be," the head coach said on WGR 550 on Wednesday morning. "(It) could be a little over a month, but it shouldn't be multiple months."After the Sabres' practice Wednesday, Granato essentially reiterated that by saying Thompson's ailment is "more week-to-week" than month-to-month but also clarified that he doesn't have a target return date yet.The imposing center took a shot to his hand during the second frame with the Sabres on the penalty kill. Soon after, he headed down the tunnel and was ultimately ruled out for the remainder of the game with what the club called an upper-body injury.

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Carson Soucy isn't expected back in the lineup until late December at the earliest.Soucy will miss six-to-eight weeks due to what the club called a lower-body injury.The 29-year-old left Sunday's win over the Montreal Canadiens early in the second period and didn't return. He's notched two goals and three assists while averaging 16:52 of ice time over 13 games this season.Soucy is in his first season with the Canucks, who signed him to a three-year contract worth $3.25 million annually when he was a free agent on July 1. He played two seasons with the Seattle Kraken after starting his career with the Minnesota Wild.The Minnesota Duluth product was driving possession with a five-on-five expected goals for percentage of 50.98, according to Natural Stat Trick. He's not known for his offense, but his underlying numbers show he's been defensively sound. Evolving HockeyThe Wild drafted Soucy 137th overall in 2013.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Oilers placed Dylan Holloway and Mattias Janmark on long-term injured reserve, Edmonton announced Wednesday.Holloway left Monday's win over the New York Islanders in the second period and didn't return. The 22-year-old only has one point - a goal he scored in Saturday's victory over the Seattle Kraken - in 14 games this season.The Oilers drafted Holloway 14th overall in 2020. He debuted with Edmonton in 2022-23, collecting three goals and six assists over 51 NHL contests while adding seven tallies and three helpers in 12 games with the AHL's Bakersfield Condors.Players on LTIR must miss at a minimum of 10 games and 24 days, so Holloway will be able to play again on Dec. 10 against the New Jersey Devils.Janmark hasn't suited up since Oct. 26, sitting out seven contests since then. His move to LTIR is retroactive to that date, so he has to miss at least the next three games and would be eligible to play again on Nov. 22 against the Carolina Hurricanes.The veteran center, who'll turn 31 on Dec. 8, has been held off the scoresheet entirely in seven tilts this season.Edmonton greatly underachieved to start the campaign but has been gaining some momentum of late. The team has won two games in a row, including Monday's matchup with the Islanders in new head coach Kris Knoblauch's debut behind the Oilers bench. They fired Jay Woodcroft after the win over Seattle on Saturday.The Oilers recalled forwards Adam Erne and Raphael Lavoie along with defenseman Philip Broberg from the Condors in corresponding moves to the LTIR designations Wednesday.Edmonton sits second last in the Pacific Division at 4-9-1.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tuesday was a solid night on the ice. Between best bets and player props, we won three of five plays.Elias Lindholm missed the net four times and lost on the hook, while the Devils and Jets couldn't stay under 6.5 goals despite nobody finding the back of the net until the 28th minute. Hockey!We'll take the profit and look to build on it with three more plays for Wednesday's card.Nathan MacKinnon over 4.5 shotsMacKinnon isn't generating shots like we're accustomed to. He's gone under his total in nine of 14 games, including four of six at home - where he's usually so dominant.The good news for MacKinnon is he finds himself in the ultimate get-right spot Wednesday night against the Ducks.The Ducks are competitive this year, but that has more to do with dynamic young attackers and great goaltending than stout defense. They still give up a lot of shots and chances. They also take a ton of penalties.No team has been penalized more than the Ducks this season. They're taking nearly five minors per game, which is more than half a penalty clear of the next closest team.The Ducks are also in the latter half of a road back-to-back after a taxing comeback win against the Predators on Tuesday night.If ever there was a time for MacKinnon to dominate the puck and pile up the shots like in years past, this is it.Odds: -130 (playable to -145)Noah Dobson under 2.5 shotsDobson is not it on the road. He's averaging four attempts per game away from home this season, a far cry from the 6.8 he's piled up on Long Island.It's still early in the year, but it's safe to say this will be a recurring theme. Dobson recorded three or more shots in just 38% of his road games last season, and his attempt volume was noticeably worse on the road.Although Dobson will still get the job done on occasion, he figures to be in tough against the Canucks.Vancouver has played terrific defense at home this season. Believe it or not, only the Hurricanes and Rangers have conceded fewer shots on goal per 60 at five-on-five.The Canucks don't take a ton of penalties, and the Islanders rank 31st in power-play opportunities per game. This doesn't seem like a spot in which New York will have many power plays to help Dobson get over the hump.Odds: -110 (playable to -140)Quinn Hughes over 2.5 shotsDeath, taxes, and backing Hughes at home. He's been automatic in Vancouver this season, going over his shot total in all six games while averaging a whopping eight attempts.That's the kind of output you'd expect from a premium goal-scorer with a shot total of 3.5 or 4.5 every single night. Getting such volume from a defender with a 2.5-shot line is a huge bonus.The Islanders rank third last in shots against per game and have fared even worse away from home.They've also given up a ton of offense to opposing defenders, allowing more shots to the position than all but the lowly Sharks.Hughes won't remain perfect forever, but this is a prime matchup for him to extend his streak.Odds: -130 (playable to -150)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @ToddCordell.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.