The Vegas Golden Knights have welcomed back the goaltender they always envisioned tending twine during their inaugural season.
Marc-Andre Fleury returned to the crease for Tuesday's game against the Carolina Hurricanes after missing the previous 25 with a concussion suffered in just his fourth start for the expansion club.
In his first appearance since Oct. 13, Fleury stopped 35 of 37 shots fired by the Hurricanes in regulation and overtime, but was bested by Phillip Di Giuseppe in the fifth round of the shootout for the loss.
Vegas, of course, remained more than competitive with their starter out of a action, thanks to solid play from Malcolm Subban, Oscar Dansk, and Maxim Lagace.
As a result - and with a point earned against Carolina - the Golden Knights sit comfortably in a playoff spot with the holiday break approaching, and a healthy Fleury can only help that cause going forward.
The Vegas Golden Knights have welcomed back the goaltender they always envisioned tending twine during their inaugural season.
Marc-Andre Fleury returned to the crease for Tuesday's game against the Carolina Hurricanes after missing the previous 25 with a concussion suffered in just his fourth start for the expansion club.
In his first appearance since Oct. 13, Fleury stopped 35 of 37 shots fired by the Hurricanes in regulation and overtime, but was bested by Phillip Di Giuseppe in the fifth round of the shootout for the loss.
Vegas, of course, remained more than competitive with their starter out of a action, thanks to solid play from Malcolm Subban, Oscar Dansk, and Maxim Lagace.
As a result - and with a point earned against Carolina - the Golden Knights sit comfortably in a playoff spot with the holiday break approaching, and a healthy Fleury can only help that cause going forward.
There appeared to be some concern over the status of the Columbus Blue Jackets forward after the game, but there's no official word on the nature and extent of any injury suffered as a result of Kassian's blows.
#CBJ team doctors were present and hustling about, team president and GM Jarmo Kekalainen came through post-game dressing room. Believe concern is about Brandon Dubinsky and injury he sustained in late fight vs. #Oilers Zack Kassian
There appeared to be some concern over the status of the Columbus Blue Jackets forward after the game, but there's no official word on the nature and extent of any injury suffered as a result of Kassian's blows.
#CBJ team doctors were present and hustling about, team president and GM Jarmo Kekalainen came through post-game dressing room. Believe concern is about Brandon Dubinsky and injury he sustained in late fight vs. #Oilers Zack Kassian
McDavid recorded one goal and three primary assists in Edmonton's 7-2 victory, vaulting him - somewhat quietly - to third in league scoring (39) behind Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov (42).
Because of the Oilers' much-publicized futility to this point of the campaign, McDavid's individual talents haven't been enough to steal the spotlight. However, with nine points in his last six contests, it looks like he's determined to change that and drag his team out of the doldrums.
Now up to 31 games this season, McDavid is averaging 1.25 points per, putting him on pace for 103 - three more than last year's Hart-worthy output - should he play the full schedule.
If you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all.
That appeared to be the stance of Columbus Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella, who was left tight-lipped following Tuesday's 7-2 shellacking to the Edmonton Oilers.
It was a rough night for the fiery bench boss, who was forced to pull star netminder Sergei Bobrovsky after he allowed five goals through 40 minutes. It marked the first time this season in which the Blue Jackets goaltender had gotten the hook.
Tortorella’s exact quote post-game: "I know you have a job to do. I’m not answering any questions tonight. There’s not sense of (sic) me even trying to answer questions about this evening. OK? So sorry about that. Have a good night."
Columbus sits atop the Metropolitan Division with 39 points. The team will look to rediscover its winning ways Thursday against the New York Islanders.
If you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all.
That appeared to be the stance of Columbus Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella, who was left tight-lipped following Tuesday's 7-2 shellacking to the Edmonton Oilers.
It was a rough night for the fiery bench boss, who was forced to pull star netminder Sergei Bobrovsky after he allowed five goals through 40 minutes. It marked the first time this season in which the Blue Jackets goaltender had gotten the hook.
Tortorella’s exact quote post-game: "I know you have a job to do. I’m not answering any questions tonight. There’s not sense of (sic) me even trying to answer questions about this evening. OK? So sorry about that. Have a good night."
Columbus sits atop the Metropolitan Division with 39 points. The team will look to rediscover its winning ways Thursday against the New York Islanders.
The Toronto Maple Leafs had won all five games they'd been forced to play without star center Auston Matthews this season, but that streak came to an end thanks to a 4-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday.
The game in Philadelphia was the second in a row Matthews has missed, and he was sidelined four games in November with an upper-body injury. That's the nature of his current ailment as well, and he remains listed as day to day for the time being.
The loss also marked the first time Toronto failed to hold a lead heading into the third period, posting a record of 12-0-0 when winning after 40 minutes.
Toronto is off until Thursday when they will play in Minnesota, with a tilt in Detroit scheduled for Friday. Whether they'll head into battle without Matthews remains to be seen.
The Ottawa Senators captain is up for a contract renewal in the summer of 2019, and he's made no bones that his next deal will pay a pretty penny.
Karlsson has since walked back those public remarks - somewhat - indicating he wants to win as a Senator, and that his submission of a 10-team no-trade list is simply a contract stipulation.
The constant speculation is a given, considering players of Karlsson's ilk - Senators head coach Guy Boucher recently called him the best player in the world - are rarely traded, and when the opportunity arises, suitors line up to inquire.
With that in mind, here are three teams that could put together the necessary pieces to acquire the superstar blue-liner:
Dallas Stars
Luck fell into the Stars' hands at last year's draft lottery, when the club moved up from the eighth overall selection and into the top three, granting Dallas the rights to highly touted Finnish defenseman Miro Heiskanen.
He's a prime piece for the Stars, but one that won't pay immediate dividends for a team ready to compete for the Stanley Cup. Dallas is under the gun to win with its current lineup intact, especially with key players Tyler Seguin and former Senators captain Jason Spezza only signed through next season. Karlsson's current agreement carries the same term.
While the Stars already have their own top-flight, right-shot defenseman in John Klingberg capable of holding down top-pairing duties, there's no saying the Stars couldn't have Klingberg and Karlsson on separate duos, capable of eating 50 minutes a night.
As for Heiskanen, he's impressed in Finland's top league this year, where he's picked up 13 points in 19 games - doing so as an 18-year-old playing amongst men. While Heiskanen would be a difficult piece for the Stars to part with, there is a replacement in the pipeline in 22-year-old Julius Honka.
Is Heiskanen enough to make a deal? Not likely, but the two sides could talk once Dallas offered up its 2018 first-rounder, a young roster player like Radek Faksa, and possibly another premium prospect, like goaltender Jake Oettinger.
But the chance to add a premium blue-liner like Karlsson gives Chiarelli enough reason to reach back into his bag of tricks. Any deal is sure to have the Senators asking for a high-end defender in return, and the Oilers could begin the discussions with fellow Swedish defenseman Oscar Klefbom.
As for the Senators, the chance to add another top pick would be intriguing. Ottawa's recent slide has seen its upcoming first-round pick jump to third overall if the draft were held today. The Senators previously moved their pick to the Colorado Avalanche in the Matt Duchene deal, but have an option to defer it to 2018 if it falls in the top 10.
As of today, Ottawa's first-round pick sits just one spot ahead of Edmonton's. If the Senators held both selections, they would have two shots at adding top talents on the draft floor, like forwards Brady Tkachuk or Filip Zadina, or a budding blue-liner in Adam Boqvist.
Packaging Klefbom and a first-rounder leaves the Senators banking on the future, meaning the team would likely require one other current piece. Would center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins be too steep an ask, given Karlsson would add to a contending core of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Cam Talbot?
Philadelphia Flyers
Much like the Stars, the Flyers benefited from lottery balls, as they climbed from the 13th pick and into the top two selections at last year's draft.
That allowed Philadelphia to take Nolan Patrick with the second overall pick, a surprise get for a team that finished closer to the playoffs than it did to the basement. Could that leave open the possibility for a quick flip of Patrick?
The injury-riddled center has appeared in 20 games with Philadelphia this season, in which he's potted just six points. It's been a tough leap for Patrick, who was limited to 33 games in junior a year ago due to injury concerns, while he's already missed nine games this year with another ailment. Still, the potential is there - Patrick is just two years removed from a 102-point season in the WHL.
To add to the mix, the Flyers could part with a piece from their depth of riches on the blue line. Young defenders Shayne Gostisbehere and Ivan Provorov should be untouchable, but a realistic option could be Robert Hagg in order to help a Karlsson deal come to fruition and give the Flyers their best defenseman since the days of Eric Desjardins.
To complete the package, the Senators would likely look for a top draft choice. Fortunately, the Flyers have two of those - their own, and the first-round pick returned from the St. Louis Blues for Brayden Schenn.
The Columbus Blue Jackets netminder, who entered the contest with a .930 save percentage, was pulled from the game at the second intermission, giving way to Joonas Korpisalo. It marked the first time Bobrovsky has failed to finish a start this season.
The Oilers netted three goals in the final four minutes of the frame. They managed two tallies on the power play, which may be as unexpected as Bobrovsky's off night, considering Edmonton entered the contest with the league's 22nd-ranked man advantage.
Edmonton added two more goals in the third period for a 7-2 win.
