CAROLINA HURRICANES NEWS CLIPPINGS February 7, 2019 - NHL.com
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CAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS •February 7, 2019
LeBrun: What the Auston Matthews deal means for Mitch Marner’s second contract
By Pierre LeBrun seven- or eight-year deal because Toronto won’t give him
more than Matthews.
With Auston Matthews signed to a five-year extension, the
Maple Leafs’ attention turns now to Mitch Marner, their other “I can’t imagine this is going to be an easy negotiation. I think
star soon-to-be RFA. Marner believes he’s (Patrick) Kane to Matthews being
(Jonathan) Toews. Toronto hasn’t won yet but Marner wants
What will a Marner contract look like given Toronto’s cap his contract to match Matthews just as Chicago has done.’’
situation? I asked that question to rival executives and other
agents around the league on Wednesday with the The rival team executive went on to speculate how the Leafs
condition, of course, that they would remain anonymous. might free up cap space.
“I don’t think that the Leafs’ financial situation will have much, “Toronto will try to do everything they can to unload (Nikita)
if any, bearing on what this kid wants or gets,’’ a Western Zaitsev … (Jake) Gardiner will be replaced by a lower player
Conference team executive said. “He’s not going to say, ‘I with a lower salary. I also still think (William) Nylander will get
know we’re in tough shape (cap-wise), I’ll take $9.5 million.’ I dealt after his signing bonus is paid this summer. This is a
don’t see that ever happening in this case. I think he views puzzle that is all over the floor right now and it’s going to take
himself as good and as important (as Matthews), but with a long time to put it together.’’
that said I think he’ll end up taking less but not a lot less. I
think you’re looking at a five-year deal at around $10.5- Whether or not Nylander is traded, another Eastern
million per season.’’ Conference executive thought Nylander’s new contract and
those negotiations will be a factor for Marner’s camp as well.
One player agent, who obviously isn’t involved, had the
number lower. “The Nylander negotiations and how they were handled will
really impact these negotiations. At the end, the team caved
“I think his value is somewhere in the six or seven-year a little and gave Nylander close to what he was asking for
range with an AAV of $9.5 million,’’ he said. “If I’m Marner, and close to what he was worth… That’s why you see
I’m happy doing a three-year deal at $8.5 million. Go blow it Marner’s agent coming out and blasting the team,” the exec
up for three years, get a bigger deal than Matthews after said.
three years of the cap going up.’’
What I didn’t hear Wednesday was people truly thinking that
Said another player agent: “Term will matter. If it’s eight a Marner offer sheet is coming.
years, then he is above Jack Eichel ($10-million AAV). If it’s
only five years then it will be tougher to get to that range. But “I think all this offer sheet talk is a smoke screen,’’ said one
he is having a great platform year. He should play it out to Eastern Conference team executive. “Who is lining up to pay
maximize his negotiating position.’’ him five years at $12-million (which Toronto could match)
and losing four first rounders? Any bubble team has to be
We know that is exactly the plan as Marner’s agent, Darren wary of those all being lottery picks and any elite team
Ferris, has stated several times this season they won’t sign probably already has their own cap issues. To bully Toronto
until after the season is over. off the player they’d probably have to go way above market,
too.’’
“Going to be a big difference in what people feel he is worth
and what Marner’s camp feels he is worth,’’ said one Eastern What it means for other high-profile RFAs
Conference team executive. “Agent/player will want to
distinguish his deal, whether it be longer term with a higher So you are Gerry Johannson and you are the agent for
AAV, who knows? Just don’t think dynamics are going to Sebastian Aho and Brayden Point.
allow for a similar type contract.” You are Mike Liut and you represent Patrik Laine and Mikko
Another Eastern Conference team executive pointed to John Rantanen.
Tavares’ $11-million a year deal as another key factor in all And you see the Matthews contract while perhaps munching
of this for the Leafs. on some popcorn and enjoying the show. And you also saw
“I can’t imagine Marner is looking to be Toronto’s third the Nylander contract.
highest paid forward,’’ said the executive. “Marner’s camp Those two Maple Leafs signings will each have an impact on
truly believes he’s worth every penny that Matthews is and all the other high-level RFAs coming out of entry-level deals
I’m not sure anyone will be able to convince them otherwise. this summer.
Just like (agent) Judd Moldaver and Matthews explored
three-, five-, six-, seven-, eight-year options I believe Marner Again, this is quite a year. Aho, Point, Laine, Rantonen,
will as well. That being said I don’t see Marner doing a Matthew Tkachuk, Kyle Connor, Timo Meier, Brock Boeser,
CAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS •February 7, 2019
Kasperi Kapanen, Zach Werenski, Ivan Provorov and Charlie “With Tom, we had some really good discussions over the
McAvoy just to name the obvious ones. summer and into the beginning of the year, they were
positive,” Johannson said. “But with Sebastian, he didn’t
It’s a whole new world out there. want to continue those conversations over the season; it was
what I think the Matthews’ deal re-introduces is the idea that a really big year for Carolina with high expectations and he
five years in a tangible option, that not all of these young just was uncomfortable continuing the negotiations over the
RFAs have to go the maximum eight years if it doesn’t make course of the season, so we just shelved it until the
sense for either side. summer.’’
“From an outsider’s perspective on the Matthews deal, I think I certainly think Dundon has regular dialogue with Johannson
it’s a really smart deal for everybody,’’ Johannson said. “And over Carolina’s most important player, but as Johannson
I think it’s a nice option for all of us in this position with our pointed out, it’s always beneficial when possible to get a full
own RFAs. Although I don’t presume, until you really get into read on the market before beginning negotiations in earnest.
your negotiation, you don’t want to rule anything out in what The Matthews and Nylander deals have helped flesh things
direction it could head. But certainly having this on the board out that way.
gives everybody a legitimate option. I think it’s a real positive The situation is the same for Point in Tampa Bay. Johannson
development.’’ met with Tampa GM Julien BriseBois in November just to
Does this mean that we are about to see a slew of shorter reaffirm that there’s no hurry and things could wait until after
deals for these young RFAs? The advantage for players in the season.
accepting five years instead of eight is setting up the third “Julien is a smart guy, they’ve done a really good job in
contract quicker while they’re still in a prime age to cash in. Tampa building an unbelievable club. I’m sure they have
On the flip side, if the money is right, there’s nothing wrong some ideas on how to get things done and I’m interested at
the security of eight years. the right time, in the offseason, to hear what they have to
“Term is always a function of the deal,’’ Liut said on say,’’ Johannson said.
Wednesday. “The deal is made up of term and dollar. An Johannson, by the way, was the agent involved in the
argument can be made on both sides. And it’s case specific, famous Dustin Penner offer sheet in 2007 which provided us
player specific, team specific. Negotiations are about the in the media with endless storylines as Edmonton and
need of both sides. And in all cases, you’re trying to predict Anaheim went to war over it.
the future. Clubs are trying to predict player performance and
players are looking at the market, and therein lies the It is doubtful we’ll see either of his clients, Aho or Point,
negotiation. involved in one this summer. They’re happy staying where
they are and the focus for Johannson is simply negotiating
“In conjunction with, is it the right fit? Players want to win. deals within those respective teams. But the veteran agent
Players want an opportunity to realize their true potential. It’s does see the potential for an offer sheet, potentially,
all part of the rationale and motivation.’’ somewhere else this summer given the high number of
Liut would not comment as to the specifics on his clients but I quality young RFAs.
must say, given how Laine has struggled the last two “It’s certainly not part of our plan, our plan is to go in and try
months, it would probably behoove them to try to go shorter to get deals done,” Johannson said. “But the reality is, offer
term with Winnipeg this summer. I would try for three years. sheets do exist, and they are legitimate options for clubs. It
Of course, the Jets may not be terribly interested in that. would have to be the right players at the right time and the
Rantanen is a different case. His leverage is through the roof right team; all those things have to line up. I have a lot of
while playing on arguably the best line in the NHL and respect for the GMs out there, they’re smart guys running
putting up a monster season. If Colorado steps up financially, teams, if they think this is a legitimate option and think using
why wouldn’t Rantanen go for the long-term deal? that leverage is to their benefit, I wouldn’t be surprised this
summer if it were to happen. But from my perspective for my
What Liut and Johannson have in common is that they’re not guys, it’s not something that’s on the front-burner.’’
terribly interested in negotiating deals right now. Time is on
their side.
No question in my mind that Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon
would have preferred to have Aho already extended. But
that’s not in the cards as of now.
CAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS •February 7, 2019
NHL Trends: Sharks defensive duo and Islanders on the rise, Cam Fowler and the Ducks
falling
By Dom Luszczyszyn What’s helped as well is the play in front of their netminders,
as the team has been excellent defensively allowing just 52
The end of every month is a great time to look back and shot attempts per 60, and under 10 high danger chances,
reflect on the previous month of hockey to see which way both top-10 marks. The Barry Trotz effect seems very real
teams and players are trending. A one month sample is and that’s part of what’s holding back the team’s chances by
usually obfuscated by hot and cold streaks, so it’s valuable to my model – there isn’t enough of it. There’s too much history
find ways to separate the signal from the noise. Those at the that suggests the roster isn’t good enough for my model and
extreme ends of the spectrum also make for some great it’s holding back the team despite new data under Trotz
stories. suggesting they might, in fact, be good enough. It was a
The Athletic has a model we use for projections and similar story in Washington too and one of the pitfalls with
probabilities that is updated each day and provides a look at using a model with a heavy prior: it’s hard to account for elite
how much has changed under the hood on a daily basis. Our coaching.
season preview series offered a snapshot of how and why I still expect this team to regress from their current perch, but
each team was rated the way it was and this is an it’s unfair to think they don’t belong firmly in the playoff mix,
opportunity to provide further context as the season not after the last month they had, even if much of that
progresses. It’ll hopefully be an interesting look into how the success was goaltending-induced. (The Islanders were first
model operates and how much perception changes from in goals against per 60, but just 21st in goals for).
month-to-month and it’s a question many have asked after
seeing the daily probabilities operate. Boston Bruins
What you’re getting is two articles in one. The first looks at Last Month Strength: .541
the teams and players who’ve made the biggest changes
from where they were last month. The second is a brief run Current Strength: .573
through of each team with accompanying charts looking at The Bruins’ are 8-3-3 in 2019 and are back on track to
how each player’s value has changed over the last month – looking like the elite team many expected at the start of the
an appendix of sorts for the rest of the league that wasn’t season. In 2019, Boston has controlled 53.5 percent of the
mentioned here for those that want to take a deeper dive into shot share (ninth), scored 10.1 goals-per-60 on the power
every team or simply curious about their own. play (fourth) and had Tuukka Rask stopping 94.6 percent of
Hottest Teams shots faced, second among starters. Those are the main
reasons to be encouraged by their play over the last month.
New York Islanders
Really though, the main factor was health. With Patrice
Last Month Strength: .448 Bergeron returning on Dec. 22, Zdeno Chara returning on
Dec. 27 and Charlie McAvoy returning on Jan. 12, last month
Current Strength: .472 was one of the few times all season that the entire team has
Anytime a story involving league-wide trends comes up, you been fully healthy. Since McAvoy came back, those even-
can bet there’s an Islanders fan in the comments saying strength possession numbers are even more sterling and it’s
“well, what about the Islanders?” If the Islanders are what gives a reason for optimism concerning Boston
mentioned, it’s “why do you hate the Islanders?” Both are fair asserting itself once again as an Atlantic division power.
considering where the Islanders stand this season: at the top What the team still needs though is some secondary scoring,
of the Metropolitan division, just a few short months after especially at 5-on-5. Without the top line on the ice, the
losing their franchise player and having many decree them Bruins scored just 12 goals on 226 shots for the month, good
as bottom five fodder. And yet, here they are now with an 87 for a shooting percentage of 5.3 percent. That’s actually a
percent of making the postseason after a 41 percent jump slight improvement over the previous three months where
over the last month, the largest of any team. they scored on just 4.7 percent of their shots. The Bruins top
My model has been very slow to accept the Islanders as a line hit a lull at even-strength in January as well, but given
good team, still rating them as a true-talent 88-point team their history, it’s very likely the trio will turn things around. Not
rather than their current 104-point pace. However, it’s come so much for the rest of the roster though.
around big-time over the past month and it’s largely due to The Bruins remain a top-heavy team and that top is what’s
the play of Robin Lehner, the man currently second in the driving them to elite status. But without solid depth, they
league in save percentage with a .932. In 2019 he’s been at remain a step behind their Atlantic division counterparts,
.935, while his partner, Thomas Greiss, is at a sterling .959 even after an encouraging month underneath the hood.
in four games. Goaltending, viewed largely as a significant
weakness for the team going into the season, has instead Honourable Mentions
looked like a strength and was a major catalyst in the team’s
success over the last month. New York’s .944 save Calgary: The Flames have the league’s best record in 2019,
percentage led the league by nearly a full 10 percent en winning 10 of 13 to vault themselves into a comfortable lead
route to a 9-3-2 record. at the top of the West. Scoring on a league-leading 13.9
percent of their shots is a big reason why.
CAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS •February 7, 2019
Dallas: My model has been cold on Dallas all year, calling Columbus Blue Jackets
them a decidedly average team. That’s about exactly where
they are, which is more than enough to separate themselves Last Month Strength: .535
from the dregs of the West fighting for a wildcard spot. The Current Strength: .518
team went 8-5-0, the 12th best record in the league, despite
a middling Corsi percentage and below average goals rate at The wheels are falling off quickly in Columbus. The team is a
5-on-5. Either way, it was enough to see a 32 percent boost paltry 6-7-0 in the New Year and losing ground in the playoff
in playoff odds, the second highest of the month. race, going from contending in the division to clinging onto a
wildcard spot. At the start of the year, the team was
Coldest Teams projected for 99.6 points and had a 90 percent chance at the
Anaheim Ducks playoffs. Now, they sit at a slightly more precarious 95.4
points and 73 percent.
Last Month Strength: .516
What’s worse for the Blue Jackets is that aside from Artemi
Current Strength: .447 Panarin, the team’s play has been mostly uninspiring.
Panarin’s linemates have been okay, but the rest of the Blue
Mired in a 2-13-4 slide dating back to Dec. 18, it’s safe to say Jackets aren’t picking up the slack with many of them getting
the Ducks have gone fully off the deep end. Anaheim was caved in on the shot clock leading to a team that’s below
19-11-5 then, coming off an 11-2-0 run. This current streak break even in shot share. Very few of them are finding the
has been much less kind and has basically taken the team net either. After the top line, the next highest scoring forward
out of playoff contention, with their postseason chances for the month was Josh Anderson with seven points in 13
dropping to just nine percent. games.
That’s what it took for my model to finally say “yeah, maybe The only saving grace for the team over the last month was
this team really is this awful” with the Ducks seeing the special teams where they allowed a league-low goals-per-60
largest month-to-month drop this season, going from the of 1.1 on the penalty kill and finally saw their power play click
outlook of a slightly above average team to one that now with 10.1 goals-per-60, a near top five rate. That wasn’t
easily sits in the league’s bottom 10. That may not even be a enough to salvage a month where the team scored 42
far enough drop for how terrible this group has been. percent of the goals at 5-on-5 though, better than only four
My model is stubborn and that is generally advantageous in other teams.
remembering some teams are stronger than they may You can point the finger solely at one man for that: Sergei
appear for a short stretch (Boston, Pittsburgh and San Jose Bobrovsky, owner of the league’s worst 5-on-5 save
this season) or weaker (Buffalo, Edmonton and the percentage in 2019 at .854, which is funny enough, nearly 10
Rangers). It pays not to be fickle as teams usually revert percent worse than his .952 on the penalty kill. Despite his
back to their own mean talent level, though each game excellence on the penalty kill, he’s still in a major slump right
provides new information on what that mean talent level is. now in one of his worst seasons to date. Bobrovsky has a
For Anaheim, it saw a team that was rarely fully healthy, a strong body of work and there’s still faith that he can turn
team with the league’s best goalie, a team that made the things around from his current .901 save percentage, but his
playoffs last year and a team that had a lot of its offensive standing is falling fast with each poor game he plays.
players slumping to unfathomable degrees. It didn’t add up,
but it got to a point where enough was enough and January And with Bobrovsky going down, that’s a major pillar of
was the final straw for my model. It was obvious to see for Columbus’ success that’s deteriorating. Goaltending was the
many others (including me, the model-maker), but I can see backbone of their last two seasons and without it, this is what
why the model stood its ground, even if it ended up being on the team is – a scary precursor to what they might turn into
the wrong side for far too long. after this season.
As for why things changed, the record really does speak for Honourable Mentions
itself. It wasn’t just that the team has lost – checks notes –
89 percent (!) of their games since mid-December, it’s how Edmonton: They’re 5-7-2 in 2019 and have a 30th-ranked
the team is losing. Sometimes it’s not even close as it was Corsi percentage, better than only the Devils. It was an ugly
Saturday, Monday and Tuesday when the team got blown month, highlighted by the fact that they somehow even made
out of three Canadian buildings by a combined score of 19-5, the league’s best player look human.
not to mention the loss before that was 5-1 to a Blues team Colorado: The team continues to possess the puck to a high
that was right there with them in the playoff race – a team the degree, but goaltending is failing them. In 2019, Colorado’s
Ducks needed to beat in order to stay alive. Since Dec. 18, goalies have a collective .844 save percentage. The next
the Ducks have been out-scored 72-32, an average margin worst team is at .874, and the difference between the two is
of 3.8-1.7. It’s that bad. the same as the difference between 14th and 30th. It’s why
The team is cooked and it’s largely because the rest of the the Avalanche are 3-9-0 in that time frame.
roster has been exposed now that John Gibson has looked Hottest Players
pedestrian rather than elite, posting an .890 save percentage
since Dec. 18. An injury to the team’s best play-driver, Brent Burns, S.J
Ondrej Kase, hasn’t helped matters either. And through it all, Last Month GSVA: 3.50 wins
including some deck-chair shuffling trades, the team’s head
coach somehow remains. It’s all baffling. Current GSVA: 4.29 wins
CAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS •February 7, 2019
Erik Karlsson, S.J the team scored 16 goals with Kane having a hand on 10 of
them.
Last Month GSVA: 3.22 wins
It’s a big shift that has caused a massive spike in Kane’s
Current GSVA: 3.78 wins point totals, putting him in the league’s upper echelon and on
It’s very rare for a team to have two Norris trophy threats on a 121-point pace. It’s on the back of that performance that
it, but that’s exactly what the Sharks envisioned when they the Blackhawks went 6-4-3 for the month – a mediocre
acquired Erik Karlsson before the season started and it’s performance for most teams, but an optimistic one for this
exactly what they’re getting this season, especially over the one considering the start of the season.
last month or so. As good as Kane’s scoring touch has been of late, it’s hard
By Game Score, Burns’ average of 1.65 since Jan. 1 ranks to ignore his defensive shortcomings. At 5-on-5, only Artem
second for all players, not just defenders, while Karlsson Anisimov was more porous for shot attempts than Kane was
ranks eighth at 1.45. The duo both scored at over a point- for the month and while his offence made up for it in January,
per-game pace with Burns collecting 18 points in 13 games that may not be the case going forward. Still, he grades out
while Karlsson scored 11 in eight, but it was what the duo as one of the league’s best players, largely due to the show
was doing at 5-on-5 that’s really worth noting, especially he has put on in the new year.
since much of that time is spent apart. On the Burns pairing, Honourable Mentions
the Sharks earned 58 percent of the shot share for the month
while the Karlsson pairing was at 56 percent. Blake Coleman: With Taylor Hall out, the Devils have
received help from an unlikely source in Coleman, who
That’s two pairs running north of 55 percent, a tough thing for scored seven goals to lead the team, averaged over three
any team to stop, especially when the duo eats up as many shots-per-game, was second in Corsi and played 17:26 per
minutes as these two do, with both guys getting 20 minutes- night. He’s looking like a legit top-six forward.
per-night at 5-on-5. Teams are basically hoping for the eight-
or-so minutes that these guys are on the bench to do their Mats Zuccarello: Inconsistent to start the year, Zuccarello
damage. Important to note too that this is all without the help has found his footing in 2019, scoring 15 points in his last 13
of Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who could only further what one of games, after scoring 14 in his first 25. On a team that’s
these pairs is capable of. drowning at 5-on-5, he’s remained excellent on a line with
Mika Zibanejad. Perfect timing with the trade deadline
Furthermore, it’s these two that are at the heart of a Sharks looming and Zuccarello’s contract expiring.
power play that was clicking at a top-five rate for the month,
scoring 10.1 goals-per-60, with Karlsson nabbing five points Coldest Players
with the man advantage to lead the team and Burns getting
four. Cam Fowler
It took some time for the team to click, but now the Sharks Last Month GSVA: 1.18 wins
are a well-oiled machine and it starts with having two of the Current GSVA: 0.69 wins
game’s most impactful defenders on the same team, playing
some of the best hockey of their careers as they have over Fowler came back from injury on Jan. 6 in the midst of a
the last month. seven-game losing streak. As one of Anaheim’s key players
on the backend his return came with a sliver of hope that the
Patrick Kane, CHI team’s fortunes could reverse. Instead, the team proceeded
Last Month GSVA: 3.11 wins to lose five more games and 10 of its next 12 as Fowler
struggled on the ice.
Current GSVA: 3.76 wins
Fowler’s reputation has always been a bit bloated. He
In 2019, Patrick Kane stands alone at the top of the scoring doesn’t really drive play and doesn’t score as much as he
race. In 13 games, he’s scored 28 points, with 23 of those should given his ice-time and power play usage, but is often
coming as primary markers. The next best player is highly regarded anyway. Still, this year has been especially
Sebastian Aho at 21 points. That’s a testament to how rough, even by his standards and the last month of play has
dominant Kane has been, who has found a way to rocket up been the cherry on top.
the scoring leaderboards after an incredible month where he
averaged over two points-per-game. In 12 games in 2019, Fowler had just a single assist, was
minus-11 at 5-on-5, and put up a hideous 41.1 Corsi
The key thing igniting Kane’s scoring touch was Chicago percentage, the second-worst mark on the team. In
finally finding a power play that worked, a part of the game Anaheim’s brutal January, his play was a major part of the
the team has struggled with immensely with for years despite problem as he provided very little in the way of offence and
its obvious star-power. The new unit (with Jonathan Toews, was even less effective in his own end.
Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Strome and Erik Gustafsson) has
caught fire in a way that no other unit has in the recent past. Before this season, my model considered Fowler an okay
From 2015 to 2018, the Blackhawks power play scored 6.8 No. 2 defenceman, a tier he only reached due to his lofty ice-
goals-per-60, good for 20th in the league. In January, no time totals. His lengthy absence was one of the reasons my
team scored more power-play goals-per-60 than Chicago’s model held out hope that Anaheim wasn’t as bad as it
15.5, with the next closest team, Calgary, at 12.3. In total, seemed. It turns out his presence didn’t help much, a big part
CAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS •February 7, 2019
of what’s dropped his projection to an average second- forward in that regard for the month and one of three players
pairing calibre defender. below 50 percent. Before that, he was fourth best.
Andrei Svechnikov, CAR Maybe the rookie has hit a wall. Maybe he’s still learning the
ins and outs of the league. Whatever it is, he’s been one of
Last Month GSVA: 1.70 wins Carolina’s worst players over the last month or so after
Current GSVA: 1.23 wins looking like one of the team’s most efficient skaters before
that. He’s still young enough to figure it out, but if the team
To say that Andrei Svechnikov has had an uneven start to has playoff aspirations this year, they’ll need him to step up
his career would be putting it mildly. His October was tepid, and showcase the talent that made him a second overall pick
but promising in low minutes. In the following two months he in last year’s draft.
got more playing time as a result and started to deliver on
that promise, playing at a modest 47-point pace. Things have Honourable Mentions
been very iffy since though, with Svechnikov not only Patrik Laine: The only reason he didn’t get a full blurb is
slumping but no longer getting chances either – failing to do because he got one last month. No player saw a larger drop
the little things that led many to get excited about his this month than Laine did after scoring just once in 13
potential. games. Since December, Laine’s projected value has fallen
In 2019, Svechnikov has just two goals and four points in 15 from 3.2 wins to 2.1 wins. Ouch.
games and just 24 shots to boot. He’s firing just 7.4 shots- Erik Gudbranson: Gudbranson was already a much-
per-60, a sizeable downshift from the 11.2 rate he was at maligned player by my model, but the last month has taken
prior to January. The latter number led all Carolina players that to new heights, rating him as the league’s least valuable
while the former is much closer to the middle of the pack. defenceman thanks to how porous he is at 5-on-5. In 2019,
The key to scoring in this league is putting the puck on net he’s a putting up a team-low 40.0 percent Corsi and minus-
and Svechnikov looked like a player who would have a six at even-strength, all while contributing nothing on offence.
fruitful career in that regard. However, this recent pace has Defensively, no player gave up more scoring chances than
been much more discouraging. he did on the team and it wasn’t close. Relatively speaking, it
On top of that, Svechnikov’s on-ice shot differentials have was the worst rate in the league.
dropped significantly as well. He was Carolina’s weakest
Hurricanes’ road trip provides opportunity
Following Tuesday’s game in Pittsburgh, Carolina needs to The team’s record since a New Year’s Eve home win over
take advantage of four winnable games the Flyers is 10-4-1, and that included a 5-2-1 record outside
of Raleigh. So this five-game swing through Eastern
Cory Lavalette Conference arenas will be pivotal in determining the direction
RALEIGH — The Carolina Hurricanes were 11-12-2 away — both in the standings and with the roster — of the
from PNC Arena heading into Tuesday night’s game in Hurricanes.
Pittsburgh, the first of a season-long five-game road trip that The toughest opponent on the trip was up first with
will set the stage for this month’s NHL trade deadline and the Tuesday’s visit to the revamped Penguins. From there,
team’s playoff chances. however, the Hurricanes get four of the seven other teams
After struggling on extended road trips earlier in the season, currently outside the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
going 1-2-0, 0-3-1 and 1-2-0 in the campaign’s first two Here’s a look at those four games and what to expect.
months on sojourns of three games or more, the Hurricanes Buffalo Sabres, Feb. 7
have had back-to-back successful roadies.
This will be the front half of a back-to-back for the
From Jan. 6-10, Carolina won two of three against Ottawa, Hurricanes, but it looks like Carolina is catching the Sabres
the Islanders and Tampa Bay, losing only to the NHL’s top at the right time. Once the Cinderella darlings of the Eastern
team, and then got five of six points on last month’s trip Conference, Buffalo has fallen on hard times.
through western Canada, sandwiching an overtime loss to
the Flames around wins in Edmonton and Vancouver. The Sabres were 4-9-1 since Christmas heading into
Tuesday’s home game against Minnesota, including a 4-3
CAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS •February 7, 2019
loss to the Hurricanes in Raleigh back on Jan. 11. But The Devils are in a race with Ottawa and Detroit to be the
Buffalo has at least been decent at home, going 5-5-2 since Eastern Conference’s worst team, but they have been good
December. at home, with a 13-7-4 record. Carolina is 1-1 against New
Jersey this season, winning at home but suffering a 2-0
The biggest issue has been the goaltending, which has fallen shutout at Prudential Center on Dec. 29.
off a cliff. Carter Hutton was 12-7-1 in October and
November, but he’s just 3-7-1 since, and his save The shutout, however, was by MacKenzie Blackwood, who
percentage in 2019 is .852 and he is allowing close to 4½ has since been reassigned to the AHL. Carolina will probably
goals allowed a game. Yech. be hoping Cory Schneider — who hasn’t won an NHL regular
season game since Dec. 27, 2017, going 0-15-3 — will start,
Linus Ullmark hasn’t been much better. The Swede is 2-4 in especially since Keith Kinkaid is 7-2 with a .942 save
eight appearances in January and February, allowing 3.21 percentage and 1.87 goals-against average against the
goals with an .896 save percentage. Throw in that Jeff Hurricanes in his career.
Skinner scored once in seven games before Tuesday, and
nothing is going right in Buffalo. The Devils are just 5-8-0 since the calendar flipped, and they
will be playing an afternoon game for the second straight day
New York Rangers, Feb. 8 — the Wild visit for a 1 p.m. game on Feb. 9 — when they
Madison Square Garden is a house of horrors for the line up with the Hurricanes.
Hurricanes, with the Rangers beating Carolina 16 straight Ottawa Senators, Feb. 12
times in the Big Apple. The Canes’ last win at MSG was Jan.
5, 2011, and the streak is New York’s longest against one The Matt Duchene and Mark Stone speculation will likely be
team in franchise history. at a fever pitch come this game. Carolina has split two
games against the Senators this season, winning in Ottawa
So that’s decidedly not good. and losing at home.
The Hurricanes, however, are a respectable 5-3-1 on the Ottawa has lost four straight heading into Wednesday’s
back end of back-to-backs, though their road record in those game at Toronto, and the game against the Hurricanes will
games is 2-3-0. The Rangers already have a 6-2 win at be the last at home before the Senators hit the road for four
home over the Hurricanes under their belt, but reality has set straight.
in that the Blueshirts will be deadline sellers.
Through Monday’s games, the Senators were allowing a
There’d be no better time for the Hurricanes to snap their league-worst 3.73 goals a game, and their 76.4 percent
drought in NYC, and after winning five of seven to close out penalty killing rate was tied for fourth-worst in the league —
January, the Rangers have lost home games to Tampa Bay perhaps a cure for what ails Carolina’s struggling power play.
and in overtime to the Kings. Ottawa also allows an NHL worst 36.4 shots per game, while
New Jersey Devils, Feb. 10 the Hurricanes’ 35.7 shots on goal per game pace the
league.
Preview: Hurricanes at Sabres
Canes and Sabres square off in critical Eastern Conference The Big Game
match-up
The Hurricanes have 58 points in the standings. The Sabres,
by Michael Smith with a game in hand, have 58 points in the standings. Both
teams sit three points out of a playoff spot.
BUFFALO - The Carolina Hurricanes meet up with the
Buffalo Sabres in a match-up of two teams fighting for their This is, to put it simply, a big game.
playoff lives in the Eastern Conference.
Until the next game, of course.
This game, the second in a season-long, five-game road
swing for the Hurricanes, comes on the heels of a 4-0 "They are all big. We don't have the luxury of being 15-20
shutout victory in Pittsburgh on Tuesday night. games over .500 and you don't have to go to the well. But we
do. That's the way it is," head coach Rod Brind'Amour saidCAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS •February 7, 2019
after practice on Wednesday. "That's the way it's going to be The Opposition
right until the end of the year, I'm sure. It's tough mentally to
always do that, but that's what being a pro is. Our guys are Since that last meeting, the Sabres have posted a 3-5-0
figuring that out." record. At 4-6-0 in their last 10 games, the Sabres have
fallen back behind the playoff cut line in the Eastern
After a shutout win over a divisional opponent on Tuesday, Conference and, save for their game in hand, sit even with
replicating that effort is the next task. the Canes with 58 points. Jeff Skinner leads the Sabres with
31 goals, but he's scored just five since the calendar flipped
"We've had a lot of those efforts this year," Brind'Amour said. to 2019.
"That's how we have to do it. The good news is we got
rewarded for it, so I think that makes the message pretty WORTH A CLICK
easy. If we want to have success in this league, there's a
certain way we have to play and prepare to play. News
The Big Win Tweetmail No. 214: Deadline, Contracts & Visitor
Celebrations
The Hurricanes set the tone for this road trip with a 4-0
shutout victory in Pittsburgh on Tuesday, repayment for the Recap: McElhinney, Canes Shut Out Penguins
Penguins shutout win in Raleigh just before Christmas. Hurricanes Jersey Breakdown for 2018-19 Season
Curtis McElhinney made 23 saves in his first shutout of the Podcast
season, while four different players netted goals for the
Hurricanes. Among the goal scorers were two who set CanesCast, Ep. 75: One Game at a Time
single-season career highs in goals: Jordan Martinook (12) Videos
and Brett Pesce (5).
Highlights: CAR 4, PIT 0
"We were snake bitten for goals in the first half of the year. It
wasn't for a lack of opportunities," Brind'Amour said. "The McElhinney Posts 23-Save Shutout
puck wasn't going in. For whatever reason, in the last month
Gameday Links
or month and a half, we've found the back of the net, and it's
certainly made it easier to play." Cool Bars: Concord
The Last Meeting FOX Sports Southeast Channel Finder
After having their season-best, five-game winning streak WATCH, LISTEN & STREAM
snapped in Tampa, the Hurricanes bounced back to defeat
the Buffalo Sabres, 4-3, in Jeff Skinner's return to Raleigh on Watch: FOX Sports Southeast, FOX Sports app
Jan. 11. The Canes' top line of Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Listen: 99.9 The Fan, Hurricanes app, Hurricanes.com/Listen
Teravainen and Micheal Ferland combined for seven points;
Aho scored two goals, while Ferland posted a career single-
game high three points (1g, 2a).
Super 16: Canadiens climb three spots, enter top 10
Stars, Hurricanes return to power rankings; Lightning remain the bottom half is where it gets most interesting, especially
No. 1 as it relates to the 2019 NHL Trade Deadline on Feb. 25 at 3
p.m. ET.
by Dan Rosen
The Montreal Canadiens jumped three spots to No. 10, the
Super 16 Power Rankings biggest rise of any team in the Super 16 from last week to
The top five in the weekly Super 16 power rankings remain this week. The Dallas Stars, unranked the past three weeks,
unchanged for the second straight week. The movement inCAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS •February 7, 2019
got back in this week at No. 13. The Carolina Hurricanes got Biggest need: Patrik Laine to start scoring. Laine has no
in at No. 16 after dropping out two weeks ago. goals in eight games and four in 29 games since Dec. 1. The
drought is on the heels of him scoring 18 goals in 12 games
All three teams could be active before the deadline. in November. No trade will help Laine. He needs to find his
The Vegas Golden Knights (No. 11) and Columbus Blue touch again.
Jackets (No. 14) each dropped three spots. Each is expected 4. San Jose Sharks (31-16-7)
to be active before the deadline too.
Total points: 165
To create the power rankings, each of the 13 staff members
puts together his or her version of what the Super 16 should Last week: No. 4
look like. Those are submitted and a point total is assigned to
each. Reason for optimism: They're right there. The Sharks have
won three in a row and will move within two points of Calgary
The team picked first is given 16 points, second gets 15, for first place in the Pacific Division if they win against the
third gets 14 and so on down to No. 16, which gets one Flames at SAP Center on Thursday (9 p.m. ET; ESPN+,
point. SN1, NBCSCA, NHL.TV).
Here is the latest Super 16: Biggest need: Erik Karlsson in the lineup. The defenseman
has missed five games with a lower-body injury. He was able
1. Tampa Bay Lightning (39-11-3) to play in the 2019 Honda NHL All-Star Game on Jan. 26,
Total points: 208 but he missed the two games prior to the All-Star break and
has sat the three games since. He is expected to return
Last week: No. 1 soon, coach Peter DeBoer said, but will his injury be
Reason for optimism: Health. The Lightning have no injuries something that nags him the rest of the season?
of note. 5. Nashville Predators (32-19-4)
Biggest need: A jolt to their offense. The Lightning lead the Total points: 151
NHL at 3.83 goals per game, but they've scored eight goals
in four games since returning from their mandatory five-day Last week: No. 5
break and 2019 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend. Right wing Reason for optimism: Brian Boyle. The Predators acquired
Nikita Kucherov, who leads the NHL with 81 points (22 goals, the 34-year-old forward in a trade from the New Jersey
59 assists), has gone eight straight games without a goal, his Devils on Wednesday for a second-round pick in the 2019
longest drought of the season. They have enough offense NHL Draft. Boyle has 13 goals this season, including six on
internally, but they need to find it again. the power play.
2. Calgary Flames (34-14-5) Biggest need: Power-play production. The Predators scored
Total points: 190 a power-play goal in their 5-2 win against the Arizona
Coyotes on Tuesday. It was their first in 10 games dating to
Last week: No. 2 Jan. 10, and they are 3-for-49 on the power play in 15 games
Reason for optimism: Secondary scoring. Calgary's top line since Jan. 1. Boyle gives Nashville a big net-front presence
of Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and Elias Lindholm on the power play. He should help.
arguably is the best in the NHL and has produced 22 goals in 6. Toronto Maple Leafs (33-17-3)
14 games since Dec. 31. But the Flames are getting
production from their other forwards too. The 11 other Total points: 140
forwards to play at least one game during that stretch have Last week: No. 7
combined for 30 goals, helping Calgary go 11-2-1.
Reason for optimism: Auston Matthews. He signed a five-
Biggest need: Better play from goalie Mike Smith. David year contract worth $11.634 million per season Tuesday,
Rittich has taken over as the No. 1 goalie in large part taking a potential headache away from Toronto and the 21-
because he has outplayed Smith, who has allowed four or year-old center, who is heating up again with four goals in his
more goals in three of his four starts since Jan. 3. past five games.
3. Winnipeg Jets (34-16-3) Biggest need: Continued road success. The Maple Leafs
Total points: 182 already got the defenseman they needed when they
acquired Jake Muzzin, who has fit in well in his three games
Last week: No. 3 since the trade from the Los Angeles Kings on Jan. 28. Now
Reason for optimism: Bryan Little and Jack Roslovic. The Toronto needs to keep it going on the road. It starts a
second-line forwards have provided secondary scoring. Little season-long six-game road trip at the Montreal Canadiens
has 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in 13 games on Saturday. The Maple Leafs are 16-6-2 on the road this
since Jan. 6. He had 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) in the season but are tied with the Jets and St. Louis Blues for the
first 40 games of the season. Roslovic has seven points (five fewest road games played in the NHL (24).
goals, two assists) in seven games since Jan. 17 after he 7. New York Islanders (30-16-6)
had nine (two goals, seven assists) in his first 45 games.
Total points: 129CAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS •February 7, 2019
Last week: No. 6 11. Vegas Golden Knights (30-21-4)
Reason for optimism: Getting healthy. The Islanders will be Total points: 91
getting back left wing Andrew Ladd and defenseman
Thomas Hickey soon. Ladd has missed 35 games with a Last week: No. 8
lower-body injury and Hickey has missed 20 with an upper- Reason for optimism: Depth scoring. The Golden Knights are
body injury. Getting them back will be like adding two veteran one of three teams in the NHL with at least five players who
depth players before the deadline without having to give up have scored at least 14 goals this season (Jonathan
anything. Marchessault, 17; William Karlsson, 16; Max Pacioretty,
Biggest need: More offense from their defensemen. The 16; Alex Tuch, 16; Cody Eakin, 14). The Pittsburgh Penguins
Islanders have gotten 16 goals from defensemen this and San Jose Sharks each have six players with at least 14.
season, tied with the Anaheim Ducks and Boston Bruins for Biggest need: More scoring. The Golden Knights have eight
the fewest in the NHL. The Islanders are the only team that goals in their past five games and have scored two or fewer
doesn't have a defenseman with more than three goals. It'll in seven of their past nine games, going 3-6-0 in that stretch
be hard to acquire an offensive-minded defenseman before with only one of the wins coming in regulation. Another
the deadline. scoring forward, even for a third-line role, could help down
8. Boston Bruins (29-17-8) the stretch.
Total points: 111 12. Pittsburgh Penguins (28-19-6)
Last week: No. 10 Total points: 67
Reason for optimism: Tuukka Rask. He is 8-0-2 with a 1.63 Last week: No. 12
goals-against average and .945 save percentage in his past Reason for optimism: Depth and options. The Penguins need
11 games. to get center Evgeni Malkin back in the lineup, but once he
Biggest need: Secondary scoring. The Bruins have been top- returns they feel they'll have better options for forwards to fit
heavy all season and haven't evened out, which is a reason into specific roles with Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann
general manager Don Sweeney is expected to try to acquire instead of Derick Brassard and Riley Sheahan. The
another top-six forward before the deadline. Forwards possibilities with Bjugstad and McCann plus a healthy Malkin
Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak and David are driving optimism despite the fact the Penguins have lost
Krejci had combined for 41 goals in Boston's past 26 games. six of their past nine games.
The other 21 skaters who have played at least one game in Biggest need: Malkin and goalie Matt Murray. Malkin has
that stretch combined for 41 goals. missed three games with an upper-body injury. He didn't
9. Washington Capitals (29-18-6) practice Wednesday and is questionable to play at the
Florida Panthers on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; SNE, SNO, FS-F,
Total points: 94 ATTSN-PT, NHL.TV). Murray missed practice Wednesday
and is day to day with an upper-body injury, coach Mike
Last week: No. 9 Sullivan said.
Reason for optimism: They're playing better. Washington has 13. Dallas Stars (28-21-4)
had some success in three games since its mandatory five-
day break following the All-Star Game, defeating the Flames Total points: 55
and Vancouver Canucks each by one goal and losing 1-0 to
the Boston Bruins on Sunday, when goalie Braden Holtby Last week: NR
made 38 saves. The Capitals lost seven in a row before the Reason for optimism: Defense. The Stars have won five in a
break. row, but the strong play defensively has been going on
Biggest need: Better third periods. The Capitals have been longer. They have allowed two goals or fewer in nine of their
outscored 16-9 in the third period in their past nine games past 12 games. They are allowing 2.53 goals per game,
and lost a lead in the third twice in their past five games. second fewest in the NHL.
10. Montreal Canadiens (30-18-6) Biggest need: More scoring. The Stars have been getting
more production of late, with 11 goals in their past three
Total points: 92 games, including four from center Tyler Seguin. They are the
only team in the NHL that doesn't have at least four players
Last week: No. 13 with at least 10 goals.
Reason for optimism: Success without power-play 14. Columbus Blue Jackets (29-20-3)
production. The Canadiens are 31st in the NHL on the power
play (12.9 percent), but they are 13-5-1 in games when they Total points: 39
haven't scored a power-play goal since Dec. 4.
Last week: No. 11
Biggest need: A left-handed defenseman. The Canadiens'
top two defensemen, Shea Weber and Jeff Petry, are Reason for optimism: Special teams. The Blue Jackets
righties, great commodities to have. But they're a rare team penalty kill is an NHL-best 97.1 percent (34-for-35) in 14
that needs a left-handed top-four defenseman.CAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS •February 7, 2019
games since Dec. 31. Their power play has come around TIM CAMPBELL
too, going 8-for-27 (29.6 percent) in 10 games since Jan. 10.
1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Calgary Flames; 3. Winnipeg
Biggest need: Decisions. Forward Artemi Panarin and goalie Jets; 4. San Jose Sharks; 5. Nashville Predators; 6. Toronto
Sergei Bobrovsky each faces an uncertain immediate future, Maple Leafs; 7. Washington Capitals; 8. Boston Bruins; 9.
and the topic has been hanging over the Blue Jackets like a Montreal Canadiens; 10. Pittsburgh Penguins; 11. Vegas
black cloud. They need to figure things out so they can Golden Knights; 12. New York Islanders; 13. Dallas Stars;
determine what type of team they're going to have in the last 14. Columbus Blue Jackets; 15. Buffalo Sabres; 16.
quarter of the season. Minnesota Wild
15. Carolina Hurricanes (26-21-6) BRIAN COMPTON
Total points: 20 1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Calgary Flames; 3. Winnipeg
Jets; 4. New York Islanders; 5. Montreal Canadiens; 6. San
Last week: NR Jose Sharks; 7. Toronto Maple Leafs; 8. Boston Bruins; 9.
Reason for optimism: Scoring is up. The Hurricanes, who are Nashville Predators; 10. Dallas Stars; 11. Vegas Golden
tied for 21st in the NHL at 2.85 goals per game, have scored Knights; 12. Washington Capitals; 13. Carolina Hurricanes;
26 goals in their past six games (4.33) despite going 2-for-18 14. Pittsburgh Penguins; 15. Columbus Blue Jackets; 16.
(11.1 percent) on the power play. They have scored the Philadelphia Flyers
second-most goals in the NHL (61) since Dec. 31 after NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA
scoring the second fewest (90) prior.
1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Calgary Flames; 3. Winnipeg
Biggest need: Figure out what they are. Are the Hurricanes a Jets; 4. Toronto Maple Leafs; 5. San Jose Sharks; 6. New
legitimate Stanley Cup Playoff contender, or will they be a York Islanders; 7. Nashville Predators; 8. Boston Bruins; 9.
seller before the deadline? They must make that Montreal Canadiens; 10. Washington Capitals; 11. Columbus
determination soon because the market for some of their Blue Jackets; 12. Pittsburgh Penguins; 13. Vegas Golden
defensemen and pending unrestricted free agent forward Knights; 14. Dallas Stars; 15. Buffalo Sabres; 16. Carolina
Micheal Ferland will heat up unless they tell teams they're Hurricanes
going for it and they want to keep them. They are three
points out of the second wild card into the playoffs from the TOM GULITTI
Eastern Conference with 29 games to play.
1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Calgary Flames; 3. San Jose
16. Minnesota Wild (26-22-5) Sharks; 4. Winnipeg Jets; 5. Toronto Maple Leafs; 6. New
York Islanders; 7. Nashville Predators; 8. Boston Bruins; 9.
Total points: 15 Montreal Canadiens; 10. Washington Capitals; 11. Vegas
Last week: No. 14 Golden Knights; 12. Pittsburgh Penguins; 13. Columbus Blue
Jackets; 14. Dallas Stars; 15. Buffalo Sabres; 16. Carolina
Reason for optimism: They are in a playoff spot with a bit of Hurricanes
room. Even though the Wild have lost three in a row, two
have come after regulation, so they're picking up points. ADAM KIMELMAN
They're 4-2-2 in their past eight games, and that's given 1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Calgary Flames; 3. Winnipeg
them a four-point cushion in the Western Conference wild Jets; 4. San Jose Sharks; 5. Nashville Predators; 6. Toronto
card race. Maple Leafs; 7. Vegas Golden Knights; 8. New York
Biggest need: Center depth. Mikko Koivu's season-ending Islanders; 9. Washington Capitals; 10. Dallas Stars; 11.
knee injury is a massive blow, and they'll need to find a Montreal Canadiens; 12. Boston Bruins; 13. Minnesota Wild;
replacement for him to allow them to contend beyond just 14. Columbus Blue Jackets; 15. Carolina Hurricanes; 16.
making the playoffs this season. Koivu was injured in a 5-4 Philadelphia Flyers
shootout loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday. ROBERT LAFLAMME
Others receiving points: Buffalo Sabres 8, Philadelphia 1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Calgary Flames; 3. Winnipeg
Flyers 8, St. Louis Blues 2, Vancouver Canucks 1 Jets; 4. Nashville Predators; 5. San Jose Sharks; 6. Toronto
Dropped out: Buffalo Sabres (No. 15), Colorado Avalanche Maple Leafs; 7. Washington Capitals; 8. New York Islanders;
(No. 16) 9. Vegas Golden Knights; 10. Pittsburgh Penguins; 11.
Boston Bruins; 12. Montreal Canadiens; 13. Columbus Blue
HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM Jackets; 14. Dallas Stars; 15. Minnesota Wild; 16. Carolina
AMALIE BENJAMIN Hurricanes
1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Calgary Flames; 3. Winnipeg MIKE G. MORREALE
Jets; 4. San Jose Sharks; 5. Nashville Predators; 6. Toronto 1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. San Jose Sharks; 3. Winnipeg
Maple Leafs; 7. New York Islanders; 8. Vegas Golden Jets; 4. Nashville Predators; 5. Calgary Flames; 6.
Knights; 9. Boston Bruins; 10. Montreal Canadiens; 11. Washington Capitals; 7. Toronto Maple Leafs; 8. New York
Columbus Blue Jackets; 12. Pittsburgh Penguins; 13. Islanders; 9. Vegas Golden Knights; 10. Boston Bruins; 11.
Washington Capitals; 14. Carolina Hurricanes; 15. Dallas Pittsburgh Penguins; 12. Dallas Stars; 13. Montreal
Stars; 16. Philadelphia FlyersCAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS •February 7, 2019
Canadiens; 14. Columbus Blue Jackets; 15. Carolina Boston Bruins; 7. New York Islanders; 8. Pittsburgh
Hurricanes; 16. Philadelphia Flyers Penguins; 9. Toronto Maple Leafs; 10. Washington Capitals;
11. Vegas Golden Knights; 12. Montreal Canadiens; 13.
TRACEY MYERS Dallas Stars; 14. Minnesota Wild; 15. Philadelphia Flyers; 16.
1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Calgary Flames; 3. Winnipeg Columbus Blue Jackets
Jets; 4. San Jose Sharks; 5. New York Islanders; 6. DAN ROSEN
Nashville Predators; 7. Toronto Maple Leafs; 8. Boston
Bruins; 9. Vegas Golden Knights; 10. Montreal Canadiens; 1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Calgary Flames; 3. San Jose
11. Washington Capitals; 12. Dallas Stars; 13. Columbus Sharks; 4. Winnipeg Jets; 5. Nashville Predators; 6. New
Blue Jackets; 14. Pittsburgh Penguins; 15. Minnesota Wild; York Islanders; 7. Toronto Maple Leafs; 8. Boston Bruins; 9.
16. Vancouver Canucks Montreal Canadiens; 10. Vegas Golden Knights; 11.
Washington Capitals; 12. Pittsburgh Penguins; 13. Dallas
BILL PRICE Stars; 14. Carolina Hurricanes; 15. Philadelphia Flyers; 16.
1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Calgary Flames; 3. Winnipeg St. Louis Blues
Jets; 4. Nashville Predators; 5. Toronto Maple Leafs; 6. MIKE ZEISBERGER
Boston Bruins; 7. San Jose Sharks; 8. New York Islanders;
9. Vegas Golden Knights; 10. Washington Capitals; 11. 1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Winnipeg Jets; 3. Calgary
Montreal Canadiens; 12. Pittsburgh Penguins; 13. Dallas Flames; 4. San Jose Sharks; 5. Nashville Predators; 6.
Stars; 14. Minnesota Wild; 15. Columbus Blue Jackets; 16. Toronto Maple Leafs; 7. New York Islanders; 8. Boston
St. Louis Blues Bruins; 9. Montreal Canadiens; 10. Pittsburgh Penguins; 11.
Washington Capitals; 12. Vegas Golden Knights; 13. Dallas
SHAWN P. ROARKE Stars; 14. Carolina Hurricanes; 15. Buffalo Sabres; 16.
1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Winnipeg Jets; 3. Calgary Columbus Blue Jackets
Flames; 4. Nashville Predators; 5. San Jose Sharks; 6.
NHL Power Rankings after Week 18: Top young player for all 31 teams
Emily Kaplan 2. Calgary Flames
Auston Matthews' lucrative new deal with the Maple Leafs
Previous ranking: 2
set a precedent, but also meant that when it kicks in next
season, the two contracts with the highest cap hits in the This 12-minute video is dedicated to Matthew Tkachuk
league belong to players under the age of 23 (the other "pissing people off as a rookie." Don't let that overshadow his
being Connor McDavid, of course). skill. The winger is one of four Flames forwards averaging
more than a point per game this season.
Welcome to the modern NHL, where youth rules the day. For
this week's power rankings, we identified the most impactful 3. Winnipeg Jets
23-and-under player on each team.
How we rank: The ESPN hockey editorial staff submits polls Previous ranking: 3
ranking teams 1-31, and those results are tabulated to the Patrik Laine is in a bit of a slump. He has scored only twice
list featured here. Teams are rated through Tuesday night's in his past 21 games. The Finn still profiles as the best pure
games, taking into account overall record, recent success sniper since Alex Ovechkin. The 20-year-old already has
and context such as injuries. accumulated 105 goals through 208 career games.
1. Tampa Bay Lightning 4. San Jose Sharks
Previous ranking: 1 Previous ranking: 4
A 2014 third-round pick, Brayden Point is outproducing the The veteran Sharks have only two regular 23-and-unders in
more established superstar on Tampa Bay's roster, Steven their lineup: Timo Meier and Kevin Labanc. Switzerland
Stamkos. Through 52 games, Point has already matched his native Meier is coming into his own this season, averaging
career high of 66 points, thanks to chemistry with Nikita 1.31 goals and 1.93 assists per 60 minutes.
Kucherov.
5. Toronto Maple LeafsYou can also read
