The March 3 trade deadline is three months away, but the NHL rumor mill is already buzzing. One notable report: the Chicago Blackhawks aren't convinced Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews will waive their no-trade clauses.That doesn't mean Kane or Toews, both pending unrestricted free agents, won't be traded prior to the deadline. But at the very least, the report suggests neither will be leaving Chicago soon. So let's put the discussion about those players aside and focus on three others who could be moved sooner than later: Brock Boeser, Timo Meier, and Jakob Chychrun.What are the facts of each player's current situation? What unique context surrounds them? And what are some possible landing spots?Brock Boeser Jeff Vinnick / Getty ImagesFacts of the situation: Just five months after signing a three-year, $19.95-million contract extension, Boeser's Canucks tenure may be nearing an end.Vancouver, a seemingly directionless franchise with a losing record, several burdensome contracts, and a middling prospect pool, is stuck in no man's land. Despite his own recent struggles, Boeser is one of the Canucks' top trade chips.On the surface, this season's results look fine. Boeser, 25, has recorded four goals and 12 assists in 19 games, which is in line with his career average. Below the surface, though, there are a few red flags; the winger's five-on-five goal-scoring and shot-based metrics are down from last season.Clearly, Canucks coach Bruce Boudreau isn't pleased. Boudreau planned to make Boeser a healthy scratch for last Saturday's game against the Arizona Coyotes before a teammate's injury forced Boeser back in the lineup.Boeser ended up potting a goal, but the planned scratch stung. It was Hockey Fights Cancer night and Boeser, whose dad died of cancer in May, said "it hurt bad" to learn he was scheduled to miss such an important moment.It's fair to say a change of scenery is in the best interest of player and team. David Becker / Getty ImagesContext and landing spots: Boeser hasn't specifically asked for a trade, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. However, there's reportedly an understanding between his camp and the Canucks that he'd prefer a move.Friedman also reported that Boeser's agent, Octagon Sports' Ben Hankinson, has been given permission to search for a trade partner. The Athletic's Thomas Drance wrote that the timing of it all - the planned scratch and the same-day report on Hankinson's involvement - is mostly coincidental. Still, whenever an agent gets permission to essentially negotiate on behalf of a front office, the market for the player presumably isn't particularly strong.That said, at least six teams have reportedly expressed some degree of interest in Boeser, whose contract carries a $6.65-million salary-cap hit through 2024-25. Nobody's confusing him with a Selke Trophy candidate, but Boeser can wire the puck, scoring the equivalent of 30 goals over 82 games in multiple seasons. He's in his prime. Maybe all he truly needs is a fresh start.As for landing spots, the Minnesota Wild come to mind immediately. The Wild could flip defenseman Matt Dumba ($6-million cap hit) or a draft pick to Vancouver for Boeser, a native of Burnsville, Minnesota. Dumba, a pending UFA, doesn't appear to be part of the Wild's future, and the club has so far failed to replace the offense it lost in the Kevin Fiala trade. The Canucks would probably choose the pick over Dumba because they are intent on clearing cap space.The New York Islanders and Detroit Red Wings are two more teams with cap space and draft capital that could use a shoot-first winger. If either is OK with the contract and believes new surroundings can unlock Boeser's next level, a second- or third-round pick is worth sacrificing. Time to buy low.Timo Meier Thearon W. Henderson / Getty ImagesFacts of the situation: Meier is a first-line forward on pace for 70 points after establishing a new career high in points last season with 76 in 77 games. The 6-foot, 210-pound winger leads the league in shot attempts (233) and shots on goal (132) while playing roughly 20 minutes a night for the 8-16-4 Sharks.San Jose is in transition and Meier is a pending restricted free agent one year away from UFA eligibility. Unlike other veteran Sharks, his four-year, $24-million deal doesn't include trade protection. Yet Meier's situation is not straightforward. He has a fair amount of power for an RFA. His qualifying offer would be $10 million because that's what he's making in actual dollars this season, plus he has arbitration rights.Meier's agent, Claude Lemieux of 4sports Hockey, has said his client is open to re-signing with the Sharks. But Mike Grier, who took over as general manager in July, can't possibly commit big dollars and term to Meier, right?San Jose is already paying Tomas Hertl, Logan Couture, Erik Karlsson, and Marc-Edouard Vlasic a combined $34.6 million next season. Trading Meier, as Grier did with Brent Burns this summer, would help refresh an old roster. Mark Blinch / Getty ImagesContext and landing spots: Grier let his GM peers know earlier this season that he'll listen to offers on pretty much any Sharks player not named Hertl, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. In late November, Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli reported it's more likely Meier moves than the red-hot Karlsson.Meier is, by all accounts, Grier's prized trade chip between now and the deadline. The Sharks desperately need to restock the cupboard with quality prospects and early-round draft picks.Considering his upcoming qualifying offer, the team acquiring Meier could work on the framework of a long-term extension as part of the trade. That club could offer security in exchange for a lower cap hit. There's a chance Grier waits until the offseason to unload Meier, although that option carries significant risk if the objective is to move the player before he's due for a hefty raise.Meier fits the competitive timeline for most NHL teams because he is productive and relatively young at 26. The Anaheim Ducks, Seattle Kraken, and Columbus Blue Jackets all leap off the page as potential fits.Rebuilding Anaheim has an open top-six spot and the cap space to lock up Meier over the long term. Seattle, on the rise, needs another game-breaking forward and can surely find a way to squeeze Meier under the cap. Columbus, struggling this season but arguably on a tighter timeline due to the recent Johnny Gaudreau signing, has the requisite picks and prospects to get a deal done. We all know Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen loves to swing for the fences.Jakob Chychrun Nic Antaya / Getty ImagesFacts of the situation: Chychrun is finally back in the Coyotes' lineup following offseason wrist surgery. He's played well through seven games, registering three goals, three assists, and 31 shots on goal in 22:25 a night.This is Chychrun's seventh season on Arizona's blue line. The 24-year-old former first-rounder is an offensively minded player with impressive physical tools, the type of gunslinging defenseman who can quarterback a power-play unit. He led all rearguards with 18 goals in 2020-21 before seeing his production dip last year amid injury and trade rumors.On one hand, Chychrun's career is littered with injury absences, which is not ideal. On the other, he's being paid $4.6 million annually through 2024-25, which is close to the ideal contract. Even contenders counting every penny this season can figure out a way to absorb that number with a little creativity.Most importantly, Chychrun and Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong have talked publicly about moving on, removing any awkwardness. The player is sick of losing, and the team knows it can speed up the rebuild by trading somebody of Chychrun's caliber, especially when his contract is so attractive. Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesContext and landing spots: The Blue Jackets, Islanders, and Buffalo Sabres are among the teams interested in Chychrun, according to Sportsnet's Jeff Marek. Before the season, TSN's Darren Dreger listed the Blue Jackets, Los Angeles Kings, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, St. Louis Blues, and Edmonton Oilers as Chychrun suitors. No doubt even more have checked in.Friedman reported Armstrong is asking for two first-rounders - either future picks or prospects recently selected in the first round - plus "something else," so acquiring Chychrun won't be cheap. Given the asking price, he would likely be the only impact pickup the acquiring team could make midseason.Chychrun wants to be moved to a contender. Without trade protection, though, he doesn't have much say in the matter. It's hard to project, but Armstrong will probably find common ground with a club that's past its bottoming-out phase and on track to building a sustainable contender.The Sabres - who have an abundance of desirable assets, whether it be top-flight prospects or high picks - can offer a sexier package than, say, the Maple Leafs. Buffalo's top four already features Owen Power, Rasmus Dahlin, and Mattias Samuelsson. Wouldn't Chychrun look nice as the fourth piece? Also of note, Sabres ownership knows the Chychrun family really well.Like the Sabres, the Kings have first-round picks and plenty of highly touted prospects. At the NHL/AHL level, L.A. has a surplus of right-handed defensemen. They'll move one eventually, and the Coyotes - who, let's face it, need help at every position - could definitely use a righty on the back end.A third team to consider: the Blue Jackets. The rationale is similar to what's makes them a match for Meier. The GM isn't afraid to chase big fish, Chychrun's young enough to fit the team's timeline, and they need better defensemen.John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Welcome to the second in-season edition of theScore's 2022 Vezina Trophy Rankings. Now past the quarter-mark of the campaign, the field of hardware-caliber netminders has thinned out as some candidates in our November rankings have fallen back to earth.There's lots of hockey left to be played this season, but as of right now, goaltenders across the league are having a more difficult time stopping the puck compared to last year. This season's league average in goals per game is up to 3.19 from 3.14 in 2021-22, while save percentage (.905 from .907) and goals-against average (2.99 from 2.92) are also trending toward shooters.Despite the uptick in scoring, these five netminders are in the midst of dominant seasons.GSAA = Goals saved above average

Jets fans may have given Paul Maurice a warm welcome in his return to Winnipeg on Tuesday night, but Mark Scheifele was content to beat his former head coach's new team."I'm not going to lie, that was a good win in my books," Scheifele said after Winnipeg's 5-2 victory over the Florida Panthers. "Pretty happy with that one. At the end of the day, we've moved on. We're a different team this year than we were last year. It's been exciting for a lot of us. You see the rejuvenated faces in this room."(Head coach Rick Bowness) has really been on us a lot each and every day. Whether it's a good game or a bad game, he's always looking to help us. I think it's been awesome for me, it's been awesome for a lot of us. We're being challenged, we're being pushed to reach our full potential, and I think that does a lot for our team."Scheifele enjoyed a strong performance Tuesday, logging two goals in almost 22 minutes of ice time.Maurice resigned as head coach of the Jets on Dec. 17, 2021. He'd been the franchise's bench boss since 2014 and accumulated a 315-223-62 record to go with five postseason appearances.Maurice said it was his decision to step down and that he thought the team needed a "new voice.""This is a good team, I'm a good coach," Maurice said last December, per the "Tim and Friends" show. "But sometimes, when you take over a team and it's kinda like you're starting at the bottom of a mountain and you're pushing a rock up to the top, you can only get it to a certain place. That's where I feel I'm at."Dave Lowry replaced Maurice on an interim basis, and the team finished the season with a 39-32-11 record, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2017.Scheifele questioned his future with the Jets in May but changed his tune and expressed excitement for a fresh start after the franchise hired Bowness in July.So far, the new head coach has been a good fit in Winnipeg. Bowness raised eyebrows when he announced the team would enter the 2022-23 campaign without a captain - ending Blake Wheeler's tenure donning the "C" - but the Jets are currently tied for first in the Central Division with a record of 16-7-1.Scheifele has 21 points in 24 games this campaign and is already up to a team-leading 15 goals, which puts him on pace for a career-high 51 tallies over 82 contests. He lit the lamp 29 times in 67 matchups last season.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon is expected to miss approximately four weeks with an upper-body injury, the team announced Tuesday.MacKinnon appeared to be in discomfort after taking a shot in the first period of Monday's clash against the Philadelphia Flyers. He also took a couple of hits from Scott Laughton next to the Flyers' bench.The star didn't return to the contest after logging just five minutes of ice time. The Avs lost the game 5-3.Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told reporters postgame that he had "no idea" how MacKinnon got hurt, according to the Denver Gazette's Kyle Fredrickson.Bednar added that the Avalanche's recent run of injuries is "probably as bad" as any he can remember.MacKinnon's absence is another blow for the injury-riddled reigning champions, who are now missing five of their top six forwards: MacKinnon joins Gabriel Landeskog, Valeri Nichushkin, Artturi Lehkonen, and Evan Rodrigues on the shelf. Colorado is also considerably thinner on the blue line without Josh Manson and Bowen Byram.Landeskog has yet to play a game this season after undergoing knee surgery. If the captain stays on track with his initial 12-week recovery timeline, he'll hit the ice again in mid-January.Nichushkin hasn't played since Oct. 25 due to an ankle injury, but he rattled off seven goals and five assists in seven games before going down. Colorado said he'd miss approximately one month on Nov. 8.Meanwhile, Lehkonen and Rodrigues have combined for 13 goals and 27 points on the season. Lehkonen sustained an upper-body injury on Dec. 3 and is considered day-to-day. The Avalanche announced on Nov. 26 that Rodrigues would miss two-to-four weeks with a lower-body injury.Mikko Rantanen is the team's sole star remaining up front, and the Avalanche will likely rely on him while they wait for their other key players to get healthy. He leads the team with 15 goals in 23 contests.A major loss for the Avalanche, MacKinnon paces Colorado with 34 points this campaign.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Brock Boeser appears to be falling out of favor with the Vancouver Canucks.The 25-year-old winger is generating interest from several teams on the trade market, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported Tuesday. Boeser's agent reportedly spoke with more than six interested teams over the last week.Boeser's contract is difficult for teams to fit under the cap, however, and the Canucks currently aren't willing to retain any salary, LeBrun added.Boeser, who was supposed to be a healthy scratch against the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday before a late injury necessitated his presence in the lineup, is signed through 2024-25 with a $6.65-million cap hit.His ice time is down to a career-low 15:49 per game this season, and he has just four goals in 20 games. He has chipped in with 12 assists, though.The 2015 first-round pick burst onto the scene in 2017-18 when he finished as the Calder Trophy runner-up with 29 goals and 55 points in 62 games.But Boeser hasn't matched that production on a per-game basis. He's also struggled to stay healthy and has never played more than 71 games in a season.The Canucks, like many teams, are right up against the cap. With Bo Horvat due for a sizable raise from his current $5.5-million cap hit next season, Vancouver may need to move out some money in order to sign its captain to an extension.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar didn't have a promising update on Nathan MacKinnon's status one day after the star forward suffered an upper-body injury against the Philadelphia Flyers."The fact he's leaving early in the game is not a good sign," he said Tuesday, according to Altitude TV's Vic Lombardi. "We know he's gonna miss some time. Just don't know how long."The cause of MacKinnon's ailment is unclear, but he appeared to be in discomfort after taking a shot in the first period of Monday's 5-3 loss in Philadelphia. He also took a couple of hits from Scott Laughton along the Flyers' bench.

The Chicago Blackhawks are open to trading Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews before the March 3 trade deadline, but the organization isn't convinced the pair of veterans will want to waive their no-movement clauses, reports The Athletic's Scott Powers.Kane and Toews are in the final year of matching eight-year, $84-million contracts signed in 2014. Speculation on the future of the two franchise icons has been rampant since this past offseason as the Blackhawks began selling off pieces to kickstart a rebuild.A deal for either player can't be facilitated unless Kane or Toews gives Chicago's front office permission to waive their NMCs.Kane, drafted first overall by the Blackhawks in 2007, would likely fetch a bigger return than Toews at this point. The dynamic winger has 20 points in 24 games this season and is one of the most prolific playoff producers of his generation with 132 points in 136 career postseason contests.Toews, named Chicago's captain in 2008, has battled injury and illness in recent seasons but hasn't missed a game in 2022-23 and has put up eight goals and six assists. He's not as productive as he was in his prime, but several teams could still find him attractive as a depth option.Kane and Toews led the Blackhawks to Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013, and 2015. Kane's also won a Conn Smythe, Hart Trophy, Art Ross, and Calder Trophy during his 16 years in Chicago. Toews has a playoff MVP of his own, a Selke Trophy, and two Olympic gold medals.Chicago, currently last in the Central Division with a 7-13-4 record, is expected to be one of the league's biggest sellers at the deadline. Forwards Max Domi, Andreas Athanasiou, and Jujhar Khaira are pending unrestricted free agents that could generate interest along with Kane and Toews.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Florida Panthers appear ready to give Spencer Knight the reins between the pipes.The 23-year-old will start for the sixth time in seven games Tuesday night against the Winnipeg Jets, and Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said Knight looks the part of a legitimate No. 1 netminder."Spencer feels good," Maurice said, according to team reporter Jameson Olive. "It's his first real opportunity to get a little bit of a taste of what the No. 1 role is like in the National Hockey League. We've got two divisional games when we get back, so we wanted to give him a little bit of a rhythm."Knight has posted a 3-0-2 record with a .930 save percentage over his recent string of starts, supplanting veteran netminder Sergei Bobrovsky as a result.Bobrovsky has struggled immensely this season, notching an .878 save percentage and 3.84 goals-against average in 12 appearances after enjoying his best season with the Panthers in 2021-22.The 34-year-old is signed through 2026 at a $10-million cap hit and has a full no-movement clause until 2024; he can submit a 16-team no-trade list thereafter, according to CapFriendly.Knight is in the final season of his entry-level contract, but Florida signed him to a three-year, $13.5-million extension in September.The Panthers drafted Knight 13th overall in 2019. He started a career-high 27 games last season and looks well on his way to shattering that benchmark in 2022-23.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We have a busy nine-game slate ahead of us Tuesday night, which means there's an abundance of shot props to comb through.Let's take a look at three that stood out from the pack.Mark Scheifele over 2.5 shots (-132)Scheifele has been a model of consistency in shooting the puck. The veteran pivot has generated at least three shots on target in nine of the last 10 games, and seven straight on home soil.Scheifele ranks second on the Jets in shots and attempts during that time - just behind Kyle Connor, who's shot line sits at 3.5. Scheifele's also amassed 41 scoring chances. He's getting a lot of looks closer to the goal, which means there's less traffic to shoot through and a higher likelihood of getting those attempts on target.While the Florida Panthers are a solid team, they rank in the bottom 10 in five-on-five shot suppression over the last 10 games and are playing without two of their top-three centers in Aleksander Barkov and Anton Lundell. That'll hurt Florida at both ends of the ice.This is a good spot for Scheifele's shooting prowess to shine through once again.Nikita Kucherov over 3.5 shots (-110)Death, taxes, and backing Nikita Kucherov for shots against the Detroit Red Wings. The dynamic winger has done a number on the Red Wings of late, hitting the over in four consecutive meetings while averaging a whopping 5.3 shots per game.Not only does Kucherov seem to always have his fastball against the Red Wings, but he does his best work at home. Kucherov has averaged 4.3 shots on goal over his last 10 games, compared to just 3.4 on the road.That's not a coincidence. Kucherov's attempt numbers are much higher in Tampa Bay at that time. He's attempted 8.7 shots per game at home and 6.4 on the road. There's much more wiggle room for Kucherov to miss shots or have them blocked and still hit the total.It's also worth noting the Red Wings - while competent at five-on-five - have been worse than anyone of late at suppressing shots while undermanned. Kucherov should get plenty of looks on the power play, which puts him well on his way to going over the number.Carter Verhaeghe over 2.5 shots (-132)Injuries to Barkov and Lundell create more opportunities for others on the Panthers and Carter Verhaeghe looks to be a prime beneficiary.Verhaeghe finds himself skating on the top line and the top power play, and he's only played a couple of fewer shifts over the last couple of games than star winger Matthew Tkachuk at five-on-five.But it's not just about the reps. It's about the extra responsibility that comes with them. Verhaeghe is now being relied upon to create more offense, and it's already showing. Since Barkov and Lundell went down a couple of games ago, Verhaeghe leads the Panthers in shot attempts, shots on goal, and scoring chances.This isn't a high bar to clear in a game that should feature plenty of pace.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We have a busy night of hockey ahead of us, with nine games scheduled for Tuesday's NHL slate. Let's explore our best bets.Panthers (-120) @ Jets (+100)The Panthers rank eighth in the league in goals per game, and their goaltending has been inconsistent. As such, they play in a lot of high-scoring games and are generally attached to high totals.But that shouldn't be the case Tuesday against the Jets, not with Aleksander Barkov and Anton Lundell both sidelined. Barkov is a point-per-game stud, while Lundell is a promising youngster who ranks sixth among Panthers skaters in points. Those are big losses, especially at the same time.While Florida still has talent down the middle, Sam Bennett, Colin White, and Eetu Luostarinen aren't as dynamic as the Panthers' injured centers and won't create the same volume of quality chances for their linemates.That will be problematic against a goaltender like Connor Hellebuyck. Winnipeg's star netminder has been nothing short of spectacular this season. Through 18 appearances, he owns a .931 save percentage and sits third among all NHL goalies in goals saved above expected (plus-13.6).On the flip side, it's hard to see the Jets doing much damage of their own. Spencer Knight has quietly played very well for the Panthers, drastically outperforming Sergei Bobrovsky and his $10-million cap hit.Knight owns a .923 save percentage on the season and enters Tuesday's action after stopping 67 of 69 shots over his last two games.Missing two of their best forwards, the Panthers will undoubtedly try to tighten up defensively. With a strong goaltending matchup and a high total, there's plenty of value in backing the under.Bet: Under 6.5 (-110)Kings (-105) @ Senators (-115)Are the Senators turning a corner? Ottawa has won four of its last five games and posted remarkably strong underlying metrics in its last 10.The Senators have controlled 56.16% of the expected goal share at five-on-five in that span, good for third in the entire league. The only thing holding them back has been an inability to convert on their wealth of chances.Despite Ottawa's 10-game possession hot streak, no team in the league has scored on a lower percentage of its five-on-five shots in that span; the Senators have converted on just over 4% of their shots.Those numbers are unsustainably low for any team - let alone one rostering talented forwards like Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Alex DeBrincat, and Claude Giroux.It just so happens the Senators might be drawing the perfect opponent to prompt some positive regression.The Kings have dealt with goaltending issues all season and sit 28th in five-on-five goals against. Though Jonathan Quick has been better than Cal Petersen, his .888 save percentage is still putrid.Expect Ottawa to be on the front foot plenty in this contest. With an expected edge in net - Quick has allowed three goals or more in six of his last seven games - there's plenty of reason to like the Senators at home.Bet: Senators (-115)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's time to see where the 2022-23 rookie class stands after the campaign's first two months.Sure, it's still early, but it seems like Logan Thompson and Matty Beniers will be grappling for the top spot all season long. This time, it's Beniers' turn in the spotlight.Let's get into it.5. Fabian Zetterlund, Devils Rich Graessle / National Hockey League / GettyGPGPATOI2051312:51It's pretty damn hard to look bad on the Devils right now, but Zetterlund certainly hasn't looked out of place, either.Zetterlund has spent the bulk of his time on the top line alongside captain Nico Hischier and Tomas Tatar this campaign, and the threesome has proven to be fearsome. New Jersey has outscored its opponents 8-1 with the trio on the ice at five-on-five.The rookie has bounced around the lineup lately, but his individual underlying numbers at five-on-five are still gaudy. Zetterlund paces all first-year players to log at least 100 minutes in goals for percentage (80%) and scoring chances for percentage (59%). He also ranks near the top in expected goals for percentage (60%) and shot attempts for percentage (57.3%). The 23-year-old is producing at an outrageous rate of 2.56 points per 60 minutes at five-on-five, which trails only Beniers for the second-highest clip among all rookies to suit up for at least 20 games.Zetterlund is also tied for seventh in rookie scoring, but only three of his points have come on the man advantage. Out of all first-year players to pot at least 10 points this season, the Swede spends the second-least amount of time on the power play. Look for him to continue to build his Calder Trophy case as the Devils pursue world domination.4. Owen Power, Sabres Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images Sport / GettyGPGPATOI2501023:36Just like we promised in our last edition of these rankings, here's Power back on the list.Not only does the Sabres defenseman continue to lead all rookies in ice time by a little over two-and-a-half minutes per contest, but his average playing time ranks in the top 30 of all NHL defensemen this campaign. Not too shabby for a first-year player, huh?And he isn't completely drowning under the weight of his role. Power has posted underlying metrics over 50% in several key categories, such as shot attempts for percentage, goals for percentage, and expected goals for percentage at five-on-five this season, indicating that Buffalo successfully drives the play with him on the ice. Power's game only continued growing in November. His 55.5% shot attempts share, 64.3% goals share, and 53.5% expected goals share at five-on-five were the best metrics among all Sabres defensemen to play in at least 10 games last month.The points started falling for Power in November as well. His seven assists are tied for the most points among rookie defensemen in that span. If he keeps it up, there's no reason he can't take one of the top three spots on these rankings in January.3. Jake Sanderson, Senators Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyGPGPATOI2411121:04Sanderson has continued to be an absolute treat for the Senators. He ranks second in points by a rookie blue-liner while leading the class in shorthanded ice time.The 20-year-old forced his way onto the podium of these rankings given how he stepped up for an injured Thomas Chabot in November. In five games without Ottawa's No. 1 rearguard and all-around workhorse, Sanderson saw his average ice time rise to 23:49 - a team-high in that span.Sanderson's performance didn't take a hit with the increased role. Ottawa controlled 54.2% of the shot attempts, 50% of the goals, 55.7% of the expected goals, and 58.8% of the scoring chances with the rookie on the ice at five-on-five during those Chabot-less contests.Sanderson was already on our radar due to his poise and maturity while shouldering top-four minutes. But his brief audition as the Sens' go-to guy only cemented our belief that he's worthy of a spot on anyone's Calder hopefuls list.2. Logan Thompson, Golden Knights Ethan Miller / Getty Images Sport / GettyGPSV%GAASO18.9212.552During the Golden Knights' shootout victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Nov. 28, Thompson signed "four" and "three" at the bench, signifying he wanted Paul Cotter to take the next shot. Head coach Bruce Cassidy listened, and Cotter responded with the winner. Swagger doesn't have anything to do with someone's Calder bid, but it's impressive that Thompson has buckets of it as a rookie. Luckily for Vegas, he has the skills to back it up.Thompson currently sits second in the league with 13 wins, while his .921 save percentage and 2.55 goals against average rank fifth and eighth respectively amongst all goalies to make at least 10 starts this season. He racked up six road wins in the month of November, becoming the first rookie goalie to do so since Jonathan Quick in February 2009.There is an argument to be made that the Golden Knights' defense makes life a lot easier for Thompson, but it isn't like Vegas has turned Adin Hill into a Vezina Trophy candidate: Thompson has been stellar with 9.51 goals saved above average and 5.74 goals saved above expected at five-on-five while wrestling the full-time starting job away from Hill.Goaltending was the Golden Knights' biggest question mark entering the season. Thompson has done a remarkable job quelling those concerns.1. Matty Beniers, Kraken Christopher Mast / National Hockey League / GettyGPGPATOI24102117:04The Kraken are having a lot more fun in their sophomore season, and Beniers' performance makes last campaign seem like a bad dream. Beniers is king among rookies at the moment. He paces the field in goals and points, and his 0.88 point-per-game rate is the highest among players who have suited up in at least five contests.Though he sees plenty of time on the power play, Beniers leads the Kraken and all first-year players with 16 even-strength points. That production is exactly what the doctor ordered in the Emerald City, seeing as Seattle scored the fifth-fewest goals (152) at five-on-five last season. Now, the Kraken are tied for the fifth most in the league with 59 five-on-five tallies.The 20-year-old has handily earned the trust of the coaching staff. Seattle sent Beniers over the boards to kick off overtime against the Washington Capitals on Dec. 1. He rewarded his team by scoring seven seconds into the extra frame. Beniers has also seen a ton of growth in his faceoff game. He won only 40.9% of his draws in October, but he's worked that number up to 46.6% since the calendar flipped to November.Beniers has contributed to some winning hockey in Seattle, and he's only going to continue growing into his role as a reliable, two-way center.Honorable mentions: Mason McTavish (ANA), Matias Maccelli (ARI), Jack Quinn (BUF), JJ Peterka (BUF), Stuart Skinner (EDM), Calen Addison (MIN), Kaiden Guhle (MTL), Cole Perfetti (WPG)(Analytics sources: Natural Stat Trick, Evolving-Hockey)Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella knows Carter Hart doesn't have an easy job.And not just the position of goaltender in general - which is physically and mentally demanding - with the coach saying he understands how hard it is to play for this Flyers team specifically.Philadelphia has opened the scoring just three times in Hart's 19 starts this season. The club again surrendered the first goal just 3:50 into Monday's 5-3 victory over the Colorado Avalanche but quickly responded to pull ahead before the end of the first period and never relinquished the lead. Tortorella said he believes the early cushion gave Hart a sense of calmness."I'm sure Carter felt pretty good, where he has a two- or three-goal lead. He hasn't had much of that during the year," Tortorella said postgame. "The situation we've been in this year, it's hard to be a goaltender with us. We just have not been able to give him run support."The Flyers are averaging just 2.58 goals per game when Hart's been between the pipes. It's largely why the goaltender's record is 8-7-4 despite a stellar .911 save percentage (league average was .905 entering Monday).But it's not just the lack of goal support making it difficult to play net for Philadelphia. The Flyers entered Monday allowing 3.69 expected goals per 60 minutes - the fourth-worst mark in the league, per Evolving-Hockey.However, Hart entered the evening ranked third among all NHL goalies with 13.29 goals saved above expected - a metric that factors in the level of shot difficulty goalies face.But Tortorella - a notoriously stingy defensive coach - is still working to find his team's identity, which, in turn, would make life easier for Hart."We still got some ways to go to find out who we are," he said.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Seattle Kraken have recalled Shane Wright from the AHL, and this year's fourth overall pick will be in the lineup Tuesday against the Montreal Canadiens, head coach Dave Hakstol announced.Wright was assigned to the Coachella Valley Firebirds on a conditioning loan late in November. He was a healthy scratch for five consecutive NHL games before being sent to the minors, where he posted four goals in five appearances.With Seattle, Wright's managed one assist in seven games while averaging eight minutes per contest.It's unclear if Wright will remain a permanent fixture in the Kraken's lineup, but the 18-year-old wasn't included on Canada's selection camp roster for the upcoming world juniors in Halifax and Moncton.Wright could have some extra motivation suiting up against the Canadiens on Tuesday. Montreal was widely expected to take the Ontario-born pivot first overall in this year's draft, but the Habs opted to select winger Juraj Slafkovsky instead. Drama swirled online during draft night when Wright appeared to stare down the Canadiens' table after being called to the stage, but he later denied that was the case.The Kraken have been one of the league's biggest surprises this season, sitting second in the Pacific Division with 33 points through 24 games.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher is out two weeks with a lower-body injury, the team announced Monday.Gallagher missed the club's two most recent games after being labeled day-to-day prior to last Thursday's contest against the Calgary Flames.The veteran winger has appeared in 22 games this season, registering three goals and five assists while averaging his lowest ice time (14:21) since his rookie season in 2012-13.Gallagher, 30, has registered 389 points in 660 career games for Montreal. He's under contract at $6.5 million per season through 2027.The Canadiens currently sit sixth in the Atlantic Division with a 12-11-1 record. They take on the Vancouver Canucks on Monday night in the third leg of a four-game western road trip.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Jakub Voracek confirmed Monday that his chances of returning this season are "very slim."Voracek has been out since sustaining a concussion Nov. 4 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Blue Jackets announced Friday the 33-year-old is not medically cleared to resume hockey activities."I feel OK. ... After talking to many people and many doctors, we came to the conclusion that as of right now, I'm not capable of coming back," Voracek said."I'm going to make my best efforts to try to (return), but it might be a long process," Voracek continued. "As of now, I don't see myself playing in the near future, but I'll do everything in my power to try to get back on the ice."Voracek added he's had "seven or eight documented concussions" in addition to the "little ones when you're not sure.""If this happened from the high stick (from Colorado Avalanche forward Dryden Hunt), which was a pretty hard swing right under the nose, I'm kinda worried what would happen if I get hit like I did in the past. ... What's gonna happen to me? (I wonder) if I will even be able to get up out of bed in the morning," Voracek said.Voracek spoke with Blue Jackets legend Rick Nash the day after sustaining the injury. Nash retired at 34 due to concussion-like symptoms."We had a conversation about it. I felt like I was speaking to (myself)," Voracek said. "We had the same ideas, same opinions on those things - what I went through with my concussions, what he went through with his concussions. It was a good chitchat."Voracek tallied six points in 11 contests prior to getting hurt. He's accrued 222 goals and 800 points in 1,047 career games split between the Blue Jackets and Philadelphia Flyers.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We have a fun six-game slate in the NHL to begin the week. Let's take a look at three bets that stand out.Capitals (+135) @ Oilers (-160)Goals, goals, goals: That's what we tend to see when the Washington Capitals and Edmonton Oilers collide.The two sides have met three times this calendar year. All three games went over the total of 6.5, with an average of eight goals.I expect the scoring parade to continue. Although several key players are sidelined (Nicklas Backstrom, Tom Wilson, Evander Kane, etc.), each side still possesses plenty of firepower.Alexander Ovechkin, John Carlson, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Co. are capable of breaking games open and piling up the points on any given night.Based on each team's inability to keep the puck out of the net of late, there's every reason to believe offense can reign supreme. The Capitals and Oilers have each conceded at least 3.40 goals against per 60 minutes over the last 10 games.Washington's penalty-kill metrics have not been good recently, and that's never an encouraging sign heading into a game against Edmonton. Neither is the likelihood of playing without starting goaltender Darcy Kuemper, who owns a rock-solid .916 save percentage on the year.On the flip side, Stuart Skinner has conceded at least three goals in five consecutive starts for Edmonton, and he is the "in form" goaltender on the roster.With so much high-end talent, a pair of dangerous power plays, and struggling or injured goaltenders, this game has all the makings of another high-scoring affair.Bet: Over 6.5 (-110)Connor McDavid over 3.5 shots (-130)McDavid has generated shots at a healthy, and consistent, rate all season long. Through 25 games, McDavid has hit the over 16 times, good for a 64% success rate. He has been especially efficient at home, where he has registered four shots or more just under 70% of the time.With Kane out of the lineup, there are more shots to go around for Edmonton's key forwards. McDavid has picked up a lot of that slack, piling up 61 shot attempts and 40 shots on goal over the last 10 games. Both of those marks lead the Oilers.His shooting success should continue against a Capitals side that has quietly been giving up a lot of rubber. At five-on-five, only seven teams have conceded shot attempts at a higher clip over the past 10 games.With McDavid consistently threatening to go over the total - and the Capitals struggling to limit shots - this is a more than fair price to back the league's most dynamic player.Elias Lindholm over 2.5 shots (-132)The Arizona Coyotes are always a team you want to target for shot props. They get outpossessed and outplayed almost every single night, which leads to a lot of shooting opportunities for opponents.Elias Lindholm is perhaps the most likely player on the Calgary Flames to take advantage. He leads the Flames in shots over the last 10 games and is nipping at Nazem Kadri's heels for the lead in attempts.Lindholm has gone over 2.5 shots seven times in that span. Of the three exceptions, he came just one shot shy in two. He is always right there.The Swedish pivot does his best work at home - he's gone over in five of his last six games in Calgary - and enjoyed plenty of success against the Coyotes last season, generating 11 shots on target over three games.Look for that to continue Monday night.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Two weeks ago, we broke down the betting market's perception gap between a starting goaltender with all the accolades like Andrei Vasilevskiy and his veteran backup, Brian Elliott. Even if early moneyline results don't necessarily reflect it, the Lightning have an obvious quality difference between their No. 1 and No. 2. Just because other teams also have a nominal "starter" and "backup," it doesn't mean there's an actual difference in quality.It's not quite addition by subtraction, but the Devils are winning a ridiculous number of games this season despite their goaltending.New Jersey started the season with Mackenzie Blackwood as their starter. We can presume they looked up and down their organization, saw all of their goaltending options in action, and chose Blackwood. He's 59th out of 70 qualifying NHL goaltenders in Goals Saved Above Expected (GSAx).Akira Schmid started the season with the AHL's Utica Comets, but through his first four games, he's averaging almost plus-1.0 GSAx. So how is the market affected when New Jersey has started Schmid - the Devils' fourth-most expensive netminder? The easy answer: it's not.Here are the moneylines on open and close for each of Schmid's first four starts:DATEOPP.NJ ML (Open)NJ ML (Close)Nov. 10vs. OTT-175-185Nov. 12vs. ARZ-275-305Nov. 19@ OTT-145-130Nov. 25@ BUF-160-170All four games saw negligible moves from open to close, and three of the four actually moved in the favor of the Devils. By the time Schmid got his fifth start on Saturday - an expected turn against the Flyers - the line barely moved from open until close.Call these goalie uncertainties "controversies" if you want, but for bettors, this is a good thing. We don't need to care who starts in net since even the Devils' brass didn't seem to know who the best option is. So why should we have a set-in-stone opinion on who plays between the pipes?The recipeWe started the campaign using regular-season point totals as a baseline for rating teams since it's still our best measurement. Throughout the campaign, we'll adjust club ratings using on-ice metrics to remove the cognitive bias of win-loss records, which various outliers like special teams results, poor goaltending performances, and other unreliable events - such as three-on-three overtime and the shootout - can skew.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 betable range at some point between market open and puck drop.DATEGAMETRUE MLPRICE TO BETDec. 5VGK@BOS+151/-151VGK +179/BOS -145STL@NYR+144/-144STL +170/NYR -138COL@PHI-139/+139COL -133/PHI +164WSH@EDM+137/-137WSH +162/EDM -132ARI@CGY+307/-307ARI +385/CGY -291MTL@VAN+166/-166MTL +197/VAN -159Dec. 6CBJ@PIT+228/-228CBJ +278/PIT -218CHI@NJD+290/-290CHI +362/NJD -275LAK@OTT-101/+101LAK +109/OTT +112DET@TB+173/-173DET +207/TB -166STL@NYI+143/-143STL +169/NYI -137FLA@WPG-114/+114FLA -110/WPG +134TOR@DAL+104/-104TOR +115/DAL +106CAR@ANA-166/+166CAR -159/ANA +198MTL@SEA+210/-210MTL +254/SEA -201Dec. 7WSH@PHI-119/+119WSH -114/PHI +140BUF@CBJ-149/+149BUF -143/CBJ +177MIN@CGY+126/-126MIN +148/CGY -121BOS@COL-106/+106BOS +105/COL +117ARI@EDM+263/-263ARI +324/EDM -250NYR@VGK+108/-108NYR +119/VGK +102VAN@SJS-101/+101VAN +110/SJS +111Dec. 8LAK@TOR+132/-132LAK +156/TOR -127NSH@TB+141/-141NSH +167/TB -135DET@FLA+173/-173DET +207/FLA -166WPG@STL+119/-119WPG +140/STL -115OTT@DAL+139/-139OTT +165/DAL -134Dec. 9NYI@NJD+169/-169NYI +201/NJD -162PIT@BUF-111/+111PIT -107/BUF +131CGY@CBJ-194/+194CGY -185/CBJ +233SEA@WSH+121/-121SEA +143/WSH -116WPG@CHI-110/+110WPG +100/CHI +122MIN@EDM+112/-112MIN +131/EDM -107NYR@COL+111/-111NYR +131/COL -107BOS@ARI-231/+231BOS -221/ARI +282SJS@ANA+103/-103SJS +114/ANA +107PHI@VGK+207/-207PHI +250/VGK -198Dec. 10OTT@NSH+139/-139OTT +164/NSH -133DET@DAL+144/-144DET +170/DAL -138FLA@TB+117/-117FLA +138/TB -113BUF@PIT+154/-154BUF +183/PIT -148CGY@TOR+138/-138CGY +163/TOR -133LAK@MTL-140/+140LAK -134/MTL +165CAR@NYI-132/+132CAR -127/NYI +156MIN@VAN+112/-112MIN +131/VAN -107Dec. 11COL@STL+101/-101COL +112/STL +109LAK@CBJ-163/+163LAK -156/CBJ +194SEA@FLA+132/-132SEA +156/FLA -127PHI@ARI-110/+110PHI +101/ARI +121WSH@WPG+116/-116WSH +137/WPG -112BOS@VGK+100/+100BOS +110/VGK +110Matt 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 © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

This is the fourth 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 version, we look at the biggest surprise for each team so far this season.1. Boston Bruins (20-3-0)Previous rank: 1Historic early-season dominance. We knew the Bruins would be competitive, just as they've been for years with this core. But nobody expected Boston would be this much of a juggernaut, especially without Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy for two and four weeks to start the campaign, respectively. Few people, if any, predicted the Bruins would still be riding an NHL-record 14-game home win streak to begin the season, either.2. New Jersey Devils (20-4-1)Previous rank: 2Possession gods. Forget demons - the Devils have been downright deities when it's come to driving play this season. Expectations for New Jersey were tempered heading into the fall, but this team has obliterated them in the early going. On a per 60-minute basis at five-on-five, the Devils lead in the league in expected goals for, expected goals against, high-danger scoring chances for, and high-danger scoring chances against. In other words, they've been completely dominant at both ends of the ice.3. Tampa Bay Lightning (15-8-1)Previous rank: 7PP1 QB. It's far from unexpected to see Victor Hedman and Mikhail Sergachev produce great results while playing over 24 minutes per night. What has come as a surprise is Sergachev replacing Hedman on the top power-play unit. Sergachev has more power-play points (12) than Hedman has overall (10) through 24 games. The swap has been working well, with the Lightning's power play clicking at an impressive 29%.4. Toronto Maple Leafs (15-5-6)Previous rank: 8Goaltending. There was no bigger concern for the Maple Leafs entering the season than the state of the crease. Those questions have subsided as the duo of Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov have both posted save percentages above .920 through the beginning of December. Injuries remain a potential issue - each netminder has missed extended time - but both of Kyle Dubas' acquisitions have performed when they've been available.5. Seattle Kraken (15-6-3) Steph Chambers / Getty Images Sport / GettyPrevious rank: 10Five-on-five production. During the Kraken's largely forgettable inaugural campaign, they potted the fifth-least goals (152) at five-on-five. They've already got 59 through the first two months of the 2022-23 season, tying them for the fourth most in the league. Hockey has been far more exciting in the Emerald City lately.6. Vegas Golden Knights (18-7-1) Previous rank: 3Chandler Stephenson. The versatile forward's status as a fixture on the Golden Knights' top line and No. 1 power-play unit wasn't always in the cards. Stephenson - who also kills penalties and can play all three positions up front - has cooled off lately, but he still ranks third on the club in assists and sits tied for second in points this season.7. Carolina Hurricanes (14-6-5)Previous rank: 9Pyotr Kochetkov. Another Frederik Andersen injury has opened the door for Kochetkov this season, just like it did when Andersen and Antti Raanta got hurt during the playoffs in the spring. This time, though, the Hurricanes goaltender has settled in with a larger sample size and excelled. He boasts a .919 save percentage and just one regulation loss in nine games.8. Winnipeg Jets (15-7-1)Previous rank: 6Josh Morrissey. More like Josh "Norrisey," amirite? The Jets defenseman is making an improbable case to at least be considered for the league's highest blue-liner honor. Morrissey sits among the NHL's best at the position in assists, points, and even-strength points while averaging over 23 minutes of ice time. His underlying numbers aren't spectacular, but the Jets rearguard has never had a season as productive as this one.9. Colorado Avalanche (13-8-1)Previous rank: 5Alexandar Georgiev. Before this season with the Avalanche, Georgiev had never really gotten the chance to be a team's No. 1 starter, making him a bit of a mystery box for Colorado. Luckily for the reigning champions, Georgiev has shown that he's up to the task: He's posted a .922 save percentage and 2.58 goals against average to go along with an 11-3-1 record.10. Dallas Stars (14-6-5) Sam Hodde / National Hockey League / GettyPrevious rank: 4Jason Robertson. It's no surprise the Stars forward is having a great season, but it is shocking how incredible he's played, and he just might be the Hart Trophy favorite right now. Robertson tops the NHL in goals with nearly one per game, ranks among the league leaders in points, and he's done the vast majority of his damage at even strength while significantly outproducing his teammates.11. Pittsburgh Penguins (13-8-4)Previous rank: 16Jason Zucker. The Penguins winger tallied 18 points through 38 games in 2020-21 and 17 points through 41 games in 2021-22, but he's already racked up 18 points in 23 games this season. Zucker is back!12. New York Islanders (16-10-0)Previous rank: 11Mathew Barzal's three goals. This totally isn't meant to be a knock on Barzal's performance this campaign - he leads the Islanders with 27 points this season - but ... three goals in 26 games?! It took him until Nov. 19 to get his first, and he's only on pace for nine tallies in 82 contests. Sure, he's more known for his abilities as a playmaker, but this is still odd.13. Florida Panthers (12-9-4)Previous rank: 17Brandon Montour. The defenseman has been a revelation for the Panthers. Montour stepped up in a big way when Aaron Ekblad went down with an early season injury, and he hasn't looked back. The 28-year-old's averaging a career-high 24:46 in ice time, remains on the top power-play unit, and has 21 points in 23 games. Not bad for a $3.5-million cap hit.14. Edmonton Oilers (14-11-0)Previous rank: 13Jack Campbell. It's been a nightmare in Edmonton for Campbell: His .872 save percentage is the NHL's worst among goaltenders with at least 10 starts. The Oilers made a $25-million bet that the 30-year-old would be able to solidify their crease - so far, it's been the complete opposite.15. Minnesota Wild (13-9-2) Steph Chambers / Getty Images Sport / GettyPrevious rank: 22Marc-Andre Fleury's save percentage. Fleury hasn't posted a sub-.900 save percentage since he was 21 years old, but he's in jeopardy this season with an .895 mark. Sure, Father Time catches up to everyone, but the 38-year-old has no excuse behind a Wild team that ranks top five in expected goals against per 60 minutes.16. Nashville Predators (12-9-2)Previous rank: 21Alexandre Carrier's production. The Predators defenseman tallied a respectable 30 points in 77 games last season while making the All-Rookie Team, but he's failed to register a point in 21 contests this year. It's quite baffling for someone who plays top-four minutes to not even luck his way into a phantom assist.17. Detroit Red Wings (12-7-5)Previous rank: 19Dominik Kubalik. Everyone was surprised when the Blackhawks non-tendered Kubalik in the offseason, but nobody expected the 27-year-old winger to erupt for 24 points in 24 games to begin the campaign with the Red Wings.18. Calgary Flames (11-10-3)Previous rank: 18Jonathan Huberdeau. The struggling superstar - if we can even still use the latter word - has been surprisingly mediocre as he continues adjusting to life with the Flames. Huberdeau has shown signs of rediscovering his offensive game lately, but the playmaker, who racked up 115 points with the Panthers last season, has really struggled to get going with his new club.19. Los Angeles Kings (13-10-4)Previous rank: 15Gabriel Vilardi. Cal Petersen's recent demotion could easily qualify as the Kings' biggest surprise. Instead, let's focus on the superb story of Vilardi's emergence. The 2017 11th overall pick has put significant injury issues behind him to lead Los Angeles with 13 goals through 26 games. He's cooled off from his early torrid pace but continues to be an important secondary scorer for the Kings.20. New York Rangers (11-10-5) MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images / MediaNews Group / GettyPrevious rank: 14Igor Shesterkin has looked ... human. The reigning Vezina Trophy winner has clearly been frustrated by his play this season. It's not like he's been abysmally awful - Shesterkin still has a .913 save percentage and 2.59 goals against average - but the Rangers star has undoubtedly performed below the standard he set for himself a year ago when he was basically unconscious for every game.21. St. Louis Blues (11-13-0)Previous rank: 12Craig Berube's words for Jordan Binnington. It's not very often that a head coach directly calls out his starter, but the Blues bench boss has seemingly grown tired of Binnington's antics. Berube said the goalie's hot-headed behavior has "got to stop" after he earned a 10-minute misconduct for his actions against the Penguins on Saturday.22. Buffalo Sabres (11-13-1)Previous rank: 28Tage Thompson. Eyebrows went up around the league when the Sabres signed the hulking center to a seven-year, $50-million extension after he broke out with 38 goals and 30 assists in 2021-22. But the critics have been quiet lately since Thompson has been even better this season, amassing 16 goals and 18 assists in 25 games for a rebuilding Buffalo squad.23. Ottawa Senators (10-13-1)Previous rank: 27D.J. Smith is still the coach. The Senators desperately needed a strong start to avoid falling out of contention early, yet they're closer to the league's basement than they are to a playoff spot. As the NHL's seventh-longest tenured coach, it's stunning that Smith still has a job, considering the Sens came into the season with high expectations.24. Montreal Canadiens (12-11-1) Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyPrevious rank: 20Arber Xhekaj. In just one year, Xhekaj has gone from an undrafted OHL signing to a fan-favorite everyday defenseman for the Canadiens. The 21-year-old leads rookie blue-liners with four goals.25. Vancouver Canucks (10-12-3)Previous rank: 23Thatcher Demko. Nothing has been more surprising in the Canucks' abysmal season than Demko's significant struggles. A potential Vezina candidate coming into the campaign, Demko has just three wins in 15 starts and a woeful .883 save percentage. To make matters worse, he's now on the shelf for at least six weeks.26. Washington Capitals (10-12-4)Previous rank: 24Evgeny Kuznetsov's scoring prowess. The Capitals center tallied 24 goals last year and is a career 11.4% shooter, but he's only found twine three times this season, owning a 4.8% shooting percentage. Chalk it up to poor puck luck?27. Columbus Blue Jackets (8-13-2)Previous rank: 30Losing Zach Werenski. Look, not all surprises are good. The Blue Jackets certainly didn't think they'd have to play out the majority of the campaign without their top defenseman, who sustained a season-ending injury in November. It's an especially hard blow for Columbus, who was hoping to climb the Metropolitan Division after a flashy offseason that brought Johnny Gaudreau to Ohio.28. San Jose Sharks (8-16-4)Previous rank: 31Erik Karlsson. It's highly unlikely anyone predicted the Sharks veteran would contend for the Norris Trophy this season - or that he would be a desired asset come trade deadline time - but here we are. Karlsson currently leads all defensemen with 11 goals and 34 points.29. Chicago Blackhawks (7-13-4)Previous rank: 25Max Domi. The pesky forward's stock has been trending downward over the last few years, but he's showing he still has plenty of game left with nine goals and 10 assists in 24 matchups. His offensive ability, versatility, and edge to his game could make him a coveted trade deadline chip.30. Arizona Coyotes (7-11-4) Andrea Cardin/Freestyle Photo / Getty Images Sport / GettyPrevious rank: 29Matias Maccelli. The 22-year-old rookie has been one of the few bright spots for the Coyotes in 2022-23. Maccelli is tied for second in rookie scoring with 16 points in 20 games - a significant improvement from his six points in 23 games in similar usage last year.31. Philadelphia Flyers (8-12-5)Previous rank: 26Carter Hart. After a couple of down years, Hart is the only reason the Flyers aren't the worst team in the league, as he ranks third among NHL netminders with 14.76 goals saved above expected.32. Anaheim Ducks (6-17-3)Previous rank: 32Where's our viral Trevor Zegras moment?! OK, OK, to be fair, the Ducks star did get a nasty Michigan goal taken away in November due to an offside review, but we're going to be greedy and ask for one that counts. We're mere days away from the first anniversary of his bonkers lacrosse-style assist from last season.(Analytics sources: Evolving Hockey, Natural Stat Trick)Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Chicago Blackhawks forward Andreas Athanasiou isn't happy with the open-ice hit he received from New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba on Saturday.Athanasiou believes Trouba has a reputation for delivering high hits and trying to injure his opponents."That guy is known for hitting high, not really worrying about the puck out there and almost trying to hurt people," Athanasiou told Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times. "That's his game; that's what he does."Athanasiou also pointed sarcastically to Trouba's lack of production relative to his salary."He's an $8-million man with zero goals, so he has to figure out how to do something when making that much," he said. "If you can't help the team, I guess you try to hurt guys on the other team."Here's the hit:

The Winnipeg Jets overcame another slow start to beat the Anaheim Ducks 5-2 on Sunday, but head coach Rick Bowness didn't feel like showering his team with praise."It's just not right to start a game like that. Listen, I'm the head coach, so I'm responsible for the way we start and getting our team prepared, so that starts with me," he said postgame. "The second thing is: I'm not a babysitter, these guys are men, they're professionals, and they're paid to show up ready to go to work. My job is to make that happen."The third thing on that would be: You cannot play this game without passion, without emotion. You cannot play this game on your (heels) and I hate when we're on our (heels)."Winnipeg surrendered the first goal of the contest with just under five minutes remaining in the opening frame when Jakob Silfverberg scored right after the Ducks' power play expired.The ice was extremely tilted in Anaheim's favor during the first period: The Ducks outshot the Jets 18-7 and controlled 73.3% of the shot attempts, 71.4% of the scoring chances, and 78.9% of the expected goals at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick.Brett Leason would make it 2-0 for the Ducks early in the middle frame, but the Jets ultimately scored five unanswered goals while outshooting Anaheim 33-12 in the final two periods.The victory came two days after the Jets fell 4-1 to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Winnipeg gave up two goals in each of the first two periods and didn't get on the board until Pierre-Luc Dubois scored late in the third frame."So we had a bad game on Friday and everyone's saying all the right things yesterday, but words mean nothing to me. They mean nothing," Bowness said Sunday. "All I want to see is action. I just want to see passion and emotion in the way we play. Right or wrong ... we'll figure the rest out."Winnipeg is 15-7-1 on the season, but Bowness said he and his staff are still getting to know the players.The Jets have been outscored 22-15 in the first period this season but own a positive goal differential in the second and third frames.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner established a new franchise record by extending his point streak to 19 games with a shorthanded goal to open the scoring during Saturday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.Darryl Sittler and Ed Olczyk previously shared the record.PlayerPoint streakMitch Marner19 gamesDarryl Sittler18 gamesEd Olczyk18 gamesDave Andreychuk16 gamesBabe Dye16 gamesJohn Anderson16 gamesMarner, who grew up just outside of Toronto in Thornhill, Ontario, said that setting a record for his hometown team has a special meaning."I grew up in this city," he said postgame, according to The Athletic's Jonas Siegel. "I love being a part of this team nowadays. It’s special to me. It’s special growing up to watch this team play hockey and now to have my name in something - pretty amazing."Marner added a power-play tally in the contest to help force OT and earn the Leafs a point. He's now recorded nine goals and 17 assists during the 19-game heater and paces the Leafs with 31 points on the campaign.The streak ties Marner with nine other players for the 31st longest in NHL history. He still has a long way to go to flirt with Wayne Gretzky's league-record 51-game point streak set in 1984.The longest point streak of the salary-cap era belongs to Patrick Kane, who tallied a goal or assist in 26 straight contests during the 2015-16 season.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

St. Louis Blues head coach Craig Berube seems to be tired of Jordan Binnington's antics after the goaltender stirred up more trouble Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins."It's got to stop. It doesn’t help anything," Berube told reporters after his side's 6-2 loss, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Seth Rorabaugh. "Just play goal. Stop the puck."Binnington was handed a 10-minute misconduct for inciting early in the second period of Saturday's contest versus the Penguins after letting in Pittsburgh's fourth goal of the game.

Brock Boeser won't be a healthy scratch when the Vancouver Canucks take on the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday night, after all.The winger will draw into the lineup due to a minor injury to Dakota Joshua, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau explained the reasoning behind Boeser's intended scratch earlier Saturday."Sometimes, tough love is tough love," Boudreau said. "I know he's capable of being much better. We want to win, and we need him, I think, over the long haul to win. But we have to be better. It could've been one of a few guys, but sometimes this is just something you have to do."Boeser, who's normally a reliable secondary scorer, authored a nine-game point streak in November. However, he's been held without a point over his last three and managed only three shots on goal in that span."We did (this) earlier in the year with Conor (Garland), and he responded well," Boudreau said. "So I'm anticipating (because) Brock's a real good professional ... that he'll respond in kind."Boeser collected 14 points in 18 contests this season but only has three goals - two of which he scored on the power play. The 25-year-old averaged 23 goals over the previous five campaigns.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Joel Edmundson received a five-minute major and a game misconduct for cross-checking Edmonton Oilers forward Zach Hyman in the head Saturday night.

Darryl Sittler and Ed Olczyk will be cheering Mitch Marner on as he attempts to eclipse them and claim the longest point streak in Toronto Maple Leafs history.Sittler, a Leafs legend who also holds the NHL record with 10 points in a game, predicted how Marner would tie the point streak during a win over the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night. "Mitch will have a good shot of getting it in overtime, or if the Leafs score, he'll probably get it in the empty net," Sittler told his son that night, according to The Athletic's Hailey Salvian."And that's the way it happened," the 72-year-old said. "Good for Mitch, I hope he keeps going and carries that record on as long as he can."Marner buried an empty-netter to seal that victory and tie both Sittler and Olczyk by earning a point in his 18th consecutive game. The current Toronto forward has racked up seven goals and 17 assists over that span."I hope either (Auston) Matthews, (John) Tavares, or (Mark) Giordano are saying to Mitch like, 'Hey, knock those old guys off the mantle here, let’s go.'" said Olczyk, a longtime broadcaster who's now working at TNT. "I've always had a soft spot in my heart for all No. 16s in Toronto because that's the number I wore."I'll be watching and living every shift with him and hoping he can accomplish something that I tried to do."Sittler set the record in 1978, and Olczyk tied it 12 years later. Marner entered Saturday night's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning leading Toronto in assists (21) and points (29). Eleven of those points were secondary assists and he's tied for the third-most of the latter in the NHL, but he's scored all eight of his goals at even strength.Marner is shouldering a heavy workload this season. The winger came into Saturday's tilt ranking eighth in the league in average ice time among forwards with 21:28. He leads his team in ATOI among forwards, averaging over a minute more than Matthews.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko will miss approximately six weeks after leaving Thursday's game against the Florida Panthers due to a lower-body injury, Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin announced Saturday.Demko appeared to favor his right leg and had to be helped off the ice.

The Detroit Red Wings expect to be without Tyler Bertuzzi for over a month.Bertuzzi underwent surgery Friday and will likely miss six weeks, Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde said.The winger was hurt during a shootout loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday when teammate Ben Chiarot's point shot struck Bertuzzi's left hand late in the third period.Detroit placed the 27-year-old on injured reserve Thursday.Bertuzzi has been limited to nine games this season due to multiple ailments. He missed most of the preseason with an undisclosed injury he sustained at the start of training camp. Bertuzzi then broke his right hand blocking a shot in the second game of the regular season, after which he missed a month.The Ontario-born forward collected one goal and three assists over the nine games he played in 2022-23. Bertuzzi is coming off a strong campaign in which he established career highs in goals (30), assists (32), and points despite suiting up for just 68 contests.Bertuzzi has played parts of seven seasons with the Red Wings, who drafted him 58th overall in 2013.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs' injury woes continue as forward Calle Jarnkrok will miss at least two weeks with a groin injury, head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters Friday, including Sportsnet's Luke Fox.Jarnkrok was hurt in Wednesday's game against the San Jose Sharks. He left during the second period and did not return.The 31-year-old was recently moved into the top six alongside John Tavares and Mitch Marner. He has five goals and nine points in 25 contests this season.Nick Robertson is set to take Jarnkrok's spot on the second line, according to TSN's Mark Masters. Wayne Simmonds draws in on the fourth line.Jarnkrok adds to an ever-growing list of unavailable players for the Maple Leafs as Morgan Rielly, TJ Brodie, Jake Muzzin, and Jordie Benn all remain out.Toronto faces the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We have a quiet three-game slate Friday night before a Saturday full of action.Let's take a look at a play that stands out on both days.Predators (+130) @ Islanders (-150)

Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko wasn't able to return to Thursday's contest against the Florida Panthers after suffering an undisclosed injury in the final minute of the first period.

Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom was highly critical of his performance following his side's 2-1 loss to the Montreal Canadians on Thursday night."I just suck at hockey right now," he told reporters in an extremely brief postgame presser.Markstrom made 17 saves on 19 shots during the loss - the Flames' fourth in their last five games - and allowed the first goal of the contest just 13 seconds into the first period.The veteran netminder ventured well outside of his crease in an attempt to knock a loose puck out of the reach of a streaking Sean Monahan. However, Markstrom's sliding block ended up putting the puck onto the stick of Juraj Slafkovsky, who made no mistake scoring into the empty net.

Ottawa Senators restricted free agent Alex Formenton is ineligible to play in the NHL during the 2022-23 season after the two sides failed to reach an agreement by Thursday's 5 p.m. deadline.Formenton's entry-level contract expired after the last campaign. He's free to sign overseas.The Senators were permitted to trade Formenton, but a deal never materialized. Ottawa likely could have afforded to sign the winger to a new contract, as the club currently has nearly $4 million in cap space, according to Cap Friendly.Ottawa drafted Formenton 47th overall in 2017. He was a key contributor for the Senators last season, posting a career-high 18 goals - including a league-leading five shorthanded tallies - and 32 points.The 23-year-old was a member of Canada's 2018 world junior team. He's one of the few players who hasn't commented on an investigation into allegations against eight Hockey Canada players, including some from the gold-medal winning squad, accused of taking part in a group sexual assault at a gala event in June 2018.Senators general manager Pierre Dorion said in September that the investigation had no bearing on Formenton's contract status."I think we all want to have answers," said Dorion, according to The Canadian Press. "I'm the father of a kid that I pay Hockey Canada fees to, and I think we all want to have answers, but at the same time, I'm also the GM of an NHL team. We've been given the directive that until the NHL investigation is over, not to comment."Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We're heading for a jam-packed night of hockey as 11 games are scheduled Thursday.Let's waste no time in getting to our best bets.Golden Knights (+100) @ Penguins (-120)The Golden Knights are a tier above the Penguins, but they both play similar styles of hockey. They try to grind out their opponents down low, create chances from the cycle, and play compact defense without the puck. The pace of the games tends to be relatively low as a result.Over the last 10 games, for example, the Golden Knights and Penguins both rank in the bottom half of the league at generating expected goals and in the top half of the league at preventing them. Neither side trades chances.On paper, Kris Letang's absence seems like it could be a big concern to the total. I don't think it is.Letang has really struggled defensively this season. In fact, the Penguins have allowed shots, chances, and high-danger opportunities at a higher rate with Letang on the ice than any other regular defenseman.Where they may miss him most is on the power play. It hasn't exactly been firing on all cylinders this year but, over the last two-plus seasons, Letang leads all Penguins in primary assists. He's their main distributor on the man advantage and losing him takes a bite out of Pittsburgh's attack.The goaltending matchup looks good. Logan Thompson (.921 save percentage) and Tristan Jarry (.914 save percentage) are expected to start, and both have posted SV%s well above the league average. There are many reasons to like the under in this game.Bet: Under 6.5 (-125)Canadiens (+220) @ Flames (-270)The road has been rocky for the Flames this season, but they appear to be righting the ship.Calgary has posted a 5-3-1 record over its last nine games, with all four losses coming on the road to strong teams (Penguins, Lightning, Hurricanes, Capitals).The Flames returned home from a lengthy road trip Tuesday and made a statement, picking up a convincing 6-2 win over the Panthers.I expect the Flames to pick up where they left off when they face the Canadiens. While the Habs have hung in there record-wise, they're still not a very good team; and when they lose, they really lose.Of Montreal's 11 defeats this season, 10 of them have been by at least two goals.The Flames have dominated the run of play at home this year, controlling better than 54% of the high-danger looks at five-on-five. That's not great news for the Canadiens, who sit just above 40%.I think the Flames will be on the front foot for a lot of this game. With the Canadiens' goaltending coming back down to earth, I don't see them hanging around.Bet: Flames -1.5 (-115)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner made sure to soak in the moment as he made team history Wednesday against the San Jose Sharks.Marner matched the franchise point record in his 18th consecutive game when his empty-net goal tied Darryl Sittler and Ed Olcyzk atop the list, leading to a standing ovation from the Toronto crowd."That was really special," Marner said, according to Sports Illustrated's Mike Stephens. "That meant a lot ... It’s a special moment to have grown up in this city and have my name next to those guys."Marner's moment didn't come without obstacles. While up a goal in the dying minutes, he had a pass to Michael Bunting intercepted and then missed his first look at the yawning cage before finally converting with 1:11 left on the clock."I'm just so happy he got it," Matthews said, according to Stephens. "It was looking a little sticky there."Matthews also admitted he chirped Marner for passing up his first opportunity at the empty net."What are you doing? Just put it in the net and head home," he quipped, according to Stephens.Marner's current run began Oct. 27 in San Jose. He's collected seven goals and 17 assists during the streak and is now up to 29 points on the season - tied for the seventh-highest total in the league.The 25-year-old's chance to stand alone in Toronto's history books comes Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

At any given moment this season, Jon Cooper can scan the bodies in front of him on the Tampa Bay Lightning bench and see nameplates synonymous with three straight trips to the Stanley Cup Final, two ending in elation.Stamkos. Hedman. Kucherov. Point. And so on.Cooper, Tampa Bay's head coach since March 2013, can also see nameplates that barely register with hockey fans and media outside of central Florida.Perbix. Koepke. Colton. Myers. And so on. Juan Ocampo / Getty ImagesTampa Bay won its second of two recent Cups just 16 months ago. Yet the club's roster has turned over significantly. Forward Anthony Cirelli, set to return from injury any day now, will be the 27th player to appear in at least one Lightning game this season. Of those 27, 14 have never hoisted the Cup, while offseason signee Ian Cole, a two-time champ, won his with Pittsburgh."That's our vibe. We're not a new team, but we kind of are a new team," Cooper, the NHL's longest-tenured coach, said in an interview Monday.That might be the perfect way to frame it. There's been no official retooling or rebuilding process for the Lightning. The championship core is largely intact, so they're not an entirely new group. But to balance the books over the last two offseasons, Tampa has sacrificed plenty of depth. The salary cap, stalled for three seasons at $81.5 million, increased in 2022-23 but only by $1 million.Yanni Gourde, Barclay Goodrow, and Blake Coleman - members of a terrific third line - all left in 2021. The same goes for Tyler Johnson and defenseman David Savard. Top-flight winger Ondrej Palat, plus two serviceable blue-liners in Ryan McDonagh and Jan Rutta, were this past summer's cap casualties.On Tuesday in Boston, Cooper trotted out these lines (newcomers in bold):Brandon Hagel - Brayden Point - Nikita Kucherov

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov returned to the crease Wednesday night against the San Jose Sharks.Samsonov hadn't played since Nov. 5 against the Boston Bruins. He suffered a knee injury attempting to save a Brad Marchand penalty shot, exiting the game after the second period.Wednesday's contest marked the first the Maple Leafs have had both Matt Murray and Samsonov available since the season opener against the Montreal Canadiens.Samsonov posted a 6-2-0 record and a .921 save percentage in eight starts with Murray unavailable.Toronto lost its previous matchup against the Sharks this campaign 4-3 in overtime with Erik Kallgren between the pipes.The Maple Leafs are 14-5-5, second in the Atlantic Division.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Pat Maroon turned Boston Bruins play-by-play announcer Jack Edwards' on-air comments about his weight into a positive Wednesday by making a $2,000 donation to a nonprofit that assists those dealing with mental health and substance abuse issues.Maroon made the donation to Tampa Bay Thrives in Edwards' name and dedicated his act of goodwill to people struggling with "mental health, bullying, and body image."

The Los Angeles Kings placed goaltender Cal Petersen on waivers Wednesday.The struggling netminder is in the first season of a three-year, $15-million contract he signed in September 2021. He's due a $4-million signing bonus next summer and will earn $6 million in salary during the final year of the contract in 2024-25.Petersen has a 5-3-2 record and an .868 save percentage in 2022-23. He allowed four goals on 16 shots Tuesday after relieving Jonathan Quick in the Kings' 9-8 overtime loss to the Seattle Kraken.The Kings' .879 team save percentage is the worst in the NHL.The 28-year-old seemed to have usurped Quick as the starting goaltender in Los Angeles in 2021. Petersen played 35 games and had a .911 save percentage in the shortened 2020-21 campaign, leading to his contract extension.Petersen faltered last year and has been unable to find his form since. He had an .895 save percentage in 37 games in 2021-22 and lost the starting job to Quick, who played all seven of the Kings' games in the first round against the Edmonton Oilers.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pittsburgh Penguins star defenseman Kris Letang suffered a stroke Monday and is out indefinitely, the team announced Wednesday.Letang isn't experiencing any lasting effects of the stroke. He was taken to the hospital Monday after reporting symptoms and will continue to undergo testing this week. His condition isn't believed to be career-threatening."I am fortunate to know my body well enough to recognize when something isn't right," Letang said in a press release. "While it is difficult to navigate this issue publicly, I am hopeful it can raise awareness. It is important for me that my teammates, family, and the fans know that I am okay. I am optimistic that I will be back on the ice soon."Penguins general manager Ron Hextall said the team is "grateful that Kris is doing well.""He is a warrior on the ice, but first and foremost, he is a son, father, husband, and friend," Hextall said. "His health is our No. 1 priority."He added Wednesday: "I'm shocked at how well he's doing emotionally and how well he seems to be taking it. This is much less severe than what happened eight years ago. There's a lot of comfort in that."Letang missed over two months in 2014 due to a stroke."After the game last night, I informed the players of Kris' circumstance," Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said Wednesday. "He was with me when I did. It was important for Kris to be there because his teammates got to see him in good spirits and that he's doing well."Letang played 21 games with the Penguins this season, tallying 12 points.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Seattle Kraken and Los Angeles Kings combined for the highest-scoring NHL game this season on Tuesday night, and that was before the puck even dropped for the third period.Seattle was victorious 9-8 in overtime thanks to Andre Burakovsky's game-winner. The contest was unique for all involved, but one they hope to put in the rearview mirror."It was kind of a messed up night," Burakovsky told reporters postgame. "Trading chances, a lot of sloppy plays. I think we played a really bad game, and so did they. We were lucky that they didn't play good at all."Three Kraken players had two goals apiece, while Jordan Eberle and Kevin Fiala led the way with four assists each."It's a very, very confusing night for all of us," Kings head coach Todd McLellan said. "I'm really disappointed that we gave up nine goals, absolutely. But on the other side of the coin, I'm glad we fought back, got a point, and scored eight."So it's mass confusion right now for all of us, and we better frickin' figure it out quickly."Kraken forward Jared McCann gave his thoughts on the potential cause of the chaos."The ice wasn't particularly great," McCann said. "The puck was bouncing everywhere, guys were falling everywhere. Just one of those games."He added, "I haven't been in a game like this since junior hockey. Other than San Jose, I guess," referring to the Kraken's 8-5 victory over the Sharks on Nov. 23."It was a crazy game," Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol said. "It wasn't a well-played hockey game in a lot of respects when you look at the types of chances and the goals against, things like that. At the end of the day, it was one of those games where the last shot wins, and that's exactly what happened."Hakstol added, "We probably won't look at a whole lot of this, I'll be honest. We'll get back to who we are two nights from now."The Kraken face the Washington Capitals next, while Los Angeles looks to get back in the win column against the Arizona Coyotes. Both teams are in action Thursday night.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Philadelphia Flyers snapped their 10-game losing streak with a narrow 3-1 victory over the New York Islanders on home ice Tuesday night.Travis Sanheim and Kevin Hayes scored in the first period to erase an early 1-0 deficit. Hayes added an empty-netter to seal the deal. Carter Hart made 23 stops to exact revenge on the Isles, who won Saturday's meeting between the two clubs.Tuesday's contest started with a bang, as two fights broke out within the opening 10 seconds. Matt Martin first dropped the gloves with Zack MacEwen before Ross Johnston followed up with a tilt against Nicolas Deslauriers.Philadelphia's losing streak started on Nov. 10 against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Remarkably, the Flyers' latest cold spell was their third 10-game skid since last December.John Tortorella's crew started the season better than anyone expected, winning five of their first seven games. However, the club now sits seventh in the Metropolitan Division with an 8-10-5 record.The Flyers return to the ice Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Dallas Stars are interested in adding a top-six forward to their arsenal this season, TSN's Darren Dreger reported on Tuesday's edition of "Insider Trading.""They like what they have, they like the way things are going in Dallas right now, it's hard not to," Dreger said. "But they'd like to add a forward to play with Tyler Seguin and Mason Marchment."It sounds like a tall ask, they do like their depth there, but that top-six luxury item is definitely something Dallas is in the market for."Seguin has put up four goals and 18 points, while Marchment has logged seven tallies and six assists in 23 contests this campaign.The Stars already boast one of the most potent top lines in the league thanks to Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz, and Joe Pavelski. The fearsome trio has been the second-most utilized line this campaign and has produced at a rate of 5.33 goals for per 60 minutes at five-on-five, according to Evolving Hockey.Seguin and Marchment's situation has been more fluid in comparison. The duo has hit the ice alongside the likes of Denis Gurianov, Ty Dellandrea, Matej Blumel, Joel Kiviranta, Radek Faksa, Jacob Peterson, and Jamie Benn this season.Robertson, Hintz, and Pavelski make up three of Dallas' top-four point-getters in 2022-23, while Seguin and Marchment sit fifth and eighth, respectively.Adding another weapon to the Stars' top six could only make them more dangerous. Dallas tops the NHL with 88 goals, and the team's sterling 3.83 goals-per-game clip is the second-highest in the league.The Stars currently have just under $1.1 million in cap space, per CapFriendly. They sit first in the Central Division with a 13-6-4 record.Dallas took care of an important piece of business up front earlier Tuesday by signing Hintz to an eight-year extension with an average annual value of $8.45 million. He could have become a restricted free agent at the end of this season.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Dallas Stars signed forward Roope Hintz to an eight-year extension with an average annual value of $8.45 million on Tuesday.The 26-year-old tallied a career-high 37 goals and 72 points in 2021-22. He has eight goals and 24 points through 22 contests this season.Hintz has blossomed alongside Jason Robertson and Joe Pavelski to form one of the best lines in the NHL. The trio combined to score 45.1% of the Stars' goals last campaign.Robertson-Hintz-Pavelski has tallied the second-most minutes for any line in the NHL in 2022-23 and has operated at a 60.1% expected goals share at five-on-five, according to Money Puck."Roope is a dynamic two-way centerman who has proven to be one of the best at his position in the NHL," Stars general manager Jim Nill said in a statement. "He's developed into one of our most versatile players, making an impact on special teams and at even strength, and can be counted on by our coaching staff in every situation."Hintz's new contract has a no-movement clause that takes effect in 2024-25, the earliest he's eligible for such a clause, and carries through the duration of the pact.The $67.6 million in salary matches the eight-year deal Dallas signed with Miro Heiskanen in July 2021. He will become the joint third highest-paid player on the Stars when the contract begins in 2023-24.He was set to become a restricted free agent at the end of the 2022-23 campaign.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL has nine games scheduled for Tuesday night's slate, including some mouthwatering matchups.Let's focus on a couple of them with our best bets.Panthers (+130) @ Flames (-150)It would've been fair heading into the season to assume this would be a matchup between two contenders sitting at or near the top of their respective conferences. Things haven't exactly played out that way.The Florida Panthers have won 10 of 22 games, while the Calgary Flames have claimed nine of 21. Both teams sit on the outside of the playoff picture as a result.While there's plenty of reason to believe both underachieving sides can right the ship, I favor the Flames in this game.Calgary has played very well at home this season, controlling better than 54% of the high-danger chances at five-on-five. The Flames are a tough team to beat in that game state.That's problematic for the Panthers because they struggle to win the special teams battle due to their inability to stay out of the box. On the year, only four teams have spent more time shorthanded per game than Florida.Even though the Panthers have largely done a good job of limiting shots and chances on the penalty kill, they've still allowed more power-play tallies than all but four teams. They spend so much time undermanned that it's hard for them to prevent goals no matter how effective their PK is.There are a couple of other key factors working against the Panthers. First and foremost, Aleksander Barkov is out. He's one of the league's best two-way pivots, and his absence really thins out Florida's center position. That's not ideal when going up against the likes of Elias Lindholm, Nazem Kadri, and Mikael Backlund.Additionally, Sergei Bobrovsky (-5.2 goals saved above expectation) is expected to get the nod in goal over Spencer Knight (+1.1 GSAE), who's clearly been better this season. Bobrovsky isn't as likely to turn in a quality start behind a Panthers team that'll need one to get two points in a road back-to-back.Bet: Flames (-150)Avalanche (-130) @ Jets (+110)I really like the Colorado Avalanche in this spot. Despite all the injuries they continue to face, the Avs have won eight of the last 10 games.They've beaten the Dallas Stars twice, the Carolina Hurricanes twice, and the Vegas Golden Knights, among others, during that span. They're regularly coming out on top against some of the best teams.Although the Winnipeg Jets are a nice story that's played legitimately well this season, I like Colorado to get two points in this game.Even without so many key players, the Avalanche sit seventh in high-danger chance share at five-on-five over the last 10 games. Plus, we know how lethal they can be on the man advantage.The Avs have also gotten fantastic goaltending from newcomer Alexandar Georgiev. He's saved 9.6 goals above expectation thus far and, on a per-game basis, ranks fourth among starters. Jake Oettinger, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Igor Shesterkin, and, yes, Connor Hellebuyck are just a few of the stars behind Georgiev in that regard.I expect the Avalanche to control the run of play at full strength in this game. They seem more likely to get production from the power play, too, and Georgiev appears more than capable of stepping up in goal when needed.The Avalanche closed at -240 when these teams faced each other last month. The game was in Colorado, but nothing that's happened since warrants this large of a swing. Take the value and back the Avs.Bet: Avalanche (-130)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Igor Shesterkin was his own harshest critic after the New York Rangers fell 5-3 to the New Jersey Devils on Monday."The goalie played a shit game again," Shesterkin said following the loss. "I feel so bad and play so bad. I'm ashamed."He added: "Every goal is easy play for me. I have to stop those. If our team wants to win the game, I have to play better."The Rangers have now lost eight of their last 12 games. They jumped out to an early 2-0 lead over their Metropolitan Division rivals on Monday, but the red-hot Devils responded with four unanswered goals to take a lead they never relinquished.New York head coach Gerard Gallant disagreed with his star goaltender shouldering the blame."The team's a problem," he said, per SNY TV. "The whole group of us - coaches, the whole group. We've got to turn it around."Shesterkin entered Monday's contest with a 10-3-3 record and .914 save percentage - respectable numbers, but well below the standard he established in his 2021-22 Vezina-winning campaign.The loss dropped the Rangers to 10-9-4 on the season. They now sit three points back of a playoff spot in the Metro and one point back of the second wild-card position in the Eastern Conference.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vegas Golden Knights star Jack Eichel temporarily left Monday's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets after a teammate's errant wrist shot struck him in the face in the third period.Eichel departed the ice immediately, leaving a trail of blood behind him, but he returned for the final few minutes of regulation.

The Colorado Avalanche and forward Alex Galchenyuk agreed to a one-year contract for the remainder of the 2022-23 campaign, the club announced Monday.The deal is worth $750,000, according to TSN's Chris Johnston.Galchenyuk excelled with the Avalanche's AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, collecting three goals and four assists in seven games after returning from injury earlier in November. He joined the farm team on a professional tryout agreement in training camp before getting hurt.The 28-year-old collected six goals and 15 assists in 60 games with the Arizona Coyotes last season. He's played for six NHL teams in his 10-year career, peaking with a 30-goal, 56-point effort with the Montreal Canadiens in 2015-16.The Avalanche are dealing with numerous injuries up front. Team captain Gabriel Landeskog is recovering from knee surgery and hasn't played this season. Valeri Nichushkin hasn't suited up since late October and underwent ankle surgery in early November that's expected to keep him out until early December.In the latest blow to Colorado's forward group, Evan Rodrigues is likely to miss two-to-four weeks with a lower-body ailment.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Boston Bruins and their fans can breathe a sigh of relief.Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery said Monday that goaltender Linus Ullmark will serve as either the starter or the backup Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning.Ullmark exited Friday's win over the Carolina Hurricanes with an apparent arm injury and didn't return.The Bruins goaltender is the clear Vezina Trophy front-runner this season. He leads all NHL netminders in wins (13) and tops all players at the position who've played at least four games in save percentage (.935).The 29-year-old also boasts stellar goals saved above expected and goals saved above average figures.Ullmark in 2022-23GSAx (Rank)GSAA (Rank)All situations9.38 (5th)13.2 (2nd)5-on-55.18 (9th)9.77 (3rd)Ulllmark literally split time with Jeremy Swayman in the Boston crease last season, as the puck-stoppers played 41 games apiece. But Ullmark firmly established himself as the club's No. 1 netminder in 2022-23, while Swayman has underachieved with a .890 save percentage despite his 4-2-0 record.(Analytics source: Evolving Hockey)Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

While "Don't overreact to the results of one week" is an axiom more frequently served up in the NFL, you can also apply it to the NHL.Saturday's Maple Leafs-Penguins matchup proved to be a good example. The visiting Leafs were +115 on the moneyline despite having an average price of -115 before a 5-2 win in Pittsburgh on Nov. 15. (Toronto had also suffered a home loss to the Penguins on Nov. 11.) That's an implied win probability drop of 7% over 11 days despite the game being played in the same venue.The Leafs did start Erik Kallgren instead of Matt Murray on Saturday, and they didn't have Morgan Rielly. But Rielly means roughly 3% to the Leafs' game-to-game win probability, and the difference between Kallgren and Murray is even less than that. So, how did we get to 7%?The Penguins had won two of 11 contests amidst the first two meetings with the Leafs, but they'd won five straight from Nov. 17-25. They averaged an even-strength Expected Goal Share (XG%) of 56% over their opponents during that stretch. But that didn't bear fruit Saturday, as Pittsburgh had just 44.26% of the five-on-five XG% in a 4-1 loss.Teams will always revert to their mean. Getting Toronto at better than +110 was a bet that had to be made in order to take advantage of the value created by the market's perception.The recipeWe started the campaign using regular-season point totals as a baseline for rating teams since it's still our best measurement. Throughout the campaign, we'll adjust club ratings using on-ice metrics to remove the cognitive bias of win-loss records, which various outliers like special teams results, poor goaltending performances, and other unreliable events - such as three-on-three overtime and the shootout - can skew.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 betable range at some point between market open and puck drop.DATEGAMETRUE MLPRICE TO BETNov. 28TOR@DET-130/+130TOR -124/DET +153VGK@CBJ-159/+159VGK -153/CBJ +189NJD@NYR+105/-105NJD +116/NYR +106TBL@BUF-139/+139TBL -133/BUF +164DAL@STL+113/-113DAL +133/STL -108FLA@EDM+115/-115FLA +135/EDM -110Nov. 29TBL@BOS+143/-143TBL +169/BOS -137SJS@MTL+105/-105SJS +116/MTL +105CAR@PIT+107/-107CAR +118/PIT +103NYI@PHI-116/+116NYI -111/PHI +136COL@WPG-109/+109COL -105/WPG +128ANA@NSH+181/-181ANA +217/NSH -174FLA@CGY+125/-125FLA +147/CGY -120WSH@VAN+117/-117WSH +138/VAN -113SEA@LAK+139/-139SEA +164/LAK -133Nov. 30NYR@OTT-109/+109NYR +102/OTT +120SJS@TOR+264/-264SJS +326/TOR -251BUF@DET+124/-124BUF +146/DET -119EDM@CHI-169/+169EDM -162/CHI +201Dec. 1TBL@PHI-159/+159TBL -153/PHI +189COL@BUF-128/+128COL -123/BUF +150VGK@PIT+117/-117VGK +138/PIT -112NSH@NJD+146/-146NSH +173/NJD -140EDM@MIN+142/-142EDM +168/MIN -136CAR@STL-111/+111CAR +100/STL +123ANA@DAL+176/-176ANA +211/DAL -169MTL@CGY+224/-224MTL +272/CGY -213WSH@SEA+113/-113WSH +133/SEA -109FLA@VAN-124/+124FLA -119/VAN +146ARI@LAK+259/-259ARI +320/LAK -247Dec. 2OTT@NYR+150/-150OTT +178/NYR -144NSH@NYI+129/-129NSH +152/NYI -123CBJ@WPG+174/-174CBJ +207/WPG -166Dec. 3ANA@MIN+198/-198ANA +238/MIN -189VGK@DET-119/+119VGK -115/DET +141STL@PIT+140/-140STL +165/PIT -134TOR@TBL+119/-119TOR +140/TBL -114COL@BOS+127/-127COL +150/BOS -122SJS@OTT+146/-146SJS +173/OTT -140NJD@PHI-162/+162NJD -155/PHI +193MTL@EDM+212/-212MTL +256/EDM -202CHI@NYR+213/-213CHI +257/NYR -203FLA@SEA-129/+129FLA -123/SEA +152ARI@VAN+222/-222ARI +270/VAN -212WSH@CGY+149/-149WSH +177/CGY -143CAR@LAK-101/+101CAR +110/LAK +111Dec. 4MIN@DAL+106/-106MIN +117/DAL +105ANA@WPG+196/-196ANA +236/WPG -188DET@CBJ+104/-104DET +122/CBJ +100SJS@BUF+154/-154SJS +183/BUF -148CHI@NYI+241/-241CHI +295/NYI -230Matt 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 © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Marco Rossi is AHL-bound.The Minnesota Wild assigned their No. 1 prospect to their highest minor-league affiliate, the Iowa Wild, the NHL club announced Monday. The Athletic's Michael Russo reported Minnesota informed Rossi of the decision after a win over the Arizona Coyotes on Sunday.Rossi has been a healthy scratch for each of the last four contests and hasn't gotten into a game since playing 8:51 on Nov. 17. The 21-year-old center has a lone assist in 16 games with Minnesota this season, and that came back on Nov. 1. He's won only 45.5% of his faceoffs and has averaged 12:26 of ice time in 2022-23.The Austrian was expected to make an impact in the NHL this season after setting Iowa's rookie points record with 53 across 63 games in 2021-22.Last week, Rossi said his early-season slump has been "frustrating," but added that he felt staying in the NHL would be best for his development.Rossi missed all but one game during the 2020-21 campaign - which he played in Switzerland - due to heart inflammation that resulted from COVID. "I'm just happy that I'm still alive," he said at the time.The Wild drafted Rossi ninth overall in 2020. He amassed 120 points in 56 games with the OHL's Ottawa 67s during the 2019-20 season.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.