Edmonton Oilers superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are committed to embracing any systematic changes new head coach Jay Woodcroft intends to make.

Woodcroft was brought in to replace Dave Tippett, who was fired Thursday after 16 losses in 23 games.

"Obviously, something needs to change," McDavid said, according to NHL.com's Tim Campbell. "'Woody' is going to come in and put his touch on the group and put his touch on the team. And as players, that's what we want. We're all in this together.

The reigning MVP continued, "I think people forget that we're here to win. We're up here and we come in each and every day and we want to win. We haven't found the formula yet but that's all we want to do. Whatever system (Woodcroft) puts into place, we're happy to play."

Draisaitl echoed his captain's sentiments.

"We need to change something, obviously, and I'm sure 'Woody' will come in with new ideas, with his philosophy, and with his plan, and we're all-in on that," Draisaitl said. "We've got open ears and we're ready to go."

Woodcroft is Edmonton's fourth coach in seven years since McDavid was drafted first overall in 2015. The Oilers are under immense pressure to qualify for the playoffs this spring after being swept in the first round last season but currently sit outside the Western Conference's postseason cut line with 49 points in 44 games.

Woodcroft has never held an NHL head coaching position but is an experienced assistant at the top level and is familiar with several Oilers players due to his time at the helm of Edmonton's AHL affiliate in Bakersfield.

Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Brad Marchand filed an appeal Friday regarding his six-game ban for roughing and high-sticking Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry.

Shortly after Marchand said he was thinking about challenging the ruling Friday afternoon, the NHLPA confirmed he had done so. He'll first appeal to commissioner Gary Bettman and then potentially to an independent arbitrator, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Earlier on Friday, the Boston Bruins' star agitator made it clear he didn't think his actions warranted a suspension at all.

"Was it stupid? Of course, it was stupid. I'm not denying that," Marchand said Friday, according to The Athletic's Fluto Shinzawa. "I absolutely should not have done it. But suspension-worthy? I don't think so."

Marchand added that he didn't believe Jarry was in danger of getting hurt as a result of the incidents.

"These plays were not going to injure Jarry. ... He was very well protected," Marchand said. "The fact that it's six games is based on history, not on the play."

The winger said he discussed his long list of previous indiscretions with the league, and he remains convinced his resume is to blame for this decision.

"(It's a) very very hefty suspension for these plays, so the only way they can justify that is on the history side of things," he said.

Marchand pointed to the fact that he's made an effort to clean up his game and has been more productive offensively. However, the veteran claims the NHL doesn't factor that into supplemental discipline, citing his previous suspension for slew-footing Vancouver Canucks defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson in November.

"They don't measure progress, which I've come to find out, and it goes back to the last one," he said. "We believe the last suspension was very hefty. When I got three games, it should've been one, based on the fact that I've turned my game around (and) become a pretty good player in this league."

Marchand punched Jarry in the head following a scoring chance and later hit the netminder's mask with his stick Tuesday night. The officials handed him a match penalty and a roughing minor.

The Bruins forward has already served one game of the ban, missing Thursday's 6-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.

This marks the eighth suspension of Marchand's 13-year career.

Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tomas Hertl could be one of the most coveted targets at the NHL trade deadline if he can't agree on a contract extension with the San Jose Sharks, but assistant general manager Joe Will isn't entertaining that possibility.

"Don't have any interest in doing anything outside of just working on negotiations and signing him," the executive told The Mercury News' Curtis Pashelka.

Will, who's essentially the Sharks' acting GM with Doug Wilson on medical leave, confirmed Friday that discussions about a new pact for the talented forward are underway.

"We've talked about a lot of things, and the one thing we have in common is that Tomas loves being a Shark, and we love having Tomas here," Will said. "So now it's finding a way to have that happen through negotiation and talking about the next contract for him, which we have done."

Hertl is a pending unrestricted free agent in the final season of the four-year deal he inked with the Sharks in 2018. It carries a $5.625-million cap hit, according to CapFriendly.

The 28-year-old leads San Jose with 22 goals and ranks second with 38 points in 46 games this season. He's played his entire nine-year career with the Sharks. The club drafted him 17th overall in 2012.

Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With just four games on the board Friday, there isn't much that stands out to me in the way of sides or totals. Luckily, there's value to be had with shot totals.

Let's dive into a couple of my favourites.

Jordan Eberle over 2.5 shots (-112)

Jordan Eberle is shooting the puck a lot right now. He leads all Seattle Kraken forwards in shot attempts (50) and scoring chances (34) over the last 10 games.

While that hasn't led to sustained success in terms of going over the number - he's done so five times in that span - the increase in shot volume should serve him well Friday against the Anaheim Ducks.

The Ducks aren't playing good defense. At five-on-five, they rank 29th in high-danger chances allowed per 60 over the last 10 games. They grade out even worse when it comes to shot suppression. Only the Buffalo Sabres and Columbus Blue Jackets have conceded five-on-five shots at a higher rate over the last 10.

With Eberle taking a lot of shots, and the Ducks giving up a lot of shots, I see real value backing Eberle at this price.

Mathew Barzal over 2.5 shots (+100)

Mathew Barzal is somewhat of an inconsistent shooter because of the methodical, low-event style the New York Islanders play. I really like him in this spot, though.

The Edmonton Oilers are a leaky defensive team, and they give up quite a bit to opposing centers. Only the Arizona Coyotes and Montreal Canadiens have conceded more goals to the position, which is no coincidence considering they're a subpar side at preventing shots from centers.

For whatever reason, Barzal has also been a much more efficient shooter on the road. He's generated at least three shots 10 times in 17 road dates (59%), including seven of the last 10.

Priced at a coin flip, there's an edge to be had here.

Wait and see: Connor McDavid under 3.5 shots (-112). McDavid is averaging just over 10 shot attempts per 60 minutes alongside Evander Kane, which is his lowest number with any teammate this season. Kane is an extreme shoot-first player and really limits McDavid's ceiling in that regard. If Kane remains on a line with McDavid on Friday, I like the under once again. I'd like it even more so considering the Islanders are among the league's best teams at taking the middle of the ice away and preventing shots from centermen.

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

Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Philadelphia Flyers forward Sean Couturier will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing back surgery Friday.

Couturier hasn't played since Dec. 18.

The 2019-20 Selke Trophy winner collected six goals and 11 assists over 29 games in this campaign.

Philadelphia general manager Chuck Fletcher said Friday that Couturier's recovery could take approximately three months.

The 29-year-old center is one of the NHL's best two-way players. He's spent his entire 11-year career with the Flyers, who drafted him eighth overall in 2011.

Philadelphia signed Couturier to an eight-year contract extension carrying an average annual value of $7.75 million in August.

The Flyers sit near the bottom of the league standings in 2021-22. The club has also been without defenseman Ryan Ellis for most of the season due to an injury of his own. Ellis hasn't played since suiting up for his fourth game of the campaign on Nov. 13.

Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Arizona Coyotes have a new home for the next few years.

Arizona reached a multi-year agreement with Arizona State to play at the Sun Devils’ new multi-purpose arena, the NHL team announced Thursday.

The Coyotes will play all their home games at the 5,000-seat arena beginning next season and through 2024-25 with an additional option for the 2025-26 season.

As part of the agreement, the Coyotes agreed to pay rent and construction costs for the arena's redevelopment plans upfront, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

"This will be an incredible, intimate, and exciting fan experience in a state-of-the-art new arena in a fantastic location in the heart of Tempe," Coyotes president and CEO Xavier A. Gutierrez said.

The city of Glendale announced earlier this season that it will terminate its lease with the Coyotes at Gile River Arena. The club filed a bid for a new permanent arena in Tempe in September but is still awaiting approval for construction.

"The National Hockey League thanks Arizona State University for its support of the Coyotes during this transition period and for what will be just its latest major commitment to growing our game in the Valley," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said.

He added: "Hockey is thriving in Tempe, and we are delighted that the Coyotes' passionate fans will get to experience ASU's on-campus energy while the club's new arena is being built."

Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers will be without defenseman Duncan Keith and winger Zack Kassian for a while.

Keith could be sidelined for two to four weeks due to upper-body soreness and concussion protocol, while Kassian will be out for four to eight weeks with a fractured jaw, the team announced Thursday.

Keith crashed hard into the boards during the first period of Wednesday night's contest against the Chicago Blackhawks and needed assistance to get off the ice. The Oilers ruled him out for the rest of the game shortly after. The 38-year-old has registered 14 points in 35 contests this season while averaging just over 20 minutes a game.

Kassian also exited Wednesday's matchup with an injury after taking a puck to the face in the second period. He has five goals and nine assists in 35 games this campaign.

The Oilers currently sit fifth in the Pacific Division with a 23-18-3 record.

Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers have fired head coach Dave Tippett, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.

Jay Woodcroft will take over as head coach, reports Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Additionally, Edmonton also fired associate coach Jim Playfair, according to Dreger.

Tippett was in the middle of his third season as the Oilers' bench boss. Despite a hot start to the campaign, Edmonton sits five points behind the Calgary Flames for the last Western Conference wild-card spot with a 23-18-3 record after losing 16 of its last 23 games.

The Oilers also lost their first two contests after the All-Star break while being outscored 8-1.

Overall, Tippett held a 95-62-14 mark with Edmonton. Though the Oilers made the postseason twice under his tenure, they never made it past the first round.

Despite boasting two of the NHL's top point-getters in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton has had difficulties achieving consistent success. McDavid is now set to play for his fourth coach during his first seven NHL seasons.

Woodcroft has been the head coach of the AHL's Bakersfield Condors since 2018. He piloted the team to a 105-71-21 record.

Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.