The Ottawa Senators have traded defenseman Nikita Zaitsev, a second-round pick in 2023, and a fourth-round pick in 2026 to the Chicago Blackhawks for future considerations, the teams announced Wednesday.The move is purely a cap dump from Ottawa's perspective, as Zaitsev carries a $4.5-million cap hit through 2023-24 with a base salary of $2.5 million. He signed the contract in 2017 while a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs.Zaitsev has only appeared in 28 contests this season, notching five assists while averaging over 17 minutes per night. He suited up in 203 games for the Senators across four campaigns.Ottawa only has three defensemen under contract for next season - Thomas Chabot, Artem Zub, and Jake Sanderson - and has long been rumored to be in the market for a blue-liner with term throughout much of the season. This deal has now given the franchise more financial flexibility to potentially add one.The Senators aren't expected to be buyers at the March 3 deadline. The club sits six points out of a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference despite a 7-2-1 run in its last 10 games.Chicago, on the other hand, is fully in sell mode leading up to the deadline as the team stares down a significant rebuild. The Blackhawks' biggest trade chip is former MVP Patrick Kane, who controls his own destiny with a full no-movement clause.The Senators and Blackhawks previously connected on a blockbuster trade in the summer, with Chicago shipping winger Alex DeBrincat to Canada's capital for three draft picks.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vegas Golden Knights appear to be positioning themselves for additional moves ahead of the NHL's March 3 trade deadline.Vegas traded Shea Weber's contract and a fifth-round pick in this year's draft to the Arizona Coyotes for defenseman Dysin Mayo, the clubs announced Wednesday.Weber hasn't hasn't played since 2021 due to injury. The 37-year-old is under contract through 2025-26 at a cap hit of approximately $7.86 million, according to CapFriendly. The Montreal Canadiens dealt his pact to the Golden Knights for forward Evgenii Dadonov in June 2022.Vegas assigned Mayo to its AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights, upon making Wednesday's trade. The 26-year-old played for both the Coyotes and their farm club, the Tucson Roadrunners, this season. He was held without a point over 15 games with Arizona in 2022-23.The Golden Knights will now have around $8.75 million in cap flexibility at the deadline.Arizona has a long history of acquiring picks in exchange for taking on the contracts of players on long-term injured reserve, including Pavel Datsyuk, Marian Hossa, Chris Pronger, and Bryan Little.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Cam Talbot will be back in the Ottawa Senators' crease when they face the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday, Senators head coach D.J. Smith said Wednesday.Talbot has been out since leaving Ottawa's victory over the New York Islanders on Jan. 25 due to what his club called a lower-body injury.The Sens went 6-2-1 in Talbot's absence with Anton Forsberg, Mads Sogaard, and Kevin Mandolese filling the void. Forsberg went 3-1-0 after Talbot got hurt but then sustained significant injuries of his own. The 30-year-old Swede was ruled out for two-to-three months on Feb. 13 due to MCL tears in both knees.Sogaard and Mandolese, both 22, performed admirably with the veterans on the shelf. Sogaard went 2-0-1 with a .913 save percentage in four games, while Mandolese went 1-1-0 while stopping 75 of 80 shots for a .938 save percentage.Talbot is 12-13-1 with a .905 save percentage over 28 contests this season. The 35-year-old is in his first campaign with the Senators, who acquired him in a trade with the Minnesota Wild for netminder Filip Gustavsson in July.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

To make additions at the trade deadline, you've gotta give something up.Last year, we saw notable prospects including Owen Tippett, Justin Barron, and Jack McBain land with new teams. Given the star-studded list of players on the market, we could see even more intriguing young players on the move this season.From top prospects on contending teams to pending NCAA free agents, here are seven prospects that could be on the move at the deadline.Alexander Holtz, New Jersey Devils Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyThe Devils hit the accelerator on their rebuild this season, going from the 28th-placed team in 2021-22 to a top-five club in 2022-23.As a result, no contending team has the prospect capital to utilize at this year's deadline like New Jersey. The Devils boast three top-10 picks at the top of their prospect pool, in addition to numerous other intriguing up-and-comers.The most likely of those top-10 prospects to be traded is Alexander Holtz.Holtz is an offensive weapon, thanks in large part to his lethal shot. He tallied an impressive 26 goals and 51 points in 52 games as a rookie in the AHL last year. Since 2007-08, only Jack Quinn has scored at a higher goals-per-game rate among AHLers within two years of being drafted (minimum 20 AHL games played).Despite his immense success in the AHL, Holtz hasn't translated that immediate scoring prowess to the NHL. He has three goals and four points in 19 contests with New Jersey this season while playing just 10:16 per game. He went over a month as a healthy scratch through January and was returned to the AHL on Feb. 17.If the Devils want to swing big on a player such as Timo Meier, the 2020 seventh-overall pick is a premium asset that few other teams in the market would be able to match.Ville Heinola, Winnipeg Jets Jonathan Kozub / National Hockey League / GettyVille Heinola has split time between the NHL and AHL every season since he was drafted 20th overall in 2019.The yo-yo-ing of a prospect in this manner can not only disrupt their development but can also hurt their perceived value. But Heinola hasn't appeared to be too bothered by this lack of continuity, as he's remained on an upward trajectory with a very strong campaign this year.The soon-to-be 22-year-old has been phenomenal in the AHL, tallying 24 points in 26 games along with a +22 rating. It's been a lot less flashy in Heinola's 10 NHL contests in 2022-23, though, where he has just one assist and ranks second last among Jets defenders in five-on-five Corsi-for percentage.After missing the playoffs in 2021-22, Winnipeg is firmly in the hunt for the Central Division title. If the Jets want to make a splash, Heinola is among their most intriguing pieces to a selling team.Winnipeg also has a surplus of left-shot defensemen. The Jets have Josh Morrissey, Brenden Dillon, Nate Schmidt, Dylan Samberg, and Logan Stanley as left-shot options currently on the roster, and each is signed through at least 2023-24 or is a pending restricted free agent.Given the lack of opportunity on Winnipeg's defense, a selling team would be smart to target Heinola at this year's deadline.Jordan Spence, Los Angeles Kings Harry How / Getty Images Sport / GettyThe Kings have the rare luxury of too many right-shot blue-liners. Drew Doughty, Sean Durzi, Matt Roy, and Sean Walker have all played a regular role for Los Angeles this season.This unique depth has forced Jordan Spence back to the AHL, despite suiting up in 24 NHL games and three playoff contests last season. The 2019 fourth-rounder succeeded in those NHL minutes, too. He posted a 57.4% Corsi-for last season, good for second among Kings defensemen.Spence has remained a potent offensive force in the AHL, tallying 36 points in 44 contests this season. Though he's continued to score, his on-ice results have dropped off. After dominating opponents to the tune of 61.8% goals-for at even strength in 2021-22, Spence is only even this season at 50%.Still, the soon-to-be 22-year-old will certainly be a coveted prospect at the deadline. A right-shot defenseman who can move the puck that also has a sample of success in the NHL is a rare asset to be potentially available, even if he is undersized at 5-foot-10.Should Spence be traded, he'll very likely finish the season in the NHL with whichever team acquires him.Sean Behrens, Colorado Avalanche Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyThe defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche spent a lot of assets at last year's deadline. Not only do they have the lowest-ranked prospect pool according to The Athletic's Scott Wheeler, but the Avalanche also don't have picks in rounds 2-4 this year.With a stacked NHL defense that's locked up long-term, then Colorado general manager Joe Sakic dealt blue-line prospects Justin Barron and Drew Helleson in packages to bring in Artturi Lehkonen and Josh Manson. If Chris McFarland wants to make similar additions this time around, he could look to deal from the backend again.Sean Behrens captured the national title with the University of Denver as a freshman and played a significant role. He scored 29 points in 37 games to land on the NCHC All-Rookie Team.The puck-moving blue-liner continues to anchor the Pioneers' top pairing this season with 20 points through 27 contests. He also captured a bronze medal at the World Juniors with Team USA in January.Behrens is undersized - listed at 5-foot-10 and 176 pounds - but is by far the Avalanche's best defense prospect remaining in the system. There's a strong case to be made he's their top prospect, period. With a lack of secondary draft picks in the 2023 draft, Colorado could be forced to part with Behrens in order to bolster its roster at the deadline.Ryan Johnson & Erik Portillo, Buffalo Sabres Damian Strohmeyer / NCAA Photos / GettyJack McBain and Nathan Smith were traded at last year's deadline after informing their respective teams that they didn't plan to sign upon the conclusion of their collegiate careers.The Buffalo Sabres find themselves with two prospects in similar positions.Ryan Johnson's in his senior season with the University of Minnesota. The left-shot defenseman has 16 points in 32 games but is more renowned for his defensive game. As a first-round pick, the Sabres will receive a compensatory 2024 second-round pick should Johnson not sign with them this summer.If a team wants to jump the line and bring him in sooner, they'll have to offer something that appeals to Buffalo general manager Kevyn Adams more than a late 2024 second-round pick. Of course, Johnson could still sign with the Sabres.Another Sabres prospect to watch is goaltender Erik Portillo. The University of Michigan starter burst onto the scene with a .926 save percentage in 42 appearances in 2021-22. His results have dipped this year - down to a .908 SV% - but Portillo remains quite the intriguing option with his 6-foot-6 frame.Adams has acknowledged they wanted Portillo to turn pro last summer but were unable to get him signed. As a 22-year-old junior, the Swede can elect free agency this summer should he want to begin his professional career. Unlike Johnson, Buffalo won't get a compensatory pick should Portillo refuse to sign, making him among the most notable pending NCAA free agents to watch at the deadline.Henry Thrun, Anaheim Ducks Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyThrun is the lone NCAA prospect that has officially informed their team that they're electing free agency this summer to this point.The Anaheim Ducks' fourth-rounder has been stellar each season of his NCAA career with Harvard University. Thrun landed on the ECAC Second All-Star Team last year after tallying 32 points in 35 games.Thrun's once again been a dominant blue-liner for the Crimson in 2022-23, this time as team captain. The 6-foot-2 left-shot has 25 points through 26 contests.If Thrun already has a destination in mind (he plays for a school in Massachusetts and was born there), getting an asset for his rights will be tougher.The Ducks have plenty of prospects on the backend, so losing Thrun isn't as big of a hit to the system as it would be for some other teams. Still, getting a draft pick for the 21-year-old rather than letting him walk for free will be much more preferable for Anaheim general manager Pat Verbeek.Statistics via Elite Prospects, Natural Stat Trick, Pick 224, AHL TrackerCopyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jake Muzzin's season is officially over.The Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman won't play again in 2022-23 as he continues to recover from a cervical spine injury, the club announced Wednesday.Muzzin, who turned 34 on Tuesday, has been out indefinitely since November. At the time, he was expected to be re-evaluated in February. The team will provide another update on his status during training camp in the fall.The blue-liner was limited to four games this season, last suiting up for a loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Oct. 17. He left that contest following an awkward collision with opposing forward Clayton Keller.Muzzin has been on long-term injured reserve, which allows the Leafs to exceed the salary cap by $5.625 million - his cap hit through 2023-24 - while he's out of the lineup.The veteran has a history of head and neck ailments. He was stretchered off during the playoffs in 2020, and he played only 47 games last season.Toronto acquired Muzzin in a 2019 trade with the Los Angeles Kings.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tuesday night was not kind to us on the ice. Despite the Lightning jumping out to a 6-0 lead, they did not manage to win the opening period. The Golden Knights scored on their first shot of the game but couldn't see that lead through 20 minutes either.We'll look to rebound with three plays for Wednesday night's pint-sized slate.Flames (-210) @ Coyotes (+180)It is desperation time for the Calgary Flames, who are quickly losing ground in the Western Conference playoff race.They have dropped five of the last seven games and sit four points out of a spot as a consequence. That'd be concerning on its own, but it looks worse given the caliber of opponents. With points at a premium, it's not exactly an ideal time to lose to the Red Wings (twice), Flyers, and Senators in the span of a couple weeks.While that run will no doubt scare some away from the Flames, I think it's the perfect time to jump back on the wagon.They have largely played well during this 2-5 stretch. In fact, their 58.62% expected goals share at five-on-five ranks second to the Hurricanes over the last seven games. They're controlling the run of play and generating a lot more chances than they're giving up. It just hasn't turned into results.The Arizona Coyotes provide a great opportunity for the pendulum to swing in Calgary's direction. Although the Coyotes claimed at least a point in nine of the last 10 games, they're still very beatable.They routinely get outchanced at five-on-five and they lack the raw talent to compensate. Arizona is also taking a ton of penalties, having spent more time shorthanded than any team but the Senators over the last 10.It is very likely the Flames dominate the run of play at full strength, especially given the level of urgency they should demonstrate. If they fail to do damage there, they can fall back on more power-play opportunities than they'd expect against most other teams.Bet: Flames in regulation (-135)Kyle Palmieri over 2.5 shots (-110)The New York Islanders are absolutely decimated by injuries. Mathew Barzal, Josh Bailey, J.G. Pageau, and Oliver Wahlstrom are all sidelined right now, which means a lot more opportunity for a guy like Kyle Palmieri.Palmieri is skating on the second line, but he is far and away the most talented right wing on the roster. He is also very trigger-happy, as he's shown since the Islanders' recent wave of injuries: He leads the team in shot attempts over the last three games.The Jets are targetable for shots, especially by right-wingers. They rank 20th in shots allowed versus the position over the last 20 games, which is their worst ranking against any group.Win or lose, I expect Palmieri to be firing on home ice.Josh Morrissey over 2.5 shots (-115)Morrissey is heating up. He has amassed 73 shot attempts over the last 10 games, which slots him behind only Roman Josi and Dougie Hamilton among NHL defensemen.Unsurprisingly, that volume is leading to success for Morrissey in the prop market, particularly of late. He has gone over his total in five of the last eight games.Morrissey finds himself in an enticing matchup against the Islanders, who rank 24th in shots allowed per game to opposing defensemen this season. Perhaps more importantly, they're bleeding shots as a whole - and getting caved in at five-on-five - with so many important pieces missing due to injury.I expect the Jets to flirt with 30-plus shots Wednesday night and for Morrissey to take his fair share.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Luke Schenn wasn't in the lineup for Tuesday's 5-4 shootout loss to the Nashville Predators as the March 3 trade deadline looms.The Canucks sat him to protect his value as a trade asset, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.A pending unrestricted free agent, Schenn carries a cap hit of $850,000.Schenn missed Vancouver's clash against the New York Islanders on Feb. 9 due to an upper-body injury but returned the following game versus the Detroit Red Wings.The 33-year-old has three goals and 18 assists in 55 contests this season while averaging just over 17 minutes of ice time.Schenn captured back-to-back Stanley Cup championships as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021.He isn't the first defenseman to be scratched for trade-related reasons this season. Arizona Coyotes star Jakob Chychrun hasn't played since Feb. 10, while Columbus Blue Jackets rearguard Vladislav Gavrikov hasn't suited up since Feb. 11.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs' new-look second line stole the show Tuesday night against the Buffalo Sabres, as Mitch Marner recorded a career-high five assists and newcomer Ryan O'Reilly potted a hat trick in the 6-3 victory.Captain John Tavares, who moved to left wing on line two after last Friday's trade, netted four points as well. The trio's dominant performance marked the first time in franchise history three players recorded three points apiece in the first period of a game, according to NHL Public Relations.Marner's five-helper night was the first by a Leaf since Doug Gilmour in 1997. The modern-era franchise record for assists in a game is six, a mark shared by Babe Pratt (1944) and Gilmour (1993).Despite Marner's prolific night, he was more happy to see O'Reilly shine."He's a hell of a guy," Marner said of his newest teammate, per TSN. "He works extremely hard. He wants to come in and help his team win games, and I think he's done a great job the past two games. It's fun to see him break out tonight."O'Reilly opened the scoring 3:51 into the first period, then added his second 37 seconds later before adding an empty-netter in the third. He also recorded an assist.The 32-year-old said having his big night against the Sabres, who he suited up for from 2015-2018, was extra sweet."It feels a little better than in other buildings," O'Reilly said, according to the Toronto Sun's Terry Koshan. "To get on the board, get the first one out of the way, it’s a good feeling. It would have been nice to shut the door and not let them get back into it, but a win is a win."Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It seemed like the St. Louis Blues would be all-out sellers ahead of the NHL's March 3 trade deadline, but it turns out they're pursuing the biggest name on the market."A new team has entered the chat on Timo Meier, and I'm told that it is the St. Louis Blues," Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli reported Tuesday."That may be a surprise to some, but it shouldn't be. I'm told that the Blues inquired with the San Jose Sharks earlier this week about Timo Meier after executing the trades for Vladimir Tarasenko and Ryan O'Reilly."St. Louis shipped O'Reilly to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday, eight days after sending Tarasenko to the New York Rangers. The Blues currently have three 2023 first-round picks after those deals, along with two 2023 third-rounders and a pair of second-rounders in 2024.This isn't an unprecedented strategy from St. Louis general manager Doug Armstrong. He acquired a first-round pick in February 2018 when he traded Paul Stastny to the Winnipeg Jets, then included that selection in the package he sent to the Buffalo Sabres for O'Reilly that July.Armstrong also landed a first-rounder by trading Kevin Shattenkirk to the Washington Capitals in February 2017, then sent the pick to the Philadelphia Flyers to acquire forward Brayden Schenn four months later.Numerous suitors for Meier reportedly emerged in recent weeks, including the Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils, Maple Leafs, and Vegas Golden Knights. The Rangers apparently considered him their top target before reeling in Tarasenko.Meier has 31 goals and 21 assists over 57 games for the Sharks in 2022-23. The 26-year-old Swiss star is on pace for a career-high 43 tallies over an 80-game pace, having missed just one game this season.St. Louis is projected to have approximately $6.75 million in cap space at the deadline, according to CapFriendly. Meier, a pending restricted free agent, is playing out the final season of a four-year contract carrying a $6-million average annual value.The Blues are in the midst of a disappointing season, but Meier would bolster a relatively young core of St. Louis forwards alongside Jordan Kyrou (24) and Robert Thomas (23).Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Cale Makar won't be back in action until next week at the earliest.The Colorado Avalanche superstar is back in concussion protocol and won't play in Colorado's next two games, head coach Jared Bednar said Tuesday."He had a delayed response again on his symptoms, so he's back under the protocol now, and that timetable automatically puts him out for this weekend," Bednar told Altitude Sports Radio."We'll be cautious with this and just trust the player again. He understands it because he's been through it before ... but we'll keep an eye on him and see how it goes."The Avalanche were off Monday and next play Friday in a road contest against the Winnipeg Jets. Colorado will then host the Calgary Flames on Saturday, the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday, and the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday.Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jeff Carter hit Makar in the head during a win over Colorado on Feb. 7. Makar returned to that game after clearing protocol but experienced delayed symptoms and missed the Avalanche's next four contests.The reigning Norris Trophy and Conn Smythe Trophy winner was back in the lineup for Saturday's win over the St. Louis Blues but exited after colliding with Blues forward Alexey Toropchenko. Though Makar returned to the game, he sat out Sunday's victory over the Edmonton Oilers.The independent concussion spotter in Pittsburgh pulled Makar from the Feb. 7 contest before allowing him back in, but the one in St. Louis didn't remove him despite Makar grabbing his face after the collision, an Avalanche spokesman told The Athletic's Peter Baugh on Sunday.The blue-liner said after the game against the Blues that his nose was bruised, but he attributed it to being struck by his visor.Bednar said Sunday that Makar wasn't dealing with a head injury; he noted that - as far as he was aware - the dynamic defenseman sustained a bloody nose but "no real problems" because of the collision with Toropchenko.Makar, 24, has been his typically electric self when healthy this season. He leads the NHL with 26:57 of average ice time, and he ranks among the league leaders at his position with 13 goals and 32 assists in 46 games.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It was a successful weekend for our best bets as the Kings and Devils both came through for us.Let's dive into a couple of the many games on Tuesday night's slate as we look to keep things moving in the right direction.Ducks (+380) @ Lightning (-500)The Anaheim Ducks are the NHL's worst defensive team. They rank dead last in suppressing shots, scoring chances, expected goals, and goals. In many cases, it's not even close.They're always a team I'm looking to attack, especially in the latter half of a road back-to-back against a great team like the Tampa Bay Lightning.There's not much juice worth the squeeze on the moneyline or puckline, so we're going to attack the first-period market, which will be a common theme.The Ducks have conceded 71 first-period goals this season, the second most in the NHL. For perspective, the Canucks (75) are the only other team that's allowed even 60 goals in the opening frame. Anaheim is always falling behind early.It just so happens that the Ducks' opponent, Tampa Bay, leads the NHL in first-period goals scored despite playing a couple of games fewer than all of the teams surrounding the Bolts up top.The Lightning have significantly more firepower, are better defensively, and have a big edge between the pipes with Andrei Vasilevskiy set to match up against Lukas Dostal.Given the Lightning's first-period prowess, and the fact that they're coming off back-to-back defeats, I expect them to come out flying and get an early jump on this putrid Ducks side.Bet: Lightning first period -0.5 (-120)Golden Knights (-290) @ Blackhawks (+240)No Mark Stone, no problem. The Vegas Golden Knights have quietly picked up five consecutive wins - including victories over playoff teams like the Lightning and Wild - and sit tied for the top spot in the Western Conference.On Tuesday night, they get a date with a tanking Chicago Blackhawks team that, despite winning its last couple of contests, remains level with the Ducks for dead last in the West.This is a huge mismatch on paper and, if the first 50-plus games are any indication, it should shine through very early in this contest.The Golden Knights are a veteran-heavy team that consistently starts on time. They rank in the top five in first-period goals and top five in first-period goals against; no other team can say the same.Conversely, the Blackhawks rank dead last in opening-frame goals and 30th in goals against. They're having a miserable time at both ends of the ice, which isn't exactly surprising given the lack of talent on their roster.The Golden Knights, who rank fifth in expected goal share over the last 10 games, should be able to dominate the run of play from the offset.Assuming that's the case, it shouldn't take too long to break through Petr Mrazek. He owns a .885 save percentage and ranks near the bottom of the league in Goals Saved Above Expected. Suffice it to say, he's not the kind of goaltender who's going to keep his team in games it doesn't belong in.Expect the red-hot Golden Knights to start fast in this one.Bet: Golden Knights first period -0.5 (+100))Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Buckle up, it's just about trade deadline time.There aren't many teams that wouldn't be well-served by making a move at or before March 3 at 3 p.m. ET, but we're going to examine five teams that really should make a swap.Like, really really.Note: Deadline cap space indicates the amount that a team's total cap hit can increase while remaining below the ceiling at the end of the regular season. All figures courtesy of CapFriendly.Florida Panthers: Try and get a 1st-round pick Bruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / GettyThe Panthers aren't in the same place as they were during the last trade deadline. Not even close.Here they are in fourth place of the Atlantic Division with no real hope of uprooting the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, or Tampa Bay Lightning for one of the top three spots. The Cats have been on a bit of a run as of late, winning six of their last nine games, and they currently hold the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.There's a catch, though: The likes of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, Buffalo Sabres, and Detroit Red Wings are, at most, four points behind Florida and they all have at least two games in hand. The Panthers are going to have to strictly adhere to their winning ways - with an extremely slim margin for error - to keep their postseason dreams alive.So, if you're the 2022 Presidents' Trophy winners, what do you do? How they're going to approach the deadline is a bit of a mystery, but one thing's a near certainty: They won't be going all-in. The Panthers don't really have the draft capital to do so, anyways. They don't have a first-round pick until 2026.PickTrade2023 1st-rounderSent to Montreal Canadiens as part of package for Ben Chiarot prior to 2022 trade deadline2024 1st-rounderSent to Philadelphia Flyers as part of package for Claude Giroux prior to 2022 trade deadline2025 1st-rounderSent to Calgary Flames as part of package for Matthew Tkachuk in July 2022To put it harshly, Florida's top selections in the next two drafts went toward a failed attempt to get past the Lightning in the second round of the playoffs.Hang on, it only gets more complicated for the Panthers. Anthony Duclair hasn't played a game this season thanks to an Achilles tear, and he and his $3-million cap hit have been living on long-term injured reserve. Patric Hornqvist and his $5.3-million price tag joined him there in early December due to a concussion. Duclair's return seems imminent, while Hornqvist doesn't have a firm timeline.The cash-strapped Panthers will be forced into action in order to stay cap compliant if they become healthy. They won't necessarily have to make a major trade, but if the Panthers have to move someone anyways, they should at least consider prying away a premium draft pick from contending or bubble teams. Florida might need to move one of Sam Bennett or Sam Reinhart to accomplish that.Cap relief is coming for the Cats in the summer in the form of some unrestricted free agents exiting the picture, including Hornqvist. Florida will also shed around $5.3 million in dead-cap space with Keith Yandle's buyout decreasing and Scott Darling's coming off the books entirely. As a result, the Panthers are projected to have around $11.25 million in cap space, but there is an avenue here for the team to restock its draft cupboards a bit and reset for 2023-24.Los Angeles Kings: Get yourselves a goalie Josh Lavallee / National Hockey League / GettyProjected deadline cap space: $3.517 millionWith the Kings rumored to be in on the sweepstakes for Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun, we opted to turn our attention to another area of need.Listen, we all love an underdog story, and Pheonix Copley has been an astounding one for the Kings. The 31-year-old has helped stabilize the crease and boasts a shining record of 17-3-1.However, between Copley, Jonathan Quick, and Cal Petersen, Copley is the only Kings netminder to own a save percentage above .900 on the season, and he's cutting it close with a .904. There isn't a positive goals saved above average value in Los Angeles right now between the three goaltenders, either, and the Kings also boast the third-worst save percentage (.902) and high-danger save percentage (.802) at five-on-five in the league.Even though the Kings have been good enough to win a large swath of games under those conditions, it doesn't inspire much confidence for a team that wants to build on last year's surprise playoff appearance. The postseason picture is tight in the Western Conference and, as of right now, the Kings are relying on the Copley-Quick tandem to get them there. An upgrade would certainly be warranted.What's more, with Quick's 10-year, $58-million pact finally coming to an end after this season, Copley and Petersen (who has been in the AHL for much of this campaign) are the Kings' only goalies signed for 2023-24.It's imperative that general manager Rob Blake keeps his finger on the pulse of the goalie market at the trade deadline. Luckily, there seem to be options available, some of them even coming with term and previous playoff experience, the latter of which is something Copley lacks.Potential targets: Jake Allen (Canadiens), Joonas Korpisalo (Blue Jackets), Cam Talbot (Senators), James Reimer (Sharks), Karel Vejmelka (Coyotes).Pittsburgh Penguins: Fetch a 3rd-line center Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyProjected deadline cap space: $1.225 millionAs of right now, the Penguins are outside the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference. Sure, they have four games in hand over the Panthers and New York Islanders, who currently occupy the two wild-card spots, but this isn't a comfortable position for the perennial postseason team to be in with the deadline right around the corner.One thing that would certainly help Pittsburgh secure its 17th consecutive postseason berth is a functioning third-line center.Simply speaking, the Penguins struggle whenever Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby aren't on the ice. Pittsburgh has gotten outscored 31-46 at five-on-five when the pair of franchise legends are on the bench while controlling just 47.82% of the expected goals and 47.43% of the shot attempts.Pittsburgh doesn't have a ton of inspiring options to fall back on if Crosby or Malkin go down to injury. Its entire third line needs work, but Jeff Carter has mainly taken on the center duties and he really isn't holding his own anymore. He's only averaging 14:35 minutes of ice time per game, the second-lowest total of his career and a little over three minutes less than what he was seeing in 2021-22. At 38 years old, he still has one year remaining on his contract after this season at a cap hit of $3.125 million.The Penguins could sure use an upgrade on Carter's 20 points in 53 games this season, but they don't have a lot of money - or a particularly deep prospect pool - to do it. They should certainly find a way, though, especially as they look to not only make the postseason, but also break out of the first round for the first time in four seasons. The Steel City doesn't have much time to waste, either, with its iconic core of Crosby, Malkin, and Kris Letang not getting any younger. While those three are still around, the Penguins should focus on more than just stumbling their way into the playoffs.Potential targets: Max Domi (Blackhawks), Sam Lafferty (Blackhawks), Ivan Barbashev (Blues), Gustav Nyquist (Blue Jackets), Adam Henrique (Ducks).Edmonton Oilers: Again, find a defenseman Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyProjected deadline cap space: $562,500It feels like we're here quite a lot with the Oilers. Here we go again.Man, Edmonton could use another defenseman, preferably one who can help keep the puck out of the net. The Oilers' offense leads the league with 3.75 goals scored per game this season, but they also allow the 12th most goals against per contest with 3.28. Of course, it's worth noting that some of that can be chalked up to shaky goaltending - Jack Campbell has been a bit of an adventure during his first campaign in Edmonton - but the Oilers would do well to shore up that blue line.The four rearguards who see the most amount of ice time in Edmonton are Darnell Nurse, Tyson Barrie, Cody Ceci, and Brett Kulak. The Oilers are, in some cases, barely breaking even in key underlying metrics at five-on-five when they're on the ice, and getting out-chanced in others.CF%: Shot attempts for

Pittsburgh Penguins No. 1 netminder Tristan Jarry returned to the crease Monday, making 28 saves on 31 shots in a 4-2 loss to the New York Islanders.Jarry developed a welt on the right side of his neck after being hit by a shot from Islanders center Bo Horvat but remained in the game, according to Tribune-Review Sports' Seth Rorabaugh.The Canadian goaltender missed the previous nine games with what the club called a lower-body injury. He originally got hurt in the Winter Classic against the Boston Bruins on Jan. 2, missed the next seven contests, then returned to play two before going on the shelf again.Jarry has played well when healthy in 2022-23, going 16-5-5 with a .921 save percentage over 27 games. He entered Monday's action ranking 10th in the NHL in goals saved above average at five-on-five and 21st in goals saved above expected in those situations, according to Evolving Hockey.The Penguins starter is in his seventh campaign with Pittsburgh, which drafted him 44th overall in 2013.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Mathew Barzal will miss at least a week due to what the New York Islanders are calling a lower-body injury, the club announced Monday.The Islanders initially said Barzal would be out indefinitely before clarifying the recovery timeline is week-to-week and the plan is for him to return by the end of the season, according to the New York Post's Ethan Sears.The 25-year-old was hurt Saturday when Bruins forward Craig Smith drove him into the boards with what appeared to be a knee-on-knee hit in the first period of Boston's 6-2 win. Barzal left the game and didn't return.

A holiday Monday means matinee action in the NHL. To celebrate the last holiday afternoon games of the regular season, we'll play our own fun game, using what every sports bettor wishes they had - a time machine.Unfortunately, this time machine has a catch: We'll get to know everything about the games - except the actual goals.Let's apply this magical circumstance to real games from last week. We get to know which team created more high-danger scoring chances at even strength and the percentage of expected goals their five-on-five attack generated - two pretty important indicators for success.Game 1TEAM ATEAM BML Odds-150+130Five-on-five XG2.53.5Five-on-five HDC1116Game 2TEAM BTEAM CML Odds+170-200Five-on-five XG2.162.2Five-on-five HDC915As a bonus, we also get to know that Team C was given seven power plays but didn't score on any of them. Which team would you want to bet on before the game? The -200 favorite that went scoreless on the power play but had a minor edge at even strength, or the +170 underdog?For long-term profitable betting, both answers should be Team B - the San Jose Sharks. Yet in both cases, they lost - 3-1 (empty-net goal) to the Pittsburgh Penguins and 2-1 to the Vegas Golden Knights.San Jose got surprisingly good goaltending from Aaron Dell (.926 save percentage) and Kaapo Kahkonen (.947 SV%), didn't allow a goal on special teams (10 out of 10 penalty kills), and was cumulatively level with its opponent at even strength. However, even with all this time-travel-assisted information, we would've made good bets that lost.Here's how season-long metrics look for each team.TEAMXG%HDC%Penguins (Team A)52.151.8Sharks (Team B)52.655.5Golden Knights (Team C)53.155.0Even without a time machine, you can see how we might expect the Sharks to outplay the Penguins at home and compete stride for stride with the Golden Knights - even if the puck didn't bounce their way around the net.The recipeWe started the campaign using regular-season point totals as a baseline for rating teams since it's our best measurement. Throughout the campaign, we adjust club ratings using on-ice metrics to remove the cognitive bias of win-loss records, which can be skewed by outliers like special-teams results, poor goaltending performances, and other unreliable events.The cheat sheetThere are no bad bets at the right price, but how do we know what a good price is?The following includes my fair price on the games (true moneyline) and the moneyline price I'd need to bet either side. I only need a 1% edge for a favorite if we're getting better than a fair price on the team more likely to win. For the underdog, I'll need 4% or better to make it a bet. For games I project to be closer to a coin flip, a 2.5% edge is enough for a worthwhile wager. I also have a 5% win probability consideration for a team playing in the second game of a back-to-back with travel and a 3% consideration for a team on the second leg of a back-to-back without travel. When it comes to injured players, I do my best to estimate the impact on their team's win probability.When the betting markets open up the night before, you can compare those prices with our "price to bet" column to see if you're getting any value with either side's moneyline. There's also a possibility that a moneyline moves into a bet-friendly range at some point between market open and puck drop.DATEGAMETRUE MLPRICE TO BETFeb. 20ANA@FLA+285/-285ANA +354/FLA -270OTT@BOS+270/-270OTT +334/BOS -257SEA@SJS+125/-125SEA +148/SJS -120PHI@CGY+191/-191PHI +229/CGY -183WPG@NYR+156/-156WPG +186/NYR -150NYI@PIT+120/-120NYI +141/PIT -115Feb. 21MTL@NJD+262/-262MTL +323/NJD -249DET@WSH+126/-126DET +149/WSH -121STL@CAR+296/-296STL +370/CAR -281ANA@TBL+516/-516ANA +718/TBL-481TOR@BUF-150/+150TOR -144/BUF +178LAK@MIN+119/-119LAK +140/MIN -114VAN@NSH+151/-151VAN +179/NSH -145VGK@CHI-186/+186VGK -178/CHI +223PHI@EDM+239/-239PHI +293/EDM -228Feb. 22WPG@NYI+122/-122WPG +144/NYI -118CHI@DAL+321/-321CHI +406/DAL -304CGY@ARI-175/+175CGY -168/ARI +209Feb. 23EDM@PIT+102/-102EDM +113/PIT +108ANA@WSH+176/-176ANA +211/WSH -169BUF@TBL+220/-220BUF +267/TBL -210LAK@NJD+153/-153LAK +181/NJD -147MIN@CBJ-137/+137MIN -131/CBJ +162NYR@DET-115/+115NYR -111/DET +136VAN@STL+124/-124VAN +146/STL -119CGY@VGK+142/-142CGY +168/VGK -136BOS@SEA-137/+137BOS -131/SEA +161NSH@SJS+127/-127NSH +150/SJS -122Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Nothing creates more buzz for hockey lovers than trade season. While most fans are looking ahead to the March 3 frenzy, we're going to reflect on the 2022 deadline and analyze which deals hold up a year later.What workedAvalanche grab all the missing piecesColorado knew it was the alpha dog in the Western Conference last season, and rather than swinging for the fences with one deadline splash, then-general manager Joe Sakic opted to reinforce the lineup in as many places as possible. The Avalanche picked up Andrew Cogliano, Artturi Lehkonen, Nico Sturm, and Josh Manson in four separate trades before the playoffs, shipping out Tyson Jost, two second-round picks, a fifth, along with prospects Justin Barron and Drew Helleson in the process. Adding those pieces to a core as stacked as Colorado's at that cost was borderline unfair.Sturm didn't make much of an impact in Avalanche colors, but Cogliano was a key veteran presence who teammates credited with easing nerves before a triumphant Game 6 in the Stanley Cup Final. Lehkonen had 14 playoff points and four game-winning goals - including clinchers in the final two series - before signing a five-year extension. Manson slotted seamlessly into the lower half of the Avs' D-corps, adding snarl and reliable minutes. He also re-signed with the defending champs.While fans of contending teams often want management to reel in the biggest fish on the market, the Avalanche shrewdly navigating the bargain bin en route to a 16-4 run to the Cup will surely influence contending front offices going forward.Lightning strike with depth adds Bruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / GettyThe Bolts made a pair of key trades in their quest for a three-peat, bringing in forwards Nick Paul and Brandon Hagel to supplement the big guns up front. Tampa shipped Mathieu Joseph and a fourth-round pick to Ottawa for Paul, and are looking no worse for wear a year later. Joseph's notched three goals in 34 games this season, while Paul played crucial minutes in the playoffs and stamped his importance to his new team with a pair of goals in a Game 7 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. He parlayed his strong audition into a seven-year extension at a team-friendly $3.15 million per season this past summer.The Hagel trade was much more significant, with the Lightning surrendering first-round picks in 2023 and 2024, along with Taylor Raddysh and Boris Katchouk. Both were once promising prospects, but neither were moving the needle in Tampa's championship aspirations. Hagel, meanwhile, arrived with a $1.5-million cap hit until 2024 and has grown into a top-six fixture, ranking fourth on the club this season with 46 points.Maple Leafs, Bruins boost defenseToronto and Boston's main work at last year's deadline was focused on their respective blue lines, so we lumped the longtime division rivals together for this exercise. The Maple Leafs added Mark Giordano after a brief sojourn with the Seattle Kraken, while the Bruins set their sights a little higher and pried Hampus Lindholm from the Anaheim Ducks.The Leafs got Giordano (and forward Colin Blackwell) for two second-round picks and a third. The 2019 Norris Trophy winner immediately bolstered Toronto's defensive depth, and he opted to re-sign with the club for a measly $800,000 per season to make himself one of the best bargains the NHL has to offer. He's played nearly 20 minutes per contest since joining the Leafs, posting sterling underlying numbers at five-on-five and chipping in 34 points.Lindholm cost Boston a first-round pick, two seconds, John Moore, and Urho Vaakanainen. It was a hefty price, but Lindholm solidified the Bruins' top-four and looks to have a role there for the foreseeable future after signing an eight-year, $52-million extension shortly after the trade. This season, Lindholm leads all Bruins skaters in average ice-time, and owns a career-high 0.65 points per game. Now 29, the twilight years of Lindholm's deal may age poorly, but as of right now, he's playing a major role on the best team in the league.Copp, Vatrano lift Rangers' attack Jared Silber / National Hockey League / GettyThe Rangers sought scoring depth at last year's deadline and found it in spades, as Andrew Copp and Frank Vatrano each scored a glut of key goals to help the Blueshirts reach the Eastern Conference Final. The price for Copp - a first, second, fifth, and Morgan Barron - raised eyebrows at the time, but he was a terrific addition, registering 32 points in 36 combined games between the playoffs and regular season. The Rangers also dodged a bullet by not re-signing Copp, who's only collected five goals in Detroit this season. He was a near-perfect rental.Vatrano didn't garner as much attention as Copp but was still productive. He tallied 13 goals and 13 assists on Broadway in limited minutes, then bolted to the Anaheim Ducks in free agency. The Rangers have already dipped into the forward rental market this year, and are surely hoping Vladimir Tarasenko pays off as well as their 2022 trades did.What failedPanthers swing and missFlorida was in the midst of a Presidents' Trophy-winning campaign and decided to go all-in by acquiring Claude Giroux - who handpicked the Panthers as his preferred destination - and Ben Chiarot. It cost two first-round picks, a third- and fourth-rounder, and two prospects. Their season ended in a sweep at the hands of their biggest rival, and the Cats were unable to retain either of their big deadline additions.Giroux was an instant fit. The longtime Philadelphia Flyer had three goals and 20 helpers in 18 regular season games before being the second-most productive Panther in the playoffs with eight points. Chiarot, as many predicted at the time of the trade, didn't move the needle on Florida's back end. He's notoriously posted poor underlying numbers for his entire career, and that continued to be the case in the postseason, with the rugged blue-liner posting an ugly 37.53% goal share and an underwhelming 48.51% expected goals clip.The Panthers weren't in the wrong for going for it during their best season in franchise history, but learned the hard way that trading for rentals is a tricky business that rarely yields desired results.Blues pay premium for LeddyThe Blues crafted one of the most puzzling moves of the 2022 deadline, acquiring Nick Leddy from the Detroit Red Wings for Oskar Sundqvist, Jake Walman, and a second-round pick. Leddy is a quality veteran with Stanley Cup experience, but looking back a year later, it looks like St. Louis made a mistake getting rid of Walman. Here are both their impacts this season: It's worth noting that Walman has played significantly fewer minutes this year, but he's delivering more than Leddy at both ends of the ice. He's also only 26 with a $1.05-million cap hit, whereas Leddy, soon to be 32, will earn $4 million for the next three seasons for a Blues team that is now reportedly looking to shed salary on its crowded blue line.Walman only had 57 NHL games under his belt at the time of the trade, but he's quickly evolved into the best player in the trade.Fleury falters in MinnesotaMinnesota made one of last year's biggest splashes when it scooped Marc-Andre Fleury from the Chicago Blackhawks for a conditional second-rounder. The cost was minimal, but the three-time Stanley Cup champion didn't have the impact the Wild, and many fans, suspected.Fleury went 9-2 in the regular season after the trade but faltered in the playoffs, posting a 3.04 goals against average and .906 save percentage in the first round before Minnesota turned to Cam Talbot in the series finale. Fleury re-upped with the Wild on a reasonable two-year, $7-million contract this past summer, but still hasn't provided the club with the answers they seek in goal. He owns a .901 clip in 34 appearances this season, his worst mark in that department since 2005-06.Jarnkrok fizzles with FlamesThe Flames made a concerted effort to add forward depth at the deadline last year, and one of their moves was adding Calle Jarnkrok from Seattle for a package of three picks. He was a cost-effective option with a decent track record of scoring goals, potting 12 with Seattle before the deal. Something never clicked for Jarnkrok in Calgary, though, as he managed a single goal under Darryl Sutter in 29 games between the regular season and playoffs. Whatever ailed Jarnkrok with the Flames dissipated once he left town, as he's put up 27 points in 49 games with the Leafs this season.While the Jarnkrok trade was a total bust, Calgary's quest to add to its offense last year wasn't a complete failure. Brad Treliving swung a deal for Tyler Toffoli a few weeks prior, and the veteran winger's gone on to collect 71 points in 93 games with the club.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Patrick Kane delivered one final blow to the Toronto Maple Leafs following a dazzling four-point performance on Sunday night, essentially ruling the club out as a potential trade partner."I don't think there's really, at least that I know of, much discussion of that being an option," Kane said, per Sportsnet's Luke Fox. "There's a lot of different reports out there, and not all of them are true. So, gotta be careful what you listen to."Kane is among the biggest names potentially available for the March 3 trade deadline as a pending unrestricted free agent. The Carolina Hurricanes, Vegas Golden Knights, Minnesota Wild, and Dallas Stars are among reported suitors for the three-time Stanley Cup champion, and Kane recently admitted he was eyeing the New York Rangers before they chose Vladimir Tarasenko.The Maple Leafs also dipped into the forward market already, acquiring Ryan O'Reilly and Noel Acciari from the St. Louis Blues in a blockbuster deal earlier this week.Kane has a full no-movement clause, meaning he'd have to approve of his potential destination. Despite a down year statistically, Kane's showed he's still one of the league's top game-breakers of late with a hat trick and an assist against the Leafs as well as two goals Friday versus the Ottawa Senators.He still undecided on leaving the Blackhawks, who drafted him first overall in 2007."I don't know," Kane said. "I think if I knew that, I'd probably make the decision already."Chicago has six more games before the deadline.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar didn't play Sunday against the Edmonton Oilers because of an upper-body injury and is considered day-to-day, according to The Athletic's Peter Baugh.Head coach Jared Bednar said following the 6-5 overtime victory that the star blue-liner isn't dealing with a head injury, according to The Athletic's Peter Baugh.Makar exited Saturday's 4-1 win over the St. Louis Blues following a collision with Blues forward Alexei Toropchenko, but he returned. It was his first game back after missing four contests following a hit to the head from Pittsburgh Penguins veteran Jeff Carter.

The Chicago Blackhawks won't trade captain Jonathan Toews at the March 3 deadline because of concerns surrounding his health, general manager Kyle Davidson announced Sunday, according to ESPN's Emily Kaplan.Toews revealed in a statement that he continues to deal with symptoms from long COVID and chronic immune response syndrome. The latter caused him to miss the entire 2020-21 campaign.The veteran forward said playing through those issues was "really challenging," and he felt he "had no choice but to step back and concentrate on getting healthy."

The Ottawa Senators have traded forward Tyler Motte to the New York Rangers in exchange for forward Julien Gauthier and a 2023 conditional seventh-round pick, the teams announced Sunday.If the Rangers advance to the second round of the playoffs, the pick will upgrade to the lower of the two sixth-round selections New York holds.Motte was initially expected to miss Ottawa's afternoon clash against the St. Louis Blues for trade-related reasons.This will mark Motte's second stint with the Rangers. He was also on the move during last year's trade deadline when the Vancouver Canucks shipped him to New York in exchange for a 2023 fourth-round pick. Motte didn't register a point in nine regular-season games in the Big Apple, but he scored twice in 15 playoff games during the Rangers' run to the Eastern Conference Final.Motte, 27, carries a cap hit of $1.35 million and can become an unrestricted free agent this summer. He's put up three goals, six assists, 88 hits, and 43 blocks in 38 games this season while seeing 13:32 minutes of ice time per contest.Gauthier, 25, has six goals and three helpers in 40 games with the Rangers this season. Initially drafted 21st overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2016, Gauthier has 27 points in 136 career NHL contests.The Senators sit seventh in the Atlantic Division with a 26-24-4 record and are seven points out of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.The Rangers, meanwhile, sit in third place in the Metropolitan Division after going 33-14-9 so far this season. New York made a big splash earlier this month, scooping up Vladimir Tarasenko and Niko Mikkola from the St. Louis Blues.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The first year of Jonathan Huberdeau's Calgary Flames tenure isn't going as planned, but the winger is hopeful he can build off Saturday's two-point performance."I want to play well, and tonight, that's how I gotta play the rest of the year," he told reporters following Calgary's 3-2 overtime victory against the New York Rangers. "Sometimes, you don't think you have it in you, and tonight showed that I still have it."He added: "You've just gotta make plays, and that's what I was doing. It's going to bring the confidence back, and that's what I need. I've just gotta work hard. I knew it was going to come back, but it's only one game, so I've gotta keep going."Huberdeau recorded two assists Saturday, including a helper on Mikael Backlund's winner, to help snap Calgary's two-game skid. The 29-year-old - who has 10 goals and 28 assists this season after registering a 115-point effort with the Florida Panthers last campaign - has previously expressed frustration with his performance in 2022-23.Huberdeau's agent, Allan Walsh, ripped the underperforming Flames following their 5-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday, tweeting that "negativity sucks the joy right out of players."On Friday, Huberdeau distanced himself from his outspoken representative's comment, saying that it "doesn't reflect on" him.However, he joked about the situation following Saturday's victory, quipping, "Walshy fired me up, I guess," according to Postmedia's Wes Gilbertson.In the seven games Huberdeau has been skating with Nazem Kadri and rookie Jakob Pelletier, that line has pitched in with three goals, 10 points, and 50 shots, while Calgary has controlled 61.8% of the shot attempts and 57.7% of the expected goals with the trio on the ice at five-on-five, per Natural Stat Trick.Shortly after acquiring him from the Panthers as part of the blockbuster Matthew Tkachuk trade in July, Calgary signed Huberdeau to an eight-year, $84-million megadeal, which kicks in next season.The 26-19-11 Flames' 63 points are tied with the Wild. However, Minnesota has the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference with a game in hand over Calgary.The Flames next play the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL trade deadline is less than two weeks away, and several general managers have decisions to make about the direction they want to take their respective clubs. There are obvious buyers at the top of the standings and clear sellers near the bottom. But what about the cluster of teams in between?Some clubs, including the Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators, have been hot of late, but the chances of either team being a buyer remains next to none, so we omitted them from this exercise. Below, we dive into how the seven other fringe playoff teams should approach the March 3 deadline.Buffalo Sabres John Russell / Getty ImagesStandings: Tied for 5th in Atlantic (out of playoffs by 3 points)

The New Jersey Devils have their Hart Trophy candidate back.Jack Hughes returned to the lineup Saturday with a pair of assists in the Devils' 5-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.Hughes sat out the previous four games due to what the club called an upper-body injury. With an assist on Dougie Hamilton's power-play goal in the second period, Hughes extended his personal point streak to 10 games. He has nine goals and 20 points over that span.Hughes added his second point setting up Jasper Bratt's third period goal, pushing his season points total to 69.Devils captain Nico Hischier added two goals and two assists for New Jersey, giving him his first-career four-point game.The 21-year-old Hughes represented the Devils at the All-Star Game earlier this month. He sustained the injury playing against his brother, Quinn, and the Vancouver Canucks on Feb. 6.Hughes entered Saturday leading the NHL in both wins above replacement and goals above replacement, according to Evolving Hockey.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Allan Walsh is taking aim at the Calgary Flames and perhaps head coach Darryl Sutter.The outspoken agent, who represents Flames forward Jonathan Huberdeau, tagged the club in a critical tweet Thursday night.

Colorado Avalanche star Cale Makar returned Saturday in a 4-1 victory against the St. Louis Blues.Makar missed the previous four games due to a head injury. Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jeff Carter hit him up high during a 2-1 overtime win over the Avalanche on Feb. 7.The reigning Norris Trophy winner played 21:27 in the contest and had one shot on goal.Makar briefly left the game in the third period after a collision with Blues forward Alexei Toropchenko. He returned later in the period.

Kyle Dubas isn't messing around. Not this year.Late Friday, the Toronto Maple Leafs general manager acquired forwards Ryan O'Reilly and Noel Acciari and prospect Josh Pillar as part of a massive three-team swap. In return, the St. Louis Blues received a 2023 first-round pick, a 2024 second-rounder, a 2023 third-rounder, and prospects Adam Gaudette and Mikhail Abramov, while the Minnesota Wild received a 2025 fourth-rounder.O'Reilly's $7.5-million salary and cap hit will be split between the Blues (50%), Wild (25%), and Leafs (25%). He's a $1.875-million player on Toronto's books.Let's dig into the three perspectives of the trade.Maple Leafs' side of the deal Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesLet's start with the lineup: the Maple Leafs now have either a lethal 1-2-3 punch at center - with O'Reilly joining Auston Matthews and John Tavares - or a deadly two-way second line of Tavares between O'Reilly and Mitch Marner.Those are the most obvious and alluring scenarios for Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe after watching Dubas sacrifice four draft picks and two minor-leaguers to acquire O'Reilly (and Acciari, of course). This is an all-in move the fan base should welcome with open arms. It addresses a need (impact top-six forward), injects depth (Acciari), and doesn't subtract a player from the roster.The cost to reel in O'Reilly, a 32-year-old pending unrestricted free agent, was unquestionably steep. But the whole point of pro sports is to chase championships. On paper, the Leafs possess a core capable of long playoff runs. They've underachieved, losing six straight series, so stacking the supporting cast with as much talent as possible is a perfectly logical strategy. Lance McMillan / Getty ImagesDubas, who just last week said he'd be "hard-pressed" to part with Toronto's 2023 first-rounder and/or top prospect Matthew Knies, clearly doesn't want to leave anything to chance this season. The GM is on an expiring contract, the local market has grown increasingly impatient, and Matthews and William Nylander are 17 months from potentially testing unrestricted free agency.In other words, if there was ever a time to throw caution to the wind, it's now - even with the juggernaut Boston Bruins and the recent champion Tampa Bay Lightning in the same division. The window to contend won't be open forever.O'Reilly won the Selke Trophy, Conn Smythe Trophy, and Stanley Cup in 2018-19. He's one of the top defensive centers of his generation and a clutch performer. However, his output this year - counting stats and underlying numbers - isn't pretty. For the Blues, he recorded 19 points in 40 games and posted a five-on-five expected goals rate around 50% - not bad, but not up to his lofty standards. (O'Reilly missed the start of 2023 with a broken foot.)I'm tempted to give the Leafs an "A" grade, as I applaud them for being aggressive and landing a notable name. But I'll dock them a bit because of the quality and quantity of assets surrendered to net O'Reilly. Two things can be true: Toronto picked up a key piece, and Toronto paid a hefty price.Grade: B+Blues' side of the deal Jeff Vinnick / Getty ImagesFirst Vladimir Tarasenko. Now O'Reilly. The retooling continues in St. Louis.The headline with the Blues is that they now own three first-round picks for the upcoming draft. The 2023 crop of players is widely believed to be one of the strongest in recent memory. GM Doug Armstrong, then, deserves props for being decisive and efficient. Only so many 2023 firsts will move ahead of the deadline, and Armstrong scooped up two over the span of eight days.Considering O'Reilly is having a down year, team and player weren't working on an extension, and the Blues have fallen way out of the playoff hunt in the West, this is an impressive haul. Gaudette and Abramov don't have high ceilings - it's possible neither becomes an everyday NHLer - but the picks are incredibly valuable to a club trying to transition into a new era fairly quickly.Armstrong probably isn't done wheeling and dealing. Forward Ivan Barbashev, another pending UFA, will likely be dealt over the next two weeks, and he could easily fetch a second-rounder. Backup goalie Thomas Greiss will surely garner interest, too. And there's a chance Armstrong shops one of his many defensemen with term - perhaps Colton Parayko or maybe Torey Krug.Construction is well underway in Blues land. The early returns are promising.Grade: AWild's side of the deal Dave Sandford / Getty ImagesWill Wild legend O'Reilly get the video tribute treatment in Minnesota?Jokes aside, Bill Guerin did something Friday that more GMs in the NHL should do - he played third-party broker in exchange for draft capital. Technically, O'Reilly was traded from the Blues to the Wild, then from the Wild to the Leafs, in order for Minnesota to retain 25% of the veteran's salary.The Wild received a mid-rounder for their troubles (they have about $10 million in cap space, so no biggie), and sending Pillar to the Leafs is an afterthought.There's no need to overanalyze the Wild's perspective. They acquired a pick for a low-downside favor. Could the pick have been higher? Maybe, sure.While the Blues made out best, this is an extremely rare win-win-win trade.Grade: B+John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL trade deadline is less than two weeks away, and there's nothing more fun this time of year than arguing over hypothetical swaps.Here's how this exercise went down: Each of theScore's five NHL news editors (Kyle Cushman, Kayla Douglas, Josh Gold-Smith, Sean O'Leary, and Josh Wegman) submitted a trade to have the other four editors vote on which team they think would say no in that scenario. "Both" and "good deal" were options, too.Remember, these deals are hypothetical. Editors were encouraged to think outside the box.Below, I dive into the trades and analyze which aspects make sense and which don't.Note: There were initially five trades in this exercise, but the one submitted by Douglas - which involved Timo Meier to Toronto - became moot after the Maple Leafs acquired Ryan O'Reilly from the St. Louis Blues late Friday night.Oilers land Karlsson in blockbuster Ezra Shaw / Getty Images Sport / GettyOilers receive: Erik Karlsson (30% retained)

TORONTO - Fifty-seven minutes into a goalie battle last weekend, Michela Cava glided to center ice to try to spoil the Montreal Force's afternoon. Montreal led 1-0 when a Toronto Six teammate of Cava's was tackled on a breakaway and limped to the bench in pain.Cava stepped up to take the ensuing penalty shot and fired a wrister at chest height. Force netminder Tricia Deguire punched it with her blocker to the corner. Montreal players dapped up Deguire at her crease before potting two late insurance goals to swell the margin of victory.The Force trail Toronto by 20 points in the Premier Hockey Federation standings. The expansion pro team is below the playoff cutline as the regular season wanes. But the dynamic that explains countless Canadiens-Maple Leafs results - eager to drub a rival, the underdog often wins - is taking hold in the women's game."Naturally, there's that fight between the two Canadian teams. They're a good team. Maybe not on paper," Toronto forward Emma Woods said about the Force. "But they fight, and they battle, and they play their systems perfectly."The Toronto-Montreal hockey feud germinated in the NHL. The Canadiens and Leafs have split 37 Stanley Cup titles, though Montreal's responsible for the last 10. Female superstars also plied their trade in both cities until the Canadian Women's Hockey League folded in 2019.Known at the time as the National Women's Hockey League, the PHF was the CWHL's competition. The PHF expanded to Canada to fill the void as it aimed to establish itself as the stable pro league of the future.The Canadian women's hockey scene is resilient. A year ago Friday, Canada edged the U.S. in the dramatic Beijing Games final, triumphing 3-2 when Marie-Philip Poulin netted her third Olympic golden goal. Fellow CWHL alumna Sarah Nurse paced that tournament in scoring and landed on the NHL 23 cover next to Trevor Zegras.As of this season, the pro game is back in Canada's marquee markets. Toronto ices an emergent championship contender against a pesky Montreal side whose speed and cohesiveness make every game a toss-up.Six team president Sami Jo Small described what's on the line when they meet: "Canadian supremacy.""We see the games. We see the stickwork and pushing after the whistle. The players want to be Canada's team," Force president Kevin Raphael told theScore. "The feistiness that's on the ice - hey, Toronto and Montreal have been like that forever. That's not going to change because it's women's hockey. We carry a legacy of hatred."The Six entered the PHF in 2020 ahead of the league's sixth season, a six-game campaign waged in a Lake Placid bubble environment at the height of the pandemic. Now a third-year franchise, Toronto's pushing the Boston Pride for the top playoff seed. Small, Canada's three-time Olympic goalie, helms the front office alongside Six general manager Angela James, the sport's first superstar player and a Hockey Hall of Fame inductee.Toronto's Emma Woods. Steve Russell / Toronto Star / Getty ImagesActive legends of the game - the cores of the Canadian and American national teams - don't play in the PHF. They broke off to create the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association after the CWHL shuttered, training in regional hubs while barnstorming to NHL cities on the weekend to put on showcase tournaments.The PWHPA doubts the PHF is economically sustainable. Seeking a living wage and amenities around the arena that befit their elite skill, PWHPA players plan to launch their own league as soon as next fall, The Athletic's Hailey Salvian reported.Separately, the PHF has enhanced its product. All seven franchises are privately owned. Games air online on ESPN+ and TSN Direct; ESPN2 televised last year's Isobel Cup final live. The balanced 24-game schedule pits opponents against each other four times, familiarizing each market with the entire talent pool."It's Montreal, Toronto, Boston. Whatever (rivalries) we have in the NHL, we have here," Force captain Ann-Sophie Bettez said. "It's good hockey. That's what we want: to put the best product on the ice, and may the best win."The pay's improving, too. The PHF salary cap rose from US$150,000 in 2021 to $750,000 this season and is set to climb to $1.5 million in 2023-24. Most players work second jobs, meaning higher salaries would enable them to concentrate on their craft and make "a true pro lifestyle" newly attainable, women's hockey journalist Mike Murphy wrote at The Ice Garden recently.Capitalizing on the cap's tenfold increase, the Six in January signed University of Wisconsin superstar forward Daryl Watts to a record contract that'll pay her $150,000 next season."If I was still playing, I'd be jumping over here to play to make a salary like that," said Six head coach Geraldine Heaney, the Hall of Fame defender who represented Canada at the 1998 and 2002 Olympics.Watts grew up in Toronto's west end idolizing Mats Sundin and despising the Canadiens, unaware that women's pro teams existed. The NCAA's No. 2 career scorer, Watts planned to retire when her eligibility lapsed in 2022 to study and make a living in commercial real estate. She recommitted to hockey when the PHF cap spiked, publicizing the salary she and her father negotiated with James for transparency and to inspire players.Awareness of the league is rising. More than 800 fans filled most of the seats last Saturday when the Force blanked the Six on York University's Olympic-sized ice sheet. Pints flowed upstairs in the Wild Wing restaurant as diners eyed the PHF game through floor-to-ceiling windows.Six goalie Elaine Chuli splayed out to make 31 saves. Deguire, a rookie out of McGill University, recorded 39 stops to preserve the Force's first shutout. Half an hour after the horn blew, Watts and her teammates sat at folding tables in the arena concourse to sign autographs for a procession of girls in minor hockey sweaters."The younger, talented generation is starting to shift to this league," Watts said. She pointed out that three recent winners of the Patty Kazmaier Award as U.S. college MVP debuted in the PHF this season: herself and Boston forwards Loren Gabel and Elizabeth Giguere."That represents that this is the league of the future."Both Canadian teams boast a foundational star who left the PWHPA this season. Six forward Brittany Howard ranks second in PHF scoring, behind Gabel, with 15 goals and 24 points in 16 appearances.One weekend in January, Howard tallied a shootout winner, then teed up Woods for a power-play snipe as the Six beat the Force twice in their inaugural encounters."She's got so much skill out there one-on-one. Teams always double up on her because she's that good," Heaney said. "If she gets a scoring chance, it's usually in the net."Montreal leans on Bettez, the rare 35-year-old who still lights the lamp professionally. An offensive dynamo at McGill and with Montreal's CWHL franchise (Poulin was her linemate), Bettez suited up for Canada at the 2019 world championship but never stuck with the national program long term.Financial planning is her day job. She ranks fifth in goals (10) and eighth in points (17) this season as the PHF's oldest player."She's the most underrated player to ever play this game," said Raphael, a TV personality who interviewed Bettez on his French-language talk show when she starred in the CWHL. "She's always been viewed as the second fiddle. Now she gets the chance to be the one. Now she gets the chance to be the top dog. She carries the team on her back every shift."Ann-Sophie Bettez in 2019. David Kirouac / Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesBettez hugged Raphael and handed him the goal puck when she scored in a shootout in her hometown of Sept-Iles, situated 900 kilometers north of Montreal in remote Quebec.Bettez shining there is a quirk of the expansion season. The Force played their first home game in Montreal's Verdun borough, a short drive from the Bell Centre, and then set out to contest the remainder in barns spread around the province as a brand-building exercise.The Force hosted the Six in Rimouski - Sidney Crosby's QMJHL home - and split a weekend series with the Pride in Riviere-du-Loup, whose crowd noise gave Raphael goosebumps. Following road contests in Boston this weekend, the Force face the Buffalo Beauts in Quebec City next Saturday and Sunday afternoons. They wrap up the regular season in New Jersey, home of the Metropolitan Riveters, on March 4-5."It's difficult on the body. We're traveling basically every week. But it's like going to a different party with people who are so happy to see you," Raphael said. "They're welcoming us like we're gods in their town. It's riveting to see and to feel that."Toronto fans got to take in a bonus set of games this winter. The PHF held its recent All-Star tournament at the former Maple Leaf Gardens, where the Leafs and Habs of yore clashed in five NHL championship series. Portraits of the city's Stanley Cup heroes - think Bill Barilko and Punch Imlach - grace a wall of the grocery store that adjoins the rink.Droves of players have expressed their interest to James and Small about signing with the Six next season."There will be a lot of jostling for positions. It's a whole new world for us in women's hockey," Small said. "With the doubling of the salary cap, I think we can see - I hope we see - some of the best players in the world wanting to play here in Toronto."Unless the Force surge into the playoffs, the Canadian rivalry is done for the season. Toronto won three one-goal games against Montreal, prevailing 2-1 last Sunday - Cava assisted on Six captain Shiann Darkangelo's ice-breaker - to avenge the previous day's shutout defeat. Four players took body-checking penalties, including Watts and Force defender Taylor Baker, a Toronto native who competes for the Hungary national team.Their cities have met in spirited games before. Initially known as the Stars and then as Les Canadiennes, Montreal's powerhouse CWHL squad won four Clarkson Cup titles and appeared in eight of the league's 11 championship matchups. Montreal beat Toronto 5-0 in the 2011 final, coasting to victory even though Small, a CWHL co-founder and Toronto's goalie at the time, stopped 46 shots.Small was reluctant to work in the PHF after the CWHL folded. The pang of that loss prompted her to retreat from the industry. However, she kept watching games on either side of the PHF-PWHPA divide. Dipping her toe back in, she was a guest coach at last year's PHF All-Star showcase.Ultimately, she agreed to run the Six to help elevate the sport. The same aim drives Montreal's first group of players. Force head coach Peter Smith said, "They want to establish something that's going to live on in perpetuity.""They want to be recognized as the peak of hockey," Raphael said, adding another source of motivation. "If you're the peak of hockey in Canada, you're the peak of hockey in the world."Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ryan O'Reilly is headed to Toronto.The St. Louis Blues traded their captain, along with veteran forward Noel Acciari, to the Maple Leafs, in exchange for a first-round pick, a second-round pick, a third-round pick, and forwards Mikhail Abramov and Adam Gaudette, the teams announced Friday.The Blues will retain 50% of O'Reilly's cap hit. The Minnesota Wild are retaining an additional 25% and will receive a fourth-round pick from Toronto.O'Reilly is in the final season of a seven-year contract that pays him $7.5-million annually, but his cap hit with Toronto will be $1.875 million with the retainments.Acciari is also in the final year of his deal and carries a cap hit of $1.25 million.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

K'Andre Miller spent his junior and college hockey years studying clips of NHL defensemen like Seth Jones and Roman Josi while trying to emulate aspects of their playing styles.Now 23 years old and established, Miller doesn't view himself as Jones 2.0 or Josi 2.0."I'm my own player," Miller, the third-year New York Rangers blue-liner, told theScore last month. "I don't really believe anybody has the type of skill set that I do. I feel like I can bring a little bit of anything that you need to a team." Michael Chisholm / Getty ImagesWhile it may be a slight exaggeration for Miller to suggest he's wholly unique, he does have a wide skill set to offer. His combination of skating, shooting, playmaking, strength, length, athleticism, and smarts is undoubtedly in short supply across the NHL. He's the full package for a modern defenseman.Miller has tallied six goals and 24 assists in 54 games this season. He skates for 22 minutes a night while lining up alongside Jacob Trouba on the Rangers' second pair and top penalty-killing unit. The scary part is that Miller's still relatively raw, having switched from forward to defense in 2016."There's still a lot more we're going to see as far as his development goes because of the path he's taken," said Tony Granato, Miller's coach at the University of Wisconsin. "He's done it the right way, so he's got the base of being a guy who's reliable defensively and can get the puck to the forwards simply. Recently, he's added so many different aspects of the offensive part (of being a top-four defenseman) to that base and taken off." Ben Jackson / Getty Images"What's amazing to me," Granato added, "is the recoverability. If he finishes a check, or he's caught on the outside, he can get back in quickly because he's so athletic, such a strong skater, and he has great range with that wingspan."Miller, who also caught the attention of Division I programs for his football-playing abilities, consistently wields his 6-foot-5, 215-pound frame to eliminate the other team's offensive momentum both in-zone and off the rush. He's physical and also excels at subtler stick-on-puck methods.On a per-game basis, Miller ranks first among Rangers defensemen in stick checks, second in blocked passes, puck-battle wins, and defensive-zone loose-puck recoveries, and third in zone-entry denials, according to Sportlogiq. He's eighth among all NHL D-men in takeaways per 60 minutes."That was one part of my game that I tried to master before getting here," said Miller, who spent two years each at the US National Team Development Program and Wisconsin before turning pro in 2020. "I did a lot of stick-checking drills and angling drills and learned how to use my feet to defend. I essentially learned how to use my stick as a weapon, learned how to catch people off guard, and to just be that annoying defenseman to play against."Miller is a little overlooked on New York's back end. Adam Fox is a full-fledged superstar, and Trouba is a hit-machine captain. But whether it's the pending restricted free agent's next contract or his play down the stretch and into the playoffs, it's a safe bet Miller will soon fully emerge from the shadows.His skill set is too tantalizing and his impact on the game is too large to ignore.5 GMs who'll shape trade market Bruce Bennett / Getty ImagesSure, Bo Horvat and Vladimir Tarasenko have already changed addresses. But there's still plenty of business to get done before the March 3 trade deadline.Here are five general managers who ought to be key buyers or sellers:Bill Armstrong - The Arizona Coyotes executive is reportedly asking for two first-round picks and a prospect for Jakob Chychrun, the top defenseman in the rumor mill. Pending unrestricted free-agent forward Nick Bjugstad can fetch a mid-round pick, and goalie Karel Vejmelka could be in play as well. Arizona can also act as a third-party trade broker by taking on salary.Don Waddell - The Carolina Hurricanes are highly motivated to wheel and deal - they are firmly in win-now mode, have holes to fill and assets to trade, and recently watched division rivals stock up. Waddell is tasked with deepening the blue line and finding a top-six forward to replace the injured Max Pacioretty. Unlike some contenders, Carolina is open to trading its 2023 first-round selection. Andy Marlin / Getty ImagesTom Fitzgerald - The 35-14-5 New Jersey Devils are primed to make a big splash. Fitzgerald is reportedly hot after San Jose's Timo Meier, the top forward available. If Fitzgerald strikes out there, he'll likely be aggressive in executing Plan B, whatever that may be. He quickly pivoted to Ondrej Palat this past offseason after losing the Johnny Gaudreau sweepstakes.Kyle Davidson - The Blackhawks executive is currently in seller's limbo as he waits for Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews to decide whether to waive their no-trade clauses. If those Chicago legends end up on the market, and buying teams deem them healthy enough to acquire, Davidson's phone will be buzzing. Even if they don't, Max Domi, Andreas Athanasiou, Sam Lafferty, Jake McCabe, Connor Murphy, and Jarred Tinordi count as other trade chips.Rob Blake - The 30-18-7 Kings have stockpiled a ton of picks and prospects in recent years. Offseason acquisition Kevin Fiala has been a tremendous fit. Veterans Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar are still contributing. The Western Conference is wide-open. The time is now for Blake to make another trajectory-altering trade, whether it's acquiring Chychrun, an established goalie, or both. No team is better equipped to pull off a true blockbuster.Bruins' doubly special tandem Boston Globe / Getty ImagesThe relationship between an NHL team's goalies can go one of three ways.It can be rooted in brotherly support and healthy competition. It can be less amicable, with resentment and pettiness infiltrating the dressing room. And it can be pleasant, where the partners are on good terms but not best buddies.Former Dallas Stars netminder Marty Turco once said he and the eclectic Ed Belfour were "partners only pretty much by title." Ouch. Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman, meanwhile, are at the other end of the spectrum. The Boston Bruins goalies seemingly can't get enough of each other."When I met him," Ullmark said in an interview, "it was just hand in a glove."Ullmark, a 29-year-old from northern Sweden, is in the running for the Vezina Trophy thanks to a .937 save percentage in 34 games. Swayman, a 24-year-old Alaskan, has posted a .918 in 23 games. Outside of stopping pucks, they continue to garner attention for a cute victory-hug ritual that reflects their bromance.

Thursday night was a mixed bag for our best bets. We breezed over the 5.5 total in Seattle, but unfortunately, the Jets couldn't convert their abundance of chances into goals and dropped their game against the Blue Jackets.Let's dive into a couple of games that stand out for the weekend ahead.Kings (-250) @ Ducks (+210)

Panic struck Wednesday afternoon. The Blackhawks - second-last in the league-wide standings - showed up in our venerable guide as valuable at a price of +460 on the road against the Maple Leafs.In our last edition of the NHL betting guide, we drew a line of value for Chicago at +317 - a 24% implied win probability similar to its 6-17 moneyline record on the road - for a game three nights after publication.Of course, we didn't know on Monday that Auston Matthews - one of a handful of players who'll significantly shift a game market - would be making his return. In fact, neither did the betting market - Toronto opened the Blackhawks as high as +375 underdogs Tuesday night. Once the Maple Leafs confirmed Matthews's availability, the market reacted aggressively, pushing them up over -600, while the Blackhawks went up through +450."Am I going to have to bet the Blackhawks?!" was an appropriate, terror-filled question.In Monday's guide, we hadn't adjusted the Leafs' win probability up 10% - for Matthews' return along with the Hawks playing on a back-to-back with travel - so once that was the case, the odds moved from +317 (24% IWP) to +610 (14%).Strict guide followers could be let off the hook, even if the idea of any hockey team - let alone one that just lost at home to the Blue Jackets and isn't in first place in its own division - should be a -600 favorite.There are two big takeaways from this game example. First: You should never be forced to do anything when it comes to betting. Our advantage is that we can be picky. If you don't want to bet the Blackhawks, regardless of price, you don't have to. Second: If a line doesn't look right, maybe there's a reason - like the return of a superstar.Of course, the Leafs manhandled the Blackhawks that night with advantages of 78% in even-strength high-danger chances and more than 70% of the expected goals at five-on-five, confirming that an 80% win probability wasn't far off. They'll meet again Sunday, and the Leafs will be at the disadvantage of playing the second game of a back-to-back. How much the market will care about that tough schedule spot will decide whether bettors have another tough decision to make.The recipeWe started the campaign using regular-season point totals as a baseline for rating teams since it's our best measurement. Throughout the campaign, we adjust club ratings using on-ice metrics to remove the cognitive bias of win-loss records, which can be skewed by outliers like special-teams results, poor goaltending performances, and other unreliable events.The cheat sheetThere are no bad bets at the right price, but how do we know what a good price is?The following includes my fair price on the games (true moneyline) and the moneyline price I'd need to bet either side. I only need a 1% edge for a favorite if we're getting better than a fair price on the team more likely to win. For the underdog, I'll need 4% or better to make it a bet. For games I project to be closer to a coin flip, a 2.5% edge is enough for a worthwhile wager. I also have a 5% win probability consideration for a team playing in the second game of a back-to-back with travel and a 3% consideration for a team on the second leg of a back-to-back without travel. When it comes to injured players, I do my best to estimate the impact on their team's win probability.When the betting markets open up the night before, you can compare those prices with our "price to bet" column to see if you're getting any value with either side's moneyline. There's also a possibility that a moneyline moves into a bet-friendly range at some point between market open and puck drop.DATEGAMETRUE MLPRICE TO BETFeb. 17PIT@NYI+115/-115PIT +135/NYI -110CHI@OTT+191/-191CHI +229/OTT -182DAL@MIN+106/-106DAL +117/MIN +104NYR@EDM+119/-119NYR +141/EDM -115LAK@ANA-152/+152LAK -146/ANA +181Feb. 18FLA@NSH-108/+108FLA +103/NSH +119COL@STL+105/-105COL +116/STL +105NYI@BOS+231/-231NYI +282/BOS -220NJD@PIT-105/+105NJD +105/PIT +116CBJ@DAL+216/-216CBJ +262/DAL -207MTL@TOR+289/-289MTL +360/TOR -274WSH@CAR+176/-176WSH +210/CAR -168NYR@CGY+148/-148NYR +175/CGY -142PHI@VAN+169/-169PHI +202/VAN -162TBL@VGK-111/+111TBL -106/VGK +130ARI@LAK+182/-182ARI +218/LAK -174DET@SEA+134/-134DET +159/SEA -129BUF@SJS+133/-133BUF +157/SJS -128Feb. 19STL@OTT+159/-159STL +188/OTT -152NSH@MIN+145/-145NSH +171/MIN -139EDM@COL-138/+138EDM -133/COL +163TOR@CHI-183/+183TOR -175/CHI +219WPG@NJD+103/-103WPG +114/NJD +107CBJ@ARI+109/-109CBJ +121/ARI +101Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Thursday night was a good one for our shot props. We won two of the three plays given out, with Alex Pietrangelo - who missed the net on seven different attempts - falling one shot shy of giving us a perfect night.Let's dive into three players worth backing as we look to put the finishing touches on another successful week of props.Tim Stutzle over 2.5 shots (-132)Stutzle is on a nice shooting run, especially at home. He's gone over his shot total in six of the last nine games in Ottawa and averaged more than six attempts per contest in that span. That's a pretty healthy increase from his season average of 5.3.Part of the reason we've seen a spike is Mathieu Joseph's recent promotion to the Senators' top line. Joseph is very pass-happy and defers to Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk a lot more than Drake Batherson did.That's a positive for Stutzle. So, too, is a dream matchup against the Blackhawks. They've given up a ton of volume to opposing centers as one of the league's worst defensive teams all season long. Only four sides have allowed more shots per game to the position.With Stutzle likely to play 20-plus minutes in an advantageous spot, he should be able to find success once again.Evander Kane over 3.5 shots (+120)Kane has some of the most extreme home/road splits you'll see, and they've become even more drastic of late.Over the last 10 home games, Kane has averaged a whopping 7.9 shot attempts per game. That's top-tier volume.His road production over the last 10 road contests doesn't hold a candle, with Kane generating only 4.9 attempts.Considering how much more efficient Kane has been in Edmonton, it probably won't come as a surprise that his success rate at home (69%) is significantly higher than on the road (20%).Kane should have every opportunity to shoot the puck in this one. The Rangers, while a strong defensive team, have been conceding a lot of shots to left wingers of late.Given Kane's home success, and that he should be leaned on heavily in a marquee matchup, I think getting plus money is very generous.Kevin Fiala over 3.5 shots (-110)The Ducks continue to be the team to target for shots. They give them up in bulk on a nightly basis regardless of the opponent.There's no reason to expect any different Friday night against Los Angeles. The Kings are a strong five-on-five side that ranks in the top 10 in shot generation. Their game is built on dominating time of possession and wearing teams down defensively. Doing so against this Ducks side shouldn't be a problem.While Fiala is a more productive player at home, he should be front and center in Los Angeles' shot dominance.Fiala leads the Kings in shots on goal and scoring chances this season. Nobody on the roster possesses a higher floor or ceiling when it comes to shooting the puck.That was evident the last time these two sides met, as Fiala generated seven shots on nine attempts in a winning effort. I expect more of the same this time around.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Chris Tanev is fed up with the up-and-down nature of the Calgary Flames' season."We've been a roller coaster all year," the defenseman said following Thursday's 5-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings. "Good one game, suck the next."He added: "We needed to win the game, and we lost to the same team twice in a week. We need to be better everywhere."Calgary's loss dropped the club to 4-4-1 in its last 10 games and kept it at 61 points, tied with the Minnesota Wild in the fight for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference with an extra game played.The Flames have only won more than two games in a row twice this season: a three-game streak to start the regular season and then another in early December. Last season's club won at least three straight contests five separate times, including 10-, six-, and five-game runs en route to winning the Pacific Division.Head coach Darryl Sutter pointed to goaltending as a key reason why Calgary lost its latest appearance. Starter Dan Vladar allowed five goals on 24 shots."It certainly didn't give us an opportunity to win, did it?" he said.Calgary returns to the ice Saturday at home against a New York Rangers squad riding a six-game win streak.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The St. Louis Blues have already started selling off their pending unrestricted free agents, but they're apparently also open to the idea of trading players with term - particularly on the back end.It's "very possible" St. Louis moves one of its top-four defensemen - Colton Parayko, Torey Krug, Justin Faulk, or Nick Leddy, reports TSN's Darren Dreger. Dreger added that Parayko has drawn the most interest of the quartet.A deal would be complicated, though, as all four players have full no-trade clauses. Parayko, Krug, and Faulk all carry $6.5-million cap hits; Parayko is under contract through 2030, while Krug and Faulk are signed through 2027. Leddy inked a four-year deal worth $4 million annually this past offseason.Parayko, 29, shoots right and stands at 6-foot-6 and 228 pounds. He's posted only 17 points in 50 games this season, but his defensive metrics have been strong. Evolving-Hockey.comThe Blues, who entered Thursday 11th in the Western Conference, already dealt pending UFA Vladimir Tarasenko to the New York Rangers. They're also widely expected to move on from other veterans on expiring deals, such as captain Ryan O'Reilly and forwards Ivan Barbashev and Noel Acciari.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Count Devils executive vice president of hockey operations Martin Brodeur among those who are enjoying New Jersey's breakout 2022-23 campaign."This is what the Devils should be all the time," said the legendary goaltender, according to NJ.com's Ryan Novozinsky. "It's been tough for the fan base and for the people working in hockey. … We're back to where we belong, having this place buzzing again."After ranking among the bottom five teams in the league in three of the past four seasons, New Jersey currently sits second in the Metropolitan Division with a 35-13-5 record and looks set to make the playoffs for the first time since 2018. Additionally, the team tied a franchise record with 13 consecutive wins in November.The Devils are among the top three teams in the league in virtually every single underlying category at five-on-five this season, including goals for percentage (58.7%), expected goals for percentage (54.9%), shot attempts for percentage (53.6%), and scoring chances for percentage (55%), per Natural Stat Trick.Brodeur has been particularly encouraged by the improvements he's seen in New Jersey's crease. The Devils allowed the third-most goals (986) from 2018-19 to 2021-22."It's been nice to have somewhat of a stability in net," Brodeur said. "I think (Vitek Vanecek) has brought that. (Mackenzie Blackwood) coming back from injury, too, has given us some good games."Vanecek owns a 23-5-3 record, a .916 save percentage, and a 2.31 goals against average in his first season with the Devils. Blackwood has put up a 7-4-2 overall record and a .913 save percentage since returning from a knee injury Dec. 21, while rookie Akira Schmid has registered a .919 save percentage across nine appearances.For comparison, the Devils used a whopping seven goalies last season, and only one - Jonathan Bernier - logged a save percentage over .900. New Jersey ranks eighth in team save percentage (.925) at five-on-five this season after being among the 10 worst teams the previous five seasons. (The team finished dead last in that category in 2021-22.)Brodeur, 50, won four Vezina Trophies and three Stanley Cup championships with the Devils during his career. He owns the all-time NHL records for most wins (691), shutouts, (125), and games played (1,266).Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

General manager Pierre Dorion acknowledged the Ottawa Senators still haven't settled on their approach to the March 3 trade deadline but said there's "no chance" he will move pending restricted free-agent forward Alex DeBrincat."We'll just see where it goes at the end of the year, and if we sign a contract with him before then, we'll see what happens, but he's not getting traded," Dorion said during an appearance on TSN 1200 on Thursday."He works hard, he's talented, he does the right thing. ... We've been very happy (with) Alex's play."Dorion opted not to spill details about any contract negotiations with the 25-year-old, who is playing out the final season of a three-year pact with a $6.4-million cap hit.A two-time 41-goal scorer, DeBrincat has 18 tallies and 44 points through 53 games in Canada's capital. Ottawa pried him away from the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks in July in exchange for the seventh and 39th overall picks in 2022, as well as a 2024 third-rounder.Dorion added that the team's also unlikely to trade pending unrestricted free-agent defenseman Travis Hamonic, who Ottawa acquired from the Vancouver Canucks for a 2022 third-round pick last March. The 32-year-old has three goals and seven helpers in 53 contests this campaign while averaging 19 minutes of ice time per game.The Senators currently sit seventh in the Atlantic Division and seven points out of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. They have so far failed to live up to the hype following a flashy offseason that saw them add Cam Talbot, Claude Giroux, and DeBrincat."For us, obviously, our goal all year is to play meaningful games," Dorion said. "I think we're there. Right now, probably everyone is wondering, 'Are we a buyer, or are we a seller?' For us, let's see where these next seven games take us."We have a plan in place if we're gonna be a buyer, if we're gonna be a seller. We might be just standing pat. Also, we made a lot of moves in the summer to prepare to play meaningful games."The Senators have gone 6-1-0 over their last seven contests. However, goaltender Anton Forsberg hasn't played since Feb. 11 and is expected to miss two-to-three months with knee injuries. Talbot hasn't played since Jan. 25 but is nearing a return from a lower-body injury.Ottawa had to rely on the inexperienced duo of Mads Sogaard and Kevin Mandolese for its past two games. Sogaard held down the fort with a .919 save percentage in Monday's 4-3 overtime win over the Calgary Flames, while Mandolese dazzled in his NHL debut with a .958 clip during Tuesday's 3-2 shootout victory versus the New York Islanders.The Senators will look to improve on their 26-24-3 record Friday against the struggling Blackhawks.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We have a jam-packed eight-game slate to look forward to Thursday night. Let's waste no time in getting to our best bets.Flyers (+160) @ Kraken (-190)This contest doesn't seem overly exciting on the surface, but there's potential for a sneaky amount of offense.Although the Kraken aren't overloaded with marquee names and flashy stars, they're a very deep and talented team. It has a lot of balance in the lineup and gets scoring from top to bottom.Not many clubs can match Seattle's scoring depth, which is why it ranks fifth in the NHL with nearly 3.50 goals per game.The Flyers appear to be buying what John Tortorella is selling. But I think they'll have a tough time limiting the damage Seattle's attack can cause, especially on the road. Philadelphia has allowed 3.23 expected goals per 60 minutes over the last 10 away dates, a far cry from the 2.88 it conceded over the past 10 home games.The good news for the Flyers is that there's reason to believe they can also score their fair share of goals. The Kraken are strong defensively, but it doesn't much matter with the way their goaltenders are playing.Martin Jones has fallen apart lately, posting a .886 save percentage over his last 10 starts. Philipp Grubauer hasn't been as bad but still owns a save percentage below the league average and has allowed three goals in three of his past four starts.I expect the Flyers to score two or three (if not more) in this spot. Given the overwhelming depth of the Kraken's attack, that should be more than enough to push this game over the number.Bet: Over 5.5 (-130)Jets (-200) @ Blue Jackets (+170)After hitting a bit of a rut, the Jets appear to have found their game. They've won three straight and posted some encouraging underlying numbers over the past 10.In that time, Winnipeg controlled 53.41% of the shot attempts at five-on-five and ranked top 10 in generating high-danger scoring chances.That spells trouble for the Blue Jackets. They continue to struggle mightily at full strength, posting a 43.68% expected goal share (29th) over the last 10 games.Columbus isn't creating quality chances with any regularity, while opponents are generating shots in bulk at the other end of the rink.A lack of chance volume doesn't bode well for the Blue Jackets to succeed given they're going up against an all-world goaltender in Connor Hellebuyck. He's red-hot, too, posting a .917 save percentage or better in five of his last six starts.It's going to be tough for Joonas Korpisalo to match that. Not only will he likely see a much more difficult workload, but he'll enter the matchup in worse form.Korpisalo has quietly put together a strong season - especially given the team in front of him - but he's tailed off lately. Korpisalo has allowed 27 goals over his last six starts (nearly four per game) and posted a .885 save percentage or worse in four of them.The Jets are going to test Korpisalo heavily, and they have plenty of talented weapons who'll account for a lot of the shots heading his way. I don't see Korpisalo holding up behind a putrid Blue Jackets defense.Look for Winnipeg to win its fourth straight game and do so inside 60 minutes.Bet: Jets in regulation (-130)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Detroit Red Wings signed defenseman Olli Maatta to a two-year contract extension carrying an average annual value of $3 million, the club announced Thursday.Maatta was a pending unrestricted free agent, and he'll get a raise from the $2.25-million AAV on his current deal.The 28-year-old has been a serviceable depth blue-liner.

Our shot props disappointed Wednesday. William Nylander came one shy against the Blackhawks, while Nikita Kucherov took only two of the whopping 47 shots that the Lightning put up in the desert.Tage Thompson took care of business against the Ducks. However, given how the other games shaped up, it would've been easy to envision another 2-1 or even a 3-0 night.Nevertheless, we'll look to get back on track with three plays for Thursday's games.Kyle Connor over 3.5 shots (+105)Connor is heating up. He's registered at least four shots in six of his last 10 contests, piling up 71 attempts (ninth) and 41 shots on target (eighth) over the stretch.Connor draws a mouthwatering matchup against the Blue Jackets on Thursday. Columbus ranks 31st in five-on-five shot suppression this season. It'll likely be worse defensively without Vladislav Gavrikov in the lineup due to trade protection, as he's one of the club's better in-zone defenders.The Jets forward has faced off against the Blue Jackets once this season, generating six shots on eight attempts during the game. With Winnipeg amid a heated division race, it knows every point counts. I expect a purposeful effort here as the Jets try to take advantage of one of the easier opponents on their schedule.David Pastrnak over 4.5 shots (-110)While things have gotten a little better lately, the Predators have really struggled defensively for quite some time. Only the Ducks, Blue Jackets, and Canadiens - teams in the Connor Bedard sweepstakes - have allowed shots at five-on-five at a higher clip over the past 25 games.Nashville's penalty-killing problems only make matters worse. The Preds rank in the bottom 10 in shot suppression over the same period and have spent more time killing penalties than all but nine clubs.Pastrnak is a strong five-on-five shooter and the focal point of the Bruins' power play. He figures to be the prime beneficiary of Nashville's defensive weaknesses.The Predators have struggled to slow down opposing right-wingers all season, ranking 30th in shots allowed per game to the position.This is a good spot for Pastrnak to build off an eight-shot performance last time out.Alex Pietrangelo over 2.5 shots (+100)We've frequently targeted Pietrangelo lately, and it's paid off. He's hit the over on his shot total in seven of the past 10 games, including against stout defensive teams like the Stars, Wild, and Rangers.That's a good sign heading into a game with the Sharks, who are solid at preventing shots and scoring chances. They do a good job of keeping teams to the outside, which should allow for more perimeter looks from Pietrangelo.That was certainly the case in the Golden Knights' previous meetings with San Jose. Pietrangelo recorded four shots in both contests with the Sharks this season, combining for 14 shots attempts across those meetings.I expect his success to continue at home this time around.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs dominated the Chicago Blackhawks in a 5-2 victory on Wednesday as Auston Matthews made his return to the lineup.Matthews had missed the previous five contests with a sprained knee he sustained on Jan. 25.The reigning Hart Trophy winner wasted no time finding the back of the net, wiring home a cross-ice feed from William Nylander mid-way through the first period.

Another day, another 2-1 effort for our shot props. Dougie Hamilton and Noah Dobson pulled through for us Tuesday, while Jordan Kyrou came up a couple short at home.We'll look to keep the train moving in the right direction with three more plays for Wednesday's slate.William Nylander over 3.5 shots (-120)Nylander is on a nice little shooting run. The ultra-talented winger has recorded at least four shots in 13 of the last 20 games - good for 65%.There's every reason to believe he can continue his success Wednesday against the Blackhawks.For starters, the matchup is quite enticing. Chicago is a poor defensive team that spends a lot of time absorbing pressure in its own zone. It's a nice positional spot for Nylander as well, as only six teams have allowed more shots per game to right-wingers this season.Nylander does his best work on home ice, with his hit rate 8% higher in Toronto. He also expects to welcome Auston Matthews back to his line in this game.Nylander's shot generation numbers are noticeably higher with Matthews on his line than with someone like Alexander Kerfoot. The latter is more of a pass-first player, but the Leafs don't tilt the ice anywhere close to the same level as they do with Matthews in his place.Coming off a disappointing showing against the Blue Jackets, Toronto will no doubt come out with purpose and spend a lot of time on the front foot in this one. Nylander should have ample opportunity to go over his shot total.Nikita Kucherov over 3.5 shots (+105)Kucherov - like many offensive players - is a more consistent shooter at home. Even so, I believe he's worth backing on the road against the Coyotes.Arizona isn't a good defensive team at five-on-five, and, perhaps more importantly, it takes a lot of penalties. No club has spent more time shorthanded this season. The same can be said if we isolate the Coyotes' last 10 games.Kucherov takes a lot of shots on the power play. With the Lighting having played Tuesday, those easy offensive special-team opportunities may be necessary to get the job done. Kucherov should get plenty of those against this undisciplined Coyotes side.Kucherov has played against Arizona once this season. He attempted 11 shots and hit the target five times during the meeting. I expect another productive outing this time around.Tage Thompson over 3.5 shots (-125)The Ducks continue to bleed shots each and every night. Although Anaheim won five of the last 10 games, it conceded more shots and attempts than anybody in the league during that time.As has been the case all season, the Ducks have struggled most against the center position. No NHL team has allowed more shots per game to centers, and it's not even close. Anaheim has given up 14.66 shots to centers, while the team behind it sits at 12.75.Thompson is a puck-dominant center who isn't shy about pulling the trigger when the chance presents itself. He should control the middle of the ice against this horrendous Ducks team and send more than his fair share of rubber John Gibson's way.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Los Angeles Kings inked defenseman Mikey Anderson to an eight-year contract extension with an average annual value of $4.125 million, the club announced Wednesday.Anderson was a pending restricted free agent, and his current deal carries an AAV of $1 million.The 23-year-old has been playing on L.A.'s top pairing alongside Drew Doughty. Anderson has become a reliable shutdown defender and has also collected two goals and 11 assists while averaging 21:49 of ice time in 55 games this season.He's in his third full season with the Kings, who drafted him 103rd overall in 2017. His older brother, Joey, is a forward for the Toronto Maple Leafs.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Although there's a fairly juicy six-game slate on the docket for Wednesday night, many of those contests feature teams among the very worst in the league.Rather than just picking games straight up, we'll get creative in how we attack the worst of the worst.Let's get right to it.Blackhawks (+240) @ Maple Leafs (-260)The Toronto Maple Leafs laid somewhat of an egg Saturday night, dropping a home game against the league's lowest seed - the Columbus Blue Jackets.They've had several days to chew on that dud of a performance, and I expect them to respond against the Chicago Blackhawks tonight.All of the stars are aligning for a convincing Maple Leafs victory. They're playing host to a Blackhawks side that ranks 31st or 32nd in almost every key five-on-five metric over the last 10 games. Chicago is struggling mightily to generate chances and is giving up a ton of opportunities at the other end.To make matters worse, the Blackhawks have Petr Mrazek between the pipes this evening. He owns a putrid .885 save percentage on the season and won only five games over 23 appearances.He'll be in tough against a Toronto team that ranked first in high-danger chance generation over the past 10 games despite missing its best player in Auston Matthews for half of those contests. Matthews will return to the lineup against Chicago.Backing the Leafs to win this game in regulation, or on the puck line, is attractive, but there isn't a ton of meat on that bone. Instead, we'll be playing them to win the first period.Toronto is tied for eighth in first-period goals this season and is the much better team across the board. The Blackhawks sit dead last in first-period goals, have one of the league's worst goalies between the pipes, and are in the latter half of a road back-to-back.The Leafs should have no problem getting the early jump - and seeing it through.Bet: Leafs first period -0.5 (-120)Sabres (-200) @ Ducks (+170)The Buffalo Sabres have dropped four consecutive games in regulation and now sit five points out of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Luckily, they're drawing the perfect opponent as they try to claw their way back up the standings.While the Anaheim Ducks have won five of their last 10 games, they've controlled only 41.92% of the expected goal share at five-on-five during their "hot" streak. They've also conceded more goals in that game state than any other team in the league.The Sabres possess one of the league's most threatening even-strength offenses - they rank sixth in scoring efficiency at five-on-five - and have more than enough talent to overwhelm the Ducks.Anaheim is likely going to need a fantastic start from John Gibson to have any shot of hanging around in this game. That's not exactly likely to happen. Gibson has the raw talent to steal games, but his overall body of work has quietly been poor for several years now.In fact, Gibson ranks sixth from last in goals saved above expected (minus-10.2). Even though the Ducks have tasked him with a difficult workload, he's still performed well under expectation.This is a great spot for Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, Rasmus Dahlin and Co. to make some noise and get the Sabres back in the win column.Bet: Sabres in regulation (-130)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar isn't pleased with his team's schedule.The Avs are set to play in three straight back-to-backs. In the second half of each back-to-back, Colorado will be at a severe disadvantage, facing an opponent coming off an off day."I hate it," Bednar said following Wednesday's 3-2 shootout loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, according to The Athletic's Peter Baugh. "Every back-to-back, the team is waiting on us, resting. I find it odd that's the best schedule we can come up with."Here's a look at the Avs' current schedule:DateOpponentFeb. 14vs. TBFeb. 15@ MINFeb. 18@ STLFeb. 19vs. EDMFeb. 24@ WPGFeb. 25vs. CGYBednar is particularly irked that the second half of all three back-to-backs comes against a team the Avs are battling in the standings."I have no problem with playing back-to-backs," he said. "I don't like playing a rested team every time on a back-to-back, especially against three teams we're fighting with."The defending Stanley Cup champions have been ravaged by injuries this season, yet they still sit third in the Central Division with 61 points. Their spot in the standings is far from firm, though. A regulation loss to the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday, coupled with a Calgary Flames win on Thursday, would push Colorado out of the playoffs.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Columbus Blue Jackets made defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov a healthy scratch Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils for trade-related reasons.A deal isn't imminent, but the Blue Jackets are playing it safe as they gauge the market, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.Gavrikov said he knows "literally nothing" about the details surrounding his future."It's hard waking up and (trying to) figure this out," he said, according to The Athletic's Aaron Portzline. "I try not to think about it. Try to be busy and do something, because it's gotta be in your head, and the guys are wondering. … We'll see what's happening. Hopefully, the guys can get two points for us tonight."Gavrikov has been rumored to be on the block all season. The stay-at-home rearguard is expected to generate plenty of interest from contenders as a pending unrestricted free agent with a manageable $2.8-million cap hit.The 27-year-old has spent his entire four-year career with the Blue Jackets. He registered 10 points this season while averaging more than 22 minutes per night.Columbus, currently last in the NHL, is expected to sell as many assets as it can before the March 3 deadline.Gavrikov is the second player over the past week to be held out for trade precautions, joining Arizona Coyotes star Jakob Chychrun.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The market for San Jose Sharks forward Timo Meier seems to be growing.The Toronto Maple Leafs and Vegas Golden Knights have joined the New Jersey Devils and Carolina Hurricanes among teams showing significant interest in Meier, ESPN's Kevin Weekes reports.Meier carries a $6-million cap hit and is a pending restricted free agent. His qualifying offer will be $10 million, and he can become an unrestricted free agent in 2024.The Sharks have yet to give Meier's agent permission to speak to teams involved in trade talks about a potential contract extension, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun. The Devils, LeBrun adds, would want an extension in place as part of a trade. That's not a deal breaker for other clubs, such as the Hurricanes.Meier has recorded 30 goals, 21 assists, 242 shots, and 109 hits in 54 games this season. It's the third time in the 26-year-old's career that he's reached the 30-goal mark.The Maple Leafs, which are likely penciled in for a Round 1 rematch with the Tampa Bay Lightning, are looking to advance past the opening round of the postseason for the first time since 2004. Adding Meier to an already stacked top-six forward group would make Toronto that much more dangerous up front.The Pacific Division-leading Golden Knights are no strangers to making splashy additions. With captain Mark Stone out indefinitely, Vegas may be looking to replace his spot in the lineup. If Stone, who carries a $9.5-million cap hit, remains out until the postseason, the Golden Knights would approach the trade deadline with increased cap flexibility.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj is out indefinitely after sustaining an upper-body injury in Sunday's victory over the Edmonton Oilers, the team announced.Xhekaj left the contest after fighting with Vincent Desharnais and didn't return.The Canadiens are already without Cole Caufield, Brendan Gallagher, Juraj Slafkovsky, Sean Monahan, Jake Evans, and Kaiden Guhle due to injuries.Xhekaj has been a feel-good story for this season's rebuilding Habs. The undrafted rookie earned a roster spot out of camp and blossomed into a regular within Montreal's defensive corps. Xhekaj has registered 13 points, 159 hits, and 46 blocks in 51 games while averaging 15:16 per contest during his first NHL campaign.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Which wolf are you feeding?That's a question Justin Bourne, the former pro hockey player turned Sportsnet NHL analyst, ponders daily. Like the rest of us, Bourne feeds either his inner good wolf or his inner bad wolf with every decision he makes.This past Sunday, Bourne's daughter Molly suddenly wanted to "play superheroes" in the basement of the family's Toronto home. The timing wasn't ideal, as the Super Bowl was about to kick off. Bourne fed the good wolf, though, and chose Molly's contentment over the game's opening 10 minutes."If I were still drinking," the 40-year-old Bourne said, "I wouldn't have been there for her."It's a little thing, right? But I feel like I did the right thing. And, on large, I'm just trying to remind myself that when faced with those decisions - big or small - more food needs to go to the good wolf than the bad wolf in order for me to feel like I'm in control of my life." Justin Bourne / HandoutBourne, who celebrates four years of sobriety this week, is the author of a new book, "Down and Back: On Alcohol, Family, and a Life in Hockey." The memoir details his rise and fall as a late-blooming player, his transition to the "real world" as a hockey writer (including five years at theScore), his complex relationship with his ex-NHLer father, and his dependency on alcohol. It dives into the double life he led as a young family man whose schedule revolved around daytime pints at the local pub and nighttime swigs of vodka on the couch."By the end, I couldn't physically stop drinking without shaking. I'd get weak. I'd get hives. I probably didn't have a blood alcohol level of 0.00% for five months," Bourne said, describing the degenerative period that built up to a one-month stay at Renascent, a Toronto-based addiction rehabilitation center.Bourne experienced a self-described "I don't know if I can do this" moment three days into his stay in February 2019. "Bored, lonely (not a person here worth considering a long-term friend), hate not being able to contact wife and Charlie," he wrote in a journal entry republished in the book. "He's gonna get used to [having] me not around."Bourne fought rounds of emotional and physical anguish before returning home to his "resilient" wife Brianna and son Charlie. (Molly was born a year later.) As part of his release from rehab, the native of Kelowna, British Columbia, promised to attend an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting for 90 straight days. He's at two or three a month nowadays, as well as a weekly Zoom call with his sponsor. Alaska Anchorage Athletics / HandoutBourne is the son of Bob Bourne, who won four Stanley Cups with the New York Islanders. His main goal as a young player was to earn a college scholarship, and through twists and turns in B.C.'s minor and junior hockey system, he found himself at the University of Alaska Anchorage. A goal-scoring winger listed at 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, Justin would go on to attend one NHL training camp (Islanders) while appearing in 16 AHL and 71 ECHL games. He retired at 26 after taking a teammate's slap shot to the jaw in 2008.During his media career, Bourne has established himself as a hockey intellectual who doesn't take himself too seriously. His writing style is patently conversational, and his work behind the mic for the "Real Kyper & Bourne" podcast and radio show, and on TV programs like Hockey Night in Canada, blends a keen eye for Xs and Os and analytics with the human side of sports."I still would like to win a Stanley Cup," said Bourne, who temporarily left the media industry from 2015-17 to be a video coach with the AHL Toronto Marlies. Bourne, who worked under current Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe at the time, spoke to an NHL team this past summer about a second opportunity in hockey operations. However, a travel-heavy job isn't his preference right now given his kids' young ages, 6 and almost 3.Bourne admits it's been advantageous over the years to be the son of an NHLer. Yet it irritates him that people often assume doors have opened because of his last name. Bourne's parents divorced when he was 9 years old, and it was his mom who not only raised him and his brother but also drove him to early-morning practices and navigated the minor hockey scene. Bruce Bennett / Getty ImagesBob Bourne is an alcoholic, too. He's been in and out of rehab multiple times. In "Down and Back," Justin wrestles with his father's own battle and how he, especially as a fellow alcoholic, should feel about it. "Where does the alcohol end and the person begin?" he asks rhetorically in a later chapter. Complicating his father's struggle: several severe concussions. "My mom says he was a different person after one particular incident," Bourne said. "He's all but certain he has CTE. He says as much if you ask him."Bourne describes his own experience with getting sober as his brain "coming back online." He didn't start drinking until 21, so he knew what a clear mind feels like and how fulfilling life could be if he stayed on track with his sobriety.He also knows he's lucky. He's a "low-bottom" alcoholic, somebody who sought professional help before permanently harming himself or others."Your life doesn't have to be a disaster to be worth changing," Bourne said of his book's overarching message. "You don't have to be the person who killed someone in a hit-and-run while drinking. You don't have to get fired 10 times, or divorced. If you have a problem, you can make a change before it gets there. Because you will lose everything if you stay on the same path." Brianna Bourne / HandoutBourne has been overcome with emotion more times over the past month than in the entirety of his heavy drinking years. He watches Charlie and Molly goof around with each other and instantly feels fulfilled.When they're older, he won't tell them to never drink a drop of alcohol. Still, intergenerational addiction is real, so he'll be cautious. "For me, it's not when you expose your kids to alcohol. It's the how," Bourne said. "I really want to make it clear that it's the excessive times that create the problem."Bourne got his first tattoo about six months ago. It depicts a sobriety coin and includes a phrase that will forever remind him to fight his worst impulses.Feed the good wolf."For me, feeding the good wolf is making little good choices and doing little good things," he said. "It strengthens that good wolf. It makes it easier to not drink, to be responsible to my family, to be a better employee, to be a better neighbor."John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL has a jam-packed nine-game slate on the docket for Tuesday night. Let's waste no time in getting to our best bets.Senators (+160) @ Islanders (-185)To say the Senators have goaltending problems is an understatement. Their current situation is as dire as any in the league.With Anton Forsberg and Cam Talbot sidelined, Ottawa is being forced to use a tandem of Mads Sogaard and Kevin Mandolese.Both goaltenders own sub-.900 save percentages in the AHL this season. Sogaard is the more promising of the two, but he's very inconsistent and played in an overtime game against the Flames on Monday night; expecting another quality effort immediately afterward is probably unrealistic.Unfortunately for the Senators, Mandolese putting forth a competent start is even more unrealistic. It appears to be a lose-lose situation.While the Islanders haven't exactly been an offensive powerhouse this year, there's plenty of reason to believe an outbreak could be coming.The Islanders rank top 10 in both shot and expected goal generation at five-on-five over the last 10 games. With a high-end finisher like Bo Horvat recently joining the fray, New York is now better equipped to convert those chances into results. A matchup against an AHL goaltender should also help the cause.Even if the Islanders sputter offensively, they can rest easy knowing Ilya Sorokin is there to shut the door when necessary. He's hit a bit of a rut recently, but his numbers remain extremely strong.Sorokin owns a .923 save percentage and ranks second in goals saved above expected this season. He should be able to keep the Senators in check with Ottawa playing the second half of a back-to-back.Bet: Islanders in regulation (-120)Panthers (-130) @ Blues (+110)Things are going from bad to worse for the Blues. This season has been a struggle from the start, yet they appear to be reaching new lows.St. Loius has won only three of its last 10 games - and deservedly so. The team is playing very poor hockey.The Blues rank 28th in expected goal share at five-on-five in that time, sandwiched between the Jackets and Canadiens. Not ideal company.Making matters worse is the goaltending. Jordan Binnington's game has fallen off a cliff since Christmas, as he's conceded three goals or more in 13 of 16 contests. Binnington owns a putrid .880 save percentage in that span.The Panthers might well be the last team Binnington and the Blues wish to face right now. Their offense has erupted of late, with Florida netting 4.04 goals per 60 minutes over its last 10 games - good enough to sit tied with the Oilers for first in the league.The Panthers should be too much to handle for a laboring St. Louis team. Binnington is likely to face a lot of pressure - and it's unlikely he can handle it.Look for Florida to grind out another road victory.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.