The NHL announced Wednesday the odds for the 2018 NHL Draft Lottery, which will be held Saturday, April 28, in Toronto.
The 15 teams that don't qualify for the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs - or any that have acquired a first-round pick from one of those non-playoff clubs - will participate in the lottery, with the following chances of grabbing the top selection:
(Courtesy: NHL)
The lottery will involve three draws. The first will determine the club selecting first overall, the second will determine the club selecting second overall, and the third will determine the club selecting third overall.
Per the NHL: "odds for the remaining teams will increase on a proportionate basis for the 2nd Lottery Draw, based on which club wins the 1st Lottery Draw, and again for the 3rd Lottery Draw, based on which club wins the 2nd Lottery Draw."
The remaining 12 teams will be allotted picks 4-15 based on reverse order of regular-season points.
But the most interesting name on the ledger belongs to a guy who just recorded his first 40-goal season in nearly a decade: Minnesota Wild forward Eric Staal.
It didn't take long for Staal to establish himself as an elite NHLer, registering 100 points and winning the Stanley Cup in just his second season. Yet, as fast as he gained his superstar status, it vanished just as quickly, hitting rock bottom in the 2015-16 season.
During that disastrous campaign, he tallied just 39 points - including a mere six in 20 games after being traded from the Carolina Hurricanes to the New York Rangers at the deadline, for his lowest point total since his 2003-04 rookie season (31).
During that nightmarish 2015-16 season - also a contract year - Staal knew of what he was capable, but admitted he had doubts whether he'd be able to return to form.
"I didn’t think that I wouldn’t be able to be a good player on a good team," Staal told theScore. "I always believed in myself as far as what I could do in this league and what kind of player I was, but when you have a tough year like I did - that last season in Carolina, then moving to New York - you definitely have your moments of doubt. You have your moments of, 'how are you going to get out of this?'"
Staal wasn't alone in these moments of doubt. As a player on the wrong side of 30 in a league dominated by younger, quicker players, most people believed his best years were far behind him. Yet, with 40 goals - including a career-high 27 at even strength - in his second year in Minnesota, he's having arguably the second-best season of his career at age 33.
In the process, he joined Gordie Howe as the only players in NHL history to go nine or more years between 40-goal seasons, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
Had Staal entered free agency a few years earlier, he likely would've been one of the most sought-after players to hit the open market in recent memory. Instead, his value was at an all-time low, making his decision where to sign that much more important.
"For me, going into that summer it was trying to find the right fit to join an established - what I considered a good team - and then to find a fit at center with some good players," he said. "There seemed to be a hole there at the center position in Minnesota. They were trying a lot of different guys that I knew at center and just felt like it was a good fit for me."
Staal signed a three-year, $10.5-million contract with the Wild on July 1, 2016. Excluding players on entry-level deals, it's arguably the NHL's most team-friendly contract. Yet, even before he signed the deal, Staal was determined to restore his status as one of the game's best players, rather than one in decline.
"Going into that summer, it was just trying to find the right fit and the right opportunity for me to kind of re-establish myself and not only prove to other people, but prove to myself what I can do and what kind of player I am," he said.
Staal turned some heads with a nice bounce-back season last year, potting 28 goals with 65 points in 82 games. This year, though, he's taken his game to another level, as he's tied for fifth in the NHL in goals with an outside shot at averaging better than a point per game for just the third time in his career.
Staal's unexpected goal-scoring resurgence prompted head coach Bruce Boudreau to joke: "Start calling him Midas from now on. (Everything he touches) turns to gold. I hope it doesn’t end."
It's been quite a fascinating career arc for Staal, as seen in the graph below (totals were extrapolated over an 82-game average to account for the shortened 2012-13 season):
Excluding his rookie year, Staal's three worst statistical campaigns came in his age 29, 30, and 31 seasons. For most players, those three years represent the tail end of their prime. Those who struggle during those years rarely rebound, yet Staal is trending upward.
So why has Staal been able to defy the odds and have one of his best seasons as he approaches his mid-30s? For him, there's no secret formula, like New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and his TB12 method. Though there are many reasons, confidence has been the key.
"No, nothing different as far as training-wise going into the season," Staal laughed. "This year, the puck just seems to be hitting the back of the net. You get the confidence of scoring goals and the confidence of producing and that can carry a long way. You just want to hold onto that feeling as long as you can."
Another factor in his resurgence has been the league-wide slashing crackdown. While it hasn't resulted in many more penalties in general, it's created more space for skilled players such as Staal.
"It does (open things up) for sure," he said. "You just get a little more time with the puck. You're able to hang on to it a little more, and kind of work your way into some of those tighter areas without giving up that scoring chance."
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
Yet, perhaps the most interesting part about Staal's sensational season is that he's averaging just 17:55 of ice time per game - nearly two minutes below his career average, and the lowest since his rookie campaign.
"You always want to play more, but I think it has (helped keep me fresh)," he said. "There’s nights you’re going to feel great, and there’s nights when you’re not, and then there’s nights when you’re coming from behind, or playing more because of special teams. Every game is different."
What that has resulted in is some of the best per 60-minute numbers of his career, and some of the best in the league. Entering Tuesday, he sits fifth in the NHL (among players with at least 500 minutes) with 1.74 Goals/60 - which would stand as his career best. His 3.22 Points/60 would also be his best since Natural Stat Trick began keeping track in 2007-08.
Unsurprisingly, right behind Staal on the Wild in many key offensive stats are Jason Zucker and Mikael Granlund - who have spent most of the season on Staal's wings.
"Zucks is a guy with a ton of speed, so when you play with a guy with that speed, the defense usually backs up, gives gap, gives room to be able to make plays," Staal said.
"Granlund is one of those guys that can really make some great passes and looks in those tight spaces and those tight areas. For me, you get a little more opportunity to have the puck, a little more time to shoot, a little more space to operate."
While Zucker and Granlund have helped Staal raise his game, he's done the same for them. Zucker has already shattered his career highs in goals and points, while Granlund is just three assists away from setting a new career best of his own.
This season has put Staal - already a member of the prestigious Triple Gold Club - right back on track for a first-ballot Hall of Fame nod. Two years ago, it probably would've been more believable that he'd be out of the league by now. Instead, he's re-established himself as one of the game's best players, displaying remarkable resiliency in what's been a turnaround for the ages.
The Boston Bruins have signed defenseman and captain Zdeno Chara to a one-year contract extension worth $5 million, the team announced Wednesday. The deal includes an additional $1.75 million in performance-based incentives.
The bonuses reportedly reward a mix of games played and playoff success, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.
Chara could have become an unrestricted free agent July 1, but the Bruins were expected to retain his services for a 13th season with the club.
The $5-million base salary is a $1-million raise over this season, but that's due to the front-loaded nature of the extension he signed in 2011.
The 41-year-old is the longest-tenured captain in the NHL, and has won both the Norris Trophy and Stanley Cup during his time in Boston.
In 68 games this year, Chara has recorded seven goals and 16 assists for 23 points with a plus-26 rating while averaging a team-high 23:00 of ice time per game.
Chara is currently sidelined due to injury, but is expected to return prior to the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Linesman Steve Barton has been released from an Edmonton hospital, the NHL confirmed Wednesday morning to The Athletic's Aaron Portzline.
Barton spent Tuesday night in hospital following this scary fall resulting from a collision with Connor McDavid.
Barton was stretchered off after banging his head on the ice during the first period of the game between the Oilers and Columbus Blue Jackets, but was feeling much better Wednesday and will fly home.
Welcome to the second edition of theScore's Vezina Trophy Power Rankings, where we rank this season's top five goaltenders.
5. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Lightning
Previously: 3rd
GP
Record
GAA
SV%
SO
61
42-15-3
2.59
.921
7
Vasilevskiy's season has been a case of Jekyll and Hyde. In his first 34 games, he had a .939 save percentage and six shutouts, and looked to be running away with the Vezina. Since then, his save percentage is just .900 in 27 games, and he has only one shutout.
It's clear that fatigue has played a part in Vasilevskiy's first full season as a starter, but the dropoff has been more dramatic than anyone expected. Regardless, his lights-out first half was enough to keep him in the top five.
4. John Gibson, Ducks
Previously: Honorable mention
GP
Record
GAA
SV%
SO
58
30-18-7
2.46
.925
4
Gibson's stellar play has not only put him in a spot to potentially be a Vezina finalist, but also put the Ducks in a good position to make the playoffs - a prospect that was in doubt for a good chunk of the season.
Entering Tuesday night's game, Gibson was 13-3-2 with a .938 save percentage and three shutouts in his last 18 games played. Health has plagued him in the past, but he's started 58 games this year - good for seventh-most in the league.
3. Sergei Bobrovsky, Blue Jackets
Previously: 4th
GP
Record
GAA
SV%
SO
62
35-22-5
2.38
.921
5
While Bobrovsky only comes in at No. 3, he's arguably the goalie most crucial to his team's success. The Blue Jackets were averaging the fewest goals per game among teams in a playoff spot entering Tuesday night, putting an immense amount of pressure on their goaltender.
Once the Jackets were able to generate some offense, they strung together a 10-game winning streak that was snapped last week, backed by a .940 save percentage by Bobrovsky, who was in net for seven of those wins.
2. Connor Hellebuyck, Jets
Previously: 2nd
GP
Record
GAA
SV%
SO
63
40-11-9
2.38
.923
6
Hellebuyck continues to be solid as a rock in the Jets' crease. He'll have to be spectacular down the stretch to take over the top spot, but he's undoubtedly solidified himself as a finalist.
1. Pekka Rinne, Predators
Previously: 1st
GP
Record
GAA
SV%
SO
56
41-11-4
2.25
.929
8
It's remarkable that Rinne has never won the Vezina Trophy, but barring some sort of late-season collapse, he has it all but locked up. Sure, the Predators are the league's best team, but they certainly wouldn't be there without the play of their star netminder.
Through the remainder of the regular season, we'll take a look at how the night's action impacts the playoff races, while highlighting which teams' postseason odds went up or down significantly.
Western Conference
The Anaheim Ducks suffered an embarrassing loss at the hands of the bottom-feeding Canucks, putting their playoff chances in doubt.
Meanwhile, the St. Louis Blues stayed hot with a massive victory - their sixth in a row - over the Sharks, snapping San Jose's eight-game winning streak in the process. The Blues now hold the first wild-card spot in the West.
Team
Result
Playoff Chances
Change
Blues
3-2 OTW vs. SJ
80.8%
+13.3%
Ducks
4-1 L vs. VAN
67.6
-16.2%
Eastern Conference
In the East, the Devils walked away with a crucial victory over the Hurricanes. The Panthers now trail New Jersey by three points, but have two games in hand.
For the first 10 minutes, the Edmonton Oilers looked fantastic.
As for the remaining 50? Not so much.
On the strength of three points from captain Connor McDavid - who reached the century mark for the second consecutive season - the Oilers jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead over the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets, setting up what seemed to be a rare pleasant night at Rogers Arena.
That is, until the Jackets poured in three goals of their own in the latter portion of the opening frame, and seven unanswered overall, to take a convincing 7-3 victory.
Columbus reversed its fortunes on the strength of a hat trick from Thomas Vanek, who has 13 points in 14 games since being acquired at the trade deadline.
While there's little consequence for the Oilers losing another game, it was a massive win for the Blue Jackets, who sit just one point back of the Pittsburgh Penguins for second in the Metropolitan Division.
The St. Louis Blues won their sixth straight game Tuesday night against the Sharks, ending San Jose's eight-game winning streak in the process.
The Blues are now tied with the Winnipeg Jets for the longest active winning streak in the league.
After a dismal stretch in which they lost seven straight games during the second half of February, the Blues are now holding onto the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference, as they leapfrogged the Colorado Avalanche with Tuesday's overtime win.
