Calgary Flames forward Nazem Kadri appears to be busting out of his recent slump with goals in back-to-back games, and head coach Darryl Sutter emphasized that the veteran's recent struggles have nothing to do with his effort level.

"I just think with Naz ... the summer and the season have been a race, right?" Sutter said Monday. "You see him today, you get these two days (since the last game) and you see more energy again out of him. It's got nothing to do with anything else, it's not about his compete."

Kadri had gone 16 games without a goal prior to scoring in Thursday's defeat to the Vegas Golden Knights. He helped the Colorado Avalanche lift the Stanley Cup in late June, and Sutter said his abbreviated summer has "a lot to do" with his skid.

"Those guys just gave everything they had and that's all they had left," Sutter said. "He went through that run and then being a free agent and all that. ... (Questioning Kadri's effort) is so off-base, it's just strictly getting the guy's energy back."

Kadri was named an All-Star after enjoying a strong start to his first season in Calgary but has cooled off since the Flames returned from the break Feb. 6.

The 32-year-old recorded the eventual game-winner Saturday against the San Jose Sharks but saw a season-low 12:34 minutes of ice time. Over his last 12 contests, Kadri's playing time has dipped below the 15-minute mark eight times.

Sutter said last week that he doesn't talk to players about reducing their ice time, adding that the onus is "100%" on them to earn it back.

For his part, Kadri said Thursday that his relationship with the hard-nosed coach is "fine" and chalked up any speculation of a rift to playing in a Canadian market, according to TSN's Salim Valji.

Kadri is in the first season of a seven-year, $49-million pact that he signed with the Flames as an unrestricted free agent in August.

The Flames sit four points back of the Winnipeg Jets for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference with a 33-26-15 record entering Monday's slate.

Calgary's next game will come Tuesday against the Los Angeles Kings.

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We have an unusually busy six-game slate to look forward to Monday night. Let's look at the best way to attack it with a pair of best bets.

Panthers (-135) @ Senators (+115)

The bottom is falling out from beneath the Senators. As the schedule has toughened up, they've shown their true colors and dropped out of the playoff race.

They've played eight consecutive games against teams that are either holding down a playoff spot or sitting just outside the picture. Six of those eight games resulted in defeat, with one of the wins coming via a Dylan Ferguson goalie steal on a night they were outshot by 28. Not good!

Ottawa ranks last in attempts, expected goals, and high-danger chances allowed per 60 minutes during this eight-game stretch. The Senators are playing truly horrific hockey.

Without any of their top goaltenders available, the Senators can't rely on netminding to help mask these issues. The loss of Jakob Chychrun on defense doesn't help matters either.

I expect the Senators' struggles to continue Monday night against the Panthers, who are playing some of their best hockey of the year, outshooting teams by double digits (on average) over the past 10 games.

With a playoff spot just three points away and the schedule about to get easier, the Panthers know it's now or never. Florida has to start stringing together wins, and a date with this version of the Senators is a good place to start.

Ottawa is bleeding shots and lacks stable goaltending. That's not a recipe for success against a high-powered Panthers side that generates shots, and scoring chances, as efficiently as any team in the league.

Led by Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, and Carter Verhaeghe, look for Florida's offense to overwhelm the Senators en route to a crucial two points.

Bet: Panthers (-135)

Kraken (+110) @ Wild (-130)

This line doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. The last time these two sides met, the Wild closed as -120 favorites. Although that game was played in Seattle, Kirill Kaprizov happened to be available.

Call me crazy, but if the Wild are priced as -120 favorites with Kaprizov, I don't think they should be -130 without him. Home ice isn't worth that much, especially against this Kraken team.

The Kraken have enjoyed great success on the road all season long and are 6-0-1 away from home in March, having picked up wins against the Avalanche and the Stars. I don't think they should be priced so generously against a Wild team missing its best skater by far.

Seattle also deserves more credit in its own right. The Kraken have posted a 56% expected goals share at five-on-five over the past 10 games, which is one of the highest outputs in the NHL. For comparison, the Wild are a little below 50% during the same span and rank 18th.

While Minnesota does possess an edge between the pipes, the Kraken have played better at five-on-five of late and the Wild are bleeding goals on the penalty kill.

The Kraken have a path to a solid offensive night, which could put a low-scoring Wild team that's missing its top producer in a tough spot.

Bet: Kraken (+110)

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

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Many of the league's best shot generators are set to take the ice Monday night. Let's take a look at three worth backing.

Carter Verhaeghe over 3.5 shots (-140)

Verhaeghe is firing the puck from anywhere and everywhere. He has amassed 45 shots on goal and 79 attempts over the last 10 games. Those totals are good for first on a Panthers team that generates an insane amount of shot volume almost every single night. The bar to clear is high, and Verhaeghe's doing it.

Unsurprisingly, all that volume is leading to consistent success in the prop market. Verhaeghe has recorded four shots or more in nine of his last 10, including against playoff bound sides like the Golden Knights, Devils, Maple Leafs, and Rangers.

He begins his week with a sneaky good matchup against the Senators. Their underlying numbers were fairly strong for quite some time. They have dipped of late, though, with some key players - like Jakob Chychrun - out due to injury while the schedule toughens.

Only three teams have allowed shots at a higher rate than the Senators over the last 10 games. They're vulnerable and the Panthers are at, or near, the top of the list of sides most likely to exploit that.

Look for Verhaeghe, the team's leading trigger man of late, to be front and center for the Panthers.

Leon Draisaitl over 3.5 shots (+115)

Draisaitl has quietly gone on a healthy shooting run. He leads the Oilers in shots on goal and attempts over the last 10 games, which is saying something considering Connor McDavid has at times seen his shot total at 4.5 in recent weeks.

He is skating regularly with Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins at five-on-five, both of whom are happy to defer to Leon and bring out the ceiling in terms of his shot volume.

What I love even more about Draisaitl tonight is the matchup. The Coyotes bleed shots across all situations, give up a ton of volume to opposing centers, and take an awful lot of penalties.

Draisaitl is the go-to shooter on the man advantage, so he stands to benefit most from Arizona's inability to stay out of the box.

Expect him to be heavily involved in the offense.

Mikko Rantanen over 3.5 shots (-120)

David Pastrnak. Auston Matthews. Nathan MacKinnon. Those are the only three players in the league with more shot attempts than Rantanen over the past 10 games.

Colorado's soon-to-be 50-goal man has been piling up the shots of late against anyone and everyone. I don't see him slowing down Monday night against the Ducks.

They continue to struggle defensively, having allowed an average of nearly 36.5 shots against the past 10 games. That's the most in the NHL.

A ton of that volume has come from right wingers. Only the Predators have allowed more shots per game to Rantanen's position during this stretch.

Dating back to the beginning of last season, Rantanen has gone over his total in four consecutive games against this Ducks team.

Given how much volume they're allowing on a nightly basis - including to right wingers - I see no reason to expect anything different this time around.

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

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The NHL regular season's final weeks are not to be trusted.

For bad teams, it's one thing to think about a club relative to its draft position in February or March. Still, it's another thing when losing the final few games guarantees as many draft lottery balls as possible. Management often decrees that certain goaltenders start and lesser players get more ice time in the name of "giving opportunities to the young guys." Why not just bet against the bad teams, then? Well, those young players aren't trying to look bad and are giving everything they have to get noticed. Plus, the market will lean to the favorite even more, so the only play is to back the inferior squad, which isn't a particularly fun way to finish your campaign either.

For mediocre teams, it's one thing to think about a club relative to its playoff position and the concept of a must-win game. However, it's another thing to pay the tax oddsmakers charge on backing a club sitting on the playoff bubble just because it has more theoretical motivation. The reality is pressure can only cause problems. Once players are on the ice, they aren't thinking about the standings when they make the snap decision about where to shoot, pinch, or dive to block a shot.

For good teams, it's one thing to assume that a club doesn't necessarily have the motivation to win to secure a playoff seed. But it's another thing to fade a squad like the Bruins even after they sit their stars for rest purposes. A good team is more than just a few players; It's a collective - culture, coaching, and player development. On the flip side, you're not likely to get a deal on Boston, Toronto, Tampa Bay, or any other club with its playoffs seeding set.

Thoroughly confused? That's what happens in the final weeks of the NHL, NFL, NBA, and MLB seasons. It comes with the territory. These will be the final moneyline projections of the regular season since the best bet for the first full week of April is to take time to regroup and not give back the profits made value-betting during this long NHL season.

The recipe

We started the campaign using the regular-season point total market as a baseline for rating teams since it's our best preseason measurement. Throughout the season, we adjust club ratings using on-ice metrics to remove the cognitive bias of win-loss records, which outliers like special-teams results, poor goaltending performances, and other unreliable events can skew. Our priors have almost entirely been flushed out this late in the campaign, and this season's metrics remain.

The cheat sheet

There are no bad bets at the right price, but how do we know what a good price is?

The following includes my fair price on the games (true moneyline) and the moneyline price I'd need to bet either side. I only need a 1% edge for a favorite if we're getting better than a fair price on the team more likely to win. For the underdog, I'll need 4% or better to make it a bet. For games I project to be closer to a coin flip, a 2.5% edge is enough for a worthwhile wager. I also have a 5% win probability consideration for a team playing in the second game of a back-to-back with travel and a 3% consideration for a team on the second leg of a back-to-back without travel. When it comes to injured players, I do my best to estimate the impact on their team's win probability.

When the betting markets open up the night before, you can compare those prices with our "price to bet" column to see if you're getting any value with either side's moneyline. There's also a possibility that a moneyline moves into a bet-friendly range at some point between market open and puck drop.

Matt Russell is the senior betting writer for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.

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This is the 12th and final edition of theScore's NHL Power Rankings for the 2022-23 regular season. Check back for updated rankings before the playoffs begin.

In this edition, we break down each team's best hope to win an individual award at the end of the season. Note that most awards are legit, but some have been creatively thought up.

1. Boston Bruins (57-11-5)

Previous rank: 1st

Patrice Bergeron (Selke Trophy). It's safe to say between Linus Ullmark winning the Vezina Trophy and Jim Montgomery taking home the Jack Adams Award, the Bruins are going to clean up on awards night. But the biggest lock of all is Bergeron being named the best defensive forward for a record-extending sixth time.

2. Carolina Hurricanes (47-16-9)

Previous rank: 3rd

Jordan Staal (Selke Trophy). We know we just highlighted Bergeron for the same award, but Staal is equally as deserving to be a finalist. Among all forwards to log at least 800 even-strength minutes this season, Staal ranks second in expected goals against per 60 at 2.05.

3. Vegas Golden Knights (46-21-6)

Previous rank: 5th

Logan Thompson (Calder Trophy). Injuries derailed a legitimate case for hardware in this instance, as Thompson leads all rookie netminders this season in save percentage (.915), goals against average (2.65), and shutouts (two).

4. Los Angeles Kings (43-20-10)

Previous rank: 12th

Rob Blake (GM of the Year Award). This award always seems to go to a team that makes it to the conference finals. While there's no guarantee L.A. goes that far, Blake's additions of Kevin Fiala, Joonas Korpisalo, and Vladislav Gavrikov have been paramount to the team's success.

5. New Jersey Devils (46-19-8)

Previous rank: 2nd

Lindy Ruff (Jack Adams Award). Ruff's tenure behind the Devils' bench had a rough start. The team finished in the bottom five of the league's standings in 2020-21 and 2021-22, but he has New Jersey singing a different tune (not to mention a "Sorry Lindy" chant) this season. Under his guidance, the Devils have clinched their first playoff berth since 2018.

6. New York Rangers (43-20-10)

Previous rank: 7th

Adam Fox (Norris Trophy). The 2021 top defenseman has a great chance to be a finalist again this year. Fox hasn't attracted much of the spotlight but has put up 65 points in 73 games while averaging over 24 minutes per night and is in the top 10 among all blue-liners in Evolving-Hockey's WAR and GAR metrics.

7. Colorado Avalanche (43-23-6)

Previous rank: 10th

Mikko Rantanen (Conn Smythe Trophy). The Avalanche have been hampered by injuries all season, but Rantanen hasn't missed a single game while helping Colorado overcome several key absences with a career-high 48 goals in 72 contests. If he can keep up that production in the playoffs, he's got a real shot at being named postseason MVP.

8. Edmonton Oilers (41-23-9)

Previous rank: 11th

Connor McDavid (Hart Trophy). McDavid might need a bigger trophy room. While he's also a lock to win the Art Ross Trophy, the "Rocket" Richard Trophy, and the Ted Lindsay Award, we thought we'd highlight the Hart since not only is it the most important of the bunch, but he'll probably win it unanimously for the second time in his career.

9. Toronto Maple Leafs (44-20-9)

Previous rank: 4th

Mitch Marner (Selke Trophy). We've already covered why this award is likely going to Bergeron, but Marner shouldn't be slept on, either. The Maple Leafs star leads the team with 94 points while pacing all NHL forwards with 97 takeaways. He's also a key part of the Leafs' penalty kill, averaging north of two minutes shorthanded per contest. Talk about a two-way player.

10. Minnesota Wild (42-22-9)

Previous rank: 9th

Jared Spurgeon (Lady Byng Trophy). Spurgeon has been a finalist each of the last two seasons, so the third time is the charm, right? The Wild captain is one of the most underrated defensemen in the league, is well-respected by his peers, and has only taken 10 penalty minutes all season.

11. Tampa Bay Lightning (42-26-6)

Previous rank: 8th

Steven Stamkos (Mark Messier Leadership Award). Stamkos is in his 10th season as captain of the Lightning. Not only has he been a leader on the ice as part of two Stanley Cup-winning teams, but he also leads off the ice as a fixture in the Tampa Bay community.

12. Dallas Stars (39-20-14)

Previous rank: 6th

Joe Pavelski (Lady Byng Trophy). Pavelski has received down-ballot votes for this award several times in the past, but this could be the year. The 38-year-old is having another stellar season with 67 points in 73 games, he's one of the most classy and well-respected players in the league, and he's only recorded eight penalty minutes.

13. Seattle Kraken (40-24-8)

Previous rank: 13th

Matty Beniers (Calder Trophy). This should come as no surprise, seeing as the Kraken rookie has been in the driver's seat for the hardware virtually all season. Beniers paces all first-year players with 50 points in 70 games while ranking second on Seattle with 16 even-strength goals. The center has taken his large role with the Kraken in stride as they look to make the playoffs.

14. Winnipeg Jets (41-30-3)

Previous rank: 14th

Josh Morrissey (Norris Trophy). His nickname is "Norrissey" for a reason. The Jets defenseman ranks tied for second among all blue-liners with 69 points in 72 games, trailing only the resurgent Erik Karlsson. Morrissey's previous career high in points was 37. What a coming-out party it's been for the 27-year-old.

15. New York Islanders (37-28-9)

Previous rank: 16th

Ilya Sorokin (Vezina Trophy). Ullmark is a heavy favorite, but there's a valid argument that Sorokin has been the NHL's best goalie this season. He's played 10 more games than Ullmark and leads the league with 42.92 goals saved above expected - eight more than the Bruins netminder. Sorokin is the only reason the Islanders are in line to make the playoffs.

16. Calgary Flames (33-26-15)

Previous rank: 18th

Jacob Markstrom (Anti-Vezina Trophy). Flames fans, we apologize because this is kind of mean, but come on. Markstrom went from being a finalist for the Vezina last season to falling directly on his face. He owns a 20-20-10 record this season to go along with an .890 save percentage while ranking among the league's worst netminders in goals saved above average (minus-19.59).

17. Florida Panthers (36-30-7)

Previous rank: 17th

Matthew Tkachuk (Hart Trophy). The Panthers haven't enjoyed a strong follow-up to their Presidents' Trophy-winning campaign, but that hasn't been Tkachuk's fault. He's come as advertised in his first season in Florida, leading the team with 97 points - 31 clear of Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe in second place. Tkachuk will be key to the Cats' playoff hopes.

18. Pittsburgh Penguins (36-27-10)

Previous rank: 15th

Kris Letang (Bill Masterton Trophy). If returning to NHL action 12 days after having a stroke doesn't display "perseverance" and "dedication to hockey," then what does? Letang is a warrior, and he's still playing at a high level in his age-35 season with 34 points in 55 games.

19. Nashville Predators (36-28-8)

Previous rank: 21st

Juuse Saros (Vezina Trophy). Saros has done his absolute best behind a disastrous defensive outfit this season, ranking third among all goaltenders in GSAx at 33.98. Saros has virtually no chance of winning this award with Nashville outside the playoffs, but it's scary to imagine where the club would be without its star between the pipes.

20. Buffalo Sabres (35-31-6)

Previous rank: 20th

Rasmus Dahlin (Norris Trophy). Karlsson is the favorite, but Dahlin is having a sensational season in his own right that'll warrant plenty of consideration. He's tallied 65 points in 68 games while displaying exemplary two-way play.

21. Vancouver Canucks (34-34-5)

Previous rank: 23rd

Quinn Hughes (Norris Trophy). The Canucks rearguard doesn't have any time for critics of his defensive ability, and for good reason: Hughes is a plus-18 on a struggling Vancouver team that owns a goal differential of minus-17. He also sits tied for second in blue-liner scoring while ranking second in goals above replacement (19.7).

22. Washington Capitals (34-32-8)

Previous rank: 22nd

T.J. Oshie (King Clancy Trophy). An award for humanitarian contributions is difficult to quantify, and there are always several worthy winners around the league. But Oshie, who's generous with charities that support Alzheimer's and youth hockey, would be a deserving winner this year.

23. Ottawa Senators (35-33-5)

Previous rank: 19th

Brady Tkachuk (Mark Messier Leadership Award). This award typically goes to more of a veteran player, but Tkachuk is mature beyond his years in the way he carries himself off the ice. On the ice, he's willing to do anything for his teammates, even if it means dropping the gloves.

24. St. Louis Blues (33-34-6)

Previous rank: 25th

Jordan Kyrou (Green Jacket). Unlike Masters champions in golf, this is a jacket Kyrou certainly won't want to wear. The Blues forward is an NHL-worst minus-34 on the season.

25. Philadelphia Flyers (28-32-12)

Previous rank: 28th

Noah Cates (Selke Trophy). It's Bergeron's award to lose, but Cates, who's probably an unknown player to the average fan, has been one of the league's best defensive forwards this season. His six defensive goals above replacement rank second among forwards.

26. Detroit Red Wings (31-32-9)

Previous rank: 24th

Ben Chiarot (Least Impactful Signing). The Red Wings inked the rugged blue-liner to a four-year, $19-million deal last summer, and in his first year in Detroit, Chiarot is a minus-27 while ranking last among the club's D-corps in expected goals and shots against.

27. Arizona Coyotes (27-34-13)

Previous rank: 26th

Connor Ingram (Bill Masterton Trophy). It's a difficult award to measure, but Ingram would be an excellent choice. He voluntarily entered the player assistance program in 2021-22, and this season he's played well with a .907 save percentage in 27 games on a clearly tanking team.

28. Montreal Canadiens (29-38-6)

Previous rank: 27th

Cole Caufield (Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy). Sure, Caufield's season ended in January thanks to a shoulder injury, but he still leads the Habs with 26 goals in 46 contests. That would put him on pace for 46 tallies over an 82-game season, which obviously wouldn't be enough to catch McDavid, but we wanted to give the sniper a shoutout here.

29. Chicago Blackhawks (24-43-6)

Previous rank: 30th

Taylor Raddysh (Anti-Art Ross Trophy). Raddysh paces the abysmal Blackhawks with 33 points in 73 games, which is by far the lowest total that leads a team this season. Oof.

30. Anaheim Ducks (23-40-10)

Previous rank: 29th

The fans (Bill Masterton Trophy). Oh boy. The Ducks have been a tire fire this season and own a cataclysmic minus-108 goal differential. Any fan still watching Anaheim limp across the finish line has shown perseverance and dedication to hockey.

31. Columbus Blue Jackets (23-42-7)

Previous rank: 32nd

Kirill Marchenko (Cy Young Award). Marchenko's goal-to-assist ratio of 19-3 is awfully reminiscent of a Cy Young-winning MLB pitcher's win-loss record. We're not mad; we're impressed.

32. San Jose Sharks (19-39-15)

Previous rank: 31st

Erik Karlsson (Norris Trophy). As bad as the Sharks may be, Karlsson has put together a historically great campaign that makes him the front-runner to be named top defenseman. Points aren't everything, but he has 21 more than the next-closest blue-liner.

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

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The Los Angeles Kings are set to sign forward prospect Alex Laferriere to an entry-level contract now that his sophomore season at Harvard has concluded, Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli reports.

Laferriere is expected to burn the first year of his deal and play regular-season games for Los Angeles down the stretch, Seravalli adds.

Harvard was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament by Ohio State earlier this week. Fellow Crimson standouts Sean Farrell (Montreal Canadiens) and Matthew Coronato (Calgary Flames) also signed with their respective NHL clubs in the aftermath of the loss.

The Kings selected Laferriere in the third round of the 2020 draft. He finished second in Harvard's scoring race this season with 42 points in 34 games.

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