A pair of Anaheim Ducks legends are helping the franchise find its next general manager.
Hockey Hall of Famers Paul Kariya and Scott Niedermayer are part of the organization's GM search committee, reports TSN's Pierre LeBrun.
The group is rounded out by team CEO Michael Schulman, president of business operations Aaron Teats, and owners Susan and Henry Samueli.
Kariya, selected fourth overall in 1993, was the first draft pick in team history. He became an instant superstar, recording 669 points in his 606 games across nine seasons in Anaheim. He also served as captain for seven campaigns and led the team to the 2003 Stanley Cup Final.
Niedermayer played his final five seasons with the Ducks after joining the team as a free agent. The defenseman captained the franchise to its lone Stanley Cup title in 2007 and also won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. He recorded 264 points in 371 regular-season games in Anaheim.
Both players' numbers were retired by the club. They're two of only three Ducks to receive the honor. Teemu Selanne is the other.
Longtime Ducks GM Bob Murray resigned from his post in November. Jeff Solomon is currently serving as interim GM.
Matthews had tested positive from a rapid test Monday, though Keefe admitted at the time that the club has seen those return false positives before.
The star center was held out of Tuesday's practice for precautionary reasons as he awaits another test. He's not ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Edmonton Oilers.
Matthews leads the Maple Leafs with 20 goals and 33 points in 28 games this season.
Keefe added that assistant coach Dean Chynoweth is confirmed positive.
The Blue Jackets are playing their worst hockey of the season. They've won only three of their last 10 games and, at five-on-five, have controlled just 41.91% of the expected goals over that span, which ranks them 31st.
They'll get a key player back in Oliver Bjorkstrand but will lose a pair of important pieces in Zach Werenski and Elvis Merzlikins. Columbus was already thin on defense so not having Werenski, who averages well over 26 minutes per game, is crushing.
Merzlikins is clearly the best goaltender on the roster. The Jackets can ill afford to lose him, especially against such a strong opponent.
The Lightning have amassed 110 high-danger chances over the last 10 games. Only three teams have generated more. Suffice to say, Tampa Bay should be able to expose Columbus' shaky defense and questionable goaltending.
I think the Lightning, who have lost three straight, will be out for blood in this one. Expect them to capitalize on an advantageous matchup and win inside regulation.
The Predators are the hottest team in the NHL. They enter play with an 8-1-1 record over their last 10 games, which is equaled by two sides but bested by zero.
They are full value for their recent string of success. Nashville has owned teams at five-on-five, controlling 58.38% of the expected goals.
A lot of that stems from their ability to dominate the high-danger chances. The Predators rank 12th in Grade A looks in this span, while no team has given up fewer. Essentially, they've been above average at creating dangerous opportunities and better than anybody at preventing them.
The Golden Knights are no pushovers - even when undermanned - but I think the wrong side is favored here. Vegas doesn't have Mark Stone, Max Pacioretty, or Robin Lehner, and Jack Eichel is not yet ready to return. Those are key players to be missing when going up against a complete, red-hot team like Nashville.
I don't expect a cakewalk but do back the Preds to win for the ninth time in 11 games.
Bet: Predators (-105)
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.
We have a huge eight-game slate on the docket tonight, which means there are plenty of shot props to comb through.
Shot props have been very profitable this season - my record sits at 92-73 for +16.45 units - so let's hope that continues tonight.
Brad Marchand over 2.5 shots on goal (-110)
Brad Marchand has been one of the NHL's most consistent shot generators lately, registering at least four - yes, four - shots in seven of his last eight games. Marchand's not just going over the number - he's doing so comfortably.
While the New Jersey Devils have defended better recently, they're still not a great defensive team. The Devils will also be without star Dougie Hamilton on the back end, which should make them more susceptible to spending time in the defensive zone.
I also like that David Pastrnak - a very trigger-happy player - is off the top line. With him on a different line, there's more puck to go around for a guy like Marchand.
Victor Hedman over 2.5 shots on goal (-130)
Victor Hedman is one of my favorite targets. He's a willing shooter, and he logs so many minutes that he's in play every single night regardless of opponent. This time around, Hedman just so happens to find himself in a dream matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
No side has allowed more shots, at five-on-five or overall, than the Blue Jackets over the last 10 games - they're getting peppered by anyone and everyone.
To make matters worse, the squad is now without defenseman Zach Werenski. The star rearguard averages well over 26 minutes for Columbus, so suffice to say, the unit's going to feel that loss.
Hedman has registered three shots or more in six of his last seven and eight of the last 10. I like him to stay hot and come through again tonight.
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.
Rossi, the Wild's ninth overall pick in 2020, leads the Iowa Wild with 23 points in 21 contests this season. The 20-year-old forward experienced complications from COVID-19 last year and was shut down for the 2020-21 campaign after being diagnosed with myocarditis, which is an inflammation of the heart muscle.
Minnesota drafted Boldy 12th overall in 2019. The forward has four goals and six assists in 10 games with Iowa in 2021-22.
Rossi and Boldy are set to make their NHL debuts when Minnesota takes on the Boston Bruins on Thursday, according to The Athletic's Michael Russo.
The Wild are on a five-game winless streak and have been forced to deal with a slew of injury- and COVID-19-related absences.
In our third edition of the 2021-22 Calder Trophy Power Rankings, we welcome two first-timers to the list and introduce a new, but perhaps predictable, owner of the top spot.
COVID-19 outbreaks and postponements across the league made it harder to gauge performances over this past month, but without further ado, here are the league's top five freshmen now that the calendar's flipped.
5. Tanner Jeannot, Predators
Frederick Breedon / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Previous rank: N/A
GP
P
ATOI
XGF%
33
20
15:40
49.01%
Jeannot is an unheralded story beginning to make his mark in the NHL. The 24-year-old winger went undrafted and spent four years in junior before bouncing between the AHL and ECHL. He recorded a modest seven points in 15 games for the Predators last season, but he's evolved into a key contributor for a resurgent Nashville squad this campaign.
Jeannot is tied for the rookie lead in goals (10) and tops every player on our list with 1.3 goals per 60 minutes at even strength. It's worth noting that Jeannot is shooting an unsustainable 19.2% this year, but he deserves recognition after pacing all rookies in points over this past month.
4. Anton Lundell, Panthers
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
Previous rank: N/A
GP
P
ATOI
XGF%
28
16
16:29
52.73%
Lundell is a long shot to win the award at season's end, but he'll be a dark-horse candidate to be a finalist if he keeps up his recent form. The 12th overall pick from 2020 ranks second in rookie scoring since our last Calder list, and all nine of his points in that span came at even strength.
Lundell has also posted sparkling underlying numbers, which isn't an easy feat for a 20-year-old center still testing the NHL waters. He's hard-pressed to garner national attention on a Panthers team rife with stars, but Florida appears to have another gem in its system.
3. Moritz Seider, Red Wings
Michael Martin / National Hockey League / Getty
Previous rank: 3rd
GP
P
ATOI
XGF%
33
21
22:27
47.44%
Seider continues to log huge minutes and put up points, but his underlying numbers took a massive hit over the past month with a miserable 38.38% expected goals rate across 11 games. The rearguard managed a 54.86% actual goals clip in that same span to minimize the damage, but Seider will have to pump his numbers back up if he wants to take home some hardware at season's end.
All that said, it's typical for young defensemen to endure highs and lows while figuring out the league. Seider still ranks third in rookie scoring this season and possesses all the tools to become Detroit's No. 1 blue-line option for years to come.
2. Lucas Raymond, Red Wings
Brian Sevald / National Hockey League / Getty
Previous rank: 1st
GP
P
ATOI
XGF%
33
28
17:28
48.13%
For the first time this year, Raymond's fallen off the top of the podium. The Detroit dynamo still leads all rookies in scoring, but his points-per-game clip dropped last month. He's also seen his underlying statistics drastically plummet as well.
Since our last installment, Raymond managed only one goal and fired just 14 shots on net. He may have hit a rookie wall, but it still wasn't an easy decision to drop him a spot. He's neck-and-neck with our top candidate in many statistics this season, and he's by no means out of the Calder race.
1. Trevor Zegras, Ducks
Bill Wippert / National Hockey League / Getty
Previous rank: 2nd
GP
P
ATOI
XGF%
30
25
17:08
55.62%
Zegras has officially arrived. The Ducks' brightest star produced 11 points over 10 games last month and went viral for arguably the highlight of the year after his alley-oop assist to teammate Sonny Milano. Whether they lead to goals or not, the dazzling plays he pulls off on a nightly basis help grow the game and will certainly carry significant weight for Calder voters.
Zegras also plays fundamentally sound hockey at both ends of the ice, and he's in the positives in all the key advanced metrics. Rookie of the year will be his if he keeps producing at this rate and helps an underdog Anaheim squad reach the playoffs.
Koskinen coughed up the puck below the goal line just over five minutes into the opening frame, leading to an easy tally by Alexis Lafreniere that gave the Rangers momentum they never relinquished.
"It's a brutal mistake, what are you gonna do? Call it what it is. We're playing well, it's a brutal mistake," Tippett told reporters after the 4-1 loss.
He added: "I thought we did a lot of things well tonight. Our goaltender wasn't very good, and we didn't find enough pucks at the net to get us back in the game."
Koskinen has been Edmonton's starter for most of the season, while Mike Smith has battled an injury. The 33-year-old entered Monday's clash with a .902 save percentage this campaign, and he hasn't won in his last six appearances now.
Smith also hasn't fared well when healthy, posting a .897 save percentage across five games. Goaltending has been the Oilers' Achilles heel of late, as the club ranks 31st with 48 goals against in 13 contests since Dec. 1.
Edmonton's won only three games in that span.
"There's a lot of adversity here, we're learning a lot about our team," Tippett said. "We've been through a lot of injury issues and COVID issues. We haven't played as well as we'd like to as a group, so there's lots to improve on."
The Oilers currently own the second wild-card seed in the Western Conference with 38 points.
Count Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper among those still not over the NHL and NHLPA's decision to forgo participation in the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
The 54-year-old was slated to be behind the bench for Team Canada, but the NHL officially withdrew from participation over COVID-19 concerns.
"I would be remiss if I didn’t use such a strong word," he continued. "I look at the sport of hockey, the country of Canada, and the marriage the two have and the passion the country has for it. The thrill of being named to that position. It didn’t sit lightly with me.
"I was genuinely humbled and honored to have that opportunity. And then to have it swept out from under you, it … it just leaves you empty."
Cooper would've been the fourth head coach of an NHL-led Canadian Olympic hockey roster after Marc Crawford (1998), Pat Quinn (2002, 2006), and Mike Babcock (2010, 2014).
The two-time Stanley Cup champion had already begun building relationships with potential team members, too.
"Opening night, we’re playing Pittsburgh, Sidney Crosby sitting in my office," Cooper recalled. "And we’re just talking hockey and Olympics and how things are going to go. We must have just sat there 45 minutes, just the two of us."
The NHL aims to participate in the 2026 Olympics, which would mark a 12-year gap from the league's last appearance.
"Who knows where anybody is going to be in four years," Cooper said.
It's possible the NHL could schedule another World Cup of Hockey to satisfy the widespread appetite for a best-on-best international tournament. Cooper, who was an assistant coach on Team North America in 2016, admitted that the tournament was a bit of a "gimmick," and that it doesn't compare to the Olympics.
"It's the Olympic experience, it's being in the village, it is getting to wear your country's colors with pride. It’s being able to go to other athletes' events and cheering them on," Cooper said. "It’s being able to go in the cafeteria and having the bobsledder come up to Sidney Crosby and ask for an autograph. And for Sidney Crosby to ask for an autograph back from that person.
"That’s the bond that the Olympics bring to you," Cooper added. "I feel bad for the players because they’re going to miss out on that. Being part of the Olympic spirit, that’s what it’s all about."
