Nolan Patrick is already making up for lost time.The Brandon Wheat Kings center - and projected top pick in the 2017 NHL Draft - returned to WHL action Friday after missing 35 games with a sports hernia.Facing the Kootenay Ice, Patrick put up two goals and two assists, scoring his first of the game 12:04 into the opening frame. His performance powered the Wheat Kings to an 8-5 victory, after which Patrick was named the game's first star.Patrick, who last played Oct. 11, has tallied 13 points in just seven games this season. He recorded 102 points in 72 games with Brandon last season.Despite Patrick's time on the shelf - which also kept him sidelined during the recent World Junior Championship - he's still widely viewed as NHL's top pick in June.Tim Bernhardt, director of amateur scouting for the Arizona Coyotes, recently told Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports: "Nolan Patrick is a really good hockey player. He's probably not in the class of (Connor) McDavid and (Auston) Matthews, but he is without a doubt the top guy in the draft."The Coyotes - with the league's second-fewest points - are among a handful of teams with stronger odds at landing Patrick in the draft, while the Colorado Avalanche currently hold the best odds as the NHL's last-place team. In an added wrinkle, the expansion Vegas Golden Knights will have the same odds as the third-worst team. A lottery is held for each of the top three picks, and no team can fall more than three draft spots.Here are the latest prospect rankings for the 2017 draft, per ISS Hockey:RankPlayerPositionTeam/LeagueGamesStats1Nolan PatrickFBrandon/WHL76-7-132Timothy LiljegrenDRogle/SHL110-3-33Nico HischierFHalifax/QMJHL3528-30-584Gabriel VilardiFWindsor/OHL2417-17-345Owen TippettFMississauga/OHL4034-21-55Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Follow theScore's fantasy feed on Twitter (@theScoreFantasy) for the latest news, features and more. And download Squad Up, theScore's free-to-win-money sports gameStats are as of Thursday, Jan. 12; advanced stats courtesy of Corsica.Hockey.Don't leave Maroon strandedEdmonton Oilers LW Patrick Maroon is still owned in under 50 percent of fantasy leagues. He has 17 goals and 24 points on the season, with just three of those points having come on the power play. He's been riding a high 17.2 shooting percentage, which has ballooned to 25.0 in January. He's atop the first line with the Oilers' two best players in Cs Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. He'll continue to have good chances.Leave Ryan Hartman for daily fantasy, for nowHartman has broken out in January, scoring four goals and adding two assists to raise his season totals to 10 goals and nine assists. He has totaled 17 shots on goal in his past four games and has registered at least one SOG in all but one game this month. He's still playing on just the third line at 5v5 and doesn't see any power-play time. He hasn't topped 15:12 of ice time this month, which is unlikely to bring consistency to his game.Keep your FlyersThe Flyers top-five skaters in C Claude Giroux, RW Wayne Simmonds, LW/RW Jakub Voracek, D Shayne Gostisbehere, and C/LW Brayden Schenn are well owned and for very good reasons. Fringe fantasy assets such as Ds Ivan Provorov, Radko Gudas, and Mark Streit are all worthy of holds during Philadelphia's "bye week" in Week 14. The team will play a weekend double header against the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders.Move van RiemsdykToronto Maple Leafs LW James van Riemsdyk is on pace for his single-month high in points, having accumulated two goals and seven assists through just five January games. The production has been coming despite significantly less ice time than he has seen in any other month this year. The diminishing role will eventually curb his production totals. Move him before the Leafs do.Artturi Lehkonen putting fantasy owners on noticeAs injuries ravage the Montreal Canadiens, their 21-year-old rookie has been a primary beneficiary. He is locked in beside C Tomas Plekanec on the current second line. The pass-first center has helped the winger score three goals in six games this month, as he has multiple SOG in all but one game. His ice time is rather variable, but he's a strong low-cost daily fantasy option.Get WildThe Minnesota Wild have the league's most appealing schedule for Week 14, as they'll play four home games, against the New Jersey Devils, Arizona Coyotes, Anaheim Ducks, and Nashville Predators. The final two games of the week will be a double header. If debating between two free agents to add for the coming week, side with whichever one plays home games in Minnesota.Start your daily lineups with John GibsonJanuary has been Gibson's best month of the season, as he has picked up two shutouts through six starts and stopped at least 30 shots in four of the six. The Ducks have a 5-1 record in his starts. They'll play road games against the Tampa Bay Lightning and Wild with a home date against the Colorado Avalanche in the middle of the week. He'll be a top option each time out.Cory Schneider's season's about to get back on trackSchneider has returned to his early-season form, after posting save percentages below .900 in both November and December. He has allowed 10 goals in six games this month, but has a record of just 2-2-2. He'll need more goal support but the strong save percentage is a good foundation for fantasy contributions.Investigate Craig AndersonOttawa Senators G Craig Anderson is finally nearing a return from his personal leave. Given his personal situation, he'll remain at risk of missing further extended stretches for the remainder of the season, but he has been among the league's best when active this season.Owners needing to make up ground in save percentage or goals against average in rotisserie leagues could take the risk and examine low-cost trade scenarios for the possibility of elite numbers..Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL hasn't been short on lengthy win streaks this season.With Friday's 6-0 rout of the Chicago Blackhawks, the Washington Capitals secured their eighth straight victory, pushing their season total to 61 points, one back of first overall in the NHL.Washington last lost in regulation on Dec. 27 in a 4-3 defeat to the New York Islanders. Two nights later, the Capitals grabbed a single point in a shootout loss to the New Jersey Devils, and then began their eight-game win streak.Most impressive during Washington's run has been the quality of its opponents. The Capitals have recorded their last five victories over the Columbus Blue Jackets, Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Blackhawks. All but the Senators rank in the league's top six, while Washington combined to outsource those teams 21-3.The Capitals also snapped the Blue Jackets' 16-game win streak - one off the all-time record - with a 5-0 thumping on Thursday night.Related: Holtby helping surging Capitals find their grooveWashington is just the latest NHL team to post an impressive win streak this season:TeamWin StreakDate RangeColumbus16 GamesNov. 29 - Jan. 3Minnesota12 GamesDec. 4 - Dec. 29Philadelphia10 GamesNov. 27 - Dec. 14Washington8 GamesDec. 31 -The Capitals will look to push their run to nine games whey they return to the ice Sunday against the Flyers.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Playing at an elite level isn't unfamiliar territory for Braden Holtby, but he's been particularly unbeatable lately, and that stellar play has been a major factor in the Washington Capitals' eight-game win streak.The goaltender earned his NHL-leading sixth shutout of the season in Friday's 6-0 domination of the Chicago Blackhawks.Three of those clean sheets have come in his last five contests, and five of them have been recorded in his last 14 games.The 2016 Vezina Trophy winner has long been in the conversation for the 2017 award, but beyond Sergei Bobrovsky's league-leading 26 wins, only Minnesota Wild netminder Devan Dubnyk has been better than Holtby in the other key categories.GoaltenderWGAASV%SODubnyk221.77.9405Holtby211.85.9336Bobrovsky262.00.9313The Capitals have allowed an NHL-best 1.95 goals against per game, which is a credit to their defense as well as the play of Holtby and backup goalie Philipp Grubauer, who's been excellent in his own right, going 7-1-1 with a 1.94 GAA and .929 save percentage in nine games.Washington can obviously score goals, too, putting in six against one of the league's best teams Friday night and ranking seventh in the NHL with 2.98 goals per contest.Still, they wouldn't be on this current roll without Holtby, who's picked up right where he left off last season, helping the Capitals continue to challenge the scrappy Columbus Blue Jackets for top spot in the Metropolitan Division.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Carolina Hurricanes are Jeff Skinner's team.The seeds were planted back in 2011, when he stole the show and Hurricanes fans' hearts on home ice at the All-Star Game as an injury replacement for Sidney Crosby - months before winning the Calder Trophy as the NHL's surprise rookie of the year.While a string of concussions kept him from matching the production levels of his first season, questions were raised along the way about his long-term future with the team, with local reporters advocating for a trade.But with the departure of Eric Staal last season amid a personal resurgence for a healthy Skinner, it became clear the faith demonstrated by the Hurricanes in the young forward was about to reap a rich harvest.Case in point: Skinner's two goals in less than a minute against Buffalo on Friday en route to his second straight three-point performance and, more importantly, a Carolina win.

Jonathan Toews won't let his teammates forget this one.The Chicago Blackhawks captain offered some pointed words following a lopsided 6-0 loss to the Capitals in Washington on Friday.

Upon scoring his second goal of the night on Roberto Luongo and the Florida Panthers, New York Islanders captain John Tavares reached a personal point milestone.

Jay Beagle scored twice to lead a balanced blowout for the Washington Capitals as they won their eighth consecutive game, beating the Chicago Blackhawks 6-0 on Friday night in a matchup of the NHL's hottest teams.Nicklas Backstrom, Brett Connolly, Tom Wilson and T.J. Oshie also scored for Washington, which snapped Chicago's winning streak at four.The Capitals have ended five different opposing win streaks of three games or more already in 2017 while playing their best hockey of the season.Braden Holtby stopped all 24 shots he faced and got the benefit of goaltender interference on Vinnie Hinostroza's would-be goal for his fifth shutout in the past 14 games. The Vezina Trophy winner is 9-2-2 with a 1.34 goals-against average and .950 save percentage over that time.The Capitals tilted the ice against the Blackhawks, outshooting them 14-5 in a three-goal first period and dominating throughout, even when Chicago was on the power play. Blackhawks All-Star goaltender Corey Crawford allowed five goals on 30 shots before giving way to Scott Darling.Beagle continued his own personal run of success against Chicago, opening and closing the scoring to reach eight goals on the season. The fourth-line center has four goals in two games against the Blackhawks this season and six in eight career games against them.Three of his four multi-goal games have come against Chicago.Alex Ovechkin contributed career point No. 1,002 with a secondary assist on Backstrom's goal. Backstrom, who assisted on Oshie's third-period goal, has scored in three games in a row.It's no coincidence that Holtby, Ovechkin and Backstrom are rolling as Washington is on its longest winning streak of the season. Holtby hasn't allowed a 5-on-5 goal in five games as the Capitals climbed past the Blue Jackets, who were in action at the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday night.NOTES: D Karl Alzner became the first player in Capitals franchise history to play 500 consecutive regular-season games. Alzner joined Keith Yandle and Jay Bouwmeester as the only defensemen since 1943-44 to play 500 games in a row. Baseball ironman Cal Ripken Jr. was featured in a video message congratulating Alzner on the achievement. ... Washington improved to 23-3-3 when scoring first. ... D Michal Rozsival returned to the Blackhawks' lineup after missing six consecutive games as a healthy scratch, replacing Michal Kempny.UP NEXT:Blackhawks: Host the Central Division-rival Wild on Sunday, their first game against Minnesota this season. The Wild trail the Blackhawks by just two points and have played five fewer games.Capitals: Try to make it nine straight when they host the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday at 1 p.m., moved back from 12:30 as a domino effect from the Steelers-Chiefs AFC playoff game shifting to prime time because of weather in Kansas City.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

P.K. Subban knows how to kill time in style.Looking dapper as ever, the Nashville Predators defenseman posted a photo of some of the winnings he and his teammates took away from Dave & Busters during a travel delay.

Martin St. Louis' number won't ever be worn by another Tampa Bay Lightning player.The diminutive legend had his No. 26 retired at Amalie Arena on Friday night following a series of speeches by Lightning luminaries, including former head coach John Tortorella, current general manager Steve Yzerman, and injured captain Steven Stamkos.Related - Tortorella: Martin St. Louis was 'a pain in the ass to coach'St. Louis made special mention of his late mother during his speech before the banner was raised."There's one person not here tonight who I wish could be here more than anything: My mom," he said."I know she is here with us tonight," he added. "She always said, 'Show them, Marty. Show them.' Well, mom, I think I did."St. Louis is the first player in Lightning history to have his number retired, and his career numbers with Tampa Bay certainly validate the honor.Category Total w/ TB Franchise RankGoals3652ndAssists5881stPoints9531stGames Played9722ndGame-Winning Goals641stHe also scored perhaps the most memorable goal in franchise history, netting the double-overtime winner in Game 6 of the 2004 Stanley Cup Final to send the series - which the Lightning eventually won - back to Tampa Bay.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

One of the most decorated athletes in Canadian sports history is hanging up the skates.Five-time Winter Olympian Hayley Wickenheiser took to Twitter on Friday to announce her retirement.

Washington capitalized early and quickly.Hosting the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday, the Capitals scored two goals in quick succession, with the first coming off the stick of Jay Beagle.

The Nashville Predators have placed defenseman Roman Josi on injured reserve with an upper-body injury, the club announced Friday.Josi left Thursday's game against Boston after taking a hit delivered by Bruins forward Anton Blidh and was unable to return.NHL rules dictate a player placed on IR must remain out of the lineup for seven days, meaning Josi will miss at least the next three games - Jan. 14 in Colorado, Jan. 17 in Vancouver, and Jan. 19 in Calgary.Josi would be eligible to rejoin the team for the final two games of the road trip in Edmonton and Minnesota.Blidh will not face supplemental discipline from the league, per Joe Haggerty of CSNNE.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Flames were a goal away from the Stanley Cup.The folks in Calgary won't forget June 5, 2004, and neither will the folks in Tampa Bay, or Martin St. Louis.The undersized St. Louis kept the Lightning alive that night in Game 6 of the 2004 Stanley Cup Final, scoring the double-overtime winner to force the series back to Florida.Two nights later, St. Louis and the Lightning were Stanley Cup champions.To the raftersOn Friday night, St. Louis, countless members of the Lightning organization, and Bolts fans across the land will recall that hot night in June while St. Louis has his number retired, becoming the first Lightning player bestowed with the honor.The good times began Thursday, when St. Louis took part in a ceremonial faceoff before Tampa Bay beat Buffalo.(Courtesy: NHL Public Relations)That's Stanley Cup happiness, right there, folks.Lightning foreverSt. Louis is a Lightning legend. Not only was that the biggest goal of his career, it is arguably the biggest goal in Lightning franchise history. Without it, Tampa Bay doesn't play for the Cup. Without it, Dave Andreychuk maybe never wins a Cup.No. 26 belongs up high, and never again on a Lightning jersey. It's Marty's. His name is littered throughout the Lightning record book. He's second to Vincent Lecavalier in games played (972) and goals (365), and is the franchise's all-time leader in assists (588), game-winning goals (64), and points (953).St. Louis wore a Flames jersey, and a New York Rangers jersey, but he'll always be a member of the Lightning. Once and for all, Friday evening.And at 5-foot-8 and 180 pounds, he was never supposed to be anything at all. What a career.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Los Angeles Kings will pay homage to their heritage when they don their 1995 throwbacks during the pregame warmup Saturday prior to facing off against the Winnipeg Jets.Colloquially known as the "Burger King jersey", the Kings donned these threads - complete with a purple-bearded king wearing a golden crown - during the 1995-96 season, when the team boasted the likes of Wayne Gretzky and Kelly Hrudey, among other Los Angeles greats.

Despite what your natural inclination may lead you to believe, there wasn't a proud papa in the seats when Max Domi traded fists with Calgary Flames fourth-line forward Garnet Hathaway in December."I didn't have to say too much to Max. He knows," Tie Domi told Sportsnet's Luke Fox. "You learn from experiences and try to take a positive out of it. It's early in his career."It's OK to play with an edge, but fighting isn't part of the game."That is, not a part of his son's game."I don't like it. I did enough fighting. I did it the most," he added. "So I did enough for our family and many more. He'll just take the positive learning experience out of it. He's just got to realize that he can't put himself in that situation."The consequence, this time, was a broken hand suffered in the punch-up.Max has already missed more than a month after having surgery to repair the damage.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

"On the Fly," theScore's NHL roundtable series, is looking to the second half in its latest installment. Below are four players who are going to have big winters.Patrice BergeronJustin Cuthbert: Stuck on single-digit goal and assist totals, and on track for a career-worst season statistically, you have to believe a star like Patrice Bergeron is about to bust out.GPGAP5-on-5 PPPPSH%TOI4289171255.119:18That's not because he's "due," per se, but because he's been dominant.Bergeron's line with Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak has tilted the ice more effectively than any regular unit. They're up around 64 percent possession, and creating more shot attempts than any other trio.As a result, Marchand and Pastrnak are on track for 30-goal, 60-plus-point seasons. But for whatever reason, and aside from his lowly 5.1 shooting percentage, Bergeron's production has lagged behind.For now.Ben BishopCory Wilkins: You can't win without goaltending and Ben Bishop will play a big role down the stretch for the Tampa Bay Lightning.With his recent injury woes behind him, look for Bishop to return as the clutch netminder who has 22 postseason wins over the past two years.Among the goaltenders who appeared in at least 10 playoff games last spring, Bishop's .939 save percentage came second to only Braden Holtby - the lone netminder to finish ahead of Bishop in Vezina voting.Bishop has struggled through the first half of this season, with just 10 wins in 23 games. Despite his average play and the constant trade chatter, Bishop has still outperformed the younger Andrei Vasilevskiy and remains the top option in Tampa Bay's crease.GoalieGP5-on-5 SV%High-Danger SV% SH SV% SV%Bishop23.9217.7879.850.908Vasilevskiy23.9050.8000.889.904A year ago, the St. Louis Blues - a Stanley Cup contender like the Lightning - held onto their pending free agents at the trade deadline, most notably captain David Backes. The Blues' top priority was to win. With Tampa Bay in a Cup window of its own, we could see a similar non-move, where Bishop is considered more valuable as a current part of the team than as a piece in a deal focused on the future.Nathan MacKinnonIan McLaren: If the Colorado Avalanche are intent on building around youth and speed, there are few better cornerstones than Nathan MacKinnon.The thing is, the 21-year-old has gotten off to a slow start in this, his fourth NHL season. Through 39 games, he had recorded only 10 goals, putting him on pace for 21 - or three fewer than the career high he set as a rookie.GPGAP5-on-5 PPPPSH%TOI401117281978.220:11MacKinnon did score his 11th goal Thursday, marking the second straight game he found the back of the net.With questions surrounding the long-term futures of Gabriel Landeskog and Matt Duchene, Colorado appears set to become MacKinnon's team, and he's going to show why with a big second-half performance.Filip ForsbergNavin Vaswani: After back-to-back breakout seasons with 64 and 63 points, including a career-high 33 goals last season, Filip Forsberg's on pace for 20 markers and 31 assists. Respectable, sure, but guys named Forsberg are better than that.Things are going to change in the second half, and let last season be a lesson to all of us:

A welcome sight to say the least.Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask was on the practice ice Friday afternoon. He was forced to exit an eventual 2-1 loss to the Nashville Predators on Thursday after taking a Roman Josi slap shot off the mask.Rask has been indispensable for the Bruins, and is really the driving force behind the club's success through the first half of the season. He has a .926 save clip, five shutouts, and 21 of the Boston's 22 victories in 34 starts.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Cody McLeod called his shot.Shortly after dealing the organization's longest-tenured player to the Nashville Predators in exchange for forward Felix Girard, Colorado Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic said he requested approval from the sandpapered forward first."After all the work he's put in for the Avalanche, I asked Cody what he wanted to do. I was going to treat him like basically he had a no-move (clause)," Sakic told Terry Frei of the Denver Post."I gave him the opportunity, I told him it was Nashville."He added, "We moved him as, first of all, a favor to him and (to) give him an opportunity. And he welcomed it. I know it was probably a hard decision for him, but I think hockey-wise, where he is in his career, he wants a chance."This is all respect for Cody."Of course, the move also benefits the Avalanche. It will give them a chance to evaluate forward Matt Nieto, who was picked up on waivers from the San Jose Sharks.Colorado will also have 60 percent of McLeod's $1.33-million freed up on the payroll next season.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are willing to pay up.If the Penguins are unable to deal goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury prior to the summer expansion draft, the team will turn to a buyout, Bob McKenzie told NBC Sports.With the entrance of the Vegas Golden Knights, each team can protect seven forwards, three defensemen, and one netminder from the expansion pool, or a combination of eight skaters plus a goalie.For the Penguins, that means keeping young goalie Matt Murray in the fold over Fleury.Fleury has been a steady presence for the Penguins, but it's hard to argue with Murray. The 22-year-old made his NHL debut last season, and has lost just six times through 33 regular season games. Not to mention last spring's Stanley Cup run, in which Murray posted 15 wins and a .923 save percentage.The complication is Fleury's contract.The 32-year-old is signed through the next two seasons at a reasonable $5.75-million cap hit, but a 12-team no-trade list can dictate where he is traded to, not to mention if he's willing to waive it to spend the final years of his career with an expansion club.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A pair of Pacific Division foes see the value of Martin Hanzal.The NHL trade deadline is set for March 1 and with the Arizona Coyotes sitting 16 points back of a playoff berth as of Friday, the "for sale" sign is up in the desert.That means moving out pending unrestricted free agents - a group headlined by Hanzal.The teams inquiring about the veteran center include the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks, Elliotte Friedman told Bob Stauffer of Oilers Now.Friedman added that the St. Louis Blues have also expressed interest.Hanzal made his NHL debut with the Coyotes in 2007 and has been a reliable pivot over the years, used on both the power play and penalty kill. He has tallied 15 points in 34 games this season after scoring a career-high 41 points a year ago.According to Friedman, Coyotes general manager John Chayka is believed to be seeking a young player, preferably a center, in return for Hanzal.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Alex Burmistrov is finally in Arizona Coyotes gear.After being scooped off waivers from the Winnipeg Jets on Jan. 2, Burmistrov finally took to the ice with the Coyotes on Friday morning.

Spring has come early in St. Louis.Ugly goaltending usually waits until the postseason to rear its head in Missouri, but given the shaky play of Jake Allen, we haven't needed to wait that long.Blues bench boss Ken Hitchcock needed just 25 minutes Thursday before giving Allen the hook after allowing three goals on 15 shots in the Blues' eventual 5-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings.It marked the third time in five outings where Allen finished the game on the bench, a stretch that's seen him surrender nine goals on just 40 shots.After a strong start to the year, things have gotten worse for Allen with each flip of the calendar:Month GP Record SV% GAAOctober74-1-2.9231.83November117-2-1.9032.78December115-6-0.8923.14January41-2-0.8703.66Backup Carter Hutton hasn't done any better in relief, owning an .894 save percentage in 16 appearances. But if the Blues are to do anything this year, their success can't hinge on Hutton alone.This year marks 50 years in the NHL for St. Louis. It also currently looks like a safe bet that it'll soon be 50 years without a Stanley Cup.After advancing beyond the second round of the playoffs last year for the first time since 2001, the Blues are now at risk of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2011.St. Louis sits third in the Central, but just a single point above the final wild-card slot. Four teams are within three points or fewer of the Blues in the wild-card race, with Colorado and Arizona the only teams far out of the mix in the West.For the Blues to keep their playoff hopes alive - as well as what little flicker remains of their Stanley Cup aspirations - their goaltending needs to be fixed sooner rather than later.It's a delicate balance for the Blues, who have about $1.3 million in cap space. That's not a lot of room for pre-deadline creativity to fix their crease concerns, while the shaky confidence of a 26-year-old Allen still hangs in the balance.St. Louis ReunionInterestingly enough, among the top pending free agents and potential trade-deadline targets who could be moved are three individuals who have all manned the crease in St. Louis in the past:Goalie (Team)RecordSV%GAACap HitAgeRyan Miller (VAN)12-10-3.9142.64$6M36Ben Bishop (TB)10-10-2.9082.75$5.95M30Brian Elliott (CGY)8-10-1.8892.95$2.5M31Salary cap aside, things become further complicated by two of the above netminders currently residing on teams competing for playoff positions in the West. The Flames own the top wild-card seed, while the Canucks are one point out of a playoff spot.Given his more affordable deal, could the Blues reconsider Elliott? St. Louis dealt the veteran goaltender to Calgary in an draft-day deal last summer, but he's struggled in his first season in Alberta.Calgary sits in a playoff position largely to the credit of Chad Johnson, who was brought in as the intended backup to Elliott. But Johnson has rolled with the top job, owning a winning record of 15-9-1 and a sparkling save percentage of .923 on the season.In acquiring Elliott, the Flames sent two picks to St. Louis, with one conditional on Elliott re-signing in Calgary. That doesn't look to be in the cards, but could a virtual reversal of this deal - sending a pick back to Calgary for Elliott - be enough to save the season in St. Louis?The trade deadline is set for March 1, so only time will tell.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Winnipeg Jets rookie forward Patrik Laine made a young fan's birthday wish come true this week.On Dec. 25, the uncle of 8-year-old Lucas Bydak tweeted out a letter the boy wrote to Laine wishing him a Merry Christmas and inviting him to his birthday party. "Worth a shot," the uncle said.

The New York Rangers will insert power winger Rick Nash back into the lineup for Friday night's clash with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the team announced.He's missed the last eight games with a groin injury.Dealing with minor injuries throughout, Nash has missed more than a quarter of the schedule, but it's been a reasonably successful bounce-back season for the three-time 40-goal scorer. He's scored at a top 20 per-game rate league wide with 13 goals in 30 games.Nash is expected to skate on a line with Jimmy Vesey and Oscar Lindberg.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Colorado Avalanche are beginning to sell.The Avalanche announced Friday that the team has dealt forward Cody McLeod to the Nashville Predators in exchange for forward Felix Girard.McLeod has appeared in 28 games with the Avalanche this season, scoring one goal. He has one year remaining on his contract, owning a $1.33 million cap hit.

Follow theScore's fantasy feed on Twitter (@theScoreFantasy) for the latest news, features and more. And download Squad Up, theScore's free-to-win-money sports game.Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Friday, Jan. 13:Dynamic Duos

If the Anaheim Ducks' expansion draft strategy was to let the situation play itself out, the situation has since been muddled.As they're configured right now, Anaheim's one of a handful of teams that must seriously consider exposing a greater percentage of its total roster in order to preserve four defenders. Because veteran Kevin Bieksa is protected with a no-movement agreement, either Hampus Lindholm, Sami Vatanen, or Cam Fowler will be exposed should they choose the opposite.With Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Ryan Kesler safeguarded from selection, and an emerging star in Rickard Rakell locked into an incredibly cost-effective long-term deal, Jakob Silfverberg has been the trendy, if not obvious, choice in mock drafts.It goes without saying, Silfverberg would be a major coup for the Vegas Golden Knights. But here's the thing: he's playing far too well right now to cough up for free.Silfverberg scored his 13th goal and earned his 29th point in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Avalanche. He leads the team in shots, lands comfortably on the right side of the possession war, and will blow by his career-best totals shortly after the All-Star break.This is a player the Ducks have to keep. But at what cost? An All-Star?Similarly, Fowler is having a career season.He ranks third among defenders league wide with nine goals, and logs a team-high 24:43 minutes a night. He's been indispensable for Anaheim, and remains relatively cheap for one more season. And he'll ride shotgun with Kesler to Los Angeles for the All-Star Game at the end of the month.At this point, trading Sami Vatanen - himself another talented defender recently signed to a reasonable long-term contract - for a top-six forward or high-end prospect might be the most advantageous option in terms of preserving assets.Regardless, Bob Murray will soon swallow a bitter pill.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

He may not have closure, and surely still feels the sting, but Taylor Hall's never been more prepared to turn the page.In the visitors locker room inside the shiny new arena in Edmonton, and after facing the Oilers - the club that drafted him first overall almost seven years ago - for the second time in five nights, Hall was able to breathe a massive sigh of relief."On a personal level I'm glad to have these games out of the way," Hall said in his scrum. "Not in a sense that I was dreading them, but it's a lot to take. All and all, I had a fun night (with) the ovation. And I think even got booed a little bit by the end; I think you could say I'm a former player now after you get booed."These last six or seven days have been kinda stressful, just not knowing what to expect and having you play your former team. But we got two points out of the two games. (It) should have been a lot more."Hall has been markedly transparent since he was dealt to New Jersey for his exact opposite: lead-footed stabilizing defender Adam Larsson. He hasn't tried to hide the fact he was hurt by the move, and that it's affected him throughout his first three months as a Devil.Part of it was being discredited as a player, as well as his love for the city, his teammates, and the desire to see it through with the Oilers. But feelings of apprehension, and not knowing what to expect in the lead-up to his return, factored in as well."I said it was a weird night the first (time) playing. Tonight was just a whole different level," Hall said. "Even though I have never played in this building before, hearing that from the fans and seeing the video, it was all kind of surreal."It's a night I will remember for a long time. I was very very grateful for the applause, and the way people have treated me since I've been here has been awesome."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's time to take the Minnesota Wild seriously.Very seriously - they're 15-1-2 over their last 18 games.The Wild are quietly one of the best teams in hockey, one of only three to not yet lose 10 games in regulation (Columbus and Washington are the others).While Minnesota doesn't have a 16-game winning streak to show for its stellar first half, it ran off a franchise-best 12 victories in a row, and after 40 games is only three points behind the NHL-best Blue Jackets.Minnesota also has the Western Conference's best goal differential - and it isn't close:Rank Team Goal Differential1Wild+442Blackhawks+173Sharks+164Oilers+65Ducks+56Predators+4It's worth mentioning: Columbus owns the NHL's top goal differential, one better than Minnesota, at plus-45.As of Friday morning, the Wild are second in the West to the Chicago Blackhawks, who have 59 points to Minnesota's 57, but the Wild have four games in hand. It's no longer a stretch to say it: The Wild are the best team in the West.Eating up the AtlanticA good portion of Minnesota's success can be chalked up to its dominance of the Eastern Conference, and the Atlantic Division in particular.The Montreal Canadiens, the division's best team, were spanked by the Wild 7-1 on Thursday - Minnesota swept the season series with a combined goal differential of 11-3. Montreal can take solace, though, at least they managed to score a few goals against Devan Dubnyk and company, unlike the Boston Bruins, who were shut out in both meetings against the Wild.Here's what Minny's done to the Atlantic, in order:Atlantic Opponent ResultMaple LeafsW 3-2BruinsW 5-0SabresW 4-0SabresL 1-2SenatorsW 2-1BruinsW 1-0Maple LeafsW 3-2PanthersW 5-1CanadiensW 4-2CanadiensW 7-1That's a 9-1 record against the Atlantic, outscoring the opposition 35-11, with three shutouts, all of them Dubnyk's.After Thursday's 20-save performance, the 30-year-old 'tender now commands a sparkling .940 save percentage on the season to go along with a 1.17 goals-against average.He's currently on another level.Dubnyk is having a career year in is third season in the North Star State, and after Thursday night's contest, he currently leads the league in goals-against average, save percentage, and is tied for the lead in shutouts with five. He also sits second in wins with 22.His turnaround since arriving in Minnesota is one of the best stories in hockey since January 2015.The Wild are a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, and if a team from the Atlantic represents the East in the Cup final, well, good luck.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

LOS ANGELES - Jake Muzzin and Tanner Pearson scored two goals apiece in the Los Angeles Kings' fourth victory in six games, 5-1 over the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night.Trevor Lewis also scored and Peter Budaj made 21 saves for the Kings, who raced to a 4-0 lead early in the second period with a rare offensive burst from one of the NHL's lowest-scoring teams.Los Angeles chased Jake Allen with Muzzin's second goal, sending the St. Louis goalie to the bench early in his second straight game.Paul Stastny scored on a skate deflection for the Blues, who have lost four of six. Carter Hutton replaced Allen and gave up two quick goals to Pearson.The Blues opened their three-game California road trip with another defensive disappointment. St. Louis has given up 30 goals in its last eight games, with Allen struggling in several recent starts.Marian Gaborik had two assists for the Kings in his first multi-point game since Feb. 9. All-Star Jeff Carter and Dustin Brown also had two assists apiece.Muzzin scored his fifth goal of the season 3:18 after the opening faceoff. The steady defenseman added another for just the second multi-goal game of his career and his first since March 5, 2013, also against St. Louis.Pearson's 12th and 13th goals of the season moved him within two goals of his career-high, set last year in nearly twice as many games. Pearson tapped in his second goal after bulling to the net for Carter's pinpoint pass.St. Louis only put two shots on net during the Kings' dominant second period, and one wasn't a shot at all: Alexander Steen's pass toward the net deflected off Stastny's skate and slipped past Budaj.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It likely isn't how they envisioned it, but a win is a win.The slumping Philadelphia Flyers - owners of a 2-5-3 record over their last 10 games - escaped a sloppy effort Thursday night with a 5-4 victory over the Vancouver Canucks, and forward Brayden Schenn didn't mince words about his club's performance."That was ugly, wasn't it?" Schenn told Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post. "Probably not the way we wanted to draw it up, but at the end of the day we got the two points."Philadelphia surrendered eight power plays, including back-to-back high-sticking double minors in the game's opening eight minutes."I don't know if I've ever seen anything quite like that," head coach Dave Hakstol said.Up next for the Flyers in their search for consistency is a Saturday matinee in Boston against the Bruins.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Los Angeles Kings weren't about to waste a perfect opportunity to revel.After taking a 2-0 lead over the Blues on Thursday, the team sent out the following tweet hours after it was announced the NFL's San Diego Chargers would be joining the Rams - formerly of St. Louis - in Los Angeles.

The honeymoon is over for Taylor Hall.After receiving a standing ovation following a video tribute in his return to Edmonton, the New Jersey Devils forward drew the ire of former teammate Zack Kassian for an elbow delivered right off a faceoff early in the third period.Kassian attacked Hall in the aftermath, and their teammates came to their defense, sparking a brief line brawl.Hall's elbow went uncalled by the officials, but he was given a double minor for high-sticking, while Kassian received a roughing minor.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Despite scoring the game-winning goal against the Boston Bruins, Filip Forsberg knew where credit was due.The Nashville Predators forward gave due praise to goaltender Juuse Saros after a 35-save performance, putting him on the same level as counterpart and longtime starter Pekka Rinne.

Carey Price wanted to finish the game he started, despite it not going the way he envisioned.The Montreal Canadiens were rocked 7-1 by an excellent Minnesota Wild team Thursday night, and the game was essentially over after 40 minutes, with Minnesota up by four. But Price had no plans to leave the crease, and made sure his head coach Michel Therrien knew that.

Carey Price has entered some unfamiliar territory.The all-world Montreal Canadiens netminder is enduring his roughest stretch of the season, and after a 7-1 shelling in Minnesota on Thursday, Price has allowed three or more goals in six of his last seven starts.In his first 24 appearances, Price only allowed three or more five times, says Arpon Basu of NHL.com. Thursday's debacle is the first time he's allowed seven goals in a game since 2013, coming on just 24 Wild shots.However, the most recent half-dozen games of uncharacteristic performances outlines a longer period of struggles for Price.Dating back to the start of December, Price's numbers have looked rather pedestrian compared to his usual standards.DateGSWSv%GAABefore Dec. 11613 (1st).947 (1st)1.68 (3rd)Since Dec. 1*147 (13th).904 (15th)2.64 (12th)* does not include Thursday's stats.Price's brief cold stretch is the lone blemish on what's been a two-year run of dominance for him in goal, both internationally and with Montreal.Luckily for the Canadiens, though, there's plenty of time for Price to right the ship, as everyone in the hockey universe knows he's capable of doing. On top of that, Price's dominant start to the season has provided the Habs a comfortable lead atop the Atlantic Division.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

TAMPA, Fla. - Ben Bishop made 24 saves in his return after missing nine games with a lower-body injury, Ondrej Palat had two goals and an assist, and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-2 on Thursday night.Nikita Kucherov and Anton Stralman also scored for Tampa Bay, which stopped a four-game losing streak. Lightning center Brian Boyle (lower body, four games) and defenseman Braydon Coburn (upper body, two games) also came back from injuries.Bishop, 10-0-1 lifetime against Buffalo, turned aside left and right circle shots by Jack Eichel during the second period. Andrei Vasilevskiy went 3-5-1 over nine starts in place of Bishop, who is a potential free agent after the season.The Sabres, bidding for their first five-game point streak (3-1-1) since March 2012, got goals from Matt Moulson and Evander Kane. Anders Nilsson stopped 25 shots in his second consecutive start in place of Robin Lehner, who is ill.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Mike Sullivan found himself heading to the locker room a couple minutes before his players.The Pittsburgh Penguins head coach was assessed a game misconduct at the 18:03 mark of the third period of Thursday's 4-1 loss in Ottawa.Defenseman Justin Schultz had been called for goalie interference 12 seconds earlier, perhaps causing Sullivan to offer some choice words from behind the bench.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are officially in a slump.A 4-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Thursday means Mike Sullivan's crew has dropped back-to-back games in regulation for the first time since losing four straight from Dec. 14 through Dec. 19, 2015.Those were, in fact, the first four games of Mike Sullivan's tenure as head coach. And the Penguins probably laughed about them during one of their many Stanley Cup parties over the summer.The Penguins went into the new year on a four-game win streak, their bye week beginning on Jan. 1. They were back in action on Sunday, a 6-2 win over Tampa Bay, but lost 5-2 to Washington on Wednesday before Thursday's defeat.Mike Condon was strong for Ottawa, making 29 saves on 30 shots. Matt Murray made his first start for Pittsburgh since Dec. 20, and made 29 stops on 33 shots.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Breaking news: Nathan MacKinnon is incredibly fast.You probably already knew that, but the Colorado Avalanche forward showcased his greatest asset once again Thursday night, burning multiple Anaheim Ducks defenders before depositing a pretty backhand.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask was forced to leave Thursday's game in Nashville after taking a Roman Josi slap shot off the mask.Rask was replaced by Zane McIntyre, and was unable to return for the second period.The Bruins offered the following update during the middle frame.

Boston Bruins forward Anton Blidh was given a five-minute major Thursday night following a late hit on Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi.Here's the play:Josi had moved the puck and began to turn up ice when Blidh made contact.The Predators' blue-liner left the game following the collision, and the club announced Josi won't return, diagnosed with an upper-body injury.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Joe Sakic has a plan.The Colorado Avalanche general manager is indeed set on making changes to a roster that sits 30th in the overall standings through 39 games this season.This according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun, who relayed information gathered from a conversation with Sakic during Thursday's 'Insider Trading' segment:

For the first time in his career, Taylor Hall is set to step onto the ice in Edmonton as a visiting player.The New Jersey Devils, to whom Hall was traded this past offseason, visit the Oilers on Thursday, giving Hall the opportunity to reacquaint himself with the Edmonton faithful.It's a reunion he believes will be free of emnity."I think I’ll get a good applause," Hall said, per Jim Matheson of The Edmonton Journal. "In the past when guys have come back and played they’ve always been gracious to them. I don’t think it’ll be any different."That’s the kind of people that are here in Edmonton. I really enjoyed my time here and the way they treated me."At the same time, Hall admits there won't be much to celebrate."It’s not like we had Stanley Cup parades in Edmonton. There was a lot of losing, a lot of dark times but through all of that, I really enjoyed my time here," he said.Hall appeared in 381 games for the Oilers after being selected first overall in 2010, recording 132 goals and 196 assists for a point per game average of 0.86.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.