In the fifth edition of theScore's 2019-20 Vezina Trophy Power Rankings, we look at the leading candidates for the award through the first five months of the season.

5. Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets

Hellebuyck's consistent play between the pipes has kept the Jets afloat in an extremely competitive Western Conference playoff race. The 26-year-old owns a .921 save percentage in the month of February and ranks third among netminders in expected goals saved above average at five-on-five on the season.

The Jets' most valuable player is heading for familiar territory in terms of workload. With 52 starts already under his belt, Hellebuyck will likely reach the 60-start mark for the third consecutive campaign.

4. Jordan Binnington, St. Louis Blues

Binnington has bounced back in a big way after an ugly January knocked him off our rankings.

Even after surrendering five goals Tuesday, the Blues puck-stopper has still allowed just six goals over his past four starts and has posted two shutouts in February. Binnington also ranks second among all netminders in both wins and high-danger save percentage.

3. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning

Vasilevskiy continues to climb up our list with his sublime play between the pipes. The Russian puck-stopper leads all netminders in wins by a wide margin and ranks third in total minutes played.

Prior to a forgettable two-game Western road trip, Vasilevskiy posted a record of 19-0-2 to go along with a 1.97 goals-against average and a .934 save percentage over a masterful two-month stretch.

2. Ben Bishop, Dallas Stars

The league's largest puck-stopper has been a model of consistency between the pipes all decade. With three top-three finishes in Vezina voting over the last eight seasons, Bishop has put himself in a strong position to finally capture the elusive hardware in 2019-20.

The 33-year-old has given the goal-starved Stars a chance to win nearly every night. He's allowed two or fewer goals in 64% of his starts and has only conceded four or more on six occasions.

1. Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins

Rask is back at the top of our rankings for the first time since this season's opening edition.

The Finn ranks fifth among netminders in standard save percentage and third in high-danger save percentage. He sits second in goals saved above average at five-on-five. Before allowing 10 goals over his last two starts, Rask had surrendered two or fewer tallies in 11 straight outings, boasting a .951 save percentage in those games.

(Advanced stats source: Natural Stat Trick, Corsica Hockey)

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David Ayres' fast-track to superstardom has garnered the attention of the NHL, as the league's emergency backup goalie rules are expected to be discussed when general managers convene for their annual meetings in Florida next week.

Ayres has dominated headlines across the sports world since Saturday night, when he was forced to suit up in goal for the Carolina Hurricanes and ultimately won his appearance against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Despite all the fun and publicity the situation created, the league will now explore if the process needs changing.

"I think it's a fair question," deputy commissioner Bill Daly told NHL.com's Tom Gulitti. "It's something we've given some consideration over the years. As recently as last year, we discussed (it) with general managers. It happens very, very rarely, but when it happens, it raises everybody's attention to the issue and whether there are fixes that need to be made to that particular issue."

Ayres, 42, works as a Zamboni driver for Toronto's AHL affiliate and has practiced with the Maple Leafs in the past. The last emergency backup to see game action prior to Ayres was Scott Foster, a 36-year-old accountant who earned a win for the Chicago Blackhawks in March 2018.

"There's no easy fixes to it," Daly said. "Particularly, we have to work with the (NHL) Players' Association. Who's a player? Who's not a player? What qualifies all of that? But we obviously want what's best for the game, and we want to make sure people aren't putting themselves in danger by playing goal in a National Hockey League game ... So that's obviously something we have to continue to work through."

Ayres has turned into a viral sensation since living out his NHL dream. The city of Raleigh declared Tuesday "David Ayres Day," and he's been interviewed on talk shows throughout the continent, including the Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

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Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Muzzin exited Tuesday's contest versus the Tampa Bay Lightning with a hand injury and won't return, the team announced.

Muzzin blocked a Victor Hedman shot late in the second period and didn't come out for the final frame.

Toronto is currently without blue-liners Morgan Rielly and Cody Ceci, who are each out with long-term injuries. Muzzin missed one month earlier this season due to a broken foot.

Muzzin signed a four-year, $22.5-million extension with the Maple Leafs on Monday and has arguably been the club's most reliable defenseman this season. The 31-year-old has posted 23 points while averaging just under 22 minutes per night.

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With a busy trade deadline in the rearview mirror, NHL rosters are set and the playoff push is underway, with the quest for the Stanley Cup on the horizon.

There was a flurry of action in the lead-up to Monday's deadline. While some general managers were busy strengthening their teams for the stretch run, others got lost in the chaos, with their respective squads' chances suffering blows as a result.

Here are the updated Stanley Cup odds heading into the final six weeks of the regular season:

Only displaying teams with odds +5000 or shorter.

Buy

Tampa Bay Lightning (+600)

This is a betting article, and for the purposes of winning the Stanley Cup this season, it doesn't matter to us how much teams overpay to add. The Lightning gave up a lot for the likes of Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow, but is anyone going to care about that if they're lifting the Cup come June? Coleman is a smart player who should provide solid depth scoring, while Goodrow makes Tampa a tougher team to play against. And let's not forget Zach Bogosian, who elected to sign with the Bolts over a number of other suitors. Heading a team that just needed some fine-tuning, general manager Julien BriseBois hit a home run.

Washington Capitals (+1000)

The Pittsburgh Penguins and GM Jim Rutherford had a typically excellent couple of weeks leading up to the deadline, but Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan deserves a ton of credit for not just keeping up, but winning their divisional arms race. Brenden Dillon brings experience and toughness to the Caps' blue line, and the addition of a motivated Ilya Kovalchuk is highly intriguing. Each of those players shifts the needle more than the Penguins' addition of Patrick Marleau, which didn't make a whole lot of sense, and the re-acquisition of Conor Sheary. Pittsburgh did well to get Jason Zucker earlier in February, but Rutherford didn't do anything to address the back end, where injuries remain an issue.

The Capitals solidified themselves as the cream of the crop in the Metropolitan Division, and they can be had for the same price as a Penguins team that hasn't much improved since the Zucker trade.

Philadelphia Flyers (+2000)

It wasn't a flashy deadline for Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher, but he did really well given his team's financial restraints. Nate Thompson and Derek Grant won't make a big impact on the scoreboard, but they're the sort of players whose presence is really felt in the playoffs. They offer important grit and depth without disrupting team chemistry. Grant is having a career year and can fill a variety of roles, while Thompson is outstanding in the faceoff circle and should prove an invaluable addition in the room.

Carolina Hurricanes (+2000)

I wrote extensively about the Hurricanes' odds earlier in February, and if you own a Canes futures ticket, you have to be thrilled with the deadline work of GM Don Waddell. Brady Skjei and Sami Vatanen provide a massive boost to a defensive core that's been riddled with injuries, but the real prize was Vincent Trocheck, who gives Carolina legitimately impressive depth down the middle. Injuries in goal are a concern, but Alex Nedeljkovic has had success at every level and there's no reason to suggest he can't fill the void. It's not like Petr Mrazek had been playing lights out, either.

Sell

Colorado Avalanche (+900)

It's not all doom and gloom for the Avalanche, who are still an excellent team with a long window to win, but it feels GM Joe Sakic missed the boat a bit here. There's nothing wrong with being patient, but it seemed like Colorado could have taken a significant step toward the Cup by adding someone like Trocheck, Chris Kreider, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, or Tomas Tatar. Colorado has great organizational depth, and it would have been nice to see Sakic flex some of that muscle to have a real go at it this season.

Toronto Maple Leafs (+2800)

The Maple Leafs suffered a painful loss Saturday, but the one taken by GM Kyle Dubas on Monday might have been even worse. He stood idly by as the rest of an already very strong Eastern Conference got that much better. Dubas wasn't exactly swimming in trade assets, but it was a predicament of his own making, and many would have liked to see him get creative to address any of the roster's multiple holes. On a positive note, you can't get your heart broken in Game 7 if you don't reach a Game 7.

Calgary Flames (+3000)

In fairness to GM Brad Treliving, the Flames were backed into a corner following injuries to Mark Giordano and Travis Hamonic. He was never going to be able to replace that pair, but the addition of Erik Gustafsson is underwhelming. In a truly wide-open Pacific Division, it would have been nice to see him roll the dice a bit more. At this rate, there's a decent chance the Flames wind up missing the playoffs altogether.

Florida Panthers (+5000)

The Maple Leafs keep gifting the Panthers a route to the playoffs, but Florida is shockingly reluctant to accept. Not only did the Panthers not improve, but they got worse by dealing Trocheck to a team extremely close to them in the standings. There was nothing to like about Florida's deadline moves, especially with a playoff spot right there for the taking.

Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.

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If you're anything like me, you were glued to the screen Monday to follow the chaos that was the NHL's trade deadline.

As the 3 p.m. ET deadline passed, you were jacked up on hockey and ready to bet on some games - only to come to the crippling realization that the NHL had just one game scheduled for Monday night. Letdown.

Congratulations on making it through. As a reward, we have 13 games on Tuesday's schedule to satisfy all our hockey and betting desires.

GOATs and scapegoats

How about Tyler Toffoli registering three points in just his second game with the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday? He helped spark a nine-goal outburst on home ice, as his team absolutely dismantled the Boston Bruins. That was a fun ticket to cash at +125.

You know what wasn't fun? Betting on the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday. Not only did I pick them to win the game, but I hammered them live in the second period and again at intermission.

If you don't know how that played out, you've been living under a rock.

Tuesday bets

Vancouver Canucks/Montreal Canadiens under 6

Jacob Markstrom is a significant loss for Vancouver but probably not as big as some are making it out to be. Thatcher Demko is a very promising young goalie, and he's had an excellent season thus far. I have no doubt he's ready to take the reins in Markstrom's absence starting tonight in Montreal. The Canadiens should get another typically excellent showing from Carey Price, especially against his hometown team, as goals should be hard to come by at Bell Centre. The Canucks have lost six straight in Montreal and nine of their last 10 games there, being shutout in five. The Habs are 10-2 to the under this season at home to Western Conference teams.

Toronto Maple Leafs/Tampa Bay Lightning under 6.5

The Lightning have been playing the best hockey in the NHL for some time. All that firepower up front has overshadowed how unbelievably strong they are on the back end and in net. Tampa Bay has won 11 straight at home, allowing just 20 goals over that span. The Maple Leafs will be aiming to put in another bounce-back performance defensively after Saturday's disaster, while it's hard to see them beating Andrei Vasilevskiy too often. Betting the under in a Toronto game can bring cruel and unusual punishment, but this game should be a lot tighter defensively than at first glance.

Chicago Blackhawks/St. Louis Blues over 6

The Blues broke out of their offensive rut over the weekend, scoring nine goals over two road games following a bit of a dry spell on home ice. They return to St. Louis tonight to take on the Blackhawks, who have allowed at least three goals in six of their last seven contests on the road. The last five meetings between these teams in St. Louis have gone over, averaging eight goals per game. Given the recent play of both sides, this one should sail over the number.

Best bet

Dallas Stars/Carolina Hurricanes over 5.5

Alex Nedeljkovic will get the nod for the Hurricanes tonight in the absence of Petr Mrazek and James Reimer, having been called up from the AHL's Charlotte Checkers, and he's actually a very capable netminder. A second-round pick in 2014, he led the Checkers to the Calder Cup title and was named the league's top goaltender in 2018-19. This year, he was named to the All-Star Game. This play isn't based on him starting the game but rather the two teams involved.

The Stars have found a nice rhythm offensively, scoring at least three goals in each of their last seven away games. Somewhat uncharacteristically, however, they've been struggling to keep pucks out at the other end, allowing at least three goals in five of their last eight on the road. The Hurricanes have played to five straight overs at home and will likely need to generate some offense in this one given the injuries and new faces on the blue line. This total is simply too low at 5.5.

Trend of the night

The Florida Panthers have scored at least three goals in 10 of 11 games away to Western Conference teams this season.

They've also scored at least four goals in eight of those 11 contests and will look to improve on that mark tonight in Phoenix against the Arizona Coyotes. You can get Florida's team total over 2.5 at -140 or over 3.5 at +180. The Coyotes have been playing much better hockey of late though, especially on the back end, so tread carefully.

Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.

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Veteran forward Joe Thornton expressed his disappointment after staying with the San Jose Sharks as Monday's trade deadline passed.

"As you get older, you realize you only have so many shots at this thing," Thornton said Tuesday, according to The Athletic's Kevin Kurz. "It would have been nice to at least have a chance (at the Stanley Cup). ... I wanted a shot, you know? Believe it or not. I've been hunting this thing down for 22 years, so I wanted another shot at it."

The 40-year-old Thornton signed a one-year, $2-million deal to stay with the Sharks last summer, but the team has struggled throughout the 2019-20 campaign.

With San Jose sitting near the bottom of the standings, the veteran center was willing to waive his no-movement clause in order to join a legitimate Cup contender. But while there was interest in Thornton on deadline day, it didn't come from the league's "elite" teams, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

"Yeah, obviously I was willing to go somewhere, and try to win my first Stanley Cup," Thornton said. "I've been dreaming about that ever since I can remember and it just didn't come to fruition, for whatever reason. I wanted to get something back for the Sharks obviously to help them continue this process with young guys. It just didn't work out."

Thornton has skated in 1,628 regular-season games throughout his NHL career, amassing 417 goals and 1,088 assists. He's also played in 179 playoff contests, reaching the Stanley Cup Final once in 2016.

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Edmonton Oilers forward Kailer Yamamoto has been listed as week-to-week due to an ankle injury, the team announced Tuesday. In a corresponding move, the club recalled forward Markus Granlund from the AHL's Bakersfield Condors.

Yamamoto has performed extremely well since being called up by the Oilers earlier this season. In 21 games, he's recorded nine goals and 21 points.

Granlund has appeared in 32 games with Edmonton this season, managing three goals and one assist. He's skated in 17 games with the Condors, scoring nine goals and adding nine assists.

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