In today's offense-charged NHL, a serious Hart Trophy candidate must possess some brand of inevit...

In today's offense-charged NHL, a serious Hart Trophy candidate must possess some brand of inevitability. He must be the caliber of player who finds a way to directly impact the outcome of the game, virtually every game.Kirill Kaprizov showcased this trait earlier this week by turning a sleepy Tuesday night contest in St. Louis into a 4-2 Wild victory thanks to a two-goal third period. It wasn't some triumphant performance, either. No, the 27-year-old winger scoring six minutes into the third to make it 2-1 and then putting the game away with an empty-netter felt inevitable more than anything else.Carrying the Wild is simply what Kaprizov does at this point in his career.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"He's been unbelievable, so I would think so," Wild general manager Bill Guerin said of Kaprizov being the Hart front-runner at this season's quarter mark. "There are other guys having good starts. But I just think when you look at what Kirill means to our team, what he does for our team every night, man, he's been having a pretty big impact on what's been going on."<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756442/cropped_GettyImages-2177596425.jpg?ts=1732136675" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756442/w220xh124_GettyImages-2177596425.jpg?ts=1732136675 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756442/w320xh180_GettyImages-2177596425.jpg?ts=1732136675 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756442/w640xh360_GettyImages-2177596425.jpg?ts=1732136675 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756442/w768xh432_GettyImages-2177596425.jpg?ts=1732136675 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756442/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2177596425.jpg?ts=1732136675 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Darcy Finley / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>What exactly's been going on? The 12-3-3 Wild are tied for third in points percentage (.750) and rank sixth in goal differential (plus-18), despite playing 11 of 18 games on the road. On a per-game basis, Minnesota is tied for first in goals allowed (2.33) and tied for ninth in goals generated (3.39). The team has sharp underlying numbers, holds leads, and doesn't take many penalties.In other words, the Wild are way better than most pundits thought they'd be.It all starts with Kaprizov, whose 33 points trail only Nathan MacKinnon's 34. He leads or co-leads all NHLers in points per game (1.83), primary points (27), and even-strength points (19). He's racked up 14 more points than any teammate and sits fourth among all NHL forwards in average ice time (a career-high 22:21 spread across all situations). He's recorded more three-point nights (six) than pointless nights (three) and is on pace for 150 points.<figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Points per game leaders 2024-25" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-V0yK0" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/V0yK0/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="207" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure>Kaprizov, whose previous best showing in Hart voting was seventh in 2021-22, is a unique player. He's super crafty but also powerful. He's a sniper but also a playmaker. He's a transition wizard but also responsible defensively.What's one thing Guerin feels people might overlook about his superstar?"It's gotta be his competitiveness," the GM said. "He's not one of these guys who sits on the sidelines. He's in the trenches. He gets into 50-50 puck battles and wins them. He goes to the ugly areas of the ice, battles like crazy."Kaprizov was drafted by former Wild GM Paul Fenton in the fifth round, 135th overall, in 2015. Guerin signed him out of the KHL in 2020. When asked which area of the game Kaprizov has improved most in four-plus years, Guerin gave the question some thought before touching on the behind-the-scenes vibe."The day-to-day leadership. The role he's playing within the team," Guerin said. "He's more comfortable being vocal and expressing his feelings about what he wants, what he thinks. That's really important for us, for our team."<h3>Salary-cap spike winners</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756054/cropped_GettyImages-2177743885.jpg?ts=1731953244" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756054/w220xh124_GettyImages-2177743885.jpg?ts=1731953244 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756054/w320xh180_GettyImages-2177743885.jpg?ts=1731953244 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756054/w640xh360_GettyImages-2177743885.jpg?ts=1731953244 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756054/w768xh432_GettyImages-2177743885.jpg?ts=1731953244 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756054/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2177743885.jpg?ts=1731953244 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Icon Sportswire / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3130721" href="https://thescore.com/news/3130721">reported</a> last weekend that the upper limit of the 2025-26 salary cap could land in the range of $95 million and $97 million.A spike requires negotiation between the NHL and the NHL Players' Association, and commissioner Gary Bettman downplayed Friedman's report Tuesday. "Anything's possible," <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3133716" href="https://thescore.com/news/3133716">Bettman told reporters</a>, before noting that the numbers included in Friedman's report "weren't anywhere close to accurate."Friedman's a respected, plugged-in reporter. We can assume there's at the very least a decent chance the upper limit - currently $88 million - rises by around $8 million. Some teams would benefit more than others from an unusually big jump. Here's a quick rundown of the biggest potential winners:Wild: Minnesota will have $13 million freed up regardless of what happens with the upper limit since the dead money tied to the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts shrinks from $14.7 million to $1.7 million starting next season. Kaprizov, who's eligible to sign an extension on July 1, 2025, will likely eat up a chunk of the new money. Top-six center Marco Rossi, a pending restricted free agent, probably signs a long-term extension, too. Even after those deals, the Wild should have flexibility to add quality NHLers via trade or free agency.<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756401/cropped_GettyImages-2041042163.jpg?ts=1732125416" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756401/w220xh124_GettyImages-2041042163.jpg?ts=1732125416 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756401/w320xh180_GettyImages-2041042163.jpg?ts=1732125416 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756401/w640xh360_GettyImages-2041042163.jpg?ts=1732125416 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756401/w768xh432_GettyImages-2041042163.jpg?ts=1732125416 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756401/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2041042163.jpg?ts=1732125416 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Rich Graessle / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Lightning: Tampa Bay's been bleeding talent the past few offseasons and will be paying five players a combined $45.5 million in 2025-26. A cap spike would give the front office a little breathing room. The Lightning could finally pursue proven role players instead of filling the third and fourth forward lines and third defenseman pairing with complete unknowns. They could even sign a goalie with upside to help ease the workload for starter Andrei Vasilevskiy.Stars: Dallas has done an incredible job balancing its books during a period in which the club has been both contending for the Stanley Cup and signing key young pieces to long-term deals. A spike would be terrific timing, really. Jamie Benn's $8.7-million cap hit will be wiped from the slate as negotiations with Wyatt Johnston (21, 2025 RFA) and Thomas Harley (23, 2026 RFA) heat up.Oilers, Rangers, Maple Leafs: These three are grouped together because important extensions loom large. Edmonton's priorities are Connor McDavid (2026 UFA) and Evan Bouchard (2025 RFA). New York's are Igor Shesterkin (2025 UFA), Artemi Panarin (2026 UFA), K'Andre Miller (2025 RFA), and Ryan Lindgren (2025 UFA). Toronto's are Mitch Marner (2025 UFA), John Tavares (2025 UFA), Matthew Knies (2025 RFA), and Anthony Stolarz (2026 UFA).<h3>Isles' Tsyplakov finding his way</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756393/cropped_GettyImages-2182507285.jpg?ts=1732121490" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756393/w220xh124_GettyImages-2182507285.jpg?ts=1732121490 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756393/w320xh180_GettyImages-2182507285.jpg?ts=1732121490 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756393/w640xh360_GettyImages-2182507285.jpg?ts=1732121490 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756393/w768xh432_GettyImages-2182507285.jpg?ts=1732121490 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756393/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2182507285.jpg?ts=1732121490 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Mike Stobe / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>NHL front offices battle for the hottest free agent out of Russia every spring.The signings can work out fantastically well, like Panarin blossoming into a superstar. Or quickly become disasters, like Vadim Shipachyov having his contract terminated three games into his Golden Knights tenure. Or go from thrilling to unremarkable, like Andrei Kuzmenko bursting onto the scene with 39 goals in 81 games before settling in as a depth piece on the Canucks and Flames.It's too early in Maxim Tsyplakov's North American journey to state anything definitively. However, the 26-year-old winger who previously played exclusively in Russia has shown flashes of brilliance through 19 NHL games.Tsyplakov's put up a respectable two goals and eight assists for the offense-starved Islanders. New York's outscored the opposition 11-8 and owned 58% of the expected goals in Tsyplakov's 195 five-on-five minutes with fellow second-liners Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri, according to Evolving-Hockey.<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756052/cropped_GettyImages-2182853174.jpg?ts=1731953023" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756052/w220xh124_GettyImages-2182853174.jpg?ts=1731953023 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756052/w320xh180_GettyImages-2182853174.jpg?ts=1731953023 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756052/w640xh360_GettyImages-2182853174.jpg?ts=1731953023 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756052/w768xh432_GettyImages-2182853174.jpg?ts=1731953023 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756052/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2182853174.jpg?ts=1731953023 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Andre Ringuette / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>"He plays with a lot of poise. He protects the puck really well. He creates a lot of space with his feet and strength," Palmieri told theScore in early November."Not only is he learning a new language and a new culture, but he's also learning a new system, a new league. It's a big adjustment, right? And he's adjusting well so far. He's continuing to get more comfortable every day."Tsyplakov ranks first on the club in hits (55), second in takeaways (nine), and tied for fourth in points (10) - all positive signs. The black marks on his resume right now: first in minor penalties taken (eight) and fourth in giveaways (18)."I want him to cut down on turnovers," Isles head coach Patrick Roy <a href="https://www.nhl.com/islanders/video/practice-11-18-patrick-roy-6364876633112">told reporters</a> Monday. "If he does that, that line's going to be very dangerous."<h3>Quick hits</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756368/cropped_GettyImages-2184875803.jpg?ts=1732116415" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756368/w220xh124_GettyImages-2184875803.jpg?ts=1732116415 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756368/w320xh180_GettyImages-2184875803.jpg?ts=1732116415 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756368/w640xh360_GettyImages-2184875803.jpg?ts=1732116415 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756368/w768xh432_GettyImages-2184875803.jpg?ts=1732116415 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756368/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2184875803.jpg?ts=1732116415 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Icon Sportswire / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Ovi math: What a buzzkill to see Alex Ovechkin on the Capitals' injured list. The legendarily durable winger is considered "week-to-week" after suffering a leg injury Monday. To me, "week-to-week" translates to a minimum of three weeks off. How might this timeline affect the all-time goals chase? For argument's sake, let's say Ovechkin returns exactly four weeks later. He'd miss 11 games and thus need 27 goals in the Caps' final 53 games to break Wayne Gretzky's hallowed record. That's a 42-goal pace over a full season. While Ovi certainly could bag 27 more this year, it's more likely the chase continues next season, when he'll be 40 and in the final year of his contract.Swiss Selke: Devils captain Nico Hischier is having a monstrous year. He's producing at a point-per-game clip and providing Selke Trophy-caliber defense. New Jersey's allowed just 1.2 goals per 60 minutes during Hischier's five-on-five shifts, which often feature the opposition's top offensive weapons. In all situations, the Brig, Switzerland, native sits fourth in puck-battle wins per game and is tied for 19th in faceoff percentage. He's also a key member of a top-10 penalty kill. A personal favorite: Hischier's rocking a plus-13 penalty differential through 21 games - 13 minors drawn, zero taken.<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756051/cropped_GettyImages-2181242152.jpg?ts=1731952769" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756051/w220xh124_GettyImages-2181242152.jpg?ts=1731952769 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756051/w320xh180_GettyImages-2181242152.jpg?ts=1731952769 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756051/w640xh360_GettyImages-2181242152.jpg?ts=1731952769 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756051/w768xh432_GettyImages-2181242152.jpg?ts=1731952769 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756051/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2181242152.jpg?ts=1731952769 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Jamie Sabau / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Stingiest pairs: There are 172 pairings that have spent 50 or more five-on-five minutes together this season. But only two have yet to be on the ice for a single goal against - Brock Faber and Jonas Brodin are up 2-0 in 54 minutes, and Juuso Valimaki and Michael Kesselring are up 4-0 in 79 minutes. The Wild pair has name value. The Utah pair is relatively unknown. Valimaki, 26, is a reliable, no-frills veteran who broke into the NHL in 2018. Kesselring, 24, is a sophomore with serious two-way potential. He's large (6-4, 215 pounds), super quick (88th percentile league-wide in skating speed), and can rip the puck (104-mph shot on Oct. 24 counts as the second-fastest of the year).Load management: First Leo Carlsson in Anaheim, now Will Smith in San Jose. For the second straight season, an NHL team is limiting a high-profile rookie's workload. Smith, the fourth pick in 2023, has appeared in 17 of the Sharks' 21 games, recording four points while, at times, looking overwhelmed by the pro game. Three of Smith's four scratches have come on the first or second leg of a back-to-back. GM Mike Grier <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/san-jose-sharks/latest-news/mike-grier-explains-load-management-development-plans-for-macklin-celebrini-will-smith">has said</a> this load-management approach is supported by sports science data and involves Smith spending extra time in the gym. Two cases don't make a full-on trend. Still, one former NHL coach said the Ducks and Sharks are coddling their players. "The NHL is not a developmental league," the coach said. "There's a specific league for developing, and it's called the American Hockey League. Let them get used to the pro grind down there, make their big mistakes there."John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/MatiszJohn">@MatiszJohn</a>) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

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Kaprizov's MVP case, biggest cap-spike winners, and 5 other NHL items

Rosters for the 4 Nations Face-Off are due Dec. 2 and will be unveiled two days later. In other w...

Rosters for the 4 Nations Face-Off are due Dec. 2 and will be unveiled two days later. In other words, the clock's ticking louder by the day for management groups in Canada, Sweden, Finland, and the U.S.Each nation must select 23 players - 20 skaters and three goalies. Six picks were announced in June, which means 17 spots remain unfilled.Here, theScore's Josh Wegman and John Matisz debate the toughest decisions for Team Canada general manager Don Sweeney and his staff ahead of the February tournament. (Read our Team USA rundown <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3124654" href="https://thescore.com/news/3124654">here</a>.)<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><h3>Forwards</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/751330/cropped_GettyImages-2178253417.jpg?ts=1731623204" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/751330/w220xh124_GettyImages-2178253417.jpg?ts=1731623204 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/751330/w320xh180_GettyImages-2178253417.jpg?ts=1731623204 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/751330/w640xh360_GettyImages-2178253417.jpg?ts=1731623204 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/751330/w768xh432_GettyImages-2178253417.jpg?ts=1731623204 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/751330/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2178253417.jpg?ts=1731623204 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Leila Devlin / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Already on roster: Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Brad Marchand, Connor McDavid, Brayden PointNear locks: Mitch Marner, Sam Reinhart, Mark Stone5 spots left for: Mathew Barzal, Connor Bedard, Sam Bennett, Quinton Byfield, Anthony Cirelli, Brandon Hagel, Zach Hyman, Seth Jarvis, Wyatt Johnston, Travis Konecny, Alexis Lafreniere, Ryan O'Reilly, Mark Scheifele, Steven Stamkos, Nick Suzuki, Robert Thomas, Carter Verhaeghe, Tom WilsonWegman's picks: Bedard, Cirelli, Hagel, Hyman, KonecnyCanada has an embarrassment of riches up front, making these picks incredibly difficult. There are just so many ways Sweeney can go.Cirelli isn't overly popular in mock rosters, but I believe he's the perfect choice as Canada's fourth-line center. His skating, competitiveness, and intelligence make him a Selke Trophy-caliber defensive player who can match up against anyone. He's no slouch offensively, either, producing at a near-point-per-game clip this season. And head coach Jon Cooper trusts him immensely.The same can be said for Hagel, who would bring instant chemistry to a line led centered by either Point or Cirelli. Hagel is as skilled offensively as other contending players, plus he's super consistent. He'd also bring some competitive fire - not completely unlike Konecny, another feisty winger who'd fit a bottom-six role well.Hyman has picked things up after a slow start, so I'm sticking with him. Bedard's my 13th forward. He'll take on a bigger role at the 2026 Olympics.Matisz's picks: Bedard, Hyman, Konecny, Lafreniere, VerhaegheThe options are truly limitless.Still, three players jumped to the top of my queue. Verhaeghe could be an incredibly valuable piece as a true dual-threat winger. Lafreniere could easily assume a complementary role on a line that plays with pace and can tap into his quick-strike style. Bedard is a lethal triggerman whose goal-scoring totals have been suppressed in Chicago - he's ready to pop with better linemates.Konecny and Hyman were harder choices. Ultimately, both are connector types: highly intelligent wingers who've mastered wall play, puck hounding, and net-front havoc-wreaking. Hyman's chemistry with McDavid is a bonus.My toughest cuts were Johnston, Hagel, and Suzuki. I would've strongly considered Thomas as well if he weren't currently injured. And I like Cirelli, but I think Canada has a handful of better options at fourth-line center.Scheifele, who's tied for 17th in NHL scoring, deserves a mention. He probably makes the cut based on pure talent. However, his offense-first skill set would be redundant on a Canadian squad teeming with firepower.<h3>Defense</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/600708/cropped_GettyImages-1760551522.jpg?ts=1731623095" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/600708/w220xh124_GettyImages-1760551522.jpg?ts=1731623095 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/600708/w320xh180_GettyImages-1760551522.jpg?ts=1731623095 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/600708/w640xh360_GettyImages-1760551522.jpg?ts=1731623095 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/600708/w768xh432_GettyImages-1760551522.jpg?ts=1731623095 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/600708/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1760551522.jpg?ts=1731623095 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Icon Sportswire / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Already on roster: Cale MakarNear locks: Noah Dobson, Josh Morrissey, Devon Toews3 spots left for: Evan Bouchard, Drew Doughty, Dougie Hamilton, Brandon Montour, Colton Parayko, Adam Pelech, Alex Pietrangelo, Owen Power, Morgan Rielly, Shea Theodore, MacKenzie WeegarWegman's picks: Doughty, Parayko, PowerDoughty is the biggest question mark as he remains out with a fractured ankle suffered in preseason. If he's healthy in time for the tournament - a big "if" - he needs to be on this team. (He's projected to return in early January.)I opted to lean on size for my final two picks - Power and Parayko both stand at 6-foot-6. They played together at the 2024 World Championship, so there's already some familiarity if they combine forces on the third pair. Parayko, in particular, would bring much-needed nastiness and penalty-killing chops to a Canadian blue line that's rather undersized in the top four outside of Dobson.Matisz's picks: Doughty, Pietrangelo, TheodoreSweeney and his staff are reportedly keeping a close eye on Doughty's recovery. Barring an injury setback, he's tracking toward a key shutdown role.Canada should try to strike a balance between mobility/skill and size/toughness on the blue line, especially with question marks in goal. In my eyes, veterans Theodore and Pietrangelo best round out the defense corps. You know exactly what you're getting from both of them.Makar and Morrissey can each man the point on a power-play unit, while any of the seven defensemen is capable of hunkering down on the penalty kill.<h3>Goaltending</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/480363/cropped_GettyImages-1236192737.jpg?ts=1731623341" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/480363/w220xh124_GettyImages-1236192737.jpg?ts=1731623341 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/480363/w320xh180_GettyImages-1236192737.jpg?ts=1731623341 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/480363/w640xh360_GettyImages-1236192737.jpg?ts=1731623341 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/480363/w768xh432_GettyImages-1236192737.jpg?ts=1731623341 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/480363/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1236192737.jpg?ts=1731623341 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Scott Rovak / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Already on roster: NoneNear locks: None3 spots left for: Jordan Binnington, Mackenzie Blackwood, Marc-Andre Fleury, Adin Hill, Connor Ingram, Darcy Kuemper, Sam Montembeault, Stuart Skinner, Cam Talbot, Logan ThompsonWegman's picks: Binnington, Talbot, ThompsonCanada's goaltending is easily the most wide-open and intriguing position battle of the entire tournament. I was of the belief someone would separate themselves from the pack, but that hasn't been the case.I'm giving Binnington the nod as the nation's most consistent goalie in recent years, but I don't feel overly confident about it. He was playing relatively well this season until he was shelled for eight goals against the Capitals recently.I'm rolling with the hot hand for my other two picks. The 37-year-old Talbot seems to play well in whatever uniform he's wearing. That bodes well in a short tournament. He's been lights out despite playing behind a mediocre Red Wings team.Thompson, meanwhile, is beginning to emerge as the Capitals' go-to guy after a couple of promising tandem seasons with the Golden Knights.Matisz's picks: Binnington, Montembeault, TalbotIt feels like there's no great answer here. However, I'm going with Binnington as the starter, Talbot as the backup, and Montembeault as the third-stringer.Binnington hoisted the Stanley Cup more than five years ago, yet there's still something about the fiery competitor that screams "big-game player."Talbot has posted excellent underlying numbers this season (top five in the NHL in goals saved above expected per 60 minutes, according to Sportlogiq).Montembeault has been quietly trending up over the past few seasons, his raw numbers dragged down by Montreal's putrid goaltending environment.<figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Team Canada (Matisz picks)" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-OKuy4" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/OKuy4/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="438" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Team Canada (Wegman picks)" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-m6tru" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/m6tru/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="422" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
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https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/29073494/related

Debating key position battles for Canada's 4 Nations Face-Off roster

Rosters for the 4 Nations Face-Off are due Dec. 2 and will be unveiled two days later. In other words, the clock's ticking louder by the day for management groups in Canada, Sweden, Finland, and the U.S.Each nation must select 23 players - 20 skaters and three goalies. Six picks were announced in June, which means 17 spots remain unfilled.Here, theScore's Josh Wegman and John Matisz debate the toughest decisions for Team USA general manager Bill Guerin and his staff ahead of the February tournament. (Read our Team Canada rundown <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3124698" href="https://thescore.com/news/3124698">here</a>.)<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><h3>Forwards</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/554665/cropped_GettyImages-1456458191.jpg?ts=1731613153" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/554665/w220xh124_GettyImages-1456458191.jpg?ts=1731613153 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/554665/w320xh180_GettyImages-1456458191.jpg?ts=1731613153 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/554665/w640xh360_GettyImages-1456458191.jpg?ts=1731613153 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/554665/w768xh432_GettyImages-1456458191.jpg?ts=1731613153 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/554665/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1456458191.jpg?ts=1731613153 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Bruce Bennett / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Already on roster: Jack Eichel, Auston Matthews, Matthew TkachukNear locks: Jack Hughes, J.T. Miller, Jason Robertson, Brady Tkachuk6 spots left for: Brock Boeser, Matt Boldy, Cole Caufield, Kyle Connor, Alex DeBrincat, Jake Guentzel, Patrick Kane, Clayton Keller, Chris Kreider, Dylan Larkin, Brock Nelson, Tage Thompson, Vincent Trocheck, Alex TuchWegman's picks: Boldy, Connor, Guentzel, Kreider, Larkin, ThompsonTeam USA is so stacked up front that at least a handful of omissions will raise eyebrows. With all due respect to Caufield, Keller was my toughest cut.To me, Boldy could play on any type of line with his size-speed combo, Connor's earned a spot with his scorching-hot start, and Guentzel's playoff resume gives him the tiebreaker over Keller. On a team lacking veteran leaders, Kreider was an important pick for me - plus he still brings size and a nose for the net. Larkin and Thompson were the two easiest picks as true centers, which would give head coach Mike Sullivan the option to play Miller and Hughes on the wings.Miller's game is better suited for the wing, and Hughes is a faceoff liability. Imagine Hughes, one of the game's best puck carriers and playmakers, on the wing setting up the sport's best goal-scorer in Matthews? Ample center depth means endless lineup possibilities.Matisz's picks: Boldy, Connor, Guentzel, Kreider, Thompson, TrocheckThe countries participating in this event aren't simply picking the 23 most talented players. They're building a functional team with a host of roles.Trocheck's a highly competitive and versatile right-handed center who could slot in nicely on the fourth line, kill penalties, and potentially, assume the "bumper" spot on the power play. Someone like Caufield, on the other hand, provides little value beyond his goals. The U.S. has no shortage of elite snipers, anyway - including Connor, who's second in goals by an American since 2017-18, and Thompson, whose imposing frame, silky hands, game-breaking ability, and defensive chops combine for a tantalizing package.Boldy's power game and flair for the dramatic make him extremely appealing, Guentzel can play either wing on any forward line and not miss a beat, and Kreider's veteran presence, power-play utility, and size give him the final spot.Keller - a personal favorite - and Larkin were by far the toughest cuts.<h3>Defense</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/755240/cropped_GettyImages-2182909292.jpg?ts=1731613245" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/755240/w220xh124_GettyImages-2182909292.jpg?ts=1731613245 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/755240/w320xh180_GettyImages-2182909292.jpg?ts=1731613245 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/755240/w640xh360_GettyImages-2182909292.jpg?ts=1731613245 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/755240/w768xh432_GettyImages-2182909292.jpg?ts=1731613245 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/755240/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2182909292.jpg?ts=1731613245 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Kirk Irwin / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Already on roster: Adam Fox, Quinn Hughes, Charlie McAvoyNear locks: Brock Faber, Jake Sanderson, Jaccob Slavin1 spot left for: John Carlson, Noah Hanifin, Seth Jones, Brett Pesce, Jacob Trouba, Zach WerenskiWegman's pick: WerenskiUSA's top six defensemen are quite clear, in my opinion. The seventh might come down to whether Guerin prefers a righty or lefty. I thought long and hard about Jones, who's played well this year in a bad situation and would bring some size and penalty-killing chops, but I landed on Werenski for a couple of reasons.If the Americans were to make a lineup change on D, it would likely be Slavin or Sanderson dropping out, not any of the righties. That makes Werenski an easier plug-and-play guy. Werenski, like Jones, has also played well in some tough circumstances, and I'd be intrigued to see what he can do with more talent around him.Matisz's pick: WerenskiCarlson gave me slight pause, but, really, Werenski was the easy choice here.He's one of the NHL's best at retrieving a loose puck in the defensive zone and immediately jump-starting a scoring chance the other way. The Blue Jackets alternate captain is a play-driver with plenty of international experience.The U.S. blue line, which is led by two of the top five defensemen on the planet in Hughes and Fox, has the best one-through-seven depth in the tournament. Werenski's far from a throw-in. He could be a difference-maker.<h3>Goaltending</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748254/cropped_GettyImages-2152651031.jpg?ts=1731613337" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748254/w220xh124_GettyImages-2152651031.jpg?ts=1731613337 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748254/w320xh180_GettyImages-2152651031.jpg?ts=1731613337 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748254/w640xh360_GettyImages-2152651031.jpg?ts=1731613337 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748254/w768xh432_GettyImages-2152651031.jpg?ts=1731613337 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748254/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2152651031.jpg?ts=1731613337 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Rich Gagnon / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Already on roster: NoneNear locks: Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger1 spot left for: Joey Daccord, Thatcher Demko, Charlie Lindgren, Anthony Stolarz, Jeremy SwaymanWegman's pick: StolarzSwayman may be the "safer" pick, but there's no denying who's been the better netminder this year. Stolarz is among the league leaders in virtually every important metric. I'd want the more in-form goalie playing should something happen to Hellebuyck and/or Oettinger. And if Stolarz can handle the pressure of playing in Toronto, who's to say he wouldn't be up to the task of playing in a star-studded tournament like this?Matisz's pick: SwaymanDon't get me wrong, the Stolarz argument is persuasive. He's unexpectedly in the Vezina Trophy conversation with almost a quarter of the season over.Yet, given the volatile nature of the position, I think Guerin would much rather tap the proven guy in Swayman. Rosters are due two-plus months before the tournament. There should and will be some projecting involved.I'm fully confident Swayman will close the gap between him and Stolarz in categories like save percentage, goals saved above expected, quality starts, and steals. The U.S. is better off with a playoff-tested third-string netminder.<figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Team USA (Matisz picks)" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-UdBdq" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/UdBdq/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="422" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Team USA (Wegman picks)" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-XaCxg" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/XaCxg/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="422" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
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https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/29047362/related

Debating key position battles for USA's 4 Nations Face-Off roster

Press releases from hockey teams tend to be pretty bland. The title and opening paragraph contain...

Press releases from hockey teams tend to be pretty bland. The title and opening paragraph contain all of the news ("Player X has signed with Team Y"), leaving reporters and fans with no reason to read the rest of the release.Until now, anyway.On Sunday, the London Knights announced Ottawa Senators prospect Blake Montgomery had joined the Ontario Hockey League club after signing a "scholarship and development agreement." The third and final paragraph of the release lays out Montgomery's future in stranger-than-fiction language.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"The 2005-born Montgomery is committed to play college hockey at Wisconsin," it <a href="https://chl.ca/ohl-knights/article/knights-sign-senators-prospect-montgomery/">reads</a>.<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754644/cropped_GettyImages-1125825136.jpg?ts=1731274062" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754644/w220xh124_GettyImages-1125825136.jpg?ts=1731274062 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754644/w320xh180_GettyImages-1125825136.jpg?ts=1731274062 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754644/w640xh360_GettyImages-1125825136.jpg?ts=1731274062 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754644/w768xh432_GettyImages-1125825136.jpg?ts=1731274062 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754644/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1125825136.jpg?ts=1731274062 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Tom Szczerbowski / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Wait. London, a major-junior powerhouse that's battled NCAA programs on the recruiting trail for decades, is acknowledging the University of Wisconsin's existence? What a bizarre sight for any longtime junior or college hockey fan.Yet, acknowledging the enemy is quickly becoming the new norm following last Thursday's <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3121334" href="https://thescore.com/news/3121334">landmark ruling</a> by the NCAA's Division I council. Previously deemed ineligible, players from the OHL, Western Hockey League, and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League - the three regional loops under the Canadian Hockey League - can join Division I teams starting next season.The ban on CHL players is being lifted in response to a lawsuit <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3054316" href="https://thescore.com/news/3054316">filed against the NCAA</a> and 10 schools in August by a 19-year-old Canadian junior player."I'm hoping this changes things for the better for everybody in hockey," UConn head coach Mike Cavanaugh said in a phone interview."It's a seismic change to the landscape," added player agent Brian Bartlett.theScore spent the past few days speaking with more than a dozen people affected by the ruling to better understand its ripple effects.Here are the seven biggest takeaways from those conversations.<h3>1. The players benefit most</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754691/cropped_GettyImages-2167207668.jpg?ts=1731283285" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754691/w220xh124_GettyImages-2167207668.jpg?ts=1731283285 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754691/w320xh180_GettyImages-2167207668.jpg?ts=1731283285 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754691/w640xh360_GettyImages-2167207668.jpg?ts=1731283285 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754691/w768xh432_GettyImages-2167207668.jpg?ts=1731283285 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754691/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2167207668.jpg?ts=1731283285 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Leila Devlin / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>The best Canadian and American hockey players have long been forced to choose a development path at 15 or 16 years old: major junior or college - not both. The fork in the road appears halfway through high school because dressing for a single CHL game, even in preseason, would spoil a player's NCAA eligibility.The young player's decision maps out the years before and after the NHL draft. It often has an outsized influence on a player's long-term trajectory.The NCAA ruling, at its most basic level, offers greater flexibility to players."Our world is all about choices. We've opened up opportunities everywhere, in all facets of life, and the fact that this was still in existence in 2024 was a little baffling. We're all happy that it's finally off the table," said Jim Hulton, general manager and head coach of the QMJHL's Charlottetown Islanders."We have a whole list of players who are going to benefit from this - 100%," veteran agent Gerry Johannson said. "We've had loose conversations with NCAA teams about the kinds of opportunities players might have."The industry's keeping an eye on Gavin McKenna, the projected top pick for the 2026 NHL draft who's dominating the WHL in his second full season with the Medicine Hat Tigers. If the soon-to-be 17-year-old forward is craving a new challenge, any NCAA program would welcome him with open arms."Options" is the new buzzword - for McKenna and the rest of the player pool."There's no one-size-fits-all solution," said Bartlett, who runs the Bartlett Hockey agency with his brother and father, representing NHL stars like Cale Makar and J.T. Miller. "You have to find the right path for every player. And if you have more choices, you're more likely to find the right fit."<h3>2. Trickle-down not all good</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754771/cropped_GettyImages-2149170449.jpg?ts=1731323391" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754771/w220xh124_GettyImages-2149170449.jpg?ts=1731323391 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754771/w320xh180_GettyImages-2149170449.jpg?ts=1731323391 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754771/w640xh360_GettyImages-2149170449.jpg?ts=1731323391 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754771/w768xh432_GettyImages-2149170449.jpg?ts=1731323391 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754771/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2149170449.jpg?ts=1731323391 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Mark Kohlman / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Despite the overall positive vibes, some well-laid plans will be disrupted."A lot of kids are going to get screwed," one agent said.The agent was referring to an entire group of lower-end players who previously turned down the opportunity to play in the CHL (and receive the scholarship money provided by CHL teams) to maintain NCAA eligibility.There are only so many roster spots on a college hockey roster (26 as of next season), and with high-end CHL players suddenly eligible, some lower-end guys will feel the squeeze. Even though these players have done nothing wrong, they could end up in Division III due to classic supply-and-demand dynamics."We may have some players committed who aren't going to fit into our plans anymore," Cavanaugh said of UConn's depth chart. "Those are some of the things we're going to have to look at because the goalposts have moved."<h3>3. Don't expect mass exodus</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754774/cropped_GettyImages-968616658.jpg?ts=1731330430" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754774/w220xh124_GettyImages-968616658.jpg?ts=1731330430 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754774/w320xh180_GettyImages-968616658.jpg?ts=1731330430 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754774/w640xh360_GettyImages-968616658.jpg?ts=1731330430 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754774/w768xh432_GettyImages-968616658.jpg?ts=1731330430 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754774/w1080xh607_GettyImages-968616658.jpg?ts=1731330430 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Marissa Baecker / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>It's unknown how many CHL players actually will leave for the NCAA."When you drill down on it, how deep will it go and how many different types of players will it affect, right?" said Johannson, who runs The Sports Corporation in Edmonton. "Hard to say. It'll really be situation by situation."Some who would typically transition into Canadian university hockey will head to a U.S. school instead. CHL players who've signed an NHL contract remain ineligible for the NCAA. Players close to signing an NHL deal are unlikely to move as well. Players who don't meet Division I's academic standards can be crossed off, too.Now, what's going to happen between the extremes? Can a player leave major junior in the middle of his CHL career? For instance, if a player wants to transfer to Boston University for a fresh start following two seasons in the OHL, will that be a contentious process between the player and CHL team considering his contract probably still runs for two more years? Is a CHL contract even binding?In an open letter, OHL commissioner Bryan Crawford <a href="https://chl.ca/ohl/article/an-open-letter-to-the-ohl-community-regarding-ncaa-player-eligibility-changes/">expressed</a> enthusiasm with players leaving for the NCAA "upon graduation from our league." I'm told "graduation" is another way of stating a player must "fulfill" his CHL contract.However, I'm also told there have been discussions about the CHL potentially shortening its contracts. We'll see how firmly major junior digs in its heels.<h3>4. QMJHL's a sneaky winner</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754773/cropped_GettyImages-2179046565.jpg?ts=1731330302" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754773/w220xh124_GettyImages-2179046565.jpg?ts=1731330302 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754773/w320xh180_GettyImages-2179046565.jpg?ts=1731330302 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754773/w640xh360_GettyImages-2179046565.jpg?ts=1731330302 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754773/w768xh432_GettyImages-2179046565.jpg?ts=1731330302 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754773/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2179046565.jpg?ts=1731330302 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Dale Preston / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>The OHL and WHL are the superior CHL leagues right now - and it's not particularly close. But the NCAA ruling could help the QMJHL close the gap.The QMJHL's U.S. territory includes New England, which has strong cultural ties to NCAA hockey. Prep school and the United States Hockey League have been intermediate steps for New Englanders over the years. Now, instead of moving to Iowa, North Dakota, Nebraska, or another USHL locale in the Midwest, a kid from Massachusetts can play closer to home."Our immediate thought is that we just doubled our geography," Hulton said of recruiting stateside. "This is my 10th year in the Q, and traditionally we've had a very difficult time getting any footprint in the United States."QMJHL commissioner Mario Cecchini recently <a href="https://x.com/cbepbp/status/1854352382303388010">said</a> he wants to expand into the U.S. (The Q has 18 teams, whereas the WHL and OHL boast 22 and 20, respectively, and have franchises located in the U.S.)<h3>5. USHL's potential trouble</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754782/cropped_GettyImages-1503662354.jpg?ts=1731334438" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754782/w220xh124_GettyImages-1503662354.jpg?ts=1731334438 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754782/w320xh180_GettyImages-1503662354.jpg?ts=1731334438 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754782/w640xh360_GettyImages-1503662354.jpg?ts=1731334438 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754782/w768xh432_GettyImages-1503662354.jpg?ts=1731334438 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754782/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1503662354.jpg?ts=1731334438 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Brian Babineau / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>The USHL has developed into a serious producer of NHL talent, with the on-ice product improving by leaps and bounds and college-bound Canadians like Macklin Celebrini, Adam Fantilli, and Owen Power headlining the alumni list.The NCAA ruling slashes through much of that progress. Multiple people interviewed for this story used "panicked" to describe their USHL colleagues.The USHL simply can't compete with the CHL's pro-style standards in facilities, resources, and coaching. It could stay the course or rebrand as a feeder to Division III. Or try to merge with the CHL. "Think about the hype around the Memorial Cup," one NHL GM said at the thought of a merger.Two USHL teams - the Michigan-based Muskegon Lumberjacks and Ohio-based Youngstown Phantoms - have approached the OHL about expansion."The OHL is open to any opportunities to grow the league, and one of those potential avenues would be through expansion. This would, of course, need to make sense strategically for the league and its goals to continue serving as the leading provider of talent for the NHL with additional focus on pathways to the NCAA and U SPORTS," Crawford said in a statement to theScore."The League has been approached by a few groups expressing interest, though to this point in time we've not entered into any formal discussions. It’s something that is being explored in greater depth."<h3>6. Grass isn't always greener</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754794/cropped_GettyImages-1082903102.jpg?ts=1731339704" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754794/w220xh124_GettyImages-1082903102.jpg?ts=1731339704 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754794/w320xh180_GettyImages-1082903102.jpg?ts=1731339704 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754794/w640xh360_GettyImages-1082903102.jpg?ts=1731339704 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754794/w768xh432_GettyImages-1082903102.jpg?ts=1731339704 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754794/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1082903102.jpg?ts=1731339704 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Graig Abel / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Most of the people interviewed touched on the "grass isn't always greener" concept. In this context, players must be careful not to get enamored with the alternative and disrupt a perfectly fine development plan. We've seen this play out in the NCAA transfer portal; a player leaves his original school in search of an increased role but ends up assuming a similar or lesser role at the new spot."Having more options and choices is generally a good thing. But there also can be downsides," Bartlett said. "Something we talk about with our players is that at some point you run out of options. If you're on your NHL team or an American league team or East Coast league team, there isn't a transfer portal there. There isn't another option. You have to look in the mirror and improve."Another part of the equation: The CHL and NCAA are wildly different experiences. Some people are wired for one, some thrive in the other."99.9% of the kids want to be an NHL player, and we're still going to continue to be the top feeder (league) for their dreams," Brampton Steelheads GM and head coach James Richmond said of his lack of concern over the NCAA's ruling."If the player decides down the road that they want to go to university, they're going to be able to go. That option's always been there. Many players have gone to Canadian universities after the OHL. It's just open to the U.S. now."<h3>7. NHL will influence outcomes</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754795/cropped_GettyImages-1495883719.jpg?ts=1731339822" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754795/w220xh124_GettyImages-1495883719.jpg?ts=1731339822 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754795/w320xh180_GettyImages-1495883719.jpg?ts=1731339822 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754795/w640xh360_GettyImages-1495883719.jpg?ts=1731339822 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754795/w768xh432_GettyImages-1495883719.jpg?ts=1731339822 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754795/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1495883719.jpg?ts=1731339822 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Ethan Miller / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>The NCAA ruling produces plenty of what-if scenarios.The NHL has relationships with all parties involved, and some ripple effects will be folded into negotiations for the next collective bargaining agreement with the NHL Players' Association. (The current CBA expires in September 2026.)NHL clubs are given two years to sign a player drafted out of major junior before losing his rights. The signing window is four years for a player drafted out of the NCAA. With these previously divergent paths now overlapping in some ways, does a unified signing window make its way into the next CBA?The NHL's development agreement with the CHL expires after the 2028-29 season. However, the NHL has the power to reopen certain issues during CBA talks with the NHLPA. Would it make less or more sense in this new era to eliminate or tweak the rule banning 18- and 19-year-old CHL players from playing in the AHL?And the spiciest issue of all: Is it time to change the NHL draft age from 18 to 19?There's time to address at least some of the countless questions since CHL players won't be joining NCAA teams until Aug. 1, 2025."It's great we dropped a barrier down. But now it has become a reality where we have to forge a path," Hulton said. "It's like going into the forest and knocking down the first row of trees. There's still a couple of mounds to be moved before we can pave the road." John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/MatiszJohn">@MatiszJohn</a>) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

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The NCAA is lifting its longtime ban on major-junior players - now what?

Thank you to the more than 60 people who submitted questions for the first edition of "NHL Inbox"...

Thank you to the more than 60 people who submitted questions for the first edition of "NHL Inbox" - a forum in which readers can ask me anything hockey-related and I try my best to deliver an insightful answer. Note: the questions below have been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753910/cropped_GettyImages-2179939649.jpg?ts=1730925150" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753910/w220xh124_GettyImages-2179939649.jpg?ts=1730925150 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753910/w320xh180_GettyImages-2179939649.jpg?ts=1730925150 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753910/w640xh360_GettyImages-2179939649.jpg?ts=1730925150 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753910/w768xh432_GettyImages-2179939649.jpg?ts=1730925150 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753910/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2179939649.jpg?ts=1730925150 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Dave Reginek / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Matt N. asks: What do you think is the biggest factor for a rebuilding team to take that next step into becoming a contending team?<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Two things immediately come to mind.<ul><li>Most, if not all core pieces must reach their potential. For instance, the Sabres are surely pleased by the trajectories of Owen Power and JJ Peterka while also not so pleased by Dylan Cozens and Jack Quinn's lack of progress. If Buffalo's going to end its playoff drought - let alone contend one day - it needs elevated contributions from more core guys.</li></ul><ul><li>The rebuilding club's general manager can't beef up the roster at the wrong time. Example: Steve Yzerman committed too many dollars and too much term to too many veterans too early in the Red Wings' process. Thanks to this quick trigger, Detroit is arguably the NHL's most "mid" team.</li></ul>I ran this question by an NHL coach, who had a slightly different take."You have to hit on a superstar," the coach said.Success here can be the product of smart planning and luck - the rebuild aligns with favorable draft lottery results and a draft class filled with potential studs. It can also be about swinging for the fences and hitting a home run. The Flyers' selection of Russian forward Matvei Michkov seventh overall in 2023 is a prime example of these variables colliding. Michkov, who's looked electric in his first 13 NHL games, is poised to raise Philadelphia's long-term ceiling in a meaningful way.<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753909/cropped_GettyImages-2180014977.jpg?ts=1730924957" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753909/w220xh124_GettyImages-2180014977.jpg?ts=1730924957 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753909/w320xh180_GettyImages-2180014977.jpg?ts=1730924957 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753909/w640xh360_GettyImages-2180014977.jpg?ts=1730924957 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753909/w768xh432_GettyImages-2180014977.jpg?ts=1730924957 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753909/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2180014977.jpg?ts=1730924957 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Patrick McDermott / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>User "bedardswifee98" asks: How do you think Connor Bedard will contribute to the Blackhawks this season? And do you think Macklin Celebrini is going to do better than Bedard did in his rookie season?Like last year, Bedard will be Chicago's offensive engine. Through 14 games, he's bagged three goals and nine assists for a 18-goal, 70-point pace.We love to talk about how the hottest teams and players of the first month will come back to earth in due time. Bedard's start is giving off opposite vibes. His goal-scoring rate is too cold to believe. After scoring on 10.7% of his shots as a rookie, he's currently hitting the back of the net 6.1% of the time, despite firing more shot attempts and more shots on goal per hour as a sophomore.In other words, Bedard will be fine. The goals will come.As for the second question, no, I don't think Celebrini will have a better rookie season. It definitely could happen, but it's unlikely Celebrini surpasses Bedard's impressive 0.90 points per game, which ranked third this century among 18-year-old NHLers (Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid).Part of the challenge is that Celebrini missed 12 of his first 13 games after suffering an injury in his debut. Bedard battled an injury of his own as a rookie, but beginning the year on such a sour note is a momentum killer for Celebrini.<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753914/cropped_GettyImages-2160131883.jpg?ts=1730926651" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753914/w220xh124_GettyImages-2160131883.jpg?ts=1730926651 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753914/w320xh180_GettyImages-2160131883.jpg?ts=1730926651 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753914/w640xh360_GettyImages-2160131883.jpg?ts=1730926651 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753914/w768xh432_GettyImages-2160131883.jpg?ts=1730926651 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753914/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2160131883.jpg?ts=1730926651 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Bruce Bennett / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Eric R. asks: I want to know what the actual draft process is like. Do teams literally sit down and rank their top 200 players? Do they just cross off names and pick the next guy? Do they tier based on position and player type? I'm extremely interested in the inner workings of the draft and understand it's likely different based on team and scouting staff. Curious if you have any insights.Eric is correct in that the draft process varies from team to team.As one former NHL GM explains it: The team's area scouts evaluate every draft-eligible player in their region, eventually ranking them regardless of position. Crossover scouts - who by design don't have an assigned region - carefully integrate the various area-scout rankings to develop a master list by around the halfway point of the season. The master list helps separate first-round talents from second-rounders, seconds from thirds, and so on.The list is scrutinized, debated, and edited during scouting meetings, before being finalized ahead of draft weekend. "It's one thing to like a player, a bunch of players," the former GM said. "The hard part is putting them in order."The master list is broken down by tiers - or groups of prospects the staff deems relatively interchangeable based on their likelihood of becoming an impact NHLer. The team may have eight tiers in its top 100 one year, 10 tiers the next year, nine tiers another year, etc. It all depends on the draft class.Tiering gives the GM a better feel for talent drop-offs and potential trade scenarios. If, say, a player in Tier 5 remains unpicked by the start of the fourth round, perhaps moving up the draft board makes sense. Teams value certain players over others, and the goal is to leave draft weekend with your favorites, not the consensus favorites.Position is a factor - just not a major one, the former GM said. You want a healthy number of young forwards, defensemen, and goalies in your system. But the last thing you want to do is reach for a player based on position.<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753906/cropped_GettyImages-1389794370.jpg?ts=1730924727" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753906/w220xh124_GettyImages-1389794370.jpg?ts=1730924727 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753906/w320xh180_GettyImages-1389794370.jpg?ts=1730924727 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753906/w640xh360_GettyImages-1389794370.jpg?ts=1730924727 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753906/w768xh432_GettyImages-1389794370.jpg?ts=1730924727 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753906/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1389794370.jpg?ts=1730924727 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>User "rwelsh08681" asks: What is the official NHL rule for broken sticks on the ice? I've seen them lay there for minutes at a time while extended play occurs, and recently I've also seen refs/linesmen pick them up. Just looking for clarification on the protocol.Great question. The rulebook doesn't spell out anything regarding broken-stick cleanup, so there's no official rule or firm directive for referees and linesmen to follow.That said, I'm told there is a general rule of thumb. While on-ice officials' top priorities are to call the game and stay out of the way, they do try to remove debris from the ice, including sticks, whenever possible during play.<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753903/cropped_GettyImages-2182338995.jpg?ts=1730924398" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753903/w220xh124_GettyImages-2182338995.jpg?ts=1730924398 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753903/w320xh180_GettyImages-2182338995.jpg?ts=1730924398 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753903/w640xh360_GettyImages-2182338995.jpg?ts=1730924398 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753903/w768xh432_GettyImages-2182338995.jpg?ts=1730924398 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753903/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2182338995.jpg?ts=1730924398 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> John Russell / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>James M. asks: I am in a hockey pool, and this year I took Juuse Saros and Roman Josi from the Nashville Predators. I'm perplexed after their first 10-plus games at why they look like a shadow of themselves. They can't score, can't defend, or make a timely save. This was to be the year they were more a powerhouse in the West. What are the issues there?Let's start with the defensive woes. Saros has been fine. He's been left out to dry most nights, with poor puck management producing a ton of odd-man rushes. The 4-8-1 Predators have allowed the fifth-most inner-slot shots per game in the league, according to Sportlogiq. That's not a recipe for success.Meanwhile, the offense is generating very little from the interior of the ice. Nashville's down to 13.7 quality scoring chances per game after producing 16.0 per night last season. Roughly two fewer good looks a game may not seem like a lot, but it adds up over a month. The Preds need an upgrade at second-line center ASAP and should target an established playmaker.The club's league-worst five-on-five shooting rate is not helping matters.Some of this is concerning, but some of it can be attributed to roster turnover ($108.5 million spent on Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei) and how it usually takes time for both team and player to fully adjust.<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753905/cropped_GettyImages-2149043954.jpg?ts=1730924579" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753905/w220xh124_GettyImages-2149043954.jpg?ts=1730924579 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753905/w320xh180_GettyImages-2149043954.jpg?ts=1730924579 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753905/w640xh360_GettyImages-2149043954.jpg?ts=1730924579 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753905/w768xh432_GettyImages-2149043954.jpg?ts=1730924579 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753905/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2149043954.jpg?ts=1730924579 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Christian Petersen / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Troy F asks: Wondering if in your mailbag you can talk about if you think the NHL will expand past 32 teams. Do you think the next "new team" will be a team switching cities?Troy was one of three readers to send in an expansion-related question.The official message from the NHL is that expansion is not a pressing issue, and the league is not currently accepting proposals. The unofficial word? It's a matter of when, not if the league expands, likely to 34 within the next decade. (On the "switching cities" front, I don't see any obvious relocation candidates.)The <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/2801816" href="https://thescore.com/news/2801816">driving force</a> is - as it always is in pro sports - money. The league can demand an expansion fee of $1 billion to $2 billion because franchise valuations are <a href="https://www.sportico.com/feature/nhl-team-values-ranking-list-1234693065/">through the roof</a>, there's enough prospective ownership groups patiently waiting to submit bids, and the last two expansions (Vegas and Seattle) have been fantastic successes while Utah's off to a promising start.The next clubs will almost certainly be located in the United States. The NHL counts the Rangers, Islanders, Devils, Kings, and Ducks as two total markets (New York and Los Angeles), which means its presence stateside is less expansive than other leagues (22 U.S. markets to the NFL's 30, for instance).I would be shocked if Arizona wasn't part of the 34-team NHL."Gary (Bettman) and I like to joke that we've spent the last 20 years trying to preserve hockey in Arizona. Ultimately, we were unsuccessful with this iteration," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told a small group of media outlets, including theScore, in September, referencing the Alex Meruelo fiasco."Doesn't mean the next one (in the Phoenix area) won't be successful, and I think, given the right circumstances, it will be very successful."<figure class="article-segment--embed"><center>                    </center></figure>What do you want to know, hockey fans?There are three ways to submit a question for future editions of NHL Inbox:<ul>
<li>Comment on this article in theScore mobile app</li>
<li>Email senior NHL writer John Matisz at <a href="mailto:john.matisz@theScore.com">john.matisz@thescore.com</a></li>
<li>Send John a message on Twitter/X (<a href="https://x.com/MatiszJohn">@matiszjohn</a>)</li>
</ul>

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NHL Inbox: Next expansion city? How are draft lists created? Preds panic?

We're approaching the one-month mark of the NHL season, which means meaningful trends are beginni...

We're approaching the one-month mark of the NHL season, which means meaningful trends are beginning to surface. Among them: breakout players. Let's discuss four guys in their early 20s who are leveling up their game.<h3>Matthew Knies, Maple Leafs winger</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752759/cropped_GettyImages-2180845731.jpg?ts=1730384212" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752759/w220xh124_GettyImages-2180845731.jpg?ts=1730384212 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752759/w320xh180_GettyImages-2180845731.jpg?ts=1730384212 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752759/w640xh360_GettyImages-2180845731.jpg?ts=1730384212 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752759/w768xh432_GettyImages-2180845731.jpg?ts=1730384212 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752759/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2180845731.jpg?ts=1730384212 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Jason Mowry / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Knies is one of those players who looks large on TV, yet is somehow even larger up close. The 22-year-old's hand swallows the other in a handshake.He's also someone who's taken the standard "get stronger in the offseason, please" assignment to heart, adding 17 pounds since his April 2023 debut.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Now listed at 6-foot-3, 227 pounds, Knies has grown into a "brick-whatever-house" (teammate Ryan Reaves' <a href="https://x.com/markhmasters/status/1851759227242426588">G-rated description</a>) in relatively short order. The physical package, mixed with improved speed and puck skills, has made Knies an indispensable member of the Leafs' top six and long-term core.It isn't easy to play with star players, but similar to Zach Hyman and Michael Bunting before him, Knies is carving out a niche as the highly effective third wheel on a line featuring Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. As the main forechecker and puck retriever, he's a different type of headache to deal with.<figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Knies goes for the rebound, the Blues didn't like it Knies doesn't like that the Blues didn't like it <a href="https://t.co/0A4hzsVQXz">pic.twitter.com/0A4hzsVQXz</a>— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) <a href="https://twitter.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1849620335898812516?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure>Knies has scored six goals (all at even strength), tallied one assist, and delivered 26 hits in 11 games. He's skating for four more minutes a night than he was in 2023-24 thanks to a spot on the No. 1 power-play unit. He's assumed the goal-line/net-front role typically reserved for John Tavares and already logged 24 PP minutes - or almost half of last year's total in 80 games.New coach Craig Berube wants Toronto to play north-south hockey. Knies has benefited from the style change, and the team's benefited from his breakout. The pending restricted free agent is on track to set career bests across the board.<h3>Cole Perfetti, Jets winger</h3>Perfetti, the 10th overall pick in the 2020 NHL draft, made it to the pros by being one of the smartest players on the ice no matter the quality of competition. He must continue to tap into that hockey intelligence and vision as his career progresses. It's what differentiates him.<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752758/cropped_GettyImages-2181037939.jpg?ts=1730384125" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752758/w220xh124_GettyImages-2181037939.jpg?ts=1730384125 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752758/w320xh180_GettyImages-2181037939.jpg?ts=1730384125 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752758/w640xh360_GettyImages-2181037939.jpg?ts=1730384125 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752758/w768xh432_GettyImages-2181037939.jpg?ts=1730384125 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752758/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2181037939.jpg?ts=1730384125 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Darcy Finley / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Yet, if an NHLer wants to truly level up, he can't be defined by a single trait. Single-trait players are predictable. Perfetti - a healthy scratch for Winnipeg's first four playoff games last season - knows this. He spent the summer working on offensive-zone routes and quickening his release. He wants to find a happy medium between being a crafty playmaker and instinctual shooter."I've always been that guy growing up that's caught the puck, dusted it off a little bit, and then picked my spot," Perfetti, 22, said prior to the season. "But you don't really have that time in the NHL. I'm trying to just fine-tune that - getting the puck on and off the stick in a scoring area."The early returns are promising. Perfetti's recorded three goals (all on the power play) and six assists in 10 games for the 9-1-0 Jets. Two of the goals were off quick releases. Here's Perfetti not overthinking it versus the Flames:<figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Cole Perfetti scores. It's 4-3 Jets. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Flames?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Flames</a> 🎥: Sportsnet | NHL <a href="https://t.co/5OvOVXQqfW">pic.twitter.com/5OvOVXQqfW</a>— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1850353179084615859?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure>Perfetti, who inked a two-year, $6.5-million bridge deal in late September, views this year as a "clean slate" - new contract, new coach in Scott Arniel.He's playing more (ice time up to 14:18 from 13:35 last year) and shooting more (shot attempts per 60 minutes up to 15.5 from 14.4 last year). At the same time, he hasn't suddenly lost his ability to create off the rush, get pucks off the wall on the breakout, or halt the opposition with a nifty stick check.Put another way, Perfetti's added a layer to an already layered game.<h3>Jake Sanderson, Senators defenseman</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752762/cropped_GettyImages-2178265164.jpg?ts=1730384515" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752762/w220xh124_GettyImages-2178265164.jpg?ts=1730384515 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752762/w320xh180_GettyImages-2178265164.jpg?ts=1730384515 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752762/w640xh360_GettyImages-2178265164.jpg?ts=1730384515 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752762/w768xh432_GettyImages-2178265164.jpg?ts=1730384515 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752762/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2178265164.jpg?ts=1730384515 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Andre Ringuette / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>It's rare, in this era of offense-obsessed defensemen, for a rookie blue-liner to dramatically influence defensive results. But that's what Sanderson did in 2022-23. He became the best defensive defenseman on the Senators almost overnight. Then, in Year 2, he evolved into Ottawa's best defenseman, period.Now, in the early stages of his third NHL season, Sanderson's arguably graduated to the status of being the club's best player at any position. The University of North Dakota product is riding a seemingly limitless upward trajectory because he brings so much to the table - elite hockey sense, effortless skating, a deadly shot, and much more. He's the total package.The Senators' expected-goals share is in the red during Sanderson's five-on-five minutes - though, to be fair, he faces stiff competition while playing with the largely ineffective Travis Hamonic. Otherwise, Sanderson's underlying data jumps off the page. As of Thursday, he ranked very highly among 505 defensemen (minimum 100 minutes played) in multiple attack-killing metrics.<figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Sanderson stats" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-rmnt8" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/rmnt8/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="244" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure>To put those rankings into perspective, the likes of Jaccob Slavin, Rasmus Dahlin, Mattias Ekholm, and Miro Heiskanen are all in the same range. Sanderson isn't a young player the league just needed more time to figure out; no, he's providing further evidence that he's legitimately dominant defensively.An October boost in production (eight points in nine games) has vaulted Sanderson into the way-too-early Norris Trophy debate and deeper into the Team USA roster conversation ahead of the 4 Nations Face-Off in February.<h3>Barrett Hayton, Utah center</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752765/cropped_GettyImages-2178566072.jpg?ts=1730384739" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752765/w220xh124_GettyImages-2178566072.jpg?ts=1730384739 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752765/w320xh180_GettyImages-2178566072.jpg?ts=1730384739 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752765/w640xh360_GettyImages-2178566072.jpg?ts=1730384739 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752765/w768xh432_GettyImages-2178566072.jpg?ts=1730384739 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752765/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2178566072.jpg?ts=1730384739 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Bruce Bennett / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Coming into the season, Hayton was probably best known for being selected fifth in the 2018 draft and leading Canada to gold at the 2020 world juniors.Both of those events happened before Hayton turned pro - in other words, he hasn't lived up to the hype. Until now, that is. The season is young, sure, but it appears Hayton's finally breaking out following an injury-plagued 2023-24.The Peterborough, Ontario native has pitched in five goals and two assists in 11 games off 17 minutes a night. Hayton loves to cycle the puck and lives for net-front chaos, constantly engaging defenders and screening the goaltender. He's scored off well-executed tips on three occasions while recording 61% of his shots (17 of 28) from the coveted high-danger area of the offensive zone.<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752850/cropped_Screenshot_2024-10-31_at_4.45.02_PM.jpg?ts=1730407585" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752850/w220xh124_Screenshot_2024-10-31_at_4.45.02_PM.jpg?ts=1730407585 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752850/w320xh180_Screenshot_2024-10-31_at_4.45.02_PM.jpg?ts=1730407585 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752850/w640xh360_Screenshot_2024-10-31_at_4.45.02_PM.jpg?ts=1730407585 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752850/w768xh432_Screenshot_2024-10-31_at_4.45.02_PM.jpg?ts=1730407585 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752850/w1080xh607_Screenshot_2024-10-31_at_4.45.02_PM.jpg?ts=1730407585 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> NHL Edge</figcaption></figure>Hayton, who's in the first season of a two-year, $5.3-million extension, is off to a blazing start in the faceoff circle, winning 111 of 176 draws for a 62.5% success rate. His career average prior to 2024-25? A blah 49.6%. This new-found prowess is a key reason why he's centering the No. 1 power-play unit.Utah coach Andre Tourigny theorized recently that Hayton may be feeling less pressure now that he's on a multi-year deal. "He seems more relaxed. He seems more confident," Tourigny <a href="https://www.ksl.com/article/51156581/hes-special-in-certain-areas-the-reasons-behind-barrett-haytons-hot-start-for-utah-hc">told reporters</a>. "He's on a mission."John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/MatiszJohn">@MatiszJohn</a>) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

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Matthew Knies, 3 other NHLers who are leveling up to start the season

For some NHLers, there's more at stake in the first few months of the season than simply helping ...

For some NHLers, there's more at stake in the first few months of the season than simply helping their teams win games - they're auditioning for a chance to represent their country at the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament in February.The competition will be the first league-run international event since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. Each competing country - the United States, Canada, Sweden, and Finland - will announce its roster between Nov. 29 and Dec. 2.Which players are trending up and which are trending down in the early stages of 2024-25? Players are listed positionally and then alphabetically below.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><h3>Trending up 📈</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750974/cropped_GettyImages-2177424017.jpg?ts=1729528297" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750974/w220xh124_GettyImages-2177424017.jpg?ts=1729528297 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750974/w320xh180_GettyImages-2177424017.jpg?ts=1729528297 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750974/w640xh360_GettyImages-2177424017.jpg?ts=1729528297 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750974/w768xh432_GettyImages-2177424017.jpg?ts=1729528297 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750974/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2177424017.jpg?ts=1729528297 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Vitor Munhoz / National Hockey League / Getty</figcaption></figure>F Cole Caufield 🇺🇸Caufield wasn't a Team USA favorite heading into the season because he hadn't truly broken through as an elite sniper. But he's exploded for six goals in seven games. If the Canadiens winger can maintain a 40-goal pace, he has a chance to earn a roster spot. Of note, teenaged Caufield and Jack Hughes shared a line for two years at the US National Team Development Program.F Erik Haula 🇫🇮Finland won't have as many notable cuts as other nations, but Haula is still trying to ensure he's on the team. With six points in nine games, the 33-year-old is on pace for his best offensive season. Haula's defensive reliability would make him a useful piece for Suomi's bottom-six forward group.F Clayton Keller 🇺🇸Keller, Utah's first captain, is driving offense from every angle this season. He transports the puck - racking up 9.9 controlled exits per game (ninth among all NHLers) and possessing it in the offensive zone for 1:03 per game (also ninth). He sets up teammates - four assists off 4.3 slot passes per game (third). And he scores - four goals off 1.43 inner-slot shots per game (tied for 15th). Any international side could use a dual-threat winger like Keller.F Sam Reinhart 🇨🇦Reinhart is trying to prove his 57-goal outburst from a season ago was no fluke. He's tied for third in the league with 12 points through eight games - and most of those came with Aleksander Barkov injured. At this rate, Reinhart is playing his way into a spot on Canada's top line with Connor McDavid.F Mark Scheifele 🇨🇦Scheifele's one of those guys who tends to get glossed over on Canada's long list of high-end forwards. He produces every year and has accumulated five goals and three assists in six games this season, yet he's far from a shoo-in because he doesn't have strong defensive impacts. If Scheifele can't make it onto Canada's power play, does he do enough otherwise to justify a spot?F Mark Stone 🇨🇦Multiple long-term injuries over the last few years made it difficult to project Stone onto Team Canada, but so far so good in 2024-25. He's played in all seven of Vegas' games and racked up 12 points. The former Selke Trophy finalist is a true "gamer" and could be a great fit in a depth role.F Tom Wilson 🇨🇦Wilson would bring a different element to Canada's forward group - an imposing power forward who can strike fear into the opposition with his physicality. Having an X-factor player like Wilson could also be crucial against a USA squad that'll have the Tkachuk brothers wreaking havoc. He's off to a great start offensively with five goals in five games.D Rasmus Andersson 🇸🇪<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/597201/cropped_GettyImages-1740770762.jpg?ts=1697930346" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/597201/w220xh124_GettyImages-1740770762.jpg?ts=1697930346 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/597201/w320xh180_GettyImages-1740770762.jpg?ts=1697930346 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/597201/w640xh360_GettyImages-1740770762.jpg?ts=1697930346 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/597201/w768xh432_GettyImages-1740770762.jpg?ts=1697930346 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/597201/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1740770762.jpg?ts=1697930346 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Patrick Smith / Getty Images Sport / Getty</figcaption></figure>Andersson's helping drive Calgary's early-season heater. The all-situations defender has put up eight points in six games while leading the Flames in ice time (23:48 a night). One problem - Sweden has a ton of options on the back end. Gustav Forsling, Victor Hedman, and Erik Karlsson have already been named to the roster, and Rasmus Dahlin is pretty much a lock. Andersson's in a battle with Mattias Ekholm, Jonas Brodin, Hampus Lindholm, and Adam Larsson for the final three spots.D Noah Dobson 🇨🇦The 6-foot-4 Dobson is approaching lock status on Canada's blue line. After finishing eighth in Norris Trophy voting a year ago, he's recorded four assists in five games with strong underlying numbers. Further helping his case is that other Canadian right-shot defenders are trending in the opposite direction, including the injured Drew Doughty.D Brock Faber 🇺🇸Faber set himself up for Team USA contention with a Calder Trophy-worthy debut, and he's done nothing this season to stray from that path. The smooth-skating, two-way workhorse is attempting to earn a spot on the right side behind Adam Fox and Charlie McAvoy (Quinn Hughes and Jaccob Slavin fill out the presumed top four). Faber's competition includes righty John Carlson and lefties Noah Hanifin, Jake Sanderson, Zach Werenski, and Mikey Anderson.D Josh Morrissey 🇨🇦Canada must find balance on its blue line. Management can't take all offensive defensemen. But Morrissey will be difficult to leave off at this point, as he's arguably been the Jets' most valuable skater through their 6-0-0 start. Morrissey and Dobson could wind up being the team's second pairing.G Sam Montembeault 🇨🇦The most intriguing position battle in the entire tournament is Canada's goaltending. Montreal starter Montembeault - a relative unknown to the casual NHL fan - is making a strong case despite getting shelled Tuesday. He leads all Canadian netminders with 2.25 goals saved above expected this season after finishing second behind front-runner Jordan Binnington a year ago.G Jake Oettinger 🇺🇸The Americans have four goalies vying for three spots. Connor Hellebuyck, who's followed up a Vezina Trophy win with a .948 save percentage through five starts, will be on the squad. That leaves Jeremy Swayman, Thatcher Demko, and Oettinger. Swayman's a tier above the others, while Demko's season-opening injury has given Oettinger the inside track to that third spot. The Stars stud has not disappointed, making 143 saves on 152 shots so far.<h3>Trending down 📉</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750975/cropped_GettyImages-2178634999.jpg?ts=1729528434" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750975/w220xh124_GettyImages-2178634999.jpg?ts=1729528434 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750975/w320xh180_GettyImages-2178634999.jpg?ts=1729528434 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750975/w640xh360_GettyImages-2178634999.jpg?ts=1729528434 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750975/w768xh432_GettyImages-2178634999.jpg?ts=1729528434 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750975/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2178634999.jpg?ts=1729528434 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Glenn James / National Hockey League / Getty</figcaption></figure>F Viktor Arvidsson 🇸🇪Arvidsson could bring a lot of energy to Sweden's bottom-six forward group, but his lack of production thus far likely has him on the outside looking in. He's failed to record a point through seven games with the Oilers despite riding shotgun with either Leon Draisaitl or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the latter of whom is also playing his way off of Canada's radar.F Alex DeBrincat 🇺🇸DeBrincat's the perfect example of a player whose 4 Nations candidacy rests solely on recent performance. If he's filling the net at an insane rate, he's all of a sudden on Team USA's radar. If he's not, he's a complete afterthought. With two goals and two assists in six games for the Red Wings, DeBrincat is closer to the latter. He hasn't done enough to grab management's attention.F Zach Hyman 🇨🇦Virtually every roster projection during the offseason included Hyman on the top line with McDavid, and rightly so. A relentless forechecker and puck hound, Hyman potted 53 goals during the 2023-24 regular season and added a league-high 16 in the playoffs alongside McDavid in Edmonton. However, he's pointless in seven games so far, creating a fraction of doubt about his spot on the roster.F Patrick Kane 🇺🇸Kane, who we <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3073754" href="https://thescore.com/news/3073754">recently ranked</a> as the fifth-best player in the post-Wayne Gretzky era, is arguably the greatest American to lace up a pair of hockey skates. Heck, half of Team USA's projected roster grew up on his YouTube highlights. But that veteran status - Kane turns 36 in November - is a double-edged sword in this context. No longer a star, let alone superstar, he'd be an odd fit in the bottom six. Could he be a power-play specialist at 4 Nations?F Gabriel Landeskog 🇸🇪Sweden's management group likely needs to see Landeskog play an NHL game - and look at least somewhat like his old self - to guarantee him a spot on the roster. Landeskog missed the last two seasons while undergoing three knee surgeries, and though he said he hopes to play early this season, his return doesn't appear imminent.F Steven Stamkos 🇨🇦<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750633/cropped_GettyImages-2178636883.jpg?ts=1729375358" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750633/w220xh124_GettyImages-2178636883.jpg?ts=1729375358 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750633/w320xh180_GettyImages-2178636883.jpg?ts=1729375358 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750633/w640xh360_GettyImages-2178636883.jpg?ts=1729375358 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750633/w768xh432_GettyImages-2178636883.jpg?ts=1729375358 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750633/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2178636883.jpg?ts=1729375358 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> John Russell / National Hockey League / Getty</figcaption></figure>Stamkos doesn't possess the all-around game of other forwards competing for a spot on Team Canada, so he needs to be tearing it up offensively to have a chance. That hasn't been the case so far in his first season with the Predators, as he's produced just one goal and zero assists in six games.F Carter Verhaeghe 🇨🇦Verhaeghe's lethal shot, big-game heroics, and overall versatility make him an appealing bottom-of-the-lineup option for Canada. There's no margin for error, however, and the winger has yet to score on 55 shot attempts. His five-on-five numbers aren't pretty, either - the Panthers have been outscored 7-3 and own a 50.6% expected goals rate in Verhaeghe's 127 five-on-five minutes.D Evan Bouchard 🇨🇦With Cale Makar all but locked in as the PP1 quarterback, Canada might prefer "safer" defensemen over Bouchard, who can dazzle offensively but also makes poor decisions defensively. With little offensive production so far - one goal, one assist in seven games - Bouchard is making management's decision easier.D Jani Hakanpaa 🇫🇮The best ability's availability, and Hakanpaa's currently unavailable. The behemoth defenseman is working his way back from a major knee injury, and the Maple Leafs haven't offered a timeline for his return. Finland's blue line is thin. Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell were early picks. The other spots will be filled by some combination of Hakanpaa, Niko Mikkola, Rasmus Ristolainen, Henri Jokiharju, Juuso Valimaki, Olli Maatta, and Urho Vaakanainen.D Noah Hanifin 🇺🇸Hanifin led all Golden Knights skaters in ice time during last year's playoffs, but his game has taken a slight step back to begin 2024-25. His minutes are down and he's getting hemmed into his own end (40.1% expected goals share). USA's depth makes Hanifin a long shot at this point.G Adin Hill 🇨🇦Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy <a data-in-app-uri="" href="">went out of his way</a> to start Hill in early-season games against the Lightning (Jon Cooper is Canada's coach) and Blues (Doug Armstrong is part of Canada's management group). The showcase hasn't paid off for Hill. The 2023 Stanley Cup winner owns a .851 save percentage and negative goals saved above expected rate in four games.G Stuart Skinner 🇨🇦Skinner put himself in contention to start for Canada with some strong performances on the big stage in the Western Conference Final and Cup Final, but he's struggled out of the gate for the second straight year, stopping minus-2 goals above expected. His volatility may make him too risky for management's liking.(Analytics and tracking data sources: Evolving-Hockey and Sportlogiq)

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4 Nations stock report: Which way are bubble players trending?

The NHL season is barely two weeks old: Most teams are just 5% into their regular season schedule...

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1 early reason for optimism, pessimism for Canada's NHL teams

The NHL soft-launched its season over the weekend with two Czechia-based games between the Sabres...

The NHL soft-launched its season over the weekend with two Czechia-based games between the Sabres and Devils. Slates of three and five games across North America followed on Tuesday and Wednesday. Here are 10 things we learned from those first 10 games - a whirlwind start to 2024-25.<h3>Montembeault plants flag early</h3>Sam Montembeault was dynamite Wednesday, turning aside 48 shots in a 1-0 Canadiens victory at a packed Bell Centre in Montreal. He's the first goalie since Nov. 20, 2021 to shut out the Maple Leafs, breaking a 227-game streak.That's all well and good for a Habs franchise anxious to play meaningful games in the final weeks of the regular season. Montembeault's season-opening work, which featured stopping a point-blank shot from goal-scoring machine Auston Matthews in the dying seconds, also signaled something to the greater hockey community. The Quebec native is ready to contend for Canada's starting goalie job at the 4 Nations Faceoff tournament in February.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The star performance wasn't overly surprising. Montembeault, who's racked up 145 career appearances, was quietly effective in 40 games last season. His save percentage was exactly league average (.903) and his underlying numbers were strong. According to Sportlogiq, he boasted a positive goals saved above expected rate (0.22 per 60 minutes); earned a "quality start" in 60% of games; and co-led all goalies with a 20% "steal" rate (eight total).<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749259/cropped_GettyImages-2147865555.jpg?ts=1728524852" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749259/w220xh124_GettyImages-2147865555.jpg?ts=1728524852 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749259/w320xh180_GettyImages-2147865555.jpg?ts=1728524852 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749259/w640xh360_GettyImages-2147865555.jpg?ts=1728524852 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749259/w768xh432_GettyImages-2147865555.jpg?ts=1728524852 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749259/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2147865555.jpg?ts=1728524852 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Icon Sportswire / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Put another way, Montembeault's on an upward trajectory to start a huge year. The 27-year-old's competition for Canada's top-goalie job includes Jordan Binnington, Stuart Skinner, Adin Hill, Connor Ingram, and Tristan Jarry.<h3>Same old story for Penguins PP</h3>Last year's Penguins didn't have the depth to overcome mediocre power-play results, let alone something resembling atrocious. They went on to score in only 15.3% of opportunities for the league's third-worst power-play rate.This year's roster isn't any less flawed overall, which means there's no room for another power play letdown. Pittsburgh's playoff chances are shaky even if a top unit led by Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Erik Karlsson dominates.The Penguins were dismantled by the Rangers on Wednesday. There's virtually nothing positive to take away from the 6-0 defeat, whereas the power play's 0-for-3 showing counts as one of several negatives. In five-on-four action, Pittsburgh recorded a measly three shots on goal off minimal offensive-zone time. New York even scored shorthanded in the third period.Former Sharks head coach David Quinn was hired as an assistant to Mike Sullivan to fix what's clearly broken. And, hey, maybe he'll work his magic on the Pens' PP over the next 81 games. But the first impression wasn't sunny.<h3>Flames won't be total pushovers</h3><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Give them a map 😮‍💨 <a href="https://t.co/56kEAecdJ0">pic.twitter.com/56kEAecdJ0</a>— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) <a href="https://twitter.com/NHLFlames/status/1844243240477917454?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure>The Flames are going to lose a ton of games this season.But that doesn't mean Calgary will be an easy out every night. In fact, they seem primed for constant in-game chaos, as this rebuilding team with low expectations still employs 10 or so solid NHLers. Their season won't be nearly as depressing as San Jose's was last year, for instance. The tanking Sharks became unwatchable because every opponent could trample them.On Wednesday, the Flames stormed back from a 3-0 deficit to beat a stunned Canucks club 6-5 in overtime. Will Calgary take down Vancouver in any of the remaining three meetings between the Pacific Division rivals? It's possible, of course, but probably not, given the sizeable talent gap. Yet it's safe to assume the Flames will keep Vancouver honest each time. The roster is filled with hustlers - Nazem Kadri, Martin Pospisil, and Ryan Lomberg, to name a few.<h3>Centers searching for faceoff edge</h3>Nerdy, multi-season trend alert: Select centers, including the Devils' Erik Haula and Rangers' Vincent Trocheck, sometimes take faceoffs with a flipped stick.By my count, Haula deployed this technique three times during last Friday's season-kickoff game between New Jersey and Buffalo. With the draw to the right of Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom, Haula - who shoots left - switched his hands so that his right hand was at the bottom of the shaft and the open part of his blade was pointed toward the corner instead of Markstrom.<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749166/cropped_GettyImages-1246285229.jpg?ts=1728482968" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749166/w220xh124_GettyImages-1246285229.jpg?ts=1728482968 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749166/w320xh180_GettyImages-1246285229.jpg?ts=1728482968 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749166/w640xh360_GettyImages-1246285229.jpg?ts=1728482968 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749166/w768xh432_GettyImages-1246285229.jpg?ts=1728482968 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749166/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1246285229.jpg?ts=1728482968 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Kavin Mistry / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Holding your stick backward may look goofy, but it makes sense under the right circumstances."It helps to have more tricks up your sleeve," said Trocheck, a natural righty.Trocheck's curiosity was piqued after watching former teammate Nick Bonino and rival Paul Gaustad flip their sticks. He then found himself struggling so badly in the circle one game that mixing things up felt necessary. "I just started messing around with it. Literally in-game was the first time I tried it," Trocheck recalled. "I was like, 'There's no way in hell my left hand is strong enough to win a faceoff.' But it actually was a lot more fluid than I expected it to be."<h3>Benson continues to cause fits</h3>With 11 players born in 2000 or later and an opening-day roster average age of 25.3, the Sabres once again are the NHL's youngest team. You wouldn't guess it based on his play, but feisty Zach Benson is the baby of the group.Benson, who turned 19 in May, made the 2023-24 Sabres just a few months after going 13th overall in the draft, then put up a respectable 11 goals and 19 assists in 72 games while skating 14:31 a night. In his first game as a sophomore, he failed to record a point but generally picked up where he left off as a highly entertaining two-way winger with touch around the net in 17:23 of ice time.Benson was listed at 5-foot-9 and 163 pounds as a rookie but now stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 170 pounds. He's adept at leveraging his stocky frame in front of the net and along the walls. He'll engage physically by rising through a defender's midsection, then chirp the same guy between whistles.<h3>Life without Swayman sucks</h3><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
"We want Swayman" chant is CRAZY 😭😭 <a href="https://t.co/gOzcdjML6m">pic.twitter.com/gOzcdjML6m</a>— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sportsnet/status/1843819400463561030?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure>Bruins coach Jim Montgomery refused to point the finger at his goalie after a loss to the Panthers that was more lopsided than the 6-4 final score suggests."(Joonas) Korpisalo was not the problem tonight. It was the people in front of him," Montgomery told reporters Tuesday, per <a href="https://x.com/NESN/status/1843842572524875926">NESN</a>. "You can't give up four back-door tap-ins and expect your goalie to make save after save. He made a lot of saves on breakaways. He was good tonight. The players in front of him - the rest of the team - and the coaching staff, we weren't good enough."No disagreement here on Montgomery's central point: Boston's skaters left Korpisalo out to dry on numerous occasions versus Florida. The team, as a full unit, was flat for the bulk of the season-opening game. Unacceptable.From my vantage point, though, Korpisalo was fully or partially responsible for four of the Panthers' six goals. At best, he was alright - not "good" - and Montgomery probably felt he had to take the heat off the Finn in his postgame availability. In reality, Korpisalo's so-so performance underlined how invaluable star netminder Jeremy Swayman is to the Bruins now that former partner Linus Ullmark is a member of the Senators.<h3>Boqvist breakout (finally) incoming?</h3>Adam Boqvist has a golden opportunity in front of him in Florida.The oft-injured 24-year-old defenseman is set to live a childhood dream by playing on the same NHL team as his brother Jesper, a Panthers forward. Boqvist's also starting the season on the defending Stanley Cup champion's No. 1 power-play unit, assuming the dual-threat point-man role previously filled by Brandon Montour, who left for Seattle in the offseason.Let's hope it doesn't take long for Boqvist to bounce back after leaving Tuesday's opener. He took a <a href="https://x.com/HockeyDaily365/status/1843806006004068568">puck to the face</a> off a clearing attempt and, as of Wednesday, was still being evaluated. He really can't catch a break. Boqvist's been in the league since 2019 but has never played more than 52 games in a season.<h3>Delta Center no ordinary barn</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749213/cropped_GettyImages-2176801257.jpg?ts=1728503128" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749213/w220xh124_GettyImages-2176801257.jpg?ts=1728503128 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749213/w320xh180_GettyImages-2176801257.jpg?ts=1728503128 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749213/w640xh360_GettyImages-2176801257.jpg?ts=1728503128 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749213/w768xh432_GettyImages-2176801257.jpg?ts=1728503128 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749213/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2176801257.jpg?ts=1728503128 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Jamie Sabau / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Young stud Dylan Guenther scored twice. Recently named captain Clayton Keller found the back of the net, too. The new top pairing of Mikhail Sergachev and Sean Durzi was superb. Goalie Connor Ingram was on his game. The Salt Lake City crowd recognized the moment with multiple standing ovations.It was a storybook debut for Utah, which beat Chicago 5-2 on Tuesday.What jumped off the screen beyond the obvious: It looked like fans in the first few rows of Delta Center - which is designed for NBA games - were right on top of the action. Ray Ferraro, who was between the benches for ESPN, riffed on the quirk during the broadcast, saying it creates an optical illusion at ice level that would benefit the home team over time. A forward steaming down the wing might think he's closer to the net than he actually is, while the unusual sightline might throw off a goalie.NHL rinks have become standardized. Delta Center should offer a slight change of scenery, though planned upgrades may mute its unique vibe.<h3>Blackhawks thinner than we thought</h3>The Blackhawks signed a ton of NHL-caliber players over the summer, most notably adding veterans Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teravainen to the wings.In a vacuum, general manager Kyle Davidson did the right thing. You don't want to waste any of Connor Bedard's years. You want to at least inch forward.Still, the season opener against Utah was a stark reminder of how many more quality players the organization needs to develop or acquire before Chicago can be considered even marginally competitive. This overarching lack of talent led to a second power-play unit of Pat Maroon, Ryan Donato, Philipp Kurashev, Alec Martinez, and Craig Smith. Yikes - none of those five players would be in the conversation for a PP2 spot on almost any other NHL team.<h3>Offer-sheet guys fitting in</h3><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
PHILIP BROBERG DIDN'T NEED MUCH TIME TO MAKE AN IMPACT. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/stlblues?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#stlblues</a> <a href="https://t.co/XUAew8HwTz">pic.twitter.com/XUAew8HwTz</a>— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) <a href="https://twitter.com/StLouisBlues/status/1843776423997120875?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure>A Philip Broberg goal assisted by Dylan Holloway - for the Blues, not the Oilers. Yep, the extremely early returns are stellar for St. Louis GM Doug Armstrong for boldly offer-sheeting not one but two recent first-round picks.The Blues beat the Kraken 3-2 Tuesday with Broberg logging 20:23 on the second pair opposite Justin Faulk, and Holloway slotting in as the top-line left-winger alongside Robert Thomas and Jake Neighbours. The Broberg-Faulk duo kept Chandler Stephenson's line off the scoresheet, while the Thomas trio finished with a 57% expected goals rate in 11 five-on-five minutes together.John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/MatiszJohn">@MatiszJohn</a>) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

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10 things we learned from the first 10 games of the NHL season

It can be easy to forget that Nathan MacKinnon, a consensus top-three hockey player on the planet...

It can be easy to forget that Nathan MacKinnon, a consensus top-three hockey player on the planet, was once a young NHLer searching for answers.MacKinnon, the first pick in the 2013 NHL draft, burst onto the scene as an 18-year-old, recording 63 points in 82 games. But the Calder Trophy winner's production dipped to an average of 54 points per 82 games over the next three seasons.Now 29 and entering his 12th year, MacKinnon has enough space between then and now to grasp what happened. In short, the Colorado Avalanche superstar fell off from ages 19-21 because he thought he had it all figured out. He failed to progress as a player and the league caught up to him.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"When you have a good rookie year, there might be less fear going into your second year. Fear can drive you," MacKinnon said in September at the NHL/NHLPA player media tour in Las Vegas. "You don't know what to expect. You're worried you won't even be good in the NHL, and then once you think you're a little good, it can go downhill. It definitely happened to me."<figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="MacKinnon's career arc" aria-label="Interactive line chart" id="datawrapper-chart-DMkD0" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/DMkD0/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="439" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure>MacKinnon's wavy career arc is a reminder that player development is rarely linear, even among the super talented. "Sophomore slump" is part of the pro sports vernacular for this exact reason. It's incredibly difficult for second-year players of all kinds to meet heightened internal and external expectations.Chicago Blackhawks sniper Connor Bedard and Minnesota Wild workhorse Brock Faber finished first and second in 2023-24 Calder voting. What can we realistically expect from each player in their second acts? What potential challenges might the sophomores face? Let's dig in, with help from pro hockey analyst <a href="https://x.com/JhanHky">Jack Han</a>.<h3>Connor Bedard</h3>Everybody wanted a piece of Bedard ahead of and during his rookie season. He was the shiny new toy - a fresh face of the league with enormous upside."Macklin will be dealing with all of that instead," Bedard said recently with a laugh, referring to media and fan interest inevitably shifting toward Sharks super prospect and Vancouver-area buddy Macklin Celebrini.<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748864/cropped_GettyImages-1786607152.jpg?ts=1728303479" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748864/w220xh124_GettyImages-1786607152.jpg?ts=1728303479 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748864/w320xh180_GettyImages-1786607152.jpg?ts=1728303479 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748864/w640xh360_GettyImages-1786607152.jpg?ts=1728303479 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748864/w768xh432_GettyImages-1786607152.jpg?ts=1728303479 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748864/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1786607152.jpg?ts=1728303479 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Bill Smith / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Bedard's on-ice impact last season mirrored the hype - 22 goals, 39 assists, and a 0.90 points-per-game rate that ranks third this century among 18-year-old NHLers, behind only Sidney Crosby's 1.26 and Connor McDavid's 1.07. The shoot-first center led or co-led 31st-place Chicago in goals, assists, and points, despite missing 14 games with a broken jaw and skating alongside serviceable yet unremarkable veterans. (Bedard's three most common linemates were Philipp Kurashev, Nick Foligno, and Ryan Donato.)The 2023-24 Hawks were so deprived of firepower that Bedard was the central focus for opposing teams from his debut onward. "You didn't need to game-plan against anybody else," is how Han - a former AHL assistant coach who writes the popular <a href="https://jhanhky.substack.com/">Hockey Tactics</a> newsletter - put it.Chicago brass was well aware of this and got to work in the offseason. Puck hound Tyler Bertuzzi, playmaker Teuvo Teravainen, and speedster Ilya Mikheyev were all added to the forward group. Meanwhile, former MVP Taylor Hall has recovered from the ACL tear that shelved him for most of last season.Better support will reroute some pressure away from Bedard, making the explosive trigger man more dangerous. The righty scored on 10.7% of his shots last year, which is very good for an average NHL forward but a tad low for someone with Bedard's elite, deceptive wrist and snap shots."If you have a good shot and you're a player who can consistently get to dangerous areas of the ice, there's nothing wrong with shooting 10%," Han said. "The difference between a 10% shooter and a 13% or 15% shooter is often not so much you and your talent as it is your teammates and their talent. Why is it that Auston Matthews or Steven Stamkos can shoot 15%? It's because they've got Mitch Marner and Marty St. Louis setting them up."<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748435/cropped_GettyImages-2173623891.jpg?ts=1728056156" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748435/w220xh124_GettyImages-2173623891.jpg?ts=1728056156 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748435/w320xh180_GettyImages-2173623891.jpg?ts=1728056156 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748435/w640xh360_GettyImages-2173623891.jpg?ts=1728056156 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748435/w768xh432_GettyImages-2173623891.jpg?ts=1728056156 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748435/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2173623891.jpg?ts=1728056156 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Icon Sportswire / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Defensive play and faceoffs were Bedard's main weaknesses as a rookie. (He won a ghastly 38.9% of his 532 faceoffs.) Also part of the learning curve - realizing how smart NHLers are relative to junior players. "Everyone's always in the right position. That was something I wasn't used to at the start," said Bedard, who played two full seasons in the WHL. "I was making plays, predicting a guy would move, and I'd just give (the puck) right to them."Bedard, who focused on improving his speed and power in offseason workouts, was understandably tight-lipped about his personal performance goals heading into Year 2. But in early September, the 19-year-old mentioned emphasizing overall consistency and finding a way to impact each game on a deeper level.Assuming good health, simply being on a team with a respectable supporting cast should boost Bedard's numbers. Han believes an 80-point pace (30-35 goals and 45-50 assists over 82 games) is a "reasonable" bet. While nobody's immune to the sophomore slump, No. 98 on Chicago is an unlikely victim."I've been very motivated since I was 4 or 5 years old," Bedard said. "I'm not overly concerned about that. Maybe I have a slump, maybe I play really well. You don't know the future."<figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Rookie/sophomore comparison" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-LA0Yk" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/LA0Yk/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="734" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><h3>Brock Faber</h3>Faber was the only other player to receive a first-place vote for last year's Calder, with an excellent first full season in Minnesota convincing 42 of 194 voters to slot him ahead of Bedard.His supporters were enamored by an abnormally hefty workload and relatively polished game. Faber, who was usually pitted against other teams' best forwards, logged 2,047 total minutes, the most by a rookie since the NHL began tracking individual time-on-ice numbers in 1997. Minnesota, a team that missed the Western Conference playoff cutline by 11 points, fared much better at five-on-five with Faber on the ice (plus-one) versus off (minus-five)."I learned a lot. It's stuff you can't really learn in the offseason," Faber said of the rookie grind. "You can't learn how to take a two-on-one against McDavid and (Leon) Draisaitl. When you're thrown into the fire, that's how you learn. When you make mistakes, that's how you learn. I made plenty of mistakes, and I learned a lot from those mistakes, offensively and defensively."<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748437/cropped_GettyImages-2148778553.jpg?ts=1728056334" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748437/w220xh124_GettyImages-2148778553.jpg?ts=1728056334 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748437/w320xh180_GettyImages-2148778553.jpg?ts=1728056334 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748437/w640xh360_GettyImages-2148778553.jpg?ts=1728056334 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748437/w768xh432_GettyImages-2148778553.jpg?ts=1728056334 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748437/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2148778553.jpg?ts=1728056334 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Ronald Martinez / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Han likes the player - "Faber's ahead of the curve for a young defenseman" - and believes there's a strong chance the eight-year, $68-million contract extension Faber signed this offseason will age gracefully as the salary cap continues to rise. Still, he's worried about the gap between Faber's top-pairing reputation and the underlying performance markers of his rookie year.<a href="https://hockeyviz.com/">HockeyViz'</a>s isolated impact heat maps suggest Faber was essentially a net-negative offensive player and net-neutral defensive player at five-on-five. Also, it's often overlooked that he contributed to the NHL's third-worst penalty kill."If you're talking about sophomore slumps, unfortunately, Faber's got a perfect storm brewing," Han said. "For the first time as a pro, he's coming into a season with something to lose. That's a very dangerous mindset. You're now in a no-win situation and the game can get away from you very quickly."<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748954/cropped_faber-for-aga-iso.jpg?ts=1728339367" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748954/w220xh124_faber-for-aga-iso.jpg?ts=1728339367 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748954/w320xh180_faber-for-aga-iso.jpg?ts=1728339367 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748954/w640xh360_faber-for-aga-iso.jpg?ts=1728339367 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748954/w768xh432_faber-for-aga-iso.jpg?ts=1728339367 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748954/w1080xh607_faber-for-aga-iso.jpg?ts=1728339367 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> HockeyViz.com</figcaption></figure>Kraken forward Matty Beniers found himself in a similar situation last season. He set the bar high with a Calder-winning 2022-23. Then, in Year 2, his puck luck leveled out, his defensive responsibilities increased, and opposing teams targeted his weaknesses. Beniers was issued the "sophomore slump" label by midseason - even though he didn't actually take a tangible step backward.Helping the expectations around Faber? He played the final two months of 2023-24 with two cracked ribs. That might partially explain the wonky stats.Not helping Faber? He's a subtle player, far from the flashiest on the Wild. He's a strong skater, puck mover, and distributor (47 points as a rookie), but stick-checking and blocking shots are his bread and butter. First and foremost, he wants to kill the opposing attack every time he steps on the ice."I can try to impact the game more than just point-getting and power-play time and ice time. I don't know. I feel ready. I feel prepared. I'm healthy. I'm confident. And I'm still learning. I'm still trying to get better," Faber said."But that's how I look at it, right? I'm not someone who hangs my hat on scoring or getting points. I never have been and I never will be, as I'm a defenseman. I look at it a little differently. I want to defend against the best players in the world better this year than I did last year. Everyone talks about how I played great, but also, there were games when I was playing against those guys when I was horrible and they were great. So that's how I kind of look it. Little things, little milestones like that."John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/MatiszJohn">@MatiszJohn</a>) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

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Sophomore slump or bump? What to expect from Bedard and Faber in Year 2

Four players. Two coaches. Two team executives. One league executive. And one expansion group spo...

Four players. Two coaches. Two team executives. One league executive. And one expansion group spokesperson.The following isn't a comprehensive list of the people who'll define the 2024-25 NHL season (you'll notice commissioner Gary Bettman and NHL Players' Association executive director Marty Walsh are absent). But it identifies, in no particular order, 10 intriguing people who are tremendously influential, hold the key to a team's success, or find themselves in a high-pressure situation ahead of this weekend's season-opening games in Europe.<h3>Alex Ovechkin</h3>Trailing by 41 goals, Ovechkin needs to stay healthy and average a goal every other game to tie Wayne Gretzky's all-time record. It's a monumental task for a 39-year-old trying to rebound from the least productive season of his career.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Yet, this is the "Great Eight" we're talking about here. Ovechkin's incredible longevity - a 40-goal pace or better in 16 of 19 seasons - offers hope. If he's within striking distance of Gretzky down the stretch, the chase will evolve into the biggest story in the sports world. The NHL is happy to play hype machine."Some people have suggested that because Alex is Russian that somehow this should be marginalized in some way," deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in September at the NHL/NHLPA player media tour. "We couldn't disagree more with that. He's been a terrific ambassador for our game for 20 years now, and his enthusiasm for the game and passion for the game is infectious."The Capitals should be fascinating to track, in general. The front office turned over a third of the roster in the offseason, adding, among other things, two top-six forwards (Pierre-Luc Dubois, Andrew Mangiapane), two top-four defensemen (Jakob Chychrun, Matt Roy), and a solid goalie in Logan Thompson.Washington snuck into last year's postseason with 40 wins and a minus-37 goal differential but is an improved team on paper. Even with the changes, though, a 2025 playoff spot is far from guaranteed. Side plot: How much will Ovechkin's teammates defer to him? Will the chase affect the club's mindset?<h3>Anson Carter</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747842/cropped_GettyImages-1761988528.jpg?ts=1727745732" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747842/w220xh124_GettyImages-1761988528.jpg?ts=1727745732 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747842/w320xh180_GettyImages-1761988528.jpg?ts=1727745732 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747842/w640xh360_GettyImages-1761988528.jpg?ts=1727745732 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747842/w768xh432_GettyImages-1761988528.jpg?ts=1727745732 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747842/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1761988528.jpg?ts=1727745732 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Dave Sandford / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Carter, the former forward turned broadcaster, is part of the Alpharetta Sports &amp; Entertainment group that formally requested the NHL in May to open the expansion process to bring Atlanta into the fold for a third time. Another group of investors, led by billionaire Vernon Krause, has also expressed interest to the league and has dreams of building an NHL-caliber arena in Atlanta.NHL officials have repeatedly said expansion is not a front-burner issue. However, there's an understanding in league circles that expansion is on the horizon, with two teams being added relatively soon. Expansion fees are set to rocket past the $500 million Vegas paid in 2017 and the $650 million Seattle forked over in 2021 and land somewhere in the $1 billion-$2 billion range.The affable Carter is highlighted here because he's the most recognizable name associated with prospective groups in Atlanta, Houston, and Phoenix. Any new franchise will almost certainly reside in the United States. The NHL counts the Rangers, Islanders, and Devils (New York), and Kings and Ducks (Los Angeles) as two total markets, which means its presence stateside is less expansive than other sports (22 markets to the NFL's 30, for instance).<h3>Igor Shesterkin</h3>Shesterkin is arguably the best goalie in the world. Fresh off another strong playoff run (.927 save percentage in 16 games), the 2022 Vezina Trophy winner is a swing player in 2024-25. If Shesterkin's performing at a high level at the right time, the Rangers can win the Stanley Cup.The 28-year-old Russian also wants to reset the goalie contract market, which has fallen off a cliff in an era of high scoring rates and tandem workloads. The seven-year, $84-million deal Montreal's Carey Price signed in 2017 still stands as the richest ever among goalies. Shesterkin, an MVP-level talent most seasons, is worth at least $11 million a year over seven or eight seasons. Anything above Artemi Panarin's $11,642,857 would set a franchise record.Shesterkin is reportedly uninterested in negotiating during the season. While that shouldn't set off alarm bells in New York, it does keep the door open for a potential exit next summer. He'd be a highly desirable unrestricted free agent.<h3>Jessica Campbell</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/635647/cropped_GettyImages-2159861201.jpg?ts=1720064009" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/635647/w220xh124_GettyImages-2159861201.jpg?ts=1720064009 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/635647/w320xh180_GettyImages-2159861201.jpg?ts=1720064009 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/635647/w640xh360_GettyImages-2159861201.jpg?ts=1720064009 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/635647/w768xh432_GettyImages-2159861201.jpg?ts=1720064009 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/635647/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2159861201.jpg?ts=1720064009 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Christopher Mast / National Hockey League / Getty</figcaption></figure>Campbell is the first full-time female assistant coach in NHL history. The Kraken announced in July that the former Cornell University forward would join Dan Bylsma's staff as an assistant following two seasons in the same role for AHL Coachella Valley. Campbell also previously coached in Germany.The 32-year-old is a trailblazer, and that label comes with additional attention and, unfortunately, extra scrutiny. Campbell will be involved in coaching Seattle's power play and developing its youngsters. The latter has been one of her specialties, and strong connections with ex-Coachella Valley players like Shane Wright, Tye Kartye, and Ryker Evans should ease her transition.When an NHL team hires a woman for a front-office role in 2024, barely anyone bats an eye. It's become commonplace to have the best candidate, regardless of gender, get the gig. The coaching ranks have some catching up to do, and by all accounts, Campbell is an ideal first woman in.<h3>Chris MacFarland</h3>Nobody's feeling bad for Colorado's general manager. MacFarland has two top-10 (top five?) players on the planet at his disposal in Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. Mikko Rantanen is, at minimum, a top-25 player. Those three stars are true franchise pillars - a trio of Cup winners still in their primes.But, man, has MacFarland been dealt a tough hand. Gabriel Landeskog and Artturi Lehkonen are expected to miss the first chunk of the regular season due to a knee and shoulder injury, respectively. (Landeskog, who hasn't played since the 2022 Cup Final, has an especially foggy timeline.) Meanwhile, Valeri Nichushkin is suspended until mid-November after violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program. To recap, that's half of the Avalanche's best two lines unavailable for at least the first month and a half.Maybe all three return, look normal, and there's nothing to worry about. Or perhaps the returns don't go well. Or MacFarland opts to work the controversial LTIR loophole. Or this year becomes a write-off thanks to a rough start.There's such a wide range of possibilities with this Avs squad, which is a strange thing to type about a legitimate Cup contender. Complicating matters: Rantanen and starting goalie Alexandar Georgiev are pending UFAs.<h3>Connor McDavid</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631580/cropped_GettyImages-2155209258.jpg?ts=1717597353" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631580/w220xh124_GettyImages-2155209258.jpg?ts=1717597353 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631580/w320xh180_GettyImages-2155209258.jpg?ts=1717597353 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631580/w640xh360_GettyImages-2155209258.jpg?ts=1717597353 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631580/w768xh432_GettyImages-2155209258.jpg?ts=1717597353 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631580/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2155209258.jpg?ts=1717597353 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / Getty</figcaption></figure>McDavid, 27, is in the prime of his career. He's coming off his seventh 100-point season, having recorded 32 goals and a career-high 100 assists in 76 games. At the player media tour, McDavid noted that he took a more measured approach to his offseason workouts this summer after arriving at the 2023-24 training camp too skinny from overtraining. He's feeling refreshed.McDavid, who's only 18 points shy of 1,000, is entering his 10th season. It feels like it's only a matter of time before he and the Oilers claim the Cup, and McDavid's understandably hungrier than ever following 42 points in 25 games and a crushing Game 7 loss in the final. He'll also represent Canada for the first time since the 2018 world championships when the finest Canadians, Americans, Finns, and Swedes battle in the 4 Nations Faceoff in February.All this while his contract winds down. Like running mate Leon Draisaitl this summer, McDavid is eligible to sign an extension ahead of the final year of his current deal. It seems inevitable he'll stay in Edmonton, with the AAV ($16 million?) and total money ($128 million?) most likely setting NHL records.<h3>Mitch Marner</h3>The Maple Leafs' postseason struggles stretched to one series win in nine tries following a seven-game Round 1 loss to the rival Bruins in May. Fairly or not, Marner's the poster boy for this era of demoralizing defeats and the punching bag for a not-insignificant portion of the NHL's largest fan base.Deep playoff runs require standout performances throughout the lineup, but let's face it, Toronto will go only as far as Marner, Matthews, and William Nylander take them. That means the issue is black and white ahead of the 2025 playoffs: Marner either redeems himself with an extended stretch of brilliant hockey or underwhelms again, providing his haters with extra ammunition.Marner co-headlines next summer's UFA class. If he chooses not to re-sign with Toronto and hits the open market, teams will be lining up for his services. For all the negativity surrounding him, Marner's an exceptional talent - a rare all-situations winger who, at his peak, can simultaneously challenge for the Art Ross Trophy (most points) and Selke Trophy (best defensive forward).<h3>Lindy Ruff </h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747844/cropped_GettyImages-2175009992.jpg?ts=1727746019" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747844/w220xh124_GettyImages-2175009992.jpg?ts=1727746019 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747844/w320xh180_GettyImages-2175009992.jpg?ts=1727746019 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747844/w640xh360_GettyImages-2175009992.jpg?ts=1727746019 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747844/w768xh432_GettyImages-2175009992.jpg?ts=1727746019 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747844/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2175009992.jpg?ts=1727746019 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Ben Jackson / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Ruff, a Sabres defenseman in the 1980s and head coach from 1997-2013, is back for a third tour of duty in Buffalo. He's been brought in to be a savior as the Sabres try desperately to end an NHL-record 13-year playoff drought.The Sabres last made the playoffs in the second-last full season of Ruff's first tenure behind the bench. How bad were those years without him? Consider this: Only once did Buffalo's final record feature more wins than losses, and that one campaign - 2022-23 - barely qualifies, at 42 wins and 40 losses.The Sabres hope Ruff can bring greater accountability to the dressing room and push players to new heights. Captain Rasmus Dahlin, burgeoning star Owen Power, and 6-foot-7 sniper Tage Thompson lead a fairly balanced roster that, with decent coaching, should be in the hunt for an East wild-card spot.Kevyn Adams is entering his fifth season as GM. He won't necessarily lose his job if Buffalo again falls short of the postseason. But for Adams to keep it, the team must take an appreciable step forward in the standings.<h3>Don Waddell</h3>Waddell's transition from top executive in contending Carolina to top dog in rebuilding Columbus was never going to be easy. It got infinitely harder following the tragic death of Blue Jackets star winger Johnny Gaudreau.Waddell, named president and GM in May, has done everything he can to steer the organization through the early stages of mourning. The grieving process doesn't magically stop for the hockey season, so his work will continue in the coming days, weeks, and months. Remember, there's a handful of Jacket players who've lost two teammates in three offseasons, with young goalie Matiss Kivlenieks dying in a fireworks accident in July 2021.As for the hockey stuff, Waddell inherited a rich prospect pool, but the NHL roster remains very much under construction (and especially so with Gaudreau, the club's most talented player, gone). Waddell hired coach Dean Evason to stabilize an area that's been anything but stable. He traded Patrik Laine. He's talked openly about trying to fix a losing culture. The Jackets will miss the playoffs for the fifth straight season, but there's plenty to accomplish.<h3>Steve Mayer</h3>As the NHL's chief content officer, Mayer has been an influential figure for years. He's the creative, boundary-pushing voice in board rooms filled mostly with labor lawyers and former players. In 2023-24, he was the brains behind a revamped All-Star Weekend and the stunning draft inside Las Vegas' Sphere.Mayer was an executive producer on the six-part Amazon Prime Video docuseries launching Friday. Along with traditional producing duties, he helped convince players and teams to buy into the all-access style that's allowed auto racing, golf, and tennis to reach new audiences. Mayer will be tasked with building on the momentum of whatever buzz is created by Season 1 of "FACEOFF: Inside The NHL." Nobody at the league office pushes harder than him for players to loosen up and be authentic in front of the cameras.Also on Mayer's plate this season: the one-off, seven-game 4 Nations Faceoff tournament; outdoor games at Wrigley Stadium in Chicago and Ohio Stadium in Columbus; and a smaller, more player-focused "decentralized" draft event in which staffers for all 32 teams work from home, not the host city.John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/MatiszJohn">@MatiszJohn</a>) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

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10 people who will define the 2024-25 NHL season

"That's not good enough! It's the finals! Dig in!! RIGHT NOW!!!"  The trailer for "FACEOFF: Insid...

"That's not good enough! It's the finals! Dig in!! RIGHT NOW!!!"The trailer for "FACEOFF: Inside The NHL," the upcoming Amazon Prime Video docuseries about the NHL and some of its top players, runs for one minute and 54 seconds. But six seconds in particular - the usually robotic Connor McDavid reaming out his Oilers teammates during the 2024 Stanley Cup Final - is all anyone cared about when the trailer dropped this week.<figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
On the ice. Off the record. The new series FACEOFF: Inside the NHL premieres October 4th globally on Prime Video. <a href="https://t.co/C2hDSosQO6">pic.twitter.com/C2hDSosQO6</a>— NHL (@NHL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NHL/status/1838292437581574253?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure>Those six seconds reveal more about McDavid's psyche than nine seasons of cliche-heavy interviews. It's a literal peek behind the curtain - an intensely private moment made public and theatrical. In the full episode, the tension-filled scene in the Oilers' room runs closer to a minute.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"You'll watch him in this series, and I guarantee you, after watching six episodes, you'll have a completely different opinion of who he is and what he's about and how meaningful it is to win," NHL chief content officer Steve Mayer said at an event in Toronto promoting multiple Amazon-NHL programs."Raw" is the one word league executives and others involved in the production kept uttering on and off the record Monday. The NHL has finally invested in what fans want out of behind-the-scenes sports documentaries: unfiltered emotion, uncomfortable interactions, imperfection.Previous NHL docs, like 2021's "All Or Nothing" series on the Maple Leafs or the various shows built around the Winter Classic, have been too careful. Some of the best scenes never saw the light of day because someone - say, a team executive - didn't want to deal with the extra attention it might create.<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747100/cropped_GettyImages-1981517420.jpg?ts=1727385878" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747100/w220xh124_GettyImages-1981517420.jpg?ts=1727385878 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747100/w320xh180_GettyImages-1981517420.jpg?ts=1727385878 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747100/w640xh360_GettyImages-1981517420.jpg?ts=1727385878 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747100/w768xh432_GettyImages-1981517420.jpg?ts=1727385878 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747100/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1981517420.jpg?ts=1727385878 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Claus Andersen / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>"FACEOFF" was produced by the company behind "Drive to Survive," "Break Point," and "Full Swing" on Netflix. Those shows work because they create three-dimensional characters out of their human subjects - which is exactly what the NHL is hoping this series can do for McDavid and his peers.I've seen the entirety of Episode 1, which centers around the friendship and rivalry of Toronto's William Nylander and Boston's David Pastrnak. It's highly entertaining and, at times, riveting. It reminds me of the first episode of "Full Swing," which chronicled the rise of PGA buddies Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas.All six episodes of "FACEOFF" will be available globally on Prime Video as of next Friday. The other programs unveiled by the NHL and Amazon this week - "NHL Coast To Coast" and Monday Night Hockey - debut on Prime Video on Oct. 10 and Oct. 14, respectively. "NHL Coast To Coast," hosted by Andi Petrillo every Thursday night, promises to be hockey's version of NFL RedZone.Rogers' landmark 12-year Canadian TV rights deal expires following the 2025-26 season. Clearly, Amazon will be a major player at the negotiating table.<h3>No easy fix to LTIR 'loophole'</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747069/cropped_GettyImages-1964041544.jpg?ts=1727379764" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747069/w220xh124_GettyImages-1964041544.jpg?ts=1727379764 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747069/w320xh180_GettyImages-1964041544.jpg?ts=1727379764 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747069/w640xh360_GettyImages-1964041544.jpg?ts=1727379764 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747069/w768xh432_GettyImages-1964041544.jpg?ts=1727379764 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747069/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1964041544.jpg?ts=1727379764 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Bruce Bennett / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>The use of long-term injured reserve, mixed with the elimination of the salary cap come playoff time, has led to a few timely returns over the past decade. Famously, Stanley Cup winners Patrick Kane, Nikita Kucherov, and Mark Stone were all activated off LTIR after Game 82 of the regular season."I'd like to think the integrity of the teams and (players) are in the right place. But it's definitely unfortunate when you're playing a team that's $15 million over the cap," Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon said in early September at the NHL/NHLPA player media tour in Las Vegas. "But, yeah, it is what it is," MacKinnon added about the legal, totally awkward LTIR loophole."It's a touchy subject in the league right now, I feel like," Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki said. "If you're using it, you like it. If you're not ... "NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly has spoken with all 32 general managers, and a "majority" of them would like the league "to continue to consider making some kind of adjustment that would alleviate some of the concerns." That's much easier said than done, of course, with any potential amendment to the collective bargaining agreement subject to NHL Players' Association approval. A more likely outcome is that the issue becomes part of the next CBA negotiations. (The current CBA expires Sept. 15, 2026.)<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747070/cropped_GettyImages-1980739043.jpg?ts=1727379891" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747070/w220xh124_GettyImages-1980739043.jpg?ts=1727379891 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747070/w320xh180_GettyImages-1980739043.jpg?ts=1727379891 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747070/w640xh360_GettyImages-1980739043.jpg?ts=1727379891 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747070/w768xh432_GettyImages-1980739043.jpg?ts=1727379891 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747070/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1980739043.jpg?ts=1727379891 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Bruce Bennett / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Maybe down the road teams will be forced to stay under the salary cap for the playoffs. Or maybe a less dramatic change will be made - one or two tweaks."There's probably some tinkering around that they could do with the rule," Suzuki said. "I don't know what that is, but I feel like it's definitely given teams a huge advantage. Sometimes you luck into it and other times it seems like it might be a strategy. I'm not in the medical room, so I don't really know what's going on with those teams. It could be all fair. Who knows."Suzuki hits on an essential part of the issue: Most injuries are open to some form of interpretation. There's a lot of gray area. A player can be hurt and play through it, hurt and volunteer to sit out, or hurt and be told to sit out.This can lead to vague return dates that can be stretched out, if necessary."I've heard a theory where you have to play the last game of the regular season to play in the first round. Maybe that can help," MacKinnon said.<h3>Pinto primed for breakout</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747038/cropped_GettyImages-2171211196.jpg?ts=1727374897" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747038/w220xh124_GettyImages-2171211196.jpg?ts=1727374897 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747038/w320xh180_GettyImages-2171211196.jpg?ts=1727374897 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747038/w640xh360_GettyImages-2171211196.jpg?ts=1727374897 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747038/w768xh432_GettyImages-2171211196.jpg?ts=1727374897 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747038/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2171211196.jpg?ts=1727374897 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Candice Ward / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>At this point last year, Shane Pinto was an unsigned restricted free agent. Not a month later, the Senators center was suspended 41 games for "activities relating to sports wagering." He chose to not appeal the NHL's punishment."It was a blessing in disguise in a sense," Pinto, 23, said at the player media tour. The consequences of a long suspension, he added, "taught me not to take things for granted. It can be taken away from you pretty quickly."Pinto shed light on the situation during a July appearance on the "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T76LHCUUSYc">Empty Netters</a>" podcast, saying he had U.S.-based friends place online bets on his behalf while he was living in Canada. A sports betting operator and league partner flagged his account, which led to an investigation and the suspension."I won't go into detail about that. I just didn't know any better," Pinto said when asked in Vegas about the sequence of events. (For the record, the league said in a press release that Pinto never bet on NHL games.)Pinto signed a two-year, $7.5-million contract extension this offseason following a strong showing in the second half of last season (54-point pace over 82 games) and at the world championships (nine points in eight contests).<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747040/cropped_GettyImages-2153520142.jpg?ts=1727374994" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747040/w220xh124_GettyImages-2153520142.jpg?ts=1727374994 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747040/w320xh180_GettyImages-2153520142.jpg?ts=1727374994 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747040/w640xh360_GettyImages-2153520142.jpg?ts=1727374994 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747040/w768xh432_GettyImages-2153520142.jpg?ts=1727374994 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747040/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2153520142.jpg?ts=1727374994 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> NurPhoto / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>The shaky health of fellow center Josh Norris - who's undergone three surgeries on the same shoulder - offers an incredible opportunity for Pinto. He can snatch the second-line center role at five-on-five and potentially work his way onto the top power-play and penalty-kill units. Put another way, the Senators are desperate for a consistent two-way presence down the middle.The desperation extends beyond center. Ottawa hasn't made the playoffs in seven seasons, and although a mini offseason makeover raises the floor of this squad, for the most part the 2024-25 Sens will go as far as their core - led by Brady Tkachuk, 25, and Tim Stutzle, 22 - and head coach Travis Green take them."There's been a lot of distractions for us," Pinto said. "This year is the first year where there's nothing leading up to training camp. No real annoyances or new ownership. We're steady. We have stability now.""It's time," he added, "for us to become men this year."<h3>Quick hits</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747014/cropped_GettyImages-2173858116.jpg?ts=1727365318" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747014/w220xh124_GettyImages-2173858116.jpg?ts=1727365318 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747014/w320xh180_GettyImages-2173858116.jpg?ts=1727365318 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747014/w640xh360_GettyImages-2173858116.jpg?ts=1727365318 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747014/w768xh432_GettyImages-2173858116.jpg?ts=1727365318 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747014/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2173858116.jpg?ts=1727365318 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Mack attack: Those in Macklin Celebrini's inner circle insist 2024's top pick and Sharks rookie is the most driven young athlete you'll ever meet. "He truly lives the game. On a mission. You can feel the intensity when you're around him," texted one confidant. Where did that next-level single-mindedness come from? "It's something my parents ingrained in me when I was young," Celebrini told theScore. "If you want to do something, do it to the best of your ability. Don't do it with half your energy or half as good as you could do it. For me, that's how I looked at it: If I really wanted to do this, and this was my passion, why not give my all? Why not give everything I can to succeed?"Berube's rep: Craig Berube finished his playing career with 3,149 penalty minutes. The new Maple Leafs bench boss gives off similar no-nonsense vibes as a coach. Yet, behind the scenes, Berube's unquestionably a "player's coach," according to Blues forward Robert Thomas. Berube, who coached Thomas for five-plus seasons, checks off two key boxes: He's an all-around honest person, and he's a straight shooter. Players trust him. "Out of all the coaches I've had, he's probably the most available," Thomas said. "He's walking around the locker room talking to guys - not about hockey, (but) about life, how you're feeling, how you're doing. I think he gets to know everyone on a personal level. That allows him to really get the best out of guys."<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747016/cropped_GettyImages-2136578591.jpg?ts=1727365409" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747016/w220xh124_GettyImages-2136578591.jpg?ts=1727365409 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747016/w320xh180_GettyImages-2136578591.jpg?ts=1727365409 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747016/w640xh360_GettyImages-2136578591.jpg?ts=1727365409 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747016/w768xh432_GettyImages-2136578591.jpg?ts=1727365409 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747016/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2136578591.jpg?ts=1727365409 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Bill Smith / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Miro love: Connor Bedard wasn't eased into the NHL last year. The Calder Trophy winner logged more than 15 total five-on-five minutes (roughly a full game's worth for Bedard) against each of Cale Makar, Drew Doughty, Roman Josi, Jaccob Slavin, and Josh Morrissey - some of the world's top defensemen. Asked in early September which blue-liner was most difficult to face, Bedard paused for a beat before landing on the Stars' Miro Heiskanen. "He covers so much ice," Bedard, 19, said. "It feels like he takes three strides and he's all the way up the ice. He's someone who really pops out to me."Neck guards: Oct. 28 will mark one year since Adam Johnson's death. The former NHLer was cut by another player's skate blade in a game in England. Starting this season, AHL players must wear cut-resistant neck protection. The NHL is "moving in that direction" too, Daly said in early September. The league has proposed mandatory neck protection to the players' association, but it's a nuanced issue. "NHL players don't want to be told, necessarily, what to do and what not to do, particularly when it could affect performance on some basis. They're not going to jump into allowing us to make it mandatory," Daly said of the union's say in the matter. "But I think they're working constructively with us to at least make the players aware of the benefits of protecting themselves better than they have in the past."John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/MatiszJohn">@MatiszJohn</a>) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

SUNRISE, FLORIDA - JUNE 24: Oliver Ekman-Larsson #91 of the Florida Panthers shakes hands with Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers after Florida's 2-1 victory in Game Seven of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena on June 24, 2024 in Sunrise, Florida.

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LAS VEGAS - Connor McDavid, the best hockey player of the salary-cap era, owned the highest salary-cap hit in the NHL for five seasons in his early 20s.Finally, in 2023-24, somebody surpassed McDavid's $12.5-million average annual value, as Nathan MacKinnon signed for an extra $100,000 a year. This season, Auston Matthews will be the top earner at $13.25 million. Next season, Leon Draisaitl is slated to take the throne at a whopping $14 million.In each instance, there's a sense that these cap hits aren't simply a splashy headline. No, each of the sport's mega-stars is raising the bar - selfishly for a fatter bank account, yes, but also to help advance the sport.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744743/cropped_GettyImages-2028796811.jpg?ts=1726127437" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744743/w220xh124_GettyImages-2028796811.jpg?ts=1726127437 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744743/w320xh180_GettyImages-2028796811.jpg?ts=1726127437 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744743/w640xh360_GettyImages-2028796811.jpg?ts=1726127437 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744743/w768xh432_GettyImages-2028796811.jpg?ts=1726127437 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744743/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2028796811.jpg?ts=1726127437 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Michael Martin / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>McDavid's eight-year contract expires at the end of the 2025-26 season, which means he's eligible to sign an extension with the Edmonton Oilers in less than 10 months. Do he and his running mate Draisaitl feel a responsibility to set a new standard for compensation across the league?"I don't know, my agent's sitting over there. I think he'd like for me to say yes," McDavid said Wednesday with a laugh, as he nodded toward the back of a ballroom at Encore hotel on the Las Vegas Strip, where his agent, Judd Moldaver of Wasserman, was watching McDavid speak with national media."At the end of the day, I'm going to do what's best for my family," McDavid continued in a more serious tone. "I'm going to do what's best for my chance to win and win many times over again. That's how I'll answer that question." Draisaitl's response to the same question was a little more revealing. "I don't think I necessarily pushed my contract all the way to the limit. I'd like to state that," he said at the annual preseason player media tour organized by the NHL and NHLPA. "But I am very happy with it. I'm content with it."Draisaitl later added, "Each one of us, if we can bump it up and get more money into hockey and get the players some higher salaries (across the board), I think every player would probably say the same and all be for it."<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744744/cropped_GettyImages-2156815048.jpg?ts=1726128393" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744744/w220xh124_GettyImages-2156815048.jpg?ts=1726128393 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744744/w320xh180_GettyImages-2156815048.jpg?ts=1726128393 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744744/w640xh360_GettyImages-2156815048.jpg?ts=1726128393 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744744/w768xh432_GettyImages-2156815048.jpg?ts=1726128393 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744744/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2156815048.jpg?ts=1726128393 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Paul Swanson / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>McDavid, who'll likely make a minimum of $16 million on his next deal, is a good bet to stay in Edmonton. The Draisaitl extension alone is a strong indicator, seeing as the two are extremely close off the ice and a generational pairing on it. They just lost Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final by a single goal.Draisaitl will be 37 at the end of his bar-raising deal - a career Oiler. If McDavid signs for another eight years, too, he'll also be 37 upon expiry."He's going to do what's best for him," Draisaitl said. "I did what I thought was best for me at the time. We've got a lot of great people within our organization that are really smart hockey people and that will put a team around us that can compete for the Stanley Cup for many years to come. We have to make sure that we continue to push the pace and lead the right way." <h3>Daly, players on tax advantages</h3>Florida, Nevada, Texas, Tennessee, and Washington are among the nine U.S. states with no income tax. Four of the past five Stanley Cup champions call one of those states home, while two other teams, the Kraken and Predators, landed several high-profile free agents this past offseason.Coincidence?People around the league are beginning to wonder if, one, these no-tax clubs have gained a sustainable unfair advantage in the salary-cap world, and, two, if the league office is going to do anything to level the financial playing field.<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744741/cropped_GettyImages-2159832742.jpg?ts=1726119888" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744741/w220xh124_GettyImages-2159832742.jpg?ts=1726119888 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744741/w320xh180_GettyImages-2159832742.jpg?ts=1726119888 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744741/w640xh360_GettyImages-2159832742.jpg?ts=1726119888 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744741/w768xh432_GettyImages-2159832742.jpg?ts=1726119888 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744741/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2159832742.jpg?ts=1726119888 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Jeff Vinnick / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>To answer the second concern first, no, the NHL doesn't currently view it as a front-burner issue, according to deputy commissioner Bill Daly. Players move around for various non-tax reasons, Daly noted, and many teams in high-tax areas remain desirable to players. Plus, anything relating to a potential adjustment to salary-cap calculations is far more complicated than it seems."I don't think this issue is at the level of trying to push something through, particularly without really giving it some advanced, thorough thought and running it through all the potential channels," Daly said Tuesday while also acknowledging there's been league-level conversations about the hot topic."Because I think sometimes when you rush to do something based on chatter, you step into a hole sometimes and the unintended consequences bear their heads. We continue to be satisfied with the level of competition in the league and how competitive it is, and we'll continue to monitor it, and if we can make it better, we will."<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744740/cropped_GettyImages-2154782272.jpg?ts=1726119801" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744740/w220xh124_GettyImages-2154782272.jpg?ts=1726119801 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744740/w320xh180_GettyImages-2154782272.jpg?ts=1726119801 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744740/w640xh360_GettyImages-2154782272.jpg?ts=1726119801 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744740/w768xh432_GettyImages-2154782272.jpg?ts=1726119801 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744740/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2154782272.jpg?ts=1726119801 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Bruce Bennett / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>This theory of, say, the Panthers having a leg up because of a favorable tax situation may be true, but it doesn't capture all that the franchise and market have to offer - fantastic weather, minimal pressure from fans and media, and, most importantly, a championship-caliber ownership group, staff, and roster.Nor does it recognize previous eras in which Florida wasn't a destination."You're in a business, not going to be making this kind of money for the rest of my life, you try and make as much as you can," said Sam Reinhart, who signed a team- and player-friendly eight-year, $69-million contract extension with the Panthers on July 1. "(There's many) things you balance. It just so happens that it's tax-free in one of the better places to play."Predators forward Filip Forsberg added: "Every place certainly has its advantages, whether it's lifestyle, taxes is certainly a part of it, and at the end of the day, that does play quite a bit of difference in our salary. It's a fair point (about the notable disparity in tax rates). I'm not disagreeing with it. It's above my pay grade whether to decide if it's right or wrong."At least one player, Senators forward Shane Pinto, would welcome a tweak."They have to overpay guys to come to Canada every time," he said. "That messes up the cap. So I think they do have to find a way try to even it out. I know it's not easy (to implement change) because it's been like that forever. But I think it'd be nice to have an even playing field for that."Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas provided the most succinct analysis: "I don't think the NHL should be stepping into tax problems," he said. "If they want to change it, maybe we should change the playoff format, too."<h3>Eichel on 'sticking with my guns'</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744733/cropped_GettyImages-2149193390.jpg?ts=1726113010" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744733/w220xh124_GettyImages-2149193390.jpg?ts=1726113010 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744733/w320xh180_GettyImages-2149193390.jpg?ts=1726113010 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744733/w640xh360_GettyImages-2149193390.jpg?ts=1726113010 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744733/w768xh432_GettyImages-2149193390.jpg?ts=1726113010 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744733/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2149193390.jpg?ts=1726113010 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Jeff Bottari / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>The player media tour is a unique event in the NHL calendar. It's designed specifically to promote the league's teams and stars. Marquee players show up tanned, refreshed, and optimistic, willing to talk about basically any topic.Jack Eichel was especially reflective in his session with reporters from a handful of national outlets, including theScore. The Golden Knights center took a basic question about what it's like to play for an organization that prioritizes winning over everything else, and, without additional prodding, looped in some feelings about his old club, the perpetually rebuilding Sabres."I went from one polar opposite to the other. It was almost like in Buffalo for a few years there, we were always kind of working towards the future. It was never about right now," Eichel said."I understand that situation was about getting draft picks, developing them, and working towards, 'OK, well, what can we be like in a year or two years? Whatever it might be from now.' But, at the same time, when you're in the situation where you're the player representing the team every day on the ice, it's like, 'OK, I want to win, I want to be competitive now.'"To be able to play in a place (like Vegas), where the goal and the standard every season is to be the last team, it's the best. It's what you want as a player. You have the utmost confidence in management and ownership to make our team as good as they possibly can every year to try and win the ultimate goal. As a player, I think that's all you can ask for."<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744735/cropped_GettyImages-1498483162.jpg?ts=1726113904" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744735/w220xh124_GettyImages-1498483162.jpg?ts=1726113904 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744735/w320xh180_GettyImages-1498483162.jpg?ts=1726113904 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744735/w640xh360_GettyImages-1498483162.jpg?ts=1726113904 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744735/w768xh432_GettyImages-1498483162.jpg?ts=1726113904 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744735/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1498483162.jpg?ts=1726113904 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Bruce Bennett / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Eichel, the second pick in the 2015 NHL draft, was traded from Buffalo to Vegas in late 2021 in large part due to a disagreement over how to treat a herniated disc in his neck. The Sabres wanted Eichel to undergo fusion surgery, whereas Eichel strongly preferred artificial disc replacement surgery.While winning the 2023 Cup is Eichel's biggest source of pride through nine seasons, not far behind is "sticking with my guns" in the leadup to the trade."It's not so much the medical stuff," explained Eichel, who turns 28 in October. "Obviously, that was important. But (it's about) standing up for what you believe in, not letting someone tell you what you can and can't do.""That whole situation changed my life," he added. "It got me here in Vegas. It all worked out. I'm happy about it. That's probably what I'm most proud of."<h3>Quick hits</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744731/cropped_GettyImages-2171238742.jpg?ts=1726109126" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744731/w220xh124_GettyImages-2171238742.jpg?ts=1726109126 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744731/w320xh180_GettyImages-2171238742.jpg?ts=1726109126 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744731/w640xh360_GettyImages-2171238742.jpg?ts=1726109126 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744731/w768xh432_GettyImages-2171238742.jpg?ts=1726109126 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744731/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2171238742.jpg?ts=1726109126 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Candice Ward / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Stache life: Nashville's Forsberg would be a superstar if he played in a traditional hockey market. The Swedish winger has tantalizing skill, an affable personality, and a sweet handlebar moustache. Forsberg's curly stache, which he first started rocking in the early days of the pandemic, is his defining physical trait and a conversation starter every time he walks into a room. The Predator had reporters howling when he casually noted that his stache has over time become a "self-playing piano." It apparently requires little maintenance - only a few flicks of a tiny beard comb and it's camera-ready.Avs woes: Most NHL fans know Valeri Nichushkin is suspended until at least November and Gabriel Landeskog's attempting to return from a career-threatening injury. What's flown under the radar with regards to lineup concerns in Colorado is Artturi Lehkonen's murky status. "He's not starting the season," Nathan MacKinnon reported Tuesday. "So, that's three pretty good players in our top six who are out. But hopefully (their absences aren't) too long." MacKinnon correctly called Nichushkin, Landeskog, and Lehkonen the Avs' three best defensive forwards. "Our five-on-five (results) might not be the best without those guys," MacKinnon said, before adding that he, Mikko Rantanen, and Jonathan Drouin will need to do "some heavy lifting" on the top two lines and that goaltending and special teams will need to be sharp.<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744732/cropped_GettyImages-2159846539.jpg?ts=1726110676" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744732/w220xh124_GettyImages-2159846539.jpg?ts=1726110676 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744732/w320xh180_GettyImages-2159846539.jpg?ts=1726110676 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744732/w640xh360_GettyImages-2159846539.jpg?ts=1726110676 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744732/w768xh432_GettyImages-2159846539.jpg?ts=1726110676 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744732/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2159846539.jpg?ts=1726110676 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Mark Blinch / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Whoops: The newest NHL franchise will be called Utah Hockey Club until its permanent identity comes into effect for the 2025-26 season. This summer, the team asked its fans to vote on six finalist nicknames - Utah HC, Blizzard, Mammoth, Outlaws, Venom, and Yeti - but didn't announce the results. Well ... Clayton Keller may have accidentally revealed the winner on Tuesday. When Keller was asked which nickname he's personally pulling for, he said, "It seems like it's going to be Yeti, so I'm good with that." Keller then nervously looked around the room, as if he'd just realized he wasn't supposed to say anything. So, yeah, consider "Utah Yeti" (not "Utah Yetis") a real front-runner.Perspectives: Blues center Robert Thomas shared a fun story about how he found out about the Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway offer sheets. "I was sitting with a couple of the Oilers when the news broke," he said. Thomas, McDavid, Draisaitl, Darnell Nurse, and Zach Hyman were all eating lunch after a workout when someone's phones buzzed. "They weren't too happy," is how Thomas described the reaction from the four Oilers. True? "Connor and I weren't sitting there pouting like little babies. Let's be real here," Draisaitl said, jokingly taking offense to Thomas' framing. "Two young kids that would have been the future of our team, and two talented young kids. Of course, you want to keep guys like that, but at the end of the day, that's in the rulebook and you're allowed to do that. We decided not to match it and you move on."John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/MatiszJohn">@MatiszJohn</a>) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

VANCOUVER, CANADA - MAY 16: Leon Draisaitl #29 and Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers talk during the second period in Game Five of the Second Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on May 16, 2024 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

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This is Part 2 of a series ranking all 32 NHL teams by tiers for the 2024-25 season. <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3064137" href="https://thescore.com/news/3064137">Part 1</a> features the bottom 16 teams and was published Friday.Keep in mind: This exercise rolls out roughly two weeks before training camps open, and tiers are based on personal projections for only the coming season, not each franchise's long-term trajectory. Tier 8 teams are furthest away from winning the 2025 Stanley Cup, while Tier 1 teams are closest. Teams are listed alphabetically within each tier.<h2>Tier 4: Moderately dangerous</h2>Probable playoff team unlikely to go on a deep run<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><h3>Boston Bruins</h3>There's a lot to like about the Bruins.They have high-end talent on the wing (David Pastrnak), blue line (Charlie McAvoy), and in goal (Jeremy Swayman). Recent signee Elias Lindholm and 2023-24 breakout player Charlie Coyle offer a satisfactory 1-2 punch down the middle. The defense corps is versatile and dependable.What to dislike: captain Brad Marchand, 36, is coming off three offseason surgeries; the NHL's best goaltending tandem was split up after the Linus Ullmark-Joonas Korpisalo trade; numerous questions marks surround the bottom-six forwards; and the overall strength of the Atlantic Division.Mash it all up and you get a playoff team, sure, but not a contender.<h3>New York Islanders</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743943/cropped_GettyImages-2166213142.jpg?ts=1725637419" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743943/w220xh124_GettyImages-2166213142.jpg?ts=1725637419 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743943/w320xh180_GettyImages-2166213142.jpg?ts=1725637419 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743943/w640xh360_GettyImages-2166213142.jpg?ts=1725637419 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743943/w768xh432_GettyImages-2166213142.jpg?ts=1725637419 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743943/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2166213142.jpg?ts=1725637419 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Icon Sportswire / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>The Islanders improved a tad. Washed-up grinders Cal Clutterbuck and Matt Martin were replaced by speedster Anthony Duclair and 25-year-old undrafted free agent Maxim Tsyplakov, who bagged 31 goals in 65 KHL games last year.Otherwise, not much changed on Long Island.This is a team with a relatively high floor - the Isles are a near lock to make the playoffs as a lower Metropolitan Division seed or wild card. It's also a team with a relatively low ceiling - a deep playoff run's unlikely. I state that nervously, knowing goalie Ilya Sorokin is fully capable of carrying the Isles on his back.It's also Patrick Roy's first training camp and full season behind the bench.<h3>Los Angeles Kings</h3>Los Angeles landed in Tier 4 because it won't be overly difficult for its solid collection of players - led by captain Anze Kopitar - to nab a playoff spot.However, I feel like the Kings are generally pointed in the wrong direction. They looked horrible against the Oilers in the playoffs. Then, in an uninspiring move, general manager Rob Blake took the interim tag off coach Jim Hiller. (Is Hiller really the answer?) As for the roster, the offseason saw plenty of turnover, but the amount of talent added doesn't equal the talent subtracted.Most notably, a goaltending tandem of Darcy Kuemper and David Rittich is suspect at best. Expect this season to end in familiar fashion: first-round exit.<h3>Tampa Bay Lightning</h3>You can't accuse Lightning GM Julien BriseBois of resting on his laurels.Three years removed from repeating as champions, Tampa Bay bid farewell to franchise icon Steven Stamkos while bringing in a younger, more effective goal-scoring winger in Jake Guentzel. BriseBois shipped out another core piece in defenseman Mikhail Sergachev, essentially reallocating the Russian's cap hit (plus some) and minutes with two D-men in Ryan McDonagh and J.J. Moser. There was some tinkering around the edges of the roster, too.For all that, the 2024-25 Lightning aren't substantially better or worse than 2023-24. They're still a top-heavy squad whose success will be largely dependent on the performance of five players: Guentzel, Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Victor Hedman, and Andrei Vasilevskiy. It's hard to say for sure how much juice is left in that crew, with their ages ranging from 28 to 33.<h3>Vancouver Canucks</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743944/cropped_GettyImages-2149360401.jpg?ts=1725637524" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743944/w220xh124_GettyImages-2149360401.jpg?ts=1725637524 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743944/w320xh180_GettyImages-2149360401.jpg?ts=1725637524 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743944/w640xh360_GettyImages-2149360401.jpg?ts=1725637524 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743944/w768xh432_GettyImages-2149360401.jpg?ts=1725637524 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743944/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2149360401.jpg?ts=1725637524 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Icon Sportswire / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>The Canucks blew away expectations last season, securing 109 points and the Pacific Division's No. 1 seed. Some of that outsized success was driven by a league-high 10.6 shooting percentage at five-on-five. But the bulk of it was the product of individual excellence and overall cohesion.Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller, Brock Boeser, and Thatcher Demko combine for an enviable top of the lineup. I also like most of Vancouver's second-tier guys, namely offseason addition Jake DeBrusk and Hughes' defense partner, Filip Hronek. The club has some real gem role players like Dakota Joshua, Conor Garland, and Carson Soucy, too.What stopped me from slotting the Canucks in Tier 3 was slight scoring regression and uncertainty around Demko. They need a healthy No. 1 goalie.<h3>Vegas Golden Knights</h3>Vegas is a difficult team to get a firm handle on right now.The Golden Knights boast, in my opinion, the finest defense corps in the NHL. They're absolutely stacked at center with Jack Eichel, Tomas Hertl, William Karlsson, and Nic Roy. And like they showed two years ago, they can play a style under coach Bruce Cassidy that's conducive to winning the Cup in the modern era.However, I'm tempering 2024-25 expectations because all the bold moves made by the front office over the past few years have started to catch up to them. The forward group as a whole isn't special after the departures of Jonathan Marchessault, Chandler Stephenson, William Carrier, and Michael Amadio. Further, best all-around player Mark Stone has struggled to stay in the lineup in his 30s. There's a wide range of outcomes for Vegas.<h3>Winnipeg Jets</h3>The Jets were quiet in free agency, as usual. Depth defenseman Colin Miller and backup goalie Kaapo Kahkonen (a downgrade from Laurent Brossoit) were the two additions of note. Meanwhile, Sean Monahan's gone.With Monahan now at center for Columbus, Winnipeg may be forced to use Vlad Namestnikov in a top-six role behind Mark Scheifele. And with all due respect to Namestnikov, a useful bottom-six center, that's a suboptimal situation for a club otherwise built to make playoff noise.The loss of Tyler Toffoli will be mitigated by a breakout year from Cole Perfetti.The Jets are the Western equivalent of the Bruins. Good - often very good, in fact - but rarely great. Both are missing a Cup-contending gear.<h2>Tier 3: Scary at full potential</h2>Cup win not out of question, though a lot must fall into place <h3>Carolina Hurricanes</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743968/cropped_GettyImages-2148020224.jpg?ts=1725642611" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743968/w220xh124_GettyImages-2148020224.jpg?ts=1725642611 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743968/w320xh180_GettyImages-2148020224.jpg?ts=1725642611 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743968/w640xh360_GettyImages-2148020224.jpg?ts=1725642611 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743968/w768xh432_GettyImages-2148020224.jpg?ts=1725642611 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743968/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2148020224.jpg?ts=1725642611 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Josh Lavallee / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>The Hurricanes own a .664 points percentage since Rod Brind'Amour took over as coach six seasons ago, second among 32 teams. Expect Carolina to once again challenge for the Metropolitan's top seed.However, a spot in the Cup Final - which has eluded Carolina in the Brind'Amour era - doesn't feel materially closer today than it did in the spring.Even after rejigging the defense corps over the offseason, the Canes remain extremely deep - strong lines, one through four; strong pairs, one through three. But they haven't fixed their problems. Goaltending remains a mystery and they need another high-end finisher up front.The Canes brought in proven scorer Guentzel at last season's trade deadline, but Guentzel's gone and none of the new forwards can replace his production. Internal growth from Marty Necas, Andrei Svechnikov, and Seth Jarvis could offset the loss. Or maybe Carolina acquires another stud midseason. For now, they're just shy of true Cup contender status.<h3>Nashville Predators</h3>The Predators are a trendy team. They had a killer 2023-24 second half, as far as wins and losses, underlying numbers, and vibes. Then GM Barry Trotz went nuts on Day 1 of free agency, spending $108.5 million on three players.An unexceptional franchise for the bulk of its existence, Nashville's suddenly an alpha dog. The lineup has two threatening forward lines, with Ryan O'Reilly and Tommy Novak down the middle and Filip Forsberg, Stamkos, Marchessault, and Gustav Nyquist on the wings. The bottom two lines feature a few fun youngsters. Perennial Norris Trophy challenger Roman Josi leads a balanced blue line. Juuse Saros is a quality starting goalie.With Dallas and Colorado in the same division, I'm not convinced everything falls perfectly into place this season. But the Preds are set to win a playoff series.<h3>New Jersey Devils</h3>Last year was a flukey one for the Devils.No. 1 defenseman Dougie Hamilton was sidelined for 62 games, his usual partner Jonas Siegenthaler missed 25, and superstar center Jack Hughes was out for 20. Timo Meier and Ondrej Palat, two relatively recent acquisitions, had down years offensively. Four goalies started at least 10 games and none were any good. They finished with 81 points, 10 from the playoff cutline.Slotting New Jersey in Tier 3, thus crowning it one of the NHL's nine best teams, assumes four things: the Devils' luck will turn; their new coach Sheldon Keefe will hit the ground running; their offseason makeover between the pipes and on the back end will work out; and their young guns (Jack and Luke Hughes, Dawson Mercer, and Simon Nemec) will level up substantially.That's a lot of assumptions, but I'm willing to take a leap of faith with the Devils. They'll hit triple digits in points and do some damage in the playoffs.<h3>Toronto Maple Leafs</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743965/cropped_GettyImages-1990566301.jpg?ts=1725642371" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743965/w220xh124_GettyImages-1990566301.jpg?ts=1725642371 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743965/w320xh180_GettyImages-1990566301.jpg?ts=1725642371 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743965/w640xh360_GettyImages-1990566301.jpg?ts=1725642371 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743965/w768xh432_GettyImages-1990566301.jpg?ts=1725642371 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743965/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1990566301.jpg?ts=1725642371 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Mark Blinch / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>On one hand, the Maple Leafs are definitely different. Craig Berube replaces Keefe as coach. Auston Matthews replaces John Tavares as captain. The blue line's been upgraded while the forward group's lost juice.On the other hand, it's the same old story. Toronto remains a top-heavy squad with four of the league's 12 highest cap hits. Already holding the longest active playoff streak, they'll make it 10 in a row next spring.Pressure will be impossibly high to finally go on a deep run and once and for all change the narrative around the uber-talented but underachieving core.What would go a long way in advancing past the second round: winning their division for the first time since 1999-2000 (the pandemic-created North Division doesn't count); getting an outsized impact from Berube's coaching style and tactics; and, of course, clutch performances from franchise pillars.<h2>Tier 2: Secondary Cup favorite</h2>Elite title-contending team with minor concerns<h3>Colorado Avalanche</h3>The Avalanche check every box of a legitimate Cup contender.Transcendent talents at center and defense: Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. Elite winger: Mikko Rantanen. Smart and versatile support players. Good enough goaltending. World-class coaching. History of playoff success.Colorado, which won the Cup in 2022 with roughly the same core, would fit nicely in Tier 1 if not for uncertainty surrounding two key players.Top-line winger Gabriel Landeskog is trying to return to the NHL at some point this season after taking a couple of years off to rehab a wonky knee. If Landeskog does complete the comeback, how effective will he be? Power forward Valeri Nichushkin is suspended without pay until at least November for violating the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. Assuming the Russian suits up for the Avs this year, what kind of impact will he make?<h3>Dallas Stars</h3>The Stars have an unmatched blend of veteran contributors (think Matt Duchene, Jamie Benn, and Tyler Seguin) and young guns. Wyatt Johnston, Thomas Harley, Logan Stankoven, and Mavrik Bourque all have incredible upside, and 25-year-old core pieces Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen are elite.GM Jim Nill has put on a clinic in short- and long-term team building.At this point in this exercise, though, powerhouse teams are vulnerable to nitpicks, and I worry about Dallas' blue-line depth and, to a lesser extent, goalie Jake Oettinger's roller-coaster results. While I still believe Oettinger's a good No. 1, the underwhelming third pair of Brendan Smith and Matt Dumba/Nils Lundkvist should probably be upgraded around the trade deadline.Again: Nitpicks, not major problems. The Stars are a handful.<h2>Tier 1: Primary Cup favorite</h2>Star-studded, deep, battle-tested - simply a cut above the rest<h3>Edmonton Oilers</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743985/cropped_GettyImages-2159251225.jpg?ts=1725650267" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743985/w220xh124_GettyImages-2159251225.jpg?ts=1725650267 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743985/w320xh180_GettyImages-2159251225.jpg?ts=1725650267 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743985/w640xh360_GettyImages-2159251225.jpg?ts=1725650267 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743985/w768xh432_GettyImages-2159251225.jpg?ts=1725650267 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743985/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2159251225.jpg?ts=1725650267 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Dave Sandford / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>The simplest way to assess the 2024-25 Oilers: the roster has basically the same value as the team that lost Game 7 of the Cup Final by a single goal.Yes, it stung Edmonton to lose Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway to offer sheets. But the changes made at forward (Viktor Arvidsson, Jeff Skinner, and Vasili Podkolzin in; Ryan McLeod, Holloway, and Warren Foegele out) amount to a slight upgrade. And the changes made on defense (Ty Emberson and Troy Stecher in; Broberg and Cody Ceci out) amount to a slight downgrade.Superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are still firmly in their primes. Evan Bouchard is a game-changer on the blue line. Goalie Stuart Skinner is fine when supported. The Oilers want to finish the job in 2024-25 - and can.<h3>Florida Panthers</h3>Any Cup winner that retains its difference-makers deserves a spot in Tier 1.Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk. Sam Reinhart, Carter Verhaeghe, Gustav Forsling, and Sergei Bobrovsky all remain Panthers. Except Bobrovsky, they're all under 30. Also still around: Sam Bennett, Evan Rodrigues, Anton Lundell, and others down the depth chart.The losses of Brandon Montour, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Vladimir Tarasenko will be felt because their replacements simply aren't as talented and reliable. But I have full confidence in Florida GM Bill Zito and his ability to wheel and deal midseason. The Panthers have the nucleus to repeat in the cap era, like the 2015-17 Penguins and 2019-21 Lightning before them.<h3>New York Rangers</h3>The Rangers are the reigning Presidents' Trophy winner and East finalist and they're running back a nearly identical roster. That makes them a significant contender.My lone gripe: they've relied offensively a little too much on the power play.That small concern should be muted by Alexis Lafreniere inevitably levelling up again. I think the 2020 first overall pick hits stardom in his fifth NHL season.The Rangers' other top forwards aren't young, but unlike Pittsburgh, they're in their early 30s, not late, which means the chances of sharp decline are slim. The bottom six is filled with useful role players. Adam Fox, on the shortlist for best defenseman not named Makar, can control games. Igor Shesterkin is an A-list goalie. The list goes on and on. New York is right there.John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/MatiszJohn">@MatiszJohn</a>) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

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Ranking NHL teams by tiers: The top 16

This is Part 1 of a two-part series ranking all 32 NHL teams by tiers for the 2024-25 season. Par...

This is Part 1 of a two-part series ranking all 32 NHL teams by tiers for the 2024-25 season. <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3064138" href="https://thescore.com/news/3064138">Part 2</a>, featuring the top 16 teams, was published Saturday.Keep in mind: This exercise rolls out roughly two weeks before training camps open, and tiers are based on personal projections for only the coming season, not each franchise's long-term trajectory. Tier 8 teams are furthest away from winning the 2025 Stanley Cup, while Tier 1 teams are closest. Teams are listed alphabetically within each tier.<h2>Tier 8: Worst of the worst</h2>In a league of their own - and not in a good way<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><h3>Calgary Flames</h3>Jacob Markstrom, Elias Lindholm, Andrew Mangiapane, Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev, and Nikita Zadorov all left Calgary from November 2023 through June 2024.That's a starting goalie, two top-six forwards, and three top-four defensemen - gone. Yet since the overhaul was executed slowly over an eight-month stretch, the 2023-24 Flames managed to collect an admirable 81 points.This season will be a different story.Firmly in rebuild mode, and with barely enough money on the books to clear the salary floor, Calgary's thin at every position (it may have the league's worst centers) and will only get worse around the trade deadline. There'll be nowhere for the club's promising youngsters to hide, which will be painful for fans to watch but should ultimately lead to prime draft-lottery odds.<h3>San Jose Sharks</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743668/cropped_GettyImages-2159748281.jpg?ts=1725412757" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743668/w220xh124_GettyImages-2159748281.jpg?ts=1725412757 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743668/w320xh180_GettyImages-2159748281.jpg?ts=1725412757 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743668/w640xh360_GettyImages-2159748281.jpg?ts=1725412757 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743668/w768xh432_GettyImages-2159748281.jpg?ts=1725412757 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743668/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2159748281.jpg?ts=1725412757 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Candice Ward / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Teenage forwards Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith will contend for the Calder Trophy. Highly touted Yaroslav Askarov will provide another option in net. Veterans Tyler Toffoli, Alex Wennberg, Barclay Goodrow, Carl Grundstrom, Ty Dellandrea, Jake Walman, and Cody Ceci will bring stability to an extremely young core.Big picture, the Sharks - who also have a new head coach in 36-year-old Ryan Warsofsky - are trending up.That said, San Jose was a ghastly 19-54-9 with a minus-150 goal differential last season. The Sharks are at least two years away from even thinking about competing for a playoff spot. Honestly, I'll be shocked if they don't finish in the standings' bottom three by season's end.<h2>Tier 7: Head barely above water</h2>Still building, a walkover most nights<h3>Anaheim Ducks</h3>I debated slotting the Ducks in Tier 8 after general manager Pat Verbeek essentially struck out in free agency. Their ceiling elevated them to Tier 7.That ceiling isn't particularly high overall; 80 points, or roughly 15 points shy of the playoff cutline, feels like a giant step in the right direction for this franchise. But it's definitely higher than San Jose's and Calgary's.The Ducks' six most important young skaters are Trevor Zegras, Mason McTavish, Cutter Gauthier, Pavel Mintyukov, Olen Zellweger, and Leo Carlsson. Their average age: 20.5. What a core. At least half of them (I'm guessing Mintyukov, Gauthier, and Carlsson) will pop off this season.In summary, the Ducks won't go far, but they're equipped to improve upon last season's 59-point showing, Greg Cronin's first as head coach.<h3>Chicago Blackhawks</h3>In my opinion, media and fans tend to underestimate how quickly an elite player can transition from fun rookie story to genuine star. On the flip side, we often overestimate how quickly a dreadful team can become a solid one.Both misjudgments relate to the 2024-25 Blackhawks.I predict Connor Bedard will record around 90 points as a sophomore - a notable feat on its own but even more impressive considering the relative lack of talent around him. (He led all Chicago skaters with 61 points in 68 games last season, despite playing mostly with Philipp Kurashev and Nick Foligno.)I also predict the Blackhawks will continue to lose a ton of games. With useful veterans like Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teravainen and second overall pick Artyom Levshunov now in the fold, Chicago is absolutely starting to resemble a respectable team. But making the playoffs remains a fantasy.<h3>Columbus Blue Jackets</h3>With respect to the Johnny Gaudreau tragedy, and how little the on-ice product matters to the Blue Jackets organization at this moment in time, I'll keep this brief. Columbus, a rebuilding team with a new GM-coach duo, will be grieving in training camp and beyond, and won't win many games in 2024-25.Rest in peace, Johnny.<h2>Tier 6: Notch below playoffs</h2>2024-25 won't be a banner season, for various reasons<h3>Detroit Red Wings</h3>A high-level recap of the Red Wings' offseason: David Perron, Shayne Gostisbehere, Walman, Robby Fabbri, Daniel Sprong, and James Reimer are out. Vladimir Tarasenko, Erik Gustafsson, Tyler Motte, and Cam Talbot are in. Patrick Kane re-upped. Restricted free agents Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider remain unsigned but should be extended soon.Despite all the action, Detroit still lacks a weapon or two up front; its goaltending is still nothing special, though slightly improved; and its blue line still has only three top-four defensemen. The Red Wings are decisively mid.Florida, Toronto, Boston, and Tampa Bay will battle for the Atlantic Division's three playoff spots, with the loser grabbing a wild card. That leaves Detroit to jostle with Buffalo, Ottawa, Montreal, and a couple of Metropolitan teams for the other wild card. It won't be a massive surprise if the Red Wings take it, but several other teams have higher upside.<h3>Minnesota Wild</h3>Each of the past few seasons could be labeled a "transition year" for the Wild, given how hamstrung the franchise has been by the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter contract buyouts. This coming season is the true transition, however.For one, 2024-25's the last year of salary-cap hell, with the $14.7-million buyout penalty turning into a manageable $1.7-million hit next season. Secondly, it's John Hynes' first full season behind the bench. Thirdly, it's legendary goalie Marc-Andre Fleury's last season and hyped goalie prospect Jesper Wallstedt's debut. (Filip Gustavsson's also slated to compete for starts.)Minnesota made few offseason additions and subtractions. (Brock Faber's eight-year extension was GM Bill Guerin's big splash.) Like last season, the Wild will be competitive but not quite a playoff team.<h3>Montreal Canadiens</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743713/cropped_GettyImages-2147868701.jpg?ts=1725463208" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743713/w220xh124_GettyImages-2147868701.jpg?ts=1725463208 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743713/w320xh180_GettyImages-2147868701.jpg?ts=1725463208 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743713/w640xh360_GettyImages-2147868701.jpg?ts=1725463208 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743713/w768xh432_GettyImages-2147868701.jpg?ts=1725463208 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743713/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2147868701.jpg?ts=1725463208 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Vitor Munhoz / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>If this was an exercise debating long-term outlooks, Montreal would be near the top of the list. Nearly every move of the Jeff Gorton-Kent Hughes-Martin St. Louis era has been a net positive in the present and additive to the future.Take the Patrik Laine acquisition: low risk, high reward. If it doesn't work out, Hughes either finds a trading partner or Laine hits free agency after 2025-26. If it works, the Canadiens address a deficiency in scoring at a completely justifiable cost.The Habs are on a fantastic trajectory, and I'm almost certain they play meaningful games during the 2024-25 stretch drive. But that's it with such a green blue line and goaltending tandem. The playoff drought continues.<h3>Philadelphia Flyers</h3>The vibes around the slowly ascending Flyers have changed, with super-prospect Matvei Michkov officially under contract and set to debut in the NHL.Short-term expectations should be tempered, though. The goaltending tandem of Ivan Fedotov and Samuel Ersson is wildly unproven. The power play was a disaster last season and Michkov can improve it only so much as a rookie. Captain Sean Couturier continues to grind through health issues. Defenseman Jamie Drysdale's progression will be under the microscope as Cutter Gauthier, who he was traded for, begins his career in Anaheim.You can bank on a John Tortorella-coached team to be feisty, hard working, and structured, and this particular squad features plenty of hungry players in their mid-20s capable of giving the opposition fits. Overall, though, Philadelphia projects to fall short of the playoffs by 5-10 points.<h3>St. Louis Blues</h3>Confession: I don't feel great about having the Blues in Tier 6.I liked what GM Doug Armstrong accomplished this offseason, from the dueling offer sheets to former Oilers Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway, to filling out the bottom two forward lines with three perfectly serviceable NHLers in Mathieu Joseph, Radek Faksa, and Alexandre Texier.St. Louis unquestionably upgraded a roster that bagged 92 points last season and that will be a force in due time thanks to strong drafting.Two things stop me from penciling the Blues in as a 2024-25 playoff team: the blue line is missing a marquee player (like Alex Pietrangelo in his prime), and the forwards don't have enough creativity and high-end finishing.<h2>Tier 5: Standings purgatory</h2>Legitimate chance at a playoff spot, if stars align<h3>Buffalo Sabres</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743674/cropped_GettyImages-2159736442.jpg?ts=1725415019" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743674/w220xh124_GettyImages-2159736442.jpg?ts=1725415019 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743674/w320xh180_GettyImages-2159736442.jpg?ts=1725415019 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743674/w640xh360_GettyImages-2159736442.jpg?ts=1725415019 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743674/w768xh432_GettyImages-2159736442.jpg?ts=1725415019 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743674/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2159736442.jpg?ts=1725415019 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Bruce Bennett / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>The Sabres entered 2023-24 feeling optimistic after flashing serious promise the season prior. Then the on-ice identity was altered and they transitioned from being able to score goals but not deny them to being able to deny them while being unable to score.This diversion led to Don Granato's firing and Lindy Ruff's rehiring. Buffalo hasn't made the playoffs since 2010-11 - an NHL record 13-season drought that started in the final full year of Ruff's first tenure as head coach.Depressing timeline aside, the Sabres' lineup card features a bunch of new names after GM Kevyn Adams' busy offseason. Newcomers Jason Zucker, Ryan McLeod, Sam Lafferty, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, and Beck Malenstyn will add speed and make a team mostly built around high-end skill a bit more well-rounded.Buffalo, led by 26-year-old Tage Thompson, 24-year-old Rasmus Dahlin, and 21-year-old Owen Power, will bounce back and (at the very least) chase a wild-card spot late in the season.<h3>Ottawa Senators</h3>Like Buffalo, Ottawa's bound to evolve into a fringe playoff team at some point (right?). I'm not prepared to assign the "probable playoff team" label, but the Senators have a decent shot at stopping their dry spell at seven seasons.The biggest swing factors: new goalie Linus Ullmark's performance (and, more broadly, coach Travis Green's tactical work to tighten up team defense); second-line center Josh Norris' effectiveness (he's missed 65% of the past two seasons due to injury); and offensive engine Tim Stutzle's production rate (the German's points per game dipped from 1.15 in 2022-23 to 0.93 last year).I have concerns about skater depth, too. But if those three big swings go Ottawa's way, fourth-line and/or third-pair issues can be addressed via trade. This franchise is praying for an opportunity to be buyers.<h3>Pittsburgh Penguins</h3>Pittsburgh firmly belongs in Tier 5, which is the top of the bottom half. Put another way, it's fair to say they're roughly the 18th-best team out of 32.Each of the Penguins' high earners (and on-ice pillars) are well into their 30s. Evgeni Malkin is suddenly 38, Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang are 37, and Erik Karlsson's 34. Conversely, the supporting cast became slightly younger and more intriguing over the offseason, with Rutger McGroarty, Cody Glass, Anthony Beauvillier, and Matt Grzelcyk headlining a large group of newcomers.Despite icing multiple future Hall of Famers, the Pens' power play ranked 30th last year, and that simply can't happen again. Pittsburgh also needs better results from second-tier guys like defenseman Ryan Graves and forward Rickard Rakell. And they certainly won't make the playoffs if Crosby suddenly falls off.<h3>Seattle Kraken</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743730/cropped_GettyImages-2105714379.jpg?ts=1725472199" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743730/w220xh124_GettyImages-2105714379.jpg?ts=1725472199 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743730/w320xh180_GettyImages-2105714379.jpg?ts=1725472199 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743730/w640xh360_GettyImages-2105714379.jpg?ts=1725472199 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743730/w768xh432_GettyImages-2105714379.jpg?ts=1725472199 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743730/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2105714379.jpg?ts=1725472199 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Zac BonDurant / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>The Kraken overcommitted to free agents Chandler Stephenson and Brandon Montour with term and money, but both players will help in 2024-25.Seattle boasts a very well-balanced forward group (the equivalent of three second lines and a fourth line, I'd argue) and imposing blue line (rock-solid top two pairs and major upside with Will Borgen and Ryker Evans on the third).This will be the Kraken's fourth season and first without Dave Hakstol running the bench. Dan Bylsma, who won the 2009 Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh, was promoted in May after a two-year stint leading AHL Coachella Valley. His connection to former Coachella players - forwards Shane Wright and Tye Kartye, and Evans - could help unlock something new in the young NHLers.A lot rides on goaltending. Joey Daccord took a leap last year (.916 save percentage in 50 games) but nothing's guaranteed with him and unreliable Philipp Grubauer as the tandem. Especially in a top-heavy Pacific Division.<h3>Utah Hockey Club</h3>The team formerly known as the Arizona Coyotes made only a seven-point improvement in the standings from 2022-23 to 2023-24. But last season's developments signified something greater: a tangible step forward on the ice and - finally! - a change of pace off the ice with new ownership and relocation.Utah's Andre Tourigny is the league's most underrated coach. GM Bill Armstrong upgraded the defense in a significant way in the offseason. The maturing forward group, while flawed in some ways, is led by power forward Lawson Crouse and game-breakers Clayton Keller and Logan Cooley.Year 1 of the NHL in Salt Lake City will most likely be terrific. It'll be a great business story, no doubt, but much has to go exactly right on the ice for the club to clinch a Western Conference playoff spot. I think it's close to a coin flip.<h3>Washington Capitals</h3>Did you know Chris Patrick is GM of the Capitals? The early July announcement might be the most under-the-radar bit of news from the offseason. Another question: Do you have any idea who Chris Patrick is? Patrick, previously associate GM, is a Princeton product who worked in investment banking and private equity before joining the hockey club in 2008 as a scout. He's working alongside Brian MacLennan, more of a name in hockey circles, who still holds the title of president of hockey operations.The news flew under the radar because it was hard to keep up with the Capitals this summer. On top of purchasing CapFriendly, the club turned over a third of its roster. Out: Darcy Kuemper, Nick Jensen, Max Pacioretty, Aube-Kubel, and Malenstyn. In: Pierre-Luc Dubois, Mangiapane, Matt Roy, Jakob Chychrun, Brandon Duhaime, Taylor Raddysh, and Logan Thompson.Washington raised its floor and ceiling with all the moves. This season, the 50th in franchise history, could be monumental, with Alex Ovechkin 42 goals from claiming the all-time goals record. But I see an imperfect lineup, one closer to middle of the pack than upper echelon.John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/MatiszJohn">@MatiszJohn</a>) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

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