Safe to say the Buffalo Sabres defense wants this one back.
Columbus Blue Jackets rearguard Seth Jones embarrassed the Sabres' blue line during the clubs' Tuesday night tilt, weaving in and drawing a crowd before dishing to a wide open Cam Atkinson who easily netted his 34th of the year.
The helper gave Jones an even 30 assists on the season, as well as 41 total points.
The Edmonton Oilers again dipped into the college free-agent pool Tuesday.
The club announced the signing of forward Joseph Gambardella to a two-year, entry-level contract, which will begin in 2017-18.
Gambardella is a 23-year-old left-handed shooter who had a very productive final college season, setting career marks across the board with 18 goals, 34 assists, and 52 points in 41 games for UMass Lowell.
He finished tied for ninth in NCAA scoring, his impressive 1.27 points per game and seven game-winning goals standing out among his numbers.
Gambardella stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 200 pounds. He finished his college career with 47 goals and 129 points in 160 games.
The 35-year-old has had a dismal campaign having managed just 10 goals and 19 points in 51 games - the lowest marks of career in a season where he has played at least 50 games.
Of course Gaborik's poor play hurts the most for the Kings financially as he remains under contract for the next four seasons with a cap hit of $4.875 million.
Lokomotiv head coach Alexei Kudashov let his frustrations get the best of him Monday in his team's Gagarin Cup series against SKA.
It's unclear what exactly set him off, but Kudashov responded by throwing a water bottle onto the ice and accidentally hit SKA forward Ilya Kablukov in the process, leading to him being ejected. Before leaving the bench, Kudashov motioned toward his assistant, who was all too happy to take the blame (the referees weren't fooled, though).
Lokomotiv went on to lose 2-1 in overtime, falling to 3-0 in the series.
Sven Andrighetto is finally getting the chance to make the most of his opportunity.
Traded to the Colorado Avalanche on deadline day, the Swiss winger is now getting the shot he feels was never available to him with his former club, the Montreal Canadiens.
"I was really happy to be traded here. In Montreal, I never got the opportunity to play big minutes," Andrighetto told Rita Mingo of The Denver Post. "I tried my best but they either didn't believe in me or didn't give me the chance."
A third-round pick by Montreal in 2013, Andrighetto toiled with the Canadiens' organization for four seasons, a tenure that included the occasional call-up and short stints with the big club. Though, most of his time was spent seasoning in the minors.
In all, Andrighetto appeared in 83 games with Montreal, posting 11 goals and 17 assists over that time. He was a frequent flier with the Canadiens, and this season alone saw six separate trips to the club's AHL affiliate in St. John's.
Now in Colorado, Andrighetto is seizing his opportunity, where the young forward has been rewarded with increased playing time, averaging nearly 17 minutes a night.
Team
GP
G
A
Pts
TOI
Pts/GP
Avalanche
12
5
4
9
16:52
0.75
Canadiens
27
2
6
8
11:28
0.30
Andrighetto has found quick chemistry in his early goings in Denver, lining up with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen.
"As an individual, it's always tough to stand out if the team isn't doing well. But everyone has something to play for, that's for sure," Andrighetto said. "Coaches gave me an opportunity and I'm playing with great linemates. They're young and have a lot of skill. They play the same style that I like to play."
That added time has led to an increase in production, with Andrighetto tallying nine points through his first dozen games in the Mile High City. It all bodes well for a player looking to make the most of his long-awaited chance.
With their return to the playoffs looking all but sealed up, the Edmonton Oilers look to be officially turning the corner.
Generational phenom Connor McDavid has been the central pillar holding up that newly high-flying group, pacing the league with 88 points to his name through 75 contests. With those elite totals in tow, the Oilers' offense has managed to score at a clip of 2.92 goals per game - the 10th-best pace in the league.
But McDavid's straightforward production is only part of the young captain's ability to inspire his team's offensive dominance. He can make plays with the best of them, clearly, but it's the more subtle impact of McDavid's full skill set that has changed the narrative in Edmonton.
Getting the calls
Special teams have been one key part of that equation. With a blend of speed and skill so absurdly dangerous that defenders are often left spinning or far out of position, McDavid has become one of the league's best at drawing penalties - not a surprise given the opposition's understanding of what may happen if they let the young centreman pass them uncontested.
Among all NHL skaters who have played at least half of the 2016-17 season, McDavid ranks among the top 10 in the league in minor penalties drawn per 60 minutes of play, with a ninth-ranked mark of 1.74.
And that's a crucially important fact, as the Oilers' power play is flat out lethal.
Edmonton's man-advantage unit is currently the third best in the game, scoring on 22.7 percent of its opportunities. Just ask the clubs that have tried to handle that production over the past two weeks.
In their past 10 games over that span, the Oilers have struck on the power play 10 times. They netted a man-advantage goal in seven of those 10 tilts, scoring as many as three during one match against the Boston Bruins - unsurprisingly, a 7-4 victory for Edmonton.
That's certainly due in no small part to McDavid as, besides being a mainstay on his club's top power-play unit, he's playing a central role in getting Edmonton those opportunities to begin with.
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
Accept no substitutes
And this isn't just the natural result of being a star player who attracts more attention. Of the top 15 penalty-drawers in the league this season, the only other name that could be classified as a top-tier name would be 14th-ranked Johnny Gaudreau, who's likely getting players sent to the box the same way McDavid is: by burning defenders with top-end speed.
Notably absent from the list? Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane, Brad Marchand, Nikita Kucherov, etc. etc. - all of the other top forwards in the game similarly merit plenty of attention from the opposition, but they aren't translating that into power-play chances like the young Oilers captain is.
In fact, none of those four forwards mentioned above rank in the top 50 in terms of penalties drawn per 60 minutes of play. Instead, the majority of the players flanking McDavid on that list are depth forwards, all of whom take far more penalties than the Oilers pivot and put up far fewer points.
But at this point, it shouldn't be a surprise to see McDavid flip the script and wind up on that list. The young centreman has already proven to be more than simply the next great talent to suit up in the big leagues. Rather, he seems to be an entirely new breed of offensive star.
And even after nearly two seasons of watching him do what he does best, it seems the rest of the league is still struggling to catch up.
The St. Louis Blues have signed defenseman Jake Walman to a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced on Tuesday.
The 21-year-old was originally drafted by the club in the third round in 2014 and has played the last three seasons at Providence College.
After posting a career-best 13 goals and 28 points in 27 games last season, Walman followed that up with an admirable campaign this year, contributing seven goals and 25 points in 39 contests.
If first-year coach Jared Bednar knew what he was stepping into, he may not have taken the job in the Mile High City.
The Colorado Avalanche, long out of the playoff race, will soon extend their postseason drought to three years, a sad mark for a once-proud franchise that has just a single playoff appearance in the last six seasons and no series wins since 2008.
In a way, it's familiar territory for the Avalanche, whose previous low mark came in the 2010-11 season, when they finished with 68 points and used the second overall pick to draft captain Gabriel Landeskog.
Six years later, more poor performances have led to talk of change in Colorado, and Bednar may not be the only name on the chopping block come season's end.
The Avalanche have been on the bottom rung for most of the season, with 43 points in 75 games, their worst year since arriving in Denver in 1995. That sort of season gives the bottom team the best odds to win the draft lottery.
The problem comes into play with projected top pick Nolan Patrick, a talented center but no solution for a Colorado squad deep in offense but in need of shoring up its own end of the ice.
For the Avalanche to improve, changes must come from within. Looking north to Edmonton should offer guidance for the floundering club.
Last offseason, the Oilers paid the price by dealing first overall pick Taylor Hall to the New Jersey Devils, returning top defenseman Adam Larsson. He's stepped in to stabilize the blue line in Edmonton, where the Oilers are now poised to make make their first playoff trip since 2006.
In Colorado, the piece on the outs could be center Matt Duchene.
The rumor mill has swirled all season, with Landeskog and Duchene chief among the speculation. Despite his one point in his last 18 matches, Duchene appears to be the trade chip needed to push the team forward, with reports indicating any deal would require a top blue-liner coming to Colorado.
Change is afoot with the Avalanche, and a major addition to the team's defensive core is the only fix to rebuild a franchise that twice captured the Stanley Cup in long forgotten days.
If first-year coach Jared Bednar knew what he was stepping into, he may not have taken the job in the Mile High City.
The Colorado Avalanche, long out of the playoff race, will soon extend their postseason drought to three years, a sad mark for a once-proud franchise that has just a single playoff appearance in the last six seasons and no series wins since 2008.
In a way, it's familiar territory for the Avalanche, whose previous low mark came in the 2010-11 season, when they finished with 68 points and used the second overall pick to draft captain Gabriel Landeskog.
Six years later, more poor performances have led to talk of change in Colorado, and Bednar may not be the only name on the chopping block come season's end.
The Avalanche have been on the bottom rung for most of the season, with 43 points in 75 games, their worst year since arriving in Denver in 1995. That sort of season gives the bottom team the best odds to win the draft lottery.
The problem comes into play with projected top pick Nolan Patrick, a talented center but no solution for a Colorado squad deep in offense but in need of shoring up its own end of the ice.
For the Avalanche to improve, changes must come from within. Looking north to Edmonton should offer guidance for the floundering club.
Last offseason, the Oilers paid the price by dealing first overall pick Taylor Hall to the New Jersey Devils, returning top defenseman Adam Larsson. He's stepped in to stabilize the blue line in Edmonton, where the Oilers are now poised to make make their first playoff trip since 2006.
In Colorado, the piece on the outs could be center Matt Duchene.
The rumor mill has swirled all season, with Landeskog and Duchene chief among the speculation. Despite his one point in his last 18 matches, Duchene appears to be the trade chip needed to push the team forward, with reports indicating any deal would require a top blue-liner coming to Colorado.
Change is afoot with the Avalanche, and a major addition to the team's defensive core is the only fix to rebuild a franchise that twice captured the Stanley Cup in long forgotten days.
Steve Ott is the latest NHL player to stand up in support of the U.S. women's national team.
The Montreal Canadiens described his experience living in another hockey hotbed and noted the benefits that the women's team brings to USA Hockey.
"I was in Detroit and they come to Detroit and it's sold out to watch them play," he told Sportsnet's Eric Engels on Tuesday. "Someone's making money off their backs, they deserve their cut."
The women were expected to vote on a tentative new deal sometime Tuesday afternoon, a source told A.J. Perez of USA Today. The 2017 Women's World Championship is slated to begin Friday in Michigan, and the American players were threatening to boycott unless they received a livable wage and increased support from USA Hockey.
From Ott's point of view, it's part of a necessary fight that's also happened several times in the NHL.
"I see it like I do the lockouts we had," Ott said. "They're setting things up for future generations of girls. Guys did that for us, and we've done it for younger guys. Women's hockey is really popular in the States. They deserve their cut."
