We split our best bets Monday night. The Islanders picked up two points in Bo Horvat's debut, but the Lightning laid a complete egg in Florida to bring us back to square one.We'll set our sights higher with a couple more plays for Tuesday's six-game slate.Avalanche (-110) @ Penguins (-110)The Avalanche currently sit eighth in the Western Conference and are holding on to a wild-card spot by a thread, but they remain a very dangerous team.Their place in the standings is a result of an extreme amount of injuries - key players at that - from the word go. They just haven't been remotely healthy for any period of time and have struggled to find their footing as a result. Until now.Colorado put together a healthy 7-3 run in the 10 games prior to the All-Star break. Now, it will welcome back a couple of important pieces - Valeri Nichushkin and Bowen Byram - set to return to the lineup against the Penguins. The importance of those players cannot be overstated.Nichushkin is a near point-per-game forward who is as impactful defensively as offensively. This year's Avalanche are 15-3-2 with him in the lineup.The smooth-skating Byram put up five points in 10 games while averaging nearly 21 minutes per night prior to going down with an injury.Having those players healthy should lead to more consistent scoring beyond the big guns and allow the offense to really flourish.A date with Casey DeSmith is a nice "welcome back" spot, as he owns an .897 save percentage in 2023 and has conceded five or more in three of his last four.Alexandar Georgiev, who has been terrific all season, owns a .939 save percentage over the same period of time. He should give the Avalanche a clear edge between the pipes as a cherry on top.Look for the Avalanche to pick up their eighth win in 11 games as they begin their ascension up the standings.Bet: Avalanche (-105)Oilers (-165) @ Red Wings (+140)The Oilers are scorching hot. They own a 7-1-2 record over the last 10 games and are full value for it.At five-on-five, they have scored a league-high 32 goals while conceding only 18, good for a plus-14 differential. Edmonton also ranks first with a high-danger chance share above 60% during that stretch.Everyone knows the Oilers are as good, or better, as any team on the man advantage. When they're clicking at five-on-five, they're nearly impossible to beat, and we're seeing that right now.I think they have a great chance of picking up where they left off when they meet the Red Wings in Detroit.Despite all the offseason changes, the Red Wings remain a very underwhelming team at both ends. They rank bottom five in high-danger chance share over the last 10 games, and only the Blue Jackets have generated fewer high-danger opportunities.It's going to be difficult for them to create enough offense to keep up with the high-flying Oilers, especially now that Stuart Skinner and Jack Campbell are providing competent goaltending every night.The same can't be said of Red Wings starter Ville Husso, who has hit a bit of a rut of late.The 28-year-old netminder has posted an .899 save percentage through 10 appearances this calendar year. That's not going to cut it for a team struggling to create offense.With edges across the board, I expect the red-hot Oilers to take care of business inside 60 minutes.Bet: Oilers in regulation (-115)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.

New York Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant doesn't think captain Jacob Trouba should have to answer the bell every time he flattens an opponent.Trouba was the center of attention throughout a thrilling 5-4 overtime win over the Calgary Flames on Monday night for a pair of punishing hits on Dillon Dube and Nazem Kadri. Both collisions sparked instantaneous fights.

Last we convened, we were wrapping up the unofficial first half of the NHL season, managing a 10-10 week through six days of daily picks that netted +1 unit. Neither element of that short-term record is all that impressive, but if we managed to finish every week in the black, we'd gladly take it.The randomness of betting hockey - particularly in the regular season when the game fundamentally changes if it's tied through 60 minutes - makes it hard to pick games at better than a 50-50 rate. So why make it difficult for yourself by betting on teams that average -150 or higher? Why set the bar of success at 60% when you don't have to?Of course, setting the bar for profitability at or below .500 means betting plus-money underdogs - the worst team in the matchup. And sure, those teams win all the time. The problem is trying to make a case, in print or aloud, for the underdog in matchups like Ducks-Avalanche, Blue Jackets-Oilers, Senators-Maple Leafs, and Blackhawks-Flames: all games the underdog won in the week leading up to the All-Star break.We know the favorite isn't 100% guaranteed to win any NHL game, but how can you make an argument for why tonight is the night the road underdog shocks its high-caliber opponent?That's where comparative pricing comes in. The only real argument for backing the Ducks to fly into Denver to beat Colorado is the fact our numbers suggest that Anaheim wins 29 times out of 100, but the moneyline suggests the Ducks pull off the upset 24 times out of 100.That 5% disparity might not pay off in one game, but we're not actually betting one game: We're betting hundreds of games over the course of a season and over the course of our betting life. Sometimes those ugly, uncomfortable bets are on teams from Anaheim. Sometimes they're from Columbus, Ottawa, and Chicago. In all of those bets, we expect those teams probably lose that night, but over a large enough sample size - our lifetime - they win slightly more than the market suggests, and a sub-.500 record on the ice still provides a positive margin in the betting ledger.With the stretch run upon us, we'll match the intensity of the playoff push with biweekly articles - Monday weekday and Friday weekend editions - of our price comparison tool in an effort to be as accurate as possible.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. 6NYI@PHI-107/+107NYI +104/PHI +118TBL@FLA+100/+100TBL +110/FLA +110CGY@NYR+109/-109CGY +121/NYR +101VAN@NJD+223/-223VAN +271/NJD -213ANA@DAL+233/-233ANA +284/DAL -222MIN@ARI-161/+161MIN -154/ARI +191Feb. 7COL@PIT+109/-109COL +120/PIT +102SJS@TBL+155/-155SJS +184/TBL -149SEA@NYI-106/+106SEA +104/NYI +117EDM@DET-127/+127EDM -122/DET +150VGK@NSH+111/-111VGK +130/NSH -106ANA@CHI-112/+112ANA -107/CHI +131Feb. 8VAN@NYR+185/-185VAN +222/NYR -177MIN@DAL+120/-120MIN +141/DAL -115Feb. 9EDM@PHI-138/+138EDM -133/PHI +163COL@TBL+157/-157COL +187/TBL -151SEA@NJD+161/-161SEA +192/NJD -155SJS@FLA+163/-163SJS +193/FLA -156CGY@DET-125/+125CGY -120/DET +148VAN@NYI+176/-176VAN +210/NYI -169VGK@MIN-108/+108VGK +102/MIN +120Matt 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.

There are six games on the menu Monday night as the NHL returns from its All-Star break. That means there are plenty of player props to comb through.Let's dive into a few that stand out from the pack.Nikita Kucherov over 3.5 shots (+110)Death, taxes, and backing Nikita Kucherov against the Florida Panthers. He has hit the over in four of his last five games against the Panthers, including both meetings this year.Kucherov combined for 15 attempts during those games and registered seven or more in each. That's the kind of volume you want to see when backing a shot total of 3.5.I expect Kucherov will be able to exploit the Panthers once again. At five-on-five, they've been one of the worst teams in the NHL at suppressing Grade A chances over the last 10 games.Perhaps more importantly, only the Arizona Coyotes have spent more time shorthanded per game this season. There should be plenty of chances for Tampa's power play to go to work and Kucherov is one of the key trigger men.Jason Robertson over 3.5 shots (-110)The Dallas Stars' sniper has been a lethal shot generator this year, especially on home soil. Robertson has recorded an average of 4.5 shots per game in Dallas and has hit the over on his shot total 67% of the time, well above what he has managed on the road (44%).Robertson's home cooking should certainly continue in a mouthwatering matchup against the Anaheim Ducks. They have shown no signs of improvement defensively, ranking last in shot suppression over the last 10 games and conceding an average of more than 40 shots per game in that time.For perspective, the Chicago Blackhawks rank 31st and have allowed four fewer shots per contest in that time.The ice should be heavily tilted in Dallas' favor from start to finish and Robertson will be the primary shooting threat. At home, I'd likely play Robertson -110 against any team in the league. To get that price in such an advantageous matchup is a gift.Jack Hughes over 4.5 shots (+100)Jack Hughes was one of the league's best shot generators leading up to the break. No. 86 has been particularly dangerous on home ice, averaging 5.5 shots on more than eight attempts over the last 10 in New Jersey.Hughes is in a good spot to continue his success against the Vancouver Canucks. They are an exploitable team at the best of times. With Bo Horvat traded, and Ilya Mikheyev done for the season, the Canucks should have an even more difficult time controlling their share of the play.I expect the New Jersey Devils to dominate the puck in this game and it is Hughes who facilitates anything and everything - at even-strength and on the power play - for the red and black.Hughes made a mockery of the Canucks' defense last time they faced each other, generating eight shots on 11 attempts with the help of no power play time.The Canucks are very immobile on the back end and they struggle moving the puck. That's a recipe for disaster against Hughes, whose speed causes problems for anybody standing in front of him.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.

With the All-Star break behind us, the unofficial start of the season's second half begins Monday night.We have a fairly juicy six-game slate on the docket as the NHL returns to action. Let's take a look at a couple that stand out.Islanders (-130) @ Flyers (+110)The Islanders have won only three of their last 10 games and sit outside of the playoffs as a result.There's plenty of reason to believe they can get back on track Monday night against the Flyers.First and foremost, the Flyers are vulnerable defensively. At five-on-five over the last 10 games, they rank bottom five in shot suppression and bottom 10 in high-danger chance prevention. They're making life very difficult for Carter Hart.The Islanders aren't exactly world-beaters offensively, but the Flyers are the kind of team that can bring out their opponents' ceiling. Not to mention, New York should get a big-time spark with Bo Horvat debuting on the top line alongside Mathew Barzal.Horvat has converted an unsustainably high percentage of his shots this season. Still, he provides some much-needed pop at even strength and is one of the league's better skaters below the dots on the power play. Even a small boost to the team's offense would go a long way with Ilya Sorokin between the pipes.Sorokin ranks second in the NHL in goals saved above expected this season and has caused the Flyers nothing but problems since entering the NHL. He has won seven of his last nine games against Philadelphia and conceded just two goals in both defeats.I expect him to severely limit Philadelphia's offense once again. If he can do that and Horvat can provide a spark to New York's attack, the Islanders should pick up an important win.Bet: Islanders (-125)Lightning (-125) @ Panthers (+105)The Lightning once again look the part of Stanley Cup contenders. They were a little slow out of the gate, treading water over the season's first 14 games.Since then, they've been as good as any team. The Bolts are just a win back of the Bruins for the league lead in that time, and they've played two fewer games.The offense - led by Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, and Brayden Point - is steering the ship, as the Lightning have been unstoppable in the final third of the ice.Tampa Bay has generated an average of 3.83 goals and 15.21 high-danger chances per 60 minutes across all situations. Both of those outputs are comfortably tops in the NHL.That should be nightmare fuel for the Panthers given their current state. Only six teams have given up more high-danger looks over the last 10 games, which is problematic enough when going up against the Lightning.Making matters worse is the situation in goal. Sergei Bobrovsky posted an .898 save percentage in January and has played two minutes of hockey over the last 20 days. Spencer Knight hasn't made an NHL appearance in nearly a month, and Alex Lyon is, well, Alex Lyon.Either the Panthers start a netminder who hasn't played in an extended period of time - which tends to lead to a dip in performance - or one who's probably not NHL caliber. All three options are far from ideal in a huge divisional clash against the hottest offense in the sport.Look for the experienced Lightning to take care of business coming out of the break.Bet: Lightning (-120)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 injury-riddled Colorado Avalanche will have two impact players back in the lineup when they resume play Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.Bo Byram and Valeri Nichushkin will return for Colorado's first game after the All-Star break, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar confirmed Sunday, according to the Denver Gazette's Kyle Fredrickson.There was even more good news for Colorado, as Bednar added that injured captain Gabriel Landeskog will be back "fairly soon," according to the Denver Post's Bennett Durando. Landeskog hasn't played at all in 2022-23 due to a knee injury. He underwent surgery in mid-October and was initially expected to return in 12 weeks.Byram has been out for over three months, last suiting up for the club's 6-3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets in Tampere, Finland, on Nov. 4. The 21-year-old defenseman missed the next 38 games with what the team called a lower-body injury. Byram practiced in a regular jersey Sunday.The 2019 fourth overall pick collected two goals and three assists over 10 games before getting injured. He was instrumental in Colorado's Stanley Cup championship run last spring, notching nine points while averaging over 19 minutes of ice time across 20 playoff contests.Nichushkin has been in and out of the lineup in 2022-23 after re-injuring the ankle he had surgically repaired in November. Thanks to the lengthy break, the 27-year-old winger only missed the last two games following his latest setback.Despite sitting out for more than half of the Avalanche's schedule so far this season, he's been potent when healthy. Nichushkin has produced eight goals and 10 assists in the 20 contests he's played this campaign.Colorado has won seven of its last 10 games and sits fourth in the Central Division at 27-18-3.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Ron Hextall doesn't plan to part with a first-round pick or an equivalent to move salary out before the March 3 deadline."I would say that's not on the table," the GM said Sunday. "I haven't been asked for that, certainly. Conversations are starting to pick up (between) a lot of (teams) ... people are kind of looking to see what's out there ... but there's not a lot of teams right now that are looking to jump and kind of get down to the fine strokes here."Hextall then reiterated he's not looking to jettison salary and later added that he won't make a trade unless he believes it will bolster the current club."It's really dangerous to feel like you have to make a deal because, quite frankly, you look at the history, and all of the sudden, you make a bad deal."(If) we can bring a piece in and we think it'll fit better with our group here and maybe connect a line, that's what we'll look to do, but ... I've never felt pressure to make a deal for the sake of making a deal."The Penguins have numerous players on expiring contracts, most notably forward Jason Zucker - a pending unrestricted free agent with a $5.5-million cap hit - and defenseman Brian Dumoulin - a pending UFA with an AAV of $4.1 million - along with goaltender Tristan Jarry.When asked if there was any scenario that could cause Pittsburgh to become sellers at the deadline and look at shipping out players like Zucker and Dumoulin, Hextall dreaded the thought."I certainly hope not," he said. "If we play the way we're capable of playing, I see us certainly making the playoffs. With injuries and with our inconsistencies this (season), it's a fair question, but ... when you look at our top players, for the most part, they've performed well."The Pens hit the All-Star break sitting fifth in the Metropolitan Division by points but fourth by points percentage. They're three points behind the fourth-place Washington Capitals but have four games in hand. The club has suffered four straight opening-round eliminations in the postseason.Pittsburgh has $18,430 in cap space but is projected to have $1.35 million of flexibility at the deadline, according to CapFriendly.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Having entered the All-Star break on a hot streak, the Colorado Avalanche feel they're rounding into form in time for another Stanley Cup run."I think we can win it again," said Nathan MacKinnon, per NHL.com's Tracey Myers.After cruising to the Central Division title last season and posting a dominant 16-4 playoff record, the Avalanche have struggled to find the same consistency this campaign. Gabriel Landeskog, Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon, Valeri Nichushkin, and Josh Manson have all missed significant time in 2022-23, but Colorado's recent surge has vaulted it into the second wild-card spot.Colorado did get some good news on the injury front Sunday, though. Young defenseman Bo Byram will return to the lineup Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins after missing 38 games. Nichushkin will also be back for that matchup after re-injuring his surgically repaired ankle and sitting out the last two.When the Avalanche are back at full strength, MacKinnon believes they'll be difficult to stop."I'll use it as an excuse, I guess, but when guys are hurt, it's like they were traded away for nothing, so we could use those guys back," MacKinnon said.While the Avalanche are comfortable where they're at, they know winning another title will be more difficult than the last."There are a lot of good teams and a lot of hungry teams to win, and we know it's not easy," Mikko Rantanen said. "There aren't many teams that won back-to-back (championships). It's probably harder than it was last year, but we're ready for the task, and we still have a good team."The Tampa Bay Lightning repeated as Stanley Cup champions in 2020 and 2021 before the Avalanche dethroned them last June. Before the Bolts did it, only two teams had gone back-to-back since 1997.Colorado returns from its break Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Bo Horvat has a long-term deal with his new team before even making his debut.The New York Islanders signed the 27-year-old to an eight-year extension, the team announced Sunday. The contract has an average annual value of $8.5 million, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello didn't confirm the details of the contract but noted that "it's too long and it's too much money," according to Newsday's Andrew Gross.The $68-million deal doesn't include any signing bonus, according to Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli.New York acquired Horvat on Jan. 30 in a blockbuster deal with the Vancouver Canucks. The Islanders sent Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Raty, and a top-12 protected 2023 first-round pick to the Canucks in the trade.Horvat is in the midst of a career season. His 31 goals are tied for eighth in the NHL and already match his output from 2021-22. He has 54 points through 49 contests and is set to blow past his previous career high of 61 points in the 2018-19 campaign."I feel right at home here," Horvat said, according to Gross. "All the guys have been great toward me and welcoming me."The Islanders held their first practice since adding Horvat on Sunday. Typically a center, the left-shot Horvat lined up at right wing with Josh Bailey and Mathew Barzal, according to Gross."We haven't had a spark like this for a while," Barzal said of the deal, via Gross.Horvat will become New York's second-highest-paid player behind Barzal when his extension kicks in next season. The Islanders have nine players - including seven forwards - signed for the 2023-24 campaign at a cap hit of $5 million or more.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan has been busy.Washington re-signed forward Sonny Milano to a three-year deal with an average annual value of $1.9 million, the team announced Saturday after the All-Star Game.Milano has eight goals and 14 assists in 40 contests while averaging 13:30 of ice time per game as a Capital.The 26-year-old hit the open market last summer after the Anaheim Ducks opted not to give him a qualifying offer as a restricted free agent. Milano enjoyed a career season with the Ducks in 2021-22, chipping in with 14 goals and 34 points in 66 games. He also memorably buried Trevor Zegras' stunning alley-oop assist that went viral in December 2021.The Calgary Flames then picked him up on a professional tryout in September but ultimately cut him a couple weeks later.Ten days later, Washington signed him to a one-year, $750,000 pact as an unrestricted free agent, and he made his Capitals debut on Nov. 5.The Columbus Blue Jackets' 16th overall pick in 2014, Milano has 103 points in 237 career NHL games.The Capitals also inked pending restricted free agent Dylan Strome to a five-year, $25-million pact on Friday.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin scored a hat trick as the Atlantic Division topped the Central Division 7-5 on Saturday in the 2023 NHL All-Star Game final.It's the first time the Atlantic Division has won it all since the NHL moved to the divisional format in 2016.Larkin also tallied a pair of goals and an assist in the Atlantic's semifinal matchup against the Metropolitan Division, giving him six points overall.But it was Matthew Tkachuk of the hometown Florida Panthers who was named MVP after his seven-point day.Toronto Maple Leafs playmaker Mitch Marner chipped in with three assists in the final, while Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov also contributed to the Atlantic's victory with a goal and an assist. Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark was excellent in the final, stopping all six shots he faced in the first half before giving way to Andrei Vasilevskiy.The Atlantic Division boasts three of the top five teams in the NHL by points percentage, with the Bruins (first), Lightning (fourth), and Maple Leafs (fifth).The 11 members of the Atlantic Division roster split $1 million in winnings for their triumph.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Matthew Tkachuk was named MVP of the 2023 NHL All-Star Game after erupting for four goals and three assists during Saturday's festivities.The Florida Panthers star put on a show for the home crowd, leading the Atlantic Division to the title. In the first clash against the Metropolitan Division, Tkachuk became the first player since Nikita Kucherov in 2018 to score a hat trick while representing the host city.Tkachuk factored in on two of the Atlantic's seven goals in the final against the Central. He scored the opening tally just 37 seconds into the contest.The talented agitator was involved in the biggest move of the offseason last summer. Shortly after informing the Calgary Flames that he didn't intend to sign with them long-term, Tkachuk (alongside a 2025 conditional fourth-round pick) was shipped to the Panthers in exchange for Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar, Cole Schwindt, and a conditional 2025 first-round selection.Though the Panthers currently find themselves outside the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference, Tkachuk has fit in just fine in Florida. The 25-year-old leads the team with 66 points (25 goals, 41 assists) in 49 games.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Matthew Tkachuk notched a hat trick and added a pair of assists to lead the Atlantic Division to a 10-6 victory over the Metropolitan Division in the second NHL All-Star semifinal Saturday.The Atlantic led 4-3 after the first frame, and the Metro stormed back with three straight goals to open the second - the first of which capped off a hat trick for Johnny Gaudreau. But the hosts then reeled off six unanswered markers to seal the win.Brady Tkachuk collected one goal and three assists to help the home side. Dylan Larkin scored twice and added a helper for the victors, while Aleksander Barkov and Mitch Marner got three assists apiece.Nick Suzuki supplied two goals of his own, including the game-winner. David Pastrnak had a goal and an assist, while Nikita Kucherov scored once.Kucherov's Tampa Bay Lightning teammate, Andrei Vasilevsky, was the best goaltender in the second semifinal. He stopped 10 of the 13 shots he faced for a .769 save percentage.Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin combined directly on two goals that gave the Metropolitan Division temporary leads. Crosby also picked up a secondary assist on Ovechkin's lone tally of the day. The Pittsburgh Penguins captain finished with two goals and an assist, while his Washington Capitals counterpart had a goal and two assists.Artemi Panarin picked up three assists in a losing effort.Earlier in the day, Nathan MacKinnon and Clayton Keller both chipped in two goals to help the Central Division edge the Pacific 6-4 in the first semifinal.The Central held a 5-2 lead late in the final period, but Elias Pettersson and Erik Karlsson both scored to cut the deficit to one. Keller ultimately put the game out of reach with a dagger to book the Central's ticket to the final.Vladimir Tarasenko led all skaters in that game with a four-point performance, while Keller and Seth Jones each put up three-point efforts.The Pacific Division had a step on the Central early on in the contest, and Connor Hellebuyck had to stand tall with a breakaway stop on Bo Horvat.However, MacKinnon would break the ice just over three minutes in with his first-ever All-Star Game goal. Connor McDavid scored for the Pacific just 33 seconds later, but the Central held a 3-2 edge heading into the intermission.Keller bookended the final frame, scoring 18 seconds into the period and then with 1:53 remaining in the matchup.Pettersson was the Pacific's top performer with two tallies. He had another goal overturned following an offside review.Juuse Saros was tremendous after he came in for the second period, making 11 saves on 13 shots to help lift the Central to victory.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL is headed to Toronto for the 2024 All-Star Game, commissioner Gary Bettman announced Saturday ahead of this year's edition in Florida."We are thrilled to bring the Honda NHL All-Star Game back to Toronto for the ninth time and to shine a spotlight on our current stars in a setting that evokes over a century of league history," Bettman said."Toronto fans are among the most knowledgeable and passionate in our game, and the city's rich hockey history dates back to the creation of the sport. What better place to play host to our annual midseason celebration of the best and brightest in the NHL?"All-Star Weekend will take place Feb 2-3, 2024. Toronto last hosted the event in 2000, when the format featured a clash between North American and World All-Stars.The NHL hasn't staged an All-Star event in Canada since Ottawa hosted the festivities in 2012."I think the city is going to be loving this," said Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen. "Seeing how the NBA All-Star Game (in 2016) was, I think the NHL one will be even bigger."Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Count Sidney Crosby among the many who prefer the NHL's old postseason format.The Pittsburgh Penguins captain said he favors the 1-to-8 conference playoff seeding to the current divisional bracket setup."I like 1-to-8 just because I think the regular season is as difficult as it is; teams should be rewarded," he told reporters Friday. "That's probably the best way to be rewarded, even though there isn't a ton of difference. I like that version a little bit better."Under the NHL's current playoff format - which was adopted ahead of the 2013-14 campaign - the top three teams from each division plus two wild cards from each conference make the playoffs. The top team in each division faces a wild-card entry in Round 1, while the No. 2 and 3 divisional seeds square off against each other. There's no reseeding.Before 2013-14, the top eight teams from each conference would make the playoffs, with division winners grabbing the top three seeds. The No. 1 seed would play the No. 8 seed, and the rest would follow suit. Teams would reseed after the first round.The current format has drawn plenty of scrutiny, particularly due to the possibility of pitting two of the league's top teams against each other in Round 1 and the potential for a lack of playoff-position jostling.For example, with the Boston Bruins running away with the Atlantic and there being a large gap between the division's No. 3 and 4 seeds, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning can pretty much punch their tickets to face each other in Round 1.The Leafs and Lightning also make up two of the top five teams in the NHL. However, due to all top-five teams hailing from the Eastern Conference, Toronto and Tampa would currently be pitted against each other in Round 1 under the old format as things currently stand using points percentage. But under the old format, they may have matched up with other teams by the time the playoffs come around.Crosby's Penguins, meanwhile, would currently face the Carolina Hurricanes in Round 1, regardless of the format, by using points percentage.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Rangers have locked in on San Jose Sharks star Timo Meier as their top target for the upcoming trade deadline, Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli reports.Meier is arguably the best player rumored to be available for the March 3 frenzy. The versatile 26-year-old has logged 48 points in 51 games this season while firing 227 shots and adding 107 hits across nearly 20 minutes per contest.He carries a $6-million cap hit before becoming a restricted free agent this summer. Meier's qualifying offer will then be $10 million.Sharks general manager Mike Grier worked in the Rangers' front office as a hockey operations advisor before taking over in San Jose this past offseason. He also has a longstanding relationship with Rangers GM Chris Drury from their playing days with the Buffalo Sabres in the mid-2000s.The Rangers have approximately $6.7 million in deadline cap space, according to Cap Friendly. On top of financial flexibility, New York has the assets to swing for the fences before the deadline. The club has two first-round picks in 2023, young NHLers in Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko, and a prospect pipeline headlined by 2021 first-rounder Brennan Othmann.The market for forwards was set earlier this week as former Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat was shipped to the New York Islanders for Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Raty, and a conditional first-round pick in 2023.The New Jersey Devils have also been linked to Meier after GM Tom Fitzgerald recently said he's looking to add a top-six forward with cost control at the deadline.As it stands, the Devils and Rangers are set to face each other in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A pair of Chicago Blackhawk blue-liners are garnering quite a bit of interest.Chicago, which is expected to be a big seller at the trade deadline, has received a number of calls on defensemen Jake McCabe and Connor Murphy in recent weeks, according to Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli.Both are 29-year-old defense-oriented blue-liners who have term remaining on their contracts. McCabe is signed through 2024-25 at a $4-million cap hit, while Murphy's deal runs through 2025-26 at $4.4 million per season, via CapFriendly.The Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, and Toronto Maple Leafs are among the teams believed to be interested in the defensemen, according to Seravalli.McCabe's in his second season with the Blackhawks. The left-shot is playing 19:20 per night and has tallied 14 points in 45 games, the highest scoring rate of his career. His 45.3% five-on-five Corsi-for leads Chicago defensemen, according to Natural Stat Trick.Murphy has recorded five goals and seven points through 48 contests. At 19:28 per game, the right-shot is averaging under 20 minutes for the first time since 2018-19. He's been with the Blackhawks since the 2017-18 campaign.McCabe has a seven-team no-trade clause, which reportedly includes each Canadian team except for the Maple Leafs. Murphy has a 10-team no-trade clause.The Blackhawks are last in the Central Division with a 15-29-4 record.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ottawa Senators AHL head coach Troy Mann gave some of the team's pre-scouting material to another NHL club prior to his firing, sources told TSN's Claire Hanna.The occurrence was the final straw in burgeoning trust issues between Mann and the Senators.Mann was relieved of his duties as the Belleville Senators' head coach Thursday night following a 5-3 win over the Rochester Americans."While a change at the head coach position during the season is not an ideal scenario, we felt it was necessary to deliver improved team performance," Ottawa general manager Pierre Dorion said in Thursday's release announcing Mann's firing.Trent Mann, Troy's younger brother, has been in the Senators' front office since 2011. He was promoted to assistant general manager last summer.The elder Mann had been the Senators' AHL head coach since the 2018-19 campaign. Players including Drake Batherson, Josh Norris, and Nick Paul developed into NHLers under Mann's tutelage in Belleville.Paul credited Mann for helping turn his career around following his nomination for the Masterton Trophy in 2021."One of the biggest things that helped me turn around, is (Mann) came in when I was at a lower spot in my mental state," Paul said to The Athletic's Ian Mendes in May 2021. "I was very negative with myself with no confidence. And he kind of came in and gave me the confidence that I needed. He really had trust in me, put faith in me, and played me a lot. He taught me the game and how to be successful. So, Troy Mann coming in really helped me turn it around."Belleville ranked sixth in the AHL's North Division with a 17-22-4 record and had allowed the second-most goals in the league at the time of Mann's firing. The 53-year-old had a 150-117-22 record at the helm of the AHL Senators across five seasons.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Washington Capitals announced Friday that they signed center Dylan Strome to a five-year contract extension worth $5 million per season.Strome was scheduled for restricted free agency this offseason. His current deal carries a $3.5-million cap hit."Dylan is an intelligent and skilled center and has been a great addition to our organization," said general manager Brian MacLellan. "We are pleased to sign him to a long-term contract. We feel his skill set is a great fit for our team as he enters the prime years of his career at an important position."Strome joined Washington on a one-year deal last summer after the Chicago Blackhawks opted against extending him a qualifying offer.The 25-year-old has been productive in his first year in D.C., registering 11 goals and 25 assists while averaging 16:42 per contest.Strome was drafted third overall by the Arizona Coyotes in 2015 behind stars Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel and was traded to Chicago during the 2018-19 campaign. He has collected 206 points in 325 career games.With Strome signed, Washington's remaining restricted free agents for next season are defensemen Alexander Alexeyev and Martin Fehervary. While the RFAs are largely under control, the Capitals potentially face major roster turnover for 2023-24 as they currently roster 13 pending UFAs with an estimated $19.7 million in cap space, according to CapFriendly.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We've reached the unofficial midway point of the 2022-23 NHL campaign. With around 50 games in the books for each team, let's take a look at some of the biggest shifts in the Stanley Cup betting market.Note: Only listed teams +4000 or shorter.TEAM FEB 3 ODDS OCT 5 ODDSBoston Bruins+500+2800Colorado Avalanche+600+400Carolina Hurricanes+800+1000Toronto Maple Leafs+900+800Tampa Bay Lightning+1200+1200Vegas Golden Knights+1300+2200Edmonton Oilers+1400+1600Dallas Stars+1600+4500New Jersey Devils+1600+7000New York Rangers+1600+1800Calgary Flames+2000+1600Minnesota Wild+2000+2000Pittsburgh Penguins+2500+2000Seattle Kraken+2800+15000Winnipeg Jets+2800+6000LA Kings+3000+3300Florida Panthers+3300+1200Washington Capitals+4000+4000RisersBoston BruinsThe Boston Bruins were a team I identified as a value back in October, but I never expected this kind of play. They sit atop the NHL in points (83), wins (39), and goal differential (+82). In the latter two categories, it's not even close. Their top six is lethal, they're the league's best defensive team, and the goaltending tandem of Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman has shown the ability to steal games. Boston is a very complete team that's likely to address perhaps its lone need - a little more production in the bottom six - at the trade deadline.Dallas StarsThings couldn't be going much better for the Dallas Stars in Pete DeBoer's debut season behind the bench. The Jason Robertson-Roope Hintz-Joe Pavelski line has continued to be one of the league's best, while veterans like Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn are enjoying somewhat of a resurgence and providing real scoring depth. Led by Miro Heiskanen, the defense is very strong, and Jake Oettinger has picked up where he left off from last year's playoffs. The Stars have gone from a low seed trying to steal a first-round series to the No. 1 seed in a weak Western Conference.New Jersey DevilsEverything is going right for the New Jersey Devils. Their stars - Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton, especially - have enjoyed much better health than a season ago, the power play has found its footing under assistant coach Andrew Brunette, and Vitek Vanecek has established himself as a quality starting goaltender. The Devils are loaded with youthful talent and high-end speed and are miserable for opposing teams to try and keep up with on a nightly basis. They already look dangerous as currently constructed, yet general manager Tom Fitzgerald may just have a trick up his sleeve to add another top-six forward and bolster an already potent offense.FallersPittsburgh PenguinsTo say the Pittsburgh Penguins have disappointed thus far would be an understatement. We're more than halfway through the season, and they've lost more games than they've won. Veterans like Jeff Carter and Brian Dumoulin have really struggled. Making matters worse, Casey DeSmith hasn't held down the fort sans Tristan Jarry. This team has real problems and looks poised to waste one of the last high-end years it'll get from Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.Florida PanthersThe Florida Panthers entered the campaign with the fourth shortest odds to win the Stanley Cup. They now sit 17th, and even that may be generous. The Panthers are 22nd in points percentage and have mostly looked discombobulated under new head coach Paul Maurice, failing to get into any sort of rhythm all season long. Goaltending remains a big question mark, the team lacks depth, and some of the team's top players - like Aaron Ekblad - have really taken a step back.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.

Longtime Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin knows a thing or two about being an otherworldly NHL talent, and he sees it in Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid."He's from a different planet," Ovechkin told Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun from All-Star Weekend in Florida. "How he plays the game. How he controls the puck. He controls his speed. He's very fun to watch."It's not one player and one year. He's consistently doing it. Every year. It's cool to see. It's great for us. It's great for fans. It's great for the kids."McDavid is on track to win his fifth Art Ross and likely his third MVP with 92 points in 50 games so far. The Oilers phenom is the only player since 2000 to crack 90-plus points in 50 games, according to Hockey Reference. He's accomplished the feat twice.McDavid is averaging 1.84 points per game this season, which puts him on pace for the NHL's first 150-point campaign since Mario Lemieux had 161 in 1995-96. Edmonton's captain also paces the NHL with 41 goals, just three shy of matching his career best with 32 games to go.Although McDavid's point totals are the envy of his peers, the 26-year-old's sole focus is on capturing a Stanley Cup after reaching the Western Conference Final last spring."That's the ultimate goal," McDavid said. "That's what we're building towards. I haven't really put much thought into (records and numbers). Winning, that's the focus."Edmonton entered the break holding the top wild-card spot in the Western Conference with 60 points.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The 2023 NHL All-Star Skills Competition is just around the corner, and theScore has you covered. Below, we break down each event, introduce the participants, and try our hand at predicting the winners.Where: FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Florida

Edmonton Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl might be the only person in the world who isn't impressed by his performance this season."Yeah, it's been a funny year for me personally, to be honest. I haven't really been happy with the way I've been playing necessarily," Draisaitl said during media day ahead of the 2023 All-Star Game."Obviously, the statistics would probably tell you otherwise," he added with a laugh. "I think there's another level to the way that I just want to play, not about statistics or goals, assists, or whatever it is."Draisaitl has 76 points in 48 games this campaign, putting him at a 130-point pace over 82 contests. He's well on his way to surpassing his previous career high of 110 points, which he set in 2019-20 and 2021-22.Right now, he'd be the leading point-getter on every team in the league except his own due to Connor McDavid's 92 points in 50 matchups.As for how he can get to a new level? Draisaitl said it's all mental."Myself, my mind, my ability to just play and not overthink and just go out and do what I do best," he said. "That's a lot of times easier said than done, but that's what's going to make me successful."Before the puck dropped on the 2022-23 campaign, Draisaitl said the high ankle sprain he suffered in the playoffs during the Oilers' run to the Western Conference Final actually "evolved" his game."It kind of showed me that there's a way that I can become better, in a way, with doing almost less. ... When you're healthy, you try and play your best, you try and play with speed, you try and play fast," he said in August during an appearance on Sportsnet's "32 Thoughts: The Podcast.""I didn't have that to my game, so I tried to find a way to be productive in a different way. I thought I did a pretty good job of that."Draisaitl wasn't the only Oiler who made eyebrow-raising comments regarding his own performance on Thursday."I've never been an elite goal-scorer," McDavid told reporters in Florida. "I always create chances, and I've always gotten chances, but for some reason, this year, it's going in."McDavid has hit the 40-goal mark four times in his career (including this season), and his 280 tallies since entering the league in 2015-16 are the fourth-most in the NHL in that span.Edmonton has won seven out of its last 10 games, and the team currently holds the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference with a 28-18-4 record.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Bo Horvat believes Elias Pettersson is the right player to succeed him as captain of the Vancouver Canucks."He'd be my vote if it came to it, and I'm sure one of these days, (the captain's 'C' is) going to go on his chest," Horvat said Thursday during media day for the 2023 All-Star Game, according to NHL.com's Tom Gulitti. "So, if it does, I couldn't be more happy for him, and he's obviously going to be a great captain."Horvat and Pettersson had been teammates since the latter first entered the NHL in 2018-19. That run ended Monday when Vancouver traded Horvat to the New York Islanders in exchange for Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Raty, and a conditional 2023 first-round selection.Horvat has liked the progress he's seen from Pettersson over the past five seasons."He's grown even more this year with his leadership on the ice," the 27-year-old said. "He's starting to say stuff in the room, and he's really come into his own this year."I can't say enough good stuff about Petey; the way he's played this year and the way he handles himself, and he's emerging as a great leader and a great player. And I'm sure he's going to take on a bigger role here, an even bigger role than he already has."The Canucks named Horvat team captain in 2019.Pettersson, 24, is enjoying a stellar campaign in what's been a tumultuous year for Vancouver. He leads the Canucks with 58 points in 47 games and is on pace for a career season.The pair will play together one more time during the All-Star Game on Feb. 4. Horvat was initially voted into the event as a member of the Canucks and will remain on the Pacific Division roster while representing the Islanders.Pettersson called the festivities their "last ride," according to The Canadian Press' Joshua Clipperton."What can I say? It's nothing I can control," Pettersson said of the trade. "Obviously, everybody thought things would play out differently, but (they didn't). Now you can just look ahead and not think of what could have happened."Drafted fifth overall by the Canucks in 2017, Pettersson leads Vancouver with 279 points in 292 games since making his NHL debut on Oct. 3, 2018.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The trade deadline is almost one month away, and pending unrestricted free-agent forward Dylan Larkin still doesn't have a shiny, brand-new extension with the Detroit Red Wings. However, the captain made his priorities clear ahead of his third All-Star appearance in Florida."I've said it all along, and I stand by it: I really see myself as a Red Wing. (But) there's contract negotiating to be done," he said in an interview with ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. "This is my first time in this position as an unrestricted free agent. But I doubt contracts really ever go smoothly until they're done."Larkin will meet with his agent Pat Brisson during this weekend's festivities to review all of his options, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported during Thursday's edition of "Insider Trading."Bo Horvat - another high-profile captain who can become a free agent in a few months - already came off the trade board earlier this week when the Vancouver Canucks dealt him to the New York Islanders in exchange for Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Raty, and a conditional 2023 first-round selection.Horvat, who said he thought he'd be a Canuck for life, did his best to block out the off-ice noise about his future in Vancouver all season long.Now, Larkin is in the same boat. The Detroit Free Press reported in late January that the Red Wings offered him an eight-year pact with an average annual value of $8 million."It just seems people are fishing and speculating," Larkin said Thursday. "I don't really want my business out there. I understand we're in the spotlight and fans want to know. They deserve to know."But I think it's not really the most truthful, you know? It's just speculation, and I don't really read into that too much."The 26-year-old is playing out the final season of a five-year pact with a cap hit of $6.1 million. He will likely be due for a substantial raise as he leads Detroit with 43 points in 47 games this season.But the ball is mainly in his court since his contract includes a full no-trade clause.The Red Wings' 2014 15th overall pick has 162 goals and 239 assists in 551 career NHL games.Detroit currently sits seventh in the Atlantic Division with a 21-19-8 record, seven points out of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

While Hall of Famer Roberto Luongo will need to dust off his goalie equipment ahead of Friday's All-Star Skills Competition, his patented wit is in mid-season form."They asked me if I was interested and I don't know why I said yes," Luongo joked following Wednesday's All-Star alumni game, according to NHL.com's Corey Long. "I went on the ice yesterday for the first time and I still feel it in my legs, but it was fun to have the gear back on. After four years off I felt a lot better than I thought I would, so I'm really looking forward to Friday."The 43-year-old participated in the alumni game as a forward, as he did in November for the HHOF Legends Classic. He will participate in the Breakaway Challenge at the skills competition as the "celebrity goaltender."Luongo played in five All-Star Games during his 19-season NHL career (2004, 2007, 2009, 2015, 2016). He was also named to the 2008 All-Star Game but did not play in the contest.Luongo holds multiple franchise records with the hosting Florida Panthers, including most games played by a goaltender (572), most wins (230), and most shutouts (38). He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in November.The skills competition gets underway Friday at 7 pm EST.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We have reached the All-Star break, which is looked at as an unofficial midway point of the season.Perhaps more than any other major award, the Norris Trophy remains completely up for grabs. A handful of players have put together strong cases for the hardware but nobody is running away with it ~50 games into the year.Let's take a look at where the market stands and how things have changed since prior to puck drop on the 2022-23 campaign.PLAYER FEB 2 ODDS SEPT 14 ODDSErik Karlsson+260+8000Cale Makar+325+150Adam Fox+375+900Rasmus Dahlin+400+5000Josh Morrissey+725N/ARoman Josi+3300+700Miro Heiskanen+4000+2000Dougie Hamilton+4000+5000Quinn Hughes+5000+2000Victor Hedman+5000+900Charlie McAvoy+7500+1600Hampus Lindholm+7500N/AMikhail Sergachev+10000N/ALeading the group is Erik Karlsson, who is producing at the highest rate of his entire career at age 32. Karlsson is playing for a mediocre San Jose Sharks team that ranks 20th in scoring efficiency league-wide. He has managed to put up 16 goals and 66 points over 51 games; a 27-goal, 106-point pace. He leads all defensemen in Goals Above Replacement despite his defensive game being graded at a net-negative.Hot on his tail is the pre-season favorite Cale Makar. He has been unseated through no fault of his own. Despite the Colorado Avalanche being crushed by injuries, Makar has averaged more than a point per game while driving play and logging more than 27 minutes of ice on a nightly basis. He has been a huge factor in keeping the Avalanche afloat.Rounding out the big four are Adam Fox and Rasmus Dahlin. Fox is producing at a point-per-game clip and ranks second among NHL defensemen in average Game Score.Meanwhile, Dahlin is producing at a 92-point clip and serving as Mr. Everything for a Buffalo Sabres side that finds itself in the thick of the wild card race.Of the group, Karlsson might be most vulnerable of slipping. His defensive game has holes and he plays for a bad team that will only get worse when the likes of Timo Meier (likely) get shipped out. If his production falls off, he doesn't have a leg to stand on the way the others do.With regards to longer shots, Dougie Hamilton is probably the guy carrying the most value. He is tied for third among blue-liners in goals, flirting with a point per game, and owns a +19 goal differential at five-on-five. This while playing big minutes against quality competition for a New Jersey Devils team that sits fourth in the league, a spot nobody predicted they'd hold this far into the season.If he can raise his production just a hair in the second half, while Karlsson's perhaps falls off, his numbers figure to be every bit as good as the rest of his competition. The difference will be Hamilton is viewed as a super long shot in the market while you have to pay a premium to back the others.After the +4000 range, things really fall off. Quinn Hughes plays for a tire fire in the Vancouver Canucks, Charlie McAvoy missed too much hockey, Victor Hedman is having a down season, and the others don't produce enough.This looks like a five-horse race, with Hamilton being the most likely to jump in and make it six.Buckle up; it's going to be a wild race to the finish.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.

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin will replace his injured teammate Tage Thompson at the 2023 All-Star Game, the NHL announced Thursday.Thompson left Wednesday's game against the Carolina Hurricanes early due to an upper-body injury. The 25-year-old was set to make his first appearance at an All-Star Game.Dahlin represented the Sabres at last year's All-Star Game, the first of his career. Last week, he spoke about the lack of blue-liners at this year's event.The 22-year-old has already set career-highs in goals (14), assists (41), and points (55) this season and ranks second league-wide in scoring among defensemen.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Buffalo Sabres star Tage Thompson departed Wednesday's game against the Carolina Hurricanes with an upper-body injury, the team announced.Head coach Don Granato didn't provide an update on Thompson's status after the 5-1 loss.Thompson played the first two periods but didn't come back out for the third. He was seen walking gingerly to the dressing room at the end of the second.The 25-year-old was considered day-to-day with an upper-body ailment earlier in the week, but he never missed any games.Thompson, the Sabres' lone All-Star Game representative, has registered 34 goals and 34 assists in 50 games this season.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone is out indefinitely after undergoing successful back surgery, the team announced Wednesday.The 30-year-old is expected to make a full recovery. Stone hasn't played since suffering the injury on Jan. 12 against the Florida Panthers. He experienced a setback in his rehabilitation, which prompted the surgery Tuesday.The procedure marks his second in less than a year. Stone underwent back surgery in May following an injury-plagued 2021-22 campaign in which he missed 45 games across three stretches on the sidelines.Vegas has won only one of the eight games Stone has missed this season.Stone ranks second on the Golden Knights with 17 goals and 38 points in 43 games while averaging 19:23 of ice time per contest this season.The Winnipeg native has four campaigns remaining on his current deal with a $9.5-million cap hit.The Golden Knights are third in the Pacific Division with a 29-18-4 record after missing the playoffs for the first time last season. Vegas enjoyed a hot start to the campaign but owns a dubious 2-6-2 mark in its previous 10 games.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Brad Marchand believes the Boston Bruins' run as one of the most consistent teams in the NHL is due, in part, to the players taking contracts below market value."Guys have tried to take less to win because we know that it bleeds through the lineup," Marchand said Wednesday ahead of Boston's matchup with the Toronto Maple Leafs, per Sportsnet."If you can have six guys that make lower salary (rather) than three, it's a lot harder to play against. And that's why we've been so good for so long."The Bruins possess some of the most team-friendly contracts in the league. Marchand, who's been a first- or second-team All-Star in four of the past six seasons, is under contract for two campaigns beyond 2022-23 with a $6.125-million cap hit. Marchand signed his eight-year pact in September 2016 - right before he blossomed into one of the game's best wingers.Additionally, captain Patrice Bergeron, who's vying for his sixth career Selke Trophy at age 37, re-signed with the Bruins on a one-year, $2.5-million agreement in the offseason. Second-line center David Krejci, who's collected 41 points in 45 games this season, makes just $1 million on the salary cap.Leading scorer David Pastrnak also comes with a bargain $6.67-million cap hit, but he could cash in this offseason as a pending unrestricted free agent.The Bruins have missed the playoffs just four times in the salary-cap era, making three trips to the Stanley Cup Final in that span, winning once in 2011. They sit atop the NHL standings this season with a 38-7-5 record.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHLPA's next leader may come from outside the sports world.U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh is the leading candidate to succeed Donald Fehr as the executive director of the NHLPA, reports ESPN's Emily Kaplan.The union's executive board plans to meet later this week in Florida to address Walsh's potential appointment, adds Kaplan. If the board - which includes two players each from 26 teams and one each from the remaining six - moves forward with the search committee's recommendation, it'll be put to a full membership vote.The NHLPA reportedly wants to have a new leader by the end of this regular season. Former Vancouver Canucks general manager Mike Gillis is also a finalist, according to Kaplan.Walsh was the mayor of Boston from January 2014 until March 2021, when he stepped down to join President Joe Biden's cabinet following his confirmation. Walsh has a union background. The 55-year-old was the president of the Laborers' International Union of North America while serving in the Massachusetts state legislature before he was elected mayor.Fehr is departing as the head of the NHLPA after 12 years.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Gustav Nyquist is expected to miss the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury, the team announced Wednesday.Nyquist was injured on Jan. 25 against the Edmonton Oilers and placed on injured reserve later that week. His ailment doesn't require surgery.Although Nyquist will be shelved for the foreseeable future, he could be ready for the playoffs, reports TSN's Darren Dreger, keeping the winger in the mix as a trade chip prior to the March 3 deadline. Nyquist carries a cap hit of $5.5 million before hitting unrestricted free agency this summer. A contender that acquires him could stash him on long-term injured reserve until the postseason.The veteran collected 10 goals and 12 assists in 48 games this season before being sidelined.Nyquist has spent the past three seasons in Columbus. His career started with an eight-year stint with the Detroit Red Wings before a brief spell with the San Jose Sharks. All in all, the 33-year-old Swede has registered 423 points in 700 games.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tuesday night was a solid one for our shot props. Thomas Chabot and Claude Giroux both made the most of an advantageous matchup against the Canadiens. Unfortunately, Alex Ovechkin put forth a bit of a dud versus the bottom-feeding Blue Jackets to prevent us from a perfect night of props.Let's take a closer look at three players worth backing on the last night of hockey before the All-Star break.Jeff Skinner over 2.5 shots (+115)The Hurricanes are generally a team I avoid targeting for shots on goal. Today, I'm going to make an exception with Skinner.The shoot-first winger has been consistent for the Sabres all season long, averaging 3.2 shots per game while hitting at a 63% success rate.Like many offensive players, Skinner's shot volume is much higher at home. Skinner averages 5.5 attempts (6.3 over the last 10) in Buffalo as opposed to 5.0 (3.9 over the last 10) on the road. That's a fairly significant gap.Beyond home ice, Skinner should also benefit from the Hurricanes playing their third game in four nights and potentially being without top defenseman Jaccob Slavin. Not to mention, Skinner always has a little extra for his former team.He has registered at least three shots on goal - and found the scoresheet - in seven of eight meetings versus Carolina since becoming a member of the Sabres. Look for his success to continue in this one.Martin Necas over 2.5 shots (-120)Necas is the definition of a road warrior. He has attempted more than six shots per game over his last 10 road dates and leads the Hurricanes in shots on goal and scoring chances in that time. Necas went over his shot total in seven of those games, a level of success that's nothing new for him.The 24-year-old breakout star has registered at least three shots in 73% of his road games this season, compared to just 54% on home soil.While the Sabres have been much better defensively of late, they play a pretty high-event style of hockey that should allow for someone as fast and skilled as Necas to stumble his way into a few looks at the net.That was certainly the case when the two sides met back in November, as Necas registered four shots on eight attempts.Taylor Hall over 2.5 shots (+115)Hall is heating up. The speedy winger has registered at least three shots in five of the last six games. That's no coincidence, as he was recently promoted back into the top six and is playing a couple of extra shifts per game - with better players at that.With David Pastrnak skating alongside Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand on a stacked top unit, more of a shooting role has been placed on Hall's shoulders.He's taking advantage of it and has done so all season long when necessary. Hall has averaged better than 17 shot attempts per 60 minutes when playing with Pavel Zacha on the other wing. That's more than he averages with any other linemate he has spent meaningful time with. As it stands, Hall is expected to play with Zacha on his opposite wing and pass-first pivot David Krejci. That's a good spot.As an added bonus, Hall has a very strong track record against the Maple Leafs. He has recorded three shots or more in eight of his last 10 meetings against them, which have come quite frequently since becoming a member of the Eastern Conference a few seasons ago.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.

We only have two games on our final slate in advance of the All-Star break. Thankfully, they're good ones.Let's dive into the best way to attack them.Hurricanes (-150) @ Sabres (+130)The Hurricanes are sizzling hot right now. They've won six consecutive games, eight of nine, and picked up at least a point in 10 of the last 11.As well as they're playing, the Sabres offer good value to snap the Hurricanes' lengthy winning streak on Wednesday night.The Sabres are quietly playing some fantastic hockey of their own. They own a 6-2-2 record over the last 10 games and have dominated opponents in that span, controlling 55% of the expected goal share. That's a top-five rate.It's their offense that has been leading the charge, which is nothing new, especially on home soil. They've netted a whopping 3.78 goals per 60 minutes in Buffalo. Only the Lightning (4.04 per 60) have scored more efficiently at home in 2022-23.Although the Hurricanes are a strong defensive team, I think they're going to have a hard time slowing down the Sabres in this spot.They find themselves in the latter half of a road back-to-back, their third game in four nights, and the expectation is Antti Raanta will get the nod in goal. He owns an .897 save percentage this season and is probably the closest thing the Hurricanes have to an Achilles' heel.Raanta will be tested plenty against this Sabres team - particularly if Jaccob Slavin is unable to play again - and I have concerns he can hold up.With a win, the Sabres would find themselves in a playoff spot heading into the All-Star break. This is a big game for them, and that should shine through in their performance.Bet: Sabres (+130)Bruins (-125) @ Maple Leafs (+105)The Bruins are in the midst of an epic slide - by their standards, anyway. They dropped just nine of their first 47 games and have since lost three in a row. Unthinkable!While a road game prior to a 10-day vacation probably isn't the ideal time to bank on a team to really dig in, the Bruins aren't an ordinary team. Their roster is veteran-heavy, and they take their business seriously. I expect them to come out angry and determined to get a result, finishing the unofficial first half on a high.More important than anything else, though, is the fact Auston Matthews won't play for the Maple Leafs. As much talk as there has been about Matthews not being as lethal as a season ago, he's still producing at a 92-point pace and ranks sixth among all NHLers in average game score.Matthews leads the league in five-on-five goals since entering and is a lethal shooter on the man advantage. Suffice to say, the Maple Leafs will feel his absence against the No. 1 team in preventing goals at five-on-five and on the penalty kill.Boston's top six has more juice than Toronto's sans Matthews, the Bruins are arguably the league's best defensive side, and Linus Ullmark leads the NHL in Goals Saved Above Expected.There appear to be plenty of edges for the Bruins in this spot. I expect they'll be able to parlay those - along with some extra urgency - and get back in the win column.Bet: Bruins (-125)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.

Anthony Beauvillier is looking forward to having a clean slate now that he's been traded to the Vancouver Canucks."Honestly, I think (the) timing is perfect," Beauvillier told NHL.com's Kevin Woodley on Tuesday."Having a new coach and new (assistant) coaches, I feel like it can start a new page for everyone. Having the chance to start from scratch with everyone, it's exciting. I feel like everyone wants to play good for the new coaches and staff with the changes they made, so it's definitely exciting."On Monday, the New York Islanders dealt the forward to the Canucks as part of the package that landed Bo Horvat. Beauvillier joined Vancouver along with 20-year-old center Aatu Raty and a conditional first-round pick in this year's draft.Despite Beauviller's optimism about his change of scenery, he lamented having to leave Mathew Barzal. He met Barzal in 2012 and roomed with him at Canada's under-18 camp three years later before the Isles selected both in the first round of the 2015 draft, with Beauvillier going 28th overall."It's been a hell of a ride with him, and he's going to stay one of my best friends forever," Beauvillier said. "It's very emotional and sad to leave these guys, but at the same time, (you) don't want to beat yourself up too much because there's something exciting ahead."Beauviller, who spent seven seasons with the Islanders, has yet to live up to the expectations placed on him as a first-rounder and former QMJHL star. The Quebec-born winger failed to carve out a consistent top-six role during his New York tenure, posting career highs of 21 goals (in 2017-18), 22 assists (last season), and 39 points (in 2019-20).The 25-year-old's collected nine tallies and 11 helpers over 49 contests throughout this campaign while averaging his lowest ice time (15:47) since playing 14:39 per game in 2018-19. However, he should have an opportunity to nail down a top-six role with the retooling Canucks, who fired head coach Bruce Boudreau and replaced him with Rick Tocchet on Jan. 22.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The first domino has fallen ahead of the NHL's March 3 trade deadline.On Monday, the New York Islanders acquired Vancouver Canucks captain and pending unrestricted free agent forward Bo Horvat in exchange for forwards Anthony Beauvillier and Aatu Raty and a first-round pick in the 2023 draft. (The pick becomes an unprotected 2024 first-rounder if it's in the top 12, while the Canucks retain 25% of Horvat's $5.5-million salary and cap hit.)Let's look at the midseason blockbuster from the perspectives of Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello and Canucks GM Patrik Allvin.Islanders' side of deal Darcy Finley / Getty ImagesHorvat, 27, is a proven goal-scorer and faceoff winner. In just 49 games, he's tied a career-high in goals with 31 (he's now scored 20 or more in six of nine NHL seasons) while maintaining an elite 56% win rate in the faceoff circle.The Isles rank 25th in goals per game and 15th in faceoff percentage, so it's no guess why Lamoriello pursued Horvat. Even if the team and player can't agree on an extension ahead of July 1, there's a thread of logic to follow here.Horvat will slot in as a top-six center at even strength. With the man advantage, the 6-foot, 215-pound left shot will likely assume the bumper role. The league's second-worst power play certainly needs fresh blood.According to the numbers, Horvat isn't a defensive savant, which is OK. The 2022-23 Isles are less structured and tight than any team from the Barry Trotz era. Perhaps this trade is the start of Lamoriello filling his lineup with players better aligned with the riskier style established by new head coach Lane Lambert.The timing is the curious part. The Isles, who co-lead the league in games played, are two points outside the playoff cutline. In other words, Lamoriello is making what's ostensibly a win-now move in what could be a non-playoff season. The GM has now traded every Isles first-round pick from 2020-23, and none of the previous moves - which brought in Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Kyle Palmieri, Travis Zajac, and Alexander Romanov - qualify as a home run. Bruce Bennett / Getty ImagesWhat we don't know right now: 1) if Horvat is going to re-sign in New York, and 2) if Horvat is, in fact, extended, how much he'll earn and for how long.If the Isles lock him up on a fair contract that doesn't run into his mid-30s, this trade could look smart even if New York doesn't find playoff success this year. If the Isles win only one round, but Horvat is a rental, it could look all right. If the team misses the playoffs and he's a rental, well, it'll undeniably look abysmal.Another scenario: New York bows out of playoff contention early and flips Horvat to a contender before the deadline. Wouldn't that be a wild turn of events?What's interesting about the Isles is they could potentially do serious damage in the playoffs with star goalie Ilya Sorokin (and, to a lesser extent, overqualified backup Semyon Varlamov). That must be a key part of Lamoriello's calculus here - let's push to get in and see what happens.Overall, the range of outcomes is so wide that I don't love or hate this deal for the Isles. I'd rather not sit on the fence here, but it's true. This deal is risky, yet there's significant upside; it's promising, yet there's significant downside.Grade: B-Canucks' side of deal Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesThere's a reason why I focused on the first-rounder in the discussion above - it's the crown jewel of this deal for the Canucks. It would be inaccurate to say Beauvillier and Raty are throw-ins. At the same time, neither player is an NHL star now or projects to blossom into a star one day.Beauvillier, 25, is a speedy puck hound with 457 games of experience. A change of scenery may unlock another level. However, it's more likely Beauvillier is what he is: a 30-40-point middle-six winger. His $4.15-million cap hit through next season made the money work between capped-out teams.Raty, 20, was arguably the Isles' top prospect - though that said more about the club's lack of blue-chip prospects than Raty's NHL ceiling. The 6-foot-2 Finnish winger is armed with a tremendous shot but is a work in progress. The consensus among draftniks is he'll settle in as a third-line center.Look, I don't want to completely dismiss Beauvillier and Raty. There are older players and worse contracts the Canucks could have acquired from the Isles or another team interested in Horvat. Yet there's also no "wow" factor here. Jeff Vinnick / Getty ImagesBack to the first-rounder. The condition of the pick is super intriguing because there's a non-zero chance the veteran-laden Isles implode over the next year and the Canucks end up with a lottery pick in 2024. That, of course, is the best-case scenario. Picking outside of the top 12 in 2023 is still pretty good.Vancouver is desperate to restock the prospect cupboard. Trading Horvat not only gives the club another pick in one of the next two drafts, but it also worsens the current squad, which should lead to fewer wins and better 2023 lottery odds. It'll snowball as other veterans are traded before the deadline.Casting a cloud over the return for Horvat is how the Canucks found themselves in this situation in the first place. Instead of fully committing to a rebuild/retool years ago, if not this past offseason, they went ahead and signed Brock Boeser, Ilya Mikheyev, J.T. Miller, and Andrei Kuzmenko to multi-year deals. The overhaul will be long and painful, even if Allvin sticks to the plan.It took them forever to get there, but the Canucks appear to be finally accepting reality and looking toward the future. Marks for progress - I guess?Grade: BCopyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. 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The Calgary Flames are hoping to bolster their attack prior to the March 3 trade deadline."I’ve made it clear, yeah, we’re looking for a forward," general manager Brad Treliving told The Athletic's Julian McKenzie. "I’ve also said whether that (player comes) internally or externally. You continue to look at the people within your organization. Is there somebody that can come in?."The Flames have recently given opportunities to top prospects Walker Duehr and Jakob Pelletier, but neither player has made a major offensive impact in their short NHL stints. With Calgary ranking 18th in goals-for this season, Treliving is cognizant he may need to go shopping to add the boost he desires ahead of the playoffs."You’re looking for a good player," Treliving said. "It might be somebody who can fit in financially, somebody you feel comfortable (with) from a cost standpoint. I’ve been reluctant on the rental market in the past. Because, I think, depending on price, (you have) to give up assets for a very short-term return."He added: "Somebody that can help offensively, that’s the wide net. We value certain things in terms of competitiveness and responsibility. So, certainly, somebody that you think can fit with you and be a fit and a match. Trying to add a bit more scoring punch. And it’s easier said than done. I can give you a description head to toe, they’re hard to find. You can’t get them for free."The Flames are operating with $7 million in deadline cap space, according to Cap Friendly. The first domino of this year's forward-heavy market fell Monday when the Vancouver Canucks shipped captain Bo Horvat to the New York Islanders for Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Raty, and a conditional first-round pick.Calgary finished the 2021-22 season sixth league-wide in goals, but lost two 100-point players over the summer in Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk. Despite the dip in offense, the Flames remain in the thick of the postseason picture in the Western Conference this year with 57 points through 50 games.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Monday was a solid night for our best bets. The Winnipeg Jets bested the St. Louis Blues in regulation and Pierre-Luc Dubois came through with three shots. Unfortunately, Jordan Kyrou missed the net six times and finished one shot shy of giving us a perfect 3-0 night.We'll try our luck at perfection again with a pair of bets for Tuesday's slate of games.Senators (-190) @ Canadiens (+160)The Ottawa Senators are unlikely to make the playoffs once again - they would have to leapfrog too many teams in the second half of the season - but they could close the gap to as little as six points with a win tonight.All signs point towards them getting one against a putrid Montreal Canadiens team.Ottawa is in far better form at five-on-five, having controlled more than 54% of the high-danger chances over the last 10 games. That's a top-five rate in the NHL.Comparatively, Montreal has posted a 43% high-danger chance share over the same period. That's a bottom-five rate.The Senators are likely to have a significant edge in terms of controlling the run of play. That should prove fruitful given the talent advantage at hand.They have Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Alex DeBrincat, Thomas Chabot and Claude Giroux, among others, while an already thin Canadiens lineup is without its biggest scoring threat in Cole Caufield.Not to mention, the top dogs on the Senators get to shoot on an ice-cold goaltender in Jake Allen. He has dropped eight of his last nine starts and conceded four goals or more in all but one of them. He owns a .877 save percentage in that span, ranking 63rd among 67 eligible netminders.While Anton Forsberg hasn't been lights out, his .903 save percentage over that same period is actually above league-average. He should give the Senators an edge between the pipes and make it hard on the Canadiens to compensate for a lack of talent throughout the roster.I like the Senators to take care of business inside 60 minutes.Bet: Senators in regulation (-110)Capitals (-210) @ Blue Jackets (+180)We are going to get a little creative with this one. It is not a side - nor a game total - that stands out in this game. No, it is a first period market.The Washington Capitals are a structured, slower-paced veteran team that sort of feels its way into games. That leads to very few goals in the opening frame, as they've netted just 35 through 52 affairs. Only five teams have scored fewer times in the first period this season, all of whom are near the basement of the NHL.Unsurprisingly, the Columbus Blue Jackets are one of those teams. They have scored only 29 times in the opening period this season. That's more than the Chicago Blackhawks and nobody else.They are a very shallow team that has to try and play things tight to the vest to hang around in games for any amount of time. They've done a good job of that against Washington this season, as the two sides faced off twice this month and neither meeting featured more than a goal in the first period.I like that Washington is a structured defensive side that doesn't tend to have glaring defensive breakdowns. I like that the Blue Jackets are essentially a one-line team that struggles to score on a nightly basis. I also like that we're getting an ideal goaltending matchup.Darcy Kuemper has quietly played very well for the Capitals in his debut season with the team. He has appeared in 34 games and owns a rock-solid .915 save percentage.While Joonas Korpisalo lags a little behind, his numbers are strong as well. He has a .909 save percentage to date and has saved 3.8 goals above expected. In comparison, his tandem-mate Elvis Merzlikins has conceded 23.9 goals more than expected. That's an unfathomably large swing.I don't see a ton of chances being traded early in this game and the goaltending should be competent at both ends. Expect a slower start in these teams' last game before the All-Star break.Bet: Under 1.5 first period goals (+115)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.

We have three games to look forward to on the last big slate in advance of All-Star weekend. Let's dig deeper into a few player props that stand out.Thomas Chabot over 2.5 shots (-132)The Ottawa Senators' top blueliner is sizzling hot. Chabot has generated at least three shots in five of the last six games and is tied with Brady Tkachuk - one of the highest volume shooters in the NHL - for the team lead in attempts over the last 10 games (65).Chabot is playing a ton of minutes in all situations, giving him every opportunity to take advantage of plus matchups. He certainly finds himself in one Tuesday night against the Montreal Canadiens.They rank dead last in shot suppression - at five-on-five and on the penalty kill - over the last 10 games. Unsurprisingly, they have given up a lot of volume to defenders in that span.Chabot generated four shots on six attempts last game out against this same Canadiens team. I expect a similar effort this time around.Claude Giroux over 2.5 shots (+115)Giroux is not someone I routinely target for shots but there is a lot to like with him right now.First and foremost, he has been shooting the puck a lot since being placed on Ridly Greig's wing. Giroux has attempted more than 23 shots per 60 minutes with Greig as his center, essentially double his season average of 11.60. We're still dealing with a small sample size but that is a substantial uptick and very encouraging.The other thing that really stands out is the mouthwatering matchup. The Canadiens are giving up shots at a higher clip than every team in the league right now and Giroux feasted on them just a few days ago, recording three points and four shots in a blowout victory.Big games against Montreal are nothing new for Giroux, who has registered at least three shots in six straight head-to-head meetings.Look for that streak to continue.Alex Ovechkin over 4.5 shots (-115)Alex Ovechkin continues to chug along like a well-oiled machine. The 37-year-old superstar has piled up 91 shot attempts over his last 10 games, which leads the entire NHL. It's not really close, either.Roman Josi (82) is the only other player with more than 80 shot attempts over the same period of time.Ovechkin, clearly, is never shy about pulling the trigger. He should have ample opportunity to do so against this Columbus Blue Jackets team. They are absolutely decimated by injuries and, unsurprisingly, that is leading to some treacherous numbers across the board. They get caved in at five-on-five on a nightly basis and are also subpar at preventing shots while killing penalties.The Washington Capitals faced the Blue Jackets just over three weeks ago. Despite the Capitals getting outplayed in that game - and generating only 19 shots - Ovechkin still hit the over on his total while attempting eight shots.With the Capitals in need of every point they can get, and the Capitals off until February 11th after this game, Ovechkin should get a full workload and then some.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 Vancouver Canucks traded All-Star center and team captain Bo Horvat to the New York Islanders for winger Anthony Beauvillier, youngster Aatu Raty, and a conditional 2023 first-round selection, the teams announced Monday.The first-round pick is top-12 protected for this year's draft and becomes unprotected if it slides to 2024, reports TSN's Pierre LeBrun. The Canucks are also retaining 25% of Horvat's cap hit and salary, according to LeBrun."I thought I was going to be a Canuck for life. Things didn't work out that way," Horvat said, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. "It hasn't been an easy year."Horvat is amid a career campaign, recording 54 points in 49 games, including 31 goals. The former ninth overall pick has accrued 201 goals and 420 points in 621 contests during his nine-year career. Horvat was slated to represent the Canucks at the upcoming All-Star Weekend in Sunrise, Florida.The 27-year-old joins an Islanders squad that features Brock Nelson and Mathew Barzal and sits sixth in the Metropolitan Division with 55 points.Horvat is an unrestricted free agent at season's end and carries a $5.5-million cap hit. He's expected to command more than $8 million annually on the open market, which is a price tag the Canucks aren't going to be able to meet."I believe we've taken our best shot. The contract we have on the table for Bo right now is fair value for what he's done up to this year, but it's certainly under value for what he's done this year," president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford said on Jan. 16, according to CBC's Karin Larsen.Horvat said there hadn't been any contract discussions with the Islanders yet, according to Friedman.

Hockey Hall of Famer Bobby Hull died at the age of 84, the NHL Alumni Association confirmed Monday.Hull is the Chicago Blackhawks' all-time leading goal scorer with 604 in 1,036 games. He also played 18 NHL contests with the Winnipeg Jets and nine more with the Hartford Whalers, in addition to suiting up for seven seasons with the Jets in the WHA.The former winger, who earned the nickname "The Golden Jet," amassed 610 goals and 560 assists over 16 NHL campaigns, notching another 303 tallies and 335 helpers across 411 WHA contests.Hull won the Hart Trophy twice, the Art Ross Trophy three times, and helped the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup in 1961. The Hall of Fame inducted him in 1983, and the NHL named him one of its 100 greatest players in 2017.However, several off-ice transgressions overshadowed some of his on-ice achievements. In 1998, a Russian newspaper quoted him as saying Adolf Hitler had "some good ideas" but "just went a little bit too far." He denied making the comments.In a 1986 incident, he was convicted of assaulting a police officer who intervened during a dispute between Hull and his then-wife, Deborah. He was also charged with battery, but that was dropped because she didn't want to testify against her husband. In 2002, Hull's second wife, Joanne, said he abused her.The Blackhawks named Hull a team ambassador along with fellow franchise icon Stan Mikita in 2008, but the club removed Hull from the role in 2022.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We have just one game scheduled for an eerily quiet Monday in the NHL. Luckily, with the help of player props, we can still put together a healthy card for the game we do have.Let's get right to it.Blues (+190) @ Jets (-220)The St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets both enter this game on losing streaks.The Blues have dropped four games in a row - all by multiple goals - while the Jets have suffered three straight defeats, all of which were against teams on the outside of the playoffs looking in.There has been a lot of talk from head coach Rick Bowness about the Jets not playing the way they're supposed to, and hitting a bit of a crossroads, but these losing streaks are very different.St. Louis is a highly mediocre team struggling to get by without several key players. The Jets are a good - but not great - side that simply appear to be going through normal variance.Take the numbers over the last 10 games, for example. At five-on-five, the Blues have controlled 44% of the expected goals and generated fewer high-danger chances than all but the Columbus Blue Jackets. Those are numbers that should lead to consistent losses.It's a different story in Winnipeg. The team is hovering around 50% of the expected goal share and ranks 13th in high-danger chances generated during that stretch. Considering the goaltending they get from starting netminder Connor Hellebuyck, average-to-above average underlying metrics like that are generally going to lead to a lot of wins.The Jets have more or less been called out by a head coach who has pressed all the right buttons this season. I expect them to come out with a strong effort against a bruised and battered Blues team and pick up a sixth consecutive win against their division rival.Back the Jets to take care of business inside 60.Bet: Jets in regulation (-145)Jordan Kyrou over 3.5 shots (+100)The Blues are missing a lot of firepower up front. With Ryan O'Reilly, Pavel Buchnevich and Robert Thomas out of the mix due to injuries, even more weight is falling on Jordan Kyrou's shoulders. He has been skating on the top line, top power play, and taking full advantage of the extra minute or two coming his way on a nightly basis.The highly skilled winger has produced nine points over the last 10 games while recording 70 shot attempts, 42 of which hit the net. That's an average of seven attempts and 4.2 shots on target per game; very strong numbers.What's especially impressive is how far Kyrou has distanced himself from any and all teammates over that period. For perspective, Justin Faulk ranks second on the Blues with 35 attempts in the past 10 games. That's half the volume we're seeing from Kyrou.Winnipeg is a fairly solid shot suppression team but has struggled with opposing right wingers.Expect Kyrou to generate his fair share of shots in this one.Pierre-Luc Dubois over 2.5 shots (-145)Dubois is a little juiced but for good reason. He has feasted on the Blues in recent years, generating three shots or more in six of the last eight meetings.One exception was a two-goal, three-point performance where Dubois missed the target a couple of times. The other saw Dubois attempt six shots - more than enough to hit on a consistent basis - but miss the target on five of them. He easily could be seven for eight, or eight for eight.Even if you want to throw all of that history out the window, there's a lot to like about Dubois here. The Blues are one of the league's worst five-on-five sides right now and they're bleeding shots to opposing centers.In fact, just six teams are giving up more shots per game to the position - with several of them (Anaheim, Columbus, Chicago) being in the Connor Bedard sweepstakes.Look for Dubois, who has averaged 3.6 shots on target over the last 10, to stay hot in an enticing matchup.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.

This is the eighth edition of theScore's NHL Power Rankings for the 2022-23 campaign. Check back for updated rankings every other Monday during the regular season.In this edition, we pick the player having the best season on each team that won't be participating in this week's All-Star Game.1. Boston Bruins (38-7-5)Previous rank: 1Patrice Bergeron. Remarkably, the Bruins captain has only attended three All-Star Games in his 19-season career. The front-runner for a record-extending sixth Selke Trophy, the 37-year-old continues to elude Father Time.2. Carolina Hurricanes (32-9-8)Previous rank: 2Sebastian Aho. Though Martin Necas has his own case because he leads the Hurricanes with 45 points, we're giving the edge to Aho because he's put up similar numbers despite playing in seven fewer games. The dynamic forward has 21 goals - tied with Necas for the most on the team - and 44 points in 42 contests.3. Toronto Maple Leafs (31-12-8)Previous rank: 4William Nylander. Of course, it's tough to imagine an All-Star Game without Mitch Marner and the now-injured Auston Matthews, but come on. Nylander paces the Maple Leafs with 28 goals, and his 59 points in 51 games are tied with Marner for the most on the team. The Swede has never been named an All-Star, and now would've been the perfect time.4. Tampa Bay Lightning (32-15-1)Previous rank: 5Brayden Point. He's flown under the radar to rank in the top 10 in goals league-wide this season with 29. Already surpassing his 2021-22 goal total in 18 fewer games, the 26-year-old continues to be a vital cog in the Lightning machine that doesn't get nearly enough attention.5. New Jersey Devils (32-13-4) Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyPrevious rank: 7Dougie Hamilton. The high-flying Devils have plenty of exciting candidates, but their star defenseman gets the nod here. Hamilton has really settled in during his second season in New Jersey and ranks fifth among all blue-liners with 46 points in 49 games.6. Dallas Stars (28-13-10)Previous rank: 9Jake Oettinger. The Central Division had some terrific goalie options to send to South Florida, but Oettinger is a legitimate Vezina Trophy candidate this season with a 21-7-7 record and .923 save percentage.7. Edmonton Oilers (28-18-4)Previous rank: 14Zach Hyman. It's going to be nearly impossible for a third Oilers forward to make the All-Star Game as long as Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are in town. That being said, Hyman is deserving of some recognition for his stellar campaign. The 30-year-old has already blown past his career high in points and is just one back from matching his high mark in goals.8. New York Rangers (27-14-8)Previous rank: 8Mika Zibanejad. With three players making the roster (Artemi Panarin, Adam Fox, and Igor Shesterkin), the Rangers certainly aren't hurting for representation at February's festivities. However, Zibanejad easily could have joined them, seeing that he leads his team with 22 goals.9. Colorado Avalanche (27-18-3)Previous rank: 16Artturi Lehkonen. The Avalanche are well-represented with three All-Stars, so options here are limited. We're far from a world where Lehkonen deserves to go to the marquee event, but he deserves some credit in this exercise, considering he's second on the team in goals and fourth in points.10. Seattle Kraken (29-15-5) Christopher Mast / National Hockey League / GettyPrevious rank: 6Andre Burakovsky. It was the right call to elect the younger, more marketable star in Matty Beniers, but our candidate leads the surprising Kraken with 39 points on the year.11. Buffalo Sabres (26-19-4)Previous rank: 19Rasmus Dahlin. This one's easy. The Sabres blue-liner ranks second among all NHL rearguards in goals (14) and points (55) while averaging just over 26 minutes of ice time a night. If that wasn't enough, there are no defensemen on the Atlantic Division's All-Star roster. For shame.12. Winnipeg Jets (31-19-1)Previous rank: 3Kyle Connor. The perennially overlooked star leads the Jets in scoring with 57 points through 51 contests and is one of six players to have scored 200 goals since 2017-18. He's also attended only one All-Star Game in his career.13. Nashville Predators (24-18-6)Previous rank: 22Roman Josi. The Predators are one of two teams without a skater at the All-Star Game (Vegas is the other), but their captain could easily be making the trip to Florida this weekend. The high-octane blue-liner is tied for the team lead in scoring with 41 points and is one of nine players averaging over 25 minutes this season.14. Los Angeles Kings (28-18-6)Previous rank: 12Anze Kopitar. Kevin Fiala has a 12-point advantage on the Kings' scoring list this season, so it's difficult to find another truly deserving candidate here. We'll go with the captain, who has shown he's still got it with 40 points at 35 years old.15. Minnesota Wild (27-17-4) Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyPrevious rank: 11Mats Zuccarello. Did you see his overtime winner against the Flyers?! That's All-Star material right there. The 35-year-old ranks second on the Wild with 19 goals and 48 points, behind Minnesota's sole representative, Kirill Kaprizov.16. Florida Panthers (24-22-6)Previous rank: 21Carter Verhaeghe. The All-Star Game hosts added Aleksander Barkov as a second representative to replace Matthews. Even with two forwards at the event, the Panthers' leading goal-scorer won't be participating: Verhaeghe paces the team with 26 tallies.17. Vegas Golden Knights (29-18-4)Previous rank: 10Jack Eichel. If not for missing 13 games due to injury, there's a solid chance he would be participating in the All-Star Game. The Golden Knights star has 15 goals and 34 points in 38 games, unsurprisingly operating as his team's most dynamic offensive presence.18. Pittsburgh Penguins (24-16-9)Previous rank: 15Evgeni Malkin. Geno sits behind only Sidney Crosby in scoring on the Penguins this season and is cruising along at over a point per game at 36 years old. It's hard to fathom that Malkin has only been to two All-Star Games since 2009.19. Calgary Flames (24-17-9)Previous rank: 13Elias Lindholm. The Swedish sniper leads the Flames with 45 points on the season, seven clear of Calgary's representative, Nazem Kadri. Lindholm's lethal release would have been a treat to watch in the accuracy shooting contest.20. Washington Capitals (26-20-6) Scott Taetsch / Getty Images Sport / GettyPrevious rank: 17Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Capitals don't have a ton of viable options beyond Alex Ovechkin, so we defaulted to their second-most productive player. Still, an All-Star forward with six goals? Not ideal.21. Ottawa Senators (23-23-3)Previous rank: 25Tim Stutzle. The 21-year-old tops the Senators with 20 goals in 45 games while leading all Ottawa forwards in average ice time (20:39). The 2020 third overall pick is well on his way to having a career campaign - and he's just downright fun to watch.22. New York Islanders (25-22-5)Previous rank: 18Mathew Barzal. With all due respect to Brock Nelson, who's having a great season in his own right, how many hockey fans prefer to watch the unsung winger over one of the league's most exciting talents? Barzal has three fewer points on the year but has dazzled before in the fastest skater event and has the perfect style of play for the three-on-three tournament.23. Detroit Red Wings (21-19-8)Previous rank: 23Filip Hronek. He's on pace to easily surpass his career high with 33 points in 48 games. After mediocre underlying numbers in his first four seasons, the 25-year-old leads the Red Wings in goals above replacement this campaign.24. Philadelphia Flyers (21-21-9)Previous rank: 24Travis Konecny. As the Flyers' leader in goals and points, the fact that he was passed over in favor of Kevin Hayes was one of the more peculiar All-Star Game choices. Konecny finding form as a point-per-game forward has been one of the few bright spots in what has largely been a year to forget for Philadelphia.25. San Jose Sharks (15-25-11) Christian Petersen / Getty Images Sport / GettyPrevious rank: 28Timo Meier. There's no doubt that Erik Karlsson was the right choice to represent the Sharks at the All-Star Game, but Meier has been no slouch on the slumping Pacific Division squad this season, either. The 26-year-old has 28 goals on the season so far, tied with Nylander for the 12th most in the league.26. St. Louis Blues (23-24-3)Previous rank: 20Jordan Kyrou. Vladimir Tarasenko has the name value but was a peculiar choice to rep the Blues. Kyrou leads St. Louis with 47 points and is the reigning fastest skater champion.27. Vancouver Canucks (20-26-3)Previous rank: 26Quinn Hughes. Things might be going atrociously for the Canucks this season, but they've still got two players going to the All-Star Game in Bo Horvat and Elias Pettersson. Hughes had a case of his own, though. He's one of five defensemen to produce at a point-per-game rate this season, with five goals and 40 assists in 45 contests.28. Montreal Canadiens (20-26-4)Previous rank: 27Kirby Dach. The Canadiens' offseason acquisition has set new career highs in goals, assists, and points through 50 contests. He's emerged as the best in a slim list of options from the Habs with Cole Caufield's season-ending injury.29. Anaheim Ducks (16-29-5)Previous rank: 30Trevor Zegras. He has the same amount of points as Troy Terry and produced one of the most memorable moments in All-Star Weekend history last year with an otherworldly shootout move. His skills deserve to be showcased.30. Arizona Coyotes (16-28-6) Norm Hall / National Hockey League / GettyPrevious rank: 31Karel Vejmelka. Being a goaltender for the Coyotes can't be an easy job, but the 26-year-old has performed more than admirably with a .907 save percentage. What's more, he ranks 12th among all netminders in goals saved above expected (12.99) and 23rd in goals saved above average (3.61) at all strengths. Not bad at all.31. Chicago Blackhawks (15-29-4)Previous rank: 32Max Domi. He isn't the flashiest name on the Blackhawks' roster, but he's certainly been a bright light on a struggling team. He tops Chicago with 35 points in 48 games - one ahead of Patrick Kane - and is tied with Taylor Raddysh for the team lead with 14 goals.32. Columbus Blue Jackets (15-32-3)Previous rank: 29Kirill Marchenko. Look, the Blue Jackets are a mess this season. It would have been easy for us to write "Patrik Laine" here and call it a day, but we chose the rookie instead. He has 13 goals (somehow, no assists) and is only one tally behind Laine and Boone Jenner for the team lead despite playing fewer games. Keep shooting that puck!(Analytics sources: Evolving-Hockey, Natural Stat Trick)Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Matt Murray will be out of the lineup until after the All-Star break due to an ankle injury, head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed Sunday, according to TSN's Mark Masters.The Maple Leafs had scheduled Murray to start Friday's contest against the Ottawa Senators but moved him to the backup role after his injury flared up in warmups. The club plays two more games before entering the All-Star break.Toronto doesn't expect Murray's ailment to be a long-term issue, Masters reports. An adductor injury sidelined the 28-year-old for 14 games earlier in the campaign.The Leafs subsequently recalled goaltender Joseph Woll on an emergency basis from the AHL. The 24-year-old has posted a 12-1-0 record and a .928 save percentage with the Toronto Marlies this season.Toronto faces the Washington Capitals on Sunday and the Boston Bruins on Wednesday.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan took ownership of his team's inconsistent stretches throughout the campaign following yet another frustrating loss on Saturday."It's on all of us, it always is. It starts with me," he said following Pittsburgh's 6-4 defeat at the hands of the San Jose Sharks. "I've gotta do a better job coaching these guys and getting it out of them and making sure that the message is being heard."I think there’s been volatility in our game, and we've got to bring a consistent game every night ... and that's what we talk about with our guys a lot. We try to show them examples of what that looks like, when we're at our best. We've got to bring it more consistently, and when we do that, we're gonna give ourselves a chance to win on most nights."The Penguins have stumbled into the break: They've only won consecutive games once since Christmas, and they'll have to try and shake off back-to-back losses when they return to action against the Colorado Avalanche on Feb. 7.On top of that, the Penguins are in a dogfight of a playoff race, currently holding the second wild-card spot with a 24-16-9 record. But they only have a one-point advantage over the Buffalo Sabres, while the New York Islanders and Florida Panthers are two and three points behind, respectively.There isn't much room for error if Pittsburgh wants to make the postseason for the 17th straight year, and Sullivan knows his squad has to be a tougher matchup for opposing teams down the stretch."We've got to do a better job, in my mind, at being harder to play against," he said. "We generate offense consistently, we score goals consistently. We've gotta do a better job keeping it out of our net ... and I think it starts with managing the puck."That goes through all four lines and our defense as well. We've gotta do a better job taking care of the puck, and I don't think we did a good job tonight. That was, I think, a direct result of some of the goals that were scored."Sharks forward Mikey Eyssimont opened the scoring just 1:25 into Saturday's contest as the Penguins once again found themselves mired in a slow start, this time against a basement-dwelling team. Defenseman Erik Karlsson added insult to injury with a goal in the dying seconds of the opening frame.Evgeni Malkin joined the fight with two goals and an assist, but Logan Couture ultimately dominated Pittsburgh with a five-point outing during the back-and-forth affair.The Penguins now sit fifth in the Metropolitan Division, and veteran defenseman Kris Letang commented postgame on how difficult it is not to keep an eye on the standings with 33 games remaining in his team's campaign."When you're in that division, I think you're watching every day," he said. "One day you’re in the playoffs, and the other day you're not. It's a strong division. We have to make sure that we have a strong end of the season."Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Winnipeg Jets head coach Rick Bowness was his team's harshest critic after a humbling 4-0 loss on home ice to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night."The difference makers, you couldn't even find them out there," Bowness said, per The Athletic's Murat Ates. "Until we make the commitment again that we want to play as a team, this is what you get."Winnipeg's loss was its third in a row and fifth in 10 games. Philadelphia opened the scoring in the first period and finished the game with an advantage in scoring chances and expected goals at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick.Bowness said the Jets are reverting into last year's habits of late. Winnipeg missed the playoffs for the first time in four seasons in 2021-22, and longtime head coach Paul Maurice surprisingly stepped down from his post before the midway point of the campaign."Right now we’re going through a spell that as soon as the adversity kicks in, we’re going on our own program," Bowness said. "Which was the problem all of last year. We thought we had corrected it, now we have to correct it again, and we will."He added: "This group knows how to win. There is a price to pay in this league: You have to work, you have to compete, and you have to do it every night. As the season progresses, it gets harder."Despite a recent skid, the Jets are in prime position to qualify for the postseason with a 31-19-1 record. Winnipeg will take on the St. Louis Blues on Monday night for a final tuneup before the All-Star break.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vancouver Canucks forward Ilya Mikheyev needs ACL surgery and has been shut down for the remainder of the season, general manager Patrik Allvin announced Friday, according to Sportsnet's Iain MacIntyreMikheyev, 28, sustained the injury in the preseason and missed the Canucks' first three games of the campaign.He put up 13 goals - including one tally during Friday's 5-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets - and 15 assists in 46 games while averaging almost 17 minutes of ice during his first campaign with the Canucks.Allvin added the surgery was always going to be necessary and that the winger worked with medical staff. The team is shelving him now with training camp eight months away.Mikheyev further explained the situation Saturday, saying the decision to keep playing was his and that he felt no pressure from the Canucks."When I was injured in the preseason, I went through several tests and realized I could play without causing any more damage," he tweeted. "That's what I wanted to do."He added, "If I continued to play (beyond this point), I wouldn't be ready for training camp. I appreciate everyone's concern, but I have no complaints with the way this was handled."Mikheyev signed a four-year, $19-million deal with Vancouver as an unrestricted free agent in July.Allvin also announced that goaltender Thatcher Demko's timeline is still foggy, but he might be able to return in three weeks, per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. Demko hasn't played since Dec. 1 due to a lower-body injury.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Columbus Blue Jackets claimed forward Lane Pederson off waivers from the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday, the team announced.Pederson recorded a goal and two assists in 11 games with the Canucks this season while averaging 12:50 per contest. The 25-year-old winger has tallied two goals and six helpers in 55 career NHL games between the Canucks, San Jose Sharks, and Arizona Coyotes.The Canucks acquired Pederson and defenseman Ethan Bear from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a fifth-round pick in October.The Blue Jackets placed forward Gustav Nyquist on injured reserve in a corresponding move. The veteran winger is out indefinitely with an upper-body injury.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.