Patrick Kane is making the most of a four-day break between games after a whirlwind buildup to last week's trade led to a slow start with the New York Rangers.

"It's definitely nice to get out there and practice today," Kane told Vince Mercogliano of USA Today Sports. "I haven't even had a morning skate with the team yet. It's been a little bit of time. My last practice in Chicago was two weeks ago. You need to get back into it."

Kane went 10 days between his final game with the Chicago Blackhawks and first with the Rangers. His former club kept him sidelined for precautionary reasons leading up to the Feb. 28 blockbuster.

Despite lofty expectations on Broadway, Kane's brief tenure in New York is off to a slow start. The 34-year-old is pointless while averaging over 20 minutes per contest, and is a minus-4 in two losses. The Rangers' power play also hasn't clicked since bringing the former MVP aboard, going 1-for-7.

The futility with the man advantage prompted head coach Gerard Gallant to drop star center Mika Zibanejad on the second unit, while Kane and Artemi Panarin headline the first group.

Kane's relationship with Panarin was thought to be the big reason he waived his no-move clause to join the Rangers, but the pair haven't rekindled the magic from their days as Blackhawks linemates just yet.

Gallant will give the stars a few more chances to get going at five-on-five before reconsidering.

"I like our lines, (but) it’s up to them," he said. "If they want to play together, go do it."

The Rangers' next game comes Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens.

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We have a packed 10-game slate on the docket Tuesday night. Let's waste no time in getting to our best bets.

Maple Leafs (+105) @ Devils (-125)

The Devils are a well-oiled machine right now. They own a 7-2-1 record over the last 10 games and have posted very strong underlying numbers in the process.

Even in defeat, they are routinely out-performing their opponents. Over the last two defeats, for example, they generated 90 shots while conceding only 44.

They've been a tough out every single night, and the floor, and ceiling, of the team should only rise with the addition of Timo Meier.

He looked a little out of sync with new linemates Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt in his debut last time out, yet he still found the back of the net and generated a few shots. The sky is the limit as he becomes more comfortable.

New Jersey's top six is a problem for anyone, and there is real depth behind them as well. The play of its bottom six has been a big separator of late. Ondrej Palat, Erik Haula, and Jesper Boqvist have posted a 76% expected goal share since being assembled a few games ago. Meanwhile, the fourth line has netted five goals over the last 10.

I think New Jersey's forward depth is going to cause the Maple Leafs problems in this game. With John Tavares and Ryan O'Reilly out of the lineup, the Leafs don't seem to have the punch to match up with a team like the Devils from top to bottom.

The lack of dynamic ability outside of the big guns, coupled with a shallowness down the middle as a byproduct of injuries, is likely going to be the difference.

Look for the Devils to claim another two points as they continue to push the Hurricanes for top spot in the Metro Division.

Bet: Devils (-125)

Flames (+120) @ Wild (-140)

Death, taxes, and Minnesota Wild unders. Their games have featured five goals or fewer 11 times over the past 12 contests. That is absurd in a modern NHL where goal scoring is rising substantially.

When you take to the numbers, it is easy to see why the Wild have played in so many low-scoring games. They have not generated high-danger chances at an efficient clip, and they lack firepower in their lineup beyond the big dogs up front.

With Grade A looks coming few and far between, and a lack of finishers taking the chances that do come, it's understandable that they've struggled to convert.

The Wild have won a lot of games anyway on the back of strong defense and Filip Gustavsson. We'll start with the former. Over the past 12 games, the Wild rank third in high-danger chance suppression at five-on-five. They're not giving up much.

When they do, the Wild have one of the league's best netminders this season there to bail them out. Gustavsson owns a remarkable .933 save percentage - league average is .900 - and ranks second in Goals Saved Above Expected per start, only slotting behind Linus Ullmark.

He is at the peak of his powers right now, having conceded two goals or fewer in eight of his last nine games.

The Flames are a poor finishing team, they are very good at limiting high-danger chances, and they're in a back-to-back situation.

With every point crucial, I think they'll be happy to play this game tight to the vest and keep it within striking distance from start to finish.

Don't expect much offense in Minnesota.

Bet: Under 5.5 (+100)

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

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Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ryan O'Reilly will miss four weeks after undergoing surgery to stabilize his broken finger, head coach Sheldon Keefe said Tuesday, according to TSN's Mark Masters.

That timeline puts O'Reilly on track to return April 6 against the Boston Bruins, giving him a five-game runway before the start of the playoffs.

O'Reilly, who will be placed on long-term injured reserve, took a puck off the hand during Saturday's loss to the Vancouver Canucks.

The 2019 Selke, Conn Smythe, and Stanley Cup winner was Toronto's prized addition ahead of the NHL trade deadline. He's recorded three goals and a pair of assists in eight games since joining the Maple Leafs.

Toronto will also be without captain John Tavares on Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils "out of an abundance of caution," Keefe said.

Tavares skated as an extra in Monday's practice but didn't take line rushes.

"John (is) just not feeling himself today," Keefe said Monday. "Not feeling great. Wanted to skate and see exactly where he's at and he got through it and is feeling a little bit better than he thought."

Tavares was on the receiving end of a pair of big hits from Tyler Myers on Saturday.

Keefe said that the team is mindful of the hits, according to Masters, but added that there's a flu bug going around too. If everything goes well, Tavares will return Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers.

The Leafs promoted Pontus Holmberg and Alex Steeves from the AHL in corresponding moves. Both are expected to play on the fourth line Tuesday.

Newly acquired defenseman Luke Schenn was absent from Monday's practice to be with his wife, who's set to give birth in Vancouver.

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We posted a disappointing 1-2 record with our props on Monday night. Leon Draisaitl took only two of 37 shots for the Oilers. Meanwhile, Brady Tkachuk hit the net on three of six attempts, and took 17 penalty minutes, in a great matchup against the Blackhawks.

We'll look to get back in the win column with three more plays for a busy Tuesday slate.

Martin Necas over 2.5 shots (-130)

Necas is as consistent as they come on the road. The emerging star winger has averaged 3.2 shots per game away from home this season, which has helped him to an impressive 73% hit rate on his shot total.

Tonight, Necas finds himself in a mouth-watering matchup against a bad Canadiens team missing an abundance of players.

The Canadiens have allowed 66.45 shot attempts per 60 minutes of five-on-five player over the last eight games. That's a worse mark than all but the Blue Jackets and Ducks.

Their numbers aren't great on the penalty kill, either, where Necas finds himself skating on the top unit.

As a cherry on top, the Canadiens' league-wide ranking in shots against is lower against right wingers than any other position. The stars are all aligning for an active offensive game from Necas.

Clayton Keller over 2.5 shots (-130)

Keller is heating up. He has registered at least three shots in four straight games at home, where he's enjoyed fairly consistent success all season long.

He has gone over his total 57% of the time in Arizona, compared to just 34% away from home. That's a big swing.

The attempt data suggests that is no coincidence. Keller has averaged five attempts per game in Arizona and only 3.7 on the road.

He should be able to stay hot at home on Tuesday against the Blues. They are among the worst shot-suppression teams in the league right now and they're giving up a lot of volume to left wingers.

With cushy usage at home, and a juicy matchup against a team bleeding shots, Keller should be able to hit the over for the fifth straight time in Arizona.

Nathan MacKinnon over 4.5 shots (-115)

MacKinnon has hit a new level of late. He's not just getting the job done in the shot department; he's routinely soaring past the number with room to spare.

He has gone over his total in seven of the last 10 games. In every single one of those scenarios, he recorded no fewer than six shots on target.

The three failures came against strong defensive teams in the Kraken, Flames, and Jets. I wouldn't put the Sharks in the same group, especially in their current state.

They try and play a tight brand of hockey under David Quinn, but they just don't have the horses to hold up. I don't see that changing in the latter half of a road back-to-back at high altitude.

Look for MacKinnon, who has hit in nearly 60% of home games this season, to put together another big performance.

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

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There aren't a whole lot of games left for this season's rookie class to cement a case for the Calder Trophy.

To be real, the award pretty much already has Matty Beniers' name on it. But have no fear: We've tried to keep our rankings fair yet fresh by bringing back Jake Sanderson and replacing the injured Logan Thompson with Stuart Skinner.

Let's get into it.

5. Stuart Skinner, Oilers

We've been beating the Thompson drum as our Calder-eligible goaltender, but he's been out since Feb. 9 due to injury. So, we'll use this opportunity to give Skinner his time in the sun.

In terms of rookies who've provided the most value to their respective teams, Skinner is right up there with the best of them. Jack Campbell basically gave the starting job away thanks to his .882 save percentage across 32 appearances, but luckily for the Edmonton Oilers, Skinner has been up to the task.

Thompson has a slight edge over Skinner when it comes to save percentage and goals against average, but Skinner leads all rookie goalies in goals saved above expected (12.61), goals above replacement (16.1), and wins above replacement (2.7). In addition, out of all netminders who've made at least 10 starts this season, Skinner is tied for seventh with a .925 save percentage at even strength.

An important caveat: This doesn't mean that we no longer think Thompson should be in the running. It's difficult to give a spot on these rankings to someone who isn't playing. However, the Vegas Golden Knights goalie will likely be named a Calder finalist given his dominance during the first couple months of the campaign - unless the No. 4 player on this list takes over. We just figured it was time we acknowledged Skinner for the work he's put in this season.

4. Mason McTavish, Ducks

Of course we had to give some flowers to the only player with a realistic chance to challenge Beniers for the rookie points lead. McTavish has some ground to cover - he's currently nine points away from taking the crown - but it makes sense that the Ducks forward is in the mix for the hardware.

After a quiet start to the season, McTavish has picked it up during the winter. The 20-year-old has rattled off eight goals and nine assists in 25 games since the calendar flipped to 2023, producing at a 0.68 point-per-game clip. Prior to that, he was puttering away at a 0.54 rate.

McTavish has even enjoyed some time as Anaheim's top-line center. Yes, all of his key possession stats at five-on-five are below 50%. But the Ducks are horrendous. They're toiling in the league's basement with a shocking minus-96 goal differential and are far more interested in the Connor Bedard sweepstakes than being competitive - no matter what NHL commissioner Gary Bettman says.

Expecting McTavish to have dazzling results under those conditions as a rookie would be unfair, to say the least.

3. Jake Sanderson, Senators

It's been a minute since Sanderson has made an appearance on these rankings, but he's been just as steady as ever.

He's the second-busiest defenseman on the Senators behind only - you guessed it - Thomas Chabot. Sanderson is one of three rookies averaging over 20 minutes of ice time per contest, and he also sees the most amount of shorthanded playing time among all first-year players by almost one full minute (3:14 TOI/GP).

The 20-year-old has rewarded that trust from his coaching staff. The team controls the majority of the shot attempts (52.4%), expected goals (51.3%), scoring chances (54%), and high-danger chances (55.4%) with him on the ice at five-on-five. What's more, Sanderson ranks fifth among Senators skaters in both WAR (1.1) and GAR (6.8), trailing only Tim Stutzle, Brady Tkachuk, Claude Giroux, and Chabot.

Sanderson tops all rookies with a whopping 98 blocks, and he ranks second among first-year rearguards in points while starting just 44.9% of his shifts in the offensive zone. In comparison, Owen Power, the only other defenseman on this list, has started 57.3% of his shifts in the offensive zone.

Expectations were high for Sanderson heading into this season, but the 2020 fifth overall pick has shouldered that hype admirably, which is a welcome sight for a team that has a tendency to ride its top defensemen.

2. Owen Power, Sabres

Power is continuing his workhorse ways.

The Sabres blue-liner currently ranks third in points by a rookie defenseman, 11 of which (including all four of his goals) have come over his 28 games in 2023. He also leads all rookies in offensive goals above replacement (9.7). On the back end, he still paces all first-year players in average ice time by almost three full minutes.

Behind Rasmus Dahlin, Power has arguably been Buffalo's most valuable defenseman this season, and he's only 20 years old. He sees the second-most ice time on the team, and he's posted some respectable underlying metrics at five-on-five. Power's shot attempts for percentage (53.2%), goals for percentage (57.5%), and scoring chances for percentage (52.6%) are all the second highest among all Sabres defensemen to log at least 200 minutes, trailing only Dahlin.

Also, when Dahlin missed three games due to injury in late February, Power saw his average ice time jump to 27 minutes. Though the Sabres went 1-2-0 in the star's absence, Power showed promise while shouldering the larger workload: Buffalo owned 54.6% of the shot attempts, 56.9% of the scoring chances, and 51.4% of the shots with Power on the ice at five-on-five during that Dahlin-less span.

The Sabres' future on the blue line is bright, indeed.

1. Matty Beniers, Kraken

It appears that Beniers all but has the Calder Trophy locked up, and for good reason.

He still tops all rookies in goals and points and is just one tally away from reaching the 20-goal mark. Beniers also has 36 even-strength points, 11 clear of Winnipeg Jets youngster Cole Perfetti in second place. He's well on his way to eclipsing 50 points, which is promising for his case: The last seven winners of the award hit that marker in their rookie year. The Massachusetts product also has a knack for scoring in key moments. He ranks second among all first-year players with three game-winning goals this season.

Beniers has earned the confidence of the Kraken coaches as a solid 200-foot player already in his budding career. The 20-year-old has started 90 shifts in the defensive zone, the fifth most among all Kraken forwards this campaign, and he's allowed fewer expected goals against per 60 than all but four of his teammates. Speaking of his teammates, Beniers ranks third on the squad in GAR (11.6) and WAR (1.9) while sitting fourth in defensive goals above replacement (2.5).

The 2021 second overall pick is a huge reason Seattle is on its way to making the playoffs one year after finishing dead last by a 16-point margin in the Pacific Division during its inaugural season.

Like we said before, Beniers pretty much has this one in the bag, but we'd love to see a dominant run down the stretch from him to really drive the point home.

Honorable mentions: Matias Maccelli (ARI), Jack Quinn (BUF), Kent Johnson (CBJ), Wyatt Johnston (DAL), Jonatan Berggren (DET), Calen Addison (MIN), Noah Cates (PHI), Cole Perfetti (WPG), Logan Thompson (VGK)

(Analytics sources: Natural Stat Trick, Evolving-Hockey)

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