Dubois recently inked a two-year, $10-million pact with the Blue Jackets. However, reports emerged shortly afterward stating the short-term deal was agreed upon to give general manager Jarmo Kekalainen time to trade him. The relationship between the 22-year-old and the organization apparently soured during contract talks.
The Canadiens and Jets have emerged as two potential suitors and expressed interest in acquiring the star player. Both clubs have been in dire need of a center in recent years, but the desperation isn't as urgent anymore. Montreal suddenly has Nick Suzuki, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and Phillip Danault as the team's top three down the middle, and the Jets have Mark Scheifele and Paul Stastny to center the top two lines.
Columbus' asking price will likely be sky-high for the 2016 draft's third overall pick, and Kekalainen has shown he's willing to wait players out if the right deal doesn't come along. In 2019, star players Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky both left Columbus in free agency after previously indicating they wouldn't re-sign with the club.
Montreal and Winnipeg are not the only franchises interested in Dubois, and the clubs involved aren't "screwing around," Friedman added.
Dubois recorded 18 goals and 31 assists in 70 games last season. He set career-highs in his sophomore season the previous year, tallying 27 goals and adding 34 assists in 82 games.
The Boston Bruins will honor Willie O'Ree by retiring his No. 22 jersey this season, the club announced on Tuesday.
His number will be raised to the rafters at TD Garden prior to the team's game versus the New Jersey Devils on Feb. 18.
O'Ree was the first Black player to appear in an NHL game, making history on Jan. 18, 1958. He was recently inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018 in the builder category.
"Willie's contributions to the game of hockey transcend on-ice accomplishments and have opened countless doors for players who have come after him. He is without question deserving of this honor," said team president Cam Neely.
"Throughout the history of the National Hockey League, there have been very few individuals that have had such a profound impact on the league and its culture than Willie O'Ree," Bruins CEO Charlie Jacobs added. "After breaking the color barrier as a Boston Bruin in 1958 and eventually retiring from professional hockey in 1979, Willie became the ultimate ambassador for improving diversity and inclusion within the game of hockey."
O'Ree will be the 12th player in franchise history to have his number retired. The 85-year-old played 45 career games for the Bruins.
The league announced on Monday that it will be releasing a custom helmet decal to honor O'Ree and Martin Luther King Jr. while also celebrating equality during the upcoming season. The decal will be featured on helmets starting on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan. 16) and be worn through the end of Black History Month (Feb. 28).
The Chicago Blackhawks inked head coach Jeremy Colliton to a two-year extension through 2022-23, the club announced Tuesday.
Colliton is entering the final year of his original contract.
The former New York Islanders forward, who turns 36 on Wednesday, is the NHL's youngest bench boss. He guided Chicago to an unexpected series victory over the Edmonton Oilers in August's qualifying round. The Blackhawks hired him to replace Joel Quenneville - who led the club to three championships - in November 2018.
Chicago missed the playoffs during Colliton's first campaign behind the bench in 2018-19. The team went 30-28-9 after he took over midseason, then it posted a 32-30-8 record to reach the qualifying stage in 2019-20.
The Blackhawks won their best-of-five matchup with the Oilers in four games before the Vegas Golden Knights ended their best-of-seven first-round series against Chicago in five.
Chicago committed to a rebuild in October, issuing a letter to fans to explain the departures of popular franchise fixtures Corey Crawford and Brandon Saad.
The Blackhawks enter this season without captain Jonathan Toews (out indefinitely due to an illness), up-and-coming center Kirby Dach (out four-to-five months with a broken wrist), and 22-year-old forward Alex Nylander, who was ruled out four-to-six months following knee surgery in late December.
Kane reportedly has assets of only $10.2 million, largely from his three homes. The filing also said Kane may not play this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and birth of his first child.
"Debtor may terminate his contract and he may opt out of the season, as allowed under current rules, because of health concerns given the recent birth of his first child," the bankruptcy petition said. "Should he terminate his contract or opt out at a point in the season, Debtor will not receive his salary."
The NHL opt-out deadline for the 2020-21 season was Dec. 24, however, and the bankruptcy petition is dated Jan. 9. It hasn't been clarified how Kane could still opt out at this point.
Centennial Bank filed a lawsuit last week against Kane and the Sharks seeking $8.3 million. It's one of six active lawsuits, court actions, and administrative proceedings with lenders listed in the complaint.
Kane inked a seven-year, $49-million pact with the Sharks in 2018 and has earned $52 million over 11 NHL seasons.
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas settled a lawsuit against Kane for unpaid gambling bills last year.
Philadelphia Flyers forward Nolan Patrick will be in the lineup for the first time in over 21 months when the club opens its season against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday.
Patrick, 22, missed the entire 2019-20 campaign due to a migraine disorder. The 6-foot-2 pivot said he felt good during the Flyers' scrimmage Sunday and is ready to return.
"Made a couple mistakes out there, but my energy level felt good, thought our line created quite a few scoring chances," Patrick said, according to NHL.com's Adam Kimelman. "Lot of fun being back out there. ... I feel really good and I'll be ready for Wednesday."
Head coach Alain Vigneault complimented the play of Patrick, who centered a line flanked by James van Riemsdyk and Jakub Voracek.
"I thought he did a lot of the right things on the ice," Vigneault said. "Thought that line had some chemistry and some good moments. For him and for our team, that's a step in the right direction."
The Flyers selected Patrick with the second overall pick of the 2017 draft, but the Manitoba native has had tough injury luck since, including a sports hernia issue ahead of his rookie campaign.
Patrick has amassed 26 goals and 61 points while averaging 14:24 of ice time in 145 career outings.
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Finding value on an oddsboard is a commonly misperceived exercise.
It means identifying the biggest discrepancies between the implied and actual chances of a bet winning in the listed market, rather than simply scrolling down the oddsboard and picking the best options at 40-1 or greater.
So, although teams like the Avalanche and Lightning have the best chances of winning the Stanley Cup, they offer little value because their odds are baked into their current market price.
Here are the 2021 Stanley Cup odds, followed by the three teams I believe have the best chance to win the Cup relative to their implied odds.
A popular breakout pick last season, the Hurricanes never reached their full potential. Still, they were on pace for almost 100 points despite significant injuries on the back end and in goal.
Carolina ranked near the top of the league in almost every advanced metric while posting a below-average shooting percentage. Positive regression is coming, which is a scary prospect given the dynamic trio of Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, and Teuvo Teravainen is only getting better, and Norris hopeful Dougie Hamilton is healthy again.
This team has very few holes. The Hurricanes boast impressive depth up front, have one of the league's best top lines, and possess a loaded blue line, which should help alleviate some of the unwarranted concerns in goal. Petr Mrazek and James Reimer form a league-average tandem capable of providing the stability needed in net for this star-studded roster to reach its lofty goals.
Pittsburgh Penguins (+2200)
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
Few teams on this oddsboard are more underappreciated than the Penguins. They have a championship pedigree, yet they're being discounted due to a pair of early playoff exits. While a Sharks-like demise is a looming inevitability, Pittsburgh still has at least another year as legitimate contenders.
There's little question surrounding the Penguins' offensive ability. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin remain elite producers, and the supporting cast up front is as strong as it's been in years.
Additionally, the concerns that have been raised about the defense are overblown. The top four is strong, and general manager Jim Rutherford can easily address the bottom pairing during the season.
Pittsburgh's goaltending situation will also be significantly improved with Tristan Jarry taking the reins. Matt Murray posted a -11.57 goals saved above average last season, the sixth-worst mark among goalies to appear in at least 30 games. Jarry's GSAA mark of 10.83 was 13th among all netminders, and he was excellent in his lone playoff start against the Canadiens.
The Penguins' +2200 odds imply just a 4.3% Cup chance. In reality, that number should be closer to 7% which would mean odds of +1300. There's significant value here.
Montreal Canadiens (+3500)
Mark Blinch / National Hockey League / Getty
Advanced metrics had the Canadiens among the league's most impressive teams last season despite a plethora of injuries. At five-on-five, Montreal posted the second-best percentages of Corsi For, shots for, expected goals for, and scoring chances for, behind only the Golden Knights.
We saw what this team could do when healthy in the playoffs in front of a rested Carey Price. The Canadiens beat the Penguins in the play-in round before losing to the Flyers despite owning 62.2% of the expected goal share during the series at five-on-five. Montreal's brand of hockey is conducive to long-term success, and while the results haven't always followed, the talent is finally there for the Habs to make some noise.
In a wide-open North Division, the Canadiens' odds of reaching the conference finals sit a shade below 20%, drastically higher than they would be in the Atlantic. That presents a terrific hedge opportunity for those who buy in now, as +3200 - just 2.7% implied Cup odds - is a bad price for a strong Montreal team.
Alex Moretto is theScore's supervising editor of sports betting. 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, strongly believes in the power of the jinx, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.
