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by Josh Gold-Smith on (#67ZCH)
The Vancouver Canucks are turning back the clock and acknowledging their history in more ways than one with a new alternate uniform.The club revealed its new third jersey on the same night it paid tribute to late fan favorite Gino Odjick, who donned the original "Black Skate" sweater during his playing days. He died Sunday at the age of 52.
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| Updated | 2024-11-23 12:15 |
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by Mike Dickson on (#67ZBS)
The Pittsburgh Penguins spent much of Wednesday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators killing off penalties. Pittsburgh was shorthanded nine times, giving up four power-play goals along the way that allowed Ottawa to claim victory.Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan was at a loss trying to describe his team's performance following the defeat."It's pretty tough to assess a game like that when half the game is special teams," Sullivan said after the game. "There was no flow to it, there was no five-on-five, it was ridiculous."In addition to the nine power plays for Ottawa, the Senators were also called for five penalties, leaving just over half of the game played at five-on-five.Sullivan's main gripe postgame appeared to be with the officiating on the night."Let's just say I question a fair amount of the calls," Sullivan added.While he took issue with the calls against his team, Sullivan also recognized that giving up four power-play goals is hardly a recipe for success and gave credit to his penalty killers for trying to fight through the adversity."We gave up four goals against, it's not good enough," Sullivan said. "We battled hard but when you're spending a third of the game trying to kill penalties it puts an awful lot of burden on those guys."The loss dropped Pittsburgh to 22-15-7 on the year as the Pens currently sit in fifth place in the Metropolitan division. They return to action Friday, once again against the Senators.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by Josh Wegman on (#67YQ1)
The Ottawa Senators got a major piece of the puzzle back Wednesday, as center Josh Norris returned to the lineup against the Pittsburgh Penguins.Norris registered a pair of shots and also picked up a minor penalty for boarding in just over 19 minutes of play during Ottawa's 5-4 overtime win.Norris missed the previous 38 games after suffering a shoulder injury against the Arizona Coyotes on Oct. 22.The 23-year-old centered the club's second line between Claude Giroux and Alex DeBrincat on Wednesday.Norris led the team with 35 goals last season despite playing only 66 games. He's tallied 92 points in 130 contests across his four-year NHL career.Mathieu Joseph, who's been out since Dec. 8 with a lower-body injury, was also eligible to return to the lineup but was a healthy scratch instead.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by Josh Gold-Smith on (#67Y41)
Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov chose not to take part in the pregame warmup before playing in Tuesday's win over the Anaheim Ducks because the hosts were celebrating Pride Night to support the LGBTQ community."I respect everyone. I respect everybody's choices. My choice is to stay true to myself and my religion," Provorov said afterward, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Giana Han.The blue-liner, who is Russian Orthodox, declined to elaborate and said he'd only take hockey questions. The team also prevented reporters from following up on the subject, per Han.The club emphasized its inclusion efforts in a postgame statement."The Philadelphia Flyers organization is committed to inclusivity and is proud to support the LGBTQ+ community," the statement reads, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia's Jordan Hall. "Many of our players are active in their support of local LGBTQ+ organizations, and we were proud to host our annual Pride Night again this year. The Flyers will continue to be strong advocates for inclusivity and the LGBTQ+ community."Flyers head coach John Tortorella spoke to reporters before Provorov and made the same point the rearguard did, stating Provorov was "being true to himself and his religion." The bench boss added, "That's one thing I respect about Provy," and said he didn't consider benching him for the game itself.
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by Josh Wegman on (#67Z05)
The Colorado Avalanche will be without No. 1 defenseman Cale Makar on Wednesday against the Calgary Flames, head coach Jared Bednar said, per The Athletic's Peter Baugh.Makar is dealing with an undisclosed injury he suffered Monday against the Detroit Red Wings and is considered day-to-day.Bednar added that Makar did, however, make the trip to his native Calgary with the team. The Avalanche visit the Vancouver Canucks on Friday and the Seattle Kraken on Saturday before heading home for a matchup with the Washington Capitals on Tuesday.Here are Colorado's projected defense pairings in Makar's absence:LDRDDevon ToewsErik JohnsonSamuel GirardAndreas EnglundKurtis MacDermidBrad HuntThe Avs, who've been hit hard by injuries this season, are also without Josh Manson and Bowen Byram on the back end.Makar, the reigning Norris Trophy and Conn Smythe winner, has tallied 43 points in 42 games this season.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by Josh Wegman on (#67YVW)
Montreal Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky will be out three months with a lower-body injury suffered Sunday against the New York Rangers, the team announced Wednesday.Slafkovsky's injury doesn't require surgery.A three-month timeline puts Slafkovsky in jeopardy of missing the remainder of his rookie campaign. Montreal plays its final regular-season game on April 13 against the Boston Bruins.The reigning No. 1 pick has registered four goals and six assists in 39 contests this season.The banged-up Habs also announced that goaltender Jake Allen and forwards Jonathan Drouin and Joel Armia are dealing with upper-body injuries. Drouin and Armia are expected to be out until the All-Star break, while Allen will miss at least a week.Additionally, forward Jake Evans will miss 8-to-10 weeks due to a lower-body ailment that doesn't require surgery.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by Todd Cordell on (#67YN3)
We have just five games on the board for Wednesday night's slate. With most contests priced appropriately, we'll use a couple of player props to help produce a full card of best bets.Let's get right into them.Lightning (-175) @ Canucks (+150)The Vancouver Canucks are a tough team to get behind these days. Their goaltending is inconsistent, they have a lame-duck head coach, there are near-daily reports about the organization's dysfunction, and the roster has plenty of holes.Despite all of that, there's still value backing the Canucks at home to the Tampa Bay Lightning.The biggest reason? This is likely a Brian Elliott game. With the Lightning taking on Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night, it feels safe to say they'll save Andrei Vasilevskiy - who's started five in a row - for the much better opponent.Assuming that's the case, Elliott provides a significant raise in floor and ceiling for the Canucks' offense. Even though save percentages are way down league-wide this season, Elliott comes in below average at .897 and is exploitable.As many flaws as this Canucks team has, the one thing it can do consistently is produce offense. Vancouver ranks eighth in the NHL in goals per game.Elliott has struggled immensely against teams with potent offenses. He started six games against top-20 sides in goals per game, conceding five to the Pittsburgh Penguins, three to the Buffalo Sabres, four to the Dallas Stars, five to Buffalo, five to the Detroit Red Wings, and four to the Minnesota Wild.Despite how good the Lightning are, I'll happily take my chances with the Canucks if the +150 home 'dog can generate the kind of output even average offensive teams consistently produce against Elliott.Bet: Canucks (+150)Thomas Chabot over 2.5 shots (+105)We're going right back to Chabot - a frequent target of late - in a sneaky good spot on home soil, where he's at his best.The Senators' No. 1 defenseman has gone over the number in six of his last 10 games in Ottawa, recording at least two shots per contest. He gets the job done more often than not and finishes within striking distance every time.Chabot averaged a solid six attempts per game during that stretch, offering some wiggle room.I expect his volume to remain strong in a good matchup against the Penguins. They rank bottom 10 in shot suppression this campaign and have conceded shots in bulk to opposing blue-liners all season long.In fact, only four teams give up more shots per game to the position than the Penguins. They're keeping company with bottom-feeders like the Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Arizona Coyotes. Not ideal!It's worth noting Chabot hit his over in each of the three times he faced the Penguins since the beginning of last season, attempting 22 shots (7.3 per game) in that time.Look for his shooting success to continue against Pittsburgh on Wednesday night.Nathan MacKinnon over 4.5 shots (+105)MacKinnon has been shooting the lights out for the Colorado Avalanche since returning from injury.He appeared in seven games thus far, attempting a whopping 75 shots. That puts him nine clear of the closest player (Jack Hughes) over the seven-game segment.MacKinnon is never shy about shooting the puck, but with Colorado struggling to get wins and missing several key players, he's taking even more on his plate than usual.That also shows in his usage. MacKinnon averaged nearly 24 minutes of ice time per game since rejoining the lineup, which is well above his season average of 22:20.The Calgary Flames are a difficult matchup for volume shooters, but MacKinnon's combination of top-tier talent and usage makes him an attractive option anyway.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.
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by Josh Wegman on (#67XJ8)
The Edmonton Oilers activated winger Evander Kane off long-term injured reserve and inserted him into the lineup for Tuesday's matchup with the Seattle Kraken.Kane missed the previous 31 games after his wrist was cut by a skate Nov. 8 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.The 31-year-old power forward tallied 13 points in 14 games before the injury. He recorded 35 goals and 21 assists in 58 contests in 2021-22 (in the regular season and playoffs) after signing with Edmonton as a free agent midseason.Edmonton moved forward Kailer Yamamoto and defenseman Ryan Murray to LTIR in corresponding moves.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by Kyle Cushman on (#67XZG)
The Montreal Canadiens have held preliminary contract talks with pending restricted free agent Cole Caufield, according to TSN's Darren Dreger."My understanding is that the preliminary talks of an extension between Cole Caufield's agent, Pat Brisson, and the Montreal Canadiens started roughly a month ago," Dreger said on Tuesday's "Insider Trading."Caufield is in the final year of an entry-level contract he signed in March 2021. He's tallied 26 goals and 36 points through 44 contests this season.The 22-year-old has blossomed into one of the premier young goal-scorers in the NHL over the past year and a half. After scoring just once in 30 games under Dominique Ducharme in 2021-22, Caufield has found the back of the net 48 times in 81 contests with Martin St. Louis behind the Canadiens' bench. Only eight players have scored more goals over that span.Matt Boldy, drafted three slots higher than Caufield in 2019, recently signed a seven-year, $49-million extension with the Minnesota Wild.The Canadiens are last in the Atlantic Division with an 18-23-3 record.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by Josh Gold-Smith on (#67XZH)
The Boston Bruins and David Pastrnak appear to be closer to getting a deal done.The two sides made progress in extension negotiations last week, TSN's Darren Dreger reported on Tuesday's edition of "Insider Trading."Pastrnak, a pending unrestricted free agent, has vaulted into the Hart Trophy conversation during his contract year. The 26-year-old ranks second in the NHL with 35 goals and third behind only Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl with 62 points across 43 games. He's notched 19 more goals and 22 more points than the closest teammates.The dynamic winger is the Bruins' highest-paid forward. He's in the final year of a six-year pact carrying a cap hit of $6.67 million, according to CapFriendly.Pastrnak shared the "Rocket" Richard Trophy with Alex Ovechkin in 2019-20 when they racked up 48 goals apiece. Pastrnak is in his ninth campaign with the club that drafted him 25th overall in 2014.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by John Matisz on (#67XDP)
The NHL season has passed its midway point, and lost in the sea of first-half surprises and disappointments is one player who always seems to be hiding in plain sight, both on the ice and in our minds.That player is Kyle Connor of the Winnipeg Jets. Darcy Finley / Getty ImagesIn Manitoba, where they know him best, Connor is celebrated as a superstar. Elsewhere, the 26-year-old's exploits tend to be overlooked. Connor has scored the sixth-most goals since 2017-18 - his first full NHL season - but you'd probably be surprised to see his name among hockey's elite offensive dynamos.Consider this: Connor's 197 goals in that span are 19 behind David Pastrnak, 17 ahead of Nathan MacKinnon, and 19 ahead of Steven Stamkos. From a name-recognition standpoint, Connor is the relative nobody of that group of snipers.This season, Connor has 53 points in 44 games, tying him for 10th in league scoring. Winnipeg's coaching staff relies on him for 20 minutes a night, three of which are spent on the right flank of the top power-play unit."Hey, maybe it's a good thing. Maybe teams are taking him and us lighter than they should be," Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey said. "He's a fantastic player. And it's not just the last couple of years, right? He's been doing this for a while. Maybe we'll try to keep him under the radar."Added Winnipeg forward Sam Gagner: "He doesn't look for press or accolades or anything like that. He's just hungry to score, hungry to help us win. That's all he focuses on."The Central Division-leading Jets have done plenty of winning since October. They own a 29-14-1 record and a plus-33 goal differential thanks to stellar team defense (2.59 goals against per game to rank second) and team offense (3.34 goals per game to rank ninth) under new bench boss Rick Bowness. Darcy Finley / Getty ImagesConnor, a shoot-first winger sharing five-on-five shifts with center Pierre-Luc Dubois and Nikolaj Ehlers, is projected to hit 30 goals for the fifth time in six seasons. (He was on pace for 37 during the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 campaign.) His assist rate, meanwhile, is on the rise. He's on pace for 60 helpers after recording a career-high 46 last year, and his 0.52 primary assists per game - almost double his previous best - are seventh in the NHL.Connor didn't work on his passing more than usual this past offseason, and he hasn't made any major tactical adjustments during the season. "I love to shoot, score goals, but I like to think that whatever the best play is, that's the one I should make," he said when asked about the sudden uptick in assists.For the record, Connor hasn't lucked into the production, sitting eighth in primary points with 21 goals and 23 primary assists. The top 10 is a who's who of dual threats: Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl lead the charge with 60-plus, while Pastrnak, Jason Robertson, Mikko Rantanen, Tage Thompson, Kirill Kaprizov, Nikita Kucherov, and Jack Hughes are all in the 40-50 range.Connor is also quietly tied with Draisaitl for the league lead with eight game-winning goals. Since 2017-18, only McDavid and Draisaitl have compiled more game-winners than Connor's 41, a record total for the Atlanta-Winnipeg franchise. Darcy Finley / Getty ImagesConnor's calling cards are his quick feet and wicked wrist shot. "It's one of the best releases I've seen," said Bowness, who's on his seventh stint as an NHL head coach. Teammates also rave about Connor's off-the-charts hockey IQ, which manifests both in his abilities as a playmaker (holding on to the puck for that extra millisecond) and a sniper (finding that free patch of ice from which to sling pucks)."A lot of the things he does offensively, they don't pop," Gagner said. "You see the high-end speed and how he creates off the rush, of course - everyone does - but a lot of the offense he creates in the O-zone is actually really subtle. He does a great job of creating these little pockets of ice for himself, where he can get loose to create a chance for someone or score himself."Multiple people mentioned that Connor is underrated as a forechecker. He can use his speed to win the foot race or, if he doesn't have a good beat on the chase, utilize his smarts to strip the puck from the defender."There's no flash to him, really," said former Jets coach Todd Woodcroft, who helped run the club's forward group from 2016-20. "The only flash is when he's going by you and you're looking at his jersey flapping in the wind. He's substantive and it shows in his production."Surely, Connor's surroundings have played a role in dimming his star power.Winnipeg is a unique market in that it's both big and small. Similar to Ottawa, the fan base is rabid and fairly large compared to, say, a club located in the southern United States. But the metropolitan population and media coverage don't stack up to powerhouse markets like Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.Connor is also sometimes overshadowed within the Jets' ecosystem. This year, Morrissey - a Norris Trophy contender - and goalie Connor Hellebuyck - a Vezina front-runner - are receiving the bulk of national attention. At various points in the past, Dustin Byfuglien, Patrik Laine, Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler, Ehlers, and Dubois have distracted from Connor's exploits for one reason or another. Jonathan Kozub / Getty ImagesEchoing others, ex-Jets goalie Eric Comrie, now with the Buffalo Sabres, says Connor is a "typical chill kind of guy" who's low-key and low-maintenance. He isn't overly stiff or overly goofy. The native of Shelby Township, Michigan, unwinds in the summers with golf, fishing, and hunting. You won't catch him hawking a product on TV or Instagram anytime soon.Listed at 6-foot-1, 182 pounds, Connor has filled out his frame since the Jets drafted him 17th overall in 2015. That said, standing next to him last week in the visitor's locker room following the Jets' 4-2 victory in Buffalo - after Connor scored the game-winning goal on a dizzying breakaway deke - it's fair to say there isn't a wow factor to his physique. He isn't a hulking presence.Even his name is unassuming."It's like, if he was Kyle Stinowski, you'd remember him a little bit more," Woodcroft said with a laugh. "But Kyle Connor? He might as well have a name tag saying he works at Best Buy."Woodcroft - who labels his former player kind, humble, quiet, and ultra-competitive - uses a gardening analogy to emphasize his point: "Kyle doesn't crave any sunlight. He's this plant that's grown and been fostered. He's got roots, and he's like a tropism growing towards the sunlight but avoiding it."Sixth in goals since 2017-18 with little fanfare. Does Connor himself care?"If I lost sleep over that, I'd need to find bigger issues to deal with," Connor said with a sheepish grin. "Focusing on what you can control is a big part of who I am. And that relates not only to how I am on the ice but off the ice too. I haven't put too much effort into worrying about being more well-known."He added: "I just go about my business and play hockey."John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by Josh Wegman on (#67XDN)
The Montreal Canadiens will be without three regulars up front for the foreseeable future.Forwards Juraj Slafkovsky, Joel Armia, and Jake Evans are out indefinitely and have been placed on injured reserve, the Habs announced Tuesday.However, defenseman Mike Matheson will return to the lineup Tuesday against the Winnipeg Jets after missing the last 13 games with a lower-body injury.Slafkovsky suffered a lower-body injury Sunday against the New York Rangers. The 2022 No. 1 pick has produced four goals and six assists so far in his rookie campaign.Armia sustained an upper-body injury against the Rangers. The 6-foot-4 winger has recorded three goals and four helpers in 32 contests this season.Evans endured a lower-body ailment Saturday against the New York Islanders. The checking-line center has posted a pair of goals and nine assists in 42 games this campaign.In a corresponding move, forwards Rafael Harvey-Pinard and Rem Pitlick were recalled from the AHL's Laval Rocket on an emergency basis. Pitlick has been among the Rocket's best players this season with 22 points in 18 games.Additionally, forward Sean Monahan, who's been out since early December with a lower-body injury, was moved from IR to long-term injured reserve. However, he's "progressing well," according to the team.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by Todd Cordell on (#67XJ9)
Tuesday features an eight-game NHL slate. Let's explore a couple of plays that stand out from the pack.Sabres (-175) @ Blackhawks (+150)The Sabres enter this game on a 1-4-0 run and desperately need points as they look to remain firmly in the Eastern Conference playoff race. They should be able to get what they need against the Blackhawks.In a season with some unbelievably bad teams in the league basement, the Blackhawks continue to make a strong case as the very worst. They're completely inept offensively at five-on-five, ranking 32nd in both expected and actual goals per 60 minutes.Chicago also struggles on the defensive side of things, ranking 29th in goals against per 60 minutes at five-on-five.Even on the tail end of a back-to-back, Buffalo should be able to play on its front foot for much of this game.The Sabres are far better at full strength, have significantly more high-end talent, and a great deal of youth. One would think that will serve them well in a back-to-back situation; they can recover quicker and should have more gas in the tank.Buffalo secured an overtime win when these teams met earlier in the season - and a well-deserved one at that. The Sabres generated 31 more shot attempts, 14 more scoring chances, and eight more high-danger scoring opportunities than their opponents.Even more impressive was the fact the Sabres did that with a banged-up blue line featuring Kale Clague, Lawrence Pilut, and Casey Fitzgerald; none of those three should be in the lineup Tuesday.With a much healthier defense, Buffalo is better equipped to slow down Chicago's meager offense - the Sabres allowed three goals on 26 shots in the previous meeting - and should spend more time on the attack.Though Petr Mrazek starting would have been the icing on the cake, Blackhawks netminder Alex Stalock has conceded three goals or more in four of five appearances and looks to be coming back down to earth after a hot run.Bet: Sabres in regulation (-120)Ducks (+170) @ Flyers (-200)Backing an under is always a scary proposition in Ducks games. Anaheim's defense is so putrid that any opponent can potentially surpass the game total singlehandedly.That being said, value is value - and there's value on the under in this contest. The goaltending matchup hardly seems high-end on paper, but there could be more to it than that.Samuel Ersson has played very well since joining the Flyers on a full-time basis. Through six appearances, he owns a 4-0-0 record and a .917 save percentage, which is well above the league average of .900.It's unlikely Ersson is as good as he's shown thus far, but the bottom-feeding Ducks are probably not the team to slow him down.Anthony Stolarz, meanwhile, is better than his surface stats suggest. He's conceded minus-0.068 goals above expected on a per-start basis, which means he's stopping what he should; that's not an easy task playing behind a Ducks team that depends heavily on its netminders.John Gibson, in comparison, has conceded almost 0.40 goals more than expected on a per-start basis. Stolarz has clearly outperformed him.Though Anaheim tends to bring out the best in opposing offenses, the Flyers slot 24th in shots per game and 26th in goals per game. Philadelphia is hardly a team Stolarz can't keep in check.Expect a 4-1 or 3-2 game for the under.Bet: Under 6 (-105)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.
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by Todd Cordell on (#67XDQ)
We started the week on a positive note with our shot props as two of the three players - Tyler Toffoli and Alex Pietrangelo - hit their overs with a couple of shots to spare.We'll aim for another winning night with three more plays for Tuesday's slate.William Nylander over 3.5 shots (-115)William Nylander is a god on home ice. The star winger has registered at least four shots in nine of his last 10 games in Toronto, falling just one shot short in the lone exception.Nylander has attempted at least six shots in nine of those games. That gives him a nightly cushion to squander a couple of opportunities and still be able to hit this line.What I especially love about Nylander is the opponent has more or less been irrelevant. He's gone up against stingy shot-suppression teams like the Los Angeles Kings, Calgary Flames, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Seattle Kraken yet has found a way to consistently hit.Auston Matthews recently rejoining the lineup is a big plus as well. Believe it or not, Nylander generates shots at a higher rate with Matthews on his line than any other forward he's spent at least 30 minutes with this season.I expect the Toronto Maple Leafs to be on the front foot a lot in this game. Considering the Florida Panthers are weakest at preventing shots from opposing right wingers, Nylander should have plenty of chances to take advantage.Tage Thompson over 3.5 shots (-130)Thompson has cooled off of late in terms of shot generation and, for the season, he's more efficient on home ice than on the road. I don't think it's going to matter in this matchup.The Chicago Blackhawks are one of the worst teams in the NHL, routinely getting caved in on the shot department regardless of their opponent.They also struggle mightily to slow down opposing centers, allowing almost 12 shots per game to the position. That ranks them in the bottom five in the NHL.The Buffalo Sabres and Blackhawks have met once this season. Thompson popped off in that game, attempting a whopping 14 shots while hitting the target eight times.I don't expect that kind of volume again, but Thompson should be able to get the job done in Chicago.Owen Tippett over 2.5 shots (-130)The Philadelphia Flyers don't give Owen Tippett a ton of ice time, but it has crept up of late. Over his last 10 games, Tippett's averaging one more minute than his season average of 14.5.He's taken advantage of the increased role as he leads the Flyers in shot attempts over the last 10 games.Dating back to his junior days, Tippett has always been a shoot-first, ask-questions-later kind of player. That's exactly what the Flyers - who are a little short on skilled offensive players - need from him.More so than any other player, Tippett should be chomping at the bit about his matchup Tuesday night. The Anaheim Ducks are the worst shot-suppression team in the league, and they take a lot of penalties.Tippett should be able to get the job done at five-on-five. If all else fails, he can likely look forward to a few opportunities now that he's playing on the top power-play unit.I think Tippett, who has hit in five of his last six games at home, is in line for another productive shooting night.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.
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by Kayla Douglas on (#67WP7)
Vancouver Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford said he's "disappointed" in the job he's done assembling a team in the throes of a dramatic and frustrating 2022-23 campaign."When I came here, I knew it was going to be a big challenge," Rutherford said Monday during a wide-ranging press conference, according to Sportsnet. "And I thought, 'We're going to have to do minor surgery.' ... Have I changed my position? Yeah, we have to do major surgery."The 73-year-old executive joined the Canucks' front office in December 2021 after the team parted with ex-head coach Travis Green and former general manager Jim Benning.Vancouver performed admirably after the midseason shift, finishing the campaign with a 40-30-12 record to sit five points out of a playoff spot.Instead of building on that hopeful stretch, the Canucks opened this season with a seven-game losing streak. Vancouver is currently sixth in the Pacific Division and sits 12 points out of the Western Conference's second wild-card spot - four months after Boudreau said missing this year's playoffs "would be a disaster" for the team.Those developments have forced Rutherford to consider drastic measures."When I first came here, I talked about getting control of the cap ... getting rid of some contracts, and we haven't been able to do that," he said. "Now, the opportunity hasn't been there, but it's still my job to get it done. Until we do that, we're not gonna be able to make the kind of changes that we need to make. ... It could end up being core players."He added: "Between now and the start of next season, we're gonna have to make some changes. Some won't be very popular, some will be popular. But we're gonna have to really do some things that I didn't think we would normally have to do when I first got here."Rutherford said he will explore buying out some contracts this offseason if he can't move them.One player who may soon depart Vancouver is captain Bo Horvat. The 27-year-old is enjoying a career year as a pending unrestricted free agent, notching 30 goals and 48 points in 43 contests."I believe we've taken our best shot, and the contract we have on the table for Bo right now, I think, is a fair contract for what he's done up until this year," Rutherford said. "But it's certainly under market value for what he's done this year. So, we're in a pickle here. ... He's looking for his money; he deserves it. I don't blame him."Rumors are also swirling about Boudreau's future as head coach. Rutherford admitted he has spoken with external candidates but said the job belongs to the veteran bench boss for now.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by Josh Wegman on (#67WQM)
Nick Robertson's 2022-23 campaign is over.The Toronto Maple Leafs winger underwent season-ending shoulder surgery and will be out for six months, the team announced Monday.Robertson suffered the ailment on Dec. 8 against the Los Angeles Kings. The team initially said he wouldn't need surgery and would miss six-to-eight weeks.
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by Kyle Cushman on (#67VN3)
Detroit Red Wings goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic cleared waivers Monday and was assigned to the AHL, the team announced.Defenseman Robert Hagg was activated off injured reserve in a corresponding move.Nedeljkovic has a cap hit of $3 million. He's set to become an unrestricted free agent at the expiration of his contract following the 2022-23 campaign.The 27-year-old has a .880 save percentage and a 4.09 goals-against average in nine appearances with the Red Wings this season. He's not played for Detroit since allowing five goals on 41 shots against the Florida Panthers on Dec. 8.Nedeljkovic was assigned to the AHL on a conditioning loan on Jan. 4. He's made six starts with the Grand Rapids Griffins, posting a .920 save percentage and a 2.30 goals-against average. Nedeljkovic recorded a 27-save shutout on Saturday in the final game of his conditioning loan.Detroit acquired the netminder from the Carolina Hurricanes in 2021 for a third-round pick and the UFA rights to Jonathan Bernier. Nedeljkovic had a .901 save percentage in 59 contests in his first season with Detroit.Ville Husso has taken the Red Wings' starting job after signing a three-year contract with a $4.75-million cap hit in the offseason. The 27-year-old has a .902 save percentage in 29 appearances.Detroit claimed 31-year-old Magnus Hellberg off waivers in November. He has played as Husso's backup while Nedeljkovic has been on his conditioning loan.The Red Wings are sixth in the Atlantic Division with an 18-16-7 record.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by Kayla Douglas on (#67WEH)
Canucks captain Bo Horvat said his team hasn't given up on head coach Bruce Boudreau as rumors continue to fly about the veteran bench boss' future in Vancouver."Obviously everybody hears it," Horvat said following the Canucks' 4-3 shootout victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday night. "It can't be easy - it's not easy on us in here, I'm sure it's not easy on (Boudreau), hearing that kind of stuff."We continue to battle for him. He's a really good person and a good coach. Everybody wants to play for him so we're going to continue to do that."That's the message the Canucks sent during their comeback win against the Metropolitan Division-leading Hurricanes. Vancouver was down 3-2 after Sebastian Aho scored with just under three minutes remaining in regulation, but Brock Boeser forced overtime with an equalizer in the final 17 seconds of the third period.Elias Pettersson netted the shootout winner to officially end the Canucks' four-game winless streak, their longest skid since opening the campaign with a seven-game slump.Boudreau said he appreciates the effort he's getting from his players."They're a good group, they want to win. I've been saying this all along," he told reporters postgame, per Sportsnet. "It doesn't work all the time, but they come to play and they come to win. I'm happy and proud that they work hard for me, so it's great."Boudreau signed a two-year deal with the Canucks after replacing Travis Green in December 2021. The club went 32-15-10 under Boudreau and came within five points of making the playoffs after starting the season 8-15-2 with Green at the helm.In May, president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford said the team wasn't ready to commit to Boudreau beyond the 2022-23 campaign despite Vancouver's promising on-ice results.Rutherford noted that there was a possibility the organization would be ready to talk about an extension partway through the season, but that no longer seems to be the case. The Canucks have recently been linked to former NHL head coach and current TNT analyst Rick Tocchet as a replacement for Boudreau.Rutherford confirmed Monday that he has reached out to external coaching candidates - dating back months - but he didn't name anyone specifically, and he added that the position still belongs to Boudreau."All I can say is that Bruce is our coach right now," Rutherford told reporters, per TSN. "But with that (said) I'm calling and talking, but don't know that we're making a change and don't want to make a change."Boudreau was asked about the speculation surrounding his job following the Canucks' 4-3 loss to the Florida Panthers on Saturday."I just wake up every day and go to work until they tell me not to," he said.Vancouver's season has not been short on drama. Horvat's status remains up in the air as a pending unrestricted free agent, while defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson was a healthy scratch Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning.The organization also launched an internal review of its handling of Tanner Pearson's season-ending injury. Pearson was originally expected to miss four-to-six weeks recovering from a surgical procedure on his hand in November, but he needed two more surgeries and was eventually ruled out for the campaign.The Canucks are sixth in the Pacific Division with a record of 18-22-3.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by Kayla Douglas on (#67WJB)
Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews is aware that he might not be in the Windy City for much longer, but he acknowledges that a change might not be the worst thing for all parties involved."It's still a difficult question to answer 'cause there's a part of myself that still doesn't really want to admit the situation and also wants to continue being a Blackhawk and finish my career here," Toews said in an interview with NBC Sports Chicago's Charlie Roumeliotis."But at the same time, there's a part of me that sees the writing on the wall and sees that this team, this organization, is trying to hit the reset button and that maybe a change for everybody is not such a bad thing, and that goes for myself as well."Toews and teammate Patrick Kane are playing out the final season of identical eight-year, $84-million contracts.Kane is seen as the hotter trade target between the two longtime Blackhawks. He chipped in with 26 goals and 66 points in 78 games last season, but he hasn't been as productive in 2022-23 with just eight tallies through 38 contests.Toews, meanwhile, has 12 goals and 12 assists in 40 games this campaign. He missed the entire 2020-21 season while dealing with chronic immune response syndrome and put up 37 points in 71 contests during his return in 2021-22."For myself, it's just kind of a tricky situation," Toews said. "(It's) the last year of my contract, and I haven't played my best hockey in some time. So, I'm not sure what the opportunities (are) or what's going to come knocking."But there's no doubt in my mind, again, I'm focusing on my game, trying to improve that every single day and trying to enjoy just playing the game, being a Blackhawk as long as I can, for however long that is and while it still lasts."Kane recently said that he expects to meet with general manager Kyle Davidson soon and that he's been in touch with his agent, Pat Brisson, on a frequent basis.Chicago currently sits in the league's basement with an 11-26-4 record following Saturday's 8-5 defeat to the Seattle Kraken.The trade deadline is March 3 at 3 p.m. ET.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by Matt Russell on (#67WGK)
We've addressed what happens to a team's rating in the betting market when a key player goes out twice this season. The Panthers' Aaron Ekblad and Avalanche's Nathan MacKinnon missed more than 10 games. That gave us a window into how the market prices a multi-dimensional defenseman and a star forward out of a moneyline. But what happens when a team gets back a key player or two after not having them all season?Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson made their season debuts for the Capitals on Jan. 8. They're two stars of the club's 2018 Stanley Cup victory and still in their theoretical prime.Knowing Washington would be without those players for roughly half the campaign, the market rated the Capitals as an average team before the season and lined them at 94.5 points (1.15 PPG). The Caps were almost exactly at that projection through 42 games, accumulating 50 points (1.19 PPG).Accidentally or by design, Backstrom and Wilson returned the week the Capitals had three games over nine days and faced lesser competition in the Blue Jackets and Flyers (twice). In their first contest, we had Washington with a fair projected win probability of 76% without Backstrom and Wilson. However, its moneyline was -365 - an implied win probability of 78%. Two percent is a negligible difference after the sportsbook applies the vigorish, so there was almost no adjustment to the return of two key players.The Capitals beat Columbus but lost the next two games against the Flyers. Backstrom and Wilson have combined for just one assist in three contests. If you were excited to bet on Washington due to the team getting big-name reinforcements and with moneylines of -185 and -225 against Philadelphia, you'd be down three units over three games.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 BETJan. 16PHI@BOS+236/-236PHI +288/BOS -225FLA@BUF-143/+143FLA -138/BUF +170DET@COL+177/-177DET +212/COL -170TBL@SEA-134/+134TBL -129/SEA +159NJD@SJS-134/+134NJD -125/SJS +154DAL@VGK+127/-127DAL +150/VGK -122ANA@PIT+198/-198ANA +238/PIT -189NYR@CBJ-129/+129NYR -124/CBJ +152WSH@NYI+107/-107WSH +118/NYI +104OTT@STL-107/+107OTT +104/STL +118CGY@NSH+103/-103CGY +114/NSH +107Jan. 17FLA@TOR+150/-150FLA +178/TOR -144WPG@MTL-131/+131WPG -126/MTL +155MIN@WSH-117/+117MIN -113/WSH +138ANA@PHI+141/-141ANA +167/PHI -135CBJ@NSH+276/-276CBJ +343/NSH -263BUF@CHI+100/+100BUF +110/CHI +110DET@ARI+100/+100DET +110/ARI +110SEA@EDM+173/-173SEA +206/EDM -166Jan. 18PIT@OTT+106/-106PIT +117/OTT +105BOS@NYI-123/+123BOS -118/NYI +144COL@CGY+117/-117COL +137/CGY -112TBL@VAN-152/+152TBL -145/VAN +180DAL@SJS-104/+104DAL +106/SJS +115Jan. 19MIN@CAR+152/-152MIN +180/CAR -146FLA@MTL-185/+185FLA -177/MTL +222CHI@PHI+147/-147CHI +174/PHI -141WPG@TOR+172/-172WPG +205/TOR -165ANA@CBJ+117/-117ANA +137/CBJ -112BOS@NYR+115/-115BOS +135/NYR -110NYI@BUF+124/-124NYI +146/BUF -119NSH@STL-128/+128NSH -123/STL +150TBL@EDM+108/-108TBL +120/EDM +102WSH@ARI-159/+159WSH -152/ARI +189NJD@SEA-121/+121NJD -116/SEA +142DET@VGK+172/-172DET +206/VGK -165DAL@LAK+143/-143DAL +169/LAK -137Jan. 20OTT@PIT+131/-131OTT +154/PIT -125COL@VAN-120/+120COL -115/VAN +142Jan. 21ANA@BUF+164/-164ANA +195/BUF -157TBL@CGY-107/+107TBL +103/CGY +119MIN@FLA+138/-138MIN +163/FLA -132WPG@OTT-117/+117WPG -113/OTT +138SJS@CBJ-128/+128SJS -123/CBJ +151PHI@DET+134/-134PHI +158/DET -128TOR@MTL-194/+194TOR -185/MTL +233CAR@NYI-136/+136CAR -131/NYI +161LAK@NSH+115/-115LAK +135/NSH -110CHI@STL+145/-145CHI +171/STL -139ARI@DAL+236/-236ARI +289/DAL -226EDM@VAN-129/+129EDM -124/VAN +152WSH@VGK+132/-132WSH +156/VGK -127COL@SEA+114/-114COL +134/SEA -110Jan. 22PIT@NJD+165/-165PIT +196/NJD -158WPG@PHI-119/+119WPG -114/PHI +140LAK@CHI-162/+162LAK -155/CHI +193SJS@BOS+230/-230SJS +280/BOS -219VGK@ARI-180/+180VGK -173/ARI +216Matt 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.
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by Todd Cordell on (#67WEF)
We have a full day of hockey ahead of us Monday. The action begins at 1 p.m. ET and runs almost the entire night.Let's waste no time getting to our best bets.Senators (-115) @ Blues (-105)On the surface, the Blues seem to be handling themselves just fine without Ryan O'Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko. Since the pair of top-six forwards went down with injuries on Dec. 31, St. Louis has managed a respectable 4-3 record.Don't let the results fool you. The Blues haven't played well. They've controlled just 42% of the expected goal share at five-on-five, putting them behind all but the Coyotes, Blackhawks, and Ducks. Those are three teams heavily in the Connor Bedard sweepstakes.St. Louis has struggled at both ends of the ice in that time. It ranks 30th in expected goal generation and is in the bottom 10 in xG prevention at five-on-five.If not for unsustainably high shooting percentages, things would look bleaker for the Blues.Despite not getting a lot of saves and losing some games lately, the Senators have played pretty well. Their expected goal share ranks just outside the top 10, sandwiching them between the Maple Leafs and Golden Knights.Save for the last time out against a desperate Avalanche team, Ottawa has primarily controlled the run of play since the calendar flipped.I expect the Senators to do that against this undermanned Blues squad. Given the goaltending they're getting from Jordan Binnington right now, Ottawa's struggles between the pipes will likely prove less costly.Look for the Sens to get back in the win column Monday night.Bet: Senators (-115)Lightning (-130) @ Kraken (+110)The Kraken enter play riding an eight-game winning streak, having won the last seven on a historically good road trip.It's been Seattle's offense leading the charge. The club found the back of the net 41 times in its last eight contests, scoring at least four goals in seven games.Although they don't possess a true superstar, the Kraken have a deep and balanced forward group that gives you scoring on all four lines.With all that said, this is a very unsustainable run. Seattle has scored on nearly 18% of their shots and netted 17 more goals than expected based on the shots and chances generated.You may believe the Kraken have the talent to outproduce that of a normal team, as the Capitals have for years. But it's a stretch to think the gap should be anywhere close to this drastic.Perhaps a date with the Lightning is the perfect spot for Seattle to start coming back down to earth.The Bolts are playing some of their best hockey right now. No team has controlled a larger percentage of the high-danger chances at five-on-five over the past eight games.Tampa Bay doesn't concede a whole lot of quality opportunities. When it does, the team has Andrei Vasilevskiy to bail them out. I don't think the Kraken can expect to have anywhere close to the same level of shooting success against one of the league's best netminders.On the flip side, Seattle's goaltending is worrisome going up against the Lightning. No side has been more efficient than Tampa at generating high-danger opportunities over the last eight games, and we all know the team's firepower.I don't see Martin Jones (.895 save percentage) or Philipp Grubauer (.885 save percentage) holding up against the chunk of top-tier chances they'll see.Look for the Lightning to end the Kraken's winning streak.Bet: Lightning (-130)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by Josh Gold-Smith on (#67WEG)
Pyotr Kochetkov is the odd man out among the three Carolina Hurricanes goaltenders.The Hurricanes demoted the rookie to the AHL's Chicago Wolves on Monday, the NHL club announced.Kochetkov grabbed Carolina's No. 1 job after initially splitting time with Antti Raanta following Frederik Andersen's injury. Andersen missed 29 games but has won both of his starts since returning Thursday. Kochetkov stopped 29 of 32 shots in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday.Kochetkov, 23, is waiver-exempt; the Hurricanes would need to place Andersen and Raanta on the wire and risk losing them to another team before sending them to the AHL.Kochetkov made a decent impression in his stint as an NHL starter. The Russian is 10-4-5 with a .913 save percentage and three shutouts over 19 games in 2022-23. He played three regular-season contests last season before stepping in for four playoff games when injuries sidelined both Andersen and Raanta.Andersen has been inconsistent in 2022-23. The 33-year-old Dane is 7-3-0 in 10 contests, but he's authored a .903 save percentage. He's saved 2.57 goals above expected at five-on-five in 2022-23, good for 31st in the NHL, according to Evolving Hockey. He also ranks 25th with 1.88 goals saved above average.Kochetkov, meanwhile, has only 0.79 GSAA at five-on-five, but his 3.73 GSAx ranks 23rd.Andersen and Raanta are pending unrestricted free agents. Andersen's contract carries a $4.5-million cap hit, while the 33-year-old Raanta is on the books for $2 million, according to CapFriendly.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by Todd Cordell on (#67WCK)
There are 11 games on Monday's NHL slate, which means there's an abnormally large amount of player props to comb through.Let's examine a few that stand out.Alex Pietrangelo over 2.5 shots (-115)There's a lot to like about Pietrangelo right now. He leads the Vegas Golden Knights in shot attempts over their last 10 games and has played significantly more minutes than any other Vegas skater in that time.Pietrangelo has logged just under 270 minutes of ice time through that 10-game stretch, with Nicolas Hague (220) the only other Golden Knights player above 205. That kind of extreme usage means Pietrangelo can have an off night in terms of efficiency and still get the job done.Pietrangelo has a good chance of finding success again in Monday's favorable matchup. The Dallas Stars are above average at limiting shots from every position - except defense. Opposing blue-liners average well over nine shots per game against Dallas, slotting the Stars 24th in the league in that regard.Look for Pietrangelo - equipped with as much ice time as he can handle - to take advantage.Roman Josi under 3.5 shots (-120)Josi is almost always a player to target for overs, but Monday's contest is an exception. In fact, it's time to go the other way and play the under.This is all about the matchup. The Calgary Flames allow only 6.6 shots per game to opposing defensemen, comfortably slotting them first in the NHL in that regard.They don't give up many shots to any position - they're a stout defensive squad - but this is legitimately the worst matchup an offensive blue-liner could ask for.As good as Josi is, he's gone under his shot total in seven of his last 13 games, and he doesn't have a strong history against the Darryl Sutter-coached Flames: He's faced Calgary four times since Sutter took over behind the bench and hasn't registered four shots in any of those games.In fact, Josi only has four shot attempts or fewer in three of his past four against Calgary, notching just four shots on goal over the last three.Don't expect a big night from the Nashville Predators captain.Tyler Toffoli over 2.5 shots (-120)This is a great spot for Toffoli to make some noise. The Predators have bled shots of late, allowing more at five-on-five over the last 10 games than every team except the Anaheim Ducks.The Predators have also struggled to stay out of the penalty box, which should mean plenty of extra opportunities for the Flames' leading shot generator on the man advantage.If that's not enough to get excited about Toffoli, perhaps this will be: The Predators rank 30th in shot prevention against right-wingers this season. As the team's No. 1 right-winger at even strength and a priority target on the power play, Toffoli will have every opportunity to exploit a highly favorable 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.
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by Kayla Douglas on (#67WB0)
The Minnesota Wild signed winger Matt Boldy to a seven-year pact with an average annual value of $7 million, the team announced Monday.Boldy, 21, was slated to become a restricted free agent this summer.The Massachusetts native sits fourth on the Wild with 12 goals and 29 points in 42 games this season while averaging just under 18 minutes of ice time per contest.The Wild drafted Boldy with the 12th overall pick in 2019.Boldy made a strong impression in Minnesota after joining the big club's ranks in early January 2022. He scored a goal in his NHL debut against the Boston Bruins and impressed with his first career hat trick about a month later. Boldy ended the 2021-22 season with 15 goals and 24 assists in 47 contests and finished eighth in Calder Trophy voting.The Wild have a unique salary-cap situation due to the pricy contract buyouts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter in July 2021. The duo accounts for nearly $13 million against the cap this season, but that number will jump to $14.7 million during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 campaigns.Minnesota also has decisions to make on Sam Steel, Brandon Duhaime, Mason Shaw, Calen Addison, and Filip Gustavsson, who are all pending restricted free agents. Meanwhile, Matt Dumba, Ryan Reaves, and Frederick Gaudreau can all become unrestricted free agents in a few months.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by theScore Staff on (#67W7R)
This is the seventh 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 select each team's most valuable player at the midway point of the season.1. Boston Bruins (33-5-4)Previous rank: 1stDavid Pastrnak. The 26-year-old is well on his way to finally claiming his first 50-goal campaign as he leads the Bruins in goals (33), assists (26), and points (59). Not bad for a player in a contract year.2. Carolina Hurricanes (27-9-8)Previous rank: 2ndMartin Necas. Rookie goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov filled in admirably during Frederik Andersen's absence but has only played 19 games and may soon be sent down. While the Hurricanes are incredibly balanced, Necas has shone brightest for Carolina. The Czech forward leads the club with 39 points and is averaging a career-high 19:17 in ice time while playing all 44 contests.3. Winnipeg Jets (28-14-1)Previous rank: 8thConnor Hellebuyck. He had a disappointing 2021-22 campaign - just as the Jets did as a whole - but Winnipeg is exceeding expectations this season, and it's no coincidence that the American netminder has rediscovered his dependable form. He's one of the top Vezina Trophy contenders and the biggest reason the Jets are flying high.4. Toronto Maple Leafs (26-11-7)Previous rank: 3rdMitch Marner. Since Auston Matthews is having a down year by his standards as he plays through a nagging injury, Marner is the choice here. Not only does Marner pace the club with 52 points, but he's also been excellent defensively. He leads the Leafs with 49 takeaways and is arguably their best penalty killer.5. Tampa Bay Lightning (27-13-1) Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images Sport / GettyPrevious rank: 5thNikita Kucherov. His offensive dominance has flown under the radar this season, but the Lightning star is second in assists and third in points league-wide, putting him on pace to exceed the 120-point mark for the second time in his career.6. Seattle Kraken (26-12-4)Previous rank: 19thVince Dunn. The 26-year-old's emergence as a legitimate top-pairing defenseman has been a significant factor in pushing the Kraken up the standings. He's logging over 23 minutes per game and ranks just outside the top 10 in scoring among blue-liners. Matty Beniers has been great, but Dunn has been more valuable.7. New Jersey Devils (28-12-3)Previous rank: 10thJack Hughes. The 2019 No. 1 pick isn't just the Devils' midseason MVP - he's also mounting a strong bid for the Hart Trophy by ranking among the NHL's most potent point producers while boasting outstanding underlying numbers. Hughes leads the league in goals above replacement by a wide margin and also sits first in WAR.8. New York Rangers (24-13-7)Previous rank: 12thIgor Shesterkin. He isn't playing at his Vezina-winning level of last season, plus the Rangers have been better defensively in this campaign and have plenty of firepower. But the Blueshirts wouldn't be where they are without Shesterkin, and the fact that they never have to worry about goaltending when he's in the crease illustrates how valuable he is to the club.9. Dallas Stars (25-12-7)Previous rank: 4thJason Robertson. The Hart Trophy hype for Robo has quieted a touch since his near goal-per-game pace through the opening 20 contests of the season, but the Stars forward remains in the top five in league scoring. The 23-year-old is on pace to set Dallas-era franchise highs in goals and points.10. Vegas Golden Knights (28-14-2) Jeff Bottari / NHL / Getty ImagesPrevious rank: 6thMark Stone. The Golden Knights captain is the heart and soul of the team through and through. Chandler Stephenson would've been a noble choice, but Stone's energy and passion really drive Vegas. He ranks second on the team in goals (17) and points (38), and he leads the club with 47 takeaways.11. Minnesota Wild (24-14-4)Previous rank: 9thKirill Kaprizov. The dynamic winger is the straw that stirs the drink for the Wild. While Filip Gustavsson has given the team great goaltending, he's played only 17 of its 42 games this season. Kaprizov has suited up for all of the Wild's contests in 2022-23, leading Minnesota in the three main offensive categories while averaging nearly 21 minutes of ice time.12. Los Angeles Kings (25-15-6)Previous rank: 15thKevin Fiala. The Kings had the lowest leading scorer of any 2022 playoff team - Anze Kopitar with 67 points - and looked to address their lack of scoring by acquiring Fiala in the offseason. That trade and subsequent long-term extension have paid off so far, with the 26-year-old looking to be the first Los Angeles player to score above a point-per-game rate since 2018.13. Calgary Flames (21-14-9)Previous rank: 16thElias Lindholm. Many Flames players have disappointed this season - namely Jonathan Huberdeau and Jacob Markstrom - but Lindholm has been as consistent as ever. Despite losing his two linemates from a year ago, he remains on a near-identical point pace. The 2022 Selke Trophy finalist is still one of the league's best defensive forwards, too.14. Edmonton Oilers (24-18-3)Previous rank: 18thConnor McDavid. Anointing McDavid as the Oilers' MVP isn't exactly a hot take. The otherworldly Edmonton captain is the leading Hart Trophy candidate who sits atop the NHL in goals, assists, and points - the latter by a mile. Leon Draisaitl has been stellar as well, but McDavid provides far more value, so this one's a no-brainer.15. Pittsburgh Penguins (21-15-6) Jamie Sabau / Getty Images Sport / GettyPrevious rank: 11thSidney Crosby. Who said Crosby is no longer one of the game's most dominant players? The Penguins captain is having a vintage campaign at age 35. Sid leads the club in all three offensive categories, ranks among the league leaders in even-strength points, and is averaging over 20 minutes of ice time.16. Colorado Avalanche (21-17-3)Previous rank: 16thMikko Rantanen. Without him, the Avalanche would be in a much more dire situation in the standings. The 26-year-old not only leads Colorado in goals by 18, but his 22:59 average time on ice also leads the entire NHL among forwards. It's hard to be upset that Cale Makar got the initial All-Star nod, but few players were a bigger snub than Rantanen.17. Washington Capitals (23-16-6)Previous rank: 7thAlex Ovechkin. Much like Crosby, Ovi hasn't slowed down despite the mileage on his odometer. The 37-year-old Capitals sniper is continuing his pursuit of the NHL's all-time goals mark, and his 30 tallies this season already put him in the record books. Ovi has kept Washington afloat amid injuries to key players and is significantly outproducing his teammates.18. New York Islanders (23-18-3)Previous rank: 13thIlya Sorokin. The Islanders goaltender is the obvious pick here, as he'd be the Vezina favorite if not for the Bruins' Linus Ullmark. Sorokin is the biggest reason the Isles currently occupy a wild-card spot. New York is a subpar possession team and weaker defensively than it once was, but Sorokin's outstanding play has helped it overcome those deficiencies.19. Buffalo Sabres (21-18-2)Previous rank: 17thTage Thompson. No one's more responsible for the Sabres' expedited rise than the late-blooming Thompson. Buffalo leads the NHL in goals per game, and Thompson has 11 more markers and 10 more points than his closest teammates. The hulking 25-year-old would be a serious Hart candidate if the Sabres were closer to a playoff spot, but he's the main reason they're not further away from one.20. St. Louis Blues (21-20-3) Scott Rovak / National Hockey League / GettyPrevious rank: 22ndRobert Thomas. Though Jordan Kyrou leads the team in points, Thomas has been the most complete player on the team this season. The dynamic 23-year-old center paces the club with 29 assists and has improved greatly in the faceoff circle, winning 52.9% of his draws this year.21. Florida Panthers (20-20-4)Previous rank: 24thMatthew Tkachuk. He paces Florida in goals (22), assists (31), points (53), and penalty minutes (65). Tkachuk has been everything the Panthers hoped he'd be, even as they've tumbled down the standings.22. Nashville Predators (19-17-6)Previous rank: 23rdJuuse Saros. The Predators netminder's recent 64-save victory against the Hurricanes was the piece de resistance of another spectacular campaign. Only Karel Vejmelka has made more saves than Saros this season.23. Detroit Red Wings (18-16-7)Previous rank: 20thFilip Hronek. Captain Dylan Larkin is enjoying another stellar campaign, but Hronek has stepped up greatly amid Moritz Seider's sophomore slump. Hronek is on pace for 60 points and should get some down-ballot Norris Trophy votes.24. Philadelphia Flyers (18-18-7)Previous rank: 26thTravis Konecny. In what's been a predictably difficult season for the Flyers, Konecny's return to form has been one of the few bright spots. The 25-year-old has already matched his career-high in goals through just 37 games.25. Ottawa Senators (19-20-3) Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyPrevious rank: 21stBrady Tkachuk. Tim Stutzle is a far more dynamic player and could become the team MVP by the end of the season, but Tkachuk is the Senators' heart and soul. He sets the physical tone, is always willing to step up for his teammates, and even takes a lot of faceoffs despite being a winger. Oh, and he leads the team with 41 points.26. Vancouver Canucks (18-22-3)Previous rank: 25thElias Pettersson. The Canucks have grabbed headlines for seemingly every reason in 2022-23, but Pettersson's superb campaign has gone under the radar. The 23-year-old is tied for third in five-on-five scoring league-wide with 31 points.27. Montreal Canadiens (18-23-3)Previous rank: 29thNick Suzuki. It's really between him and Cole Caufield. But while Caufield is the better goal-scorer, Suzuki is the better playmaker and a far more responsible defensive player.28. San Jose Sharks (13-23-8)Previous rank: 28thErik Karlsson. The 32-year-old's dominance has been one of the best stories of this season, and he's clearly the Sharks' MVP. Karlsson leads all NHL skaters in even-strength points, with 18 more assists and 13 more total points than his closest teammates. He also boasts strong underlying numbers, and he's doing it while playing for one of the league's worst teams.29. Columbus Blue Jackets (13-27-2)Previous rank: 30thJohnny Gaudreau. It isn't close, either. His 41 points are nearly double the next most (Patrik Laine with 22) on the team.30. Anaheim Ducks (12-27-4) Debora Robinson / National Hockey League / GettyPrevious rank: 31stTroy Terry. It's a toss-up between him and Trevor Zegras, but Terry leads the team with 34 points and is also among the best in the entire league at drawing penalties with 23.31. Arizona Coyotes (13-25-5)Previous rank: 27thClayton Keller. Jakob Chychrun would be the answer here had he been healthy all year, but as the saying goes: the best ability is availability. Keller, Arizona's lone dynamic threat up front, has 37 points - nine more than the next most on the team.32. Chicago Blackhawks (11-26-4)Previous rank: 32ndPetr Mrazek. Pickings are slim on the clearly tanking Blackhawks, so we're going with Mrazek, whose woeful .875 save percentage and 4.26 goals against average is giving Chicago its best chance of accomplishing its goal of finishing last in the NHL to secure the top draft lottery odds.(Analytics sources: Evolving Hockey, Natural Stat Trick)Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by Josh Gold-Smith on (#67V4E)
Thomas Chabot was frank when assessing his performance in a 7-0 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night."Especially for myself, I think it was probably one of the worst games I've ever played, personally," the Ottawa Senators defenseman said. "It happened, it's a game, but it's unacceptable for me. You've got to move on, (and) it's going to be a long night thinking about it."Senators captain Brady Tkachuk also wasn't proud of his or Ottawa's play in the blowout."It's embarrassing," he said. "(We) just can't keep doing this. It's frustrating. I'm at a loss for words right now."I wouldn't even say we were looking for answers," he added. "We were just awful all night from start to finish. I don't think we had momentum shift on our side. They were just coming at us all game, (and) it was just unacceptable. That can never happen."The Senators trailed 2-0 after 20 minutes before giving up two more goals in the second period and three in the third. Mikko Rantanen, Artturi Lehkonen, and Alex Newhook each buried a pair of tallies in Colorado's victory, with the latter two players adding an assist apiece. Brad Hunt potted the other marker.Colorado only outshot Ottawa by four (33-29). Still, the victors controlled puck possession and converted one of their two power-play opportunities, while the Sens went 0-for-3 on the man advantage. The Avalanche also accounted for 57.49% of the game's expected goals and a 51.85% share of the scoring chances, according to Natural Stat Trick.Chabot's underlying numbers illustrate how poorly he played. The Senators controlled only 33.12% of the expected goals with him on the ice at five-on-five and a mere 23.53% share of the scoring chances. He had one giveaway and no takeaways in 23:13 of ice time.To his credit, the 25-year-old ranks among the NHL's best in terms of his workload, averaging 25:59 of ice time to go along with 22 points in 37 games this season.Colorado had lost seven of its previous eight games, including a humiliating 3-2 defeat to the league-worst Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday. The Avalanche have been without numerous impact players all season due to injuries.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by Josh Wegman on (#67V4F)
The Seattle Kraken may only be in their second season, but they've already etched their name into the NHL record books.The Kraken became the first team in league history to sweep a road trip of seven or more games by defeating the Chicago Blackhawks 8-5 on Saturday.
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by Josh Wegman on (#67V3E)
The Boston Bruins signed forward Pavel Zacha to a four-year contract extension with a $4.75-million cap hit Saturday, the club announced.The 25-year-old was set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the campaign.Zacha has recorded five goals and 20 assists in 42 games with the Bruins this season. He's posted strong underlying numbers defensively in his first year in Boston. Evolving-Hockey.comBoston acquired him from the New Jersey Devils in the offseason in exchange for Erik Haula. The Devils drafted Zacha sixth overall in 2015.Zacha has largely failed to live up to his lofty draft hype. His best season came in 2020-21 when he notched 17 goals and 35 points in 50 games.The Bruins still have several pending UFAs, but none bigger than David Pastrnak.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by Kyle Cushman on (#67TTC)
Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews got back in action Saturday against the Boston Bruins.He scored a goal and added three shots in over 20 minutes of ice time during the 4-3 loss to Boston.Matthews missed two games due to an undisclosed injury. The Maple Leafs defeated the Nashville Predators and lost to the Detroit Red Wings without him in the lineup.The 25-year-old entered Saturday with 20 goals and 47 points in 41 games this season after winning the 2022 Hart Trophy.Maple Leafs forwards Pontus Holmberg and Bobby McMann missed the team's morning skate due to illness and didn't suit up for the evening's contest.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by John Matisz on (#67RVT)
As of 3:12 p.m. PST on Tuesday, or 72 minutes after the Western Hockey League's annual trade deadline, Everett Silvertips general manager and head coach Dennis Williams hadn't fully collected his thoughts following a whirlwind week."I've barely taken a breath," Williams said over the phone from the team bus.Last Thursday, Williams guided Team Canada to a gold medal at the World Junior Championship in Halifax. He flew across the continent Friday, then spent four sleep-deprived days negotiating trades, eventually finalizing four.Dennis Williams behind Canada's bench. Minas Panagiotakis / Getty ImagesOne of Williams' deals looked like something drummed up by a fanatical NHL 23 gamer. Everett sent NHL prospects Olen Zellweger and Ryan Hofer to the Kamloops Blazers in exchange for a brain-breaking 14 assets - four players, Kamloops' first-round pick in each of the next four drafts, and six other picks (one conditional)."I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the picks," Williams said of either using or flipping them. "But we'll have options and options are good to have."He's far from the only executive with "options" after a rush of trade activity in Canada's major-junior leagues. The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League approved 34 trades involving 32 players and 61 draft picks in the week leading up to its Jan. 6 trade deadline. The Ontario Hockey League registered 29 trades involving 47 players and a whopping 94 picks in its final week. The WHL greenlit 23 deals involving 44 players and 56 picks.In 11 of the 86 total trades, the scope of the deal stretched to seven or more pieces. These super blockbusters aren't new to junior hockey. However, as Jim Hulton, GM of the QMJHL's Charlottetown Islanders, put it, trade packages have "escalated rapidly" over the past five years. Super blockbusters have become normalized, expected.theScore spoke with eight GMs about the forces driving these trade markets. Here's what we learned.'Bit of a high-wire act'Shane Wright at the 2023 world juniors. Minas Panagiotakis / Getty ImagesThe most publicized trade of the past week is a fitting place to start.Shane Wright, the 19-year-old captain of Canada's gold medal-winning squad and a veteran of 13 games at the NHL and AHL levels, was traded with a conditional 14th-round pick to the Windsor Spitfires for two players and a host of draft picks: a second, a third, two fourths, a sixth, and conditional fifth- and sixth-rounders.Wright, who was granted exceptional player status to join the OHL as an underager in 2019, is purely a rental. He'll be a full-time NHLer next year.Still, the Spitfires were willing to fork over valuable assets to the Kingston Frontenacs, including young building block Ethan Miedema, in part because a star player in junior tends to have a greater impact on wins and losses than a star in the pros. Windsor's ceiling rose significantly with the Wright addition."You just don't see players who are at their peak at a certain level - who can really, truly dominate - being traded in pro leagues," Soo Greyhounds GM Kyle Raftis said. "You rarely see an NHLer at his absolute peak being traded."Wright with the Kingston Frontenacs. Chris Tanouye / Getty ImagesWhile teams in the WHL and QMJHL are allowed to swap first-round picks, OHL teams are not. Years ago, the league introduced the restriction to disincentivize long, winding rebuilds, Barrie Colts GM Marty Williamson said. Theoretically, it "protects" GMs from going all-in at every deadline.Taking first-rounders off the table upgraded second-round picks to top trade chips. Yet when it comes time to actually draft players, a second is still a second. This dynamic leads to larger packages. For instance, instead of pairing a first with a second and a prospect - three pieces - a buying team might offer three seconds with three thirds and a prospect, or seven pieces."It looks like a lot, but it's the standard," Frontenacs GM Kory Cooper said of the Wright haul. Spitfires GM Bill Bowler, who's "ecstatic" Wright's a Spitfire, added: "It may look steep, but in my opinion it was a fair deal."Cooper didn't know if Wright would be sent back to junior until after the gold-medal game last Thursday. Armed with a no-trade clause in his contract, Wright held the power, so he and his agent narrowed down the market for Cooper. The list of interested parties started at around seven and dwindled to four, then two, before the "exhausting" process concluded Monday.Cooper characterized attempting to align the interests of the Frontenacs with the interests of Wright's camp, his NHL team in Seattle, and the Spitfires as "a bit of a high-wire act.""It's like buying a house," Bowler said. "One person thinks it's worth this and the other person has another opinion. You look at history, you look at comparables, and you try to come up with what you think makes the most sense. You have to find a partner who can get on the same page."Draft picks rule the dayPavel Mintyukov at the 2022 NHL Draft. Andre Ringuette / Getty ImagesAnother reason why draft picks dominate these super blockbusters: Buying teams are often desperate to add a star talent but unwilling to part with a sought-after 16- or 17-year-old player."If you can't move a young player, we're going to have to compensate with more draft picks," Saginaw Spirit GM Dave Drinkill said. "That's where it blew up to the deal we decided on involving Pavel."Drinkill is referring to Pavel Mintyukov, the NHL first-round defenseman who's having a fabulous sophomore season in the OHL, amassing 55 points in 38 games. The Ottawa 67's, who sit atop the overall standings, sent Saginaw nine picks, three of them seconds, for Mintyukov.The Spirit are 24-11-2, tying them for second place in the Western Conference. Drinkill believes the club can make a run in the postseason. Why trade Mintyukov?"There's a breaking point as a GM where the offer's too good and you have to look at the future as well," Drinkill said. "It stings a little bit now, but the draft capital allows us to have some flexibility moving forward, whether it's in the summertime or next year at the deadline."Mintyukov at the 2022 NHL Scouting Combine. Kevin Hoffman / Getty ImagesThe market for Mintyukov began with around seven teams "kicking tires," Drinkill said, and "by the end maybe four or five" were serious suitors. The group of deadline buyers, or tire kickers, is usually five teams deep, not seven, according to Raftis, who's been running the Greyhounds since 2014.This year's seller's market, coupled with the fact that Saginaw is one of four OHL teams bidding to host the 2024 Memorial Cup (Raftis' Soo is another), dulls the initial shock of the Mintyukov deal. Only highly competitive teams are chosen to host, so Drinkill must keep next season top of mind.Leagues also restrict which picks can be swapped. In the QMJHL, teams can trade picks a maximum of three years into the future, while OHL and WHL teams can trade picks a maximum of four years out. This, like the prohibition on trading firsts in the OHL, limits the number of tradable assets at any given time and, to use Williamson's word, "protects" GMs from themselves."It handcuffs us from being too out of control," Drinkill said of the four-year timeline. "That's a weird thing to say because you look at some of the deals and you go, 'That's a little out of control.' But I like the rule.""These picks," Cooper said, "are our currency at the end of the day."Some offers can't be refusedZack Ostapchuk celebrates winning gold. Minas Panagiotakis / Getty ImagesThe consensus among the GMs interviewed is that historically, deadlines have played out something like this: One contender goes full-tilt in the QMJHL, stacking its roster with multiple marquee names. Several teams split the stars in the OHL. And trade activity in the WHL is relatively tame.This year, the WHL's wow factor intensified as competition for trade targets grew fierce. In the final week of trading, the Blazers, Seattle Thunderbirds, and Winnipeg Ice all pulled off super blockbusters, while the Portland Winterhawks and Red Deer Rebels reeled in impact players via smaller packages.The Vancouver Giants were one team that never intended to sell but ultimately did. GM Barclay Parneta told rival executives all year that captain Zack Ostapchuk wasn't available. Shortly after winning gold, though, Ostapchuk became a hot commodity. Even so, only a "crazy" offer would satisfy Parneta.Three teams submitted unsolicited mega offers over the final few days, and Parneta felt compelled to share them with the Giants' majority owner and their head of business operations. "'Guys, this is insane,'" Parneta told them. "'This is something we might have to consider.' Then it just grew from there."Ostapchuk with the Vancouver Giants. Kevin Light / Getty ImagesThe eventual deal with Winnipeg - four players, three first-round picks, and a fifth-round pick for Ostapchuk - brought both new players and picks to Vancouver. It wasn't exclusively a short-term or long-term move, which was ideal for Parneta. "I'd love to say I'm a genius GM …" he joked of his good luck."People might think this will be something normal," Parneta cautioned of this year's WHL deadline. "I think it's very unique with the circumstances of the Memorial Cup being held in Kamloops, other teams feeling like they can do something special, and there not being many sellers."GMs across Canada brought up an overlooked factor affecting teams' deadline choices: Owners in all three leagues are anxious for playoff revenue after taking massive financial hits during the pandemic. That eighth-place team, for example, is buying or staying put - not selling - because the priority is securing home playoff games.Today's GMs can also draw on better data to support extreme decisions."Years ago, there was enormous value put on your first-round pick. Then you start running the numbers, the analytics on draft picks, and how many of these are hits?" Hulton, the QMJHL GM, said. "You start doing the math on firsts, seconds, thirds, whatever, and they go to their owner and say, 'I'm confident that we can recover from this, and here's our recovery plan.'"Hulton said some folks in the QMJHL believe the league's recent success at the Memorial Cup - champion at three straight tournaments - can at least in part be traced back to the top team's aggressive approach at the deadline.At the same time, like many of his peers and those of us on the outside, Hulton is prone to raise an eyebrow when a super blockbuster comes across his feed."We've had conversations behind closed doors about where the prices are going," he said. "Where does it stop?"John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by Josh Gold-Smith on (#67TB9)
The best hockey player in the world understands why the NHL uses shootouts, but he's not a big fan of them.Connor McDavid made that clear when asked whether he'd favor going from five minutes of three-on-three overtime and then a shootout, if necessary, to 10 minutes of extra time in the same format with no shootout."I'd like that," the Edmonton Oilers captain told Sportsnet's Tim Micallef on Friday's edition of "Tim and Friends.""No one loves the shootout," McDavid continued. "It's a crappy way to finish a game, but at the end of the day, it's about the players' health and safety. It's a long season. The overtime taxes a lot of guys, so making that longer could have some effects there, but I agree with you in the sense that no one wants to see a game end in a shootout."McDavid, a two-time MVP who turned 26 on Friday, is the Hart Trophy favorite again this season. He leads the league in goals (37) and assists (45). He also paces the Art Ross Trophy race by a whopping 16 points (with 82) while possessing favorable underlying numbers over 44 contests.The Oilers have played only one game that's required a shootout this season; a 4-3 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Dec. 15. The team is 2-3 in games that have gone beyond regulation in 2022-23, with two wins and two losses in overtime.Edmonton occupies fifth place in the Pacific Division at 22-18-3.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by Josh Gold-Smith on (#67TDB)
The Vancouver Canucks are looking into how they dealt with Tanner Pearson's season-ending injury after teammate Quinn Hughes raised concern about the situation Thursday night.Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford told Sportsnet's Iain MacIntyre the club started an internal review Friday to find out exactly what happened with the veteran forward. Rutherford claims he didn't know there were any potential issues with Pearson's medical care until Hughes brought it up following a loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday."I feel bad for him. I mean, it wasn't handled properly, and you know, it's not really a good situation he's got there, and hopefully, he's going to be alright," Hughes said.The blue-liner clarified the comments Friday."I wasn't trying to direct blame at anyone," Hughes said, according to MacIntyre. "I don't think it's really anyone's fault. It's just an unfortunate situation. But in a situation like that, of course, I care about my teammates and, you know, I hate to see a guy go through hell like that."Rutherford added that upon hearing what Hughes initially said, the executive spoke to general manager Patrik Allvin and head coach Bruce Boudreau, both of whom also claimed to be unaware of any issues pertaining to Pearson aside from his multiple setbacks."At that point, I just started to gather information and talk to people that are involved and start to do an investigation as to what really happened," Rutherford said. "Other than that, I can't say a whole lot because we're dealing with the privacy of medical information."We take the situation very seriously. We certainly have to look at everything here when something like this happens, and we're going to continue to do that."Rutherford said he plans to assemble those in the organization from management, the medical staff, and Pearson or his agent, Joe Resnick, on a conference call so everyone can be involved in the discussion.Pearson will miss the rest of this campaign after having a third surgical procedure on his hand, the club announced on Allvin's behalf earlier Thursday. The 30-year-old was originally expected to be out for only four-to-six weeks after undergoing his first surgery on the ailment Nov. 10, one day after injuring his hand. Pearson then had a second one performed a month later after it didn't heal as planned.He was limited to 14 games this season, collecting one goal and four assists. The Canucks acquired him in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins in February 2019. Pearson is under contract with Vancouver through 2023-24.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by Kayla Douglas on (#67T31)
Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone is considered week-to-week with an upper-body injury, the team announced Friday.Stone was forced to leave Thursday's 4-2 victory over the Florida Panthers due to the ailment after logging just under four minutes of ice time.The 30-year-old ranks second on the team with 17 goals and 38 points in 43 games.Head coach Bruce Cassidy said Stone is still undergoing tests, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal's Ben Gotz.This marks Stone's first absence from the lineup this season. He was limited to just 37 games in 2021-22 while dealing with a significant back injury that forced him to undergo surgery in May.The Golden Knights are once again contending with various injuries to key players this campaign, including star forward Jack Eichel, who recently missed 11 games with a lower-body ailment, and defenseman Shea Theodore, who last played on Dec. 9 and has since been sidelined with a leg injury.Vegas currently sits in first place of the Pacific Division with a record of 28-13-2 after missing the playoffs for the first time in the team's existence last season.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by Kayla Douglas on (#67SWX)
Regina Pats phenom Connor Bedard unsurprisingly tops Central Scouting's midterm North American skater rankings leading up to the 2023 NHL Draft.The latest lists for North American and international players were released Friday.Here are the top 10 for each pool.North American skatersRankPlayerPositionTeam (League)1Connor BedardCRegina (WHL)2Adam FantilliCMichigan (Big Ten)3William SmithCUSA U-18 (NTDP)4Ryan LeonardRWUSA U-18 (NTDP)5Brayden YagerCMoose Jaw (WHL)6Oliver MooreCUSA U-18 (NTDP)7Zach BensonLWWinnipeg (WHL)8Matthew WoodRWUConn (H-East)9Samuel HonzekLWVancouver (WHL)10Colby BarlowLWOwen Sound (OHL)Bedard dazzled at the 2023 World Junior Championship and was named MVP of the tournament after potting nine goals and 14 assists in seven games to help lead Canada to the gold medal.He set various team records along the way, including most all-time goals and points by a Canadian at the world juniors.Widely predicted to go first overall in a few months' time, Bedard leads the WHL this season with 70 points (31 goals, 39 assists) in just 29 games. The 17-year-old is currently riding a 28-game point streak.International skatersRankPlayerPositionTeam (League)1Leo CarlssonCOrebro (Sweden)2Matvei MichkovRWSochi (Russia)3Axel Sandin PellikkaDSkelleftea (Sweden)4Dalibor DvorskyCAIK (Sweden-2)5Eduard SaleLWBrno (Czechia)6Otto StenbergCFrolunda (Sweden-Jr)7Lenni HameenahoRWAssat (Finland)8Mikhail GulyayevDOmsk (Russia)9Kasper HalttunenRWHIFK (Finland)10David ReinbacherDKloten (Switzerland)The 2023 NHL Draft will take place from June 28-29 in Nashville.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by Todd Cordell on (#67STA)
We split our best bets on Thursday night. The Flames came through with a regulation win in St. Louis at +100, but three goals were scored in the final five minutes of the Hurricanes game to erase what was a promising looking under.Let's dig into a couple of plays that stand out for the weekend ahead as we search for a pair of victories.Jets (+150) @ Penguins (-175)
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by Todd Cordell on (#67SQD)
Thursday was yet another great night for our player props as we won all three plays, pushing our weekly record to 9-2.Although there are only three games scheduled for Friday night's NHL slate, there is plenty of value on the board. Let's dive into a few of my favorite plays.Jack Hughes over 4.5 shots (-130)The New Jersey Devils' budding superstar has generated shots at a nearly unmatched rate of late, piling up 91 attempts over his last 10 games.Although Hughes' prop line has moved from 3.5 to 4.5 as a result, that hasn't stopped him from going over the total in eight of his last 10 showings.Hughes is dominating the puck and very clearly establishing himself as the undisputed No. 1 scoring option on the team. He has recorded 64 shots on target over the past 10, which is nearly double that of the closest teammate to him (Nico Hischier with 34).He is in the best spot imaginable to continue his success on Friday night. The Anaheim Ducks have been the worst shot-suppression team in the NHL over the course of the season *and* the last 10 games. Their form is consistently horrendous.They also take a lot of penalties - offering plenty of opportunities for Hughes to generate multiple shots in quick succession - and allow more shots per game to centers than every other team in the league. Hughes should be able to keep the ball rolling in this game.Pierre-Luc Dubois over 2.5 shots (-125)It's fair to say Pierre-Luc Dubois is the prime beneficiary of Nik Ehlers' return to the lineup. Ehlers has skated with Dubois and Kyle Connor the past four games, and they've made magic together, helping the Winnipeg Jets control 63% of the expected goal share while piling up the shots in bulk.Dubois has been the trigger man for that unit, averaging six attempts per game at five-on-five alone. Special teams included, Dubois has piled up 30 attempts over just four games since Ehlers returned. That's nine more than any other player on the Jets.The Pittsburgh Penguins have not exactly been stout defensively without Jeff Petry and, more recently, Kris Letang. They are giving up plenty of shot volume and suppressing shots against centers has been an issue for them all season long. In fact, the Ducks are the only team below them in shots against per game against the position.Look for Dubois - aided by the return of Ehlers - to stay hot in a sneaky good matchup.Darnell Nurse over 2.5 shots (-120)Death, taxes, and Darnell Nurse hitting his shot total. The minute-munching blue-liner has recorded three shots or more in 10 of his last 12 games.Although he doesn't carry the same reputation as most of the marquee offensive defensemen in the sport - understandably so - volume is volume, and Nurse provides it.Only seven defensemen in the NHL have attempted more shots than Nurse this season. He generates shots at an efficient clip and plays so many minutes that, at times, he doesn't even need to make the most of his time to get the job done.The San Jose Sharks are a surprisingly potent shot-suppression team but they're more vulnerable to defensemen than centers or wingers. We'll look to take advantage of that in backing Nurse.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.
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by Josh Wegman on (#67S8D)
Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes isn't happy with how teammate Tanner Pearson's season ended.The Canucks announced Thursday that Pearson's campaign is over after undergoing a third hand surgery in a three-month span. Vancouver expected Pearson to miss four-to-six weeks after the initial procedure on Nov. 10. However, he underwent another surgery a month later when his hand didn't heal as hoped."I feel bad for him. I mean, it wasn't handled properly, and you know, it's not really a good situation he's got there, and hopefully, he's going to be alright," Hughes said following Vancouver's 5-4 loss Thursday to the Tampa Bay Lightning, according to The Province's Patrick Johnston.When asked if the team wished it handled the decision for Pearson to have surgery differently, head coach Bruce Boudreau responded, "I have no idea, that's not my call."He added: "I really like Tanner a lot, and so it really is sad news. Here's a guy, he's over 30, and you lose a year? It's really tough, and I feel for him. But I know he'll come back stronger than ever."Pearson recorded a goal and four assists in 14 games this season. The 30-year-old is signed for one more year with a $3.25-million cap hit.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by Josh Wegman on (#67S31)
Vancouver Canucks defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson was a healthy scratch Thursday for the 5-4 loss to Tampa Bay Lightning.
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by Josh Wegman on (#67S6S)
The Boston Bruins were blanked 3-0 by the Seattle Kraken on Thursday, marking their first regulation loss at TD Garden since April 14, 2022.Boston began the campaign 19-0-3 at home before Thursday night. It was on a 26-0-3 run at TD Garden dating back to last season, including in the postseason. The Bruins won all three of their home playoff games last year but lost in Game 7 to the Carolina Hurricanes in Round 1.Thursday's game also marked the first time the Bruins have been shut out this season. They still hold a comfortable lead atop the NHL standings with a 32-5-4 record.Seattle has now won seven games in a row, matching a franchise record. Goaltender Martin Jones made 27 saves to post back-to-back shutouts - the last time he did so was in 2015 with the San Jose Sharks.Brandon Tanev opened the scoring for Seattle in the first period off a deflection. Eeli Tolvanen, who the Kraken claimed off waivers from the Nashville Predators in December, spun and fired bar down to extend the lead in the second period. It was his fourth goal in seven games with his new club. Jaden Schwartz then sealed the victory with an empty-net goal.The Kraken will have a chance to set a club record for consecutive wins when they take on the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by Kayla Douglas on (#67S32)
Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen started against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday, and his return was a success.Andersen stopped 21 of 23 shots in a 6-2 victory.He missed the Hurricanes' previous 29 contests due to a lower-body injury. The 33-year-old last played on Nov. 6, surrendering three goals on 21 shots against the Toronto Maple Leafs, one of his former teams.Carolina activated Andersen off injured reserve Wednesday.The Danish netminder put up a 5-3-0 record to go along with an .891 save percentage this season before going down with the ailment. Andersen ranked fourth in Vezina Trophy voting in 2021-22, while he and Antti Raanta won the William M. Jennings Trophy after allowing the fewest goals against as a tandem. However, Andersen tore an MCL and didn't suit up during the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.Raanta and rookie Pyotr Kochetkov held down the fort in Andersen's absence. Raanta has posted a 7-2-2 record since his running mate landed on the sidelines, while Kochetkov made a convincing push for the Calder Trophy by going 10-4-4 with a .914 save percentage and three shutouts.The Hurricanes must now decide whether they'd like to carry three goalies on the roster or explore another option, such as sending Kochetkov, who is waiver exempt, down to the AHL's Chicago Wolves. The 23-year-old has posted the best numbers in the crease for the club this season, but he's cooled off lately, going 0-3-0 with a .842 save percentage in his last three starts.Carolina was mired in a four-game winless streak after recently rattling off 11 straight victories.The Hurricanes entered Thursday occupying first place in the Metropolitan Division with a 25-9-7 record.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by Kayla Douglas on (#67RHX)
Vancouver Canucks forward Tanner Pearson will miss the remainder of the 2022-23 campaign after undergoing another hand surgery on Wednesday, general manager Patrik Allvin announced Thursday.Pearson, who has been out since Nov. 9, was initially expected to miss four-to-six weeks following his first surgery before experiencing a setback. Wednesday's surgery marked his second procedure since his original operation in November.The 30-year-old put up one goal and four assists in 14 contests this season.Pearson joined the Canucks at the 2019 trade deadline in a swap that sent defenseman Erik Gudbranson to the Pittsburgh Penguins. His 114 points in 221 games since heading north are the sixth most on the Canucks in that span.Last season, he logged 14 goals and 20 assists in 68 games.The Canucks currently sit sixth in the Pacific Division with a 17-20-3 record.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by Kayla Douglas on (#67RHY)
Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane said there isn't much to report on his conversations with general manager Kyle Davidson about his uncertain future, but his impending unrestricted free-agent status is weighing on his mind."It's a different year, obviously, going into the last year of your contract and different variables about what's going to happen or where you're going to be the rest of your career, different things like that," he said in a recent interview with NBC Sports Chicago's Charlie Roumeliotis. "You think about that stuff, especially when it gets into January here and got a couple months to the trade deadline, so we'll see how it all shakes out."The 34-year-old is set to miss his third straight game with a lower-body injury against the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday. The winger is expected to return Saturday against the Seattle Kraken, and he doesn't anticipate the ailment to cause any lingering issues that could impact him long term.Kane added that he's spoken to his agent, Pat Brisson, "pretty much every week," and he expects to meet with Davidson again soon."Just to kind of hear from where each side is at. I think whether it's about my play now or just about the team, about things that I see with the team that could maybe help, and, obviously, about maybe what's coming up."I don't think we've got to that point yet, but I'm sure we both know it's right around the corner here."It's been a rough season for Kane and the Blackhawks. Chicago currently sits in last place in the Central Division with a record of 10-25-4, while Kane has seven tallies and 20 assists in 37 games. His 0.19 goals-per-game rate this season is a career low, and he's in danger of failing to hit the 20-goal mark for the second time in his career - the first time was during the shortened 2020-21 campaign."Yeah, it's tough," Kane said. "I think we kind of, I don't want to say we knew we were going to be in this position. I think there was a little hope at the beginning of the year of the start we got off to. There's still a lot of season left."Both Kane and captain Jonathan Toews are playing out the final seasons of matching eight-year, $84-million pacts. Kane said he and Toews check in every now and then about their futures, but he doesn't think their decisions will influence each other.The ball is largely in the players' courts, as their deals each feature a no-movement clause.Selected by the Blackhawks with the first overall pick in 2007, Kane ranks second in franchise history with 1,207 points in 1,144 games. The Buffalo native is a three-time Stanley Cup champion (2010, 2013, 2015) and has taken home the Conn Smythe Trophy, Art Ross Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award, and Hart Trophy during his 16-year career in Chicago.The trade deadline is March 3 at 3 p.m. ET.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by Todd Cordell on (#67RMR)
Wednesday was a winning night for our best bets, as we won two of three plays. We lost our lone side, though, as the Washington Capitals couldn't grind out a result against the Philadelphia Flyers.We'll look to get back on track with a side, and a total, for Thursday's busy slate.Hurricanes (-320) @ Blue Jackets (+260)The Carolina Hurricanes have dropped four consecutive games and have been unusually leaky in that time, conceding 18 goals.As talented as the Hurricanes are, they have always taken pride in being a hard-working and stout defensive club under head coach Rod Brind'Amour. They'll be looking to get back to those ways in a wonderful get-right opportunity against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night.The Blue Jackets have some star power - most notably wingers Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine - but that hasn't been enough for them to create offense with any consistency this season. They rank 30th in goals per game and also slot bottom five in terms of shot generation.This is a spot where the Hurricanes, the NHL's No. 1-ranked side in shot and chance prevention at five-on-five, should be able to flex their muscles and suck the life out of the Blue Jackets' offense.Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets are so bruised and battered defensively that they should be on their heels for much of the game. I think the Hurricanes will be able to forecheck them into the ground and spend a lot of time working defenders over down low, keeping the puck far, far, away from their own cage.The Hurricanes will generate their fair share of chances - and then some. But Joonas Korpisalo has held up extremely well in dire circumstances this season and will offer up real resistance in goal.Of the 66 netminders to appear in at least 10 games thus far, Korpisalo ranks 10th in goals saved above expected per start. His running mate, Elvis Merzlikins, is last, to offer more perspective on how well Korpisalo has handled himself behind this porous Blue Jackets team.With the Hurricanes looking to tighten the screws at one end and Korpisalo playing very well at the other, I expect this game to go under the number.Bet: Under 6.5 (-120)Flames (-160) @ Blues (+140)The Calgary Flames let us down last time out against the St. Louis Blues, but I thought the process was strong.Calgary led 3-1 through 40 minutes of play and controlled nearly 62% of the expected goals share in that time.The Andrew Mangiapane, Mikael Backlund, and Blake Coleman line in particular feasted on the Blues' depth and seemed to cause problems every shift.Jacob Markstrom fell apart down the stretch, allowing three goals on nine shots over approximately 21 minutes of play, and that was the difference.While Markstrom - and the Flames' goaltending as a whole - has been up and down this season, the same can be said of St. Louis' tandem. The Blues rank 26th in total save percentage this season, putting them five slots below the Flames.Even if the difference is negligible, I'd prefer to back the side doing a better job of both generating and limiting chances, and that is definitely Calgary.At five-on-five, the Flames rank second in the NHL in expected goals share over the last 10 games. They sit well above 57%, whereas the Blues come in at 45.5%. That's a huge swing.If the Flames can do a better job of staying out of the box and the goaltending can be respectable for a full 60, they should be able to rebound with a much-needed victory.Bet: Flames in regulation (+100)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by Todd Cordell on (#67RHZ)
We are enjoying another strong week of shot props. After a 1-2 night Monday, we have responded in a big way with five consecutive wins.Let's take a look at three players - all of whom play for Canadian sides - as we look to stay hot Thursday night.Cole Caufield over 3.5 shots (+100)Caufield has really been shooting the puck of late, especially on home ice. The young sniper has registered at least four shots in seven of the past 10 games in Montreal, and his attempt volume is considerably higher.He has attempted 7.2 shots per game at home in that time, which is well above his season average of 5.3 on the road.A matchup against the Predators also looks rather fruitful. They have really bled shots of late, conceding five-on-five attempts at a higher rate than all but the Blue Jackets over the last 10.The Preds have also spent more time shorthanded than any other team during that stretch. Caufield is the primary shooter on the power play, so those extra opportunities are certainly a big plus.Caufield generated six shots on 12 attempts against these same Predators just over a week ago. I expect another productive outing.Thomas Chabot over 2.5 shots (-130)The Coyotes rank 30th in shots against versus defensemen this season and continue to be a team we want to attack with blue-liners. Enter Chabot.The Senators' No. 1 defenseman has been really hot of late in terms of generating shots. He has gone over the number in six of his last nine games. What I really like about Chabot is that the attempt volume is there even when he comes up short.For example, Chabot's last two failures featured six and eight attempts. That's more than enough volume to get the job done and falls directly in line with what we see on his hits.Chabot has a strong history against this putrid Coyotes team as well; he's registered three shots or more in six straight, including three meetings in 2022.Mikael Backlund over 2.5 shots (-130)Backlund is scorching hot. The veteran two-way pivot has been a shooting machine of late, piling up three shots or more in nine of his last 10 games.He leads the Flames in shots by 13 and has easily outpaced everybody during that stretch, including Nazem Kadri, whose line is generally set at 3.5 shots.Not only do you get insane bang for your buck with the volume Backlund is creating, but he also finds himself in a very favorable matchup.The Blues are bottom five in shots allowed per contest to centers, and Backlund got five in his last game, which just so happened to be against St. Louis. I don't know if he'll get to that once again, but I'm happy to back him for three or more at a reasonable price.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.
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by Kayla Douglas on (#67RF6)
Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov is aware that his name is cropping up in trade rumors, but the 25-year-old is doing his best to block the noise."Their job is to talk, my job is to play," Provorov said after practice Wednesday, according to Philly Hockey Now's Sam Carchidi. "I'm not changing anything about my preparation or my thinking. I'm here to play and compete every game."He added, "I've been here for seven years. It's the team I got drafted by. I'm a loyal player. I want to do my best every game and help the team win any way I can."The Flyers are reportedly fielding calls from other teams about Provorov, who still has two years remaining on his pact after this season with a $6.75-million cap hit.The Russian has two goals and 13 assists in 42 games this campaign while ranking second on the team in average ice time (23:10). Provorov has skated alongside a variety of partners in 2022-23, including Tony DeAngelo, Rasmus Ristolainen, and Cam York.Last season, Provorov spent the majority of his time on a struggling pair with Justin Braun until the latter was shipped to the New York Rangers at the trade deadline. Then, he played alongside York and Ronnie Attard, who were both rookies.The Flyers traded for Ryan Ellis two offseasons ago, and it looked like Provorov had found a stable partner for the first time since Matt Niskanen retired following the 2019-20 campaign. However, Ellis has only been able to suit up for four games due to injuries.Philadelphia drafted Provorov seventh overall in 2015. Since he entered the league in 2016-17, the Flyers have amassed a 226-204-65 record, good for a .522 points percentage. But, the team has failed to make the playoffs four times in the last six campaigns and looks primed to miss the dance for a third straight season."We've had a couple good years and a couple not-so-good years," Provorov said. "I've been here for pretty much everything, so it would be good to see another time when the team is playing great."The Flyers aren't in a position where they necessarily have to move him, but there are plenty of teams who could benefit from adding Provorov's skill set.Philadelphia currently sits seventh in the Metropolitan Division with a 17-18-7 record.The NHL's trade deadline is March 3 at 3 p.m. ET.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by Josh Wegman on (#67R02)
We're less than two months away from the NHL trade deadline, and a new tantalizing chip has become available: Ivan Provorov. A report Tuesday indicated the Philadelphia Flyers are fielding calls on the defenseman.Provorov's availability is at least somewhat surprising as he turns just 26 years old on Friday and is signed through 2024-25 with a $6.75-million cap hit. Of course, it's no guarantee a player with term gets moved the same season he becomes available (hello, Jakob Chychrun). However, a breakup between the player and team may be inevitable considering both sides are reportedly frustrated with the other.Speaking of Chychrun, Provorov's availability will likely affect his market. Chychrun is the superior player and makes $2.15 million less per season, so he'll surely be in higher demand, but there are a lot of similarities between the two. They're both left-shot two-way defensemen in their mid-20s who've proven they can handle top-four minutes and come with two additional years of term.Teams that strike out on Chychrun could turn to Provorov as a consolation prize, or clubs may prefer Provorov if the asking price is cheaper. It's also possible Provorov's availability drives down Chychrun's asking price.But Provorov comes with red flags. He's posted poor underlying results over the last three seasons. Evolving-Hockey.comThe Flyers have been a porous team in that time, and the franchise has asked Provorov to log heavy minutes with a cast of rotating partners. Before that, he was one of the NHL's top young defensemen, and he even received down-ballot Norris Trophy votes in 2019-20. Evolving-Hockey.comProvorov is also a workhorse, averaging over 24 minutes of ice time per contest over his seven-year career while missing only three games (all of them last season).He clearly has a lot of upside left, and a change of scenery might be all it takes to unlock his elite form again. Here are five teams that should target Provorov in a trade.Los Angeles Kings NHL Images / National Hockey League / GettyThe Kings are among the most heavily rumored destinations for Chychrun - and arguably the most fitting. They'd be a sensible spot for Provorov, too.L.A. has a need for a left-handed top-four defenseman. It has four quality right-handed rearguards, which is forcing Sean Durzi to play his off side. Adding Provorov while dealing from the surplus of right-shooting blue-liners would provide some much-needed balance to the Kings' back end.They're also in go-for-it mode. General manager Rob Blake has done a tremendous job building the organization back up after the two Stanley Cups. But Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar aren't getting any younger. And with a lush farm system, Los Angeles has as much trade bait - or more - than any buyer in the league to swing a major deal.While Blake would have to get a bit creative to accommodate Provorov's contract, the Kings have enough expendable assets in the $1-million to $3-million range to make the deal work from a cap perspective.Edmonton Oilers Rich Graessle / National Hockey League / GettyThe Oilers have reportedly expressed interest in Matt Dumba and just about every available defenseman. They're likely one of the teams that have already contacted the Flyers about Provorov.A right-handed defenseman would be ideal for Edmonton, but a lefty would still help. It would just require Provorov, Darnell Nurse, or Brett Kulak switching to their off side.It would be tight from a cap perspective for Edmonton to fit Provorov. Jesse Puljujarvi - who also needs a fresh start - and his $3-million cap hit would be a good starting point to make the trade work moneywise.The Oilers have struggled to keep the puck out of their net this season as they battle for a playoff spot. Adding an established blue-liner like Provorov could be the missing ingredient.Detroit Red Wings Jeff Vinnick / National Hockey League / GettyThe Red Wings are a long shot for the playoffs this campaign, but they could still be aggressive on the trade market adding players with term for future seasons.Detroit has two young right-handed defensemen to build around in Moritz Seider and Filip Hronek, and it could use a lefty like Provorov to complement them. The Wings also have plenty of cap space and trade assets.GM Steve Yzerman was aggressive this offseason in free agency to help the Red Wings make strides. The time could be nearing for him to make a splash on the trade market.Ottawa Senators Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyThe Senators are also reportedly interested in Dumba. However, adding someone with term, like Provorov, would make a lot more sense than a rental considering their playoff hopes are slim.Next season could be the year the Sens take the next step. The blue line needs help, though. A righty would be ideal to pair with Thomas Chabot or Jake Sanderson, but adding another lefty would be worth it if someone is comfortable moving to their off side.The Sens would have no issue fitting Provorov in from a cap perspective if they can find a way to convince the Flyers to take on the remainder of Nikita Zaitsev's contract. Including Zaitsev in a deal would only make Provorov's price higher.Buffalo Sabres Bill Wippert / National Hockey League / GettyThe Sabres are a team on the rise. They've already exceeded expectations this season by hanging around in the playoff picture. A postseason berth is still unlikely, but they're set up well for the future.Buffalo has one of the league's most potent offenses, but it sometimes struggles to defend. The future of its blue line is very promising with Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, and Mattias Samuelsson. However, the club could use one more blue-liner to round out a dynamite top four. Enter Provorov.Dahlin, Power, and Samuelsson are all lefties. Dahlin has already shown the ability to play his off side. If one of the others could as well, they could form one of the league's best back ends.GM Kevyn Adams has a staggering $18 million in cap space and one of the league's deepest prospect pipelines to deal from.(Cap source: CapFriendly)Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by Kyle Cushman on (#67Q8N)
Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews wasn't in the lineup Wednesday during the club's 2-1 victory over the Nashville Predators.Matthews is dealing with an undisclosed injury. He participated in the optional skate Wednesday morning after not practicing Tuesday.Keefe said that Matthews' ailment has "been bothering him for a while," according to SI Media Group's David Alter.The 25-year-old has 20 goals and 47 points in 41 games this season.William Nylander played center and Pierre Engvall joined him in the Maple Leafs' top six in Matthews' absence. Bobby McMann made his NHL debut.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by Kyle Cushman on (#67QFW)
Montreal Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher is out for a minimum of six weeks due to a lower-body injury, the team announced Wednesday.Gallagher received a timeline of two weeks on Friday.The 30-year-old has been limited to 25 games this season by various injuries. He's tallied four goals and nine points while playing 14:12 per game, the lowest average time on ice of his career since his rookie campaign.The Canadiens are last in the Atlantic Division with a 16-22-3 record. Montreal faces the Nashville Predators on Thursday.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by Kyle Cushman on (#67QDB)
The NHL named the bench bosses for the 2023 All-Star Weekend in Florida on Wednesday.The head coach of each division's leading team in points percentage through Jan. 11 gets the nod to guide the respective All-Star rosters: Jim Montgomery of the Atlantic Division's Boston Bruins, Rod Brind'Amour of the Metropolitan Division's Carolina Hurricanes, Peter DeBoer of the Central Division's Dallas Stars, and Bruce Cassidy of the Pacific Division's Vegas Golden Knights.Montgomery's led the Bruins to an NHL-best 32-4-4 record. The 53-year-old is in his first season as Boston's coach after two seasons as an assistant with the St. Louis Blues. It's his first time coaching at the All-Star Game.Brind'Amour will be behind the Metropolitan Division bench for the second consecutive season. His Hurricanes have a 25-9-7 record, thanks in large part to a franchise-record 11-game win streak that was snapped on Jan. 4.DeBoer is the most experienced All-Star coach of the group, heading to his third All-Star Weekend with a third different team. He went as a member of the San Jose Sharks in 2017 and the Golden Knights in 2022. DeBoer's Stars have impressed with a 25-11-6 record, tied for the Western Conference lead in points.Cassidy makes his second All-Star appearance after featuring on the Atlantic Division's bench in 2020 as coach of the Bruins. The Golden Knights have had a resurgent season under Cassidy, boasting the most wins in the Western Conference with a 27-13-3 record.All-Star Weekend is set for Feb. 3-4.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by Todd Cordell on (#67Q8P)
With just four games scheduled for Wednesday night's slate, there isn't a ton of value on the board.Thus, we're going to use both sides and props for the day's best bets. Let's get right to it.Capitals (-175) @ Flyers (+150)The Washington Capitals didn't put forth their best effort last time out, but that didn't stop them from getting yet another positive result.They have posted a 13-2-2 record since early December and they've been full value for it, slotting third across all situations with an expected goals share well above 55%.What the Capitals have done is nothing short of remarkable considering the injuries they've faced. Key players like John Carlson, T.J. Oshie, Nicklas Backstrom, and Tom Wilson, among others, have all missed an abundance of time.Although the former remains out, the three forwards very recently returned to the lineup. Having those guys back gives the Capitals three lines that can score and makes them extremely difficult to match up against.I don't think the Philadelphia Flyers are well-equipped to slow them down. They don't have much defensive talent on paper and rank near the bottom of the league in terms of preventing shots and expected goals at five-on-five.The Flyers also give up a lot of opportunities on the penalty kill, which is not ideal against Alexander Ovechkin and Co.Carter Hart is likely going to be tested early and often in this game, something that finally seems to be catching up to him. He was one of the best goaltenders in the league over the first couple months of the season but his play has really dipped of late.Hart owns an .893 save percentage over the past month and has conceded five more goals than expected during that stretch.Bet: Capitals in regulation (-115)Alex Ovechkin over 4.5 shots (+105)While I prefer to back Ovechkin on home ice - his floor and ceiling are higher in Washington - the Great Eight is building-proof. In fact, no player has recorded more shot attempts or shots on goal on the road this season than Ovechkin.But what I really like is this matchup. The Flyers are prone to giving up shots in bulk and, as alluded to above, I expect the Capitals to control the run of play and generate more than their fair share in this game.Even with some key players returning, Ovechkin remains priority No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 for Washington when it comes to shooting the puck. The superstar winger leads the Capitals in attempts - by nearly 30 - over the last 10 games.Ovechkin has seen John Tortorella's Flyers twice this season, generating nine and 14 attempts in those games. With that kind of volume, I'm happy to take my chances on Ovechkin coming through at plus money.Darnell Nurse over 2.5 (-130)The Anaheim Ducks have been a constant target for shot props all season and there is no reason to get away from that.Over the last 10 games, they're a distant 32nd in shot attempts allowed per 60 while at even strength and killing penalties. They simply can't stop bleeding shots in any game state.They have also conceded more shots to defensemen than any other team - yes, even the Blue Jackets - during that stretch.That should be music to the ears of Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse, who enters play having gone over his shot total in eight of the last 10 games.With a mouthwatering matchup and Nurse expected to log around 24 minutes of ice time, he should be able to get the job done once again in Anaheim.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.
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