Though the majority of the Calgary Flames' plans for this season haven't panned out as hoped, the ascent of rookie Matthew Tkachuk isn't one of them.

Midway through 2016-17, Tkachuk sits tied for second on the list of Flames scorers, with his 29 points matching the totals put up by first-line duo Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau.

With 44 games under his belt, Tkachuk's scoring pace has him on track for 51 points by the season's end. If that sum sounds impressive for the 19-year-old, it should - and not simply because Tkachuk came into the season with few expecting him to do much damage.

Monahan, who served as the first piece in the Flames' recent rebuild, amassed only 34 points in his rookie season. Sam Bennett concluded his first year in similar fashion, posting 36 points.

Since the 80s, there have been only two first-year Flames players to reach the 50-point plateau - Gaudreau (64 points in 2015) and Jarome Iginla (50 points in 1997).

Not a bad pair for Tkachuk to potentially join.

In fact, if Tkachuk does continue on his current trajectory, his rookie campaign would rank as the 11th-best in Flames history. A top-10 all-time finish may even be within his reach if he can muster one more point and finish with at least 52 to his name.

It looks like Tkachuk has enough going for him to reach that mark. The young gun has been outstanding this season, meshing extraordinarily well with the other two parts of Calgary's 'Triple M' line - Mikael Backlund and Michael Frolik.

The trio have amassed 90 points thus far, and have posted the second-best possession metrics (an even-strength Corsi For percentage of 58) of all NHL linemates seeing consistent time together.

That being the case, all signs point to Tkachuk continuing his torrid pace, and joining some of the Flames' all-time best rookies along the way.

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Though the majority of the Calgary Flames' plans for this season haven't panned out as hoped, the ascent of rookie Matthew Tkachuk isn't one of them.

Midway through 2016-17, Tkachuk sits tied for second on the list of Flames scorers, with his 29 points matching the totals put up by first-line duo Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau.

With 44 games under his belt, Tkachuk's scoring pace has him on track for 51 points by the season's end. If that sum sounds impressive for the 19-year-old, it should - and not simply because Tkachuk came into the season with few expecting him to do much damage.

Monahan, who served as the first piece in the Flames' recent rebuild, amassed only 34 points in his rookie season. Sam Bennett concluded his first year in similar fashion, posting 36 points.

Since the 80s, there have been only two first-year Flames players to reach the 50-point plateau - Gaudreau (64 points in 2015) and Jarome Iginla (50 points in 1997).

Not a bad pair for Tkachuk to potentially join.

In fact, if Tkachuk does continue on his current trajectory, his rookie campaign would rank as the 11th-best in Flames history. A top-10 all-time finish may even be within his reach if he can muster one more point and finish with at least 52 to his name.

It looks like Tkachuk has enough going for him to reach that mark. The young gun has been outstanding this season, meshing extraordinarily well with the other two parts of Calgary's 'Triple M' line - Mikael Backlund and Michael Frolik.

The trio have amassed 90 points thus far, and have posted the second-best possession metrics (an even-strength Corsi For percentage of 58) of all NHL linemates seeing consistent time together.

That being the case, all signs point to Tkachuk continuing his torrid pace, and joining some of the Flames' all-time best rookies along the way.

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He's often been overshadowed by the other stars of his era, but it's time to give Henrik Sedin his due.

The Vancouver Canucks captain's commendable consistency and longevity have him on the cusp of 1,000 career points, a feat he's approached in just over 1,200 games.

He's occasionally forgotten thanks to the likes of Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, the NHL's new wave of elite young talent including Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews, and even his own twin brother, Daniel, but Henrik deserves to be recognized as one of the league's premier playmakers.

Being selected one spot after Daniel by the Canucks in 1999 undoubtedly ranks as both a career and life highlight, along with the knowledge that the twins were both bound for the franchise with which they remain to this day.

Here are the other five biggest moments of Henrik Sedin's impressive career:

5. Help a brother out

The twins' uncanny chemistry was apparent from the get-go, as Henrik found Daniel with a perfect centering pass to set up his brother's first NHL goal in the third game of their careers.

4. Sedinian spin-o-rama

Henrik channeled Denis Savard for an incredible goal back in 2009, making a pair of spin moves to befuddle Los Angeles Kings defenseman Sean O'Donnell and beat Jonathan Quick.

3. A work of Art

A four-assist night in the Canucks' 2009-10 season finale clinched the Art Ross Trophy for Henrik over Crosby and Ovechkin, both of whom finished three points behind.

Henrik became the first player in franchise history to take home the hardware as the NHL's points leader, and later won the Hart Trophy as the league's MVP following his 112-point campaign.

2. Quadruple OT magic

Arguably his most important goal came early in the morning and ended a marathon.

This time, it was Daniel finding Henrik in front of the net for the game-winner in the fourth overtime period of Game 1 against the Dallas Stars in the 2007 Western Conference Quarterfinals.

1. Second to none

The Stars were also in the building for Henrik's biggest personal achievement, when he delivered a cross-ice pass to Alex Burrows for a goal that made Sedin the Canucks' all-time points leader.

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Baltimore Orioles center fielder Adam Jones is taking his talents from the diamond to the rink - well, sort of.

Orioles fans shouldn't fear a serious injury, because Jones isn't lacing up his skates any time soon. But the five-time All-Star did just land himself an offseason hockey job of sorts as an off-ice official and penalty box assistant for the American Hockey League's San Diego Gulls, minor-league affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks.

Jones signed his contract with the Gulls on Friday morning, and he'll work in his new role during Friday night's game against the San Jose Barracuda at the Valley View Casino Center.

"I'm living out my dream joining the San Diego Gulls to be an off-ice official and serve as a penalty box attendant," Jones said in a statement.

Jones, a San Diego native and Gulls season-ticket holder, will be in charge of opening and closing the penalty box doors for players, keeping track of all penalties during the game, and distributing official game pucks to the referees.

Someone should watch Jones carefully during the game, though, because he might be having some thoughts about getting into a good old fashioned hockey dust-up.

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The New York Islanders recently joined the new bench boss club by swapping out Jack Capuano for Doug Weight. In doing so, they became the seventh NHL club to employ a different head coach this season than in 2015-16.

With the new campaign now stretching into its latter half, how have those new coaches fared so far?

Randy Carlyle, Anaheim Ducks

After Bruce Boudreau ran out of time in California, the Anaheim Ducks went back to the future with their coaching change, bringing in Randy Carlyle, who previously served as the team's head coach from 2005-11.

Though the Ducks got roasted after announcing Carlyle as their choice, the veteran has brought some undeniable results thus far. Through 48 games, Anaheim ranks first in the Pacific Division with 61 points, leaving them tied with Pittsburgh and Chicago for the fourth-most points in the league.

This time last season, the Ducks were tied for last place in the Western Conference. Tough to argue with that level of success.

Glen Gulutzan, Calgary Flames

Bob Hartley achieved great things as head coach of the Calgary Flames, pushing the club all the way to the second round of the 2015 postseason. But with an abysmal follow-up campaign making a change unavoidable, Glen Gulutzan was tabbed as the new name.

To say it's been a tumultuous debut for Gulutzan would be an understatement. The season started terribly for the new coach, as the Flames won just five games through the first month of 2016 - the second-fewest of any club.

But Calgary has manged to stay afloat, rebounding all the way to a Western Conference wild-card spot. Issues remain, but Gulutzan seems to be holding things together for now.

Jared Bednar, Colorado Avalanche

Take away that resurgent effort felt in Calgary and you have the situation the Colorado Avalanche are currently suffering through. After Patrick Roy proved his winning formula wasn't as swell as initially thought, Colorado handed the reins over to AHL coaching standout Jared Bednar in the offseason.

With the first half of the season in the books, Colorado sits dead last in the league, five points behind the 29th-ranked Arizona Coyotes. No matter where you look, things are looking bleak for the Avalanche.

They've allowed the fourth-most goals of any NHL club, and have scored the fewest in the league so far as well. As trade rumours swirl, it's clear Bednar has fallen short, even if his coaching isn't the central issue in Colorado.

Bruce Boudreau, Minnesota Wild

Far, far on the other end of the spectrum is Bruce Boudreau and the surging Minnesota Wild. Taking over for John Torchetti, who himself took over for Mike Yeo during 2015-16, Boudreau has the Wild finally living up to their full potential.

After just barely slipping into the playoffs last season, the Wild sit atop the Western Conference rankings this time around, boasting the third-best goal differential in the league (145 goals scored, just 99 goals allowed).

Even more impressive? Minnesota has played fewer games than all but one other Western club (the last-place Avalanche) and have still accumulated more points than their conference competition.

Guy Boucher, Ottawa Senators

After missing the playoffs in two of the past three seasons - and winning only two games in their lone postseason appearance in that span - the Ottawa Senators' coaching change seems to be reversing the club's fortunes.

Guy Boucher made his return to the NHL after the Senators decided to part ways with Dave Cameron following 2015-16. Boucher has Ottawa rolling, as they sit second in the Atlantic Division so far. But it's unclear how long they'll stay there.

The Senators have been fairly underwhelming at both ends of the rink this season, though they've managed to hold down the fort defensively. Division rivals are closing in, but Boucher has the Sens keeping their heads above water so far, with a potential return to the playoffs on the horizon.

Tom Rowe, Florida Panthers

Unlike the previously mentioned bench bosses, who all took over in the summer, Tom Rowe earned the Florida Panthers' head coaching role mid-season, replacing Gerard Gallant in November.

Related: Panthers fire head coach Gallant

The Panthers went 11-10-1 with Gallant at the helm early this season, ranking ninth in the Eastern Conference at the time of his firing. Since Rowe - who also serves as the club's general manager - took matters into his own hands, Florida has won just nine of 25 contests.

That's a notable drop, as Florida won 50 percent of its games under Gallant this season (and 57 percent under Gallant last season), but has managed to win just 36 percent of its contests with Rowe as head coach.

It may still be too early to call the race, but it's clear Rowe hasn't improved Florida's chances just yet.

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The Nashville Predators announced defenseman P.K. Subban will be back in the lineup Friday versus the Edmonton Oilers after he missed 16 games with an upper-body injury.

Subban scored seven goals and tallied 10 assists in 29 games before being forced from the lineup for more than a month.

With Roman Josi's injury overlapping Subban's absence, the Predators have been stretched on defense this past week. Ryan Ellis logged more than 27 minutes Thursday versus the Calgary Flames, helping the Predators achieve a 2-1 win without their top two defenders.

Now on the second half of a back-to-back, All-Star captain Subban could be thrust into big minutes in his return.

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Kevin Shattenkirk doesn't have to wait; it's free-agent season right now.

The St. Louis Blues defenseman is willing to entertain a "trade and extend" scenario, TSN's Darren Dreger reported Thursday, meaning he isn't married to the opportunity to experience summer courtship and could potentially commit long-term in the coming weeks.

What freedom he surrenders down the line, however, he gains in immediate control. His signature is required on any agreement that would allow the Blues to maximize their return on the power-play specialist, so it's in general manager Doug Armstrong's best interest to meet his demands while he can still recoup value on the puck mover.

Dreger noted that it "sounds like" the right-shot defender is willing to consider quite a few options, including the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks, or a potential reunion with the Colorado Avalanche.

Here are three destinations we think could work:

Toronto

In the short term, Shattenkirk to Toronto almost makes too much sense.

First, there's the obvious need. Toronto is dangerously thin on the back end for a team carrying sudden postseason expectation. Its defense isn't one that can withstand a key injury; Morgan Rielly's absence versus the Rangers stretched an entire unit.

There's a surplus of prospects to choose from when building the framework of the deal. But what really gives the Leafs an inside track in a potential pursuit of Shattenkirk is the cap space they're coming into. Upward of $20 million will be at Toronto's disposal in 2017-18 when many of the unwanted contracts they took on in the process of pressing reset come off the books.

In theory, they could tempt Shattenkirk with a wildly inflated annual salary on a short-term deal. It would protect the Leafs when Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner need new contracts down the line, and allow Shattenkirk the chance to hit the jackpot twice. This way, his earnings could potentially land above value for the next nine seasons.

New York

With a lot of money tied up in assets and Mika Zibanejad in line for a hefty raise, the Rangers would have to find a way to unload one of the anchors on their payroll to make Shattenkirk anything more than a short-term rental.

But regardless of whether he sticks around for long, it's a scenario worth pursuing for New York. Few teams will have a harder route to the Stanley Cup Final than the Rangers, who cannot afford not to be proactive in the ultra-competitive Metropolitan Division.

Adding a defender whose skills cater to the fast-paced, four-line, blow-the-zone transition style the Rangers employ, Shattenkirk could put this team over the top.

Anaheim

Given the manner in which the season is shaking down, and the inevitably of losing a quality player in expansion, is there any other option for the first-place Ducks besides taking a run at it?

Anaheim is loaded with defenders at all levels of the organization. But because it has signed a few bad NHL contracts at the top of the chain, this isn't entirely reflected on the payroll, or by its top six night in and out.

If they can get out from underneath one of the anchors they have signed with their own depth at the position, the Ducks would have the cap space to add another transition defender in Shattenkirk, and could feature a ridiculously efficient top four in a wide-open Western Conference.

Taking on an unwanted contract in addition to a coveted prospect or pick would be the best way for St. Louis to maximize its return without Shattenkirk committing long term.

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The St. Louis Blues are providing Jake Allen some time off.

The 26-year-old netminder is enduring a horrible stretch of play in which he's been pulled in three consecutive contests, and as a result, the Blues will travel to Winnipeg for Saturday's contest without Allen, general manager Doug Armstrong announced.

Allen's slump has subsequently dropped his numbers significantly. He currently owns a 2.85 goals-against average and a .897 save percentage.

That said, Blues brass believe a rest period will benefit Allen, as they believe his struggles between the pipes are mental.

"There's a lot in his head," head coach Ken Hitchcock said following Thursday's 7-3 loss to Washington. "He's kind of locked up mentally and he's going to have to fight through this."

However, this isn't a sign of distrust, as Allen remains the plan in goal for the future.

Allen signed a six-year, $17.4-million extension with St. Louis over the summer.

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It's safe to say the New York Islanders' season hasn't gone as planned, but that isn't stopping their new head coach from thinking they can climb their way back into contention.

Doug Weight - who replaced Jack Capuano for the lead role on the Isles' bench on Tuesday - is confident his group can right the ship and even earn a playoff spot before the season's through, according to the New York Post's Brett Cyrgalis.

Related: Islanders fire head coach Jack Capuano

"I think we're a playoff team," Weight said. "Obviously we've dug ourselves quite a hole, and passing teams in this league is obviously historically been a tough thing to do. But we're going to take it a game at a time."

The Islanders are six points behind in the wild-card race, which is where they must set their sights in the second half of the season. It's their best bet, as getting to third place in the Metropolitan Division would mean closing a 17-point gap with the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins.

How the roster shakes out under the new leadership appears to be in the players' hands, as Weight said he's looking for his players to prove their worth.

"I want some jerseys flying off their back (from skating fast), and I want to be inspired as a coach," Weight said. "You have to make me look at your number, and have me like, 'I got to get this guy back on the ice. He's competing, he's fresh, he's jumping, he's got confidence.'"

The Islanders won 3-0 in Weight's debut as head coach, topping the Dallas Stars for their second shutout victory in as many games.

Not a bad start to the new bench boss' coaching tenure.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have claimed forward Seth Griffith back off of waivers from the Florida Panthers, Sportsnet's Chris Johnston reports.

Toronto claimed the former minor-league standout from the Boston Bruins back in October. He was picked up by Florida on waivers after three appearances for the blue and white.

Griffith had five assists in 21 games in Florida.

The Maple Leafs are sending Griffith straight to the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League, according to Johnston.

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