We have 11 games on tonight's NHL slate, which means there's a ton of value on the board.

Let's dive into some of my favorite shot totals.

Brad Marchand over 2.5 shots on goal (-140)

We've seen a big uptick in Marchand's shot volume lately. He recorded 57 shot attempts and 37 shots on goal over his last 10 games. He registered at least three shots in eight of the last nine, including four shots in seven of those games.

As I pointed out when I wrote up the Bruins forward in his last game, he's not just hitting the number - he's consistently finishing above it. He's also clearly a better individual shot generator when a volume shooter like David Pastrnak is off the top line.

I expect Marchand to go over again in an advantageous matchup with the Wild.

Minnesota has some key absences - especially on defense - that really hurt its level of play. Normally a stout defensive side, the Wild have given up five-on-five shots at a higher rate than all but one team over the last 10 games.

Jonathan Huberdeau over 2.5 shots on goal (-120)

Huberdeau has been a cheat code for what feels like months. After a slow start to the campaign in terms of shot generation, he's taken it up five notches.

He registered at least three shots on goal in 16 of the last 20 games - an 80% hit rate.

While I don't expect the Panthers forward to sustain that kind of shot productivity the entire season, I do like him to stay hot against the Stars - even in a mediocre matchup.

With Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart out of the lineup, Florida is missing two of its best weapons. Bennett's absence, in particular, leaves more shots up for grab, which Huberdeau generally claims.

Huberdeau recorded 15 shots in the three games Bennett missed over the last few months, hitting the over on each occasion.

Look for that trend to continue in Dallas.

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs placed forward Nick Ritchie on waivers, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Ritchie has struggled to produce with his new team after signing a two-year, $5-million deal as a free agent in the offseason. He's tallied a goal and seven assists in 30 games while averaging 12:14 minutes per contest.

He's posted poor underlying numbers over the past three seasons, too.

The 6-foot-2, 230-pound winger was given a chance in Toronto's top-six forward group early in the season but has since been relegated to fourth-line duties.

Even if Ritchie goes unclaimed, the Leafs will save $1.125 million in cap space by assigning him to the taxi squad, according to The Athletic's James Mirtle.

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We are off to a fantastic start to the week with our best bets, nailing both picks in consecutive days.

We'll look to stay hot as we attack this huge 11-game slate.

Penguins (-235) @ Flyers (+185)

The Philadelphia Flyers posted a respectable 5-3-2 record over their last 10 games, but they're not playing overly well. At five-on-five, Philadelphia ranks 25th in expected goals against and 31st in shot attempts against per 60 minutes.

Those numbers aren't good, and there's reason to believe they're about to get even worse for the Flyers. As if playing without their best forward (Sean Couturier) and best defenseman (Ryan Ellis) wasn't problematic enough, the team recently placed Claude Giroux, Travis Konecny, Ivan Provorov, and Travis Sanheim, among others, onto the COVID-19 list.

Philadelphia is now severely lacking in both star power and depth. That's far from ideal, especially against a team like the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Penguins own a remarkable 9-1-0 record over their last 10 games. Pittsburgh ranks in the top three in both shot share (56.42%) and expected goal share (58.29%) over this hot streak.

What's impressive is the Pens did a lot of that while missing key players. Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust just returned, and Jeff Carter may be back for Thursday's contest.

Pittsburgh is firing on all cylinders, and Philadelphia's key players are dropping like flies. I think this is a big mismatch, and - even in a back-to-back situation for the Penguins - I expect that to shine through.

Bet: Penguins inside regulation (-135)

Blue Jackets (+135) @ Devils (-160)

The Columbus Blue Jackets are in a really tough spot. They've won just three of their last 10 games and struggled mightily to defend in that time.

At five-on-five, the Blue Jackets sit 28th in expected goals against per 60 and dead last in shot attempts against per 60. They've fared no better on the penalty kill, conceding expected goals at a higher rate than all but the New York Islanders.

A lot of those numbers came with Zach Werenski in the lineup. Columbus put the star blue-liner onto the COVID-19 list ahead of the team's game Tuesday. His Blue Jackets certainly missed him as they gave up eight goals, 38 shots, and 77 shot attempts to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The New Jersey Devils are not Tampa Bay's caliber. However, they've played better hockey of late, winning three of four on the back of a breakout from Jack Hughes (nine points in four games).

I expect Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier, and some of the Devils' top weapons to cause Columbus all kinds of problems in this game.

Bet: Devils inside regulation (-105)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

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It's Tuukka Time again.

Goaltender Tuukka Rask signed a professional tryout agreement with the AHL's Providence Bruins, the team announced Thursday. Providence expects him to start on Friday.

Rask, who was an unrestricted free agent, had reiterated on several occasions that the only NHL team he'd play for is the Bruins.

The 34-year-old underwent surgery on a torn hip labrum in June and was expected at the time to be out until January, leading to the midseason signing.

Rask's potential arrival in Boston could cause a logjam between the pipes. Rookie Jeremy Swayman and veteran Linus Ullmark - who signed a four-year, $20-million contract as a UFA to essentially replace Rask - have formed a solid tandem for the Bruins this season.

Swayman would not need to go through waivers if he was sent down to the AHL. Ullmark would.

Rask is Boston's all-time wins leader with 306 and ranks fourth in league history with a career .921 save percentage. The 2014 Vezina Trophy winner recorded a .913 save percentage in 24 games for the Bruins last season. He started 11 more contests in the playoffs while sporting a .919 save percentage.

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Welcome to the third edition of theScore's Norris Trophy Power Rankings.

These rankings focus on analytics and the all-around ability of defensemen based on this season's results rather than just points or reputation.

• xGF% = the share of expected goals a team produces while a player is on the ice at five-on-five
• GF% = goals for percentage at five-on-five
• GAR = goals above replacement-level player

5. Aaron Ekblad, Panthers

Previous rank: 3rd

Ekblad is having a stellar season. His production has tailed off a bit (three points in his last nine games), but his underlying numbers have remained strong, as he's posted an xGF% of 62.8% since the previous edition of these rankings on Nov. 30. However, with the way others on this list are playing, he may find himself out of the top five before re-entering the top three.

4. Charlie McAvoy, Bruins

Previous rank: 4th

If there were an award for the best defensive defenseman in the league, McAvoy would be the heavy favorite - along with Dallas Stars rearguard Miro Heiskanen. McAvoy leads all qualified blue-liners in expected goals against per 60 minutes at five-on-five (xGA/60). The 24-year-old isn't one-dimensional, though, as he drives offense at a high rate and is playing at a career-best 58-point pace.

3. Adam Fox, Rangers

Previous rank: 1st

Fox's advanced metrics have teetered a bit since the previous edition of these rankings, as he's posted a 49.1 xGF% in his last 14 games. Much of that can be attributed to the Rangers' underlying struggles, though, as the team owns a 44.1 xGF% in that span. However, New York's xGF% is still an astounding 8% better when Fox is on the ice. While goaltender Igor Shesterkin has been great, it's hard to argue that Fox isn't the MVP of the team's strong first half.

2. Cale Makar, Avalanche

Previous rank: 2nd

Outside of Connor McDavid, is there any player in the league more electrifying than Makar? He's on pace for 44 goals, and perhaps none were better than his jaw-dropping OT winner on Tuesday. Only two defensemen in NHL history have reached the 40-goal mark in a single season: Paul Coffey (twice) and Bobby Orr. Makar has been strong defensively, too, as he ranks sixth among NHL blue-liners in xGA/60.

1. Victor Hedman, Lightning

Previous rank: 5th

Hedman has been a complete beast over the last month. Since the previous edition of these rankings, he's tallied 17 points in 15 games with a 60.5 xGF%. The Lightning are 10-3-2 in that span despite missing Anthony Cirelli for five games, Brayden Point for 10, and Nikita Kucherov for all 15.

Hockey's most elite defensemen have an uncanny ability to carry a team on their back when they need to most, and Hedman is doing it in heroic fashion right now.

Honorable mentions: John Carlson, Roman Josi, Miro Heiskanen, Morgan Rielly

(Analytics sources: Natural Stat Trick, Evolving Hockey)

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Leon Draisaitl insists the Edmonton Oilers aren't throwing in the towel amid an extended slump.

The club lost its fifth straight contest and 11th out of 13 on Wednesday night, a 4-2 result at the hands of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

"We're not quitting on anyone," Draisaitl told reporters postgame. "We're not quitting on our coach, we're not quitting on ourselves as players, our team, our goalies, nobody. We're not quitting."

Speculation has swirled about head coach Dave Tippett's job security during the Oilers' skid. Edmonton started the season 9-1 but now sits fourth in the Pacific Division with 38 points.

Draisaitl, who scored Wednesday to tie teammate Connor McDavid atop the league's scoring race with 53 points, believes time is still on the Oilers' side.

"There's still lots of season left, right?" Draisaitl said. "But it's frustrating. Eventually, you have to find a way to turn it around."

Edmonton returns to the ice Monday versus the Ottawa Senators.

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The Vancouver Canucks placed forward Elias Pettersson in COVID-19 protocol, the team announced Wednesday.

He joins four other Canucks currently in the protocol: Brock Boeser, Phil Di Giuseppe, Justin Dowling, and Jason Dickinson.

Vancouver is slated to play the Ottawa Senators at home Saturday before taking on the Florida Panthers on Tuesday.

Pettersson has six goals and 11 assists in 34 games this season.

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A trio of Quebec-born ex-NHLers headline a list of candidates in the Montreal Canadiens' general manager search.

The club plans to interview Roberto Luongo, Daniel Briere, and Mathieu Darche for the vacancy, reports The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.

Luongo is still new to managerial circles, retiring from his playing career in 2019. The Montreal native has since served as a special assistant to the GM of the Florida Panthers. He was also the architect of Team Canada's gold-medal winning squad at the 2021 World Championship. A likely future Hall of Famer, Luongo ranks fourth on the NHL's all-time wins list with 489 victories.

Briere served as a special assistant to the GM of the Philadelphia Flyers for two seasons post-retirement before joining the ECHL's Maine Mariners. He's currently the president of the minor-league squad but has previously held the titles of GM and vice president of hockey operations. The Mariners are a farm team of the Boston Bruins but are owned by the Flyers' parent company, Comcast Spectator.

A native of Gatineau, Quebec, Briere played 17 NHL seasons, including one campaign with the Habs in 2013-14. He was known as a clutch playoff performer, tallying 116 points in 124 career postseason contests.

Darche, a two-time Stanley Cup-winning executive, is in his third season as the Tampa Bay Lightning's director of hockey operations. A McGill University alumnus and St. Laurent, Quebec product, Darche played 250 games across nine NHL seasons. He suited up in 149 contests for the Habs from 2009-12.

The Canadiens fired longtime GM Marc Bergevin in November and brought on Jeff Gorton as executive vice president of hockey operations. Gorton doesn't speak French, but owner Geoff Molson insists he'll hire a bilingual GM.

The club will speak with as many as 10 candidates in the first phase of interviews, LeBrun added. Montreal is reportedly considering at least three women for the position.

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