The Seattle Kraken signed leading scorer Jared McCann to a five-year contract extension worth $5 million per season, the team announced Tuesday.
"I'm very excited to be here," McCann said. "I believe in this city and I believe in this organization."
McCann was scheduled to hit restricted free agency at season's end. Seattle chose him in the expansion draft from the Toronto Maple Leafs, who had acquired him from the Pittsburgh Penguins days prior.
The Vancouver Canucks drafted McCann 24th overall in 2014. He played one season there before he was traded to the Florida Panthers.
He appears to have found his best fit yet in Seattle, leading the league's 32nd franchise with 21 goals and remaining on pace for a career-high 49 points.
Jared McCann has always had strong underlying numbers and he’s an top level finisher. #SeaKraken lock him up for five more years. pic.twitter.com/8q5uldd6Ka
The New Jersey Devils and goals go together like chicken wings and a football Sunday. At least six goals have been scored in eight of their last 10 games and 12 of their last 15.
Their offense has taken off lately, especially since Dougie Hamilton and Jesper Bratt returned to health. Only six teams have scored more goals over the last 15 games.
Despite pretty good suppression numbers at the other end of the ice, the Devils can't keep the puck out of their net.
Goaltending is the reason for that. New Jersey has used six different netminders this season, and every single one has conceded more goals than expected. Put another way, nobody's performing at even an average level based on the difficulty of workload.
I have a hard time believing that will change against a lethal Colorado Avalanche team that ranks *checks notes* second in goals per game this season. Colorado is prone to getting into track meets - even against low-event opponents like the New York Islanders - so there's definitely potential for fireworks in this game.
Less than two weeks ago, the Nashville Predators hosted the Dallas Stars. The Predators closed as -160 favorites and rewarded their backers with a win.
Fast-forward and the Predators - once again rested and at home - are only -120 favorites.
I realize the Stars have won four consecutive games. They've beaten some strong teams in that span, too.
But it's not like they dominated or added a high-end player to the mix to explain such a large swing in the odds.
Over the last four games, the Stars controlled just 44% of the shot attempts and 49% of the expected goals at five-on-five. They weren't exactly skating teams into the ground.
Not to mention, dark-horse Norris Trophy candidate Miro Heiskanen is banged up, and his status is up in the air for this game.
I see value on the Predators even if Heiskanen is healthy enough to play. If he isn't? This line would be out of whack.
Bet: Predators (-120)
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.
The NHL trade deadline is less than two weeks away, and there's nothing more fun this time of year than arguing over hypothetical swaps.
Here's how this exercise went down: Each of theScore's five NHL news editors (Kayla Douglas, Josh Gold-Smith, Brandon Maron, Sean O'Leary, and myself) submitted one trade to have the other four editors vote on which team they think would say no. "Both" and "good deal" were options, too.
Remember, these deals are hypothetical. Editors were encouraged to think outside the box.
Below, I dive into the trades and analyze which aspects make sense and which don't.
Leafs win Chychrun sweepstakes, reunite with Kessel
Why it could work: General managers Kyle Dubas and Bill Armstrong clearly have a working relationship after making twotrades with each other in recent weeks. Toronto's need for a top-four defenseman is no secret. And Chychrun, who's just 23 years old, fits into both the team's timeline and cap structure (his contract includes three more years at $4.6 million per season).
There have been rumors the Coyotes are seeking a Jack Eichel-type package for Chychrun. This deal fits that structure, but the value might be a bit short. Holl and Kerfoot have an additional year of term on their contracts and could be flipped for more futures at next year's deadline, while Robertson is a promising prospect.
Why it might not: As far as narratives go, Kessel returning to Toronto would be highly entertaining. However, his fit in the team's lineup is suspect. He's a significant downgrade defensively from Kerfoot, and it remains to be seen whether he can still be effective in a top-six role on a team with Cup aspirations. The Leafs would likely be willing to take that chance if it meant getting Chychrun, but they might prefer a deal that doesn't involve Kessel.
From Arizona's perspective, no guaranteed building blocks are coming back. Robertson has potential, but he hasn't proven himself as an NHLer. His AHL numbers are good but don't jump off the page. The draft pick could be late in the first round, too. If this is the best offer the Coyotes get for Chychrun, they'd be smart to keep him and hope for something better this offseason.
Why it could work: As long as Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang are still humming, Penguins GM Ron Hextall needs to do everything in his power to try to bring Pittsburgh another Stanley Cup. The team's biggest need is a winger for Malkin, and Miller is an ideal fit - especially since he's signed through 2023 with a bargain $5.25-million cap hit. Kapanen has struggled this year (and makes the deal work cap-wise), and Joseph is just depth for Pittsburgh at this point.
Kapanen has believers in Vancouver. While with the Penguins front office, Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford and general manager Patrik Allvin drafted Kapanen in 2014, then re-acquired him from the Leafs in 2020. Kapanen's father, Sami, played under Rutherford with the Carolina Hurricanes. Rutherford also acquired Joseph, a 2017 first-round defenseman, from the Coyotes during his time in Pittsburgh.
Why it might not: A first-round pick, a young roster player, and a prospect would usually fetch a player with an extra year of term. However, it's possible the Canucks would want much more, even with the fourth-rounder sprinkled in.
Miller has blossomed into a star point-per-game player with Vancouver, capable of playing center and wing effectively. If the Canucks give him up - which isn't a guarantee considering the playoffs are still a possibility - they might want someone with more upside than Kapanen and Joseph coming back.
Why it could work: The possibility of Columbus dealing Laine is fascinating, even though Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen recently shut down those rumors. The 23-year-old sniper is a pending RFA. He could simply accept his $7.5-million qualifying offer again this summer before becoming a UFA in 2023.
It's no secret the Jackets have struggled to keep star players. And the ones they've held on to, they had to pay an additional Columbus tax (see Werenski, Zach). If the Jackets can't get Laine to agree to an extension this summer, they may have to trade him. Letting him walk for free isn't an option.
The Rangers, meanwhile, could use an additional offensive threat, and Laine fits into their timeline.
Why it might not: The Blue Jackets gave up Pierre-Luc Dubois to get Laine, so they may want more of a sure thing if they're going to trade the Finn. Kravtsov and Lundkvist (both 2018 first-rounders) have upside, but neither has proven themselves as NHLers yet. If Kekalainen ships Laine to New York, he'd be wise to ask for a package including Alexis Lafreniere or Kaapo Kakko.
The value makes sense for the Rangers, and Laine would help them this season. However, how he fits into their long-term plans is foggy. Extensions for Mika Zibanejad and Adam Fox are kicking in next season. New York has already invested ample money and draft resources on the wing with Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider, Lafreniere, and Kakko. If the Rangers make a big swing for a forward, a center makes more sense, especially since Ryan Strome is a pending UFA.
Why it could work: The Avs are Stanley Cup favorites, so it only makes sense for them to go all-in. This is their year to be aggressive, too. Nazem Kadri, Andre Burakovsky, and Darcy Kuemper are pending UFAs, and Nathan MacKinnon's bargain deal expires in 2023. It shouldn't matter that Hertl is just a rental.
Hertl would be a fantastic addition. He could play wing on the second line with Kadri or center his own third line to make Colorado even deeper.
The Sharks reportedly tried negotiating an extension with Hertl and aren't looking to trade him. However, San Jose might not have a choice if it can't get a deal done before the deadline. Plus, there's always a chance the Sharks could lure him back in free agency after moving him. That'd be a win-win.
Why it might not: Jost has yet to live up to the billing of a top-10 pick back in 2016, but he's still a valuable member of Colorado's bottom six. The Avs might prefer to part with a prospect rather than somebody from the active roster. If Jost is a must-have part of the package, perhaps they'd get the Sharks to include an additional depth forward in the deal with minimal long-term value, like Andrew Cogliano or Matt Nieto.
Barron, a 2020 first-rounder, along with Jost, makes this a steep price for a rental. The Avs might want someone with an extra year of term, like J.T. Miller, if they're giving up this package. Or, perhaps they'd prefer a rental with slightly less value, such as Claude Giroux.
Why it could work: The group is split on this deal, which tends to mean it's fair. The Capitals are in the same spot as the Penguins. As long as their aging core is still performing at a high level, they have to go all-in - despite GM Brian MacLellan's recent comments.
Goaltending has been Washington's weakness this season, so adding a proven netminder in Fleury, albeit a rental, is smart. Fleury's contract contains a 10-team no-trade list, so he'll have a significant say in where he goes. That could limit his market and prove to be the reason the rebuilding Blackhawks don't get a guaranteed first-rounder out of this.
Despite his relative struggles, Samsonov is just 25. Arvid Soderblom is Chicago's only goalie under team control for next year (Kevin Lankinen and Collin Delia are also pending UFAs), so the 2015 first-rounder fills a significant need moving forward.
Why it might not: The Blackhawks might want to get a guaranteed first-rounder in exchange for Fleury since he's by far the best goaltender available, and there are other contenders with a need between the pipes, such as the Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, and Maple Leafs. Chicago also probably has no use for Irwin, a 34-year-old depth D-man on an expiring contract.
The Caps might not be ready to give up on Samsonov either. Goaltenders tend to reach their peak later in their careers, and Washington has already invested so many years developing the Russian netminder.
If any suitors are interested in acquiring P.K. Subban before this month's trade deadline, it appears the New Jersey Devils are willing to listen.
"I sat down with P.K. yesterday, and we talked about uncertainty, and the deadline, and that we're not at a spot where we're looking to extend him at this point," general manager Tom Fitzgerald told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.
Fitzgerald added: "He's done a lot for community here and the organization. But I told him, 'On the last day, somebody may lose a right-shot D and may call me, and if the move makes sense for the New Jersey Devils and makes sense for you to potentially have a chance to win, I have to do what's best for the organization.'"
Subban is currently playing out the final months of the monster eight-year, $72-million contract he signed with the Montreal Canadiens in 2014. In any potential deal, the Devils will likely need to retain a portion of Subban's $9-million cap hit.
New Jersey acquired the 32-year-old from the Nashville Predators before the 2019-20 campaign. He's notched 55 points in 165 games with the Devils and is averaging the lowest average ice time of his career this season at 19:11 per contest.
Subban can still drive play at even strength, but he no longer moves the needle defensively or on the power play. Here's his on-ice impact this season according to Evolving-Hockey's Goals Above Replacement metric:
Subban was among the league's top defensemen during his prime. From 2013-18, he won the Norris Trophy once and was a finalist two other times while earning three All-Star nominations. Subban also recorded 301 points in 422 games over that span.
There's a new front-runner for the Hart Trophy. For the first time this season, Connor McDavid has been overtaken as the favorite for MVP at Barstool Sportsbook.
McDavid is tied with Leon Draisaitl for the league lead in points. So how did Matthews catch him? A few reasons stand out.
McDavid has hit a bit of a rut, piling up just 26 points over his last 22 games. While those are still good numbers, they aren't great, as he's tied with the likes of Sam Reinhart and Dylan Larkin for 22nd during that span.
His team hasn't enjoyed much success, either. The Oilers are tied with the Blue Jackets and Predators in points over that period and are still trying to dig out from the hole they fell into under Dave Tippett.
Meanwhile, Matthews has taken his game up several notches. He has amassed 36 points over the last 23 games and now finds himself leading the NHL in goals.
He remains nine points behind McDavid but has played three fewer games. Matthews' nine more goals, much stronger defensive metrics, and 10 more points in the team standings make up for the gap.
While oddsmakers are correct in moving Matthews ahead of McDavid, the same can be said of Shesterkin.
Shesterkin has quietly put together one of the most remarkable goaltending seasons of all time. He owns an absurd .942 save percentage and leads the league in Goals Saved Above Expectation. Put simply, Shesterkin is reason No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 why the Rangers are within striking distance of winning a competitive Metropolitan Division.
Although Shesterkin plays in fewer games than top skaters like Matthews, he definitely belongs in the same conversation in terms of value provided.
McDavid is in tough to catch either of these players. To have any chance, he needs to separate himself from the pack in terms of point production, and the Oilers need to claim home ice for at least the first round of the playoffs. If he doesn't gain separation individually, and the team isn't garnering a ton of success, there is nothing to pull him away from the pack.
Beyond the big three, Draisaitl probably stands the best chance to make a late run at the award. He's right there with McDavid in terms of points, and he's on Matthews' tail in terms of goals. Draisaitl can make a solid case if he leads the league in both categories and the Oilers surge up the standings.
Outside of that, I'm not sure anybody else has a real shot. Jonathan Huberdeau's point total is great, but he plays on arguably the deepest offensive team in the league. He also benefits greatly from cushy usage on home ice, primarily playing opposing teams' middle-six forwards.
Alex Ovechkin is eighth in scoring, and the Capitals are sliding down the standings. Meanwhile, Kirill Kaprizov plays for a team that has dropped eight of the last 10.
In terms of the longer shots, Johnny Gaudreau (fourth in scoring, plays for a likely division winner) is where the value lies.
Realistically speaking, the race is probably between Matthews and Shesterkin.
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.
On Saturday night, one of the best bets in sports continued as the Canucks beat the Maple Leafs as significant underdogs. Vancouver hasn't owned Toronto since the start of the pandemic, but its two wins this season give it a 6-4 edge since the 2020 shutdown.
Anyone blindly betting the Leafs has won four units in their wins and lost close to 15 units in their losses; that's -11 units total. In plain terms, assuming Toronto is the favorite each game, and the teams continue to play twice per season, the Leafs would have to win the next 12 games over six seasons to make them profitable and worth bragging about.
Whether it's sitting at the bar or typing in the text chain, in the world of sports betting, that's how bragging rights are defined. Not by record, but by what your team can do for your account - even if they're only your team for one game. In moneyline-centric sports like hockey, it doesn't take much record-wise to have underdogs prove valuable.
The recipe
Before the 2021-22 campaign, we provided a three-chapter series on how to use the regular-season point-total market to create team ratings, how to interpret home-ice advantage, and then how to use those to create your own moneylines.
We'll make a small adjustment to our formula this week, moving this season's on-ice predictive metrics to 75% of our total rating. While our ratings are weighted to this season, the 25% of the ratings based on preseason "priors" means that we can put more emphasis on team metrics without going all-in on what's happened this year. That's important because this season is still a relatively small sample size that contains some tainted results from when COVID-19 ravaged lineups.
The cheat sheet
The following includes my fair price on the matchups (true moneyline) and the moneyline price I would need to bet either side. I just need a 1% edge for a favorite if we're getting better than a fair price on the team that's more likely to win. For the underdog, I'll need 4% or better to make it a bet. On games that I have projected will be a near coin flip, a 2.5% edge is enough to make it a worthwhile wager. I also have a 5% win probability consideration for a side playing in the second game of a back-to-back with travel and 3% for without travel.
DATE
GAME
TRUE ML
PRICE TO BET
March 7
LAK@BOS
+182/-182
LAK +217/BOS -174
FLA@BUF
-197/+197
FLA -188/BUF +237
TOR@CBJ
-136/+136
TOR -131/CBJ +161
COL@NYI
-113/+113
COL -109/NYI +133
EDM@CGY
-106/+106
EDM +104/CGY +117
March 8
COL@NJD
-102/+102
COL +108/NJD +113
FLA@PIT
+106/-106
FLA +117/PIT +104
VGK@PHI
-118/+118
VGK -114/PHI +139
ARI@DET
+137/-137
ARI +162/DET -131
SEA@TOR
+151/-151
SEA +178/TOR -144
TBL@WPG
-120/+120
TBL -116/WPG +142
OTT@STL
+207/-207
OTT +249/STL -197
DAL@NSH
+103/-103
DAL +114/NSH +107
NYR@MIN
+106/-106
NYR +118/MIN +104
ANA@CHI
+134/-134
ANA +158/CHI -128
WSH@CGY
+102/-102
WSH +113/CGY +109
March 9
WSH@EDM
+160/-160
WSH +190/EDM -153
MTL@VAN
+182/-182
MTL +218/VAN -174
March 10
COL@CAR
-113/+113
COL -109/CAR +133
VGK@BUF
-135/+135
VGK -129/BUF +159
WPG@NJD
+123/-123
WPG +145/NJD -119
SEA@OTT
-107/+107
SEA +103/OTT +118
MIN@DET
-124/+124
MIN -119/DET +146
PHI@FLA
+209/-209
PHI +253/FLA -200
CHI@BOS
+162/-162
CHI +193/BOS -155
ARI@TOR
+198/-198
ARI +239/TOR -190
CBJ@NYI
+146/-146
CBJ +173/NYI -140
ANA@NSH
+142/-142
ANA +168/NSH -136
NYR@STL
+113/-113
NYR +133/STL -109
TBL@CGY
-101/+101
TBL +110/CGY +111
SJS@LAK
+168/-168
SJS +200/LAK -161
Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there’s a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.
Details on every deal made since the start of the season up to the March 21, 3 p.m. ET trade deadline.
March 2
Sharks bring back Stalock
Sharks receive
Oilers receive
G Alex Stalock
Future considerations
Flames, Canadiens make minor swap
Flames receive
Canadiens receive
G Michael McNiven
Future considerations
Feb. 22
Bruins acquire Callahan for late draft pick
Bruins receive
Coyotes receive
D Michael Callahan
7th-round pick (2024)
Feb. 21
Leafs add goaltending depth
Maple Leafs receive
Coyotes receive
G Carter Hutton
Future considerations
Feb. 19
Leafs send Ritchie to Coyotes for Dzingel, Lyubushkin
Norm Hall / National Hockey League / Getty
Coyotes receive
Maple Leafs receive
F Nick Ritchie
F Ryan Dzingel
Conditional draft pick (2023 or 2025)
D Ilya Lyubushkin
Notes: Arizona can choose to receive Toronto's 2023 third-round pick or 2025 second-round pick.
Feb. 14
Flames make a splash with Toffoli acquisition
Flames receive
Canadiens receive
F Tyler Toffoli
F Tyler Pitlick
F Emil Heineman
1st-round pick (2022 or 2023)
5th-round pick (2023)
Conditional 4th-round pick (2024)
Notes: If Calgary's 2022 first-round pick is in the top 10, the Flames have the option to instead send their 2023 first-round pick and a fourth-round pick in 2024.
Feb. 12
Canadiens acquire Hammond from Wild
Canadiens receive
Wild receive
G Andrew Hammond
F Brandon Baddock
Feb. 1
Lightning, Stars agree to swap
Lightning receive
Stars receive
F Tye Fellhaber
F Alexei Lipanov
Lightning make another minor move
Lightning receive
Predators receive
F Anthony Richard
F Jimmy Huntington
Jan. 5
Blackhawks ship Nylander to Pittsburgh
Jeff Bottari / National Hockey League / Getty
Blackhawks receive
Penguins receive
F Sam Lafferty
F Alex Nylander
Dec. 29
Wild, Blues flip forwards
Wild receive
Blues receive
F Nolan Stevens
F Will Bitten
Dec. 15
Devils bring in some goaltending depth
Devils receive
Blues receive
G Jon Gillies
Future considerations
Dec. 9
Blackhawks, Leafs make minor swap
Blackhawks receive
Maple Leafs receive
F Kurtis Gabriel
D Chad Krys
Dec. 2
Sabres acquire Subban to bolster crease
Gregg Forwerck / National Hockey League / Getty
Sabres receive
Blackhawks receive
G Malcolm Subban
Future considerations
Nov. 30
Predators bring in forward depth
Predators receive
Senators receive
F Kole Sherwood
Future considerations
Nov. 16
Leafs add Clifford
Maple Leafs receive
Blues receive
F Kyle Clifford
Future considerations
Nov. 4
Golden Knights land Eichel in blockbuster deal
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
Golden Knights receive
Sabres receive
F Jack Eichel
F Alex Tuch
Conditional 3rd-round pick (2023 or 2024)
F Peyton Krebs
Conditional 1st-round pick (2022 or 2023)
Conditional 2nd-round pick (2023 or 2024)
Notes: If Vegas' 2022 first-round pick is in the top 10, the Golden Knights would instead send their 2023 first-round pick unprotected. Buffalo's second-round pick and Vegas' third-round pick would then both move to 2024.
