Mike Hoffman, the top free-agent goal-scorer still available, is joining the St. Louis Blues on a professional tryout, the team announced Sunday.
Hoffman will join the club for training camp beginning Jan. 3, but since he hasn't signed an official contract yet, is still eligible to ink a new deal with any team.
More to come.
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The Ottawa Senators have put pen to paper with forward Tim Stuetzle on a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Sunday.
Ottawa selected the German phenom third overall at the 2020 NHL Draft.
"Tim possesses an exceptional blend of both speed and skill and a playmaking ability that our fans are going to enjoy watching for several years to come," Senators general manager Pierre Dorion said. "He's a dynamic forward who we expect to become a key piece of our roster as we continue trending toward icing an eventual elite-level team."
Stuetzle is currently captaining Germany at the world juniors. He entered Sunday with a goal and an assist over two games in the tournament.
The 18-year-old is capable of playing center, but he's expected to start his NHL career on the wing.
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Have you clicked submit on a bet and knew it was a loser? You're not alone.
That’s why we created our naughty list, featuring the teams and players who we faded with extreme stubbornness - or trusted to a fault - in 2020.
Here’s who had no regard for our bankrolls this past year:
Before the PGA Tour shut down for three months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bryson DeChambeau was playing great. When things resumed and saw the 27-year-old had put on 20-plus pounds of muscle to become the longest hitter on Tour by far, you knew a win was close.
So it was a matter of figuring out when that title was coming, and we completely struck out. We whiffed at the Travelers Championship, which was the week prior to his Rocket Mortgage Classic victory when he was the +600 favorite. Then, when he showed up at the U.S. Open in poor form, we thought there's no way his errant driving would hold up with thick, penalizing rough at Winged Foot, so we faded him in the outright market and targeted him in multiple head-to-head bets. Once again, we were wrong on DeChambeau as he muscled his way toward a six-shot major victory.
- Eric Patterson
Being from Toronto, Bills games are a yearly must. Orchard Park is a staple of tailgate folklore, and there’s nothing like washing down a day of debauchery at the famous Anchor Bar. It’s a shame I’ll never be going back.
I figured I’d seen enough of Josh Allen through two years to know what he is. I guess I was wrong?
I faded the Bills early against the Rams and went back to the well a week later against the Raiders; 0-2. Then I backed them against the Titans because, well, COVID-19; 42-16 Tennessee. That was my breaking point. "They're overvalued,” I wrote in every single one of my articles.
Narrator: They weren’t.
It only got worst from there. I've gone approximately 0-19 betting Bills games this year, between spreads, totals, and player props. Tell Stefon Diggs I have his over, and he’s putting up 16 yards. It’s wild.
- Alex Moretto
Everything was getting postponed or canceled in early spring, so the NFL Draft was the one really big event I was excited to bet. You can only wager on marble races for so long in the dead of March with no college basketball.
Anything is fair game when it comes to draft rumors, but I heard from two reliable sources that Justin Jefferson wasn't getting past the Eagles at No. 21. On draft day, I remember buying this cool poster board and markers and categorizing all my props, hinged on a Brinks truck full of money on Jefferson under 21.5.
Jefferson was still on the board when the Eagles picked. They chose Jalen Reagor.
That poster board was in the garbage by the time the Vikings picked at 22.
- Alex Kolodziej
I know what you're thinking, how can the World Series champions be the team that cost me the most money, in a shortened season, no less? I bet on almost every team not named the Dodgers to win the World Series - and I watched in horror as every one of my hard-earned tickets went up in flames.
Entering the postseason, I had action on over half of the playoff field, including six of the eight teams in the American League. I'm not just talking about lazy midseason values, either: Rays 18-1, Athletics 25-1, White Sox 33-1, Padres 40-1. I could have blindly thrown a rock at the playoff bracket and hit a stellar preseason bet, which had me feeling pretty good in late September.
Do you know who didn't care about any of that? The Dodgers, who even let Tampa Bay hang around for six games in the World Series just to twist the knife around a little bit. The series was never that close, nor were my chances of winning any money on my binder full of MLB futures. Thanks for that, Corey Seager.
- C Jackson Cowart
About four or five times a week, I sit and wonder if Mike Gundy has it out for me. I couldn't predict an Oklahoma State outcome if you revealed it.
In Week 1, I bet the Cowboys over against Tulsa; 16-7 final. They could have played twice and it wouldn't have hit. A week later, I called them out. They proceeded to win their next three by a combined 57 points.
Three games later, I recommended betting them against Oklahoma. They lost by 28. In the season finale, I suggested playing them as 12-point favorites against Texas Tech. They gave up 44 points and nearly lost outright.
Is that good?
- Alex Kolodziej
Betting long shots in the preseason is supposed to be the quintessential example of low risk, high reward. It's supposed to be fun - all opportunity, no downside. That only applies if you know your limits.
I clearly didn't when it came to Oregon, trading at 80-1 to win the 2021 College Football Playoff last January. Remember, this was a different time when teams played all the games on their schedule and the Pac-12 had a chance of making the playoff (OK, maybe that wasn't true then, either). I emptied my account on the Ducks, who profiled as a top-15 team led by Penei Sewell and an elite defense.
Then the world changed, and so did my once-savvy futures play. Sewell opted out, Oregon's defense allowed an abysmal 28 points per game, and the Ducks posted their worst regular-season record since 2017. The conference even tried to hook me up by sending a two-loss Oregon team to the Pac-12 title game, but nothing can erase the stink of losing to Oregon State and Cal - regardless of the preseason price.
- C Jackson Cowart
It wouldn’t surprise me if a few Granville Street bars have my face taped to dartboards. I definitely don’t care to search my name on Canucks message boards and imagine I need to wait at least a few years before I revisit the city. My in-laws live there, so maybe it’s not such a bad thing.
To be clear, I had a good two months betting the NHL playoffs, but it could have been great if not for the Canucks. I was on the Wild in the play-in round – series and game-by-game bets – and all over Vegas to curb stomp them in the conference semis. I almost took out a second mortgage to bet the Knights -1.5 games in the series. Naturally, it went the distance.
As if the money I lost betting against the Canucks wasn’t bad enough, their fans destroyed me on every social media platform. Right, William? Buddy, too. I'll spare you the DMs - kids might be reading this. Canucks fans aren't a very forgiving bunch.
- Alex Moretto
Who's on your naughty list? This is a safe space and an important exercise in healing. Share in the comments below.
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The Arizona Coyotes traded center Derek Stepan to the Ottawa Senators for a 2021 second-round pick, the team announced Saturday.
The 30-year-old pivot is in the final season of his contract, which carries a $6.5-million cap hit, per CapFriendly. He's only owed $2 million in base salary, though.
Stepan was once a steady offensive producer. In his first eight NHL seasons, he averaged 57 points per 82 games, but his production tailed off in recent years as he tallied 35 points in 2018-19 and 28 points in 70 contests last season.
However, the veteran may very well step in and serve as Ottawa's No. 1 center. The team's other options down the middle are Colin White, Chris Tierney, Artem Anisimov, Logan Brown, Josh Norris, and Nick Paul.
The second-round pick heading to Arizona was originally owned by the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Senators still have their own second-round pick in 2021 and the San Jose Sharks' second-rounder.
The Coyotes were up against the cap before this trade, but they project to have $8.3 million in flexibility once Marian Hossa is placed on long-term injured reserve.
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Team Canada is off to a scorching start at this year's world juniors.
Canada showed no mercy Saturday and easily took care of a short-staffed German team in the country's first game of the world juniors, winning 16-2.
Kaiden Guhle opened the scoring two minutes into the game. Soon after, defenseman Dawson Mercer took advantage of a mishap by German goaltender Arno Tiefensee to bury an easy shorthanded goal.
Halfway through the first, defenseman Braden Schneider was ejected from the game for delivering a hit to the head, which gave the Germans a five-minute power play. John-Jason Peterka managed to snipe one past Devon Levi to get Germany on the board at the end of the man advantage.
After the Germans saw a glimmer of hope, Canada's Phil Tomasino netted one just a minute later. As the clock expired, Peyton Krebs beat the buzzer for another goal to put Canada up 4-1 even though time seemed to have expired before the puck crossed the line.
Canada turned on the jets in the second period and scored seven goals. Mercer, Krebs, and Tomasino each netted their second, while Alex Newhook potted two. Ryan Suzuki and Dylan Cozens scored the others.
The third period didn't get any easier for the Germans as Canada scored five goals on its first five shots of the period. The onslaught continued through the end of the game, but Germany managed to squeeze in its second goal in the dying seconds.
Cozens ended the game with a hat trick. Jakob Pelletier, Thomas Harley, and Connor McMichael rounded out Canada's list of scorers as Canada outshot the Germans 44-15.
Canada's 16 goals in a single world juniors game came two shy of the country's record of 18 set in 1985 and equaled in 1986, according to Sportsnet Stats. It was the most goals the country has scored in a game since the Canadians put up 16 against Latvia in 2009.
Germany's loss was the team's second straight game with just 14 skaters due to COVID-19 quarantine requirements.
This was Canada's first game and win of the tournament. Germany already dropped its first game against Finland on Friday. Canada is set to take on Slovakia at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, and Germany will also take on the Slovaks at 9:30 p.m. on Monday.
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This is the first edition of theScore's NHL Power Rankings for the 2021 season. Check back for updated rankings every second Monday during the regular season.
In this edition, we identify one holiday gift each team could use for this upcoming campaign or the future.
🎁A speedy recovery for Kucherov. For most of the offseason, the Lightning's biggest concern was whether they'd get all of their free agents signed under the salary cap. In a cruel twist of fate, that now appears feasible in the wake of Nikita Kucherov's nagging hip injury. Tampa Bay isn't expecting him back during the regular season, but what a gift an early return would be.
🎁 A horseshoe for better injury luck. The Avalanche may have been able to get their hands on the Stanley Cup if they hadn't hit injury trouble last season. Injuries to top players like Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog during the regular season and goaltenders Phillipp Grubauer and Pavel Francouz in the postseason derailed hopes of winning it all. However, the team will surely be a top threat if players can stay healthy this year.
🎁 A trade partner. The Golden Knights arguably received the greatest gift of the offseason when Alex Pietrangelo chose Sin City, but Vegas needs to offload some salary to become cap compliant before puck drop.
🎁 Depth scoring. The Bruins will likely begin the year without superstar forwards David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand. The early-season omissions wouldn't warrant alarm bells under normal circumstances, but Boston's realigned East Division is deep and the Bruins can't afford for their offense to dry up and fall behind early in the standings with far less room for error in a 56-game schedule.
🎁 Healthy recoveries. The Stars had a long list of injuries after their grueling run to the Stanley Cup Final. The club expects Tyler Seguin and Ben Bishop to miss the start of the campaign - two integral parts of the club's quest to return to the postseason in a competitive Central Division.
🎁 An experienced backup goalie. Going from Pietrangelo to Torey Krug has worked out better than it could have for the Blues and they may ultimately be more vulnerable in the crease than on the blue line. St. Louis traded reliable No. 2 netminder Jake Allen away in the offseason, entrusting backup duties to the unproven Ville Husso. If Jordan Binnington keeps regressing or gets hurt, it could be a long season in Missouri without a battle-tested backup.
🎁 An extension for Ovi. The Capitals are entering unknown territory this season. Alex Ovechkin has just one season remaining on his contract - the same one he inked back in 2008 after his rookie deal expired. The sniper continues to be the heart and soul of the Capitals. Although the 35-year-old has indicated he has absolutely no desire to play for another NHL team at any point, the threat of him leaving to play in Russia always looms.
🎁 An extension for Rod Brind'Amour. The Hurricanes bench boss is in the final season of his contract and a new deal would be a perfect holiday bonus. Brind'Amour's crew is 84-52-12 since he's taken over in Carolina.
🎁 A healthy Nolan Patrick: The 2017 second overall pick lost a year in his development after missing the entire 2019-20 campaign due to a migraine disorder. The Flyers' forward core is already deep and Patrick's return would add even more offensive grit to possibly take Philadelphia up another level.
🎁A hot start for Frederik Andersen. The Maple Leafs netminder is a notoriously slow starter, which isn't ideal in a 56-game campaign. We know Toronto will score and the defense is vastly improved, so if Andersen bounces back after a down season in 2019-20, Toronto should win the North Division.
🎁 A way to get Mathew Barzal signed. The Islanders are in a bit of a cap crunch thanks to several of Lou Lamoriello's questionable deals. Worse still, the squad's most exciting player still needs a new contract. On the bright side, New York has about $4 million of wiggle room, but it'll take more than that to get Barzal's signature on the dotted line.
🎁 The Neuralyzer from Men in Black. The Penguins were one of the league's best teams last year but fell flat against the Montreal Canadiens in the league's return to play and ultimately failed to make the playoffs. With Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang still producing at elite levels, the franchise needs to quickly erase its memory of the summer and set its eyes on nabbing another Cup to add to the collection.
🎁 A time machine. The Flames are poised to contend in the North Division, but a gift that could return Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan to their 2018-19 forms may send Calgary to the top.
🎁 Jesse Puljujarvi: The missing ingredient. It's no secret the Oilers are still in need of scoring depth, so if Puljujarvi can emerge as the lottery pick Edmonton thought he was when the team selected him in 2016, look out. The dynamic winger led Karpat of the Finnish League with 24 goals and 53 points in 56 games last season and hopes his improved game translates to the NHL this time around.
🎁 A way to bury Loui Eriksson's contract. Even Santa probably doesn't have enough magic to make this come true, but making Eriksson's contract miraculously disappear would make it much easier to extend Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes.
🎁 A true contender in front of Carey Price. The Canadiens have long boasted one of the NHL's best goaltenders, but Price can't do it all himself. Montreal made some key additions in the offseason after showing promise in 2019-20, but the new faces will need to jell quickly with the core amid a shortened schedule.
🎁 A flawless transition for Alexis Lafreniere. We've seen just how hard it can be for young players to make the jump to the NHL after lackluster performances from top picks Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko last season. The Rangers possess a roster ready to make some noise and a dominant rookie season by this year's No. 1 pick would go a long way.
🎁Long-term security for Pierre-Luc Dubois. With the season fast approaching, the Blue Jackets have one major piece of business still to take care of: signing their leading scorer. The sooner the better.
🎁 The Mikael Granlund they traded for. The Predators clearly still believe the Finnish forward can be an important piece after bringing him back on a one-year, $3.75-million deal Wednesday. Granlund has averaged just 0.43 points per game since joining Nashville at the 2019 trade deadline after mustering 0.83 per contest over his previous three seasons with the Wild.
🎁 A Rasmus Dahlin emergence. This is not a slight to the 2018 first overall pick. Dahlin's been excellent as a teenager in his first two NHL seasons, but the Sabres are going to need a bit of a miracle to contend in the loaded East Division - even with the addition of Taylor Hall. A Josh Allen-style rapid development from Dahlin into a Norris Trophy contender would be huge.
🎁 A healthy defense. One of the biggest reasons Connor Hellebuyck won the Vezina Trophy last season was his standout performance despite the departures and injuries that decimated the Jets' blue line. Winnipeg could use some good luck with the latter to save their star puck-stopper from being bombarded again.
🎁 A scientist to ensure instant chemistry. The Panthers added quite a few new faces this offseason - Patric Hornqvist, Alex Wennberg, Anthony Duclair, and Vinnie Hinostroza, to name a few. The club has the pieces and talent to be a legitimate contender but will need to gain chemistry quickly - especially in a shortened season.
🎁 A smooth transition for Kirill Kaprizov. The Wild have waited years for the Russian dynamo to come to North America after drafting him in 2015. The 23-year-old sniper could be a huge addition to Minnesota's offense if he lives up to the hype.
🎁 Major leap from Jack Hughes. The 2019 first overall pick had a pedestrian rookie campaign during a rather tumultuous season with the Devils. However, New Jersey enters 2020-21 with a clean slate, and Hughes will look to take a massive step in his sophomore campaign with new head coach Lindy Ruff at the helm.
🎁 An offensive catalyst. We know the Coyotes are good at keeping goals out, but they've always struggled to score them. Whether Phil Kessel has a bounce-back season or Clayton Keller shows some serious progression, this club needs someone to step up and carry the offensive load. The fourth playoff spot in the West Division is very much there for the taking.
🎁 A reprieve on Jonathan Quick's contract. The organization will never admit it, but the Kings would surely prefer to get Quick's deal off their books, considering they'll be forced to absorb the 34-year-old's $5.8-million cap hit over the next three seasons. Buying him out would be embarrassing, but parting with him in any capacity would significantly aid the club's retooling efforts.
🎁 A "Goaltending for Dummies" book. Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman made a bold move this offseason, parting ways with longtime veteran Corey Crawford and entrusting the team's crease to the tandem of Malcolm Subban and Collin Delia - who have 84 games of NHL experience between them. The two goalies have to learn the starting netminder role quickly as Chicago transitions into rebuild mode while also trying to remain competitive with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane still chugging along.
🎁 A garbage can. Put all memories and remnants of the Sharks' disastrous 2019-20 season inside and light them on fire. A fresh start is all San Jose can ask for this holiday season.
🎁 A successful world juniors for Tim Stuetzle. The Senators selected the German phenom third overall at this year's draft, and they hope to see him thrive on the international stage while staying healthy at the world juniors.
🎁 Lottery luck. The Ducks are building a strong farm system, but landing the No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft would help speed up the rebuild.
🎁 Patience. The Red Wings were truly horrible last season and likely won't be much better in 2020-21. However, with Steve Yzerman overseeing the front office and some promising prospects coming down the pipe, Detroit's rebuild is now on track. It just might be a while before the team starts to yield results at the highest level.
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Colorado Avalanche prospect Bowen Byram and Buffalo Sabres draft pick Dylan Cozens will take turns wearing the "C" for Canada during the World Junior Championship in games, with Washington Capitals selection Connor McMichael donning the "A" for every contest.
UPDATE | Per @IIHFHockey rules, @BowenByram and @Dylan_Cozens will take turns wearing the 'C', and @con91mcmichael will serve as a full-time alternate.
— #WorldJuniors (@HC_WJC) December 26, 2020
Despite being unable to play, @kdach77 will remain Team Canada captain.@HockeyCanada | @ImperialOil | #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/fpZvpoYrMQ
Kirby Dach will remain the team's captain. He suffered a wrist injury in an exhibition game against Russia on Wednesday and was ruled out for the tourney the following day. The Chicago Blackhawks forward reportedly won't be ready to start his second NHL season when the league begins its 2020-21 campaign on Jan. 13.
Byram and Cozens helped Canada win gold at the 2020 event in the Czech Republic. Cozens poured in two goals and seven assists over seven games, while Byram collecetd a pair of assists in the same number of contests.
Dach didn't play in the previous world junior tournament because he made the Blackhawks' roster in October. He was named Canada's captain and was able to take part this time around because of the NHL's delayed start.
The Canadian squad will begin round-robin play Saturday versus Germany.
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Former Washington Capitals forward Ilya Kovalchuk inked a two-year deal with the KHL's Avangard Omsk, the league announced Saturday.
Kovalchuk, 37, returned to the NHL on a three-year pact with the Los Angeles Kings in 2018-19, but he endured a roller-coaster season in 2019-20.
The Kings terminated the 6-foot-3 veteran's contract in December before Kovalchuk signed with the Montreal Canadiens in January. After rediscovering his game during a strong stint in Montreal, the Canadiens sent Kovalchuk to the Washington Capitals at the trade deadline.
He tallied 10 goals and 26 points over 46 games spread among the three clubs, adding one assist in eight playoff contests for the Capitals.
The 2001 first overall pick has amassed 433 goals and 423 assists across 926 NHL games. He earned the Rocket Richard Trophy in 2003-04 and is the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets franchise leader in goals (328), and Kovalchuk ranks second in points (615).
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The Chicago Blackhawks have agreed to terms with forward Carl Soderberg on a one-year, $1-million deal, the club announced Saturday.
Soderberg was an unrestricted free agent.
More to come.
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The Edmonton Oilers have inked defenseman Slater Koekkoek to a one-year contract, reports TSN's Darren Dreger.
Koekkoek's pact is worth less than $1 million, according to TSN's Ryan Rishaug.
The 26-year-old, who was an unrestricted free agent, produced 10 points over 42 games while averaging 16:45 of ice time with the Chicago Blackhawks last season.
Koekkoek played with the Tampa Bay Lightning for his first four full campaigns and part of another before the club traded him to Chicago in January 2019.
The Lightning drafted him 10th overall in 2012.
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