Dougie Hamilton could be on the move once again.

Halfway through his first season with the Carolina Hurricanes, the 25-year-old is back on the rumor mill, and the organization is open to trading him, reports The Athletic's Craig Custance.

Hamilton was traded to Carolina from the Calgary Flames at the 2018 draft along with Micheal Ferland and prospect Adam Fox in exchange for Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin.

Performance isn't an issue for Hamilton - he's recorded 14 points in 41 games this season while firing 134 shots on goal and ranking third among all blue-liners with a sterling 59.37 Corsi-For percentage, per Natural Stat Trick. However, he's one of four right-handed shots logging minutes on Carolina's back end and theoretically could be made expendable for an offensive upgrade, something the Hurricanes have been seeking all season.

Hamilton would likely fetch a considerable return, as he can immediately fit in any team's top-four and is locked into an incredibly team-friendly $5.75 million cap hit until 2021.

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Welcome to the eighth edition of theScore's 2018-19 NHL Power Rankings, which will be published every two weeks during the regular season. This list was compiled by editors Craig Hagerman, Josh-Gold-Smith, and Josh Wegman.

1. Tampa Bay Lightning (32-8-2)

In falling to the Sharks on Saturday night, the Lightning suffered their first regulation loss since Nov. 27. That says everything you need to know about how incredibly hot they've been, as Tampa now sits with a 10-point cushion in first place. Unreal. - Hagerman

Previously: 1st

2. Calgary Flames (26-13-4) ▲

Johnny Gaudreau's put up 14 points in six games since the previous edition of these rankings, which is just nutty. Meanwhile, three other Flames already have at least 19 goals. This team is rolling. - Hagerman

Previously: 5th

3. Vegas Golden Knights (26-15-4) ▲

The Golden Knights have reeled off six straight wins and are quietly contending for the top spot in the Western Conference. Paul Stastny's fitting in nicely, and with Max Pacioretty back and Colin Miller nearing a return, the club could soon be at full strength. - Hagerman

Previously: 11th

4. Pittsburgh Penguins (23-13-6) ▲

The Penguins have been showing off their Cup-winning pedigree amid an 8-2-0 run, while goalie Matt Murray owns a stellar 7-0-0 record with a 1.27 goals-against average and a .962 save percentage since mid-December. - Hagerman

Previously: 12th

5. Toronto Maple Leafs (27-12-2) ▼

The Maple Leafs have been fairly steady in Frederik Andersen's injury absence. Of course, having John Tavares, Mitch Marner, and Auston Matthews all producing at a heavy clip allows for some breathing room. - Hagerman

Previously: 2nd

6. Boston Bruins (24-14-4)

Patrice Bergeron's return has given the Bruins a shot in the arm, while Charlie McAvoy is on his way back. Meanwhile, Tuukka Rask is making a strong case for more starts between the pipes. - Hagerman

Previously: 6th

7. San Jose Sharks (23-13-7) ▲

The Sharks are the only team to beat the Lightning in regulation in more than a month. But while the offense has been hot, San Jose could use a few more saves from Martin Jones. - Hagerman

Previously: 9th

8. Nashville Predators (25-15-3) ▼

Viktor Arvidsson's looked great since missing a month and a half with a broken thumb. And despite a slew of injuries, the Predators remain firmly in the hunt for top spot in the West. - Hagerman

Previously: 7th

9. New York Islanders (23-13-4) ▲

No Tavares, no problem.

The Islanders have won six straight, highlighted by a 4-0 thumping of the Maple Leafs and Tavares. The scoring is down from last season, but the defense has completely turned it around, having allowed the second-fewest goals per game after giving up the most in 2017-18. You can thank Barry Trotz for that. - Hagerman

Previously: 18th

10. Columbus Blue Jackets (24-14-3) ▼

The Blue Jackets sit within three points of top spot in the Metropolitan Division thanks to a run of seven wins in nine games. They just need Sergei Bobrovsky to retain his Vezina Trophy form. - Hagerman

Previously: 8th

11. Winnipeg Jets (26-13-2) ▼

The Jets earned a big win over the Stars on Sunday despite missing Dustin Byfuglien, but they'd been slipping a bit before that. Winnipeg dropped a pair of home contests coming out of the holidays and only narrowly defeated the plummeting Oilers to end 2018. - Gold-Smith

Previously: 3rd

12. Washington Capitals (25-12-4)▼

Washington beat the Red Wings on Sunday, snapping a three-game losing skid that included a 5-2 defeat to the lowly St. Louis Blues. Small sample size aside, the Capitals have averaged only 2.4 goals over their last five games, down from their usual output of nearly 3.5 per contest this season. - Gold-Smith

Previously: 4th

13. Dallas Stars (22-17-4) ▲

It's been an interesting couple of weeks in Dallas, to say the least. The Stars have shown signs of life since CEO Jim Lites' rant, going 3-0-1 before losing badly on Sunday. The comments also seemed to light a fire under Tyler Seguin, who posted back-to-back two-goal efforts. - Gold-Smith

Previously: 17th

14. Montreal Canadiens (22-15-5) ▼

The Canadiens have earned wins over the Canucks, Stars, and Panthers since our last edition, but losses to the Lightning and Predators served as reminders that they still have plenty of room to grow. That said, Montreal has greatly exceeded expectations this season. - Gold-Smith

Previously: 10th

15. Colorado Avalanche (20-14-8) ▼

Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar briefly broke up the NHL's best line in an effort to shake things up amid a losing skid. However, he ultimately reunited the dynamic trio of Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon, and Mikko Rantanen, and the move paid off as Colorado humbled the Rangers on Friday. - Gold-Smith

Previously: 14th

16. Buffalo Sabres (22-14-6) ▼

Reality and regression are starting to set in for the Sabres, who've lost four of five since the break. There are still plenty of reasons for optimism, but this club is barely clinging to the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot after looking dominant at times in the season's first half. - Gold-Smith

Previously: 13th

17. Minnesota Wild (20-17-3) ▲

Let's take a moment to appreciate what Zach Parise has done - both recently and over the whole first half of the season - after dealing with back and sternum injuries the last couple of years. The veteran forward leads the Wild with 19 goals, is tied for the team lead with 38 points, and has four goals and five assists across his last five games. - Gold-Smith

Previously: 21st

18. Vancouver Canucks (20-21-4) ▲

The Canucks and their fans let out a collective sigh of relief when Elias Pettersson's knee injury turned out to be just a slight MCL sprain. Vancouver's obviously a much different team without Pettersson, but considering he may only miss a week or two, the Canucks will likely resume their unexpected playoff push when the indisputable Calder Trophy favorite returns. - Gold-Smith

Previously: 22nd

19. Carolina Hurricanes (19-17-5) ▲

The inconsistent Hurricanes have reeled off four straight wins after losing four of five. They haven't scored enough this season - ranking near the NHL's basement in goals per game - but the 'Canes have lit the lamp 14 times in their last three contests. - Gold-Smith

Previously: 24th

20. Florida Panthers (17-16-7)

It's been a mixed bag for the Panthers since the holiday hiatus. They won two of three coming out of the break, but then lost a pair of 4-3 games to the Sabres and Blue Jackets. Florida has plenty of work to do if it wants to contend for a playoff spot. - Gold-Smith

21. New York Rangers (17-17-7) ▼

The Rangers have probably exceeded expectations in their first full rebuilding season, but the promising development of their young players could result in a lesser draft pick. - Wegman

Previously: 19th

22. Los Angeles Kings (17-23-3) ▲

It's probably too little too late, but the Kings have gone 6-3-1 across their last 10 games, including upset wins over the powerhouse Jets, Sharks, Golden Knights, and Avalanche. That form will have to continue if L.A. hopes to play meaningful games down the stretch. - Wegman

Previously: 31st

23. Anaheim Ducks (19-17-7) ▼

The Ducks are simply too reliant on goaltender John Gibson to inspire any sort of confidence. He's winlesss in his last seven games despite posting a .905 save percentage, which is nearly league average. - Wegman

Previously: 15th

24. New Jersey Devils (16-18-7) ▲

Taylor Hall and Kyle Palmieri have served as offensive catalysts all season, but they need some help. Last season's playoff berth will go down as a one-off until the Devils add some quality depth up front. On the bright side, top goalie prospect MacKenzie Blackwood has been lights out since his recall. He's the 'tender of the future in New Jersey. - Wegman

Previously: 30th

25. Edmonton Oilers (20-19-3) ▼

After they appeared to right the ship under Ken Hitchcock - going 9-2-2 in his first 13 games - the Oilers reverted back their old selves, picking up just four points in their last nine contests. Peter Chiarelli - not Hitchcock - is the prime culprit for this mess, but the club's inconsistency is astounding. - Wegman

Previously: 16th

26. Detroit Red Wings (16-21-7) ▼

At this point, the Red Wings are simply waiting for their bad contracts to expire so they can begin adding key pieces and take the next step in their rebuild. Detroit might contend in a few years, but for now, the Atlantic Division is much too competitive. - Wegman

Previously: 25th

27. Chicago Blackhawks (16-21-7) ▲

An upset win over the surging Penguins isn't going to save a lost season, but the Blackhawks may have found something in Dylan Strome. The former third overall pick has seven goals and seven assists in 20 games since being traded to the Windy City. - Wegman

Previously: 29th

28. St. Louis Blues (16-19-4) ▼

After a busy offseason and big expectations, things have gone completely sideways in St. Loius. Easily the most disappointing team in the league, the Blues are bound to be deadline sellers. - Wegman

Previously: 26th

29. Arizona Coyotes (18-21-3) ▼

Many wondered if the Coyotes would finally take a step in the right direction this season, but it clearly hasn't happened - and it won't until general manager John Chayka adds some offensive punch to support Clayton Keller. - Wegman

Previously: 27th

30. Philadelphia Flyers (15-20-6) ▼

Carter Hart hasn't looked out of place at the NHL level, which is a positive considering he's just 20 years old. A rookie goaltender won't solve the Flyers' immediate issues, but at least there's a light at the end of the long, dark tunnel in Philadelphia's crease. - Wegman

Previously: 28th

31. Ottawa Senators (15-23-5) ▼

Amid a season with the odds already stacked against them, injuries haven't helped the Senators, as Matt Duchene just returned from a prolonged absence and Thomas Chabot is currently on the shelf. Ottawa will need a clean bill of health to climb out of the basement. The Avalanche - who own the Sens' first-round draft pick - are hoping they won't. - Wegman

Previously: 23rd

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Many predicted the Florida Panthers would challenge for an Eastern Conference wild-card spot this season. The team woke up Monday morning nine points out of the playoffs.

Not ideal.

Several factors have contributed to Florida's position - including a cringe-worthy .887 save percentage - but there's an undeniable trend: Panthers games almost always involve a comeback, and they've usually been the victim.

The 17-16-7 Panthers have won only four of 13 games they've led after the first period. Weirdly enough, however, Florida has won a bunch when trailing after the first period, picking up six wins in 15 tries.

"It's definitely something we've talked about in our locker room," defenseman Mike Matheson told theScore recently. "We've been on the right end of that and been on the wrong end of it."

And comebacks are not exclusive to the Panthers and their combatants. Far from it.

Rallying to victory has become remarkably common across the NHL, with the opening half of 2018-19 - Oct. 3 through this past Friday - producing a record number of comeback wins (285) through the first 635 games of a season. Amazingly, 13.2 percent of all games in the first half featured a team overcoming a multi-goal deficit to win. That's 84 multi-goal turnarounds in a three-month span.

"It's good to hear that it's going on everywhere in the league," Matheson continued, smiling a bit. "We were starting to think it was just us."

Some of this season's memorable comebacks include the Anaheim Ducks erasing a four-goal deficit en route to a 6-5 win over the Washington Capitals in early December; the Ottawa Senators battling back from a three-goal margin to snag a 4-3 win from the Philadelphia Flyers in late November; and, just last week, the Minnesota Wild defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 despite falling behind 2-0 early in the first period.

"I feel like you're never really out of it, and that's the mentality across the league," Wild forward Marcus Foligno said following his club’s victory.

So, why has '18-19 become synonymous with comebacks? For starters, there's no denying the commitment to offense from NHL managers, coaches, and players. Every passing year, it becomes more evident that speed and skill win games, playoff rounds, and championships.

Logically, the more goals, the more lead changes. And there's been an uptick in scoring over the past few seasons, even though shots per game have finally stabilized:

Panthers forward Troy Brouwer, now on his fifth team in an 800-game career, became a full-time NHLer four years after the 2004-05 lockout. By then, the league had bid farewell to the dead-puck era, yet a defense-first mindset remained. More than a decade later, it's all but gone.

"The style of game 12 years ago is different than it is now," he said. "It was more of a trap game. You wouldn't give opponents a whole lot. You don't play that as much anymore. The speed and skill have taken over and the game is more open now, in my opinion, versus when I first came into the league."

By and large, dumping and chasing has been supplanted by stretch passes and other aggressive, risky ways to push the puck north. The neutral zone is an area of focus for inquisitive coaches, and analytical studies underline its link to winning hockey.

Fighting fire with fire, no matter what the scoreboard reads, seems to be a popular philosophy. Up 3-0, tied 2-2, or down 4-1? Don't take your foot off the gas.

It's not a perfect approach, and in the era of parity, it can produce lead changes, but Brouwer explains it's better than the alternative. "You have to stay in attack mode now," he said. "If you let off, you're pretty much just giving the puck back to the other team."

Don't forget that recent changes to rules and regulations - and alterations in their enforcement - were approved for the purpose of increasing scoring. Most notably, goaltender equipment was trimmed to give shooters an advantage, and the crackdown on slashing has forced blue-liners to defend more politely.

"I think anytime you have your stick horizontal on the ice, you're going to get a penalty," Maple Leafs defenseman Travis Dermott said. "You definitely have to have your feet going. And with the speed nowadays, you definitely have to be fast to keep up with forwards."

Matheson added, "If somebody with the puck gets body position on you, there's pretty much nothing you can do to get the puck off them without taking a penalty."

And if your team takes a penalty, good luck. Power plays are dangerously effective in 2019. The Tampa Bay Lightning boast a ridiculous 30 percent success rate, and the league average is hovering around 20 percent for a second straight season. Once considered risque, having four forwards on one top-heavy unit has become common practice.

"Instead of having two balanced units, everyone is just loading up one unit and playing them a minute-and-a-half, two minutes on the power play," Matheson noted. "And it works. To have your five best players on the ice, they're going to make plays and are going to be able to score goals."

The Panthers have experimented with a five-forward power-play unit, emphasizing the shift toward an NHL that prioritizes offense.

"It's a scoring league, 100 percent," Matheson said.

A comeback league, too, apparently.

__________

Pressing pause on the season at the halfway point can also be beneficial at the team level - especially when trying to forecast or manage expectations for the second half.

One way to do this is to dive into some underlying numbers - stats on who's endured the most/fewest injuries, experienced the worst/best puck luck, and faced the most difficult/easiest competition.

On the first front, thanks to Nathan Currier's fine work at ManGamesLost.com, it's clear some teams have been ravaged by injuries while others have enjoyed relatively good health (MGL = man games lost to injury in first half):

The Dallas Stars are an interesting case, particularly in light of CEO Jim Lites blasting marquee forwards Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn over the holidays.

The Stars have been challenged by injuries, especially on the back end, with Stephen Johns sidelined all season and No. 1 defenseman John Klingberg missing 18 games. Somehow, Dallas is one of four teams that missed the playoffs last year but is holding down a playoff spot at the midway point of this season.

Ranking 16th among 31 teams, the Stars can't otherwise claim they were particularly lucky or unlucky in the first half, based on the advanced stat PDO (save percentage plus shooting percentage):

Seeing the Maple Leafs at the top of the PDO list and near the bottom of the injury list doesn't mean they should expect poor puck luck or a slew of painful events over the next few months. However, those raw figures illustrate that Mike Babcock and his players haven't faced too much adversity in the early going, avoiding major injuries and clearly getting a fortuitous bounce or two. Compared to the Arizona Coyotes, whose season has been derailed by long-term ailments and a lack of scoring, Toronto is laughing.

Meanwhile, given where the San Jose Sharks rank in other categories - and their third-place spot in the Pacific Division - it's notable that they're 31st in man games lost. Along with being virtually injury-free, the first-half Sharks had the fourth-easiest schedule, according to Hockey Reference's strength of schedule metric, and tied for hitting the fifth-fewest crossbars/posts:

At the other end of the spectrum are the rebuilding Vancouver Canucks. Not only did Elias Pettersson, Bo Horvat, and friends hit the most posts and crossbars, they also faced stiff competition, tying the Edmonton Oilers and Chicago Blackhawks for the second-highest strength of schedule:

An inch here, an inch there, and perhaps the Canucks have more than 44 points in 45 games. Can they capitalize on an easier second half, or is the franchise actually OK with misfiring? Would missing the playoffs and gaining a higher draft pick be a better scenario for the club?

The next few months in B.C. - and in the NHL's 30 other markets - should be intriguing.

John Matisz is theScore's National Hockey Writer. You can find him on Twitter @matiszjohn.

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Philadelphia Flyers forward Jori Lehtera will skip his scheduled court appearance in Finland on Tuesday, according to Tricia L. Nadolny of The Philadelphia Inquirer, citing a report from Finnish newspaper Aamulehti.

Legally, Lehtera isn't required to attend the hearing because Finnish authorities haven't been able to subpoena him, according to Aamulehti.

The 31-year-old was charged with buying eight grams of cocaine from a distribution ring in his native Finland over the summer. Prosecutors are seeking a five-month suspended sentence.

Lehtera has stated he's innocent. He's one of 22 people charged in the case.

Lehtera's recorded one goal and two assists in 24 games this season and hasn't suited up since Dec. 15.

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Every Monday, theScore will offer a weekly fantasy hockey column detailing a handful of moves you should make. Ownership percentages (as of Jan. 6) and position eligibility are courtesy of Yahoo.

Buy low on Eric Staal

Team: Wild
Position: C
Ownership: 62 percent

Staal has regressed after scoring 42 goals a year ago, but the numbers suggest he's poised for a big second half after tallying just 13 goals in 39 games so far this season.

The center is averaging 3.21 shots per game, which would be the most he's recorded in a single season since 2010-11. And it's not just the amount of shots he's taking, but the quality of those attempts. He's tied for eighth in the league with 52 individual high-danger scoring chances at five-on-five, and on a per 60-minute basis, his 5.71 iHDCF is the best of his career since his 45-goal, 100-point season in 2005-06.

Staal is a proven finisher, and he's bound to start capitalizing on his chances sooner rather than later. He may actually be available in your league to pick up, but if not, it shouldn't take much to pry him away from his current owner.

Sell high on Joe Pavelski

Team: Sharks
Position: C/RW
Ownership: 97 percent

Pavelski is on pace to shatter his career high in goals this season, as he already has 25 midway through the campaign. However, fantasy owners may have already seen the best of Pavelski in 2018-19.

His 21.9 shooting percentage would stand to be the best in his 13 NHL seasons and is 10 percent higher than his career average of 11.9 heading into 2018-19.

The 34-year-old is unique in that he doesn't always rely on beating a goaltender one-on-one with a shot to score. He's an intelligent player and seems to be in the right place at the right time, and he may be the best deflection artist in the entire league. With that being said, the likelihood he repeats his first half is very low. Fantasy owners are better off trading him now while his value is high.

Stream Michael Hutchinson

Team: Maple Leafs
Position: G
Ownership: 17 percent

It's unclear how much time Frederik Andersen will miss with a groin injury, but he's already been ruled out for Monday's game against the Nashville Predators. Given their place in the standings, and Andersen's value to the team, the Maple Leafs will not rush him back into the crease, leaving Hutchinson with a chance to briefly hold the No. 1 job.

Hutchinson has yielded mixed results since joining the Leafs last week. He allowed four goals on 34 shots Thursday against the Wild but earned a shutout Saturday against the Elias Pettersson-less Vancouver Canucks.

Nonetheless, Hutchinson has enjoyed modest success in the past and offers nice fantasy value for goaltender-needy teams until Andersen is ready to return.

Hang on to Brandon Pirri in deeper leagues

Team: Golden Knights
Position: C
Ownership: 9 percent

Pirri was sent down to the AHL despite scoring six goals in seven games with the Golden Knights, causing the vast majority of his owners to drop him. However, if you're in a deeper league (14 or 16 teams), he might be worth holding for a few days, as it's likely Vegas will find a way to call him back up at some point this week. With Max Pacioretty's return, Pirri was sent down because he didn't have to clear waivers.

Pirri's goal-scoring binge wasn't sustainable but he's certainly worth owning while he rides his hot streak.

Stream Mark Jankowski in deeper leagues

Team: Flames
Position: C
Ownership: 3 percent

In a busy week of games, the Calgary Flames have the most favorable schedule. They play four contests, none of which come Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday - the busiest days of the week when you'll likely have a full lineup.

Calgary has been rolling lately and Jankowski has played a big part, picking up five points in his last six games. There are better options on other teams if you're in a standard 10- or 12-team league, but in deeper leagues, Jankowski might be the most attractive streaming option of the week.

(Advanced stats courtesy: Natural Stat Trick)

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Welcome to Puck Pursuit, a weekly NHL podcast hosted by John Matisz, theScore's National Hockey Writer.

Subscribe to the show on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play.

In this episode, John's joined by ESPN senior NHL writer Greg Wyshynski to discuss award front-runners at the midway point of the 2018-19 NHL season.

The seven major prizes up for grabs are:

• Hart Trophy
• Calder Trophy
• Norris Trophy
• Vezina Trophy
• Jack Adams Award
• Selke Trophy
• Lady Byng Trophy

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Despite cries from his head coach, Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid still doesn't seem to be getting much protection from the officials.

McDavid avoided serious injury when he crashed hard into the boards during the second period of Sunday's game in Anaheim after being hit from behind by Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm.

McDavid skated off under his own power and didn't miss any time. No penalty was called on the play.

Oilers head coach Ken Hitchcock has been critical of the league for not protecting McDavid in the past, calling out officials in December.

"I'm not going to comment on the penalties, but the stuff that really bothers me is what's happening to Connor," Hitchcock said. "We're a league that's supposed to showcase our top players - and you don't want to give them all the freedom - but the tug-of-war on him was absolutely ridiculous and that's a little bit discouraging, to be honest with you.

"I can see the whack-and-hacking going on when he's got the puck, but to me, it's all the stuff behind (the play) that doesn't allow him to showcase his speed, and if that's what we want, well, that's fine, but I think it's a real disservice to a player like him."

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Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.